June 25, 2025 • 41 mins
On the latest Off the Edge with Cam Jordan podcast, Cam comes to you live from the start-studded Fanatics Fest in New York City. He’s joined by Pro Basketball Hall of Famer and women’s basketball icon Sheryl Swoopes. They get into Sheryl being the first player to ever sign a contract with the WNBA, and how winning the first four championships in league history cemented her legacy as an all-time great. She then discusses the evolution of the WNBA and praises current players like superstar A’ja Wilson. Sheryl then shares what happened in her famous 1-on-1 game against Michael Jordan, and the memento she kept from that game. Sheryl and Cam later have a G.O.A.T. debate about Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. And Sheryl gives us the inside stories of what it was like to be on the “Martin” TV show, and the off-script moment she still talks about.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, okay, here we are.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
We're back on a big stage over at Dick's Sporting
Goods podcast. Come on, man, i don't know if y'all
know this, but I've got a I've got a podcast
coming up that I'm super excited to talk about. You know,
I appreciate you subscribing. Yeah, we say you know. This
next one is really really near and dear to my heart. Uh,
it's a It's got a host that's charismatic, funny, talented,
(00:24):
maybe a time pro bowler three time on bro whatever
I call him me, You guys can call me Cam.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, bring bringing this on in baby, And here we
are with Off the Edge the Podcast and see the host. Hey,
I'm just so excited for you guys to uh to
to see this live. Sit here in New York, Off
the Edge of the Podcast me your host, Cam Jordan.
I'd like to bring in my talented guests, Miss Cheryl.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Swoops come on, tell usop dude, it is okay.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I'm so excited to have you here. I mean, come on,
just just a living legend herself. As before any questions,
I just wanted to give you your flowers.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Now.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Everything you do has been amazing r trendsetter, you know,
one of the first one, one of the first WBA
contracts ever.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Right, Yeah, the contracts then were a little different than
they are now.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Like we love that as a kid, like as an
NFL player, I know, like contracts are just like regular
negotiations for you as a WNBA player at one point
time to have to be like one of the first
to get a contract, what how did that happen to
be all just playing for free?
Speaker 4 (01:37):
First of all, let me just say like I am
super honored to be on your show. I appreciate that,
like here and you know fanatics fast where you could
have had anybody. I am truly honored. But I will
say this, when the WNBA first started in ninety seven,
there really was no negotiating a contract. It was here's
(01:59):
where your contract is, this is what we're gonna pay you.
And we were just happy and excited to be able
to have a league to play in.
Speaker 5 (02:08):
Period.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
So you was just like, I'll take whatever you give me.
I'm thanks, well, right like that, okay.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
It was different because there there were a few of
us who actually had playing contracts and marketing contracts, So
the marketing contract, it supplemented what we didn't make playing.
So I was I was fortunate enough to be one
of those players that had both you.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Yeah you without saying you was that guy. You were
that guy. Yeah you were you were that, you were
that lady? Yeah you were her?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
There we go, yeah Timothy hermity Yeah, okay, yeah that part.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
I mean, come on, what what didn't you do in
your in your career?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I mean, you accomplished so much from being a four
time WBA champion, a three time goal Olympic gold medalists,
you know, three time w n B, A m VP,
I mean, Defensive Player of the Year. I mean, what
haven't you done? What didn't you do in your career?
Any any regrets like oh my gosh, I wish I
would have can't say, give more buckets?
Speaker 1 (03:09):
He was the MVP.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
No, no, no, no, you know what I honestly said when
I retired that I was ready to retire because there
was no like, there was no challenge left for me
as far as playing.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
No, like, I don't do that.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I've done it all.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
No.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
But you know what, No, Here's why I say that,
because as a competitor and you know this, right, Like,
you always.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
Want to be the best.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Absolutely, you want to be at the.
Speaker 5 (03:36):
Top of your game.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
So for me to win four championships, to win MVPs,
to win a scoring title, to win Defense Player of
the Year, to play in the Olympics, like I was
ready for a new challenge. But also it got to
a point to where it felt like a job. And
so to me, I always said, when when I woke
up every morning and dreaded having to go to the gym,
(04:00):
then I knew it was time for me to retire.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Man, so that just sounds like an off season for me.
I dread going to the gym. I'm like, dang, I.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Don't believe that.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I mean, I'm just saying, you know, like off season,
you live hard, you get to travel well, drink good,
eat good, and then you look down You're like, this
gut does not represent who I am, and then you
gotta work it off.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
I'm I'm I'm still in my off season. You know
what I said.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I'm I'm not here for that.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
But you know, as a competitor and especially when you're
at the top of your game and like being a
lead and every single day, twice a day in the
off season, you're working out, you're in the gym, You're
doing all the things to be at the top of
your game. So I actually said, when I retired, I
was so excited to not have to go and work
out every day, to not have to be on a
(04:47):
special diet. I said, for a year, I was gonna
do whatever I wanted to do. I was gonna eat
what I wanted to eat. I was gonna drink what
I wanted to drink.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
For a year.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
So many years later, I'm still eating what I want
to eat for.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
A year's Yeah, okay, you know, look, I don't know
about their retirement life just yet, but I now understand
the mentality.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
I'm just telling you it's hard.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
I can't wait. I'ma be playing like pick a ball
for the rest of my life. So I'm not trying
to hear it.
Speaker 5 (05:16):
Really, Hey, are you ready to retire? Huh?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Absolutely not? I said, when when three years from now,
when Tyler Shunk is.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
Some good, good years ahead of you?
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Absolutely, Come on, I got I got an amazing team,
and you said I am her.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
I'm saying you are him.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, yeah, so true, so true.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
So tell us what you're up to now and like,
I mean, I know, like you used to work for
Nike and I was like, dang when she come in,
I got to ask her for the Nike plug.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
But you know, what, what's you up to now?
Speaker 5 (05:44):
How do you know somebody? You know?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
For me just being able to continue to be around
the game and mentor these young ladies.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
I love where the W is today.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
It's in a space where so many of us when
the league started in ninety seven we wanted to see
where it is right now but didn't know if we would.
The fact that we now have not just female basketball players,
but we have female athletes who are signing million dollar
endorsement deals. True, Yeah, that's that's that's that's pretty crazy
(06:20):
because I don't think any of us ever thought we
would see that day. So other than that, I have
a couple of podcasts. I have my own podcasts that
we will actually be right here on the Dicks Sporting
Good stage tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
It's called levels to this.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
We got good levels because because it's.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Levels to the stuff I won't say the other words
levels to the stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Absolutely that we go through. You're also a commentator for
the Athletes.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
To United or Athletes Limited yeah, which I enjoy doing.
There's just so much talent out there right now, and
unfortunately the W doesn't have not only enough teams, but
doesn't have enough roster spots. So I love the fact
that athletes unlimited, it's another pro league.
Speaker 5 (07:09):
It gives women an opportunity to stay here and play.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Right, you have unrival, which gives women another opportunity to
stay here and play and to make some money. Like,
I love everything about where women's sports is headed right now.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Absolutely. I'll say, you see girls get drafted. If they're
not in the first round, you're able to get cut
like immediately, which is wild because again, you know, football
normally there's a development program the first, second, third, fourth round.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
You're normally safe. Women, it's it's getting now, it's getting now.
Can you can you contend now?
Speaker 4 (07:42):
And you know, and to be honest with you, sometimes
some of those that go in.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
The first round get gone.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Yes, like but but I yes, there aren't enough teams,
there aren't enough roster spots.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
But I also don't.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Think people truly understand the talent level that's in the W,
Like they're not just out there kind of going through
the motions like they are competing, and it's very different
going from college to the pros because now it's a job, right,
so you have these women coming in from college that
are trying to come and get your job for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And so trades that happened. You know, see my girl
Sophie Cunningham go from the Mercury. Now she's over Indiana,
we pick up. So I'm not like, you know, I'm like,
I'm just it.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Was, you know, the free agency, the moves, all the
things that happened this offseason in the wh it was
it was interesting. I would say that it was some
very interesting moves that happened in the w and BA
this offseason.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
That part, but I'm here for it.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
That being said, we have focusing on basketball again.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Just thinking about two years ago we started implementing what
is it, the Commissioner's.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Cup, Right, how does how does that even work? Like
I clearly don't understand.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
You've got you've got a finals, but you've got it
in seasons.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Well, you know, like it's played like as football.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
I'm like, I'm like, okay, they need something to play
with because there's eighty two games or you know for
the WBA there's a little less.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
But you were having in season playoff for a playoff
to come up.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
In season tournament.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
There we go.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
So I actually believe the w started the Commissioner's Cup
before the NBA started their inn season tournament. So I
think the NBA looked at the Commissioner's Cup and said, oh,
they may have something here, so let's try it. Right,
It's it is different from what the men are doing.
But what I love about it is, yeah, we don't
(09:37):
play as many games, but they're still playing for a bag.
Speaker 5 (09:41):
Like you put some money on the line. They want
to compete and play hard.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
And what I love about this year is you have
Minnesota who's gonna try and defend their Commissioner's Cup title,
playing against a new team in the finals, the Indiana Fever.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
And I'll just be reading a room for an afeast
of the whole way. Come on, man like that.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
If I had to, if I got to vote, and
I had to vote today, it's her.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
He is by far the m v P right now.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
I don't know enough to call her feet, So she's
in the feast of the met.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
M VP right now.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Absolutely, just say, Minnesota, Lynks, that's just so great that
they're sort of back in the revolution to I mean
back in twenty eleven when I got drafted. You can,
I can vividly remember being in Bristol and seeing the
w n B A draft in Maya more being drafted
that year, right, yeah, fifteen years later.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Crazy, but they're they're they're back in contention. You know.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
It's just a full circle situation where the winner of
the Commissioner's Cup gets five hundred grand.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
Plus they split it. Okay, yeah, I saw that number.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I say, is that for every player?
Speaker 5 (10:48):
Man, they ain't got that kind of money?
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Okay, cool? Cool, Google realistic, realistic.
Speaker 5 (10:53):
Eleven players to split five hundred k.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Yeah, forty five, forty eight something around there.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, plus plus another five bands and cryptocurrency which kept pooon.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I'm not gonna tell you to get some bigcoin, but
it could.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
Poom get to bitcoin.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah right, yeah, yeah, you're right, you're right, you're right.
We're not here to push that right now. Think about
just what we're talking about. Who wait, who won the
I'll say nd season tournament really doesn't lead to who's
gonna win the championship though. NBA we had Milwaukee win
the n season championship and they're not even no, Yeah,
so it's not indicative of what what was coming up.
(11:33):
I think Lakers won the n season championship and we
know they didn't make it. Sorry, I'm a Laker hater
for any fans out there.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
I'm the Laker fans right here.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah, we're in New York. We should be safe because
I'm a Laker hater for sure.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
I like, I don't say any Laker fans right here.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Yeah, when you said when you said, uh, when you
said the w n b A was going through was
going through a movement, what did you mean by that
when you say they had in the right direction?
Speaker 5 (11:55):
I'm sorry I had to acknowledge her T shirt because
I love that. I like that shot. I'm sorry none
of earlier.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
You said WBA was going through a movement and you
like where it was headed. When you said movement, what
did you mean by that?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Per se?
Speaker 5 (12:10):
Well, I mean listen when the.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
So I keep up with how old the league is
because my son will be twenty eight in June.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
So when I gave birth to my son, it was
the first game in the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
And like I tell people this all the time, the talent,
to me, the talent has always been good. The difference
today is there are way more eyes on the league,
way more eyes on the league, way more fans in
the league. Just the competitiveness that these ladies are showing
(12:47):
every single game, day in day out.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
I think when I.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Say, it's not a moment, it's a movement, Like people
are actually excited to watch and tune.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
In to the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Anytime you have seeing inn first take any of those
leading off with something that has to.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Do with the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, a lot of people would say, then we've made it,
And I say, unfortunately, right, it takes things like that
for people to talk about the WNBA, for people to say, oh,
let me tune in, let me check it out. But
I will say this, I love everything about where the
game is, where it's headed. I love the competitiveness. I
(13:31):
love the physicality.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Of the game. Like that's a whole different conversation we
can have.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Like then, physical in the WNBA is nothing new, Like
it's it's.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
It's always been that way.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
My question is why is it okay for the men
to be physical but it's not okay for the women
to be physical?
Speaker 5 (13:52):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Look, I've been watching games as far back as like
Britney Grinder's rookie year almost said freshman year, so that
it's make enough sense. But you know, like she's always
been physical to play with. So I don't I don't
know our Mercury basketball, we don't play that. We play
physical out there, Mercury.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
What you're talking about today's Mercury. Yeah, I mean before
Mercury right now? Now because both of them, do y'all
have a T on your team? Now, y'all play physical absolutely?
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Then we had d T on the team too, like Diana.
Speaker 5 (14:20):
Who plays physical absolutely.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
But I would say this, I don't know if people
and I'll say like the new fans, I don't know
if people truly understand the difference though, in being physical
and being dirty, because it's different.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
It's a fine line. There is a difference, but there's
a fine line. You think about the Cherry Pistons, bad
boys back in the gap.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Label them what they were.
Speaker 5 (14:45):
They were, they were dirty, all right.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Cool, as long as you said it. I got I
got people out there that I always ride from, like
many exactly perfect. I'm a transition to cut to some
fan questions.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Knew he was coming in. Put it out. Ig Ig
has a couple of responses. So I only have a
couple of questions for you from the fans. Knock them
out from the fans.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Let's see what memory do you go back to most
from your playing days where you need to pick me up.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
I used to be a buth hot no when I
need to pick me up.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah, I crossed over.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
No for me, like the fact that with Houston we
won the very first four championships, like in a row.
I don't care what sport it is, male, female, Like, like,
that's hard to do.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
It's hard to win one championship, let alone.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
And then so when when I go back and I
think about my playing days, I absolutely have to think
about what we were able to do the first four
years in the w n.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
B A and and winning four championships.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
I love that because I like, you still wear your
rhetoring the more.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
When I went to Super Bowl with the Saints, the
wedding ring goes and Upper places it, and I'm like,
I'm like, I'm married, but you gotta watch my ring though,
Like I can't.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
You get the rings to go on different fingers.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
All right, So I just need to start off with
the one I don't. I don't know about multiple fingers.
Come on, come on, smister Ratler, come on, Tyler shuck.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
We can do it. Looking looking back, how surreal doesn't.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Feel to be in the position you are in now, Legend,
Hall of Famer, multiple championship winner.
Speaker 5 (16:32):
I'm I'm very I'm very blessed.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
I will tell you that I don't know, like I
don't know if I ever thought basketball would.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Like change my life, right. I never set.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
Out playing the game to be a legend, per se.
I played the game because I loved it. There was
there was something about me and a basketball, and it didn't.
Speaker 5 (16:58):
Have to have anyone else on the court.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
I just really enjoyed what I was able to do
with the basketball.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
I will say to to sit here today.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
And watch the game and watch the amazing, incredible talent
that continues to come through the league, I'm I'm I'm honored.
Like I'm honored that a lot of these players still,
you know, reach out to me and they want to
talk to me. And you know, Asia a couple of
years ago, was like, how did you how tell me?
How did you do it? How did you repeat? It's
(17:30):
it's just a great feeling to know that you're you're
appreciated for what you gave to the game, and the
fans continue to.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
Appreciate you for that.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
Don't get me wrong, there are some who are like, who, well,
they're just haters.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Haters.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
You know, you winning a championship at every level, high school,
you know, national champions at Texas Tech, multiple championships in
the w NBA. That competitive drive has that always been
there where you was always like the first in line,
like at the front, like, yeah, I'll beat you here,
like you have you know, like, tell me how either
tell me how you got your competitive drive?
Speaker 1 (18:06):
How you got that? I need it.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
I grew up with with two I have two older
brothers and a younger brother, so I was the only
girl and I got beat up all the time.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
And you know, the only way my mom.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Would let me go do stuff is if I was
going to do it with my brothers. But I think
for me, it was just something that at a very
young age was instilled in me and watching my brothers,
but also watching how just watching my mom. My mom
played softball. But I always wanted to be the best
(18:38):
like whatever I was doing, and I was never okay
with just being okay. So I always thought there was
somebody somewhere in this world that was working a little
bit harder than me, and that never sat right with
me because I wanted to be the absolute best at
everything I did.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
I hear that part like this, That's why I enjoy
like those dog days of training when you're like you
got nothing left.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
And you're like, you know what, there's probably some little.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Nil talented kid out there grinding right now trying to
get a bigger bag. I'm gonna hit this last extra sprint.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
NIL very different.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Yeah, I'm clearly.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Laughing at that part because they don't get it like
we used to. I'm not gonna lie to. NIL has
made the game softer, and.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
I'm here for it. I'm like, oh, you got a adversity,
you're hurting, You're gonna transfer? Cool? No, I stuck mine
out about that. I love it.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
I pay the players now, they just pay them what
they owe, Like I hate that I had to struggle
through college and like become a bouncer and become a
peer advisor.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
There was other jobs, Like if I could have just focused.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
On football, I would have loved it, But at the
same time, it also defined what I what I felt
like I needed.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
But do you do.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
You think, because I love it too to a certain degree,
do you think it's changed the.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Game, Because there's always there's always been.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
You've always had teammates that did it for the love
of the money, or the love of the adolation, the
exactly the adilation, the adoration, the statistics of it. All
that drop statistics long before they drop hey, I'm actually
a good team player, like man, I dropped twenty oh
man a masco of four touchdowns. But they don't say hey,
like I made my teammates better, or they always like,
oh man, I hate bruh. Like you know what I'm saying.
(20:18):
I went for two tuddies whatever it is. I was like,
I got this contract coming up. You can feel the
money grabbers, the attention grabbers, but I want real football players.
And then il sort of like weans that out. It
shows you who you are at eighteen nineteen twenty. You
give a kid, I'm not gonna put nose on it,
but you see you seet on numbers at getting you
get a kid like that. It shows me if you're
(20:38):
willing to work or you're working for the money. If
you're working for the money, take it and go.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Weed them out now.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
But if you're here for the game, the money is cool.
I love that I can take care of my mom.
I love that I can take care of my family.
That's great. But I'm here because I want to be here.
I'm here because I feel like I can be the best,
and I want to be the best, and to be
the best, I don't need I don't need bread. I
appreciate the breads and I have to worry about feeding
the film. But I'm here for the sacks. I'm here
for the winds. I'm here for making my teammates better
(21:07):
and hoping that they want to be like me. Because
if I'm out here running my ad, their air off,
poster ear off, if I'm grinding the way I am,
I want you to see it and be like, dang,
that's what he's doing to get to where he got,
that's how he's all pro Well, Dang, if I he's.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Doing that, I can beat him. No you can't. And
if you can't, come show me.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
And I still like I have that, like I need that,
and I'm trying to steal that in the next wave
of kids.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
You don't see it like that. They're like, oh yeah,
I'm getting a big dog.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
But yeah, but that but you're talking about as a professional.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
But to me when I think about nil, right, and
it might feel a little different on the women's side
because now when it comes to recruiting, like one of
the first questions is how much money you got?
Speaker 1 (21:53):
I need my money?
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (21:55):
So that is that from the kids or the parents?
Speaker 5 (21:58):
Oh? I think it's both. I definitely think it's the parents.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
It's like, no, you're gonna go over here because they're
gonna pay you five hundred thousand more than this school and.
Speaker 5 (22:07):
They don't care about playing time.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
Is it a good fit for you? Are you a
good fit for them? How is the coaching staff? I
just I do. I honestly do think the nil situation
it has changed the collegiate game.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Oh yeah, yeah, there's there's no they're pro ams. I
mean they're really they're really pro. They're getting paid to produce.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
So so how so how excited go bears?
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Oh? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (22:36):
So?
Speaker 4 (22:36):
How how excited do you think it makes the players
who are making all this money in college now they're
going pro right?
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Taking a pay cut sometimes?
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Yeah, especial especially on the women's side.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
But I mean, the odds of you making out. Are
you doing what you're doing that's completely different, Like you
had everything stacked against you, and yeah, when you came out,
everybody was like she could be she really play the NBA.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Seryf soops is like that, stay tuned, we'll be right back.
You played. You played a one on one game with
Michael Jordan. I still want to talk about.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
It, like he played one on one game with me.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Continue and that's why she's her. Okay, no, let.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
You Michael Jordan was my role model growing up.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
Let let me say this. I do not now.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
I do not think I could have played in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Huh.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
It's it's just it's not to take anything away from
like the game and the talent, but it's it's different.
Like man, y'all are just built different than we are,
Like you're naturally bigger, stronger, taller, all those things, not
more skilled, but all the other things as you are.
(24:02):
But Michael Jordan for me was everything like he is
my goat. He's yes, he will forever be my goat.
But what what I really appreciated about mj was it
didn't matter if you were his teammate or not, what
sport he was playing, like he was coming for your neck.
(24:23):
Just very competitive, and if you watch the documentary, you
know a lot of people were like, dang, I had
no idea.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
He was like I was out.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
There taking money from the little little assistant guards facts.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
You know, because Mike had the mentality, does that mean
you played for money?
Speaker 5 (24:39):
Play for money. I ain't had no money to be playing. Now.
We played for pride. We played for pride.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
There we go.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
But I just I left his mindset of if you're
not helping me, you're in the way, right Like I'm
trying to go get a championship every single year, and
whether that's a team made or an opponent, you're in
my way.
Speaker 5 (25:03):
And that was never okay.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
But for me to have an opportunity to meet him,
oh gosh, that was so many years ago and play.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
One on one with him.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Is absolutely at the top of my damn. I can't
believe I did that.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
You said he played with you, which let me know
you won. That's a bragging right right there, Like you
run me.
Speaker 5 (25:25):
That didn't Okay, I didn't.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
He did.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
He did try to dunk on me, though I didn't.
That happened, okay, cool, cool that pride. No, I just
grabbed him out of the air and just pulled him
out of the air, like, Mike, I love you and I.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Don't want to hurt you. Don't do this.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
The pride. The pride would not let that happen.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
All right, did y'all? Do y'all at least do like
a jersey swap, Like.
Speaker 5 (25:48):
I got his T shirt.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
There we go.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
I got his North Carolina one of his favorite North
Carolina T shirts.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Great, okay, yeah, look that's what I'm saying, because it
was like, fine, No.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
That thing that makes a person it is Michael Jordan.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
You said he's your goat.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
It is Michael Jordan. What's your goat?
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Huh what? I'm sponsored by Jordan?
Speaker 2 (26:08):
So I will only have one answer, Thank you Michael
for all the goods up over the years.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Yeah, I will. I will never say anything.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
Other otherwise, who's your second goat?
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Because I didn't get to watch two three growing up.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
I watched four or five at the Wizards, so I
saw the.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Tail end like I didn't so his farewell game.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
I didn't see it like I saw Kobe's farewell game
where he dropped sixty and I'm a Laker hater. I
was like, yeah, you know, I see Lebron at forty
still dunking on Cats, is doing Yeah, he's like forty five,
playing with this kid like yaming on Cats and still
one of the better guys on his team. So I like,
I mean second place, Yeah, second place is what's Lebron
(26:51):
leaves the Lakers. I'll say it's Lebron. I'm a Laker hater,
so I just I can't anoint the Lakers cat I
say here and Steve Nash, I'm clearly a Suns fan.
I'm jaded, and that's okay. Yeah, Chris Paul worms Yeah,
for sure for impact, for impact alone, nobody has ever
(27:12):
had more hype around and delivered more like you. Normally
you're a number one overall pick. You're like, yo, he's
gonna be a consensus Hall of Famer. But we've been
saying that about Lebron since he was like fourteen and
everything that we was like, he's gonna win a championship
in Cleveland. I'm sure he didn't do it the first time,
but he rounded back. Yeah, Hey, you know what I
got for you this dub. Yeah, and so like once again,
once he leaves the Lakers, I'll be I'll be back
(27:34):
on the he's the second greatest of all time, and
we can argue years and years around. Once he finishes
in the gold conversation, he can't be a goat because
he hasn't finished yet. Once we finish, say that again,
like he's still current, so like, once he finishes and
then he like established, we know the whole story of
the of the legacy, we'll talk about it.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
That's so so that that's what I think. I think
we use the term go way too.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Oh we throw that are easy, like.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
Everybody's a goat nowadays.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
And generational talent, the bane of my the crooks of
my bane, like just yeah, like, don't throw generational out there.
Generational is once every generation, once every twenty to thirty,
like a cycle like fifteen to twenty years. You can
be generational, but we throw that out there a lot
all the time.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
And my thing is, you can be a really good player,
but if you're to your point, if you're still playing
the game, I don't know how you can be the goat.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Right, greatest of all time? Currently, Good to see you, silent,
oh man, you.
Speaker 5 (28:41):
Ac to see your silentce. That was good.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Yeah, absolutely, yeah, you know, I think at this is
a great time I thought about this. I was like,
I was looking at your shoes, looking at my shoes,
but you used to have your own signature shoe.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
I did, did I did Swoop?
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Yeah? What is that? What does that feel like? I
ain't even had them. I ain't even have my own
color way before.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I've got like I've got like Jordan cleet pees, but
pees are not your own cleat.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
It's on a one, it's on a twelve, it's on
But people.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
Don't People don't understand that.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
Like when you talk about signature shoes and having your
own shoe, that means it's your shoe with your name.
So at the time when I got my shoe, it
was Michael Jordan and Cheryl.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Swoops indeed, And.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
I don't know, it was like a surreal moment for
me because I never, like growing up, I never said
someday I'll have my own shoe. That wasn't something that
was on my bucket list or something that I wrote down.
But I have to say, being not only being the
first female WNBA basketball player to have a signature shoe,
(29:55):
but to be the first black female there's something special
about at and now thirty years later, we have the
second black woman in Asia Wilson and her a ones
for me to still be around to see it, and
(30:16):
to me, what makes this so special and different is
it's not just a shoe, Like Asia has an entire line.
She has the flip flop, she has the leggings, the shorts,
the hoodies, the T shirts, the all the.
Speaker 5 (30:28):
Things she has the amazing commercial.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
I just love to see how far the game has come,
how far it's grown, and the fact that the shoe
is made big enough for men to be able to
wear it. When when Nike did my shoe back in
nineteen ninety seven, they only made it up to a
women's size eleven, so men couldn't wear the shoe. But
(30:55):
it was just such an incredible moment and a special
moment to do something out of the box that had
never been done before. And now to see how far
we've come with so many females now having their own
signature shoe, not a pe, but their own signature shoe,
right like the growth of.
Speaker 5 (31:14):
The game, it's we're just in a good place.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
I'll say it sellout crowds now, it's it's a fun time.
I remember going to games when I was younger, it
wasn't like that. And now that I can bring the
whole family, you know, now it's it's very family friendly
to be a to be a to be a beans
you know, don't do this, we'll talk about you know,
but that's okay, Like it's very family like if they want,
(31:39):
like they want families to be there. Now they want
the game to be more integrally like inclusive of of like, oh,
these girls are getting it and let's highlight these women.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
And now I mean probably like prominent.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Social media has helped in a large way, sure, for sure,
but it's also just like now you know your actual players,
like we could talk about multiple players instead of like,
oh I know Ryl, I know who else I know,
Like there's like, instead of a Marquee player, now you
know a team.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Well, it's it's everything from from social media. So fans
feel like they have a connection with you, like fans
feel like I know who you are through social media.
But then it's also you bring your fan base from college,
so they're gonna follow you. But to me, one of
the biggest differences besides social.
Speaker 5 (32:26):
Media is the games are now on.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
Television, They're in places where you can find them easily.
Like back in the day when I played, we were
on Lifetime.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
Don't la okayan.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Like I gotta, I gotta, I got a grandma. We
susedd we should say a Lifetime. You know that was
all where all her movies came on Lifetime or Hallmark Originals,
you know, like it was that was that was that era.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
Listen and I'm like, we went from Lifetime to ESPN, ABC,
ESPN two. Now we are on Ion, so you can
get some you can get your Chicago PD and then
you can go watch some w n B.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
A see. That's Look, that's how much the game has evolved.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
I mean, speaking of evolution and just reactions to that
new question would could be hot incoming. I love doing
this live because I need to know what do you
think about this picture?
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Coming up? Look up? Look up behind you? Yeah, go
ahead check it out. I come on, Ma, I'm just saying,
how do you how do you? How do you feel
about this picture? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (33:49):
Come on man?
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Nostalgia nostalgia dons Daley.
Speaker 5 (33:54):
You know that was a Caroli head coach before or
after the ninety six.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Eleve just obtaining another goal, hanging out with Martin.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
It was a fun time. I would tell you that much.
It was a fun time to hang out, and they
still show it.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (34:14):
I said that you see it.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Huh, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
You was on Martin Man like in the nineties, that big,
that's that's legendary. Yeah, you didn't think you see that today? No,
how to make you feel you remember that one?
Speaker 4 (34:31):
It took me back a little bit. I every time
I see different pictures, the first thing I look at
is my hairstyle, and I'm like, what was I thinking
in that picture?
Speaker 5 (34:43):
But that that hairstyles?
Speaker 4 (34:44):
Alright, Yeah, that's why I didn't want to look I
was like, what picture is this gonna be?
Speaker 1 (34:52):
You know? Fine?
Speaker 5 (34:55):
I love your hair, by the way, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I hate it, but like you hate it, you don't
have to love every hairstyle you do.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
I was like, you know, I was.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
I was on the other cusp of cutting it off,
and I was like, you know what I was watching.
I was like three episodes into the House of Dragons
and you know, Corlis with Valeria.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Came through and I was like, hell yeah, brother, I
was like, how do we do that? And I was
like I don't.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
So I went to the white wife. I was like,
I was like, you got a hair dresser, right, and
she was like she was like yeah. I was like,
I was like, let me do that, and so we
bleased it and then and then I was like I
don't like this, and then we were platinum.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
She's like, I was like, plantinum silver. I was like,
come on, I want to write a dragon.
Speaker 5 (35:33):
I appreciate that it looks.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
I appreciate that. I appreciate that. So when you talk
about you didn't like your hairstyle, Martin, I was like,
what do you mean?
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Like you?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
I'm here, so like, can we bring back the picture?
Can we bring back this picture? You tell me what
I missed on this, this hairstyle? What you mean you
was glowed? Unless Martin roasted you? Like he roast you
for this?
Speaker 4 (35:56):
So like, okay, but there there are some pictures out there.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
That didn't not that the episode you had your girls
with you, there's Martin. Martin's roasted everybody back in the
gay Did you roast him?
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Did he roast you? Do you remember the episode? Was there?
Was there good? Was there a good dinner? After no?
Speaker 5 (36:17):
We hung out? It had a good time. That's all
I'll say.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Wow, was it actually shot in Detroit or was that
shot in la like.
Speaker 5 (36:25):
Shot in l A.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Okay, yeah, we just hung out.
Speaker 5 (36:28):
We actually hung out at his house like all of us.
We had a good time.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Okay, I'll tell you.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
The funniest part about shooting this was and if if
any of you have seen the episode so like Cole, yeah,
completely went off script when he was guarding me.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
If you remember that party was up top of the No.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
He actually no, he actually licked me in my ear
and nowhere was that.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
In the strip.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
I don't think anybody like and seen lack Cheryl's like
instead of instead of a land Stevenson.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Wow, he literally licked.
Speaker 5 (37:07):
Me in my ear and was talking to me and
I was like.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Switch, give me Martin if you don't stop.
Speaker 5 (37:16):
And they're like, oh, that's so good, that's so good.
Keep doing that.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
I was like, no, it's not right, it's in my ear.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
It was, but it was a lot of fun with
Cole and Tommy and Martin.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
And Tommy who still don't know who Yeah, I say
recipes Tommy, but we still don't know.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
If you ever had a job, yeah, you know, like yeah, okay,
I get it.
Speaker 5 (37:38):
He didn't. They said he didn't. He didn't have a job.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
He always had money though, fast always have money. We'll
shoot being in the Hall of Fame, I hope one
day get there. You got you got any advice or uh,
you know why you were giving your Hall of Fame speech?
Speaker 5 (37:56):
What did you Just like.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
I said, do you have any of the giving like
a Hall of Fame speech, the whole the you know,
the grandeur of it all, Like you've accomplished so much.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
I feel like I've accomplished a lot.
Speaker 4 (38:09):
No, I think you know, the Hall of Fame is
like it's it's the best of the best. It's not
the women's it's not the it's the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 5 (38:20):
It's the best of the best.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
And even in preparation for my Hall of Fame speech,
I had all of these incredible things that I wanted
to say, and once I got up there, I realized
that for me it was gonna mean more coming from
my heart, Like it was just so many people along
(38:43):
the way, not necessarily on the basketball court, but just
so many people along the way who helped me get
through life right tough times, good times, who always held
me down, always had my back. But for me, my
Hall of Fame speech was really easy because my mom
got diagnosed with colon cancer and the doctor told her
(39:06):
that she wouldn't be able to make the trip with
me to the Hall of Fame, and she said watch me,
so I'm not gonna cry. But that was the last
trip that my mom went with me on before she passed,
So it was just a full circle moment for me
to have her sitting front row, knowing what she was
(39:29):
dealing with. And my mom had always been my toughest critic,
my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, So to be able
to share that moment with her, which is the best
moment ever. To share that moment with her and make
sure she understood how important she was in my life
(39:49):
and the role she played in my life and raising
me to.
Speaker 5 (39:52):
Be the woman that I am.
Speaker 4 (39:55):
I really don't care what else I said in that speech,
because that moment for me was very important.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
Absolutely shout out to the moms out there.
Speaker 5 (40:04):
You know what I'm.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Saying, right, the people that have always been in your
corner of the friends, the family that uplift you, the
athletic trainers that took care of us when we were broken.
Speaker 5 (40:13):
You know, the all.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
Of it, the coaches and even the coaches that didn't
think they had an impact that actually did.
Speaker 5 (40:18):
You know, even the coaches I didn't like.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
I won't go that far. There's a coach I don't
like it.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
I'm okay, if if he tripped or fell in a puddle,
I wouldn't step on his head, but I wouldn't help
him up.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
I probably like add water to the side.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
In a way, you know, in a very extreme type
of way.
Speaker 5 (40:37):
But I probably had a couple that I felt that
way about.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
But it's only one in my entire time.
Speaker 5 (40:41):
Like, I'm like, who was it?
Speaker 1 (40:43):
We'll talk about it when I retire. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Yeah, In fact, I come to you and be like this,
my lover here tried me in so many different ways.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
Yeah, absolutely, please do.
Speaker 5 (40:54):
I'm going to hold you to that.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
This has been nothing short of amazing. So, by the way,
she was inducted in the twenty sixteen Hall of Fame
class had guys like Shock Shaquille O'Neill, y'ao mean, Alan Iverson,
so like with a whole bunch of him, she was
her you know.
Speaker 5 (41:10):
Hope I like that.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 5 (41:14):
I said.
Speaker 4 (41:15):
Then in twenty sixteen that my class was the best class.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
I think my draft class twenty eleven was the best
class draft class ever.
Speaker 5 (41:24):
You're supposed to think that.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
I mean, it's validated, it's validated to think that. But
I appreciate you so much for sopping AFT. There's the
podcast of me.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Your host Cam Jordan is Sheryl swoops and swoops y'all like,
good look, legend. Thank you so much, Thank you,
Okay, okay, here we are.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
We're back on a big stage over at Dick's Sporting
Goods podcast. Come on, man, i don't know if y'all
know this, but I've got a I've got a podcast
coming up that I'm super excited to talk about. You know,
I appreciate you subscribing. Yeah, we say you know. This
next one is really really near and dear to my heart. Uh,
it's a It's got a host that's charismatic, funny, talented,
(00:24):
maybe a time pro bowler three time on bro whatever
I call him me, You guys can call me Cam.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, bring bringing this on in baby, And here we
are with Off the Edge the Podcast and see the host. Hey,
I'm just so excited for you guys to uh to
to see this live. Sit here in New York, Off
the Edge of the Podcast me your host, Cam Jordan.
I'd like to bring in my talented guests, Miss Cheryl.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Swoops come on, tell usop dude, it is okay.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I'm so excited to have you here. I mean, come on,
just just a living legend herself. As before any questions,
I just wanted to give you your flowers.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Now.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Everything you do has been amazing r trendsetter, you know,
one of the first one, one of the first WBA
contracts ever.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Right, Yeah, the contracts then were a little different than
they are now.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Like we love that as a kid, like as an
NFL player, I know, like contracts are just like regular
negotiations for you as a WNBA player at one point
time to have to be like one of the first
to get a contract, what how did that happen to
be all just playing for free?
Speaker 4 (01:37):
First of all, let me just say like I am
super honored to be on your show. I appreciate that,
like here and you know fanatics fast where you could
have had anybody. I am truly honored. But I will
say this, when the WNBA first started in ninety seven,
there really was no negotiating a contract. It was here's
(01:59):
where your contract is, this is what we're gonna pay you.
And we were just happy and excited to be able
to have a league to play in.
Speaker 5 (02:08):
Period.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
So you was just like, I'll take whatever you give me.
I'm thanks, well, right like that, okay.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
It was different because there there were a few of
us who actually had playing contracts and marketing contracts, So
the marketing contract, it supplemented what we didn't make playing.
So I was I was fortunate enough to be one
of those players that had both you.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Yeah you without saying you was that guy. You were
that guy. Yeah you were you were that, you were
that lady? Yeah you were her?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
There we go, yeah Timothy hermity Yeah, okay, yeah that part.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
I mean, come on, what what didn't you do in
your in your career?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I mean, you accomplished so much from being a four
time WBA champion, a three time goal Olympic gold medalists,
you know, three time w n B, A m VP,
I mean, Defensive Player of the Year. I mean, what
haven't you done? What didn't you do in your career?
Any any regrets like oh my gosh, I wish I
would have can't say, give more buckets?
Speaker 1 (03:09):
He was the MVP.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
No, no, no, no, you know what I honestly said when
I retired that I was ready to retire because there
was no like, there was no challenge left for me
as far as playing.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
No, like, I don't do that.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I've done it all.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
No.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
But you know what, No, Here's why I say that,
because as a competitor and you know this, right, Like,
you always.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
Want to be the best.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Absolutely, you want to be at the.
Speaker 5 (03:36):
Top of your game.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
So for me to win four championships, to win MVPs,
to win a scoring title, to win Defense Player of
the Year, to play in the Olympics, like I was
ready for a new challenge. But also it got to
a point to where it felt like a job. And
so to me, I always said, when when I woke
up every morning and dreaded having to go to the gym,
(04:00):
then I knew it was time for me to retire.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Man, so that just sounds like an off season for me.
I dread going to the gym. I'm like, dang, I.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Don't believe that.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I mean, I'm just saying, you know, like off season,
you live hard, you get to travel well, drink good,
eat good, and then you look down You're like, this
gut does not represent who I am, and then you
gotta work it off.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
I'm I'm I'm still in my off season. You know
what I said.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I'm I'm not here for that.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
But you know, as a competitor and especially when you're
at the top of your game and like being a
lead and every single day, twice a day in the
off season, you're working out, you're in the gym, You're
doing all the things to be at the top of
your game. So I actually said, when I retired, I
was so excited to not have to go and work
out every day, to not have to be on a
(04:47):
special diet. I said, for a year, I was gonna
do whatever I wanted to do. I was gonna eat
what I wanted to eat. I was gonna drink what
I wanted to drink.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
For a year.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
So many years later, I'm still eating what I want
to eat for.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
A year's Yeah, okay, you know, look, I don't know
about their retirement life just yet, but I now understand
the mentality.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
I'm just telling you it's hard.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
I can't wait. I'ma be playing like pick a ball
for the rest of my life. So I'm not trying
to hear it.
Speaker 5 (05:16):
Really, Hey, are you ready to retire? Huh?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Absolutely not? I said, when when three years from now,
when Tyler Shunk is.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
Some good, good years ahead of you?
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Absolutely, Come on, I got I got an amazing team,
and you said I am her.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
I'm saying you are him.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, yeah, so true, so true.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
So tell us what you're up to now and like,
I mean, I know, like you used to work for
Nike and I was like, dang when she come in,
I got to ask her for the Nike plug.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
But you know, what, what's you up to now?
Speaker 5 (05:44):
How do you know somebody? You know?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
For me just being able to continue to be around
the game and mentor these young ladies.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
I love where the W is today.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
It's in a space where so many of us when
the league started in ninety seven we wanted to see
where it is right now but didn't know if we would.
The fact that we now have not just female basketball players,
but we have female athletes who are signing million dollar
endorsement deals. True, Yeah, that's that's that's that's pretty crazy
(06:20):
because I don't think any of us ever thought we
would see that day. So other than that, I have
a couple of podcasts. I have my own podcasts that
we will actually be right here on the Dicks Sporting
Good stage tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
It's called levels to this.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
We got good levels because because it's.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Levels to the stuff I won't say the other words
levels to the stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Absolutely that we go through. You're also a commentator for
the Athletes.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
To United or Athletes Limited yeah, which I enjoy doing.
There's just so much talent out there right now, and
unfortunately the W doesn't have not only enough teams, but
doesn't have enough roster spots. So I love the fact
that athletes unlimited, it's another pro league.
Speaker 5 (07:09):
It gives women an opportunity to stay here and play.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Right, you have unrival, which gives women another opportunity to
stay here and play and to make some money. Like,
I love everything about where women's sports is headed right now.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Absolutely. I'll say, you see girls get drafted. If they're
not in the first round, you're able to get cut
like immediately, which is wild because again, you know, football
normally there's a development program the first, second, third, fourth round.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
You're normally safe. Women, it's it's getting now, it's getting now.
Can you can you contend now?
Speaker 4 (07:42):
And you know, and to be honest with you, sometimes
some of those that go in.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
The first round get gone.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Yes, like but but I yes, there aren't enough teams,
there aren't enough roster spots.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
But I also don't.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Think people truly understand the talent level that's in the W,
Like they're not just out there kind of going through
the motions like they are competing, and it's very different
going from college to the pros because now it's a job, right,
so you have these women coming in from college that
are trying to come and get your job for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And so trades that happened. You know, see my girl
Sophie Cunningham go from the Mercury. Now she's over Indiana,
we pick up. So I'm not like, you know, I'm like,
I'm just it.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Was, you know, the free agency, the moves, all the
things that happened this offseason in the wh it was
it was interesting. I would say that it was some
very interesting moves that happened in the w and BA
this offseason.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
That part, but I'm here for it.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
That being said, we have focusing on basketball again.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Just thinking about two years ago we started implementing what
is it, the Commissioner's.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Cup, Right, how does how does that even work? Like
I clearly don't understand.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
You've got you've got a finals, but you've got it
in seasons.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Well, you know, like it's played like as football.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
I'm like, I'm like, okay, they need something to play
with because there's eighty two games or you know for
the WBA there's a little less.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
But you were having in season playoff for a playoff
to come up.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
In season tournament.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
There we go.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
So I actually believe the w started the Commissioner's Cup
before the NBA started their inn season tournament. So I
think the NBA looked at the Commissioner's Cup and said, oh,
they may have something here, so let's try it. Right,
It's it is different from what the men are doing.
But what I love about it is, yeah, we don't
(09:37):
play as many games, but they're still playing for a bag.
Speaker 5 (09:41):
Like you put some money on the line. They want
to compete and play hard.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
And what I love about this year is you have
Minnesota who's gonna try and defend their Commissioner's Cup title,
playing against a new team in the finals, the Indiana Fever.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
And I'll just be reading a room for an afeast
of the whole way. Come on, man like that.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
If I had to, if I got to vote, and
I had to vote today, it's her.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
He is by far the m v P right now.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
I don't know enough to call her feet, So she's
in the feast of the met.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
M VP right now.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Absolutely, just say, Minnesota, Lynks, that's just so great that
they're sort of back in the revolution to I mean
back in twenty eleven when I got drafted. You can,
I can vividly remember being in Bristol and seeing the
w n B A draft in Maya more being drafted
that year, right, yeah, fifteen years later.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Crazy, but they're they're they're back in contention. You know.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
It's just a full circle situation where the winner of
the Commissioner's Cup gets five hundred grand.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
Plus they split it. Okay, yeah, I saw that number.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I say, is that for every player?
Speaker 5 (10:48):
Man, they ain't got that kind of money?
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Okay, cool? Cool, Google realistic, realistic.
Speaker 5 (10:53):
Eleven players to split five hundred k.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Yeah, forty five, forty eight something around there.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, plus plus another five bands and cryptocurrency which kept pooon.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I'm not gonna tell you to get some bigcoin, but
it could.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
Poom get to bitcoin.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah right, yeah, yeah, you're right, you're right, you're right.
We're not here to push that right now. Think about
just what we're talking about. Who wait, who won the
I'll say nd season tournament really doesn't lead to who's
gonna win the championship though. NBA we had Milwaukee win
the n season championship and they're not even no, Yeah,
so it's not indicative of what what was coming up.
(11:33):
I think Lakers won the n season championship and we
know they didn't make it. Sorry, I'm a Laker hater
for any fans out there.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
I'm the Laker fans right here.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah, we're in New York. We should be safe because
I'm a Laker hater for sure.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
I like, I don't say any Laker fans right here.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Yeah, when you said when you said, uh, when you
said the w n b A was going through was
going through a movement, what did you mean by that
when you say they had in the right direction?
Speaker 5 (11:55):
I'm sorry I had to acknowledge her T shirt because
I love that. I like that shot. I'm sorry none
of earlier.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
You said WBA was going through a movement and you
like where it was headed. When you said movement, what
did you mean by that?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Per se?
Speaker 5 (12:10):
Well, I mean listen when the.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
So I keep up with how old the league is
because my son will be twenty eight in June.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
So when I gave birth to my son, it was
the first game in the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
And like I tell people this all the time, the talent,
to me, the talent has always been good. The difference
today is there are way more eyes on the league,
way more eyes on the league, way more fans in
the league. Just the competitiveness that these ladies are showing
(12:47):
every single game, day in day out.
Speaker 5 (12:50):
I think when I.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Say, it's not a moment, it's a movement, Like people
are actually excited to watch and tune.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
In to the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Anytime you have seeing inn first take any of those
leading off with something that has to.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Do with the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, a lot of people would say, then we've made it,
And I say, unfortunately, right, it takes things like that
for people to talk about the WNBA, for people to say, oh,
let me tune in, let me check it out. But
I will say this, I love everything about where the
game is, where it's headed. I love the competitiveness. I
(13:31):
love the physicality.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Of the game. Like that's a whole different conversation we
can have.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Like then, physical in the WNBA is nothing new, Like
it's it's.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
It's always been that way.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
My question is why is it okay for the men
to be physical but it's not okay for the women
to be physical?
Speaker 5 (13:52):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Look, I've been watching games as far back as like
Britney Grinder's rookie year almost said freshman year, so that
it's make enough sense. But you know, like she's always
been physical to play with. So I don't I don't
know our Mercury basketball, we don't play that. We play
physical out there, Mercury.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
What you're talking about today's Mercury. Yeah, I mean before
Mercury right now? Now because both of them, do y'all
have a T on your team? Now, y'all play physical absolutely?
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Then we had d T on the team too, like Diana.
Speaker 5 (14:20):
Who plays physical absolutely.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
But I would say this, I don't know if people
and I'll say like the new fans, I don't know
if people truly understand the difference though, in being physical
and being dirty, because it's different.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
It's a fine line. There is a difference, but there's
a fine line. You think about the Cherry Pistons, bad
boys back in the gap.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Label them what they were.
Speaker 5 (14:45):
They were, they were dirty, all right.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Cool, as long as you said it. I got I
got people out there that I always ride from, like
many exactly perfect. I'm a transition to cut to some
fan questions.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Knew he was coming in. Put it out. Ig Ig
has a couple of responses. So I only have a
couple of questions for you from the fans. Knock them
out from the fans.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Let's see what memory do you go back to most
from your playing days where you need to pick me up.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
I used to be a buth hot no when I
need to pick me up.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah, I crossed over.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
No for me, like the fact that with Houston we
won the very first four championships, like in a row.
I don't care what sport it is, male, female, Like, like,
that's hard to do.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
It's hard to win one championship, let alone.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
And then so when when I go back and I
think about my playing days, I absolutely have to think
about what we were able to do the first four
years in the w n.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
B A and and winning four championships.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
I love that because I like, you still wear your
rhetoring the more.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
When I went to Super Bowl with the Saints, the
wedding ring goes and Upper places it, and I'm like,
I'm like, I'm married, but you gotta watch my ring though,
Like I can't.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
You get the rings to go on different fingers.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
All right, So I just need to start off with
the one I don't. I don't know about multiple fingers.
Come on, come on, smister Ratler, come on, Tyler shuck.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
We can do it. Looking looking back, how surreal doesn't.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Feel to be in the position you are in now, Legend,
Hall of Famer, multiple championship winner.
Speaker 5 (16:32):
I'm I'm very I'm very blessed.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
I will tell you that I don't know, like I
don't know if I ever thought basketball would.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Like change my life, right. I never set.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
Out playing the game to be a legend, per se.
I played the game because I loved it. There was
there was something about me and a basketball, and it didn't.
Speaker 5 (16:58):
Have to have anyone else on the court.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
I just really enjoyed what I was able to do
with the basketball.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
I will say to to sit here today.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
And watch the game and watch the amazing, incredible talent
that continues to come through the league, I'm I'm I'm honored.
Like I'm honored that a lot of these players still,
you know, reach out to me and they want to
talk to me. And you know, Asia a couple of
years ago, was like, how did you how tell me?
How did you do it? How did you repeat? It's
(17:30):
it's just a great feeling to know that you're you're
appreciated for what you gave to the game, and the
fans continue to.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
Appreciate you for that.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
Don't get me wrong, there are some who are like, who, well,
they're just haters.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Haters.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
You know, you winning a championship at every level, high school,
you know, national champions at Texas Tech, multiple championships in
the w NBA. That competitive drive has that always been
there where you was always like the first in line,
like at the front, like, yeah, I'll beat you here,
like you have you know, like, tell me how either
tell me how you got your competitive drive?
Speaker 1 (18:06):
How you got that? I need it.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
I grew up with with two I have two older
brothers and a younger brother, so I was the only
girl and I got beat up all the time.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
And you know, the only way my mom.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Would let me go do stuff is if I was
going to do it with my brothers. But I think
for me, it was just something that at a very
young age was instilled in me and watching my brothers,
but also watching how just watching my mom. My mom
played softball. But I always wanted to be the best
(18:38):
like whatever I was doing, and I was never okay
with just being okay. So I always thought there was
somebody somewhere in this world that was working a little
bit harder than me, and that never sat right with
me because I wanted to be the absolute best at
everything I did.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
I hear that part like this, That's why I enjoy
like those dog days of training when you're like you
got nothing left.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
And you're like, you know what, there's probably some little.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Nil talented kid out there grinding right now trying to
get a bigger bag. I'm gonna hit this last extra sprint.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
NIL very different.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Yeah, I'm clearly.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Laughing at that part because they don't get it like
we used to. I'm not gonna lie to. NIL has
made the game softer, and.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
I'm here for it. I'm like, oh, you got a adversity,
you're hurting, You're gonna transfer? Cool? No, I stuck mine
out about that. I love it.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
I pay the players now, they just pay them what
they owe, Like I hate that I had to struggle
through college and like become a bouncer and become a
peer advisor.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
There was other jobs, Like if I could have just focused.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
On football, I would have loved it, But at the
same time, it also defined what I what I felt
like I needed.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
But do you do.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
You think, because I love it too to a certain degree,
do you think it's changed the.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Game, Because there's always there's always been.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
You've always had teammates that did it for the love
of the money, or the love of the adolation, the
exactly the adilation, the adoration, the statistics of it. All
that drop statistics long before they drop hey, I'm actually
a good team player, like man, I dropped twenty oh
man a masco of four touchdowns. But they don't say hey,
like I made my teammates better, or they always like,
oh man, I hate bruh. Like you know what I'm saying.
(20:18):
I went for two tuddies whatever it is. I was like,
I got this contract coming up. You can feel the
money grabbers, the attention grabbers, but I want real football players.
And then il sort of like weans that out. It
shows you who you are at eighteen nineteen twenty. You
give a kid, I'm not gonna put nose on it,
but you see you seet on numbers at getting you
get a kid like that. It shows me if you're
(20:38):
willing to work or you're working for the money. If
you're working for the money, take it and go.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Weed them out now.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
But if you're here for the game, the money is cool.
I love that I can take care of my mom.
I love that I can take care of my family.
That's great. But I'm here because I want to be here.
I'm here because I feel like I can be the best,
and I want to be the best, and to be
the best, I don't need I don't need bread. I
appreciate the breads and I have to worry about feeding
the film. But I'm here for the sacks. I'm here
for the winds. I'm here for making my teammates better
(21:07):
and hoping that they want to be like me. Because
if I'm out here running my ad, their air off,
poster ear off, if I'm grinding the way I am,
I want you to see it and be like, dang,
that's what he's doing to get to where he got,
that's how he's all pro Well, Dang, if I he's.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Doing that, I can beat him. No you can't. And
if you can't, come show me.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
And I still like I have that, like I need that,
and I'm trying to steal that in the next wave
of kids.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
You don't see it like that. They're like, oh yeah,
I'm getting a big dog.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
But yeah, but that but you're talking about as a professional.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
But to me when I think about nil, right, and
it might feel a little different on the women's side
because now when it comes to recruiting, like one of
the first questions is how much money you got?
Speaker 1 (21:53):
I need my money?
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (21:55):
So that is that from the kids or the parents?
Speaker 5 (21:58):
Oh? I think it's both. I definitely think it's the parents.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
It's like, no, you're gonna go over here because they're
gonna pay you five hundred thousand more than this school and.
Speaker 5 (22:07):
They don't care about playing time.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
Is it a good fit for you? Are you a
good fit for them? How is the coaching staff? I
just I do. I honestly do think the nil situation
it has changed the collegiate game.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Oh yeah, yeah, there's there's no they're pro ams. I
mean they're really they're really pro. They're getting paid to produce.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
So so how so how excited go bears?
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Oh? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (22:36):
So?
Speaker 4 (22:36):
How how excited do you think it makes the players
who are making all this money in college now they're
going pro right?
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Taking a pay cut sometimes?
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Yeah, especial especially on the women's side.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
But I mean, the odds of you making out. Are
you doing what you're doing that's completely different, Like you
had everything stacked against you, and yeah, when you came out,
everybody was like she could be she really play the NBA.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Seryf soops is like that, stay tuned, we'll be right back.
You played. You played a one on one game with
Michael Jordan. I still want to talk about.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
It, like he played one on one game with me.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Continue and that's why she's her. Okay, no, let.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
You Michael Jordan was my role model growing up.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
Let let me say this. I do not now.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
I do not think I could have played in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Huh.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
It's it's just it's not to take anything away from
like the game and the talent, but it's it's different.
Like man, y'all are just built different than we are,
Like you're naturally bigger, stronger, taller, all those things, not
more skilled, but all the other things as you are.
(24:02):
But Michael Jordan for me was everything like he is
my goat. He's yes, he will forever be my goat.
But what what I really appreciated about mj was it
didn't matter if you were his teammate or not, what
sport he was playing, like he was coming for your neck.
(24:23):
Just very competitive, and if you watch the documentary, you
know a lot of people were like, dang, I had
no idea.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
He was like I was out.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
There taking money from the little little assistant guards facts.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
You know, because Mike had the mentality, does that mean
you played for money?
Speaker 5 (24:39):
Play for money. I ain't had no money to be playing. Now.
We played for pride. We played for pride.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
There we go.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
But I just I left his mindset of if you're
not helping me, you're in the way, right Like I'm
trying to go get a championship every single year, and
whether that's a team made or an opponent, you're in
my way.
Speaker 5 (25:03):
And that was never okay.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
But for me to have an opportunity to meet him,
oh gosh, that was so many years ago and play.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
One on one with him.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Is absolutely at the top of my damn. I can't
believe I did that.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
You said he played with you, which let me know
you won. That's a bragging right right there, Like you
run me.
Speaker 5 (25:25):
That didn't Okay, I didn't.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
He did.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
He did try to dunk on me, though I didn't.
That happened, okay, cool, cool that pride. No, I just
grabbed him out of the air and just pulled him
out of the air, like, Mike, I love you and I.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Don't want to hurt you. Don't do this.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
The pride. The pride would not let that happen.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
All right, did y'all? Do y'all at least do like
a jersey swap, Like.
Speaker 5 (25:48):
I got his T shirt.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
There we go.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
I got his North Carolina one of his favorite North
Carolina T shirts.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Great, okay, yeah, look that's what I'm saying, because it
was like, fine, No.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
That thing that makes a person it is Michael Jordan.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
You said he's your goat.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
It is Michael Jordan. What's your goat?
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Huh what? I'm sponsored by Jordan?
Speaker 2 (26:08):
So I will only have one answer, Thank you Michael
for all the goods up over the years.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Yeah, I will. I will never say anything.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
Other otherwise, who's your second goat?
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Because I didn't get to watch two three growing up.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
I watched four or five at the Wizards, so I
saw the.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Tail end like I didn't so his farewell game.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
I didn't see it like I saw Kobe's farewell game
where he dropped sixty and I'm a Laker hater. I
was like, yeah, you know, I see Lebron at forty
still dunking on Cats, is doing Yeah, he's like forty five,
playing with this kid like yaming on Cats and still
one of the better guys on his team. So I like,
I mean second place, Yeah, second place is what's Lebron
(26:51):
leaves the Lakers. I'll say it's Lebron. I'm a Laker hater,
so I just I can't anoint the Lakers cat I
say here and Steve Nash, I'm clearly a Suns fan.
I'm jaded, and that's okay. Yeah, Chris Paul worms Yeah,
for sure for impact, for impact alone, nobody has ever
(27:12):
had more hype around and delivered more like you. Normally
you're a number one overall pick. You're like, yo, he's
gonna be a consensus Hall of Famer. But we've been
saying that about Lebron since he was like fourteen and
everything that we was like, he's gonna win a championship
in Cleveland. I'm sure he didn't do it the first time,
but he rounded back. Yeah, Hey, you know what I
got for you this dub. Yeah, and so like once again,
once he leaves the Lakers, I'll be I'll be back
(27:34):
on the he's the second greatest of all time, and
we can argue years and years around. Once he finishes
in the gold conversation, he can't be a goat because
he hasn't finished yet. Once we finish, say that again,
like he's still current, so like, once he finishes and
then he like established, we know the whole story of
the of the legacy, we'll talk about it.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
That's so so that that's what I think. I think
we use the term go way too.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Oh we throw that are easy, like.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
Everybody's a goat nowadays.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
And generational talent, the bane of my the crooks of
my bane, like just yeah, like, don't throw generational out there.
Generational is once every generation, once every twenty to thirty,
like a cycle like fifteen to twenty years. You can
be generational, but we throw that out there a lot
all the time.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
And my thing is, you can be a really good player,
but if you're to your point, if you're still playing
the game, I don't know how you can be the goat.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Right, greatest of all time? Currently, Good to see you, silent,
oh man, you.
Speaker 5 (28:41):
Ac to see your silentce. That was good.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Yeah, absolutely, yeah, you know, I think at this is
a great time I thought about this. I was like,
I was looking at your shoes, looking at my shoes,
but you used to have your own signature shoe.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
I did, did I did Swoop?
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Yeah? What is that? What does that feel like? I
ain't even had them. I ain't even have my own
color way before.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I've got like I've got like Jordan cleet pees, but
pees are not your own cleat.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
It's on a one, it's on a twelve, it's on
But people.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
Don't People don't understand that.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
Like when you talk about signature shoes and having your
own shoe, that means it's your shoe with your name.
So at the time when I got my shoe, it
was Michael Jordan and Cheryl.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Swoops indeed, And.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
I don't know, it was like a surreal moment for
me because I never, like growing up, I never said
someday I'll have my own shoe. That wasn't something that
was on my bucket list or something that I wrote down.
But I have to say, being not only being the
first female WNBA basketball player to have a signature shoe,
(29:55):
but to be the first black female there's something special
about at and now thirty years later, we have the
second black woman in Asia Wilson and her a ones
for me to still be around to see it, and
(30:16):
to me, what makes this so special and different is
it's not just a shoe, Like Asia has an entire line.
She has the flip flop, she has the leggings, the shorts,
the hoodies, the T shirts, the all the.
Speaker 5 (30:28):
Things she has the amazing commercial.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
I just love to see how far the game has come,
how far it's grown, and the fact that the shoe
is made big enough for men to be able to
wear it. When when Nike did my shoe back in
nineteen ninety seven, they only made it up to a
women's size eleven, so men couldn't wear the shoe. But
(30:55):
it was just such an incredible moment and a special
moment to do something out of the box that had
never been done before. And now to see how far
we've come with so many females now having their own
signature shoe, not a pe, but their own signature shoe,
right like the growth of.
Speaker 5 (31:14):
The game, it's we're just in a good place.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
I'll say it sellout crowds now, it's it's a fun time.
I remember going to games when I was younger, it
wasn't like that. And now that I can bring the
whole family, you know, now it's it's very family friendly
to be a to be a to be a beans
you know, don't do this, we'll talk about you know,
but that's okay, Like it's very family like if they want,
(31:39):
like they want families to be there. Now they want
the game to be more integrally like inclusive of of like, oh,
these girls are getting it and let's highlight these women.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
And now I mean probably like prominent.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Social media has helped in a large way, sure, for sure,
but it's also just like now you know your actual players,
like we could talk about multiple players instead of like,
oh I know Ryl, I know who else I know,
Like there's like, instead of a Marquee player, now you
know a team.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Well, it's it's everything from from social media. So fans
feel like they have a connection with you, like fans
feel like I know who you are through social media.
But then it's also you bring your fan base from college,
so they're gonna follow you. But to me, one of
the biggest differences besides social.
Speaker 5 (32:26):
Media is the games are now on.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
Television, They're in places where you can find them easily.
Like back in the day when I played, we were
on Lifetime.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
Don't la okayan.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Like I gotta, I gotta, I got a grandma. We
susedd we should say a Lifetime. You know that was
all where all her movies came on Lifetime or Hallmark Originals,
you know, like it was that was that was that era.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
Listen and I'm like, we went from Lifetime to ESPN, ABC,
ESPN two. Now we are on Ion, so you can
get some you can get your Chicago PD and then
you can go watch some w n B.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
A see. That's Look, that's how much the game has evolved.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
I mean, speaking of evolution and just reactions to that
new question would could be hot incoming. I love doing
this live because I need to know what do you
think about this picture?
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Coming up? Look up? Look up behind you? Yeah, go
ahead check it out. I come on, Ma, I'm just saying,
how do you how do you? How do you feel
about this picture? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (33:49):
Come on man?
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Nostalgia nostalgia dons Daley.
Speaker 5 (33:54):
You know that was a Caroli head coach before or
after the ninety six.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Eleve just obtaining another goal, hanging out with Martin.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
It was a fun time. I would tell you that much.
It was a fun time to hang out, and they
still show it.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (34:14):
I said that you see it.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Huh, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
You was on Martin Man like in the nineties, that big,
that's that's legendary. Yeah, you didn't think you see that today? No,
how to make you feel you remember that one?
Speaker 4 (34:31):
It took me back a little bit. I every time
I see different pictures, the first thing I look at
is my hairstyle, and I'm like, what was I thinking
in that picture?
Speaker 5 (34:43):
But that that hairstyles?
Speaker 4 (34:44):
Alright, Yeah, that's why I didn't want to look I
was like, what picture is this gonna be?
Speaker 1 (34:52):
You know? Fine?
Speaker 5 (34:55):
I love your hair, by the way, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I hate it, but like you hate it, you don't
have to love every hairstyle you do.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
I was like, you know, I was.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
I was on the other cusp of cutting it off,
and I was like, you know what I was watching.
I was like three episodes into the House of Dragons
and you know, Corlis with Valeria.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Came through and I was like, hell yeah, brother, I
was like, how do we do that? And I was
like I don't.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
So I went to the white wife. I was like,
I was like, you got a hair dresser, right, and
she was like she was like yeah. I was like,
I was like, let me do that, and so we
bleased it and then and then I was like I
don't like this, and then we were platinum.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
She's like, I was like, plantinum silver. I was like,
come on, I want to write a dragon.
Speaker 5 (35:33):
I appreciate that it looks.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
I appreciate that. I appreciate that. So when you talk
about you didn't like your hairstyle, Martin, I was like,
what do you mean?
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Like you?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
I'm here, so like, can we bring back the picture?
Can we bring back this picture? You tell me what
I missed on this, this hairstyle? What you mean you
was glowed? Unless Martin roasted you? Like he roast you
for this?
Speaker 4 (35:56):
So like, okay, but there there are some pictures out there.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
That didn't not that the episode you had your girls
with you, there's Martin. Martin's roasted everybody back in the
gay Did you roast him?
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Did he roast you? Do you remember the episode? Was there?
Was there good? Was there a good dinner? After no?
Speaker 5 (36:17):
We hung out? It had a good time. That's all
I'll say.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Wow, was it actually shot in Detroit or was that
shot in la like.
Speaker 5 (36:25):
Shot in l A.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Okay, yeah, we just hung out.
Speaker 5 (36:28):
We actually hung out at his house like all of us.
We had a good time.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Okay, I'll tell you.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
The funniest part about shooting this was and if if
any of you have seen the episode so like Cole, yeah,
completely went off script when he was guarding me.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
If you remember that party was up top of the No.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
He actually no, he actually licked me in my ear
and nowhere was that.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
In the strip.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
I don't think anybody like and seen lack Cheryl's like
instead of instead of a land Stevenson.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Wow, he literally licked.
Speaker 5 (37:07):
Me in my ear and was talking to me and
I was like.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Switch, give me Martin if you don't stop.
Speaker 5 (37:16):
And they're like, oh, that's so good, that's so good.
Keep doing that.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
I was like, no, it's not right, it's in my ear.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
It was, but it was a lot of fun with
Cole and Tommy and Martin.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
And Tommy who still don't know who Yeah, I say
recipes Tommy, but we still don't know.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
If you ever had a job, yeah, you know, like yeah, okay,
I get it.
Speaker 5 (37:38):
He didn't. They said he didn't. He didn't have a job.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
He always had money though, fast always have money. We'll
shoot being in the Hall of Fame, I hope one
day get there. You got you got any advice or uh,
you know why you were giving your Hall of Fame speech?
Speaker 5 (37:56):
What did you Just like.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
I said, do you have any of the giving like
a Hall of Fame speech, the whole the you know,
the grandeur of it all, Like you've accomplished so much.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
I feel like I've accomplished a lot.
Speaker 4 (38:09):
No, I think you know, the Hall of Fame is
like it's it's the best of the best. It's not
the women's it's not the it's the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 5 (38:20):
It's the best of the best.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
And even in preparation for my Hall of Fame speech,
I had all of these incredible things that I wanted
to say, and once I got up there, I realized
that for me it was gonna mean more coming from
my heart, Like it was just so many people along
(38:43):
the way, not necessarily on the basketball court, but just
so many people along the way who helped me get
through life right tough times, good times, who always held
me down, always had my back. But for me, my
Hall of Fame speech was really easy because my mom
got diagnosed with colon cancer and the doctor told her
(39:06):
that she wouldn't be able to make the trip with
me to the Hall of Fame, and she said watch me,
so I'm not gonna cry. But that was the last
trip that my mom went with me on before she passed,
So it was just a full circle moment for me
to have her sitting front row, knowing what she was
(39:29):
dealing with. And my mom had always been my toughest critic,
my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, So to be able
to share that moment with her, which is the best
moment ever. To share that moment with her and make
sure she understood how important she was in my life
(39:49):
and the role she played in my life and raising
me to.
Speaker 5 (39:52):
Be the woman that I am.
Speaker 4 (39:55):
I really don't care what else I said in that speech,
because that moment for me was very important.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
Absolutely shout out to the moms out there.
Speaker 5 (40:04):
You know what I'm.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Saying, right, the people that have always been in your
corner of the friends, the family that uplift you, the
athletic trainers that took care of us when we were broken.
Speaker 5 (40:13):
You know, the all.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
Of it, the coaches and even the coaches that didn't
think they had an impact that actually did.
Speaker 5 (40:18):
You know, even the coaches I didn't like.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
I won't go that far. There's a coach I don't
like it.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
I'm okay, if if he tripped or fell in a puddle,
I wouldn't step on his head, but I wouldn't help
him up.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
I probably like add water to the side.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
In a way, you know, in a very extreme type
of way.
Speaker 5 (40:37):
But I probably had a couple that I felt that
way about.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
But it's only one in my entire time.
Speaker 5 (40:41):
Like, I'm like, who was it?
Speaker 1 (40:43):
We'll talk about it when I retire. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Yeah, In fact, I come to you and be like this,
my lover here tried me in so many different ways.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
Yeah, absolutely, please do.
Speaker 5 (40:54):
I'm going to hold you to that.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
This has been nothing short of amazing. So, by the way,
she was inducted in the twenty sixteen Hall of Fame
class had guys like Shock Shaquille O'Neill, y'ao mean, Alan Iverson,
so like with a whole bunch of him, she was
her you know.
Speaker 5 (41:10):
Hope I like that.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 5 (41:14):
I said.
Speaker 4 (41:15):
Then in twenty sixteen that my class was the best class.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
I think my draft class twenty eleven was the best
class draft class ever.
Speaker 5 (41:24):
You're supposed to think that.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
I mean, it's validated, it's validated to think that. But
I appreciate you so much for sopping AFT. There's the
podcast of me.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Your host Cam Jordan is Sheryl swoops and swoops y'all like,
good look, legend. Thank you so much, Thank you,
Hosts And Creators
Jamie Erdahl
Jason McCourty
Kyle Brandt
Peter Schrager
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