May 12, 2025 • 46 mins
In this episode of Naked Sports, host Cari Champion sits down with WNBA icon Angel McCoughtry to talk about life after the league, her journey into filmmaking and music, and her fight to elevate women’s basketball. From being the #1 overall draft pick to creating space for new generations of athletes, Angel shares raw insights on perseverance, purpose, and the power of reinvention.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Naked Sports, the podcast where we live at
the intersection of sports, politics, and culture. Our purpose reveal
the common threads that bind them all. So what's happening
in women's basketball right now is what we've been trying to.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Get to for almost thirty years.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
From the stadiums where athletes break barriers and set records.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Catin Quark broke the all time single game assists record.
This is crazy for rookies to be doing.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Our discussions will uncover the vital connections between these realms
and the community we create. In each episode, we'll sit
down with athletes, political analysts, and culture critics because at
the core of it all, how we see one issue
shines the light on all others. Welcome to Naked Sports.
I'm your host, Carrie Champion. Hey, everybody, welcome to a
(00:53):
new edition of Naked Sports. Interesting because today we have
a WNBA legend on I love Angel Angel mccattree. She
is a sweetheart. She was the number one overall draft
pick in two thousand and nine, and I think that,
like many of the legends of the WNBA, they are
(01:15):
finding their place while the world of women's sports has
its time. And I'm not saying like this is just
a season. I am saying people are aware of women's
sports in a way in which they haven't been before.
The WNBA and marketing deals are through the roof, and
there is a generation of players who not necessarily were
(01:37):
left out, but they had to go get theirs overseas
because that's where they usually make their money. And then
they find themselves, you know, deciding where they'll live in
this current landscape. Will they be a coach, will they
be a I don't know, perhaps an analyst. But they're
finding their way because for many people who just started
(01:58):
watching the WNBA in women's sports in general, you don't
know who these women are. I think it's interesting. I
was having a conversation with someone the other day about
Maya Moore and Lisa Leslie and they were like, who who,
Tell me who? And I realized, especially during this conversation
that I had with Angel, it's not just for WA players.
It's just a generational thing. It is a time thing.
(02:20):
There was a time that I didn't know that Ronald Reagan,
who was one of the presidents of the United States,
as you well know, was an actor. I didn't know
he was an actor. Someone had to tell me that,
and his wife, Nancy was an actor. I was like, well,
she was an actor. That's weird. There will be a
generation of people who don't remember Arnold Schwartzenigga as the
(02:42):
Governor of California, but just as the terminator. There are
people who will remember President Trump as President Trump and
not the star of that TV show Apprentice or vice versa.
You may just remember him from the Apprentice and you're like, wait,
he is the president. You know, I doubt it. But
people have many lives. I say all that to say
(03:03):
people have many lives, and Angel has done something that
I think is really special. She created a way that
has allowed this new generation of WNBA players to exist
and play the way they want to and be who
they want to. It always it just works that way.
It's just the way life is, and you just have
(03:24):
to accept it. So I asked her if she still
had time to play in the w and she said, yes,
I want to play. I think that I'm getting caught
up with some of the people who don't think I
still have it. I still have it. I can be
something for a team, and I know she can. But
in the meantime, she has taken her talents to South Beach,
and I'm kidding, she's taken her talents to a different
(03:45):
height in terms of what she will allow herself to do.
She has been so unapologetic about expressing herself as the
artist she is, whether that's rapping, whether that's singing, filmmaking,
she's filmmaking. She's filmmaking, and she still knows that there
is a place for her in the w all the while,
(04:07):
she's not letting current circumstances determine her future. And I
think that is so smart. And while there is pain
with knowing that she may never play in the league again,
what she has decided to do in such a brilliant
way is still allow herself to use the platform she's
created to find joy in many other ways. Now, this
conversation with many ways. So I'm preparing you all somehow
(04:30):
I start talking about my dating life, and y'all know
I don't do that. I'm super secretive, keeps some mystery.
I'm old school. I'm old old school, leaves some mystery.
You ain't got to tell everybody everything. Everything ain't for
social media. But she got a little bit out of me,
and I think it's fun to kind of key key
and share who you are with people that you admire.
(04:51):
So I hope you enjoyed this addition of naked sports. Okay, Angel,
We begin the podcast with so many questions about your
life after the WNBA. I really feel like I like
to start an order, but in this particular instance, I
won't do that. We'll see what happens. You, in my mind,
(05:15):
have really been able to do something that many adults
just can't do, many people in life just can't do.
I feel like you have said I want to try everything,
and I'm going to try it to the best of
my ability. When did filmmaking really become a part of
your life outside of the WNBA.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
You know what, it was something that really fell into
my lap. I was at home depressed. I had a
knee injury. I had a contract overseas making over a
million dollars. You know, we don't get that INBA. So
I was excited and then I just my knee bumps out.
I got injured, and I'm like, what in the world
am I talented at?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
I only know basketball.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I've been playing since I eight years old, and I
started like just watching a lot of movies at home
because I.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Ain't had nothing to do, and I'm like, I like this.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
I like hearing people's stories and how they got to
where they are, and I'm like, could I start telling stories?
So we're always in front of the cameras basketball players, right,
we got to do commercials and we do interviews stuff
like this, And I just started asking questions and learning
from producers who do stuff on us tell our stories.
And that's how I got started in it.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
What else am I talented that? That is a great question,
and that is arguably a question most many people tell themselves.
Many people tell themselves when they're starting out in life,
when they want to make a pivot, even while they
are in the throes of having an amazing career. If
you were to tell me what you are most talented at,
what would it be? And it doesn't have to be
one thing.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
I'm most talented at being a leader.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Basketball has taught me how to lead, so I know
how to find talent. So my most recent film, by Gones,
most of the actors were first time actors and they
look like.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
They had done it for years. So I'm good at
seeing talent.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
I am good at having a vision and creating things
and bringing something to life.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I would say that.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
You just said it very casually. But for those who
are listening, uh, this woman was the number one overall pick.
I believe in two thousand and nine. Am I right?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Thank that's so far?
Speaker 1 (07:22):
I go, that's not that me, that's not that far
like that, that's within time, right you wait? Hold on?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Well, thank you for saying that, because a lot of
people don't say that no more. But yes, right, it's
still in time.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Yeah, it's still in time. Was eighteen nineteen, nineteen nineteen
you were into two thousands, but you were the number
Onoean's overall pick. And if you would have looked back
on your life from the time that you got drafted
into the WNBA to where you are now, would you
have ever thought filmmaker would have been a title?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Never. I didn't think Olympian was a title.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
And that's why I tell the kids, like, fine something
you love, because it will literally take you places you'd
never imagine.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I didn't know I would be a filmmaker. And now
I'm doing films.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Deon Taylor from playing basketball now he's bringing me in
to help them with films.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I mean, all of that kind of stuff got on
Olympic team, traveled the world.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
So you know, given the game playing, this game has
given so much back to me, despite whether I'm back
in dumb or not, if that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah, you're like, I was given a platform that taught
me to do something that I love and do it
with my whole heart. And it's opened your eyes to
too many things. I talked to Serena Williams, and I
remember her telling me tennis was just a platform to
introduce me into a world that I did not know exists.
She owed DC Firm, she has her own cosmetic line,
(08:46):
she has an entire enterprise, she's created a dynasty. But
it started with the love of something that she really
was very good at, and it ultimately matriculated into so
much more. And that's what I see. I want to
talk about your time in the WNBA. When you were
drafted in two thousand and nine, there was this idea
(09:09):
that women were just lucky to play basketball in the
States professionally, and we know now that the idea of
the WNBA and what it could be and what it
will be is so much bigger than what it was.
The growth has been exponential, but it has been it
has come at a cost. It has come at a
cost for the Angels of the world and the Sheryl
Swoops of the worlds and the Canvass Parkers of the world.
(09:31):
You all laid this incredible foundation. How would you describe
the WNBA when you were drafted your very first year.
Talk to me about conditions. What were they like in
terms of oh my god, travel, condition, food, pain.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
It was really hard and that's why I'm actually working
to make this a TV show. And you talk about
we're flying commercial and none of us sitting in business.
We're not sitting and comfort six foot six girls squenched
up in the back with people who were like, oh
my god, you're playing dumbbay.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
We want to rest. That asks us a million questions.
We got to eat airport food. We have back to backs.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
You play a game, then you're flying somewhere else, which
is so incredibly unhealthy. The conditions of our gyms, playing
YMCAs with regular people there watching, and we had no privacy.
Even if you wanted to do something outside of the court,
like be creative, it wasn't really known back then. So
when I first started doing music in twenty eleven, it
was like, why are you doing music, you're a basketball player.
(10:34):
I had so much negative connotation from it, and now
you got Flage who can do both right, and it's
nothing negative around it.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
The girls can get into so much more.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
They can fly private, they have their own practice facility now.
And when I was in Atlanta, people didn't even know
that we had a dumb mating. We had to do
so much advocating, and I mean I was out in
the hottlant of sun to do so many events to
get people just to know that there was a Dunbay team.
Now everybody knows these girls can just relax football and
(11:05):
be superstars.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
But here's my question. You say that was so long ago.
I'm like, no, that was like less than fift yesterdays ago.
It was yesterday, yesterday. And for people to be so
aware of what the WNBA is right now, like oh,
it just has been here. It reminds me of how
people treat new talent on the scene, or new musical
artists that are on the scene, or an actor that's
on the scene, and they just blow up the actors like, oh,
(11:28):
I've been in overnight success for the last twenty years
I've been I've been doing this forever, and you were
talking about just getting it from the mud, how you
were able to just try to figure it out. Music
clearly one of your talents. You can sing. I've heard
you spit and you and you say, and you reference Flage,
(11:50):
which I think is very interesting because she was more
known for her music before she even played basketball. And
so you're right, so it doesn't It's not uncomfortable, much
more common. And I wonder did you ever feel like
you couldn't do music when you were playing in the league.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yes, because people I got so much negative backlash from
the fans.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
I was like, dang, I shouldn't even do this no more.
It was fun.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Give me an example, I released my first single in
twenty eleven, and everybody was just like, what are you doing?
You're a basketball player, so it was just that put
me in that box and it was like, you don't
need to be doing this.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
The song is horrible, blah blah blah.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I was like, I don't even want to do this
no more because it was just so so negative. But
of course friends and family say you keep doing it.
Who cares what people think? And I just kept doing
it regardless, and obviously I got my first sink placement
on the NBA two K video game. So I'm glad
I didn't stop. But it was just people and it
wasn't used to it. It's women doing it, right, Dame
Dalla can do it.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
But he will tell you. He will tell you. People
have told him not to do it too, though, right, like,
oh yeah, when Shack did it. I remember when Shack
did it, it was like even though he I think
he had, Coby did it, Kobe did it, everybody was like,
what do you do it? They all receive the same
type of criticism. But now, to your point, it's just
a part of the craft. Now, it's another way to
(13:09):
extend and express yourself.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
But Carrie, some were good and so we're not. Let's
get real.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Oh yeah, no, I can go to yeah. Oh ho, yes,
I'm I'm not calling you a hope, but I'm like, ho,
you know what I mean? I feel you Oh yes, yeah.
But listen, people who are actually artists who are rapping
aren't good at it, and they're still, you know, people
accepted for who they are because that's how they came
on the scene. I just think the multi hyphen it
(13:36):
verse is really real, and they don't allow you all
to be how do you feel about it now? Because
looking at your page, most people will look at you,
not even I don't want to say that's your social
media to find you, but most people say, oh, number
one draft pick, oh two time olympian. Oh I didn't
know she was a filmmaker. Oh I didn't know she spit.
Some people will say to you, you're doing too much.
Figure out one thing and focus on that, and you
(13:56):
say what to them.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
I don't care like you like you don't you don't.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Carry I have the old fan base who kind of
knows me, and then it's this new fan base.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Was like, who is Angel the country?
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Let me go look at her highlights and then they're like, oh,
she does this first. So you got this new fan
base of kids who maybe might have been born like
mid two thousands to now, who don't really know who
I was, but they're like, she did this first. Or
it's kind of like this kid said. I heard this
kid say about Ludacris. They was like, what is the
fastic threeest guy doing rapping?
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And I was like, you're the week two hundred years old.
I'm all like, what do you mean how do you
not know Luda was a rapper?
Speaker 2 (14:41):
First?
Speaker 1 (14:41):
You are so right. Same thing with Ades you don't know,
Same thing with ice Cube. People don't know Cube as
age he does as a rapper. They know him as
you know, an actor like you. I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
It's it's so bigarred get it like, it's crazy to me.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
I liking it too. And this is this is just
me just being an old head and knowing so much
about history. I liken it to President Ronald Reagan. He
was an actor. I was like when I found out
he was an actor before he was the president, I
was like, yeah, really, I had no idea. Or the
same could be said there. There will be a generation
of people who think this current president is just a
(15:16):
president and not know him from Apprentice. That far, it's
been done over and over again. We're going to take
a quick break because we have to pay some bills.
We'll be right back in just a few moments. In
(15:37):
transition for women, it's very different. Men seem to make
these transitions fairly easily. And I'll say this for you,
I know, and I heard you on ros the shout
Outs to ross O heard General podcast the other day
talking about whether or not you were going to go
back to the WNBA. You played in the league up
until about twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two. Yeah, right,
(16:00):
team was the state side was the Links and it
was Yeah. You had a few injuries that sidelined you,
that put you in a position that made it really
difficult to play when there's so few spaces and so
few teams. So so now I know that you are
injury free, you could still play. Look at look at her,
Look at our guy Lebron still playing. You know what
(16:22):
I mean? Where's that at for you trying to get
back into the league.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Yeah, I would say, don't age me. People keep talking
about my age, my knee. I'm not gonna waste your time.
Don't age me because there's girls my age playing and
dumb there right now. But here's the thing, carry I
got to see what it was like. I got to
see both sides. I got the students like to be
at my prime, being a superstar, getting everything I want,
everybody in my face, going thirty points a night, to
(16:51):
not being a star anymore, and nobody caring at home
I'm not playing. And I got to see both sides
what it's like. And I got to see the inhuman
main side of sports where when you're not putting up
thirty points, what you really get treated like nobody's screaming
my name no more right, nobody's calling me for many
things like before. So what I feel like I need
(17:12):
to do as a player is how do we bring
the human side of sports back where we're not machines
that use us up and then one injury is you
put to the side, Not like I haven't accomplished anything
and given my all to this game for years and years.
So how do I help these women and that are
getting cut that deserve a spot?
Speaker 2 (17:31):
How do we help them?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
How do we help the girls who nobody knows about
making fifty thousand dollars a year. She has a regular
job now, but she gave her all to them.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
BA.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
That's why I want to do filmmaking. I want to
tell their stories.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
I want to be able to give them jobs in acting,
put them on TV.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Let people know who these women are.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
They're amongst us are again because there's this plethora of
women who are totally forgotten about.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Who are mothers now? Who give them their all?
Speaker 3 (17:57):
And some are struggling financially and no dumb Bay player
who played a professional sports ever, I have to struggle financially,
and I know because I've had DUMBA players asked me
for money.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
And what do they do for them?
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Yes, Bally, I want to be a bridge to bridge
that gap, like I don't want to see any dumb
Bay players go through that ever.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Wow. And you know, it's interesting that you say that
not only are wnb and I'm not taking this away
from you, but I've heard stories about NBA, but we
hear about NBA players going broke all the time. But
the difference is is that they were given a certain
amount of money from Jump and they were given a
certain amount of money. They made millions and they've decided
to do what they wanted to do that they blew
through their money. People shouldn't be feeling sorry for them.
(18:39):
You all weren't even given when you started. What was
your salary? How much were you making in the WNBA?
You were the number one overall pick.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Overall draft pick. I could have worked at McDonald's and
made more money. I made forty four thousand, and people
don't realize now we worked our butts off to get
the number one picks.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
And these girls to make more.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
So Caitlyn is only making seventy thousand as a number
one pick, and it's Kaitlyn Clark.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Thank God for our endorsements.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
So you made forty four thousand as the number one
overall pick in the death and number one.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Pick forty four. So when I saw that check, I
was getting what I saw like twelve hundred.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Wait or something like that.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Oh lord, the tax is too come on, I just
get taxed on at forty four thousand.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I probably made what thirty thirty seven, thirty eight, and
I busted my apartment.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
I played so hard and I came to practice every
day early lifting weights. These women, guess what if you're
not the number one pick, you're getting less.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Here's what I can that is about women who play
in the league. And this is why I'm gonna give
you your flowers. Every woman that I have known before, this
this revival of interest in women's sports, because it wasn't
there before. Yeah, you love the game. You don't play
for the fans. You don't play for the fan fair,
you don't play for the lights. You don't play for
(20:03):
anything but for the love of basketball. As corny, as cheesy,
as that may sound y'all play for the love of basketball,
for the love and shout out to my girl Gina
for a loving battle. But the reality is is that
if someone can't step back and understand that and understand
why you all should be rewarded, I hate to hear, Oh,
(20:23):
they don't need no money, they no one's watching. Do
you know how hard it is too? And I talked
to don Staley when Don Staley was graduating college and
she said she was the same as her her male counterpart.
She got a job at a clothing store because she
could there was no WNBA. She worked at a clothing
store of folding clothes.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
And Donna is now clothing store.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
I just feel like it's so ridiculous when I think
about it. And you mentioned where you are right now
and how you want to tell the stories of these players.
I think that's special and anointed. And to your point,
when you weren't getting when you were at your high
high and as you put it, people aren't calling you
as much and loving on you as much, did that
(21:06):
make you feel away? Does that make you currently feel away?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Not now because I've matured and I've done the work
on myself, but during the time, you're like yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Cause like you're young and you don't you've never seen
the difference. I didn't know. I was always a stuperstar.
I was a superstar. Louisville came out and I.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Want pig and blah blah blah, and I'm becoming more known.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
I'm an Olympian now.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
And then it just stops and you're like going crazy
because you've missed the applause. I do miss that though.
I do miss the applause of fans and like them cheering.
I do miss that part, but I feel like I'll
get the cheers. I want to hear the cheers in
another way when they see my films.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
But it does.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
I was depressed for a long time, like I told
you when you saw in rosin of you, like it's
a depressed pressed feeling like you feel like you're nothing,
You're nobody, and you you're you haven't accomplished anything, when
it's really just a total lot.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
You have accomplished a lot.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Only five thousand people in the United States have a medal,
and you gotta remember.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
You have to remind.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Yourself like I did do something and I'm okay, and
that's what a lot of athletes have to learn because
a lot of athletes do go through depression.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
We all go through it, you know. I had after
Roz's interview, I.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Had so many people hit me up, old NBA players
like I went through the same thing. So it's something
there that we have to teach the kids now if
they need to do therapy now, so when their time comes,
they're prepared for it.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
That makes sense.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
I would love for you to do a film introducing
the heroes of the WNBA from inception till now, but
making sure that we understand who everybody is. I feel
like there is a litany, Uh there are women that
we just don't even know who they are. I mean,
we know the Lisa Leslie's of the world, and obviously
there Sheryl Swoops, but there is a long list of
(22:49):
women that have been so many who really built this
place that we call the w NBA, and there is
a generation, if not an entire sport world that are
unfamiliar with who they are. I did a series on
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese on my podcast recently, and
it was like it was about rivalry and why the
(23:11):
making of a rivalry between those two really ushered in
a new entire world for for w NBA players and
for women's sports in general. And you used to play
like people don't understand that the women in the league,
in the w more specifically compete. And when you all
(23:34):
started to get this attention, and by you all, I
mean the WNBA, you know, whether it be watching Kitlin
Clark and Angelies go at it on a collegiate level,
people were appalled by what they saw and I was like, what.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Do you what have y'all?
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Y'all never clearly you've never watched what is you've never watched? Yeah,
so what is your take on how women are supposed
to compete versus how you all compete?
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:55):
So do my era, my rival was Maya Moore, which
was such a great If you go back and watch
that film, you'll see it's just as exciting as now.
It's just we didn't have the investment like now. And
we always said, look at where we are without the
marketing dollars, We're still right there. So we would say, like,
if you put the marketing dollars behind us, it's gonna work.
(24:17):
We literally heard brands, some brands would literally say this
dumb Bay were not interested.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
We've heard that.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Seriously, you cannot believe that that's how they used to
look at us.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
I think now it's a great story.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
It's like the modern day Magic Johnson Larry Bird and
people are cleaning to that. But I gotta tell guys
when they're like, oh, you girls are plan now, I said,
let me tell you something.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
Bruh. We been playing. Yeah, don't play with me. And
then I showed them my highlights and they're like, oh,
you was doing that. I'm like, cause you didn't know,
you didn't watch.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Don't say y'all playing now, because honestly, they can get
mad at me all they want.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Our era was tough.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
It was no off night to guard Simone and Maya
and Tamika. Some of these girls have an off night
every now. I'm gonna just put it like that, Okay,
to half shro forward knocking you down your throat. Lisa
Leslie welcomed me to the league with an elbow on
my chest. I was on the ground, we saying.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
That they jumped Candas Parker when she was when she
was a rookie. Yes, you sawry bags.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
I bought donuts do They told me she look Samiko
Host and told me to get up in the morning.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
I had a mile run at five am. I showed
up at that gym. Want nobody there. They tricked me.
These girls ain't getting that treatment. They don't have a clue.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
They because they're making the money in college now and
they're like, they're like, what is this I should be
treated so well? You're like, no, when you came, you
talk about to me ketching's you talk about Lisa Leslie,
you talking about how people no off day, no maya more,
no off day. We because it was from the mud
and you see it now and there's a different level.
And we don't want to sound like I don't want
(25:50):
to sound like how Chuck sounds when he's on, you know,
inside the NBA complaining about the number of he complains
about the players in today's league. I get it. I understand.
He was like, we didn't have all this money I
was making, and yeah, I got private he he says
it the exact same way. But there is some truth
to that. There is some some type of sweat equity
that is missing, and there's a different type of value
(26:14):
to it. But it doesn't make their value any less
important because we all have to arrive. I wonder, if
you don't play anymore, would you ever think about coaching?
Speaker 3 (26:26):
That's a good question. I get that question all the time.
Do I think I'm a good coach?
Speaker 2 (26:30):
I do.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
I think that I've learned from Don Staley, Gino Ariama.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
I've watched them.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
I've watched how they coach. I watch how they bring
out the best in their players. And I don't understand
why other coaches don't mock the best coaches. If I'm
a coach, I'm gonna do everything Geno does. I'm running
his same place.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I'm doing because it's proven. Don I don't know why
coaches have their ego like I'm doing it my way.
This is my system. Forget that.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Mimic the best, Yeah, and then a stuff if you
need to, Yes, it makes sense.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Do I want to coach right now? No?
Speaker 3 (27:04):
It's a lot of time and effort. And the kids
are different now, y'all a little more sensitive. Do I
Will I help the kids and just coach the kids? Sure,
we'll coach right now. No, maybe when I'm older, But
now we're gonna stick to these spells.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
I'm gonna tell you this. The younger generation hates when
we say they're a little more sensitive. They say that
we are jealous or we don't get it, but they
are so sensitive.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Like y'all and I'm gonna say, I don't care, but
y'all got it. Tough En up a little bit, because
y'all transfer whenever you want. Y'all don't stick through it.
We stuck through them for you. You went to UCLA, right.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Yes, yes, and you stay there. You stay there. You
don't have a choice. You stay there, or have a choice.
And on top of that, you take it because it's
not given it to earn like you just gotta take it.
We're not We're not all social media buddies. So I'm
naturally in the crowd and I'm cool. You just got
to figure it. You got to figure it out.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Yeah, so so so kids.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
When you you don't like always like your boss, leave
and go ten different jobs before they years out stick
to it.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
We're gonna take a quick break because we have to
pay some bills. We'll be right back in just a
few moments. It's interesting. There's a part of me that
understands the nuance of all of it. But I also
like the idea of women having leverage in the WNBA.
(28:26):
What the women have done in the WNBA. And I'm
talking about Nefisa and Brianna and creating unwrival. Oh yeah,
I like them saying, you know what, this system doesn't
work for me, and I'm going to create a system
that does work for me, and I'm gonna show the
WNBA that it can be done. So there is something
about the generation after us and those who are coming
after us. There's this this entitlement that creates ingenuity and
(28:53):
an entrepreneur spirit. And I like it that I do
because then it's as you are not the master of me.
There are other ways we can go about doing it.
So so that is my kudos to them. I don't
want to just say everything about it is bad and
throw it out, but the entitlement needs to be balanced,
as is everything with life. But when you say I
just want to stick to films, and I just and
(29:15):
I think, and obviously music, because I didn't know that
you could sing so well, where where did all this
come from? When did we know we could sing? Were
we singing on all while we was in people's faces
talking trash?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Were you No, definitely weren't doing that.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
I just think creativity is where I'm at, Like, I
love creativity. I like what you said leveraging being entrepreneurs.
I think that one day I would love to own
a team. I'm trying to work now to bring a
taint to Louisville, a Dumbbay team. It's a great town
that I didn't enjoy and appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
I love Ida right there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
Yeah, because we need more Dumbbay players and those for
office positions. We need more players in the league's positions coaching.
I want to see more dumba players coaching in the
dum Bay. I think we need that because they understand.
So that's where it's at now. And what the FISA
and still we did is it's just a start of that.
They showed us like it can be done.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
I think that when you think about, Oh, I'm just curious,
when you think about unrivaled, how would you would you
play there? Would you be interested in playing with them
in any capacity? Or you said not coaching? But it
feels like that's not a real dedicate, Like you don't
have to be fully locked in, you know what I mean. Yeah,
it's a it's an abated season.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Yeah, I would I.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Think unarrival is something that can continue to grow, can
have more teams.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Obviously they're paying the.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
Girls more because, like you said, you know, going overseas
is kind of tough now the economy has changed and
there's so much war now, like can you yeah, yeah, don't.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Nobody want to go over there after what happened to Brittany?
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Can we get back.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
What's going on? Yes, you really live over there, but
still yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
And then I had one of my old agents telling me, Yo,
if you want to get back in the league, Israel
hesitanting I'm not going to Israel. He's like, well, they're
not going to pick you up in the league because
they got to see play. Guess what they just about
to bring me in the workout and see what I
can do because I'm not going to Israel.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
By the way, you could benefit. You could be a
solid jewel on any team right now, on any team
right now.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
W NBA.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
Emotional, I know, but you know that. And I think
that the painful part is is when they try to
to expire you or tell you what your limits are,
and you know what you're capable of. If I were you,
I would keep trying. I would I would keep knocking
on doors would be emotional. I'm not trying to make
(31:44):
you emotional, but I'm telling you don't let these people
get in your head and tell you that you're not
worth it. You are so worthy and so worth it,
and you could be invaluable. That's the part of the
w n B a that I would like to see
expand they bring out these players and say with the
NFL teams, they bring out these players that ain't seen
no work in forever. They dust these people off and
make them quarterbacks when they need somebody just to come
(32:05):
in and practice.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
Hold on, man.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
So I'm like, I'm like, you can do that in
the w NBA. There's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing
wrong with finding tried and true talent. And you are
such tried and true talent. And not only would you
be invaluable just on the court, off the court, what
you can do in a locker room. So I am
telling you do not give up, because I know you
(32:28):
love it and I know you want to do it,
and I know that you feel like you're okay with it.
But I still see that fire in your eyes and
I still see that you still have more to give.
You know what, I mean you ain't you know, I mean,
I'm not giving you thirty, but you never know. I might.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
Yeah, but you know I can give you so much
more and we want probably crown on the interview.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Yeah, but that that.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Just touched me because it has been tough and I
do want to finish. I do want to finish plane
on the court, and yeah, it just means so much
to you deserve I'm hoping.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Yeah, thank you for that nod when you wipe it.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Yes, but you deserve that. We have to start treating
our legends like our legends, and they deserve that opportunity.
And you are not, like I'm telling you, you're still
so very young. You have so many lives, as you
will know, and you've already started this second and third
career that you're going to ultimately have in such a big,
huge way. But you deserve that. And so hopefully someone
(33:21):
is watching and paying attention and be like, you know
what you bring my girl in.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Thank you for that. Thank you so much for that
carry that.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Loves you deserve it. You deserve it. And by the way,
that's not my only thought I have. I've called around
and talked to people before we did the interview, and
they all felt the same way. So it's not a
it's not an isolated perspective. So I disencourage you to
keep going. Are you Are you working out every day?
What's your workout?
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Oh? My god?
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Every day in the gym, training and working out, staying
in shape. So when when the call comes, I'll letting
them know I'm ready. You ain't gonna see me out
of shape coming there, so yes, yeah, you know how
that goes.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
I'm ready, ready.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
So now that we are, we're based in Atlanta, right, I.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Was based in Atlanta for fifteen years. I just moved
to La your hometown.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Oh, so you're in La La La La. Okay, good, Okay,
I didn't know that. So you moved out of Atlanta.
You're done.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
I'm done. Yeah, it was time for a change.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Okay, good for you. How do you feel about La?
Speaker 2 (34:28):
You know what? I like it.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
I feel like people are enjoying my talents that I bring,
like as far as creativity, because Atlanta was kind of
like girl, what you're doing girl?
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Uh huh?
Speaker 3 (34:41):
And sorry to say it like this. I feel like
I hope nobody gets me for this. Atlanta is like
Tamar Braxton h l A is like Tony Braxton.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
No one's going to disagree.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Don't kill me for that.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
There is a there is a a clear difference between
the Hollywood in Atlanta and the Hollywood in LA, right obviously,
And there's a difference between how you move in LA
and how you move in Atlanta Atlanta. I lived in Atlanta.
I loved Atlanta. I think it's amazing. I lived in
Atlanta when I was a cub reporter. I worked for
WGC of CBS station, and I loved, my god, I
(35:19):
loved Atlanta. It taught me a lot of wonderful things.
But I also know outside of Atlanta is the South,
and so there's only so much that you can I
feel personally, that you can do unless you're Tyler Perry
right it. And he's made it such a beautiful space.
And I love that he's done that, and he's stayed
there and he's like, this is where we're doing it.
He's created its own black Hollywood, his Hollywood. But LA
(35:43):
is you mentioned Deon Taylor. I'm a huge fan of
his work, his films. I love that you've connected with him.
It's easier for what you see yourself doing to be
with someone like that. Have you ran into Magic Johnson?
Can you talk to him about being on the sparks.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
I haven't ran in some magic, but I did need
somebody to say, hey, I'm really good first of magic,
I need to put in a word.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
You know. I'm like, I'll take it. You know what
I'm saying, self supprise you ever. I mean, we'll see.
I mean I'm open. I'm just open to it all.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Okay. Yeah, So I want to talk about the couple
of latest singles that I've seen on said on said
social Where are we at with our music? What are
we putting out? Because you putting out videos where there
was one video what's the name of this song that
you have? Where? And I laughed so hard because it's
also timely for folks who don't know. Tracy Ellis Ross
(36:29):
a few weeks ago said some amazing things to me
about dating younger men.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Oo.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Then I click on your page and I see this
video of you talking about this young shorty and and
how he keep running back to you when old girl
acting right, when his girlfriend a acting right? Tell me
the name of the single and where'd that all come from?
The inspiration?
Speaker 3 (36:56):
So I wrote that one so I do have some
writers that might send me songs like you you'd be
good on this, and I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm recording this,
but that when I wrote all by Myself, I was like, y'all,
I got a good one. Took it to the citio
and we perfected it. It's such a great grown up,
like kind of nineties feel song. Yeah, it's called My
Own Love, and it's just about like you always coming
to me when you hurt and I'm starting to feel
(37:18):
you a little bit.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
I need my own love.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
I don't need to be wrapped up into your life
and what you got going on. So that's kind of
the basis of that song.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Am I going that? No, I'm very single.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
But did I have an ex boyfriend who I was
just going through this toxic loop with. Yes, it's just
that loop, and I had said, you know what, I
gotta break this loop.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
I ain't doing this no more. I had to cut
that loop off. But it kind of goes into that and.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
I have people hit me like, oh my god, I'm
going through that, now, what should I do your song?
I'm like, girl, cut that loop off because it ain't
gonna stop. It's gonna be twenty years of that toxic loop.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Let it go.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Let it go because it won't change. Well, I it
resonated with me because Tracy ellis ross to her point,
and she was like, I wonder. She was like, I
was trying to figure out why I only keep dating
younger man? Why does that keep coming up? Why do
I Why am I only attracting that? And she said
something that I thought was smart and also something I
could totally relate to because I also not intentionally but
(38:15):
date younger men. And it was the idea of a
just someone who was a little more limber in his
train of thought, meaning like he was a little more flexible,
and how he moved in the world and how he
perceived life and women in so many ways, especially women
like us who are very entrepreneurial and do our things
and are very capable of being on our own, we
(38:36):
find ourselves in these spaces where we don't choose to
be masculine, but just because our surroundings make us masculine
in terms of the energy we give off, because you know,
we got to do it. And so I have found
that younger men have been more open to that. There's
no judgment associated to it. They kind of they think
it's cool and they enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
I am a relationship type of person, but I'm not
that girl that's going to like we together now. No,
I need to get to know you first, because I
watched way too many crime shows and the Fatal Attraction.
So I'm gonna get to know y'all ass and we're
going to take our time. But once I see that
you really bob about it easy too it. I even
know because I'm enjoying my life. I travel, I'm doing
(39:19):
things making good money.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Well, that's your thing, that's the thing. And I've been
reading New York Times to the survey the other day
about women between the ages of like twenty five and forty,
and they are like, we have big, full lives. The
last thing we want to do is be married. The
last thing we want to do is try to And
I'm like, And then my other friend, his name is
Scott Galloway. He's been doing a study on men and
how they're so behind the gap of women college age women,
(39:43):
college educated women rather women who are entrepreneurs. He was like,
men are falling behind, and we'll look up and we'll
realize that women are like, I'm all set, and I'm like,
is that really what it's about to be? Because the
more and more I engage with my girlfriends and women
that I've known who've been married or not married anymore,
or who are out here, They're like, I've got a big,
full life, and these are the things that I would love.
(40:04):
Women have advanced so far past men angel in terms
of the way they think, the terms of their money,
how they go after it to get it, Like, look
at you, you've you if you look at yourself and
you compared yourself to whoever was in the NBA in
terms of if they didn't have the money that you
know that they get for playing in the NBA. You
see how you've been able to reinvent yourself and go
(40:24):
after it and go after it and go after it.
It's rare to see that happen, that flexibility, that change,
and we have, for whatever reasons, we're just built differently,
and so what happens is is we start to outpace them,
not on purpose, but we just do. And we look
up and this is not my mother's era, this is
not my grandmother's era. We don't have to be married.
(40:45):
I don't need an mrs. I would love one. I
would love to be in relationship with someone, but I
don't have to. I want to really like you first,
you know what I mean, Like you want to like them.
In addition, I don't need you to provide anymore. I
want to like you.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
There you got so mom. You heard what Carrie just said.
Stop questioning me about getting married.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
You heard her.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
She just dropped a gem on y'all and to fellas,
y'all got to catch up, and not catch up financially,
but catch up mentally.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
Correct always one is your mind, and you're.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
So correct correct that money stuff is not even Can
I be honest? Let me just make sure I say
that again. The money stuff will come. But your mind.
If your mind, if you're so emotionally aware and your
EQ is off the charts, I'm in. I'm in. I
need to know I'm locked in. And that is so rare.
You don't find that. You don't find people who are
(41:37):
emotionally aware or their EQ is behind and you're bringing
them with you and you're trying to swallow.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
Well, Hello, mine is not Helena.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
Okay, So, so if you had to think about life
and for you in the next five years professionally, how
long would you do if someone calls you up and
says we need you back in the league. How long
would you play? As long as you could? Or you
would have just one year to retire?
Speaker 3 (42:00):
Oh no, I got some years. When is the next
Olympics twenty twenty? Yeh, I at least can go into
the next Olympic.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
That's what was that? Three years? Three four? I got?
I got that in the tank.
Speaker 1 (42:13):
I'm proud of you. You under it. It's like, you know,
I feel like this, we're claiming it right now. Let
me just want to su we're claiming it right now.
This is happening. I like that we put it on
the podcast. I also want to tell everybody about your
casual film that you were doing a party for I
believe tomorrow. Tell me about the film. Yeah, the Casual Ye.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Guns, Yes by Gods is my first directorial debut. I
have the screening in Atlanta tomorrow. So I got that
Red Offly fight tonight, the one I missed. I was
supposed to be in New York for you. So but yeah,
we're gonna just have some fun. The film is about
a young girl she develops a friendship with a guy
in the gym, but come to find out he did
(42:55):
something in his past that affects her in her family,
and when she finds out, it's going to be a
really big rift in their relationship. But we got to
figure out how they're going to make this mint. So
bye Gods, it's going to come out soon. I'm I'm
still in talks with distribution, so as we negotiate that,
we'll see. I'm thinking maybe Amazon, but we'll see. I'm
(43:17):
telling all the secrets.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
But let's break some news.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Let's break some news.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
I don't love how casually you're like, yeah, we're still
with distribution, but I did a film. Do you know
how amazing it is all the things that you've been
able to accomplish in such a short period of time,
and how casually you talk about it, like you're going
to the grocery store to get milk.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
Really, you know what I think, because we're used to ourselves.
Even when I played basketball, I would score forty points.
I'm like yeah, he's like, yeah, you have forty nine.
I'm like, yeah, I didn't think it was enough. I'm
like it should have been I should have been better.
I don't know if that's something in me that was
so hard on myself, but I do you right, I
do need to enjoy it more and just realize that
this is a big deal.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
It's a huge deal. Congratulations, It's a huge deal. And
I also think and I also think this is my
one bit of advice. Still, let these teams know you ready,
like you might. They may see you do all this
other stuff and think that you've moved on. But you
they cannot put you in one They cannot put you
in one lane. You live in many lanes, and you
can do them all excellently. And I am so impressed
by you. I can't wait to I can't wait to
(44:19):
meet your next boo. I can't wait to see the
next see the next film project. And more importantly, I
still believe that there is space for you or the
w Is there anything else that you need to tell
us about before I let you go? Because you've been
so generous.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
Oh no, Carrie, thank you for having me on. Next time.
I got to come to the studio.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
On person, because if you'd have been here, I would
have been punching you. When you start talking about boys,
I would have been punching. I would like it because
I'm yeah you far away. I would have been like girl, no,
uh uh. And first of all, you are a good one.
You're you're mental and that's why I was like you.
You are much more mature than I am when it
comes to the fifty to fifty things. So that's why
I needed to hear that. I often need I often
(44:59):
know I need some correction. So I love to hear
you say it.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
Oh no, but you won't have a man that's gonna
take care of you. No, let's not get it. You
gonna you know, we got thank you. It's like il
NFL player.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
I think the NFL players coming because you know, I
got a little bit of psychic ability.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
Okay, well can I get a retired one?
Speaker 2 (45:20):
You want? Want you want? Want you want?
Speaker 1 (45:21):
I don't know if I want to deal with a
twenty year old that I gotta fight that. I got
to be in the club fighting these girls trying to
try to take my man from it, and I gotta
be fighting. I put vacilina on my face and then
I gotta be fighting.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
Now you're gonna have to deal with that.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
I don't want nobody who got me with a with
a with a you know, I got a flashlight looking
for him in the day because I'm so sprung. Have
y'all seen him Harpo come home? Have you seen my
man when he angel? I adore you. Thank you for
joining us on the podcast. You are everything. Congratulations on
(45:54):
all your success and if you forgot of anything that
we need to add, please let me know. And good
luck tomorrow. By gones, y'all.
Speaker 2 (46:01):
Thank you so much, y'all.
Speaker 1 (46:06):
Naked Sports written and executive produced by me Kerry Champion,
produced by Jock Vice Thomas, sound designed and mastered by
Dwayne Crawford. Naked Sports is a part of the Black
Effect podcast network in iHeartMedia
Welcome to Naked Sports, the podcast where we live at
the intersection of sports, politics, and culture. Our purpose reveal
the common threads that bind them all. So what's happening
in women's basketball right now is what we've been trying to.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Get to for almost thirty years.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
From the stadiums where athletes break barriers and set records.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Catin Quark broke the all time single game assists record.
This is crazy for rookies to be doing.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Our discussions will uncover the vital connections between these realms
and the community we create. In each episode, we'll sit
down with athletes, political analysts, and culture critics because at
the core of it all, how we see one issue
shines the light on all others. Welcome to Naked Sports.
I'm your host, Carrie Champion. Hey, everybody, welcome to a
(00:53):
new edition of Naked Sports. Interesting because today we have
a WNBA legend on I love Angel Angel mccattree. She
is a sweetheart. She was the number one overall draft
pick in two thousand and nine, and I think that,
like many of the legends of the WNBA, they are
(01:15):
finding their place while the world of women's sports has
its time. And I'm not saying like this is just
a season. I am saying people are aware of women's
sports in a way in which they haven't been before.
The WNBA and marketing deals are through the roof, and
there is a generation of players who not necessarily were
(01:37):
left out, but they had to go get theirs overseas
because that's where they usually make their money. And then
they find themselves, you know, deciding where they'll live in
this current landscape. Will they be a coach, will they
be a I don't know, perhaps an analyst. But they're
finding their way because for many people who just started
(01:58):
watching the WNBA in women's sports in general, you don't
know who these women are. I think it's interesting. I
was having a conversation with someone the other day about
Maya Moore and Lisa Leslie and they were like, who who,
Tell me who? And I realized, especially during this conversation
that I had with Angel, it's not just for WA players.
It's just a generational thing. It is a time thing.
(02:20):
There was a time that I didn't know that Ronald Reagan,
who was one of the presidents of the United States,
as you well know, was an actor. I didn't know
he was an actor. Someone had to tell me that,
and his wife, Nancy was an actor. I was like, well,
she was an actor. That's weird. There will be a
generation of people who don't remember Arnold Schwartzenigga as the
(02:42):
Governor of California, but just as the terminator. There are
people who will remember President Trump as President Trump and
not the star of that TV show Apprentice or vice versa.
You may just remember him from the Apprentice and you're like, wait,
he is the president. You know, I doubt it. But
people have many lives. I say all that to say
(03:03):
people have many lives, and Angel has done something that
I think is really special. She created a way that
has allowed this new generation of WNBA players to exist
and play the way they want to and be who
they want to. It always it just works that way.
It's just the way life is, and you just have
(03:24):
to accept it. So I asked her if she still
had time to play in the w and she said, yes,
I want to play. I think that I'm getting caught
up with some of the people who don't think I
still have it. I still have it. I can be
something for a team, and I know she can. But
in the meantime, she has taken her talents to South Beach,
and I'm kidding, she's taken her talents to a different
(03:45):
height in terms of what she will allow herself to do.
She has been so unapologetic about expressing herself as the
artist she is, whether that's rapping, whether that's singing, filmmaking,
she's filmmaking. She's filmmaking, and she still knows that there
is a place for her in the w all the while,
(04:07):
she's not letting current circumstances determine her future. And I
think that is so smart. And while there is pain
with knowing that she may never play in the league again,
what she has decided to do in such a brilliant
way is still allow herself to use the platform she's
created to find joy in many other ways. Now, this
conversation with many ways. So I'm preparing you all somehow
(04:30):
I start talking about my dating life, and y'all know
I don't do that. I'm super secretive, keeps some mystery.
I'm old school. I'm old old school, leaves some mystery.
You ain't got to tell everybody everything. Everything ain't for
social media. But she got a little bit out of me,
and I think it's fun to kind of key key
and share who you are with people that you admire.
(04:51):
So I hope you enjoyed this addition of naked sports. Okay, Angel,
We begin the podcast with so many questions about your
life after the WNBA. I really feel like I like
to start an order, but in this particular instance, I
won't do that. We'll see what happens. You, in my mind,
(05:15):
have really been able to do something that many adults
just can't do, many people in life just can't do.
I feel like you have said I want to try everything,
and I'm going to try it to the best of
my ability. When did filmmaking really become a part of
your life outside of the WNBA.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
You know what, it was something that really fell into
my lap. I was at home depressed. I had a
knee injury. I had a contract overseas making over a
million dollars. You know, we don't get that INBA. So
I was excited and then I just my knee bumps out.
I got injured, and I'm like, what in the world
am I talented at?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
I only know basketball.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I've been playing since I eight years old, and I
started like just watching a lot of movies at home
because I.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Ain't had nothing to do, and I'm like, I like this.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
I like hearing people's stories and how they got to
where they are, and I'm like, could I start telling stories?
So we're always in front of the cameras basketball players, right,
we got to do commercials and we do interviews stuff
like this, And I just started asking questions and learning
from producers who do stuff on us tell our stories.
And that's how I got started in it.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
What else am I talented that? That is a great question,
and that is arguably a question most many people tell themselves.
Many people tell themselves when they're starting out in life,
when they want to make a pivot, even while they
are in the throes of having an amazing career. If
you were to tell me what you are most talented at,
what would it be? And it doesn't have to be
one thing.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
I'm most talented at being a leader.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Basketball has taught me how to lead, so I know
how to find talent. So my most recent film, by Gones,
most of the actors were first time actors and they
look like.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
They had done it for years. So I'm good at
seeing talent.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
I am good at having a vision and creating things
and bringing something to life.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I would say that.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
You just said it very casually. But for those who
are listening, uh, this woman was the number one overall pick.
I believe in two thousand and nine. Am I right?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Thank that's so far?
Speaker 1 (07:22):
I go, that's not that me, that's not that far
like that, that's within time, right you wait? Hold on?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Well, thank you for saying that, because a lot of
people don't say that no more. But yes, right, it's
still in time.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Yeah, it's still in time. Was eighteen nineteen, nineteen nineteen
you were into two thousands, but you were the number
Onoean's overall pick. And if you would have looked back
on your life from the time that you got drafted
into the WNBA to where you are now, would you
have ever thought filmmaker would have been a title?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Never. I didn't think Olympian was a title.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
And that's why I tell the kids, like, fine something
you love, because it will literally take you places you'd
never imagine.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I didn't know I would be a filmmaker. And now
I'm doing films.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Deon Taylor from playing basketball now he's bringing me in
to help them with films.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I mean, all of that kind of stuff got on
Olympic team, traveled the world.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
So you know, given the game playing, this game has
given so much back to me, despite whether I'm back
in dumb or not, if that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah, you're like, I was given a platform that taught
me to do something that I love and do it
with my whole heart. And it's opened your eyes to
too many things. I talked to Serena Williams, and I
remember her telling me tennis was just a platform to
introduce me into a world that I did not know exists.
She owed DC Firm, she has her own cosmetic line,
(08:46):
she has an entire enterprise, she's created a dynasty. But
it started with the love of something that she really
was very good at, and it ultimately matriculated into so
much more. And that's what I see. I want to
talk about your time in the WNBA. When you were
drafted in two thousand and nine, there was this idea
(09:09):
that women were just lucky to play basketball in the
States professionally, and we know now that the idea of
the WNBA and what it could be and what it
will be is so much bigger than what it was.
The growth has been exponential, but it has been it
has come at a cost. It has come at a
cost for the Angels of the world and the Sheryl
Swoops of the worlds and the Canvass Parkers of the world.
(09:31):
You all laid this incredible foundation. How would you describe
the WNBA when you were drafted your very first year.
Talk to me about conditions. What were they like in
terms of oh my god, travel, condition, food, pain.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
It was really hard and that's why I'm actually working
to make this a TV show. And you talk about
we're flying commercial and none of us sitting in business.
We're not sitting and comfort six foot six girls squenched
up in the back with people who were like, oh
my god, you're playing dumbbay.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
We want to rest. That asks us a million questions.
We got to eat airport food. We have back to backs.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
You play a game, then you're flying somewhere else, which
is so incredibly unhealthy. The conditions of our gyms, playing
YMCAs with regular people there watching, and we had no privacy.
Even if you wanted to do something outside of the court,
like be creative, it wasn't really known back then. So
when I first started doing music in twenty eleven, it
was like, why are you doing music, you're a basketball player.
(10:34):
I had so much negative connotation from it, and now
you got Flage who can do both right, and it's
nothing negative around it.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
The girls can get into so much more.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
They can fly private, they have their own practice facility now.
And when I was in Atlanta, people didn't even know
that we had a dumb mating. We had to do
so much advocating, and I mean I was out in
the hottlant of sun to do so many events to
get people just to know that there was a Dunbay team.
Now everybody knows these girls can just relax football and
(11:05):
be superstars.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
But here's my question. You say that was so long ago.
I'm like, no, that was like less than fift yesterdays ago.
It was yesterday, yesterday. And for people to be so
aware of what the WNBA is right now, like oh,
it just has been here. It reminds me of how
people treat new talent on the scene, or new musical
artists that are on the scene, or an actor that's
on the scene, and they just blow up the actors like, oh,
(11:28):
I've been in overnight success for the last twenty years
I've been I've been doing this forever, and you were
talking about just getting it from the mud, how you
were able to just try to figure it out. Music
clearly one of your talents. You can sing. I've heard
you spit and you and you say, and you reference Flage,
(11:50):
which I think is very interesting because she was more
known for her music before she even played basketball. And
so you're right, so it doesn't It's not uncomfortable, much
more common. And I wonder did you ever feel like
you couldn't do music when you were playing in the league.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yes, because people I got so much negative backlash from
the fans.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
I was like, dang, I shouldn't even do this no more.
It was fun.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Give me an example, I released my first single in
twenty eleven, and everybody was just like, what are you doing?
You're a basketball player, so it was just that put
me in that box and it was like, you don't
need to be doing this.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
The song is horrible, blah blah blah.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I was like, I don't even want to do this
no more because it was just so so negative. But
of course friends and family say you keep doing it.
Who cares what people think? And I just kept doing
it regardless, and obviously I got my first sink placement
on the NBA two K video game. So I'm glad
I didn't stop. But it was just people and it
wasn't used to it. It's women doing it, right, Dame
Dalla can do it.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
But he will tell you. He will tell you. People
have told him not to do it too, though, right, like,
oh yeah, when Shack did it. I remember when Shack
did it, it was like even though he I think
he had, Coby did it, Kobe did it, everybody was like,
what do you do it? They all receive the same
type of criticism. But now, to your point, it's just
a part of the craft. Now, it's another way to
(13:09):
extend and express yourself.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
But Carrie, some were good and so we're not. Let's
get real.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Oh yeah, no, I can go to yeah. Oh ho, yes,
I'm I'm not calling you a hope, but I'm like, ho,
you know what I mean? I feel you Oh yes, yeah.
But listen, people who are actually artists who are rapping
aren't good at it, and they're still, you know, people
accepted for who they are because that's how they came
on the scene. I just think the multi hyphen it
(13:36):
verse is really real, and they don't allow you all
to be how do you feel about it now? Because
looking at your page, most people will look at you,
not even I don't want to say that's your social
media to find you, but most people say, oh, number
one draft pick, oh two time olympian. Oh I didn't
know she was a filmmaker. Oh I didn't know she spit.
Some people will say to you, you're doing too much.
Figure out one thing and focus on that, and you
(13:56):
say what to them.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
I don't care like you like you don't you don't.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Carry I have the old fan base who kind of
knows me, and then it's this new fan base.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Was like, who is Angel the country?
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Let me go look at her highlights and then they're like, oh,
she does this first. So you got this new fan
base of kids who maybe might have been born like
mid two thousands to now, who don't really know who
I was, but they're like, she did this first. Or
it's kind of like this kid said. I heard this
kid say about Ludacris. They was like, what is the
fastic threeest guy doing rapping?
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And I was like, you're the week two hundred years old.
I'm all like, what do you mean how do you
not know Luda was a rapper?
Speaker 2 (14:41):
First?
Speaker 1 (14:41):
You are so right. Same thing with Ades you don't know,
Same thing with ice Cube. People don't know Cube as
age he does as a rapper. They know him as
you know, an actor like you. I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
It's it's so bigarred get it like, it's crazy to me.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
I liking it too. And this is this is just
me just being an old head and knowing so much
about history. I liken it to President Ronald Reagan. He
was an actor. I was like when I found out
he was an actor before he was the president, I
was like, yeah, really, I had no idea. Or the
same could be said there. There will be a generation
of people who think this current president is just a
(15:16):
president and not know him from Apprentice. That far, it's
been done over and over again. We're going to take
a quick break because we have to pay some bills.
We'll be right back in just a few moments. In
(15:37):
transition for women, it's very different. Men seem to make
these transitions fairly easily. And I'll say this for you,
I know, and I heard you on ros the shout
Outs to ross O heard General podcast the other day
talking about whether or not you were going to go
back to the WNBA. You played in the league up
until about twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two. Yeah, right,
(16:00):
team was the state side was the Links and it
was Yeah. You had a few injuries that sidelined you,
that put you in a position that made it really
difficult to play when there's so few spaces and so
few teams. So so now I know that you are
injury free, you could still play. Look at look at her,
Look at our guy Lebron still playing. You know what
(16:22):
I mean? Where's that at for you trying to get
back into the league.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Yeah, I would say, don't age me. People keep talking
about my age, my knee. I'm not gonna waste your time.
Don't age me because there's girls my age playing and
dumb there right now. But here's the thing, carry I
got to see what it was like. I got to
see both sides. I got the students like to be
at my prime, being a superstar, getting everything I want,
everybody in my face, going thirty points a night, to
(16:51):
not being a star anymore, and nobody caring at home
I'm not playing. And I got to see both sides
what it's like. And I got to see the inhuman
main side of sports where when you're not putting up
thirty points, what you really get treated like nobody's screaming
my name no more right, nobody's calling me for many
things like before. So what I feel like I need
(17:12):
to do as a player is how do we bring
the human side of sports back where we're not machines
that use us up and then one injury is you
put to the side, Not like I haven't accomplished anything
and given my all to this game for years and years.
So how do I help these women and that are
getting cut that deserve a spot?
Speaker 2 (17:31):
How do we help them?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
How do we help the girls who nobody knows about
making fifty thousand dollars a year. She has a regular
job now, but she gave her all to them.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
BA.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
That's why I want to do filmmaking. I want to
tell their stories.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
I want to be able to give them jobs in acting,
put them on TV.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Let people know who these women are.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
They're amongst us are again because there's this plethora of
women who are totally forgotten about.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Who are mothers now? Who give them their all?
Speaker 3 (17:57):
And some are struggling financially and no dumb Bay player
who played a professional sports ever, I have to struggle financially,
and I know because I've had DUMBA players asked me
for money.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
And what do they do for them?
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Yes, Bally, I want to be a bridge to bridge
that gap, like I don't want to see any dumb
Bay players go through that ever.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Wow. And you know, it's interesting that you say that
not only are wnb and I'm not taking this away
from you, but I've heard stories about NBA, but we
hear about NBA players going broke all the time. But
the difference is is that they were given a certain
amount of money from Jump and they were given a
certain amount of money. They made millions and they've decided
to do what they wanted to do that they blew
through their money. People shouldn't be feeling sorry for them.
(18:39):
You all weren't even given when you started. What was
your salary? How much were you making in the WNBA?
You were the number one overall pick.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Overall draft pick. I could have worked at McDonald's and
made more money. I made forty four thousand, and people
don't realize now we worked our butts off to get
the number one picks.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
And these girls to make more.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
So Caitlyn is only making seventy thousand as a number
one pick, and it's Kaitlyn Clark.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Thank God for our endorsements.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
So you made forty four thousand as the number one
overall pick in the death and number one.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Pick forty four. So when I saw that check, I
was getting what I saw like twelve hundred.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Wait or something like that.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Oh lord, the tax is too come on, I just
get taxed on at forty four thousand.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I probably made what thirty thirty seven, thirty eight, and
I busted my apartment.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
I played so hard and I came to practice every
day early lifting weights. These women, guess what if you're
not the number one pick, you're getting less.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Here's what I can that is about women who play
in the league. And this is why I'm gonna give
you your flowers. Every woman that I have known before, this
this revival of interest in women's sports, because it wasn't
there before. Yeah, you love the game. You don't play
for the fans. You don't play for the fan fair,
you don't play for the lights. You don't play for
(20:03):
anything but for the love of basketball. As corny, as cheesy,
as that may sound y'all play for the love of basketball,
for the love and shout out to my girl Gina
for a loving battle. But the reality is is that
if someone can't step back and understand that and understand
why you all should be rewarded, I hate to hear, Oh,
(20:23):
they don't need no money, they no one's watching. Do
you know how hard it is too? And I talked
to don Staley when Don Staley was graduating college and
she said she was the same as her her male counterpart.
She got a job at a clothing store because she
could there was no WNBA. She worked at a clothing
store of folding clothes.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
And Donna is now clothing store.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
I just feel like it's so ridiculous when I think
about it. And you mentioned where you are right now
and how you want to tell the stories of these players.
I think that's special and anointed. And to your point,
when you weren't getting when you were at your high
high and as you put it, people aren't calling you
as much and loving on you as much, did that
(21:06):
make you feel away? Does that make you currently feel away?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Not now because I've matured and I've done the work
on myself, but during the time, you're like yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Cause like you're young and you don't you've never seen
the difference. I didn't know. I was always a stuperstar.
I was a superstar. Louisville came out and I.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Want pig and blah blah blah, and I'm becoming more known.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
I'm an Olympian now.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
And then it just stops and you're like going crazy
because you've missed the applause. I do miss that though.
I do miss the applause of fans and like them cheering.
I do miss that part, but I feel like I'll
get the cheers. I want to hear the cheers in
another way when they see my films.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
But it does.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
I was depressed for a long time, like I told
you when you saw in rosin of you, like it's
a depressed pressed feeling like you feel like you're nothing,
You're nobody, and you you're you haven't accomplished anything, when
it's really just a total lot.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
You have accomplished a lot.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Only five thousand people in the United States have a medal,
and you gotta remember.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
You have to remind.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Yourself like I did do something and I'm okay, and
that's what a lot of athletes have to learn because
a lot of athletes do go through depression.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
We all go through it, you know. I had after
Roz's interview, I.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Had so many people hit me up, old NBA players
like I went through the same thing. So it's something
there that we have to teach the kids now if
they need to do therapy now, so when their time comes,
they're prepared for it.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
That makes sense.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
I would love for you to do a film introducing
the heroes of the WNBA from inception till now, but
making sure that we understand who everybody is. I feel
like there is a litany, Uh there are women that
we just don't even know who they are. I mean,
we know the Lisa Leslie's of the world, and obviously
there Sheryl Swoops, but there is a long list of
(22:49):
women that have been so many who really built this
place that we call the w NBA, and there is
a generation, if not an entire sport world that are
unfamiliar with who they are. I did a series on
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese on my podcast recently, and
it was like it was about rivalry and why the
(23:11):
making of a rivalry between those two really ushered in
a new entire world for for w NBA players and
for women's sports in general. And you used to play
like people don't understand that the women in the league,
in the w more specifically compete. And when you all
(23:34):
started to get this attention, and by you all, I
mean the WNBA, you know, whether it be watching Kitlin
Clark and Angelies go at it on a collegiate level,
people were appalled by what they saw and I was like, what.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Do you what have y'all?
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Y'all never clearly you've never watched what is you've never watched? Yeah,
so what is your take on how women are supposed
to compete versus how you all compete?
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:55):
So do my era, my rival was Maya Moore, which
was such a great If you go back and watch
that film, you'll see it's just as exciting as now.
It's just we didn't have the investment like now. And
we always said, look at where we are without the
marketing dollars, We're still right there. So we would say, like,
if you put the marketing dollars behind us, it's gonna work.
(24:17):
We literally heard brands, some brands would literally say this
dumb Bay were not interested.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
We've heard that.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Seriously, you cannot believe that that's how they used to
look at us.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
I think now it's a great story.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
It's like the modern day Magic Johnson Larry Bird and
people are cleaning to that. But I gotta tell guys
when they're like, oh, you girls are plan now, I said,
let me tell you something.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
Bruh. We been playing. Yeah, don't play with me. And
then I showed them my highlights and they're like, oh,
you was doing that. I'm like, cause you didn't know,
you didn't watch.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Don't say y'all playing now, because honestly, they can get
mad at me all they want.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Our era was tough.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
It was no off night to guard Simone and Maya
and Tamika. Some of these girls have an off night
every now. I'm gonna just put it like that, Okay,
to half shro forward knocking you down your throat. Lisa
Leslie welcomed me to the league with an elbow on
my chest. I was on the ground, we saying.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
That they jumped Candas Parker when she was when she
was a rookie. Yes, you sawry bags.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
I bought donuts do They told me she look Samiko
Host and told me to get up in the morning.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
I had a mile run at five am. I showed
up at that gym. Want nobody there. They tricked me.
These girls ain't getting that treatment. They don't have a clue.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
They because they're making the money in college now and
they're like, they're like, what is this I should be
treated so well? You're like, no, when you came, you
talk about to me ketching's you talk about Lisa Leslie,
you talking about how people no off day, no maya more,
no off day. We because it was from the mud
and you see it now and there's a different level.
And we don't want to sound like I don't want
(25:50):
to sound like how Chuck sounds when he's on, you know,
inside the NBA complaining about the number of he complains
about the players in today's league. I get it. I understand.
He was like, we didn't have all this money I
was making, and yeah, I got private he he says
it the exact same way. But there is some truth
to that. There is some some type of sweat equity
that is missing, and there's a different type of value
(26:14):
to it. But it doesn't make their value any less
important because we all have to arrive. I wonder, if
you don't play anymore, would you ever think about coaching?
Speaker 3 (26:26):
That's a good question. I get that question all the time.
Do I think I'm a good coach?
Speaker 2 (26:30):
I do.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
I think that I've learned from Don Staley, Gino Ariama.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
I've watched them.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
I've watched how they coach. I watch how they bring
out the best in their players. And I don't understand
why other coaches don't mock the best coaches. If I'm
a coach, I'm gonna do everything Geno does. I'm running
his same place.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I'm doing because it's proven. Don I don't know why
coaches have their ego like I'm doing it my way.
This is my system. Forget that.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Mimic the best, Yeah, and then a stuff if you
need to, Yes, it makes sense.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Do I want to coach right now? No?
Speaker 3 (27:04):
It's a lot of time and effort. And the kids
are different now, y'all a little more sensitive. Do I
Will I help the kids and just coach the kids? Sure,
we'll coach right now. No, maybe when I'm older, But
now we're gonna stick to these spells.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
I'm gonna tell you this. The younger generation hates when
we say they're a little more sensitive. They say that
we are jealous or we don't get it, but they
are so sensitive.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Like y'all and I'm gonna say, I don't care, but
y'all got it. Tough En up a little bit, because
y'all transfer whenever you want. Y'all don't stick through it.
We stuck through them for you. You went to UCLA, right.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Yes, yes, and you stay there. You stay there. You
don't have a choice. You stay there, or have a choice.
And on top of that, you take it because it's
not given it to earn like you just gotta take it.
We're not We're not all social media buddies. So I'm
naturally in the crowd and I'm cool. You just got
to figure it. You got to figure it out.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Yeah, so so so kids.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
When you you don't like always like your boss, leave
and go ten different jobs before they years out stick
to it.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
We're gonna take a quick break because we have to
pay some bills. We'll be right back in just a
few moments. It's interesting. There's a part of me that
understands the nuance of all of it. But I also
like the idea of women having leverage in the WNBA.
(28:26):
What the women have done in the WNBA. And I'm
talking about Nefisa and Brianna and creating unwrival. Oh yeah,
I like them saying, you know what, this system doesn't
work for me, and I'm going to create a system
that does work for me, and I'm gonna show the
WNBA that it can be done. So there is something
about the generation after us and those who are coming
after us. There's this this entitlement that creates ingenuity and
(28:53):
an entrepreneur spirit. And I like it that I do
because then it's as you are not the master of me.
There are other ways we can go about doing it.
So so that is my kudos to them. I don't
want to just say everything about it is bad and
throw it out, but the entitlement needs to be balanced,
as is everything with life. But when you say I
just want to stick to films, and I just and
(29:15):
I think, and obviously music, because I didn't know that
you could sing so well, where where did all this
come from? When did we know we could sing? Were
we singing on all while we was in people's faces
talking trash?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Were you No, definitely weren't doing that.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
I just think creativity is where I'm at, Like, I
love creativity. I like what you said leveraging being entrepreneurs.
I think that one day I would love to own
a team. I'm trying to work now to bring a
taint to Louisville, a Dumbbay team. It's a great town
that I didn't enjoy and appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
I love Ida right there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
Yeah, because we need more Dumbbay players and those for
office positions. We need more players in the league's positions coaching.
I want to see more dumba players coaching in the
dum Bay. I think we need that because they understand.
So that's where it's at now. And what the FISA
and still we did is it's just a start of that.
They showed us like it can be done.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
I think that when you think about, Oh, I'm just curious,
when you think about unrivaled, how would you would you
play there? Would you be interested in playing with them
in any capacity? Or you said not coaching? But it
feels like that's not a real dedicate, Like you don't
have to be fully locked in, you know what I mean. Yeah,
it's a it's an abated season.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Yeah, I would I.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Think unarrival is something that can continue to grow, can
have more teams.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Obviously they're paying the.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
Girls more because, like you said, you know, going overseas
is kind of tough now the economy has changed and
there's so much war now, like can you yeah, yeah, don't.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Nobody want to go over there after what happened to Brittany?
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Can we get back.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
What's going on? Yes, you really live over there, but
still yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
And then I had one of my old agents telling me, Yo,
if you want to get back in the league, Israel
hesitanting I'm not going to Israel. He's like, well, they're
not going to pick you up in the league because
they got to see play. Guess what they just about
to bring me in the workout and see what I
can do because I'm not going to Israel.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
By the way, you could benefit. You could be a
solid jewel on any team right now, on any team
right now.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
W NBA.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
Emotional, I know, but you know that. And I think
that the painful part is is when they try to
to expire you or tell you what your limits are,
and you know what you're capable of. If I were you,
I would keep trying. I would I would keep knocking
on doors would be emotional. I'm not trying to make
(31:44):
you emotional, but I'm telling you don't let these people
get in your head and tell you that you're not
worth it. You are so worthy and so worth it,
and you could be invaluable. That's the part of the
w n B a that I would like to see
expand they bring out these players and say with the
NFL teams, they bring out these players that ain't seen
no work in forever. They dust these people off and
make them quarterbacks when they need somebody just to come
(32:05):
in and practice.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
Hold on, man.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
So I'm like, I'm like, you can do that in
the w NBA. There's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing
wrong with finding tried and true talent. And you are
such tried and true talent. And not only would you
be invaluable just on the court, off the court, what
you can do in a locker room. So I am
telling you do not give up, because I know you
(32:28):
love it and I know you want to do it,
and I know that you feel like you're okay with it.
But I still see that fire in your eyes and
I still see that you still have more to give.
You know what, I mean you ain't you know, I mean,
I'm not giving you thirty, but you never know. I might.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
Yeah, but you know I can give you so much
more and we want probably crown on the interview.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Yeah, but that that.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Just touched me because it has been tough and I
do want to finish. I do want to finish plane
on the court, and yeah, it just means so much
to you deserve I'm hoping.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Yeah, thank you for that nod when you wipe it.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Yes, but you deserve that. We have to start treating
our legends like our legends, and they deserve that opportunity.
And you are not, like I'm telling you, you're still
so very young. You have so many lives, as you
will know, and you've already started this second and third
career that you're going to ultimately have in such a big,
huge way. But you deserve that. And so hopefully someone
(33:21):
is watching and paying attention and be like, you know
what you bring my girl in.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Thank you for that. Thank you so much for that
carry that.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Loves you deserve it. You deserve it. And by the way,
that's not my only thought I have. I've called around
and talked to people before we did the interview, and
they all felt the same way. So it's not a
it's not an isolated perspective. So I disencourage you to
keep going. Are you Are you working out every day?
What's your workout?
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Oh? My god?
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Every day in the gym, training and working out, staying
in shape. So when when the call comes, I'll letting
them know I'm ready. You ain't gonna see me out
of shape coming there, so yes, yeah, you know how
that goes.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
I'm ready, ready.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
So now that we are, we're based in Atlanta, right, I.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Was based in Atlanta for fifteen years. I just moved
to La your hometown.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Oh, so you're in La La La La. Okay, good, Okay,
I didn't know that. So you moved out of Atlanta.
You're done.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
I'm done. Yeah, it was time for a change.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Okay, good for you. How do you feel about La?
Speaker 2 (34:28):
You know what? I like it.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
I feel like people are enjoying my talents that I bring,
like as far as creativity, because Atlanta was kind of
like girl, what you're doing girl?
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Uh huh?
Speaker 3 (34:41):
And sorry to say it like this. I feel like
I hope nobody gets me for this. Atlanta is like
Tamar Braxton h l A is like Tony Braxton.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
No one's going to disagree.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Don't kill me for that.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
There is a there is a a clear difference between
the Hollywood in Atlanta and the Hollywood in LA, right obviously,
And there's a difference between how you move in LA
and how you move in Atlanta Atlanta. I lived in Atlanta.
I loved Atlanta. I think it's amazing. I lived in
Atlanta when I was a cub reporter. I worked for
WGC of CBS station, and I loved, my god, I
(35:19):
loved Atlanta. It taught me a lot of wonderful things.
But I also know outside of Atlanta is the South,
and so there's only so much that you can I
feel personally, that you can do unless you're Tyler Perry
right it. And he's made it such a beautiful space.
And I love that he's done that, and he's stayed
there and he's like, this is where we're doing it.
He's created its own black Hollywood, his Hollywood. But LA
(35:43):
is you mentioned Deon Taylor. I'm a huge fan of
his work, his films. I love that you've connected with him.
It's easier for what you see yourself doing to be
with someone like that. Have you ran into Magic Johnson?
Can you talk to him about being on the sparks.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
I haven't ran in some magic, but I did need
somebody to say, hey, I'm really good first of magic,
I need to put in a word.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
You know. I'm like, I'll take it. You know what
I'm saying, self supprise you ever. I mean, we'll see.
I mean I'm open. I'm just open to it all.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Okay. Yeah, So I want to talk about the couple
of latest singles that I've seen on said on said
social Where are we at with our music? What are
we putting out? Because you putting out videos where there
was one video what's the name of this song that
you have? Where? And I laughed so hard because it's
also timely for folks who don't know. Tracy Ellis Ross
(36:29):
a few weeks ago said some amazing things to me
about dating younger men.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Oo.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Then I click on your page and I see this
video of you talking about this young shorty and and
how he keep running back to you when old girl
acting right, when his girlfriend a acting right? Tell me
the name of the single and where'd that all come from?
The inspiration?
Speaker 3 (36:56):
So I wrote that one so I do have some
writers that might send me songs like you you'd be
good on this, and I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm recording this,
but that when I wrote all by Myself, I was like, y'all,
I got a good one. Took it to the citio
and we perfected it. It's such a great grown up,
like kind of nineties feel song. Yeah, it's called My
Own Love, and it's just about like you always coming
to me when you hurt and I'm starting to feel
(37:18):
you a little bit.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
I need my own love.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
I don't need to be wrapped up into your life
and what you got going on. So that's kind of
the basis of that song.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Am I going that? No, I'm very single.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
But did I have an ex boyfriend who I was
just going through this toxic loop with. Yes, it's just
that loop, and I had said, you know what, I
gotta break this loop.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
I ain't doing this no more. I had to cut
that loop off. But it kind of goes into that and.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
I have people hit me like, oh my god, I'm
going through that, now, what should I do your song?
I'm like, girl, cut that loop off because it ain't
gonna stop. It's gonna be twenty years of that toxic loop.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Let it go.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Let it go because it won't change. Well, I it
resonated with me because Tracy ellis ross to her point,
and she was like, I wonder. She was like, I
was trying to figure out why I only keep dating
younger man? Why does that keep coming up? Why do
I Why am I only attracting that? And she said
something that I thought was smart and also something I
could totally relate to because I also not intentionally but
(38:15):
date younger men. And it was the idea of a
just someone who was a little more limber in his
train of thought, meaning like he was a little more flexible,
and how he moved in the world and how he
perceived life and women in so many ways, especially women
like us who are very entrepreneurial and do our things
and are very capable of being on our own, we
(38:36):
find ourselves in these spaces where we don't choose to
be masculine, but just because our surroundings make us masculine
in terms of the energy we give off, because you know,
we got to do it. And so I have found
that younger men have been more open to that. There's
no judgment associated to it. They kind of they think
it's cool and they enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
I am a relationship type of person, but I'm not
that girl that's going to like we together now. No,
I need to get to know you first, because I
watched way too many crime shows and the Fatal Attraction.
So I'm gonna get to know y'all ass and we're
going to take our time. But once I see that
you really bob about it easy too it. I even
know because I'm enjoying my life. I travel, I'm doing
(39:19):
things making good money.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Well, that's your thing, that's the thing. And I've been
reading New York Times to the survey the other day
about women between the ages of like twenty five and forty,
and they are like, we have big, full lives. The
last thing we want to do is be married. The
last thing we want to do is try to And
I'm like, And then my other friend, his name is
Scott Galloway. He's been doing a study on men and
how they're so behind the gap of women college age women,
(39:43):
college educated women rather women who are entrepreneurs. He was like,
men are falling behind, and we'll look up and we'll
realize that women are like, I'm all set, and I'm like,
is that really what it's about to be? Because the
more and more I engage with my girlfriends and women
that I've known who've been married or not married anymore,
or who are out here, They're like, I've got a big,
full life, and these are the things that I would love.
(40:04):
Women have advanced so far past men angel in terms
of the way they think, the terms of their money,
how they go after it to get it, Like, look
at you, you've you if you look at yourself and
you compared yourself to whoever was in the NBA in
terms of if they didn't have the money that you
know that they get for playing in the NBA. You
see how you've been able to reinvent yourself and go
(40:24):
after it and go after it and go after it.
It's rare to see that happen, that flexibility, that change,
and we have, for whatever reasons, we're just built differently,
and so what happens is is we start to outpace them,
not on purpose, but we just do. And we look
up and this is not my mother's era, this is
not my grandmother's era. We don't have to be married.
(40:45):
I don't need an mrs. I would love one. I
would love to be in relationship with someone, but I
don't have to. I want to really like you first,
you know what I mean, Like you want to like them.
In addition, I don't need you to provide anymore. I
want to like you.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
There you got so mom. You heard what Carrie just said.
Stop questioning me about getting married.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
You heard her.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
She just dropped a gem on y'all and to fellas,
y'all got to catch up, and not catch up financially,
but catch up mentally.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
Correct always one is your mind, and you're.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
So correct correct that money stuff is not even Can
I be honest? Let me just make sure I say
that again. The money stuff will come. But your mind.
If your mind, if you're so emotionally aware and your
EQ is off the charts, I'm in. I'm in. I
need to know I'm locked in. And that is so rare.
You don't find that. You don't find people who are
(41:37):
emotionally aware or their EQ is behind and you're bringing
them with you and you're trying to swallow.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
Well, Hello, mine is not Helena.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
Okay, So, so if you had to think about life
and for you in the next five years professionally, how
long would you do if someone calls you up and
says we need you back in the league. How long
would you play? As long as you could? Or you
would have just one year to retire?
Speaker 3 (42:00):
Oh no, I got some years. When is the next
Olympics twenty twenty? Yeh, I at least can go into
the next Olympic.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
That's what was that? Three years? Three four? I got?
I got that in the tank.
Speaker 1 (42:13):
I'm proud of you. You under it. It's like, you know,
I feel like this, we're claiming it right now. Let
me just want to su we're claiming it right now.
This is happening. I like that we put it on
the podcast. I also want to tell everybody about your
casual film that you were doing a party for I
believe tomorrow. Tell me about the film. Yeah, the Casual Ye.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Guns, Yes by Gods is my first directorial debut. I
have the screening in Atlanta tomorrow. So I got that
Red Offly fight tonight, the one I missed. I was
supposed to be in New York for you. So but yeah,
we're gonna just have some fun. The film is about
a young girl she develops a friendship with a guy
in the gym, but come to find out he did
(42:55):
something in his past that affects her in her family,
and when she finds out, it's going to be a
really big rift in their relationship. But we got to
figure out how they're going to make this mint. So
bye Gods, it's going to come out soon. I'm I'm
still in talks with distribution, so as we negotiate that,
we'll see. I'm thinking maybe Amazon, but we'll see. I'm
(43:17):
telling all the secrets.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
But let's break some news.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Let's break some news.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
I don't love how casually you're like, yeah, we're still
with distribution, but I did a film. Do you know
how amazing it is all the things that you've been
able to accomplish in such a short period of time,
and how casually you talk about it, like you're going
to the grocery store to get milk.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
Really, you know what I think, because we're used to ourselves.
Even when I played basketball, I would score forty points.
I'm like yeah, he's like, yeah, you have forty nine.
I'm like, yeah, I didn't think it was enough. I'm
like it should have been I should have been better.
I don't know if that's something in me that was
so hard on myself, but I do you right, I
do need to enjoy it more and just realize that
this is a big deal.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
It's a huge deal. Congratulations, It's a huge deal. And
I also think and I also think this is my
one bit of advice. Still, let these teams know you ready,
like you might. They may see you do all this
other stuff and think that you've moved on. But you
they cannot put you in one They cannot put you
in one lane. You live in many lanes, and you
can do them all excellently. And I am so impressed
by you. I can't wait to I can't wait to
(44:19):
meet your next boo. I can't wait to see the
next see the next film project. And more importantly, I
still believe that there is space for you or the
w Is there anything else that you need to tell
us about before I let you go? Because you've been
so generous.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
Oh no, Carrie, thank you for having me on. Next time.
I got to come to the studio.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
On person, because if you'd have been here, I would
have been punching you. When you start talking about boys,
I would have been punching. I would like it because
I'm yeah you far away. I would have been like girl, no,
uh uh. And first of all, you are a good one.
You're you're mental and that's why I was like you.
You are much more mature than I am when it
comes to the fifty to fifty things. So that's why
I needed to hear that. I often need I often
(44:59):
know I need some correction. So I love to hear
you say it.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
Oh no, but you won't have a man that's gonna
take care of you. No, let's not get it. You
gonna you know, we got thank you. It's like il
NFL player.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
I think the NFL players coming because you know, I
got a little bit of psychic ability.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
Okay, well can I get a retired one?
Speaker 2 (45:20):
You want? Want you want? Want you want?
Speaker 1 (45:21):
I don't know if I want to deal with a
twenty year old that I gotta fight that. I got
to be in the club fighting these girls trying to
try to take my man from it, and I gotta
be fighting. I put vacilina on my face and then
I gotta be fighting.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
Now you're gonna have to deal with that.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
I don't want nobody who got me with a with
a with a you know, I got a flashlight looking
for him in the day because I'm so sprung. Have
y'all seen him Harpo come home? Have you seen my
man when he angel? I adore you. Thank you for
joining us on the podcast. You are everything. Congratulations on
(45:54):
all your success and if you forgot of anything that
we need to add, please let me know. And good
luck tomorrow. By gones, y'all.
Speaker 2 (46:01):
Thank you so much, y'all.
Speaker 1 (46:06):
Naked Sports written and executive produced by me Kerry Champion,
produced by Jock Vice Thomas, sound designed and mastered by
Dwayne Crawford. Naked Sports is a part of the Black
Effect podcast network in iHeartMedia
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