Raven Johnson

Champions only this week! South Carolina’s Raven Johnson hops on the pod to discuss her basketball journey and what it’s like playing for one of the most competitive programs in women’s basketball. Last season was the Revenge Tour. This season … the Repeat Tour.

1. Championship celebrations, Kelsey Plum’s Dawg Class, SEC additions (1:45) 🏆🐶
2. Scouting Report: Sarah Puckett, Flau’jae Johnson (9:00) 📋😮‍💨
3. Playing HS hoops with Ta’Niya Latson, getting recruited by Dawn (10:10) ⛹🏾‍♀️⛹🏾‍♀️
4. “The Freshies,” Final Four loss to Iowa, taking over as a leader (17:30) 😩➡️💪
5. Building a new team last summer, NCAA Tournament, NIL (25:00) 🧱💸
6. Repeat Tour loading… Vibe Check (45:10) 🔂✅

About Our Host:

Atlanta Dream guard Haley Jones is an NCAA national champion, All-American, and No. 6 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. Listen as she welcomes top players to the mic to dissect basketball’s biggest storylines, celebrate top performances, and give flowers to the players growing the game. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you ask me, the whole team is a starting five.
I mean, I feel like the people that come off
the bench is a spark for us. That's a whole
nother starting five. Coach always saying your numbers called be
ready produce, they bring this whole nother spark that flips
the game. Like Malaysia Tessa. They bring this yeah woo
woo like other teams be tired, so I could say
they can start. So I feel like our whole team

(00:20):
is a starting five. I don't think we look at
it as who starting five, who come off the bench.
We're connected. Everybody's a starting five. We want to win
and just to go what thirty five and no?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
It was crazy.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
I mean we didn't even realize we was doing that,
going thirty five and no.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
I all kept saying, we just want to win a
national championship. That's all we kept saying.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
But thirty five and no from tracks with a whole
new starting five, it's crazy to me, Like, I honestly
still can't believe it.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Welcome back to sometimes. I hope today we've got someone
you never want to see on the defensive end, quick
humble brag about our superstar here ranked number one point guard,
number two overall in the class with twenty twenty one
all SEC selection, not one two time NCAA champion, none
other than Raven Johnson. Thanks for happing on the pod.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
You're welcome.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Well quick, Iceberger, Before we get into the basketball talk,
what was the first concert that you ever went to.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Concert? Have I ever been to a concert? Oh? I
think I have been to a concert. I was on
a stage. I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
I don't remember first being on stage somewhere. This is crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
I don't remember the first, but I do remember the
recent one.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Okay, it was with two Change. I went to Atlanta
and I was on stage with two Change. So I
remember the recent one.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
Oh you're little. That's a going to remember, I feel
like is pretty memorable. Well, I love that for you
hopping into the landscape here. The revenge tour is over.
You guys did it? You want a Natty? Was there
a different theme going into this summer?

Speaker 2 (01:54):
The repeat tour? I mean, why not go back to that?

Speaker 3 (01:57):
You know that that's a good choice. I should have
picked up on that one. That's a good choice. We
could for sure. How long did the celebration after winning
last year's Natty last or it's still going on right now?

Speaker 2 (02:08):
How long? Oh gosh, let me tell you we had
a blast.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
I mean, I mean it's not going on right now
because we're in a preseason right now, we're you know,
getting ready for the season.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
But oh, we had a blast. We had fun. We
had a parade.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
I mean we were just funding with each other, I
mean what we usually do. And we had a little parties.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, little sun So had a good time, had a time.
Love that for you. You guys deserved it, and I
mean you in the Vepel summer obviously celebrating the Natty
bunch of nil obligations. But talk to me about the
Kelsey plum Dog class. It looks lit someone with the
best competition there. What was that experience like getting to
learn under KP, play against her and just compete against

(02:49):
all the different top guards in the country.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
I honestsarily love that camp. I think it just it
prepared you, like mentally, Like he tells us how the
WNBA is. She tells us how like training camp. She
had a panel and we could ask questions and she
was just explaining how hard the w BA is. Just
coming from college right to the WNBA, Like there's really
no it's a short gap and you don't really have time.
So you know, most college players be tired going into

(03:13):
training camp, so it's like a mental thing and how
we just have to be mentally strong, honestly. And I
just I met a lot of girls there like Snaia Rivers, Georgy,
Kate Martin, those type of girls. So it was very
fun to be around those. And it's just to see
people like that at the camp.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yeah, for sure, and get to know them like off
the court personalities. Makes like that. I bet that was
really fun. Do you feel like there was something from
the camp or like a move you saw somebody have
that you want to add to your bag. You're like,
all right, that was tough. I want to steal that
from me.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
Kelsey Plumb, I like her like one two steps, like
she slows down. I like her, yes, yeah, that one
right there. And I like her pace like you go
from slow to fast and fast to slow. So I
definitely think I'm going to steal out from her because
her change of place is really good and it really
gets guards off their feet.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
It's tough to guard that skip step because you don't
know you can go out of so many things from that,
So I think that's it's tough. I'm looking forward to
seeing that this season. I'm gonna be like, okay, okay,
where's that at. I want to see it, Okay. So
thinking about the off season that you guys had the
summertime last season before Natty, what are the vibes like
with this team heading into our fall season. You know

(04:18):
told me last year summer was a little rough, y'all
didn't know how it was gonna go. But what are
the vibes like this summer? Is it still Don's daycare?
Are we graduating into something else? What are the vibes?

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Honestly, I think we're all excited. Yeah, it steels done daycare.
I mean, like we you know, we're ourselves. We have
a sisterhood that's so strong, and it like translates to
on the court, and then like off the court things
translate to on the court things. I think it's the same,
and I think that you know, it's not as.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
Hard as last summer because you know, kind of have
the same pieces that we have just missing Camilla.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
So we know, like we have those connections on the court.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
So coach knows like who she can trust on the
court and just adding those freshmen, some dominant freshmans that
we brought in.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yeah. Yeah, I mean, you guys reload every season and
nice like this season, especially really only losing Camilla. You
guys are going to have a lot of pieces. Everybody
just kind of continuing to grow that chemistry from last season,
which is scary. And you have a big non conference
schedule coming up. Don really stacked it for you guys. Michigan,
n SC, State, UCLA, I alwa, stay dud. The list goes
on and on. Is there one of those non conference

(05:18):
games that you're really you have circle on the schedule,
like you're excited to play that team.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
I mean, I want to say I have any team circle.
I say one game at a time, one day at
a time. The goal is to take one step at
a time, win those offseason games, then get to a
conference play and take it back to the national championship.
I want to say, there's no team that I have circles.

Speaker 3 (05:37):
So all right, we're looking forward to everybody. Good answer. So,
with the conference shakeup and all the different realignments this season,
joining the SEC, you have Texas and Oklahoma, do you
feel like there's going to be an adjustment period that
those teams are going to need to make moving from
the Big twelve into SEC, which is physical. Y'all are big, talented,
play both sides of the ball. Do you feel like

(05:57):
there's going to be maybe an adjustment period that they're
going to need to make playing you guys the Tennessee's
all misses, all the great teams.

Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah, I think you just said it.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
SEC is very physical. The bigs are very physical. I
think it's very fast. It's a lot of transition ball
up and down, So I think that that's probably one
major thing that they have to adjust to. But other
than that, I think they're pretty good. But it is
very physical and very fast, and it's a tough conference.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
It is a tough conference, and I think that they're
gonna need to do a little adjust thing. But those
two teams are really competitive, so I'm gonna be yes,
there's gonna be a lot more in season, big time matchups,
big games. You guys already had a huge one LSU
last year was insane Tennessee. Every year, where do you
feel like it's one of your favorite places, like an
SEC road game that you're like, all right, this matchup
is going to be lit. I'm excited LSU.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
You said it, LSU. I think the atmosphere.

Speaker 1 (06:47):
I think it was college game day when we went
to LSU and oh my gosh, let me tell you,
their fans are crazy. They're like going, they're like our fans.
And when we walked in the gym we warmed up.
All you could hear was LSU fans. I remember them
like boying coach Staley. It was so crazy. When the
games start, they did not sit down like you could
hear it from Yes, you can hear from the start

(07:07):
to finish like they are die hard LSU fans. I
think that was one of the crazy atmosphere because we
had to play. I feel like we had to play
against the team and the fans.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
For sure, and the atmosphere definitely influences the game like
that is yes, the environment to play out for sure.
And so just talking about the town of the SEC,
I feel like there's a lot of good guards. Obviously
you have a great backcourt with the list goes on
with your guard play this field. I feel like you
know you Tina Malisia, Tessa Delicious goes on and on,
and so I want you to blindly rank some of

(07:38):
these other backcourt duos that we have in the NCAA. Okay,
taking your back courts out of it. I'm gonna give
you five names and you're gonna rank them one through
five without knowing what's coming next. All right, Yeah, First one,
we got NC State Snai Rivers and Azaiah James, where
you're ranking on one through five.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
O them my dogs. I'm gonna put them back too.

Speaker 3 (08:00):
Okay. Next one, we got yukon Page with KK or
a Z either one.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
Of them one one. All right, Yeah, that's a good due, that's.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
A good that's good. That's what we got. Baylor Jada
Walker and Sarah Andrews.

Speaker 1 (08:17):
I'm probably gonna put them at four because they're good,
but I haven't like really sat down and watched.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Them, but they are really good.

Speaker 3 (08:23):
Okay, yeah, yeah, I mean nobody's like, yeah, they're all
it's very close. Yeah, I got you it is. We
got ranking three and five left. Your next matchup is
Olivia Miles and Hanna Hidalgo Notre Dame.

Speaker 2 (08:37):
Three.

Speaker 3 (08:38):
Okay, last one, Texas, this is your five spot. Rory
Harmon and Madison Booker.

Speaker 1 (08:44):
Ah, they're gont higher. I gotta put them at five.
But that's a good dude. That is a really good duo. Honestly, Yeah,
I have respect from them.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
I feel like they're all right there, like a lot
of them are any I feel like there's a lot
of guard play this year. It is so talking about
the s you see, I want you to give me
like a mini scouting report without giving you a two
of your secrets. I feel like kind of a hidden jam.
Sarah Puckett from Tennessee. Talk to me about Sarah Puppet.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
Okay, I would just say, run off the three point line.
She's a shooter, like she's deep ringing shooter, I mean
quick release. She reminds me of probably like Marina Maybury
and like just put it and shoot. So you gotta
know where she's at all at all times. Run off
the three point line and have hot hands. Got to
make her shoe shots over Contesta Hends.

Speaker 3 (09:30):
That's a good player comparison. I haven't thought of that one,
but Marina Mayby, that's a good one. And then taking
over to LSU, talk to me about Miss Flage.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
Blue Carlo worker. She works hard. Honestly, she reminds me
of Khalia Copper. She works hard.

Speaker 1 (09:44):
They want to win, They're gonna do whatever it takes
to win that. They gotta rebound guard the best player
on the floor, the fin I mean, you just gotta
match her energy.

Speaker 2 (09:52):
You gotta make passes hard to her.

Speaker 1 (09:54):
You gotta deny her as much as possible, and you
gotta make her think, make her think, so speed her up,
I guess, but definitely match her energy because he's a
very hard player.

Speaker 3 (10:04):
Well, you with these player comparisons really on the money,
like those two, I feel like we're perfect. So now
turning it back to you a little bit in your
early hoops, taking it back growing up in Westlake, Georgia.
Who put the ball in your hands? How did you
get into basketball?

Speaker 2 (10:18):
Well, a lot of people don't know.

Speaker 1 (10:19):
I have a twin brother. His name is Richard, and yes,
a lot of people do not know that. And it
was my grandfather he passed away. He got me into sports.
But I think just watching my twin brother get into sports.
He played t ball, so anything he did I wanted
to do like. I wanted to be just like him.
So he played t ball, I wanted to play t ball.
He played basketball. I wanted to play basketball. And I
remember when he was in a rec center in Atlanta, Georgia.

(10:43):
They used to call us Killer and Thriller, like a
little nickname he had, like and I had like the defense,
like I was just riding people. It was crazy. I
was doing some crazy stuff. But I always on the
court with him. Every time he got subbed in. I
used to be like, sub me in, I want to play.
I want to get on the court with him, or
when he gets subbed out, I want to get subbed
out too. So everything he did I definitely wanted to do.

Speaker 3 (11:02):
I love that. Okay. So then moving through high school,
you played high school hoops with Tanai Latsen, which is
crazy to have two superstars of your caliber on the
same high school team. Talk about how it was YouTube
playing together, and then the friendship that's still lasting today.

Speaker 2 (11:19):
So now, oh my gosh, I miss her so much.

Speaker 1 (11:21):
I honestly, in high school, I was planning on going
to college with her because I think our backcourt duo
was nothing like no other. I mean the stuff that
we did, Like I could just I could be on
the other end of court and she could be on
the other end. I could just throw the ball to her,
like I just know her sweet spots and I know
like where she likes the ball and tona Ya, she's
a per bucket, like she's going to go get a bucket.
And she works hard. She's like flaw j like she
wants to win. She works hard, She's willing to do

(11:43):
whatever the coach need her to do. And I like
players like that, who's like a sponge she wants to learn,
who wants to get better. But she's like a best day.
She's like my best friend. I know that she's, you know,
getting ready for her season coming up, and I know
she's about to have a really big season ahead of herself.

Speaker 2 (11:56):
Yeah, both of you are yes.

Speaker 3 (11:58):
And also another Georgia legend growing up with superstar Anthony Edwards.
Talk to me about the relationship with him and what
you've learned from him little it's bits and pieces that
he's given you the implement into your own game.

Speaker 2 (12:10):
Well, honestly, that's my son. That's my son. I talked
about everything he.

Speaker 1 (12:16):
Yeah, well he got to work on his defense just
a little, so I need to give some stuff on
that with him.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
But yeah, that's my son.

Speaker 1 (12:23):
I think I met Anthony Edwards with a trainer called
Justin Holland, someone that I'm glad that I met in
my life because he has changed a lot of how
I think of basketball, how you know, just maneuver about
basketball and off the court things. So I met Anthony
Edwards there. I remember going on on one with Anthony
in a training session and he was treating me like
a little boy, and I was like, oh my gosh,

(12:44):
like I'm a girl. And I was like I think
I was like ninth grade high school.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
I'm like this man trying to joke with me. He's
pushing me.

Speaker 1 (12:51):
And I tell everyone to this day that I beat him,
like I would never tell nobody he beat me, like
I would say he beats I mean I beat him.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yeah, Yeah, he definitely.

Speaker 1 (12:58):
Treat me like a little boy. Just seeing how he
works hard in the gym. He gets up every morning
like he goes to the gym three times a day.
It made me think like dang, like I could do
the same thing. Like then saying all the accolades he
was he had MC done All American for the Brand Classic.
Then I remember he reclassed up what to Georgia got drafted,
and I was like, yeah, I want to do the
stuff that he's doing.

Speaker 4 (13:18):
All it takes is just getting in the gym, putting
in the work. I feel like to be able to
see that firsthand from a young age, just inspiring to
be like, Okay, I take these same steps, and then
you ended up doing that yourself, being an All American
winning Georgia Gettor a Player of the Year.

Speaker 3 (13:30):
I think that's such a special relationship to have even now,
just learning from him, but also him being able to
learn from you if he's your son, obviously that's how
it works.

Speaker 2 (13:38):
I love that.

Speaker 3 (13:40):
But so talking about having personal connection and inspiration like that,
were there any other players that you grew up watching
that you tried to maybe model your game after or
take bits and pieces from and implement them into your
own style.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
Honestly, I like Magic.

Speaker 1 (13:55):
I like Chelsea Gray like she's like the point God,
yes point, and I honestly try to model my game
after her. I think when she does this dimes like that,
I like stuff like that, And I just think she's
a point guard. You are one on the floor, like
you can trust her with the ball in your hand,
and she knows how to get her teammates involved. So
I love that about her, and I think that you know,

(14:16):
she's a leader, like that's a big thing from her.
She's a leader, and I think that's something I try
to instill from her with being a leader, because it's
not easy to be a leader.

Speaker 3 (14:24):
Yeah, it's not easy. And I think those are two
great point guards to model your game after, like two
of the best, the best. And so moving throughout AU
starting to get recruited, when did you feel like recruiting
started to get real for you? Like you understood, Okay,
I'm a prim withar player, I'm gonna go to a
top college. When did that start happening?

Speaker 2 (14:43):
Good question.

Speaker 1 (14:44):
So I played up like I played with Camilla since
I was in eighth grade. We was called FBC United
and we had a really good organization, really good. I
don't know, like all our games were crowded, like you know,
like like we wanted to play every day because everybody
wanted to see us play. I think it was number
one and number two team in AA youth. I didn't
really think they ran AAU teams, but yeah, I learned that. Yeah,

(15:06):
and my process started going when ninth grade. When I
hit high school in ninth grade, a lot of colleges
I started getting like a high school visits of letters,
in the mill. I was like, oh my gosh, like,
these people are really looking at me. And I was
the youngest on the team, so I didn't really think
they were looking at me. I thought they were looking
at like for the middle of the older girls, Madison Heyes,
trade On Hunt, Olivia Cocker and those type of girls.

(15:27):
I remember coaches telling me if you can't stick with
them at.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
A young age, leave them at a young age. You
could definitely do that in this level.

Speaker 1 (15:33):
So I think that, you know, that was a big inspiration,
just them looking at me. I didn't really think they
were going to look at me because I was the
little kitty bitty girl and play back.

Speaker 3 (15:42):
Yeah, but I think that's so cool, like being able
to be alongside those girls who on the path you
wanted to be on, do what they do, model after them,
and then everything just started to come with it. And
also like showing that you could play with those types
of players. Being on the top circuit. That's what gets
your name out there. And so going through the recruiting process,
what were those other schools that you were interested in
that almost got you but didn't.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
Well, to say the least, COVID happened.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
Ah, that changes things.

Speaker 2 (16:11):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 1 (16:12):
My class didn't really take official visits, so I had
to go off of what I knew FaceTime calls, coaches
who interact with.

Speaker 2 (16:18):
Me more, who I had a bun with.

Speaker 1 (16:20):
And I think that you know a lot of the
coaches they applied pressure. They did apply pressure, and you know,
I know that the recruiting process can be very hard,
very annoying, because it was very annoying for me. So
I was like, oh my god, I gotta get on
the FaceTime with this person, this and the third I
remember get on a FaceTime cause what Staley every day
and we did a little exercise that we had to

(16:40):
do every day.

Speaker 2 (16:41):
I forgot the name of it. And I just think I.

Speaker 1 (16:43):
Grew a relationship with her just talk to her every day,
and it wasn't she didn't just talk about basketball. That's
what I loved about her, Like she did not talk
about basketball. It was like life stuff, situation. So I
was like, she's like she's like a mother fearure, like
a moment, like if I go to her, I can
just go to her about anything. So I liked that
about her, Like she didn't talk about basketball, she wanted
to get to know me actually, so that was a
big difference of what she brought to the tables.

Speaker 2 (17:05):
For sure.

Speaker 3 (17:06):
I feel like that makes a lot of sense because
your college decision, obviously it's focused around basketball, but your
life at college is so much more than that. Classes,
figure out what you want to do with the rest
of your life, all those different things, and so for
don to look at you from a young age, when
you're sixteen seventeen and see that potential in you, it
definitely leads into why you ended up choosing South Carolina

(17:26):
in the end, but you end up getting there your
freshman year. Talk to me about those first few practices.
Was it what you expected? Was it harder? Is there
a horror story that you have from your first few days?

Speaker 1 (17:37):
Oh gosh, I remember my first practice. I had to
guard Heini. Oh definitely Henderson. I mean she's like a
oh my gosh, just zoom zoom zoom zoom. Oh yeah,
oh my gosh. It was so hard to stay in
front of her. And I think she prepared me. I
think she helped me a lot. And I tore my
aco in like in c State, like the second game,

(17:58):
and yeah, I think that right there.

Speaker 2 (18:01):
I don't know, it may be mentally strong, physically strong.

Speaker 1 (18:04):
But the practices before that injury happened was very hard,
just coming in, coming under a lie of Boston, trying
to guard Zaia Cook, rebuild people that's very experienced and
us fresh like Sanaia Rivers she was here, Breezy Halls,
Snaia Fagan, me, just trying to pick up what they have.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
They had like pro habits, these pro haabits that they
had and they tried to instill in us. It was
very hard.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
And I say, like the time management was very hard
because you don't have your mom there no more. If
you don't have those yeah, the people that you leaned
on in high school no more. So you kind of
like got to use the resources that they have here
and also being your own it was time for you
to become an adult.

Speaker 2 (18:40):
So I think that they did a great job of
helping us.

Speaker 1 (18:43):
But those practices, oh gosh, it's like getting shaped.

Speaker 2 (18:48):
Yeah, those type of practices for sure.

Speaker 3 (18:50):
And you mentioned having the injury like that, coming in
as a freshman, being a top recruit, going through an injury,
it's really hard to you know, stay engaged with the
team all diferent things. So what do you feel like
you learn the most from sitting out that season, you know,
still getting to win a championship, all those things, What
did you really get to learn that you then implemented

(19:11):
going into your sophomore season from sitting out.

Speaker 1 (19:15):
The biggest thing that I learned was to trust of God.
I got closer to God during that time. Latitia me
here a la She's the one that got me closer
to God. And I think that, you know, I did
learn to trust Guy. And another big thing.

Speaker 2 (19:28):
Is don't get too high with the highs and don't
get too low with the lows.

Speaker 1 (19:32):
I heard that so much and Coachman saying that since
Ziatem is here, she still saying now, and I think
that's really a big thing for me, like to not
get so high with the highs and to low the lows.
And another one is confidence. I mean, coach I always
say confidence could take you a long way, not with
just basketball but off the court stuff. So another one
would be definitely confidence.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
Those are good ones, I think, especially the highs and lows.
Is you want to find where you operate, you know
what I mean, Like sometimes I think a lot of people, well,
you always want to reach that ten out of ten
excitement for a game, but it's like, maybe that's not
where you operate. Maybe you need to calm your nerves
and be around a seven, and that's where you find it.
So I think that's such an important thing, and you
learn that as you get older, having times like that,
sitting out, figuring out where you play your best. And

(20:16):
so moving into your sophomore season, you have a very
key role on the team coming off the bench, being
a spark, high impact player. So then we get it
later into the season. What do you feel like was
your mindset going in having a big role on the
team after sitting out, need to be the impact player.
How did your mindset shift accepting your role.

Speaker 2 (20:35):
It was very hard and not gonna lie too.

Speaker 1 (20:37):
It was so hard to be on a court with
those freshets, that's what they.

Speaker 2 (20:42):
Call the fresh life, all them, Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 (20:45):
It was so hard to like just be a point
guard and try to call the place for them, because
they know what's right, they know what's wrong. So every
time I feel I was wrong because I was younger
than them, I was like, how can I leave these
girls when they been into this college experience is more
than me. I used to say stuff like that. But
when you have those fresh sheets like that who have
so much confidence in you, like just telling you you

(21:06):
got this. I used to be so nervous before a game.
I remember Leah, she comes to me just prey, she
always take less prey, and then she just I don't know,
she gave me this confidence boost, like she's like, go
be yourself.

Speaker 2 (21:16):
There's another Raven Johnson. Just to be yourself.

Speaker 1 (21:19):
So just having those type of fresh seats who's there
for you all the time, it helped. But it was
very hard, Like those games were very hard, Like it
was my first year on the court, so I was like,
oh my gosh, like not even that, like the fans,
the atmosphere it was crazy, Like I never played in
no atmosphere like that, So it's my first time doing
all that stuff.

Speaker 2 (21:38):
So yeah, it's hard.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
It's an adjustment to make for sure, Like especially when
you are playing point guard, it's such a pivotal role
on the team. And so I feel like having those
freshies in that class calming you down and still in
that confidence it means so much. And so I think
that's amazing that they were able to do that for you.
And so moving through the season. You guys are playing amazing,

(22:00):
obviously getting to the final four, having that huge matchup,
and you've talked about it in your players tripping articulature
had in the past, but that game was a turning
point for you in some bad ways, but also ways
that made you grow into who you are today. And
so obviously losing a game like that, having to deal
with all the social media nonsense, everything that goes on,

(22:20):
talk to me about the aftermath of that game, how
it influenced your mental and how you're able to snap
out of that and turn into the season that you
had the next year.

Speaker 1 (22:29):
Oh, trust me, it punched me from the left, from
the right, from the fat, from the front. I mean,
I remember being in my room. I didn't want to
see nobody. Yeah, I'm a kid, like I'm going to
get on social media. I'm going to see those type
of stuff. I mean, who wasn't then there's people that
was sending it to me, so I'm like, oh gosh,
it was everywhere, Like it was everywhere. So I remember
being in my room just crying every day. I didn't

(22:49):
want to see nobody. I didn't want nobody to see me.
I didn't want to talk to nobody. But I did
have to get over that step in school, and you know,
break the barrier of just talking to somebody. I think
wrong would talk to people. And I think the person
that really helped me during that time was La. La
was the one that helped me, and she took me
to church.

Speaker 2 (23:08):
She got me closer to God. And it was stuff
like that that made me think.

Speaker 1 (23:12):
Like I remember in church, Travis Springs said everything happens
for a reason. So I think that line right there,
actually it hit me. I was like, maybe this happened
for a reason. Maybe I needed something like this, Maybe
I need to wake up. Maybe you know, this happened
for a reason. So I think that that made me
get in the gym, It made me work on my weekness,
It made me work on getting my three point shot better.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
And I just said, I'm gonna use this for fuel
to the fire.

Speaker 1 (23:34):
I'm gonna just get a chip on my shoulder and
just let this bad negative thing turn into something positive.
And I think I use that fuel to the fire
and we won a national championship. So I just say, yeah,
everything does happen for a reason.

Speaker 3 (23:49):
Yeah, And I think it speaks to like social media
does impact you, especially like you talked about like when
you're in college, you're so young, it's hard to stay
off of it when social media is so prevalent society.
And so I think a lot of times I don't
know if fans don't understand like that we see these things,
you know what I mean, Like I'm a person first
outside of basketball. So like, also, you had never come

(24:11):
up and say this to my face. So I was like,
why are you behind the screen thinking that all of
a sudden it's okay? Because if I run past you
and Starbucks or on campus, You're never gonna say this
to me exactly. And so I think for you, like
it just shows how strong you are and the strength
of vulnerability opening up to somebody like la, talking to coaches,
talking to your parents, really leading on that inner circle

(24:34):
that you have is so important, and understanding which opinion
you can let in. Oh my gosh. After we lost
to y'all, I think that was my junior senior year,
we lost y'all at home, Like that was one of
those games for me. I had to go sit down
and just sit in the dark room and just be like, ugh,
like you need a day you need time. But when
you snap out of it, you're able to watch the film,
get it together, all those things, and like you said,

(24:56):
use that as fuel to then fire that next summer
that you guys had. So moving into that next season,
dusting yourself off last summer comes, freshies are gone. You're
now like leader of the team, bringing everybody together. And
from what I've heard, you guys did not feel like
you're a championship team that summer. So talk to me
about how that summer went and the growth that you

(25:16):
guys had to have moving into that season.

Speaker 1 (25:19):
Yes, like you said, the freshie's left, we had a
I mean coach had to come up with a new
starting five. I mean yeah, not even experience, started five
starting five from scratch. And in the summer, let me
tell you, I mean we we did not look like
the number.

Speaker 2 (25:34):
One team in the country. I mean it was horrible.
It was horrible.

Speaker 1 (25:37):
I remember we did a lot of running, just a
lot of running, yes, from mistakes that we did in practice.
I mean practice was like conditioning. And I think that
those moments right there made us stronger and made us
come together. It made us realize like we need one another,
like we know this is a South Carolina, this is
Coach Daley, and they hold a high standard here. So
we need to keep this you know, standard is winning tradition,

(25:59):
this standard high and keep our pro habits the same.
I mean, coach was very much. She was hard on
us that summer. It was very hard. Like it was
so hard. When we went to Paris and we played
Notre Dame and we oh my gosh, I remember when
it was halftime, we was up about like like what
it was like ten nine.

Speaker 2 (26:18):
Oh, we have a team.

Speaker 1 (26:19):
We have a team, Like like we're good. We was
all jumping for joy, were like we're good. Like we
have connection, we got chemistry. So from that game, I
think that game was the stepping stone for us, Like
we knew what we had. We was like, yeah, we
need to go and practice every day with this mindset,
we can be the number one team in the country.
I mean, like a lot of us wasn't thinking about
being a number one team in the country. We didn't
really care about stuff like that. I think they ranked

(26:40):
us at number six. We didn't look at stuff like that.
We always say it's not how you start, it's how
you finished.

Speaker 3 (26:45):
So yeah, I think that's huge, Like sometimes when you're
so caught up and just practice seeing the same people
every day, you feel horrible. You're like, this is so
ugly right now.

Speaker 2 (26:53):
But once you have a.

Speaker 3 (26:54):
Team against another top team like that, it does so
much for the confidence and just pushing you.

Speaker 2 (26:59):
Guys.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
Having a turning point like that. I feel like for
you to have a turning point in the first game
the season, it's crazy, like, okay, guys, we're fine, We're
gonna be whatever. Like not a lot of teams get
to have that so early. And for you, like you
talked about starting from scratch, a new starting five, it's
a new era, low key. Even though you guys are
like a great band production all those things, being a
starter is different. And so going from starting three games

(27:21):
to thirty five games, what do you think for you
personally helped you the most making that jump to being
the starting point guard to being the cattles for your
team both defensively and offensively.

Speaker 1 (27:33):
iNeST, didn't even think about it like that. Honestly, I
just say coach always saying your numbers, call be ready
the loose. I think about let's starter. I think the
whole If you ask me, the whole team is a
starting five. I mean, I feel like the people that
come off the bench is a spark for us. That's
a whole nother starting five. They bring this whole nother
spark that helps the game. It flips the game. The
other teams be tired, they bring this, like Malaysia Tesla,

(27:55):
they bring this, yeah woo woo, like other teams be tired.
So I could say they can start if they really
want to, they can start. So I feel like our
whole team is a starting five. I don't think we
look at it as who starts that night, who start,
Who does starting five? Who come off the bench. We're connected.
Everybody's a starting five. We want to win and just
to go what thirty five and no, it was crazy.
I mean we didn't even realize we was doing that,

(28:16):
going thirty five and no. I all kept saying, we
just want to win a national championship. That's all we
kept saying. But thirty five and oh from tracks with
a whole new starting five, with a whole new basically team.

Speaker 2 (28:26):
Is crazy to me, Like, I honestly still can't believe it.

Speaker 3 (28:29):
Yeah, I mean, it's an amazing thing that you guys
truly did. And I think what you talked about with
you could put together so many different lineups with your
team one through however many and everybody could be a
starting five. There's a million different lineups you can make,
and so for a team to be able to have that,
it's crazy, Like as the other team, like what are
you doing with that? You know, like you come off
and you think there's gonna be a drop off and boom,

(28:50):
it's just a new it's fresh legs. It's what it is.
It's five, and which is crazy. And I'm for other team,
I'd be so frustrating. I'm like, what do you what
do you like me to do? I'm tired here. They
got all these starting five out of here. That's crazy.
And so I think that's just amazing to have. And
I think it starts with the point guard role. And
so for you stepping into that and being behind the
freshie's and kind of having them be the leaders. What

(29:12):
was it like for you to take on not only
being the starting point guard producing, but that leadership role
that you had to take on and off the court
creating that new culture for you guys? What was it
like stepping into that role?

Speaker 1 (29:24):
I mean, it was very hard just to see Alida,
I can say Aliah Boston, she was like a different
leader from what I am. I mean Alia, she's like
a leader that's like I call her like Mama. Aliah
she has like a mom and Aliah she's like she does.
She wants the right things to happen. She likes things right.
I say, for me, I'm very playful. That's why they
call us the daycare. Like our whole team is so playful.

(29:45):
So I think that just a leader for me is
probably like on the court, when when the ball goes up,
we need to be serious, like we need to have
that win in mentality and in practice, Like when it's
time to be serious, be serious.

Speaker 2 (29:55):
But when it's time a joke, we can joke. We
can laugh.

Speaker 1 (29:57):
And I think that you know, we do that at
a really good rate. We balance it out so well
and we can like we also have fun with Coach Staley,
like it's so fun honestly, Like if the daycare everybody
can join, like you will.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
Love it.

Speaker 3 (30:11):
Well. I mean, I think having that balance of work
and play, especially for a team like yours, which has
huge personalities, but at the end of the day, everybody's
still a dog, a competitor first, and so I think
when you're able to find that balance of having fun
and working hard, it just creates a winning culture that
you guys clearly have. And talking about don having fun
and all these different things, everybody seems to have this

(30:33):
unique relationship with don and I feel like for you
being the point guard, it's a special dynamic that you
have because you are a second her out there on
the court being that leader. And so what's your relationship
like with don and how does she impact you on
and off the court?

Speaker 2 (30:49):
Donnie? I love Donny.

Speaker 1 (30:51):
I mean, just like I said, she's like a mother figure.
I call her Mama, Donny. I can go to her
about anything, not just with basketball, with life, and I
think that she helps us with things off the court
that prepares us for the real world, prepares us for
her real life aspects.

Speaker 2 (31:07):
And I really like love that about her.

Speaker 1 (31:08):
She made sure we're good and I think just things
like that make your connection strown with a coach that
you can trust the coach and the coach can trust you.
And I feel like that translated on the court. I mean, like,
I'm pretty sure if coach didn trust me, she wouldn't
play me like especially at the point guards. It's very
hard to play that spot under her because she's when
she was in the game, she knows what it takes
to win. She knows, you know, she was one of

(31:29):
those point guards, and I think learning from her and
just is stealing knowledge from her, it means a lot.
And just it means a lot for her that she
can trust me, that she can say she could trust me.

Speaker 2 (31:38):
So yeah, I'm glad to get in her.

Speaker 3 (31:44):
Talking a little bit more about the team that you
guys had. We talked about the Notre Dame game, first
game the season being the turning point and you guys
knew that you were gonna do. Talk to me about
the pieces that you guys had last year, right bringing
in Malaysia, bringing Tessa, the addition of Tahina, What that
did for you guys. Talk about all those different pieces
and how you guys were able to really like mesh

(32:05):
all of that together to be as cohesive as it was.

Speaker 2 (32:09):
Oh.

Speaker 1 (32:09):
Yes, Like I said in the summer, it was very
hard to get those combinations together.

Speaker 2 (32:13):
But I think Tahina, Tessa, Malaysia, they.

Speaker 1 (32:16):
Brought some different Like Yeahina, I mean, you gotta play
her like she's a knockdown shooter, not even that she's
a sniper.

Speaker 2 (32:24):
Yeah, you feel me.

Speaker 1 (32:25):
She we call her Sehina pal Pal, I mean, is
there her name Papal. She's gonna, you know, hit the shot.
And Malaysa she's like this flash guy, like the flashy Malaysia.

Speaker 2 (32:33):
She you don't know what she's gonna do. I mean
she goes down the court.

Speaker 1 (32:36):
You see people in the stands, they be having any
eyes open, like what is she about to do? Like
it's something crazy coming from her. So I think she
just she's like generational talent, like she does stuff that
Noah girl does. I mean it's very it's very crazy.
And then you have Tessa also spread the floor, who.

Speaker 2 (32:51):
Shoots the ball like no other.

Speaker 1 (32:53):
I mean if when she shoots, it's either she's making
or making. I mean there's no missing, there's no missus.
I mean Tessa, she's coming to her own And I
think Testa's going to be a really good player. Like
she does stuff that somebody on our team doesn't do,
Like she learning the defensive end. She wants to get
better on the defensive end. Testa she's a sponge like

(33:13):
she wants to learn. And if you see her in practice.
She's always put up shots after practice. So it's things
like that. As a freshman, like that freshman class, they
wanted to win, like you could just sell.

Speaker 2 (33:23):
They had a different mindset coming in.

Speaker 3 (33:25):
So yeah, I think for you guys to be able
to have all those different weapons and it worked together
cohesively because you guys all bring such different things and
so when you guys were able to find that rhythm,
it's scary for other teams. And you still have TESTI
Malasia coming off the bench, like how are you supposed
to handle that? You know what I mean? And you
guys all do everything so well. And so moving throughout

(33:45):
the NCAA tournament and take out UNC Indiana, working state
anti state to get to the championship, that's not an
easy road. That's a hard road. And I remember specifically
that Indiana game was close down towards the end of
the stretch of the game. Do you feel feel like
you maybe needed a game like that to test you guys,
or maybe even taking it back to the Tennessee game

(34:07):
and that SEC final, do you feel like you needed
those tests to prepare you for what was coming next
in the Final four to get you ready to understand
the weight of the moment that you were in.

Speaker 2 (34:18):
Oh.

Speaker 1 (34:18):
Yes, the Tennessee game it prepared us. I mean we
took our foot off the gas. I mean we was
up by a lot and then that fourth quarter they
came back. So it just told us, you know, we
got to keep our foot on the gas the whole game.
We can't let them come back, you know, by the
grace of God. Kamilla hit that shot. Yeah, and oh
my gosh, that was the craziest game. Like that was
the craziesta. Kamilla hit a three and to win the game.

(34:39):
It was so crazy. But yeah, Indiana game, like you said,
SEC play is more of like up and down, fast paced,
very physical Indiana Oregon State they're more of like run
sex teams. They like to slow the game down, run sets,
run the time out, find an open shooter, set a
lot of screens, which was very different for us, So
we had to you know, adjust to it and coach

(34:59):
our watching film. They told us that, you know, this
is going to be a different ball game. It's not
going to be a lot of up and down. It's
gonna be a lot of half court sets, running through screens.
You gotta play defense, it's the little things that matter
with these teams, and I think those type of games
it prepared us for Final four games.

Speaker 2 (35:14):
It prepared us, prepared us for those type of moments.

Speaker 1 (35:16):
So I'm glad that we met teams like Indiana or
Oregon State in the NCAAA tournament because, I mean, they
were good teams. They were really good teams, and they
made us adjust to what their style of ball was.

Speaker 3 (35:26):
So yeah, I think that's a really interesting point that
you bring up, because like SEC plays one type of way, right,
and then you're playing PAC twelve teams, ACC teams. Everybody
has such different styles, which really prepares you to go
to a game like Iowa where it's very different style
than you guys play. But having those games prior, you
got to understand how things may look being more set

(35:48):
driven and compared to transition. And so heading into that
championship game, what was your mental prep going into a
game like that after the way it ended last season
and all the different things going on. How did you
kind of find that moment like we talked about earlier,
where you need to operate? How did you stay with
the moment?

Speaker 1 (36:05):
Oh, I was on ten, I mean the whole team.
We was up like we were so ready to play
this championship game. The day before in film, Be kept saying.

Speaker 2 (36:15):
Why can't the game be the day? Why can't the
game be the day.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
We was on that type of energy, and when game
time came, I don't think none of us was really nervous.
We was more of like ready to get out there
and play the game, like forty minutes basketball. We was
ready for forty minutes of basketball. And not even that.
We trusted the game plan Coach Winston that we brought in.
He was the scout person for IOWA, and we really
trusted his game plan.

Speaker 2 (36:38):
I think when the ball went.

Speaker 1 (36:39):
Up, I mean, yeah, Kaitlyn had what eighty points on us,
and I don't think none of us got rattled, None
of us, you know, we was like, oh, the game
is over.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
None of that.

Speaker 1 (36:49):
I mean we trusted what coach was gonna bring. She
made an adjustment and she you know, changed the game plan.
She put me on her, which.

Speaker 2 (36:57):
I was so ready.

Speaker 1 (36:57):
I wanted to guard here from the start. I was ready, Like, yes,
I was ready. I wanted to guard her from the start.
But when she made the adjustment, I was like, this
is my time. When a moment's called, like you always
say when your jersey numbers called, be ready produce. So
I was like, this is my time. I got to
you feel me do what I do. And I think
I did a good job looking just holding her to
a limit amount of points.

Speaker 2 (37:17):
But I think she did a really good job of
coming out.

Speaker 1 (37:19):
Just banging threes on us, get a score up for
her team. I think we needed that. Honestly, it made
us think that, you know, like Tennessee game, don't take
your foot off the gas, Like the game is never
over to the ends, not.

Speaker 2 (37:29):
How you start, it's always how you finished.

Speaker 3 (37:31):
How do you think for you having a bounce back
game like that, your specific performance being able to, like
you said, rise the occasion when your number was called,
you want to guard her from the start, wasn't your matchup,
but when it came time to do it, you locked up.
You do what you needed to do. You brought the
energy offensively, getting buckets, get your teammates evolved. How fulfilling
was that for you to have that type of performance too,

(37:52):
Like you knew you could do it, but actually having
it come out that way, what did that do for you?

Speaker 2 (37:57):
Honestly?

Speaker 1 (37:57):
During the game. I didn't even realize I was doing
all this, you know. I kept looking at the scoreboard.
I was like, we gotta win. Like I remember their
score ones up, they had two points. We went and
got two points. So I was just like, we gotta
win this game. Like I would do whatever it takes
to win. I gotta play defense, ive, I gotta rebound,
if I gotta what coach wants me to do.

Speaker 2 (38:13):
We have to win.

Speaker 1 (38:14):
But after when we went into the locker room and
Coach told us the stacks, I was like, wait, what wait,
really like, oh my gosh, and she's like, yes, you
prepare yourself for this moment, like you have prepared yourself
for this moment. And I think that you know, honestly,
from the beginning of the season, I wanted to play
Iowa in a championship. I said that was no better
way to end a season with playing a team that

(38:36):
beat you the year before and beating them to win
a national championship. So I think that you know, that
was God and just to do it like that, would
go thirty five and know with them at the end
beating them was it was really crazy.

Speaker 2 (38:47):
I do give my hats off to Iowa. I mean
they they brought it to us.

Speaker 1 (38:50):
I mean that was a team I never played a
team like that, and I think that the things that
they did it was very different, Like we had to adjust,
we had to change a little game plan that we had.

Speaker 3 (38:58):
So yeah, I think that, like you said, it couldn't
have been a better story ending for you guys to
go thirty five and no, have it come full circle
to have it be them again, it's amazing. And talking
about Don a little bit, what was it like to
see coach cry after the wind because she's not a
big crier and so like, why do you think this
one hit so hard for her?

Speaker 1 (39:19):
To this day, I'll always be like, I never seen
you cry like I never like I remember the twenty
what year was that, twenty twenty two? Yeah, yeah, she
didn't cry at all, Like she did not cry, But
this year she cry. It was so crazy, I feel
like the thirty five and No and not even that,
starting from scratch, from what we came from the summer

(39:39):
to what we ended with, it was crazy. I mean
it wasn't easy, Like it was not easy. There were
some high with the highs and there was some low
with the lows.

Speaker 2 (39:47):
I mean it was.

Speaker 1 (39:48):
It was a task and just for her to be
our coach and to keep us going, just have this
level headed for us to you know, just keep a
winning mentality. So I think that's what really made her cry.
But her crying it was crazy. I was like, oh
my gosh, Shalley is crying.

Speaker 2 (40:04):
Like her crying was like wow, Like I never see
her crying to this day.

Speaker 3 (40:08):
I was like, that is hilarious. You're like, girl, get
it together. This is not you. What's going on? That
is funny. And then also just like for you and
Camilla's relationship playing together for so long, getting to see
her when Mop heard about how yes wait the aau
yet to communicate through Google translated at times, what was

(40:30):
it like to watch her get to be at the
pinnacle of it when Mop how those things have it
come full circle for her?

Speaker 2 (40:36):
Well, Camilla since since she first moved to America.

Speaker 1 (40:39):
I mean I remember, yeah, like you said, I had
we had to call plays in Portuguese for her when
she first got here. Just to see her growth with
just basketball, with stuff outside of basketball.

Speaker 2 (40:49):
Her learning English, her learning the game of basketball. It's
just stuff like that.

Speaker 1 (40:54):
And I think that her coming to South Carolina was
a big thing for her. Changed her very much much.
It changed her mentally physically, and I think it prepared
her for the next level. Honestly, Camilla, at any level,
egg you she want to win.

Speaker 2 (41:07):
We did not win an au. She cried like she
cried her eyes out, like it's so crazy.

Speaker 1 (41:12):
But in college Camilla had a different It was a
different Camilla that I seen. I was like, Camilla's bringing
this more physical, It's more I don't know, sad like Camilla.

Speaker 3 (41:24):
Yes, talk on the court.

Speaker 1 (41:27):
I never seen Camilla do that, Like she would never
talk back to nobody, none of that. But on the
court last season, Oh, she used to talk bad like
you couldn't tell Camilla she wasn't that it girl.

Speaker 2 (41:36):
So I think Camilla she has changed, came a long way.

Speaker 1 (41:39):
She was very physical, just doing the things that coach
wanted her to do, which it was to be dominant.
And I think that she was very dominant in the
Tasty game in that three, was very dominant, crazy, like.

Speaker 3 (41:50):
Did you think about it? Stepped into it was like,
oh I got it to bucket, Yes, that was crazy.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
She practiced those shots in practice.

Speaker 1 (41:58):
Oh so she was ready. Yeah, she shots like coach Boyd,
they'd be having a post. Players shoot shots threes all
the time. It's Camil like, I don't want to shoot No.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
Three. I'm not gonna shoot them three in in the game,
Like what?

Speaker 1 (42:08):
And I think those moments like that made her confidence,
Like she literally didn't even hesitate, she shot the ball
so fluently and they went in love that.

Speaker 3 (42:16):
I think that's so cool that you got to witness
her throughout all these different stages of growth and then
get to see it at that final level. That's amazing.
And so we're gonna talk about Nil. It's changed the game,
and I feel like we needed to get She's about
our money and financial literacy all the things. So what
is the biggest financial advice that you've gotten throughout the
NL process?

Speaker 2 (42:37):
Save your money?

Speaker 1 (42:38):
I mean, yes, a lot of people do tell me
to save your money because, like at the next level
compared to the men's sports and women's sports, and we
don't get paid as much as men, which is so crazy.
But as you can see, this season was totally different.
Everybody watches sports and everybody was tuned in, so there
should definitely be a change coming. And then they're adding
more teams, so that's something starting at least we're starting

(43:01):
from you know something. But yeah, a lot of people
did say save your money, and not even that invests
investing your money. So yes, I have a financial agent
and he's actually having me invest in my money and
also save my money.

Speaker 3 (43:13):
So I love that. Well, that leads us right into
our next question of what are some things outside of
basketball that you're passionate about that you may want to
invest in one day or if you already have now.

Speaker 1 (43:24):
Honestly, I want to do a nonprofit. Yes, I do
want to do a nonprofit. Okay, I don't laugh at this.
I tell people I'm from Nigeria because that's my dream vacation.
But I'm not from Nigeria, but from Nigeria wink week.

Speaker 3 (43:36):
You know for sure, I won't, I won't question it.

Speaker 2 (43:40):
But I do want to do a nonprofit in Atlanta.

Speaker 1 (43:42):
Just give back to girls like I feel like I
was in their shoes before and there's people that gave
back to me.

Speaker 2 (43:47):
So I want to do the same thing. Get back
to my school, what's like, just do things like that?

Speaker 1 (43:51):
Started camp. I did camp this summer. It was free
and I said, you know, anybody could come. I gave
our spread ground book bad. So it's just stuff like that,
just starting from stuff like that, giving back to the
community because the community gave to me when I was young.

Speaker 3 (44:03):
So yeah, that's amazing. It's getting to be on the
other side of it now we're like you got to receive.
Now you just get to continue, and I think that
is so special. And then a little more about NIL
is there's a lot of obligations that come with it.
And so how do you feel like you've been able
to balance your NIL stuff that you have to do
with basketball and with your academic load.

Speaker 1 (44:23):
Oh it's hard, honestly, it's another task, I mean another
time management to add on your list.

Speaker 2 (44:28):
I mean it is.

Speaker 1 (44:30):
I mean, you want the money, so you're gonna do it.
You got to carve out some space for it. You
got to carve out some space for it.

Speaker 2 (44:35):
But it is hard.

Speaker 1 (44:36):
I mean, just stuff that some of these companies they
want you to do. It's like, oh my gosh, Like
why do you want me to do all this?

Speaker 2 (44:42):
Like, oh my god, But you won't.

Speaker 1 (44:43):
Say nothing because you want the money. But yeah, it
is very much time management. I think that's why you
have an agent who can't help you balance that life
of nil class and in sports. So that's a good
thing of having an agent.

Speaker 3 (44:57):
Oh yeah, for sure. They help you with that management
and they get the bad guy like no, Raven can't
do this actually, and that you don't have to put
any of that on you. That's for them to do.

Speaker 2 (45:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (45:05):
And then leading into your junior season coming up, you
guys have an amazing core returning and still adding a
new freshman some new pieces, which is really exciting. What
role are you looking forward to take on that may
be the same from last season and growing on it,
or maybe something different that you want to bring this year.

Speaker 1 (45:23):
I want to add scoring, being more physical, being more aggressive,
and yeah, I like the way like Jackie Young's score.
I think it's a three level score, the mill rings
level at the basket and a three point I mean
just trying to score at the way she is a
three level score. So I think like adding that to
this season would be very good for me. I think
that would just open up players more for me, Like

(45:45):
they can't sag off me, they have to play me,
And I think that will open the post player up,
That will open I mean the whole our whole team,
the whole team can score. So if I add that
with them, I mean it's gonna be crazy.

Speaker 3 (45:55):
Yeah, I mean that was gonna be My next question
was what's going to be on display? Three point shot
three level score? Think it changes the game, like, not
only for you, like you said, the team, because now
people have to respect you in a different way. So
obviously now it makes you when people are pressed upon you.
Now you can blow by playmate, do what you like
to do, all the different things, and open so much
up more So, I'm excited to see that on display
from you this year. But we've talked about the talent

(46:18):
across college bastle right now. It's an all time high
from returners, incoming freshmen, super seniors, all the above. And
so what do you feel like about this year's team?
Even though you guys have the returning core, what's going
to be your team's identity that's going to set you,
guys apart and take you back to another Final four?
Another natty.

Speaker 2 (46:39):
Honestly, I think it's our thing. Uncomming.

Speaker 1 (46:41):
I think we're very uncomming, and I think you got
to expect the unexpect it with us.

Speaker 2 (46:47):
We are very much uncoming. There you go, that's the word.
I like it, say too much? All right?

Speaker 3 (46:51):
Yeah, don't keep it all away? Yeah, okay, I'm with you.
We'll leave it at uncommon. So heading into our last
section here, it's our vibe check. So it's going to
be rapid fire answers. Here we go. What's the drill
you never want to see on the practice plan?

Speaker 2 (47:05):
Oh my gosh, probably wing the wing. It's a thing
called wing and wing we do here. Yeah, wing the wing.

Speaker 3 (47:11):
Is say, three of the four South Carolina girls leaks
we have on the pod have said window, Wing, Alia, Tahina,
and you. But then Snaya said Husky. So I feel
like those are our top two?

Speaker 2 (47:22):
Do you like it?

Speaker 3 (47:24):
All right? So wa wing? So that's the winner? All right?
Would you rather have a game winning shot or a
game winning steal?

Speaker 2 (47:30):
A game winning still see.

Speaker 3 (47:33):
Seatbelt love it? And one or three pointer?

Speaker 2 (47:37):
We depend on the scenario.

Speaker 1 (47:39):
We need three. I'll take a three, but we need
to add one. Oh I will get that and one.

Speaker 3 (47:43):
I feel like and one's get you so hyped up,
like it's just gets out of why going.

Speaker 2 (47:47):
It's more like the physicality, like you drive into the bucket.

Speaker 3 (47:50):
Yeah, and one one okay? And one. I like it
off the court, go to sneaker.

Speaker 2 (47:56):
Ooh, I like I like expensive shoe. So I like
to say like Rick Owens.

Speaker 3 (48:01):
Okay, love that, love that group TikTok or solo TikTok
group TikTok.

Speaker 2 (48:08):
Oh I love a good group TikTok.

Speaker 3 (48:10):
Yeah. All right, toughest place to play on the road,
ill us you. Yeah, we've we've heard that one biggest
biggest trash talker. It could be on your team or
somebody that you played against.

Speaker 1 (48:22):
Oh that's a good good god, biggest trash talker.

Speaker 3 (48:27):
Mm hmmm mm hmm.

Speaker 2 (48:30):
Come back to that question.

Speaker 3 (48:31):
All right, we'll circle back. We'll circle back, marinate on it.
Hardest player you've had to guard, Kaylen Cork. She moves
extremely stop all around.

Speaker 2 (48:40):
Noo.

Speaker 3 (48:41):
Yeah, that's a good pick. Who's the biggest flopper you
got to play against or on your team? Either one
Breezy Hall.

Speaker 2 (48:50):
Breezy. If you see this, you're the biggest flopper.

Speaker 3 (48:52):
I said. That was a quick answer.

Speaker 1 (48:54):
Immediately, I mean take a charge. But she sells it, Yeah,
she does, she does.

Speaker 3 (48:59):
She sells it for sure. All Right, what's your biggest
basketball eg.

Speaker 1 (49:03):
Oh, my gosh, my biggest basketball is when the reps
don't let the teams play. All you gotta hear boo
boo boo, like, let the teams, let us play.

Speaker 2 (49:11):
Oh my gosh, like, let let's play.

Speaker 3 (49:12):
They're trying to be in control of the game. It's
like we're not We're not here for you. I could
literally agree. Who is your basketball goat?

Speaker 2 (49:20):
Maya?

Speaker 3 (49:21):
More good pick She's one of mine. Okay, Now this
is a hard hitter here. Sophoria or Alta?

Speaker 2 (49:29):
Ooh, I just want to Alta like two days ago,
so Alta Alta girl.

Speaker 3 (49:32):
Okay, Yeah, I feel like for me, Ulta has more
curly hair products that I need. But if I want makeup,
then I'm going to Sophora. That makes sense. I have
different needs from each store. Yeah, all right. Who would
be your two on two teammates? But you can't choose
one of your current teammates. It could be somebody in
college or WNBA player Coach Staley? Oh okay, good, pick good.

Speaker 2 (49:54):
Pick.

Speaker 3 (49:55):
What's your favorite pregame song?

Speaker 1 (49:58):
Ooh, I love I love the baby. Everybody loves love
baby for sure.

Speaker 3 (50:03):
And then what is your best impression of coach Daily?

Speaker 2 (50:08):
Ooh, my best impression crying? There go. Yeah, her crying
that is my best impression of her, her.

Speaker 3 (50:15):
Saying don't do that to her. That's crazy.

Speaker 2 (50:17):
I know she has more than that cry.

Speaker 3 (50:21):
Oh my god, that's hilarious. But I hope she watches
this and sees that. Okay, well, Raven, this has been
so amazing. Thank you so much for coming on the pod.

Speaker 2 (50:29):
Nothing but a pleasure, Thank you, This is fun.

Speaker 3 (50:31):
Thank you, and thank you to everybody for listening. Stay
tuned for more episodes of Sometimes I Hope