June 19, 2025 • 43 mins
On this episode of Levels to This, Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby dive into the current WNBA season, discussing the Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, and Atlanta Dream, and highlighting the performance of Napheesa Collier and Sabrina Ionescu. They also cover the struggles of teams like the Dallas Wings, Connecticut Sun, and Chicago Sky, and their surprising playoff contender. Terrika and Sheryl also address physicality in the league and respond to criticism from fans about rough play.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Levels to This is an iHeart women's sports production in
partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Hey, what's going on? Everybody?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
I'm Sorrika Foster Brasby. What's good y'all?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I'm your girl, Cheryl Swoops.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
And this is the Levels to this podcast. This is
the show where we share that there are levels to
the ship that women go through. And we have got
such a fun show lined up for you today because
today we're gonna talk some basketball.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
There's a lot going on in the women's bathkeb.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Boss Space, Spicy dude it ooh like, have a peal
pepper spicy Okay, off the chain out here in these streets.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
But first, before we get into that, Cheryl, how are you.
What's going on in your week?
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Hm?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I'm good.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
I guess came down with some little crazy book, but
I'm not claiming it, so I'm gonna just know that's right.
I got to go to Vegas, so I went to
the game when they played uh who.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Did they play? Dallas? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Asia was out still with her concussion. That was my
first in person game this season. I haven't been to
a lot of games this season, but it was really
fun for me because I got to hang out with so.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
You know, I have three brothers. I have two older
and one younger, and my.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Youngest brother Brandon, whom you do know, and my oldest
brother James met us in Vegas. So we had a
little small siblings gathering.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
So it was a lot. I love that. I love that.
And Dave Brandon just have a birthday recently.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, I hate it because he's gonna make sure everybody
knows it.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Everybody.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
It was all over my ig. I said, damn Brandon.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I mean, bro, we know, okay, but time out, time out,
because I don't know if this part will be a
video for people to see.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
But let me just tell y'all my sister. She is
looking fuine fine you hear me. She got she got
the red hair and the hair.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Is bzanging, the face is beat to pieces.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
She got all the upper body out like I mean, listen, listen,
she is looking. It's a it. Well.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
First of all, thank you for the time, welcome, thank you.
It is a brand new day for me. I am
just trying to embrace I love, I love.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Red hair, Like there's a thing about red hair for me.
You know, everybody can't rock red hair. Everybody can't rock red,
but ship out of it. Sorry, I love it. I
love it. This is gonna be my color for the summer.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
I'm gonna see how long I can find enough red wigs.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
I was about to say, let me, let me say,
let me let me re a way different color.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yes, but you don't know. And I'll be honest with you, Cheryl.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
I was a little nervous about it, not because I
didn't think I could wear red, but because it you know,
the stereotype about black women and multi colored hair.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
And I'm a I'm a journalist, I'm an analyst on TV,
I'm a sideline reporter. I don't want nobody be.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
In line girl to here looking crazy as here. I
would tell you I'm professional.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
With this red.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
And then I was like, no, I'm gonna just I'm
gonna just be me, like that's what people love about me.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
It is me so so first of all, and this
is just a message to everybody out there. Girl, do
you do you real? Be you real for you?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
But you know this, if if you look trashy in
it and not professional, all those things I would tell
every like.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Sis, that's you know that, ain't it? You would because
you're my real friend, for real, for us. But yes, yes,
I am loving all of it.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, yeah, I am very happy. I am very happy.
I also got to go shopping. So when we started
this year, literally this year, twenty twenty five, I told
everybody that I was going to be serious about being
on my weight loss journey.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
All that that you did, I was serious.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
And then I had a little bit of a moment
where I was undisciplined and I was unshook it and
I was eating every damn thing that came in front
of my face.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I wasn't serious. It happened.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
I got serious in March, and I am just very
happy to share that I have lost twenty five pounds on.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And I am so proud of you.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
I am so proud of me as you see me,
twenty five pounds. I have also figured out how to
eat Keto cookies and shit.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
So I get my grave for my cookies and cake.
That's beautiful. Twenty five. So I gotta go shopping because
look everything I say, you.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Just told people you were four. I talked, I talked
Greg I'm finna be all sad.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
To be outside outside. I'm about to be about to
be outside of these streets.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You're gonna be hot, but not that kind of hot.
Let me find out. No, no, no, no, I'm finna
be that kind of hot.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I know marriage, but I'm about to be I'm gonna
tell you what though, I'm about to be as hot
as these women in the w NBA that'd be fighting
every other damn day.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
You know, I was about to say the hair, the
hair is cute as long as ain't nobody pulling it.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Ain't nobody, But it depends on what type of hair
pulling we talking about.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Now, I'm talking in the game. I'm talking about in
the game. And again, hair pulling has become the thing.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
It's a bit much.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
It is a bit much, and so we are going
to definitely tap into today's show about everything. We got
some teams that are playing incredibly well. We got some
that need to find their way out the bottom of
the barrel. We got some that are just in the
middle of the pack. And then the physicality is at
an all time high. Some people hate it, some people
love it. We're gonna talk about all of it. So
(05:57):
let's just go ahead and take this to the next level.
So I always participate in well, I won't say always,
but I'll say this year particularly, I have officially been
participating in the power rankings right where where the AP
(06:18):
has me voting every week for power rankings, and so
it has been really difficult trying to get like the
middle of the pack because the top teams have really
been the same the entire year. It's been Minnesota, it's
been New York, it's been Phoenix, and it's kind of
(06:38):
for a couple of weeks now I've been Atlanta. I
feel like these four teams are the four teams that
are sitting very comfortable. You got an Indiana that's going
to be playing Minnesota in the Commissioner's Cup, So Minnesota's
got a back to back opportunity to win the Commissioner's Cup, something.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
No other team has ever done just yet.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Like I just kind of feel like, if I'm looking
at who is making the best case to make a
deep run later in the season, those are the four
teams that are really holding their pedal to the fire
at this exact moment. So what impressed you or what
has impressed you most about any of those teams Minnesota,
(07:19):
New York, Atlanta, and Phoenix.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
I don't think Minnesota's doing anything we didn't expect, right.
I Mean, they made it to the finals last year,
but there's something about them to me that says they're
even better than they were last year. I think they're
playing with a lot of confidence the fact that they
were there last year and they fell short. I don't
think they felt like they played their best basketball. But
(07:42):
I also think they're playing with a chip on their shoulder.
You know, if you remember Cheryl Reeve after the finals
last year, felt like, you know, they were kind of cheated,
you know.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
And I think a lot of the players are. All
the players came.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Back into this season on a mission and they were like, yeah,
we're gonna make sure that doesn't happen again. And I
will say this now because this is just how I
feel and what I see the Fisa Collier without question,
is the MVP.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Without question, She's MVP right now. Yeah, Fee is on
a whole nother level.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
And then when I go to New York, I mean,
I think Sabrina's having an incredible season. I think Stewie's
playing well, jun Quell coming back from her injury.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
But Tee, I'll tell you, I feel like adding Tosh
Cloud to this team.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Just put New York in a position to possibly win
back to back championships.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Granted, Minnesota's gonna have something to.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Say about that, but I always felt like New York
was missing like a dog.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
You know, they didn't have a dog on that team.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Kayla Thornton in a way was that player, but Kayla
didn't play enough to make that type of a difference. Yeah,
I feel like Tash is that player because Tash is
a dog. She's gonna compete on both ends of the floor.
She just does everything that they need. She's that defensive
stopper that I don't feel like they've had.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Yeah, New York's been very impressive.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
And then when I think about Atlanta, I'm.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Glad to see Atlanta playing the way they're playing right now.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I know their record's eight and four, but I've always
tried to figure out why are they not winning because
they've had the talent. Like Atlanta, they've had the talent.
Aleisha Gray is on a whole other level. She's playing
on a whole nother level.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I think.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
What they've been able to do in a short period
of time with the new pieces with Beg with Brianna Jones,
I think this might be the year that Atlanta makes
a deep run in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I don't think I shouldn't say they don't, but I
don't feel like they have all the pieces to win
championship this year.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
But I do think they're going to make some noise.
And then the last team I'll mention because you brought
it up, Phoenix. Yep, I think I might be a
little surprised at how well Phoenix has been playing without
(10:22):
ky right, I mean side too.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
I think is playing really well. AT is going to
do what AT does.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
But when I really look at their team, I'm like,
who else do they have with K being out and
they're sitting eight and for playing really well, Kyd.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Just you know, came back.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I just I think I think Phoenix they've been playing really,
really well without her, So I'm excited to see what
they'll be able to do, what with K coming back
and the inserting her back into the swing of things.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yeah, I echo a lot of your sentiments stick with
Phoenix since that's where you last spoke. But it's a
scary thought when you think about the fact that Phoenix
is just now getting their full rotation healthy, right like
they like Kyle came back Sunday, Alyssa is back, and
Natasha Mack is back and she's gonna be playing.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
You know, as we're recording this.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
On Wednesday the eighteenth, they have a game against Connecticut
that I'll be covering, and I know it's going to
be an emotional game for at coming back to the
place that she spent you know, eleven years. I think
this Phoenix team, on paper, we said, okay, we know
that their big three was going to be good, right,
(11:41):
But I always find it surprising when you get players
that kind of gel together really quickly or quicker than
we anticipate them being. And that's what it was for
me for Phoenix. It's like I knew y'all had some dogs.
I knew y'all were gonna be good, but I wasn't
sure that y'all were gonna find yourselves this early. And
I'm actually very happy to see because I think the
league is good when I love the league, and I
(12:03):
feel the league is better when Phoenix is a good team.
They're one of the original team, you know what I'm saying,
Like they're one of the team, like one of.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
The traditional powers in this league.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
So I love that to see the Mercury doing well
Atlanta is so impressive, And man, am I so happy
that Elisha Gray is finally getting the love and credit
that she deserves, because at some point it was like,
what else does this have to do? No doubt, like
to show y'all that she's a dog out here? Like
what else did she have to do to show y'all
(12:32):
that she's she's one of one like her in the
MVP conversation? Absolutely, she should be in the MVP conversation.
It's Atlanta's good. And then you know, there were some
conversations about well, how good is Alisha really or or
how much of an impact did she really as it
relates to the MVP, because she plays alongside Ryan Howard
And I'm like, okay, what does that mean? Like Ryan
(12:54):
Howard is like, I don't understand what you're saying, Like
you know, it's like they it people good players on
that level, elite players can coexist, like what are you
what are you saying? So I don't remember nobody saying
Cynthia Cooper not good.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Because she played alongside Chirl swoops like out like you
know what I'm saying that it didn't make sense.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
That doesn't make sense. That it's not a real it's
not a real thing. So give give Alicia her flowers.
Minnesota and New York to me are always going to
be the two this season that are just gonna be
fighting front of number one spot. I had to have
New York at that number one spot for a few
weeks now because they were the reigning champions and they
were undefeated, and I just like, I'm gonna give respect
where respect to do. But after they both Minnesota and
(13:35):
New York took their first loss of the season, I
did give Minnesota a little bit more of an edge
because one, they had played an additional game, but two,
just because the way that they were winning it was
just First of all, Fee came back on a tear.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Fee is not playing.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
She is stepping on next and has been stepping on
next since the season ended last year. Through Unrivaled, through
the Olympics. Feed was coming for all of the things,
and she still is and I love to see that.
So the teams at the top of the at the
top of the list, I think they're gonna continue to
(14:11):
be you know, hot teams. I think all four of
those teams have a good shot to get deep into
the playoffs. But then you got your middle of the
Pac teams where you have your Indiana's, your Seattle's, and
surprisingly enough the Golden State Valiries Sherlotte can't Lyne see it.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I didn't either. I did either. I didn't either. I
did either, but I will. I will say this. Natalie
has them just competing and playing hard. You know. I
think it was Kaylea Thornton. She did an interview and
she said where the I don't know if you heard it.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Where the sixth man team or something like that, meaning
like their roster is built up of players who came
off the bench.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah right.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
They they don't have like a star per se, but
the buy in is there. They're competing every single night,
even the games that they don't win.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
You know.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
The one to me when I was like, oh, okay,
the Valkyries are like they believe was when they gave
the Aces.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
That beaten Yeah they did. Oh it was bad. It
was ugly. I was like, I saw the score and
I was like, oh, this can't be right. They got
it backwards.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Right then I turned on the game, and I was like, oh, okay,
I absolutely love what they're doing.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I love the pieces that she's put together.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
The Valkyries could be that team that, you know, how
when it gets to the end of the season or
you have two or three teams that are fighting for
that last playoff spot.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
The Valkyries could be that spoiler for what they absolutely could.
They absolutely could. Yeah, and they could themselves be fighting
for it, which is wild because I think a lot
of people were like, Hey, we don't really anticipate or
expect the Valkyries to be a team that will be
a playoff team this year in their first season.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
I don't know anybody who thought they were going to
be a playoff team.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
I did not think that they would be a playoff team,
And and I was okay with that because I'm like,
it's your first year. It's an expansion team in six
time to grow and developed. But they're five and five
right now, They're sitting at five hundred. They beat the Aces,
the Sparks in the Storm last week. Three game win streak.
I mean, honestly, Kayla Thornton, you mentioned her earlier as
(16:31):
a player when she was with New York, but that
same mentality that she had, she now has an opportunity
to capitalize on that with Golden State. She had eighteen
points in each of those games, eighteen plus in each
of those games on that streak, like she is continuing
to show she can be a leader and she can
lead a team. And this Valkyrie team is really going
to show what they're made of now more than ever,
(16:53):
in my opinion, because euro League Basketball is going on
and a lot of players have left the WN to
go compete and fulfill their overseas obligations, and I think
Golden State probably had lost I would say I think
they lost more players to overseas basketball.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Than maybe any other team.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
So you've seen recently a lot of hardship contracts or
end of the season contracts that are being offered to
players to come play at Golden State. I know Aerial
Powers which just added Brecall has just been added couple,
Kaitlyn Chen has been back. So there are a few
names that are coming back to the foe. Latitia and
(17:32):
me here I believe came back. So I say all
that to say, if you were that good and you
were doing that well alongside Julie van lu and Kayla
and Veronica, those were your guys and Timmy, I am
interested in seeing now that you have to replace some
of your overseas contracted players, do you still maintain this
(17:55):
level of consistency, Like that's gonna show me how coach
is truly at an elite level in that organization. If
you can bring in four or five different players, implement
the same system, maintain that level of success that you're
seeing as an expansion team with these new people in
fill in positions, then I know y'all are for real, legit.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
It's a great point. That's a great point. Well, and you.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Mentioned that they've probably lost more players in there the
team because when in the expansion draft and when they
were putting the team together, that was one of the
first things I noticed was all the international players that
Natalie was putting together on her team. So yeah, no
surprise that they lost the most players.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
But I agree with you. Here's the good thing. So
you bring back La Caitlyn Chin.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Those are two players that you initially had in training camp, right,
So yeah, they haven't played, but they're semi familiar with
what it is you all are trying to do. You know,
I've always been a big Veronica Burton fan when she
was in Dallas, when she went to Connecticut. I was
so happy for when she went to the Valkyries.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Kayla Thornton.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
I think is finally getting the opportunity to play the
minute she deserves to show what type of player.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
She is mobile like she is doing what she does.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I just after watching this team in what eleven games,
I really am enjoying what they're doing.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Yeah, one hundred percent agree.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Now, as we continue to move down the list, we
see the next three teams which aren't quite middle of
the pack, like they're below five hundred, and you don't
want to give up on them because you feel like
there is something that can still happen, can still shake,
and that's Las Vegas, the Los Angeles Sparks, and the
(19:55):
Washington Mystics. Vegas are five and five, Mystics are five,
and Sparks I believe are.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Four and nine because I think they just lost to
Seattle Sparks four or nine yep. A since five and
six yep.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
And so I look at these teams and I say
to myself, you never can count a team out that
has Asia Wilson on it, right. But at the same time,
and you you know, were at the game. I didn't
get I have yet to see Las Vegas play in
person just yet. But I also feel like some of
the players that we can typically count on are playing
(20:30):
uncharacteristic at this point. Chelsea Gray playing a little uncharacteristic
than we typically know, you know, are used to her
playing at times. I think Jackie Young is still playing
amazing basketball. Jewel Lloyd hasn't always been as consistent this
year at all, and Asia has kind of had to
take a lot of the grant of that when it
comes to being the offense and being the defense. And
(20:53):
she's been out for three games because she's out with
the concussion protocol. So you got to ask yourself, who's
that player that's gonna step up and take over and
be that it person?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Right?
Speaker 3 (21:03):
I don't know if they figured that out yet, and
it has really confused me on why they're struggling the
way that they are.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
And here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
I want to be clear when I say that Las
Vegas was five and five last year and they ended
up turning it all the way around and making a
run for it at like middle to the end.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
So five and six ain't the end of the world.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Like we're only eleven games in and it's a forty
four game season, So nobody's saying that they're out, but
I'm saying it is uncharacteristic because they've been so good
so much recently.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
That it feels weird to pinpoint why they're struggling LA.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
I look at very similarly where it's like, I understand,
y'all got a new coach. You guys have a couple
of new teammates. I get Rake Rakia Jackson was out
for a little bit. You still haven't gotten Cameron Brink yet.
So I'm not counting this LA team out as being
a potential seven or eight seed because they can't do
it like they have the pieces, they have the stars.
(22:02):
I just think they have to get healthy, which has
been the their achilles heel for the last how many years,
Like their players have been injured And Keith ray Burrell
was sitting on the bench cam was there a badge.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
I'm like, damn, I think Odyssey was out. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
It's just like health is wealth in this league, and
LA has just not had an opportunity to be wealthy
enough to have their players healthy to really put together
a team that can show what they can do. And
then I look at Washington, Washington five and seven.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
I am.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
I am impressed with Washington because I didn't expect them
to even be five and seven. But Kiki Iria Finn Honey, honey, really,
I have to switch my Rookie of the Year selection
because I came in thinking it was gonna be paid.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
I think everybody was gonna be paid. Right now, it's
Kik Listen.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
I mean, Page is playing well, but you have two
rookies on the Mystics that, to me, are making a
big difference for this team. Absolutely, Sonya and Kiki just yeah,
playing incredible, incredible basketball.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Let me go back to what you started with with
the Aces.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I'm gonna start by saying Asia Wilson is still her.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Absolutely. I am never ever ever going to count a
team out that has Asia Wilson. Sure can't.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Now with that being said, Asia Wilson needs some help.
I look at this team and I look at the roster,
and they've never had even when they were winning, they've
never had that center that can help you offensively, like
scoring the basketball, because Asia's not She's Asia's like a four, right,
(23:50):
So I'm looking at like a Kia Stokes, a mad
Gus's son. Liz Kittley, Now, like, you gotta be able
to get something offensively from these players?
Speaker 2 (24:01):
You do? So, then I look at it.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
I'm like, if Cheyenne Parker Tias, right, Scheyenne Parker Tyas,
if she wasn't pregnant and was playing this season, how
much of a difference would she make on this team?
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Huge tones? Yeah, I love Cheyenne with Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
With all of that being said, there is something and
you said it right, there is something missing with this
particular team and I cannot put my finger on it.
Chelsea's healthy, Jewel's healthy, Jackie's healthy, Like they're all healthy,
but there is something.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Not right. They're not connecting, they're not jelling, they're not don't.
I don't know what it is. And it baffles me.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Because they have the talent from a guard standpoint, right,
And when when Asia Wilson is leading in every probably
not now because she's been out, but before she went out,
Asia was leading in every statistical category on this team.
She was leading an assist, rebound, scoring, blocks. How is
(25:13):
that possible when you have the types of guards that
you have on this team?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (25:18):
So I can't put my finger on at tea.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
But but I will say this again, I'm never going
to count an Asia Wilson team out. But they got
to figure the Aces have to figure it out sooner
rather than later if they're trying to make it to
the playoffs win another championship.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
There's there's something missing with this team.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Agreed, there is absolutely something missing. And when we come back,
we will kind of wrap this thing up with the
last few teams, just kind of give you an overview
of where they are and what they need to do.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
And baby is a lot. We'll be right bay.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
So the last three teams that we have not yet
touched on, and we'll just kind of touch on them
very quickly. Chicago, Connecticut, in Dallas, and these three teams
are the three teams that are kind of sitting at
the bottom of the barrel. Chicago, I believe is three
and eight, Connecticut is also is two and nine, and Dallas,
(26:25):
I believe at this point just finally got their second
win over Golden State and are now sitting at two
and eleven.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
You've got to think that one of these teams can
figure out how to climb themselves out of the hole
that they're in. You know, I look at Dallas and
I say, Dallas has an opportunity. But they often shoot
themselves in the foot. Sometimes they turn the ball over
too much. At times, they get into foul trouble late
in games, sometimes take ill advised shots.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
You know, I love what Page is doing.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
I mean, I know earlier I mentioned that I think
that Kiki is probably my lead right now for Rookie
of the Year. But that does not mean that Page
is not playing. Page is playing both sides of the
basketball as well as anybody can. And I thought it
was really funny that Rique tweeted that after the win,
she depped up Gino talking about I.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Guess the beef is over, and I said, I said, Erique,
please like.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Look, I think that they have an opportunity to pull
themselves out of the hole if they can stop getting
in their own way latent games. I look at Connecticut
and Connecticut for three quarters. This Connecticut team can make
anybody and play with anybody.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
You know, you gotta have Marina playing well. Tina has
like Tina's playing so carefree. She ain't playing for no accolade.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
She knows she's not gonna win, no ship this year,
Like she's just playing as free as you can possibly be.
And I keep thinking to myself, this is the same
team that won against an Indiana team. This is the
same team that literally were that had no Minnesota on
the ropes bout fifteen points.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
This is the same team that could have capitalized against Washington.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Like there are so many moments where I look at
this team and I say, you guys are playing like.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
You can win games, but they don't have a closer
to me.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
There's nobody that I feel like they feel comfortable or
that has shown that at the end of the game
when the game is on the line, when it's time.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
For years, that was at for years, that was even
Dewanna Bonner.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Now it's just like Marina is still elevating her gameplay
to understand what her leadership needs to be. She's still
figuring that out because she ain't ever had to do
it on another team before. Tina knows that there are
more years behind her than in front of her. And
so who's going to be that person. I feel like
it could be Bria Hartley. I feel like it could
(28:48):
be j. C. Sheldon, like it could be Olivia Nelson
Adoda but somebody's got to figure out. I'm gonna beat
his dog at the end of the game to make
sure that when we are in positions to win, we
don't lose it.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
And then they're Chicago, Chicago, Chicago, Chicago.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Take the blueprint from the game against Connecticut when you
don't make Angel have to be just inside when you
allow her to play point four ward, Angel had a
triple double, Angel had assists, Angel was involved, Angel touched
the like Tyler.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Do that, do that every time? Do that every time? Angel,
Just do everything. Don't change shit, Tyler, you my homie. Now,
why are you being a loud? Why you being loud?
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Because I need to stress that is how you know. Okay,
I don't really have a lot to add, but I
do want to make a point. I want to make
a point. These three teams that you just mentioned, Dallas, Connecticut,
and Chicago, they also have new coaches brand none of
(30:00):
them have been head coaches in WNBA. Since I don't know,
I'm gonna start with Chicago because that's where you ended.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
I agree with you, Tyler. Did you hear what my
sister said? Do that? Do that? Do that with Angel?
Just do that? Okay, what's up? Move on?
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And then when I look at Dallas, though, Sis, I'm like,
I was so excited about the moves Dallas made in
the off season.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Me too.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
I mean, you got Arique coming back, you got paid,
you got an Alyssa, you got Djena Tierra's coming back.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I am baffled at what's going on in Dallas. I'll
be honest with you.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
I didn't see Dallas sitting at the bottom neither at
two and eleven.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I didn't see it. They have the worst record, the worst.
You know, Connecticut's two a nine, but Dallas is two
and eleven. Didn't see it.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yes, players have to take responsibility, but coaching got to
take some responsibility too.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
That one just confuses me. I don't even have a
lot to say about them. But when you talk about
of those three, and I'll say four, because I'll even
put the Sparks in there, right, you got the Sparks,
who also has a new coach. I think the Sparks
are that one team that if they can I don't
know when Cambrick's coming back, but if they can ever
(31:24):
mean it a full healthy roster, they have some really
good pieces to make some noise, and I just I
really honestly don't know.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
About Connecticut, Chicago, and Dallas because just when I think,
just when I'm like, okay, right, Chicago, they're getting it,
they're gonna turn it around, or Connecticut will they beat Indiana?
The first time, I was like, Okay, this Connecticut team,
they could do some things, and then they play like
they did the other night, and I'm like, nah, this, no,
(31:57):
this ain't gonna get it. So I don't I don't know,
just really disappointed in those three teams.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
That's just all I'll say.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
If there's any team in this three that can pull
themselves out of it successfully, I feel like maybe.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
I don't know. Maybe who I know? You are about
to say no, no, I heard, It's like I don't know.
It's like I don't I know. That's why I'm I
don't know either. I don't know either. I don't know.
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
I want to say, I want to say Dallas should
be able to do it, but you write you're mentioned
coaching and Chris Coklanis is one of the newer head
coaches in the league, even though he's been coaching in
the league as an assistant.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
But astant is very different from being a head It's
very different from being a head coach. And so Chris,
it's a loss on the sloon girl. And I like Chris,
but I just be like Chris. I don't know, I
don't know. We'll figure it out.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
But I think the other thing when you look at
these teams is that all thirteen teams are playing with
a level of intensity and competitiveness.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
That it just grows and grows and grows. And I
am really tired. This is my rent.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Okay, I'm gonna start start my timer. I'm gonna start
my timer because this is my rent. I am really
sick of fans who think that because their favorite player,
whoever that player may be, got pushed, got bumped, got shoved,
got anything, got all of that, and I any of that,
(33:38):
any of that, any of that.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
This is basketball. This is how the game has been played.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
I'm old enough to remember Diana Tarassi and everything that
Diana used to do as a player. I'm old enough
to remember putting that Pearson squaring up on kandas Parker like,
am what huh?
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Like? I'm old enough to remember all of this.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
You're old enough to remember how Delicia Milton Jones every
single player that came near her.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Let me tell you and love me some, Delicia Milton Jones,
do you hear me? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Look, physicality in this league is not new. It ain't
just got here. You just got here, It ain't just
been here. You are just the one finding out. You're
the one that's just watching it. And every player on
that court knows that they give and they take. There
are moments that they give a file and they have
to take a file. There are moments that they do
(34:35):
someone necessary shit and they have to take someone necessary shit.
And I am sick of fans trying to twist this
narrative that folks are intentionally being extra, or that women
don't have the ability to play physical and that everybody
needs to play nice. Y'all can go out and have
drinks after the game. Y'all can chit chat and TikTok
before the game. But when that ball is tipped, I
(34:58):
don't fuck with you.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
We ain't carry it, we ain't friends. I ain't here
for you. I'm here to win a game. Why don't
people get day that shit blows and grinds my gears?
Why don't you get it. We ain't for friends. Winner's
game time.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
I holler at you after the game, and depending on
how much we win or lose by I might higher
at you tomorrow because I might not want to talk
to your ass after the game.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
I might need a day like, come on, what are
we doing?
Speaker 3 (35:33):
And I understand both sides as it relates to when
it's your team, you want your player to have your
teammates back. When it's your team, you want your players
to step up. But when it's a different team, that's
the way the game goes. We can argue until we
blew in a phase. A fan of team A is
gonna always think that teammate is doing it right, and
(35:56):
the fan of team B is always gonna think that
team B is doing it right. The way of sports,
people stop getting so fucking worked.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Up about things that happen all the time.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
I will never be okay with anybody trying to intentionally
injure a player.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
I think that crosses the line. That's not physicality.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
That's stupid, and it's unnecessary and it deserves to be
checked and punished each and every time. Intentionally judging intent
that is something that is not easy to do, but
Oftentimes some players make it very easy for you to
figure out that they're intentionally trying to do some shit. Okay,
that is very different than shit that happens in the
play of the game. And it just gets physical.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
It just is what it is. That's my rent, Mike drop,
that's my rent. Cut it out, let them play. Let
me add just a little bit to that.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
It happens in the freaking NBA all the time, all
the time, and you don't see people taking to social
media to talk about, oh my gosh, the game's too physical.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
I don't want to watch it.
Speaker 5 (37:03):
You're turning me off from watching the WNBA. Oh, you're
trying to hurt this player. You're intentionally trying to hurt
this player.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Listen, shut up, stop it, just stop it. Here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
There is a difference in playing physical like physical play
and dirty play.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
There's a difference, yes, And.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
The physicality of the WNBA has always been there, always,
It's always been there, Like this.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
Is nothing new. The stuff that these new fans and
the stuff that people are seeing today when they're like,
oh my god, did you see her tackle her? And
I'm like, well, did she really tackle her? Or was
it just a hard foul. There you go. Language matters, friends,
so it does.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
It's not the physical play for me that is turning
me off from the w It's the ignorance from people
who don't know anything about basketball that's making me say,
I don't even want to watch this anymore, because you know,
as soon as there is a hard foul or physical play,
(38:21):
here comes all the trolls, Here comes all the people
to social media like, oh my god, can you believe
this happened. I'm just I'm tired of it, like, just
let them play. And I last thing, I totally agree
with you. I had when I played, I had zero
interest in being your friend on the court because when
it was time to play, you're standing in my way
(38:43):
of what I'm trying to accomplish, and that is trying
to get a DUB so I can eventually win a championship.
And friend or not, you're on the opposing team, which
means we're not Yes, we are not friends. So if
you come in a pain or you got a wide
(39:03):
open lay up, I'm going to fail your ass hard
because I'm not giving you an easy layup. And after
the game, may, like you said, it might be a
day or two later, then we can talk about it.
We can talk about it, but right now, I have
no interest in hearing about to feelings. I don't care
if I hurt your feelings. I don't care if I
fail you hard. Now I'm not I'm never ever intentionally
(39:23):
trying to hurt anybody ever, right right, but I'm not
gonna let you have shit easy.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
That part, like, sportsmanship can exist within physicality, and that's
where I think some people are missing. You can still
have sportsmanship within the confines of physicality. It's when you
take it outside of that where you are intentionally trying
to hurt player, where you're playing intentionally dirty like, that's
not cool.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
That's never cool.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
And it doesn't matter who the player is that's doing it,
and it doesn't matter who the player is that's receiving it.
It is never gonna be cool to be a dirty
player physical play ever, like it is what it is.
Like you accidentally elbowed me in the nose, and I
took exception to it and got up and got in
your face. That's a natural reactions, a natural reaction, like
(40:13):
somebody elbowed me in a face.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Right now, we're squaring up who the fuck, we're me.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
I have had to check my niece and nephew because
they didn't accidentally hit me in the face as babies,
and I'd be.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Like, oh boy, no, boy, almost knocked your head off
to what is wrong? You know what I'm saying. It's
a natural reaction. When you gather.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
Yourself, you move on, and you keep it going. That's
all I'm saying. So not gonna spend any more time
on this. I'm just simply saying, if you're listening to
this podcast, y'all.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
Relax, relax, relax. It is not it. It is what
it is. Okay, it is what it is. And on
that note, we will be back to close this thing out.
All right. That's that because we just dropping the mic.
It just is what the fuck it is. We said it.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
Yeah, we still got a lot of basketball left to play,
and so obviously, you know, you and I are gonna
continue to talk about basketball, continue to talk about you know,
the w NBA.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
We're both gonna be at All Star in Indianapolis.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
We're actually both gonna be linking up for Fanatics Fest
and I'm super excited about that.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
And if y'all are in New York, swing by come
through this.
Speaker 4 (41:27):
Walk a Sporting Goods stage on Saturday, Yes, Saturday the
twenty first, Come on at US three to three forty
five pm. That's right PM period, that's right to be
there on Friday, y'all come check me out, come see me.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
I was just gonna say, y'all need to go holler
as Shirl on Friday and buck her and get her
the signs and stuff.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Come on, come on, come on, clay us. This is
just a short walk.
Speaker 4 (41:55):
MG.
Speaker 3 (41:57):
So with that being said, we're gonna keep it locked
in a WNBA all season long. We will absolutely have
way more conversation about this as the season continues. And Cheryl,
before we head on out of here, we need you
to level us on up this real simple, real real,
real simple. I might even gonna say anything. I'm just
gonna read it here it goes. Your time is limited,
(42:21):
so don't waste it living someone else's life. Oh that's
a mic drop for real, short and sweet, but very deep,
just very they too, because your life started this show
talking about being nervous about going on TV with my
bright ass bread here and then you come with that period,
(42:41):
I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (42:42):
You love it? Do you boot do it well?
Speaker 3 (42:45):
Thank you guys so much for listening to Levels to This.
We will absolutely be back next week with more next
level conversation, just talking about everything and.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
The real shit that we go through is women.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Probably gonna have some stories from fanatics best because knowing
us something is gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Knowing us some something that's gonna pop off.
Speaker 3 (43:04):
But we want to hear from you, right, so leave
us a review in Apple Podcasts. You can email us
at Levels to This Podcast at gmail dot com and
tell us what you.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
Thought of this week's show. Continue to share our content, engage.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
With us on social media, specifically following us on Instagram
at ltt pod. But until next time, keep your mentals
ground level and we will.
Speaker 2 (43:23):
Be back next week. Peace out, peace y'all, and.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
Listen to Levels to This on America's number one podcast network, iHeart.
Open your free iHeart app and search Levels to This
with Cheryl Swoops and Tarika Foster Brasby and start listening
Levels to This is an iHeart women's sports production in
partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Hey, what's going on? Everybody?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
I'm Sorrika Foster Brasby. What's good y'all?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I'm your girl, Cheryl Swoops.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
And this is the Levels to this podcast. This is
the show where we share that there are levels to
the ship that women go through. And we have got
such a fun show lined up for you today because
today we're gonna talk some basketball.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
There's a lot going on in the women's bathkeb.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Boss Space, Spicy dude it ooh like, have a peal
pepper spicy Okay, off the chain out here in these streets.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
But first, before we get into that, Cheryl, how are you.
What's going on in your week?
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Hm?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I'm good.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
I guess came down with some little crazy book, but
I'm not claiming it, so I'm gonna just know that's right.
I got to go to Vegas, so I went to
the game when they played uh who.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Did they play? Dallas? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Asia was out still with her concussion. That was my
first in person game this season. I haven't been to
a lot of games this season, but it was really
fun for me because I got to hang out with so.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
You know, I have three brothers. I have two older
and one younger, and my.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Youngest brother Brandon, whom you do know, and my oldest
brother James met us in Vegas. So we had a
little small siblings gathering.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
So it was a lot. I love that. I love that.
And Dave Brandon just have a birthday recently.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, I hate it because he's gonna make sure everybody
knows it.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Everybody.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
It was all over my ig. I said, damn Brandon.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I mean, bro, we know, okay, but time out, time out,
because I don't know if this part will be a
video for people to see.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
But let me just tell y'all my sister. She is
looking fuine fine you hear me. She got she got
the red hair and the hair.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Is bzanging, the face is beat to pieces.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
She got all the upper body out like I mean, listen, listen,
she is looking. It's a it. Well.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
First of all, thank you for the time, welcome, thank you.
It is a brand new day for me. I am
just trying to embrace I love, I love.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Red hair, Like there's a thing about red hair for me.
You know, everybody can't rock red hair. Everybody can't rock red,
but ship out of it. Sorry, I love it. I
love it. This is gonna be my color for the summer.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
I'm gonna see how long I can find enough red wigs.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
I was about to say, let me, let me say,
let me let me re a way different color.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yes, but you don't know. And I'll be honest with you, Cheryl.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
I was a little nervous about it, not because I
didn't think I could wear red, but because it you know,
the stereotype about black women and multi colored hair.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
And I'm a I'm a journalist, I'm an analyst on TV,
I'm a sideline reporter. I don't want nobody be.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
In line girl to here looking crazy as here. I
would tell you I'm professional.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
With this red.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
And then I was like, no, I'm gonna just I'm
gonna just be me, like that's what people love about me.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
It is me so so first of all, and this
is just a message to everybody out there. Girl, do
you do you real? Be you real for you?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
But you know this, if if you look trashy in
it and not professional, all those things I would tell
every like.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Sis, that's you know that, ain't it? You would because
you're my real friend, for real, for us. But yes, yes,
I am loving all of it.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, yeah, I am very happy. I am very happy.
I also got to go shopping. So when we started
this year, literally this year, twenty twenty five, I told
everybody that I was going to be serious about being
on my weight loss journey.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
All that that you did, I was serious.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
And then I had a little bit of a moment
where I was undisciplined and I was unshook it and
I was eating every damn thing that came in front
of my face.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I wasn't serious. It happened.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
I got serious in March, and I am just very
happy to share that I have lost twenty five pounds on.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And I am so proud of you.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
I am so proud of me as you see me,
twenty five pounds. I have also figured out how to
eat Keto cookies and shit.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
So I get my grave for my cookies and cake.
That's beautiful. Twenty five. So I gotta go shopping because
look everything I say, you.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Just told people you were four. I talked, I talked
Greg I'm finna be all sad.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
To be outside outside. I'm about to be about to
be outside of these streets.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You're gonna be hot, but not that kind of hot.
Let me find out. No, no, no, no, I'm finna
be that kind of hot.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I know marriage, but I'm about to be I'm gonna
tell you what though, I'm about to be as hot
as these women in the w NBA that'd be fighting
every other damn day.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
You know, I was about to say the hair, the
hair is cute as long as ain't nobody pulling it.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Ain't nobody, But it depends on what type of hair
pulling we talking about.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Now, I'm talking in the game. I'm talking about in
the game. And again, hair pulling has become the thing.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
It's a bit much.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
It is a bit much, and so we are going
to definitely tap into today's show about everything. We got
some teams that are playing incredibly well. We got some
that need to find their way out the bottom of
the barrel. We got some that are just in the
middle of the pack. And then the physicality is at
an all time high. Some people hate it, some people
love it. We're gonna talk about all of it. So
(05:57):
let's just go ahead and take this to the next level.
So I always participate in well, I won't say always,
but I'll say this year particularly, I have officially been
participating in the power rankings right where where the AP
(06:18):
has me voting every week for power rankings, and so
it has been really difficult trying to get like the
middle of the pack because the top teams have really
been the same the entire year. It's been Minnesota, it's
been New York, it's been Phoenix, and it's kind of
(06:38):
for a couple of weeks now I've been Atlanta. I
feel like these four teams are the four teams that
are sitting very comfortable. You got an Indiana that's going
to be playing Minnesota in the Commissioner's Cup, So Minnesota's
got a back to back opportunity to win the Commissioner's Cup, something.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
No other team has ever done just yet.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Like I just kind of feel like, if I'm looking
at who is making the best case to make a
deep run later in the season, those are the four
teams that are really holding their pedal to the fire
at this exact moment. So what impressed you or what
has impressed you most about any of those teams Minnesota,
(07:19):
New York, Atlanta, and Phoenix.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
I don't think Minnesota's doing anything we didn't expect, right.
I Mean, they made it to the finals last year,
but there's something about them to me that says they're
even better than they were last year. I think they're
playing with a lot of confidence the fact that they
were there last year and they fell short. I don't
think they felt like they played their best basketball. But
(07:42):
I also think they're playing with a chip on their shoulder.
You know, if you remember Cheryl Reeve after the finals
last year, felt like, you know, they were kind of cheated,
you know.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
And I think a lot of the players are. All
the players came.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Back into this season on a mission and they were like, yeah,
we're gonna make sure that doesn't happen again. And I
will say this now because this is just how I
feel and what I see the Fisa Collier without question,
is the MVP.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Without question, She's MVP right now. Yeah, Fee is on
a whole nother level.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
And then when I go to New York, I mean,
I think Sabrina's having an incredible season. I think Stewie's
playing well, jun Quell coming back from her injury.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
But Tee, I'll tell you, I feel like adding Tosh
Cloud to this team.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Just put New York in a position to possibly win
back to back championships.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Granted, Minnesota's gonna have something to.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Say about that, but I always felt like New York
was missing like a dog.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
You know, they didn't have a dog on that team.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Kayla Thornton in a way was that player, but Kayla
didn't play enough to make that type of a difference. Yeah,
I feel like Tash is that player because Tash is
a dog. She's gonna compete on both ends of the floor.
She just does everything that they need. She's that defensive
stopper that I don't feel like they've had.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Yeah, New York's been very impressive.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
And then when I think about Atlanta, I'm.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Glad to see Atlanta playing the way they're playing right now.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I know their record's eight and four, but I've always
tried to figure out why are they not winning because
they've had the talent. Like Atlanta, they've had the talent.
Aleisha Gray is on a whole other level. She's playing
on a whole nother level.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I think.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
What they've been able to do in a short period
of time with the new pieces with Beg with Brianna Jones,
I think this might be the year that Atlanta makes
a deep run in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I don't think I shouldn't say they don't, but I
don't feel like they have all the pieces to win
championship this year.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
But I do think they're going to make some noise.
And then the last team I'll mention because you brought
it up, Phoenix. Yep, I think I might be a
little surprised at how well Phoenix has been playing without
(10:22):
ky right, I mean side too.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
I think is playing really well. AT is going to
do what AT does.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
But when I really look at their team, I'm like,
who else do they have with K being out and
they're sitting eight and for playing really well, Kyd.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Just you know, came back.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I just I think I think Phoenix they've been playing really,
really well without her, So I'm excited to see what
they'll be able to do, what with K coming back
and the inserting her back into the swing of things.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yeah, I echo a lot of your sentiments stick with
Phoenix since that's where you last spoke. But it's a
scary thought when you think about the fact that Phoenix
is just now getting their full rotation healthy, right like
they like Kyle came back Sunday, Alyssa is back, and
Natasha Mack is back and she's gonna be playing.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
You know, as we're recording this.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
On Wednesday the eighteenth, they have a game against Connecticut
that I'll be covering, and I know it's going to
be an emotional game for at coming back to the
place that she spent you know, eleven years. I think
this Phoenix team, on paper, we said, okay, we know
that their big three was going to be good, right,
(11:41):
But I always find it surprising when you get players
that kind of gel together really quickly or quicker than
we anticipate them being. And that's what it was for
me for Phoenix. It's like I knew y'all had some dogs.
I knew y'all were gonna be good, but I wasn't
sure that y'all were gonna find yourselves this early. And
I'm actually very happy to see because I think the
league is good when I love the league, and I
(12:03):
feel the league is better when Phoenix is a good team.
They're one of the original team, you know what I'm saying,
Like they're one of the team, like one of.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
The traditional powers in this league.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
So I love that to see the Mercury doing well
Atlanta is so impressive, And man, am I so happy
that Elisha Gray is finally getting the love and credit
that she deserves, because at some point it was like,
what else does this have to do? No doubt, like
to show y'all that she's a dog out here? Like
what else did she have to do to show y'all
(12:32):
that she's she's one of one like her in the
MVP conversation? Absolutely, she should be in the MVP conversation.
It's Atlanta's good. And then you know, there were some
conversations about well, how good is Alisha really or or
how much of an impact did she really as it
relates to the MVP, because she plays alongside Ryan Howard
And I'm like, okay, what does that mean? Like Ryan
(12:54):
Howard is like, I don't understand what you're saying, Like
you know, it's like they it people good players on
that level, elite players can coexist, like what are you
what are you saying? So I don't remember nobody saying
Cynthia Cooper not good.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Because she played alongside Chirl swoops like out like you
know what I'm saying that it didn't make sense.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
That doesn't make sense. That it's not a real it's
not a real thing. So give give Alicia her flowers.
Minnesota and New York to me are always going to
be the two this season that are just gonna be
fighting front of number one spot. I had to have
New York at that number one spot for a few
weeks now because they were the reigning champions and they
were undefeated, and I just like, I'm gonna give respect
where respect to do. But after they both Minnesota and
(13:35):
New York took their first loss of the season, I
did give Minnesota a little bit more of an edge
because one, they had played an additional game, but two,
just because the way that they were winning it was
just First of all, Fee came back on a tear.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Fee is not playing.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
She is stepping on next and has been stepping on
next since the season ended last year. Through Unrivaled, through
the Olympics. Feed was coming for all of the things,
and she still is and I love to see that.
So the teams at the top of the at the
top of the list, I think they're gonna continue to
(14:11):
be you know, hot teams. I think all four of
those teams have a good shot to get deep into
the playoffs. But then you got your middle of the
Pac teams where you have your Indiana's, your Seattle's, and
surprisingly enough the Golden State Valiries Sherlotte can't Lyne see it.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I didn't either. I did either. I didn't either. I
did either, but I will. I will say this. Natalie
has them just competing and playing hard. You know. I
think it was Kaylea Thornton. She did an interview and
she said where the I don't know if you heard it.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Where the sixth man team or something like that, meaning
like their roster is built up of players who came
off the bench.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah right.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
They they don't have like a star per se, but
the buy in is there. They're competing every single night,
even the games that they don't win.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
You know.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
The one to me when I was like, oh, okay,
the Valkyries are like they believe was when they gave
the Aces.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
That beaten Yeah they did. Oh it was bad. It
was ugly. I was like, I saw the score and
I was like, oh, this can't be right. They got
it backwards.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Right then I turned on the game, and I was like, oh, okay,
I absolutely love what they're doing.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I love the pieces that she's put together.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
The Valkyries could be that team that, you know, how
when it gets to the end of the season or
you have two or three teams that are fighting for
that last playoff spot.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
The Valkyries could be that spoiler for what they absolutely could.
They absolutely could. Yeah, and they could themselves be fighting
for it, which is wild because I think a lot
of people were like, Hey, we don't really anticipate or
expect the Valkyries to be a team that will be
a playoff team this year in their first season.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
I don't know anybody who thought they were going to
be a playoff team.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
I did not think that they would be a playoff team,
And and I was okay with that because I'm like,
it's your first year. It's an expansion team in six
time to grow and developed. But they're five and five
right now, They're sitting at five hundred. They beat the Aces,
the Sparks in the Storm last week. Three game win streak.
I mean, honestly, Kayla Thornton, you mentioned her earlier as
(16:31):
a player when she was with New York, but that
same mentality that she had, she now has an opportunity
to capitalize on that with Golden State. She had eighteen
points in each of those games, eighteen plus in each
of those games on that streak, like she is continuing
to show she can be a leader and she can
lead a team. And this Valkyrie team is really going
to show what they're made of now more than ever,
(16:53):
in my opinion, because euro League Basketball is going on
and a lot of players have left the WN to
go compete and fulfill their overseas obligations, and I think
Golden State probably had lost I would say I think
they lost more players to overseas basketball.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Than maybe any other team.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
So you've seen recently a lot of hardship contracts or
end of the season contracts that are being offered to
players to come play at Golden State. I know Aerial
Powers which just added Brecall has just been added couple,
Kaitlyn Chen has been back. So there are a few
names that are coming back to the foe. Latitia and
(17:32):
me here I believe came back. So I say all
that to say, if you were that good and you
were doing that well alongside Julie van lu and Kayla
and Veronica, those were your guys and Timmy, I am
interested in seeing now that you have to replace some
of your overseas contracted players, do you still maintain this
(17:55):
level of consistency, Like that's gonna show me how coach
is truly at an elite level in that organization. If
you can bring in four or five different players, implement
the same system, maintain that level of success that you're
seeing as an expansion team with these new people in
fill in positions, then I know y'all are for real, legit.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
It's a great point. That's a great point. Well, and you.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Mentioned that they've probably lost more players in there the
team because when in the expansion draft and when they
were putting the team together, that was one of the
first things I noticed was all the international players that
Natalie was putting together on her team. So yeah, no
surprise that they lost the most players.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
But I agree with you. Here's the good thing. So
you bring back La Caitlyn Chin.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Those are two players that you initially had in training camp, right,
So yeah, they haven't played, but they're semi familiar with
what it is you all are trying to do. You know,
I've always been a big Veronica Burton fan when she
was in Dallas, when she went to Connecticut. I was
so happy for when she went to the Valkyries.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Kayla Thornton.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
I think is finally getting the opportunity to play the
minute she deserves to show what type of player.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
She is mobile like she is doing what she does.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I just after watching this team in what eleven games,
I really am enjoying what they're doing.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Yeah, one hundred percent agree.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Now, as we continue to move down the list, we
see the next three teams which aren't quite middle of
the pack, like they're below five hundred, and you don't
want to give up on them because you feel like
there is something that can still happen, can still shake,
and that's Las Vegas, the Los Angeles Sparks, and the
(19:55):
Washington Mystics. Vegas are five and five, Mystics are five,
and Sparks I believe are.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Four and nine because I think they just lost to
Seattle Sparks four or nine yep. A since five and
six yep.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
And so I look at these teams and I say
to myself, you never can count a team out that
has Asia Wilson on it, right. But at the same time,
and you you know, were at the game. I didn't
get I have yet to see Las Vegas play in
person just yet. But I also feel like some of
the players that we can typically count on are playing
(20:30):
uncharacteristic at this point. Chelsea Gray playing a little uncharacteristic
than we typically know, you know, are used to her
playing at times. I think Jackie Young is still playing
amazing basketball. Jewel Lloyd hasn't always been as consistent this
year at all, and Asia has kind of had to
take a lot of the grant of that when it
comes to being the offense and being the defense. And
(20:53):
she's been out for three games because she's out with
the concussion protocol. So you got to ask yourself, who's
that player that's gonna step up and take over and
be that it person?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Right?
Speaker 3 (21:03):
I don't know if they figured that out yet, and
it has really confused me on why they're struggling the
way that they are.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
And here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
I want to be clear when I say that Las
Vegas was five and five last year and they ended
up turning it all the way around and making a
run for it at like middle to the end.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
So five and six ain't the end of the world.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Like we're only eleven games in and it's a forty
four game season, So nobody's saying that they're out, but
I'm saying it is uncharacteristic because they've been so good
so much recently.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
That it feels weird to pinpoint why they're struggling LA.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
I look at very similarly where it's like, I understand,
y'all got a new coach. You guys have a couple
of new teammates. I get Rake Rakia Jackson was out
for a little bit. You still haven't gotten Cameron Brink yet.
So I'm not counting this LA team out as being
a potential seven or eight seed because they can't do
it like they have the pieces, they have the stars.
(22:02):
I just think they have to get healthy, which has
been the their achilles heel for the last how many years,
Like their players have been injured And Keith ray Burrell
was sitting on the bench cam was there a badge.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
I'm like, damn, I think Odyssey was out. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
It's just like health is wealth in this league, and
LA has just not had an opportunity to be wealthy
enough to have their players healthy to really put together
a team that can show what they can do. And
then I look at Washington, Washington five and seven.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
I am.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
I am impressed with Washington because I didn't expect them
to even be five and seven. But Kiki Iria Finn Honey, honey, really,
I have to switch my Rookie of the Year selection
because I came in thinking it was gonna be paid.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
I think everybody was gonna be paid. Right now, it's
Kik Listen.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
I mean, Page is playing well, but you have two
rookies on the Mystics that, to me, are making a
big difference for this team. Absolutely, Sonya and Kiki just yeah,
playing incredible, incredible basketball.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Let me go back to what you started with with
the Aces.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I'm gonna start by saying Asia Wilson is still her.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Absolutely. I am never ever ever going to count a
team out that has Asia Wilson. Sure can't.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Now with that being said, Asia Wilson needs some help.
I look at this team and I look at the roster,
and they've never had even when they were winning, they've
never had that center that can help you offensively, like
scoring the basketball, because Asia's not She's Asia's like a four, right,
(23:50):
So I'm looking at like a Kia Stokes, a mad
Gus's son. Liz Kittley, Now, like, you gotta be able
to get something offensively from these players?
Speaker 2 (24:01):
You do? So, then I look at it.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
I'm like, if Cheyenne Parker Tias, right, Scheyenne Parker Tyas,
if she wasn't pregnant and was playing this season, how
much of a difference would she make on this team?
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Huge tones? Yeah, I love Cheyenne with Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
With all of that being said, there is something and
you said it right, there is something missing with this
particular team and I cannot put my finger on it.
Chelsea's healthy, Jewel's healthy, Jackie's healthy, Like they're all healthy,
but there is something.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Not right. They're not connecting, they're not jelling, they're not don't.
I don't know what it is. And it baffles me.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Because they have the talent from a guard standpoint, right,
And when when Asia Wilson is leading in every probably
not now because she's been out, but before she went out,
Asia was leading in every statistical category on this team.
She was leading an assist, rebound, scoring, blocks. How is
(25:13):
that possible when you have the types of guards that
you have on this team?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (25:18):
So I can't put my finger on at tea.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
But but I will say this again, I'm never going
to count an Asia Wilson team out. But they got
to figure the Aces have to figure it out sooner
rather than later if they're trying to make it to
the playoffs win another championship.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
There's there's something missing with this team.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Agreed, there is absolutely something missing. And when we come back,
we will kind of wrap this thing up with the
last few teams, just kind of give you an overview
of where they are and what they need to do.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
And baby is a lot. We'll be right bay.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
So the last three teams that we have not yet
touched on, and we'll just kind of touch on them
very quickly. Chicago, Connecticut, in Dallas, and these three teams
are the three teams that are kind of sitting at
the bottom of the barrel. Chicago, I believe is three
and eight, Connecticut is also is two and nine, and Dallas,
(26:25):
I believe at this point just finally got their second
win over Golden State and are now sitting at two
and eleven.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
You've got to think that one of these teams can
figure out how to climb themselves out of the hole
that they're in. You know, I look at Dallas and
I say, Dallas has an opportunity. But they often shoot
themselves in the foot. Sometimes they turn the ball over
too much. At times, they get into foul trouble late
in games, sometimes take ill advised shots.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
You know, I love what Page is doing.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
I mean, I know earlier I mentioned that I think
that Kiki is probably my lead right now for Rookie
of the Year. But that does not mean that Page
is not playing. Page is playing both sides of the
basketball as well as anybody can. And I thought it
was really funny that Rique tweeted that after the win,
she depped up Gino talking about I.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Guess the beef is over, and I said, I said, Erique,
please like.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Look, I think that they have an opportunity to pull
themselves out of the hole if they can stop getting
in their own way latent games. I look at Connecticut
and Connecticut for three quarters. This Connecticut team can make
anybody and play with anybody.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
You know, you gotta have Marina playing well. Tina has
like Tina's playing so carefree. She ain't playing for no accolade.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
She knows she's not gonna win, no ship this year,
Like she's just playing as free as you can possibly be.
And I keep thinking to myself, this is the same
team that won against an Indiana team. This is the
same team that literally were that had no Minnesota on
the ropes bout fifteen points.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
This is the same team that could have capitalized against Washington.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Like there are so many moments where I look at
this team and I say, you guys are playing like.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
You can win games, but they don't have a closer
to me.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
There's nobody that I feel like they feel comfortable or
that has shown that at the end of the game
when the game is on the line, when it's time.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
For years, that was at for years, that was even
Dewanna Bonner.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Now it's just like Marina is still elevating her gameplay
to understand what her leadership needs to be. She's still
figuring that out because she ain't ever had to do
it on another team before. Tina knows that there are
more years behind her than in front of her. And
so who's going to be that person. I feel like
it could be Bria Hartley. I feel like it could
(28:48):
be j. C. Sheldon, like it could be Olivia Nelson
Adoda but somebody's got to figure out. I'm gonna beat
his dog at the end of the game to make
sure that when we are in positions to win, we
don't lose it.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
And then they're Chicago, Chicago, Chicago, Chicago.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Take the blueprint from the game against Connecticut when you
don't make Angel have to be just inside when you
allow her to play point four ward, Angel had a
triple double, Angel had assists, Angel was involved, Angel touched
the like Tyler.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Do that, do that every time? Do that every time? Angel,
Just do everything. Don't change shit, Tyler, you my homie. Now,
why are you being a loud? Why you being loud?
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Because I need to stress that is how you know. Okay,
I don't really have a lot to add, but I
do want to make a point. I want to make
a point. These three teams that you just mentioned, Dallas, Connecticut,
and Chicago, they also have new coaches brand none of
(30:00):
them have been head coaches in WNBA. Since I don't know,
I'm gonna start with Chicago because that's where you ended.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
I agree with you, Tyler. Did you hear what my
sister said? Do that? Do that? Do that with Angel?
Just do that? Okay, what's up? Move on?
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And then when I look at Dallas, though, Sis, I'm like,
I was so excited about the moves Dallas made in
the off season.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Me too.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
I mean, you got Arique coming back, you got paid,
you got an Alyssa, you got Djena Tierra's coming back.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I am baffled at what's going on in Dallas. I'll
be honest with you.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
I didn't see Dallas sitting at the bottom neither at
two and eleven.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I didn't see it. They have the worst record, the worst.
You know, Connecticut's two a nine, but Dallas is two
and eleven. Didn't see it.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yes, players have to take responsibility, but coaching got to
take some responsibility too.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
That one just confuses me. I don't even have a
lot to say about them. But when you talk about
of those three, and I'll say four, because I'll even
put the Sparks in there, right, you got the Sparks,
who also has a new coach. I think the Sparks
are that one team that if they can I don't
know when Cambrick's coming back, but if they can ever
(31:24):
mean it a full healthy roster, they have some really
good pieces to make some noise, and I just I
really honestly don't know.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
About Connecticut, Chicago, and Dallas because just when I think,
just when I'm like, okay, right, Chicago, they're getting it,
they're gonna turn it around, or Connecticut will they beat Indiana?
The first time, I was like, Okay, this Connecticut team,
they could do some things, and then they play like
they did the other night, and I'm like, nah, this, no,
(31:57):
this ain't gonna get it. So I don't I don't know,
just really disappointed in those three teams.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
That's just all I'll say.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
If there's any team in this three that can pull
themselves out of it successfully, I feel like maybe.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
I don't know. Maybe who I know? You are about
to say no, no, I heard, It's like I don't know.
It's like I don't I know. That's why I'm I
don't know either. I don't know either. I don't know.
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
I want to say, I want to say Dallas should
be able to do it, but you write you're mentioned
coaching and Chris Coklanis is one of the newer head
coaches in the league, even though he's been coaching in
the league as an assistant.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
But astant is very different from being a head It's
very different from being a head coach. And so Chris,
it's a loss on the sloon girl. And I like Chris,
but I just be like Chris. I don't know, I
don't know. We'll figure it out.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
But I think the other thing when you look at
these teams is that all thirteen teams are playing with
a level of intensity and competitiveness.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
That it just grows and grows and grows. And I
am really tired. This is my rent.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Okay, I'm gonna start start my timer. I'm gonna start
my timer because this is my rent. I am really
sick of fans who think that because their favorite player,
whoever that player may be, got pushed, got bumped, got shoved,
got anything, got all of that, and I any of that,
(33:38):
any of that, any of that.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
This is basketball. This is how the game has been played.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
I'm old enough to remember Diana Tarassi and everything that
Diana used to do as a player. I'm old enough
to remember putting that Pearson squaring up on kandas Parker like,
am what huh?
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Like? I'm old enough to remember all of this.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
You're old enough to remember how Delicia Milton Jones every
single player that came near her.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Let me tell you and love me some, Delicia Milton Jones,
do you hear me? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Look, physicality in this league is not new. It ain't
just got here. You just got here, It ain't just
been here. You are just the one finding out. You're
the one that's just watching it. And every player on
that court knows that they give and they take. There
are moments that they give a file and they have
to take a file. There are moments that they do
(34:35):
someone necessary shit and they have to take someone necessary shit.
And I am sick of fans trying to twist this
narrative that folks are intentionally being extra, or that women
don't have the ability to play physical and that everybody
needs to play nice. Y'all can go out and have
drinks after the game. Y'all can chit chat and TikTok
before the game. But when that ball is tipped, I
(34:58):
don't fuck with you.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
We ain't carry it, we ain't friends. I ain't here
for you. I'm here to win a game. Why don't
people get day that shit blows and grinds my gears?
Why don't you get it. We ain't for friends. Winner's
game time.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
I holler at you after the game, and depending on
how much we win or lose by I might higher
at you tomorrow because I might not want to talk
to your ass after the game.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
I might need a day like, come on, what are
we doing?
Speaker 3 (35:33):
And I understand both sides as it relates to when
it's your team, you want your player to have your
teammates back. When it's your team, you want your players
to step up. But when it's a different team, that's
the way the game goes. We can argue until we
blew in a phase. A fan of team A is
gonna always think that teammate is doing it right, and
(35:56):
the fan of team B is always gonna think that
team B is doing it right. The way of sports,
people stop getting so fucking worked.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Up about things that happen all the time.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
I will never be okay with anybody trying to intentionally
injure a player.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
I think that crosses the line. That's not physicality.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
That's stupid, and it's unnecessary and it deserves to be
checked and punished each and every time. Intentionally judging intent
that is something that is not easy to do, but
Oftentimes some players make it very easy for you to
figure out that they're intentionally trying to do some shit. Okay,
that is very different than shit that happens in the
play of the game. And it just gets physical.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
It just is what it is. That's my rent, Mike drop,
that's my rent. Cut it out, let them play. Let
me add just a little bit to that.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
It happens in the freaking NBA all the time, all
the time, and you don't see people taking to social
media to talk about, oh my gosh, the game's too physical.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
I don't want to watch it.
Speaker 5 (37:03):
You're turning me off from watching the WNBA. Oh, you're
trying to hurt this player. You're intentionally trying to hurt
this player.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Listen, shut up, stop it, just stop it. Here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
There is a difference in playing physical like physical play
and dirty play.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
There's a difference, yes, And.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
The physicality of the WNBA has always been there, always,
It's always been there, Like this.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
Is nothing new. The stuff that these new fans and
the stuff that people are seeing today when they're like,
oh my god, did you see her tackle her? And
I'm like, well, did she really tackle her? Or was
it just a hard foul. There you go. Language matters, friends,
so it does.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
It's not the physical play for me that is turning
me off from the w It's the ignorance from people
who don't know anything about basketball that's making me say,
I don't even want to watch this anymore, because you know,
as soon as there is a hard foul or physical play,
(38:21):
here comes all the trolls, Here comes all the people
to social media like, oh my god, can you believe
this happened. I'm just I'm tired of it, like, just
let them play. And I last thing, I totally agree
with you. I had when I played, I had zero
interest in being your friend on the court because when
it was time to play, you're standing in my way
(38:43):
of what I'm trying to accomplish, and that is trying
to get a DUB so I can eventually win a championship.
And friend or not, you're on the opposing team, which
means we're not Yes, we are not friends. So if
you come in a pain or you got a wide
(39:03):
open lay up, I'm going to fail your ass hard
because I'm not giving you an easy layup. And after
the game, may, like you said, it might be a
day or two later, then we can talk about it.
We can talk about it, but right now, I have
no interest in hearing about to feelings. I don't care
if I hurt your feelings. I don't care if I
fail you hard. Now I'm not I'm never ever intentionally
(39:23):
trying to hurt anybody ever, right right, but I'm not
gonna let you have shit easy.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
That part, like, sportsmanship can exist within physicality, and that's
where I think some people are missing. You can still
have sportsmanship within the confines of physicality. It's when you
take it outside of that where you are intentionally trying
to hurt player, where you're playing intentionally dirty like, that's
not cool.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
That's never cool.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
And it doesn't matter who the player is that's doing it,
and it doesn't matter who the player is that's receiving it.
It is never gonna be cool to be a dirty
player physical play ever, like it is what it is.
Like you accidentally elbowed me in the nose, and I
took exception to it and got up and got in
your face. That's a natural reactions, a natural reaction, like
(40:13):
somebody elbowed me in a face.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Right now, we're squaring up who the fuck, we're me.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
I have had to check my niece and nephew because
they didn't accidentally hit me in the face as babies,
and I'd be.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Like, oh boy, no, boy, almost knocked your head off
to what is wrong? You know what I'm saying. It's
a natural reaction. When you gather.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
Yourself, you move on, and you keep it going. That's
all I'm saying. So not gonna spend any more time
on this. I'm just simply saying, if you're listening to
this podcast, y'all.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
Relax, relax, relax. It is not it. It is what
it is. Okay, it is what it is. And on
that note, we will be back to close this thing out.
All right. That's that because we just dropping the mic.
It just is what the fuck it is. We said it.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
Yeah, we still got a lot of basketball left to play,
and so obviously, you know, you and I are gonna
continue to talk about basketball, continue to talk about you know,
the w NBA.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
We're both gonna be at All Star in Indianapolis.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
We're actually both gonna be linking up for Fanatics Fest
and I'm super excited about that.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
And if y'all are in New York, swing by come
through this.
Speaker 4 (41:27):
Walk a Sporting Goods stage on Saturday, Yes, Saturday the
twenty first, Come on at US three to three forty
five pm. That's right PM period, that's right to be
there on Friday, y'all come check me out, come see me.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
I was just gonna say, y'all need to go holler
as Shirl on Friday and buck her and get her
the signs and stuff.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Come on, come on, come on, clay us. This is
just a short walk.
Speaker 4 (41:55):
MG.
Speaker 3 (41:57):
So with that being said, we're gonna keep it locked
in a WNBA all season long. We will absolutely have
way more conversation about this as the season continues. And Cheryl,
before we head on out of here, we need you
to level us on up this real simple, real real,
real simple. I might even gonna say anything. I'm just
gonna read it here it goes. Your time is limited,
(42:21):
so don't waste it living someone else's life. Oh that's
a mic drop for real, short and sweet, but very deep,
just very they too, because your life started this show
talking about being nervous about going on TV with my
bright ass bread here and then you come with that period,
(42:41):
I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (42:42):
You love it? Do you boot do it well?
Speaker 3 (42:45):
Thank you guys so much for listening to Levels to This.
We will absolutely be back next week with more next
level conversation, just talking about everything and.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
The real shit that we go through is women.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Probably gonna have some stories from fanatics best because knowing
us something is gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Knowing us some something that's gonna pop off.
Speaker 3 (43:04):
But we want to hear from you, right, so leave
us a review in Apple Podcasts. You can email us
at Levels to This Podcast at gmail dot com and
tell us what you.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
Thought of this week's show. Continue to share our content, engage.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
With us on social media, specifically following us on Instagram
at ltt pod. But until next time, keep your mentals
ground level and we will.
Speaker 2 (43:23):
Be back next week. Peace out, peace y'all, and.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
Listen to Levels to This on America's number one podcast network, iHeart.
Open your free iHeart app and search Levels to This
with Cheryl Swoops and Tarika Foster Brasby and start listening
Hosts And Creators
Terrika Foster-Brasby
Sheryl Swoopes
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