October 29, 2024 • 53 mins
From hooping on the big stage at the Final Four to being named Kelsey Plum’s “Dawg of the Class” this summer, NC State’s Saniya Rivers is just getting started! The WNBA prospect joins the show ahead of her last season of college basketball.
- Dawg of the Class, losing to SC in the Final Four (2:20) 🦴😲
- SC rematch, ACC additions, UNC rivalry (8:15) 🔂⚔️
- Scouting Report: Ta’Niya Latson, Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles (12:20)📋🥶
- Choosing SC and Dawn Staley, transfer portal, Sixth Player of the Year (18:50) 🔀🏆
- NCAA Tournament party crashers, Coach Wes Moore (28:30)🥳💥
- NIL talk, Aziaha James flowers, Vibe Check (34:45) 💸💐✅
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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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Last year, I had to be point guard for most
of the season. Obviously that Zoe, but she was a freshman,
so you know, sometimes she played the wings, sometimes she
come off the bench. But this year, now that she's
a sophomore and she has her freshman under her, but
I'm going to the wing and I'm leaving it all
in her. So yeah, I score a little more, you
know what I'm saying. So I think I'm gonna score.
I'm gonna do whatever I do to get here. I'm
(00:22):
really displayed just that mentality switch that I can score
when I want to, because people always tell me that
I can't. Ohn like, you could have went past her
if you wanted to, and I'm just like, I don't know,
I just rather pass it. But this year I'm excited
to explain that I've had a mental switch and yeah,
I'm gonna get to my spots whenever I want to.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh, I like that. All right, We're coming out assertive, aggressive,
getting to your spots. I'm just time to see it.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I'm gonna get there.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
If it's not happening, you're gonna get a d M.
Say pull up the clip from the pod and say
what do we do where did this guy.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Let's lock in.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, yeah, welcome back to sometimes I today. We've got
a hooper on the pod. Quick humble. Bragg was the
number three recruit out of the country coming out of
high school, led NC State to the Final four for
the first time in twenty six years. All acc first
team none other than NC State's fearless leader Sanaia Rivers.
(01:16):
Thank you so much. Wrapping on the pod for sure,
thanks for having me, so excited to have you. But
a quick icebreaker before we get into basketball talk. What
was the first concert that you ever went to?
Speaker 1 (01:28):
And it's great? So Kaylannie just came to Raleigh. I
would have went, but I've never been to a concert.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Never right, never, Oh my god. Okay, so so what's
your dream first concert? Would it be Kaylani or somebody else?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
I feel like Kaylannie, I would be overwhelmed for my
first concert. That's it. That's the first concert for me.
Maybe like maybe like a Chris Brown or Usher, but camelin.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Those wouldn't be overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
They will, but Kaylannie would be that eye contact. You
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
You said got you, I got you. I've been to
a Kielana concert. Let me tell you, she be eyeballing
everybody in that crowd.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
It's ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
It's ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I'm scared. I don't know if I can go.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I'm not We'll have to get the Chris Brown or
usher one down to a t. I gotcha. Jumping into
the landscape of what's going on. Let's talk about your
summer starting off at Kelsey Plump's dog class. Talk about
that experience getting to play with her and play with
some of the toughest guards in the country. Now with
Nika Georgia KK, thelicious goes on and no, what was
that experience?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Like, it was not crazy getting the invite.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I think it was shortly after we played Notre Dame
and I had a terrible game. So I was just like,
there's no way I'm getting inviody to this. Next you know,
I get an email, I'm just like, it's gonna be cool.
So before comes around and I'm like dead tired. I
was just like, I don't know if I want to go,
Like I don't really feel the men we had just lost,
and I had a conversation my sisters like you should
just go see what it's about, you know, because I
(02:51):
don't know who saw the video, but I didn't really
have aspirations to go on to the next level.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
So I went to see if I really changed my mindset,
and it did. You know.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
It was and all on the court. We did a
lot of off the court stuff, you know, stuff for
the mental stuff for the body recovery. Plotti's never done
pilotis in my life. So it was a really good experience.
Kelsey's cool, down to earth, very genuine. She told me
when I was there that if she ever need anything
basketball related or not, hit her up, and she stayed
true to her word, you know, till this day.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So I'm I'm super blessed that I went.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
So, I mean, that sounds amazing to have somebody like
Kelsey Plump just be so personable, right like she's putting
on the camp and inviting you guys. But to have
those one on one connections that stretch beyond the camp
and the mindset that you have going in, What does
it do for your mental headspace? Getting the Dog of
a Class award, pushing you into this next season. It
(03:41):
was crazy.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I was shocked because, like you said, it was so
many big names, you know, Niqua George and KK.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yeah, I'm just like what I got it?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
So it just it felt like a sign almost, you know,
I really I'm big on signs.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
You know, everything happens for a reason. I felt like
I was there for a reason.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I felt like I was given and I earned, you know,
that bone for a reason.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
And I wear it every day. The one time I
don't have it on, but as I.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Say, where's it at? Got a flexibently care I'm.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Feeling naked right now. Nah, I feel very blessed. And
just to know that Kelsey, you know someone at the
next level where I now want to be present with
that ward, it's just even more motivated.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
So I'm sure I think that's amazing to get something
like that from her and pushing you into now your
summer workouts, which I know are tough, and I bet
you guys are in twenty hour weeks now, which is
just a whole nother thing. But talk to me about
you know, the team coming off a tough Final four loss,
and what your summer focuses were, what you guys are
improving on as a team, just kind of the headspace
(04:41):
you guys are in moving into your senior season.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Yeah, that loss was tough. I don't know the last
time about twenty. I don't know if I've ever.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Lost my twenty.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
It was crazy, and obviously it was a team thing,
but seeing that that was the team I used to
play for, I think it just hurt a little more.
But going in the summer, I worked on a lot
of things, just me personally, trying to get my shot consistent,
pull up three pointer, attacking the basket, trying to be
verst out of three levels or team wise, who big
on conditioning?
Speaker 3 (05:10):
We're on that track always.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Oh my god, it was terrible on that track at
seven am every morning running stadiums.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Oh no, we're track starts.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
For real, Because why am I out on the track?
What am I doing out here?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
That's what I'm saying, Like that outside is for me,
Like I'm sweating and places I shouldn't be sweating, like
it's too hot. It was crazy, crazy experience. But it's
twenty hours now and we feel every hour.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
But it's beneficial.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
We get up and down, we get to run our sets,
and it's just like games. He sets. I feel like
practices up just like games. We're getting up and down
going against the guys. Transition working on defense happened, so
pretty beneficial long though, for sure got.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
You doing all the things. Three level score for you
coming in to NC State your sophomore year, six play
a year, had a great season. Last year felt like
even more of a breakout year. And it also like
you step more into a leadership role and so carrying
that into this upcoming senior season. What was that change like,
having to be more vocal, lead the team not only
(06:10):
on the court but in the locker room, creating all
those different connections. What was that like?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah, Like I'll wake up every day saying like I'm
really a senior now, Like, yes, it's crazy, crazy, it's ridiculous.
I just graduated high school like yesterday. But it just
means that I'm a senior now. And I feel like
it's the simple fact that I had to lead, Like
I have no choice. I'm a senior now, like the
freshman everybody looks up to me.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I've used to be more.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Of a what do you call it, like lead by
example type of player, but now I'm forced to kind
of take this vocal role. And I don't talk very much.
I'm really nonchalant, laid back. I'm not shy, per se.
But you know, I speak when spoken to for the
most part. Yeah, so learning to speak just communicate how
you know, they like to be talked to. Everybody's not
the same. You can't talk to everyone the same. So
(06:57):
just learning the way they're learning styles and all of that.
And I think, I think I'm doing a pretty good job.
So just got to keep you know, for perfection, even
though I never get there. But I'm sure you are
doing a great job.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I think what you talked about, it's so key understanding, Like,
you know, some players you can yell out and then
you guys are gonna go back and forth and you
keep it pushing. Some players you can't do that, and
that's okay, but you have to learn how to get
the best out of them, and then vice versa. They're
going to learn that about you as well. I think
that's such a nuance that's really hard to pick up
on because I remember, like, you know, I want to
(07:29):
yell with somebody word in the key of the game whatever,
and then it's like, oh, sorry, girl, let's relax. My bad.
You gotta figure it out.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
So yeah, but sometimes even with like coaches like coach
Moor all the time, like coach more like, I'm going
to get frustrated you yelling at me, but knowing that
he's coach that's so passionate, I can't always expect him to,
you know, meet me here. Sometimes I might just have Okay, coach,
like I got you, because you have to respect each
other's you know, he's been doing this for years.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
I've been this way for you. Sometimes it's got.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
To meet in the middle, for sure. Yeah, there's definitely
take with it. You can't always situate, especially with coaches
at the head of the game. I'm like, Okay, relax,
But looking into the seasons coming up pretty soon, you
guys have a really tough non conference schedule South Carolina, TCU,
LSU all missed. The list goes on, but specifically, how
are we feeling about that South Carolina rematch? Are we
(08:18):
hyped up? Excited? What are the vibes?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I'm excited. I can't speak on bad everybody else. I'm lit.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
I'm excited season for sure.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Win THEOS with draw.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
I just want to have a personally a better performance
than I did when I play against him the final four.
But it's exciting. I still love those girls and death
in South Carolina's also family match. You know, he'll be
for anything like that. So I'm excited playing Charlotte. You know,
it's still North Carolina for me, so I have a
lot of family there. Yeah, it's gonna be a fun one.
I'm sure to be very frustrating at points.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Basketball is the game of scoring, So we're gonna go
back and forth. As long as we stand in the game,
we'll be straight.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Yeah. I feel like it's gonna be a very highly
competitive game. Like it's not gonna be a blow ut situation.
I think it's gonna be back and forth. I'm excited
to see how the two guys battle. And I mean,
you got LSU TCU reloaded this year, oh miss. Everybody
really did. And I feel like a lot of the
conference shakeups are crazy seeing like even for me seeing
packed fell teams with ACC Big twelve, I'm like, what
(09:15):
is going on? It's so weird, and so for you
in the a CC bringing teams like Stanford, cal s,
m U, all the other conferences are going through their
own things. Do you feel like there's gonna be kind
of a time where they're going to to adapt their
playing style or how those different things are gonna mesh.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
So I've always said that I feel like the ACC
is more guard heavy and SEC is a little more
post dominant. Yea, so we obviously got to taste to Stanford,
you know, was it sweet sixteen?
Speaker 3 (09:47):
We got to taste to them. So sorry, sorry, you.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Know, it's fine. We can move past its best.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Playing against them, Like Kiki, like she's tough, she's big,
Like in ACC, you don't really see height like that
except for Virginia Tech, you know. Yeah, sorry, but like
she's huge and like you really don't see that in ACC.
So just with Stanford, it's just like, bro, they're huge,
and I don't know who they picked up this year.
(10:18):
But now that Kiki's going, do you guys, do you
know if they have any real.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Height coming back?
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Not as much length with Keiki and Cam last year
that was insane with the two of them, But basically
they always have a little bit of leg, but not
the two of them last year was wild.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Listen, you're telling me, I was watching all my teammates block.
I didn't get a block me personal, they didn't give me,
but I was watching. I was I hate to need
them right now, Like yeah, nah, but I said that
that's the biggest thing, just you know, their post dominance,
their presence down there. So that's definitely something we have
to work on because we're we're a smaller team and
(10:56):
are bigger ones. They're a little younger, so we just
got to geg We'll figure it out.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, figure it out, you always do, sure. Yeah. Okay,
So besides the South Carolina game being circled on the calendar,
as we know, gonna be big, gonna be huge in
North Carolina, what's a conference game that you're really looking
forward to that you think is going to be high energy,
just great basketball.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
I just want to say our hometown rivals is Carolina.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
So that's always like the biggest matchup that everybody's looking
forward to. So I'm going to say Carolina. It's actually
at Carolina. We have the met in Carolina at Carolina
in I think two years, so I'm actually glad we
played them at Carolina.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Okay, Yeah, And how far is that drive between Riley
and on a bus? I want to say forty minutes,
but oh my god, it's that close. It's close forty minutes.
Oh dang, y'all whipping over there like right before game
time for real for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
We actually knew our shoot around right before the game.
We do our shoot around, get on the bus and
then warm up.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
And play Wow. Okay, wow, that's crazy. Then you're out
of there, back to your dorms. You're chilling. That's a
quick trip.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
And that the night on chap Hills Campus.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Sorry all the shame, that's a rivalry game, how about you?
It's fine whatever? All right? Well, talking about you know
the guard play in the ACC. I want to get
your kind of inside on the scattering report, but I'll
giving away too much of Coach more secrets and all
the great things that you guys do. But a player
like Tonight allowed to know Florida State, talk to me
(12:30):
about what makes her such a hard scout year in
and year out.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
I always feel like Coach More gets so frustrated right
before we play Florida State because Tonight, like he emphasizes
the same play like not trying to give the way.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
But everybody knows what she likes to do.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
She's gonna throw it to the key and she's gonna
cut back door looking for a lab or either She's
just gonna attack the right side, he says all the time.
Take away her right hand. Take away her right hand,
and sometimes we do it, sometimes we don't. He's there
just losing hair every time we let her right thing
with tonight. Like she's so versatile, she has that dog
entire She's gonna get to the basket. She's gonna get
her pull up, whatever it is. Even if we take
(13:06):
it away, she's gonna.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Get to her.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
So I feel like for her, it's like not letting
her catch. Don't let her catch. With the balls in
their hands, she can't score. So I feel like that's
what we're gonna focus on this year for sure.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yeah, I feel like that's frustrating as a coach, but
also as a player. It's like, Okay, I understand the tendencies,
but when somebody's that talented, I can't do it every
single time. They're gonna get to some of their spots.
It's really just making it difficult and making them do
it with more dribbles than they want to be less
efficient with it. So you know what, you's got to
understand that. I understand you're gonna lose hair. I get
it was on the scout, but like, give me a break.
(13:39):
Every time she scores.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
We could play the best defense of our life and
it's not gonna matter.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Yeah, been there, It's fine for sure. Another great guard
in the ACC who had a great freshman season last year,
hand had all gone, and now they got Olivia Miles
backcourt as well. What is it going to be like,
I mean, you guys got your own backcard too, y'all
that I'm match up, It's gonna be really excited to
see it. And so moving into that scout, you know,
what are your focuses with those two? Hannah, She's just
(14:07):
so tough.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
She brings more than just her basketball, Like she's bringing
their energy, Like she's an energy player for sure, Like
she gets on my nerves.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
But I have so much respect for.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Like she's on the ball clapping, you know, getting your
face lit, and it's just like, man, I got respect
for the kid. But yeah, going against her own offense,
like she's such a you know, she's a dog one dy.
So I love her game. I think she had an
amazing freshman year, and I'm expecting more from her her
sophomore year. As like you said, o, Libya coming back
and play the same position. So I'm interested to see,
(14:37):
you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
How that works.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Yeah, I'm interested and I don't want it to go
good against US at least, but.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
I think they're going to be really good together. So
I'm excited to see.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah, I think they'll have a good balance, but you know,
against y'all just be really disruptive all the things, very
rough time during your game. Of course, I played.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
It's Olivia plenty of times, like since AAU ball, So
I'm definitely excited to see. She's a versus player and
she's going to get to the Cup. She's a three
level score, so I just think, same, what tonight, Let's
try to keep do our best and keep it out
of her hands and we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah, I'm with you. I'm really excited. Olivia is so
shifty too. I remember seeing her when I first saw
her USA trials and I was like, okay, goggles and
I was with friend. I was like, oh gosh, planned
and then I was like, okay, how's she gonna be.
She got out for just dogging people. I was like,
oh my god, who are you? She is so tough.
It's smooth, like yeah, she's.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Going in slow motion almost like I don't get it,
but it is.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Yeah, So now bring the focus back onto you. I
want to talk about your early hoops journey. So North
Carolina kid who put the ball in your hands. I
heard that you played with boys growing up, always a hooper,
but how did you kind of get started?
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Basketball is definitely in the blood.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
My mom played, that, dad playing in college, My sister
played the n C State. My brother played for like
a year or two in college. Been that's too crazy, Okay,
I say it's in the blood my grand life and play.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
So I feel like it was just something that was
passed down. Really. I think I got my.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
First mini hoop when I was like two years old,
you know, had inside the house. I was shooting on
the goal or whatever. And as I grew older, you know,
I tried off for the middle school team, ended up
being really good to talking to the city. Then I
finally found out about AAU ball. There wasn't really much
going on in Willmington, so travel to Riley every weekend
to play for the best team in the state. The
Carolina Flames ended up getting all the offers and it
(16:30):
was just crazy. And when I got my first offer,
I just knew basketball was for me and that I
wanted to play collegiate basketball. So I feel like that's
how it got started.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Oh I love that born Hooper. Yeah, I feel like
I was the same way it ran in the family.
You just kind of grow doing it and when people
ask you, it's like it was just always there. It's
like in innate thing, it's just what you do. Talk
about your AAU journey a little bit. Obviously you were
a Hooper started getting recruited very young, but I feel
like your class was one of the first few when
overtime started popping off, y'all were all over social media,
(16:59):
all the hype. You guys had a lot of really
good players, and so are there funny top competition at
Nike Nationals or things like that.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
I will say my favorite tournament to play in in
AU was bo Woods, Like, oh, just walking in seeing
all the courts and then the coaches just lined up on.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Ye around the crack oh weirdness walking around.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
I just felt like I was that girl. You know
what I'm saying This we call team on toll and
stuff like. It was just amazing. I feel like that
was my favorite. But as far as matchups or games,
I can't really remember teams for a lot. I just
remember they were always competitive and like we were always
in the on the best courts, like because the coaches.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
I can't really remember though, but yeah, yeah, it was
long ago.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I feel like Williams is such a cool tournament because
it's nowhere else is set up like that, where it's
just like the coaches walking around the track like a
revolving door. And I remember like during warm ups, people
are shuffling in and out and it's like, okay, boom,
you missed a shot, and like some coaches keeps walking.
I'm like, oh my god, I'm back. I'm like, I swear,
(18:10):
I swear it were stressing me out walking around. I'm like, no,
sit and stay, grab a seat.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
And then they make no facial expressions because they're exciting
their disappointment. It's just like do you do you like me?
Are you gonna offer me or not?
Speaker 2 (18:24):
For real? For real? I hearted that. I'm like, why
did all y'all have a poker face for no reason
right now? Like something something?
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Then they just writing on that notebook, typing on that phone.
I'm just like, what are y'all think you?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
No, I don't like I did not like that. Whenever
I so that I'm looking around trying to read everyone's faces.
I'm like, so, what are the vibes guys to me? Yeah,
the coaches always stressed me out during recruiting trips. Like
it was just it was a lot.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
It was overwhelming.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, it was overwhelming. But speaking of your recruiting, talk
about getting recruited very young. I heard Don recruited you
pretty early on Don recruited me too. She's amazing and
so what was that experience, like, you know, getting to
be recruited by down South Carolina, all of those things
what led into your decision to choose them out of
high school originally?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Don, Like you said, she's amazing, Like, I'm still cool
with her to this day. I text her every birthday.
She texted when I have a good game. We talked
before we played each other Final four. You, like, I've
heard to death if she goes to the WNBA, would
love to play for it, hands down.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
But the first of all chances from high school to
college is crazy.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
And high school to college, You're going to high school
to play for Dawn at the University of South Carolina. Like, yeah,
it was a woman a lot, and everybody hyped it
up because obviously they were coming fresh off of championships,
and I knew I wanted to be a part of,
you know, a winning team and play under a winning coach.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
But it was just a lot of freshman year.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
It was a lot to take on, trying to figure
out how to balance athletics and academics, you know, time
management all that. So it was just basketball for me.
You know, freshman year is trying to get adjusted. But
don's great. I remember my freshman year, I was like
airball and all of my threes, you know, breaking all
my threes. It was embarrassing because I was like man
in high school, I was like Caitlin Clark.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Yeah, I was like, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
So I feel like it was just a big confidence drop.
But she always told me to keep shooting. She never
suted me out for airball in the three, she never
set me out for missing the layup whatever. I appreciate
her for that. I appreciate her.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
For a lot. She taught me a lot.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
But you know, I had had to part separate ways,
you know, to find my happiness, and I definitely feel
like I'm definitely, you know, happier now. And obviously it
was worth it because we made it back to the
fun Before I got to see him again. We didn't
beat them, okay, because I told don I text, I
told her beginning to see we were going to be
there with him, and we were there, and you know,
we'll see him again in a month or summer Charlotte.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
So it all worked out for the best.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Yeah. I'm so happy to hear that, because I feel
like a lot of times the transporport will get to
bad rep and I don't always agree with it because
I think a lot of times it's more than basketball.
Sometimes it's just not the right fit. It's a holistic
experience thing, whatever, mental health reasons, whatever it is. I
think that a lot of people leave for the right
reasons just because they think they'll be better off holistically
(21:03):
somewhere else, And so I think a lot of people
always have these misconceptions about it where I'm like, it's
just not always right fit. Also, like you're making a
decision when you're sixteen to go to college, like you
don't know what you're going to be like two years later,
how the things are going to be, And we're like,
I don't know. You're so young when you make those
choices to pick where you want to go, and it's
such a big decision, and so yeah, I think it's
(21:25):
a lot. So I think it's a great sign of
strength when other people realize that it's just isn't the
place for me, and it's it's hard, especially for you
being a top recruit, all these different things, all the
pressures that come along with that, and so I think
that's something that just shows incredible strength to leave. So
I'm very happy for you that you found your place
where you're thriving.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
I'm so glad you mentioned that.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
I definitely think people overlook that I probably got more
hate than I did love. I'm not going to yeah,
but like I'm sure, yeah it was crazy because like
what you got to ring and just dip like are
you crazy? Like you are you out of your mind?
Like there is the loyalty all of that, Like oh
she left cause she didn't get playing time. It's just
like y'all forgot. I'm a human being, you know what
I'm sactly never had to do with playing time. My
(22:06):
mental health was it just was suffering. I was not here,
you know, I had never had bad grades in my life.
I wasn't doing as well academically like I wanted to.
I was just struggling to find my happiness, found my piece.
It was not there. It had nothing to do with
the program itself. It had nothing to do with done,
it had nothing to do with the players. There was skill,
(22:26):
there was plenty of skill there. I felt like I
could have grown there, but you know, it just wasn't
for me. I feel like I would have struggled more
if I stayed versus leaving.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
So I'm mentioned strength because.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
It did take a lot of strength to leave Don
and the game Cocks.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Sometimes that's what you have to do, so, you know,
make me so happy.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
So it's hard, Like you said, like you're still close
with Don, love the girls, all the things. There's nothing
like that. So you move on to NC State, transferring
a kind of home, not home, but kind of home.
That far state didn't feel like freshman year all over again,
kind of like new school, new classes, new people, or
did you kind of feel like it was more of
a seedless transition.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
It was definitely a transition, just because anytime you go
from one place to another it's going to be different.
But as far as feeling like a freshman all over again,
I don't really think I got those vibes. I was
a little more comfortable. I was like, Okay, I've experienced
college before, not this college. But you know, I kind
of got the bube down.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Now I know how to manage my time better. Now
I'm doing better in the classroom. Now I'm doing this,
doing that.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
So it was it was a little easier.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Basketball just kind of came, you know, because I was
more comfortable, I was happier. So yeah, I wouldn't say
I felt like a freshman, but I wish that I
could do it all over again. And also when I
got here, I said, I want to give these freshmen
to experience their lives. And it's just like they got
here and I got it. Like you said, I got
to lead them to a final four. You know what
freshman can you really ask? Like, made it to a
(23:51):
final four? You know what I'm saying. A lot don't
get the experience that in college at all. So I
was just happy to be a leader and be able
to lead you know, my freshman team to a final four.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
So yeah, yeah, no, I think that's so special. And
just talking about moving to Anti State, home State, all
those things again, what led into your decision to choose
Anti State? Was it going home was it the staff,
the girls? What about it made you want to go there?
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Looking at that second go around, because it wasn't even
just North Carolina schools I was looking at. I looked
at Tennessee, I looked at LS, you know, I looked
all over. But North Carolina was really speaking to me.
After a month or so with thinking, I knew I
wanted to be back home. Like you said, I'm not
exactly home, but I'm two hours away. Yeah, i'd be
lying up, I said, I didn't miss my family closer now,
so I get to go home, stick off for them,
(24:38):
home cooked meals every now and again.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
If I just need a hug for my family, I
get to get that now.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
So there are a lot of benefits, a lot of
pros that go into my decision to come in here. Ultimately,
I will say that it was family. I wanted my
family to be able to see me play as much
as I could, especially because in the WNBA there's no
North Carolina team yet yet never know, you never know.
Hopefully they'll put one in Charlotte soon. But yeah, I
just wanted them to get, you know, all the experience
(25:03):
they could seeing me, you know, in person.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
So I get that. I went to schooling our way
from home. I got grandparents with season tickets, they up
at the games. It's such a special feeling to get
to have all of them there. And so when you
got to play in front of the home crowd, winning
ACC six Player of the Year, all those things, what
did that do for you? Just like, I don't know,
almost just feeling like, you know, it was the right choice,
(25:26):
all those things coming together. How do you think that
season really impacted you moving forward into that amazing junior
year that you had.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I just feel like I proved a lot of people wrong,
you know, getting that award, you know, just having a
you know, better season than I did my freshman I
always tell myself, people always ask what's my goals going
into next season? I just say to be better than
I was the last. So I felt like freshman. Sophomore
year I grew. I feel like sophomore in the junior year,
I grew. So I don't know, that's always my mindset.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Yeah, And I don't know.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to grow
this year.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
I got to do a lot of growing, especially if
I'm trying to go to the w so I got
to figure that out.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
But getting six many years an incredible honor.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
I didn't expect to get it, But you know, I
still have the trophy, So.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
I'm appreciate it, appreciate you, appreciate you. Moving into your
junior season, you came out fifteen and oh big win
against the Ukon. I remember being on the edge of
my couch yell a TV. That game was crazy. You
had to be there. Oh my god, I was. But
(26:31):
so you guys come out big. What do you feel
we talked about like the growth from freshman and sophomore year,
sophomore and junior. What do you feel like last summer
you really focused on that, you felt an immediate improvement
on in your junior season.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
That game was crazy, Like thirty three points. I've never
scored that much in college before in my life.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
You were hot, dude. You were not missing.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I was spelling it from the first jumper. I was
spelling it. I may spell. I got to figure out
how to get that dog mentality back. But what did
I like? I said, I just been trying to work
on staying consistent, trying to make sure I keep my
marginal ror slim.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Like I said, I'm a persatile player.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
So not only am I trying to focus on being
a three level score, I'm also trying to make sure
I focus on, you know, the other side of the ball,
making sure that I can stop small players, bigger players,
whatever the case may be. Because since I'm taller, you know,
I can go to the four spot. I'm not being
with those spots unless it's a small one. But that's
what we got to line.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Yeah, you got it, you got it.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
But I struggle the most guarding players shorter than me
because they're just so fast and so shifty and I'm
just so long, So I feel like I'm a step
behind all the time. But I say, that's definitely my
focus because in the league, you never know what your
role is going to be. Everybody's role is in the score.
Some people are strictly out there just to play defense.
You know, you just just never know. So trying to
make sure I got everything down packed so that you
(27:53):
know I can play some role.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Yeah. I think a big thing that just I saw
from your growth is just when you talked about like
that efficiency, like you're able to get to all your
spots quicker. And I think especially in that Yukon game,
it was just like, oh, boom, one, move on, I'm by,
And if they were there, it wasn't like, oh I'm thinking,
I'm thinking you made the right play every time, even
though you were hot, having thirty three points, doing all
the things like it's still moving the ball, Okay, I'm
(28:16):
being doubled. Let me swing it whatever it may be.
And so I feel like that's a thing that really
comes with maturity. And I'm really excited to see your
senior season having everything that came last year, this huge
breakout year and just even like honing in on it more,
which I think is going to be amazing. But talking
about this season NCA tournament run taking down Chattanooga, Tennessee, Stanford,
(28:37):
whatever Texas serious seems to take down, what do you
feel like was really like allowing that flow for you guys,
because you guys were moving with pace like it was crisp.
Everything looked really sharp.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I just feel like we were playing unselfish. I felt like
we were playing free. We're just having a good time.
Nobody expected us to be there. Coach called us the
party crashes. We didn't invite it that tournament. You know,
we were just there and we you know, we proved
a lot of people wrong.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
It was crazy.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
I feel like a Zion had a great season. She
definitely had a great tournament. Without her, can't say that
we would have been on the final four run, but
she definitely did tremendous I think she hit like eight
threes against Texas, probably had a smooth at least a
twenty piece of every game, oh.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
For sure, for easily.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Yeah, I'm just excited to play with a player like
that because, like I said, I'm just an all around player.
I don't have to score. So when I see my
teammates that are willing to score, willing to attack, willn't
do anything to put the ball in the bucket, that
makes my job a whole lot easier, you know, Like
I feel.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Was past the right So yeah, no problem, you.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Haven't got it, you know. So yeah, I said that
that was She was definitely a big reason we got to.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Where we were. So yeah, well, I mean she was
a big piece. And talking about that Texas game, what
was the mindset in the locker room understanding that they're
number one seed? Right? And I remember watching that viral
that you had with your dad after the game was
so specials all the things, But heading into the game,
what is it like like facing a number one seed
(30:09):
their favorite. You talk about being the party crashers. How
do you guys enter a game like that.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
We were used to being the underdog all year, So really,
I don't want to say that we brushed it off
or anything, because we did and we knew it was
an Elite eight game and they were there for a reason,
but we knew we were here for therefore a reason
as well. So I feel like, you know, we just
went out there and left it all on the court
and obviously ended up being in our favorite.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
I think relied on our scout. We relied on.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Our preparation, prepared very hard for that game. Definitely on defense, rebound.
They had to focus on rebound and they had a
lot of strong crashes in there, so I think we
had to put emphasis on boxing out, not giving them
any second chance opportunities, and I think we did a
pretty good job.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Obviously it was enough to get the wins.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
So yeah, yeah, that pushed you guys into the Final four,
which was NC State's first in twenty six years. And
so just talking about you got to experience a Final
Four on two different team games, right South Carolina, who's
been a premier team in recent years, and NC State
who's always kind of been there but never jumped that hump,
and so being a part of creating that final four culture.
(31:11):
Did you feel a difference between the different final fours
that you got to be a part of.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Definitely, there were a lot of different I actually felt
like I was a part of that final game.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Obviously.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
I think if I recall Final four, I actually played
pretty good minutes. I think, if I'm trying to think back,
I feel like we played Louisville in the final for
my freshman year, I think, and I'm pretty sure I
got some solid minutes in there. But obviously Final four,
I probably played the whole game up until maybe the
last two minutes when I was on the sideline crying
(31:42):
my little heart out because I knew the game was
up there. But that was the difference of the fact
that I felt like I was there. I felt like
I had some type of impact. That was the difference
for me.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
So it's a difference where you know you're a part
of the team, but it's different being on the court
being the the difference makers in the game. It for
sure feels different, and I bet just beating Texas. How
amazing that was to like get Coach More to the
final four, finally get him over that hump. What was
that like to you know, kind of do that for
that staff that's been there for so long, working together
(32:16):
to reach their goals for so long.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Oh yeah, we were requiring like some babies, rightfully. So yeah,
my dad was on the court, my family was there.
Like it was just amazing because obviously my parents had
experienced that before my my fresh year. But obviously I
wasn't the happiest, but them seeing that genuine smile on
my face, you know, seeing that he made it back
to the same place where my fresh year, it was
(32:39):
just amazing, and back to Coach More, like he worked
so hard on his preparation, Like he's been doing this
longer than most of his team has been alive. So
you know, I'm just saying he's getting up, but he
still has it. He still has that fire and passion,
And I'm blessed to play for a man that you know,
(33:00):
has so much love and passion for the game. Man,
he definitely deserves everyone that he has. He deserves his flowers,
and I'm definitely glad he gave me a second chance
to be here because he always jokes and said I
should have came the first go round. Yeah, and hopefully,
you know, we can get him there again and hopefully
for the first time getting to a championship.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
So yeah, that's the goal. Well, talking about Coach Moore,
talk to me about the impact that he's had on you,
not only growing as a player and all the different
things that you've out of your game, but also just
as a person and the impact that he's had on
you in your life.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Definitely from day one, Coach Moore has always emphasized that
we can knock on his door. You know, it does
not have to do anything with basketball, just life, you know,
kicking us down, Come knock on his door, talk to him.
He's a really cool guy, very funny, very sarcastic. You know,
he's a cool guy. Genuine He hasn't overd his house
like maybe two or three times a year. His wife
cooks us some dinner. We sit around a dining table,
(33:52):
we watch some games, we even play games.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
This is a good vibe. He definitely makes sure that
we get our rest.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
You want meet another coach in the country that gives
you by six days off for Christmas, so we use
all those that six days please.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Oh gosh, he gave us.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Six days and you know, during the season, he'll give
us random days off just because he knows our bodies
and our minds are just you know, wearing down on
this because season it's a lot, it's overwhelming on the
body and the mental. So he makes sure to really
look out for our mental health. So I appreciate it
for it.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. I think understanding because there's times
this season, even if you're winning, you're exhausted, like maybe
not physically, but just like it wears on you that
overall fatigue. So I think a coach that understands that
it kind of leads to the longevity. Why you guys
are able to get the final fours deep into the
a SEC tournament whatever it may be. But moving into
(34:46):
our next segment here, so and al has changed the
game forever. So we needed to get serious about our money.
And I was great for me. All of y'all have
it for two years, so little Jealous is happy at
the same time. So, yeah, what do you feel is
the biggest piece of financial advice you've gotten throughout the
NIL process.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Oh man, that's a great question. I've gotten a lot
of advice.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Yeah, so yeah, I've had four years, have been I
held the best advice.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
Probably.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
I feel like to never settle. I feel I have
an agent, and my agent always tells we never settle.
She emphasizes know your worth, know your worth. So, for example,
I think some brand came to my DM was basically like, hey,
I'll give you I don't know, three hundred dollars to
you know, post this and my brand or.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Something like that. Whatever.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
I'm thinking, oh, free three hundred dollars, Like, yeah, for sure,
I'll do it, but I always have to send to
my agent make sure you know everything's good and all that.
And she was just like, wait, you cool doing stuff
for three hundred dollars. I was just like, it's free money.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Why not. She was like watch this right, yeah, she
goes next thing, you know, she flipped that three hundred
to a thousand.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Oh yes, please please, because I was.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Schooling three hundreds. So it's just like know your work.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Because I also had to learn that brand had probably
less than five thousand followers, right, and I'm over sitting
it almost sixty k followers. So it's just like we
both have to gain something. So it's just like three
hundred dollars cool, But overall, what would I be gaining
from maybe posting your brand, you know whatever, You would
be gaining more than me because more of my follower
(36:22):
from seed sour, So you have to at least get
more money. I've learned not to settle for the dollar
that they offered, but and not to be greedy or anything,
because like I said, I don't come for much, so
I'm always happy with a couple of hundred dollars or
I can do stuff for free too, as long as
maybe I get some clothes something like that. But just
to know my word and know that I'm probably a
little worth a little more than yes, you know.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Feel so no, for sure, I think that's a big thing.
And it's also like one thing for me was like no,
understanding the value of your agent and being like okay,
how does this work? Like I'm coming to you, but
also like I remember my agent had to tell me
one time. He was like, okay, Haley, I work for you,
Like you need to tell me what you want you
need to Like I'm like, oh wow, I'm in power.
(37:05):
Here like a yeah, this is so weird. And so
those little things understanding your worth and also understanding like
you have the power to say no, oh I don't
want to do this. I get to say what I
want to do, what I don't want to do. And
it's also like understanding the value of your brand. So
like you said, knowing you're worth, understand how much you're worth.
So I think that's a bad thing.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
I wish I would have said a couple like during
the tournament run. I think it was maybe Sweet sixteen,
and all these players were asking me to do deals.
It was to the point I couldn't even focus on
the game.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
They were also giving deadline, so it's just like they
want me to do this the night before the game.
I'm like, man, I should have just said no, you know,
I said yes now.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
So yeah, that leads me right into my next question
of how do you feel like you've learned to balance
your nil obligations with not only basketball, but also with
academics in school, because it's a lot going on, you know,
talking about time management. How did you learn to do
all that?
Speaker 3 (37:59):
And I I was like, right now, like in the summer,
it's a little more quiet because nothing's really going on,
so there's not a whole bunch of deals out there
to go for it.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
But I think this season coming up will probably be
the biggest nil like experience I have, especially it's coming
off a final core and just having probably the best
season that I've had, you know, my college career, and
AL hasn't been the biggest distraction for me per se
up until last well the tournament, when I like I
(38:27):
just said, when they were.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
That. But other than that, it really hasn't hindered me.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
My agent does a pretty good job of like looking
at my schedule and saying, hey, I see you're free
on this day.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
Can you do this on this day? Can you post
this on that one?
Speaker 1 (38:41):
So I feel like that it is probably just on
her because without it, I probably, you know, it probably
be a little more difficult.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I need a schedule. I'm
a scheduled person. I'm like, okay, this this, and then
that allows me to like mentally comprehend, like then I
don't get overwhelmed about it. I've heard this on these
days thinking about outside of basketball, what things do you
feel like you're really passionate about that you may want
to invest in one day possibly.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Oh man, I actually had this conversation like a week ago.
I would love to do something around modeling. I don't
know how to. I'm like, how should I post?
Speaker 3 (39:20):
Like?
Speaker 1 (39:20):
I feel like I'm awkward. I'm more of a like
off guard type of girl. It's just like I've always
been told I have a nice smile. It's probably corny,
but I've been told I have nice slips. So I'm thinking, humh,
maybe I could do something like Coldgate or like these
Brent like Mary King lip gloss of stuff, stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
So no, I like that. Yeah, okay, yeah, we got
to reach out Coldgate anything, get us some toothpaste.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
I got a mean their smile around here.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Oh jesus. Okay. So moving on, moving on to your
senior season, big stuff coming up. What do you feel
like is the biggest piece of your that you really
focus on this offseason that you're looking forward to showing
people like, Okay, this is something I've added to my
bag talking about being being a three level score. What
are you most excited to show?
Speaker 1 (40:11):
So last year I had to be point guard for
most of the season. Obviously do that Zoe, but she
was a freshman, so you know, sometimes she played the wings,
sometimes she come off the bench. But this year, now
that she's a sophomore and she you know, has a
freshman under her. But I'm going to the wing and
I'm leaving it all in her his So yeah, I
would score a little more, you know what I'm saying.
So I think I've been working on more of a
(40:32):
mental shift, not really you know, physically, you know, obviously
I've been getting the gym, but just saying I'm going
to get to my spots. I'm going to get there,
I'm gonna score, I'm gonna do whatever I do to
get here. So I think I'm ready to displayed just
that mentality switch that I can score when I want to,
because people always tell me that I can't. Oh Night,
like you could have went past her if you wanted to,
and I'm just like, I don't know, I just rather
(40:53):
pass it. But this year I'm excited that I've had
a mental switch and yeah, I'm gonna get to my
spots whenever I want to.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Oh I like that. All right, we're calling out assertive,
aggressive getting to your spots. I'm just starting to see it.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
I'm gonna get there.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
If it's not happening, you're gonna get a DM. Say
so Snaya pull up the clip from the pod and
I was just say, what do we do? Where did
this go? Yes?
Speaker 3 (41:16):
I can yeah, yeah, exactly yeah, hold me account.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Talking about Zoe. We talked about Azia earlier, giving some
of your teammates and flowers here as I had an
amazing run last season, which I feel like really put
her on the map where she should have been before.
But I feel like that run that she had where
it was twenty ball out to twenty ball on the
biggest of stages, and she continued to rise the occasion
going to the dog class with you, What is so
(41:41):
special about her? And what do you love about playing
with her? God, it's crazy because I did not get
to play with Zaza.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
I feel like I didn't play with her this much
when I first got here my sophomore year. I feel
like she should have played more, but you know, we
had other people that were here, so you know, she
obviously had to come off the bench whatever. But playing
with us side this year or this past season, it
was amazing. Like I feel like we really jailed, like ridiculously,
like definitely the best backcourt duo. I would say, like
(42:10):
we got out in transition, I would hit her when
she's hot. I just feel like our and she was
just there, but her personally, like I feel like her
mentality has changed. I feel like she was just playing free.
She was worried free, she didn't care. She just let
everything on the court go and she did that. She
got to her spots. So the mentality that she had
last season, that's the mentality I'm trying to have this season.
(42:31):
She definitely killed. We fed her confidence. I feel like
that's a big thing and she definitely displayed it well.
So we need those fous to come back this season.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
If we need to repeat that, keep that well. And
so you talked about the backcourt due of you guys,
which is definitely one of the best in the country,
and so let's take you guys out of the ranking.
The thing about other backcourt due is that we got
going on. We got Rory Harmon, Madison Booker at Texas
page with KK and Azy both of them, of Miles
(43:00):
and hand Hidalgo, those are kind of the main three
duels I'm thinking about. I'm sure I'm missing some with
Baylor and USC butt out of those three, How do
you actually I want to keep you guys in the mix.
How do you feel like those three backcourt deals kind
of match up to you? Guys? What are the rankings
that we have going on?
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (43:17):
Man, what those are some tough backcourt duos. Okay, let
me see taking us out. I'm gonna take us out.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Yeah, okay, let's slide y'all out of the picture. We
already know in your head where y'all are landing. I
got you.
Speaker 3 (43:30):
I started thinking about some other ones. Who are the
ones you said again?
Speaker 2 (43:33):
I want to got Rory in Madison at Texas, page
KK and As at Yukon Olivia and Hannatt Notre Dame.
What are some other ones that you're thinking of?
Speaker 3 (43:42):
I automatically thought of Raping and Malaysia.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Oh yeah, yeah, I definitely should say.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
You know, we just played them. That's what I obviously
about it.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
I got you. That's a good one.
Speaker 3 (43:52):
The definitely plenty.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
But Rory Booker, oh god, Booker was already tough. Ye
just I'm excited to see her. I think they're gonna
be a tough.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Duore, gonna be tough. I don't know if we can
rank them, but they're all gonna be good.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
I can't rank those. I'm gonna lie yeah, yeah, all right,
They're always going to do their.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
Thing, yeah every game. Now, I can't rank those. I'm
core excited to see all of them play. Everybody's amazing.
Share the letter. But just like even with the backward
does that we talked about, just across the board, the
college landscape is overflowing with talent. I feel like, especially
this year with the incoming freshmen, to people still taking
their COVID years, coming back for the final year of eligibility,
(44:37):
conference realignment, all the things. What about your team is
special that is going to make you guys stand out
compared to the rest of the talent out there.
Speaker 1 (44:47):
I've always said that we take pride in our transition game.
I feel like if we say that we're going to
score in transition, we're going to score. I feel like
we're unstopped on the transition.
Speaker 3 (44:56):
We're fast.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
I feel like all of us, for the most part,
can handle the ball, so it doesn't matter who gets
the rebound. We can all push it, we can all run,
and I feel like that's our bread and butter, so
we can get out in that.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
I think we'll be sad. I think we'll be good.
I'm excited to see it. You guys are quick, like
you talked about you kicking it up whatever. Maybe you
guys have a lot of ball handlers, which I feel
like is easy to get into that transition break. So
that that's exciting and that's the funnest way to play.
Who doesn't want to play in transition exactly?
Speaker 3 (45:23):
I don't want to set up for those players a
lot of the time. Let's get it and go.
Speaker 2 (45:26):
So yeah, yeah, I'm with you. Yeah, all right, Well,
moving into our last segment here, it's gonna it's called
the vibe check. It's rapid fire questions. So we have
some guests that are better than others. You're gonna be great.
You're gonna be great. Okay, here we go. I believe
in you. What's the drill you never want to see
on the practice plan?
Speaker 3 (45:44):
Oh, bullet layups?
Speaker 2 (45:45):
What's that? Full court layups?
Speaker 1 (45:47):
So you know it's full court layers. But you have
one of the baseline. You pass it to the side line.
They passed it back.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
Oh yeah, yeah, yes.
Speaker 1 (45:56):
But the reason I hate it is because I have PTSD. Listen,
but we missed it. One time by like two layups
and had to do it all over again. Didn't go
to the other side, so I got.
Speaker 2 (46:08):
Oh god, I get that. That's the worst. You're gonna
maybe redo it and then still do the other side. No,
you got me messed up. That's crazy. Okay, game winning
shot or game winning block, game winning block for sure? Okay,
and one a three pointer and one got a flex
(46:30):
on them with you you off the court, go to
sneaker probably okay, a classic, definitely group TikTok or solo
TikTok solo. Everybody might not be on be Yeah, maybe
taking so long to pick up the dances that I
already know, Like, what are you doing? Literally, this is
(46:52):
not an amateur hour right now? Lock in Okay, toughest
place to play on.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
The road, Oh, U n C or Virginia Tech.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Oh yeah, Virginia Tech. We getting loud, especially with Kittlee
and Georgia and all them there.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
Most of them about like one point because their fans
got them back in that game.
Speaker 2 (47:09):
I remember Cray all right, he's the biggest trash talker.
It could be anybody that you've played against that, oh,
that I've played against. Yeah, like in college on your
team something like that.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
I haven't really experienced a whole lot of trash talk
towards Okay, I've heard it then here okay, but if
I had to pick, i'd have to say I said, Angel,
I love you.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
Yeah, that's it up. So it's like, all right here whatever.
You can't argue too much. Okay. Who is the hardest
player you've had to guard? Oh my god, the age
of Kaitlyn Clark. Two really good choices.
Speaker 3 (47:59):
Oh my god. Yeah, it's just so tough she is.
Speaker 2 (48:02):
Okay. Who's the biggest flopper you've ever played against?
Speaker 3 (48:05):
Flopper? Oh? What? Hold on?
Speaker 1 (48:08):
Because it's a couple. Oh listen, I'm sure it's because
we have to be Okay, I know that Caitlyn is
one of them. Okay, why are they not coming to me?
Speaker 3 (48:20):
Oh my god? You know what, belive it? And Caitlin
she always and she gets the calls to she gets them.
Speaker 2 (48:27):
Okay, what is your biggest basketball egg? I'm sure I
have a couple of these too. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:35):
I don't like when refs make me take out my
jewelry because if I want this to get ripped off and.
Speaker 2 (48:40):
Not have no eyebrow'll let that be up.
Speaker 1 (48:42):
To me, Yeah, I don't like that, and I didn't
because I didn't like how they didn't hand the hidago.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
Did you say that stood out for so long that
the whole.
Speaker 1 (48:51):
Quarter because it made her take out? Yeah, I didn't
like that. I know people I guess like the extra
Roald sorts.
Speaker 2 (48:57):
But I love I.
Speaker 3 (48:58):
Love who I love them, but.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
So crazy, But I think those are a good time too.
I'm rich. Who is your basketball goat?
Speaker 3 (49:13):
I've never been access before really never.
Speaker 2 (49:17):
Okay, you can have like you can have your female
and male, or you can just say you're overall basketball goat.
Like for me growing up, I was a big Tamika
catchings and big buy more so, like those are my
two kind of like ask icons, do you have a
male one? I'm about to say I'm the question lady
(49:37):
over here by you flip flip from the script. It's crazy.
I'm a Lebron person. I am. I just think the
longevity of the career, the skill, everything, just how dominant
and how he makes the players around him so much better.
I'm a Lebron man.
Speaker 3 (49:55):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
I'm gonna say Steph is my goat, Like that's big
Lebron's I.
Speaker 3 (50:02):
Respect this game for sure, but yeah, definitely more.
Speaker 2 (50:05):
Okay, it's actually first, I didn't watch a whole lot
of basketball growing up, so these are probably like fresher ones. Okay,
that's fine.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
I want to say Asia like she inspires me, like
Asia top five. I love Chelsea Grey f Yeah, oh
my goodness, I love mine more so. I love watching
her clips all the time. And then I'm having to go.
I can't say Kelsey, that's too easy. I'm setting it
to Leslie.
Speaker 2 (50:36):
Okay, picks no missus for sure. I like that. I
like the show. People. It's okay, it's fine. Okay, you
had to pick someone to be your two on two teammates,
but you can't pick any of your current teammates. But
(50:56):
it could be anybody. It could be pro, it could
be a college player. Who are you picking? Half court? Yes,
half full court? You're crazy.
Speaker 1 (51:09):
Because I was host, But I was gonna say, if
they have to keep running, that's not gonna work, So
I'm gonna I'm gonna.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
Okay, solid obviously, solid choice. Okay, what's your favorite pregame
hype song?
Speaker 1 (51:23):
Oh, I'm an R and B person, like I love listening.
I am there for you.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
Yeah, you too.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
Yeah, I'm just gonna pick a genre. I like listening
to R and B before the game. I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (51:39):
I'm a big R and B girly. I'm also a
big gospel girly before game, so some Kirk Franklin, I'm
singing some love theory before the game. Relody is from Heaven.
I'm good with literally literally yeah, okay. And then my
last rapid fire for you is, what's your best impression
of coach Wes Moore.
Speaker 3 (51:59):
I'm not. There's no way I'm getting up and embarrassing
myself like that.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Please do give me. Give me a line that he
says to you all the time.
Speaker 1 (52:08):
He'll be like, suck and okay, matter of fact, story
time since the last record, please do, please do.
Speaker 2 (52:13):
My first year here, he sucked me out.
Speaker 1 (52:17):
I don't remember what I did wrong. He He's just like,
just suck. And I was just like he said I suck.
I was like, I was like, what did he say?
And then I had to ask the coaches because I
was stuck on the fact that my coaches said I
suck and.
Speaker 2 (52:30):
What I was like what?
Speaker 1 (52:31):
But then the coaches and like the players that have
been there explaining me that he was saying sock, and
really it's just like he's kind of country, so it's
kind of just like dang it, or just like, man
like what happened something like that. It says sock, and
I'm just like, what is a sock? I guess it's
actually hilarious.
Speaker 2 (52:48):
As long as it's not about you, it's hilarious. Yeah.
I feel like as long as I'm not receiving, it's
very funny. I love it. This has been such pleasure
you will be receiving for me if I'm not seeing
you out there assertive, getting buckets all the things. But
I am so excited to watch you this season and
to continued growth that you're gonna have hopefully another Final
(53:10):
Four run, unless it means beating Stanford, So rooting for
you besides that game. But thank you so much for
coming on to now. This has been so great.
Speaker 3 (53:19):
For sure, I appreciate having me. Thank you, of.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
Course, and thank you everybody for listening. Stay tuned for
more episodes of Sometimes I Hope the Players Tribute dot
(53:46):
Com
Last year, I had to be point guard for most
of the season. Obviously that Zoe, but she was a freshman,
so you know, sometimes she played the wings, sometimes she
come off the bench. But this year, now that she's
a sophomore and she has her freshman under her, but
I'm going to the wing and I'm leaving it all
in her. So yeah, I score a little more, you
know what I'm saying. So I think I'm gonna score.
I'm gonna do whatever I do to get here. I'm
(00:22):
really displayed just that mentality switch that I can score
when I want to, because people always tell me that
I can't. Ohn like, you could have went past her
if you wanted to, and I'm just like, I don't know,
I just rather pass it. But this year I'm excited
to explain that I've had a mental switch and yeah,
I'm gonna get to my spots whenever I want to.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh, I like that. All right, We're coming out assertive, aggressive,
getting to your spots. I'm just time to see it.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I'm gonna get there.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
If it's not happening, you're gonna get a d M.
Say pull up the clip from the pod and say
what do we do where did this guy.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Let's lock in.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, yeah, welcome back to sometimes I today. We've got
a hooper on the pod. Quick humble. Bragg was the
number three recruit out of the country coming out of
high school, led NC State to the Final four for
the first time in twenty six years. All acc first
team none other than NC State's fearless leader Sanaia Rivers.
(01:16):
Thank you so much. Wrapping on the pod for sure,
thanks for having me, so excited to have you. But
a quick icebreaker before we get into basketball talk. What
was the first concert that you ever went to?
Speaker 1 (01:28):
And it's great? So Kaylannie just came to Raleigh. I
would have went, but I've never been to a concert.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Never right, never, Oh my god. Okay, so so what's
your dream first concert? Would it be Kaylani or somebody else?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
I feel like Kaylannie, I would be overwhelmed for my
first concert. That's it. That's the first concert for me.
Maybe like maybe like a Chris Brown or Usher, but camelin.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Those wouldn't be overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
They will, but Kaylannie would be that eye contact. You
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
You said got you, I got you. I've been to
a Kielana concert. Let me tell you, she be eyeballing
everybody in that crowd.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
It's ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
It's ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I'm scared. I don't know if I can go.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I'm not We'll have to get the Chris Brown or
usher one down to a t. I gotcha. Jumping into
the landscape of what's going on. Let's talk about your
summer starting off at Kelsey Plump's dog class. Talk about
that experience getting to play with her and play with
some of the toughest guards in the country. Now with
Nika Georgia KK, thelicious goes on and no, what was
that experience?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Like, it was not crazy getting the invite.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I think it was shortly after we played Notre Dame
and I had a terrible game. So I was just like,
there's no way I'm getting inviody to this. Next you know,
I get an email, I'm just like, it's gonna be cool.
So before comes around and I'm like dead tired. I
was just like, I don't know if I want to go,
Like I don't really feel the men we had just lost,
and I had a conversation my sisters like you should
just go see what it's about, you know, because I
(02:51):
don't know who saw the video, but I didn't really
have aspirations to go on to the next level.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
So I went to see if I really changed my mindset,
and it did. You know.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
It was and all on the court. We did a
lot of off the court stuff, you know, stuff for
the mental stuff for the body recovery. Plotti's never done
pilotis in my life. So it was a really good experience.
Kelsey's cool, down to earth, very genuine. She told me
when I was there that if she ever need anything
basketball related or not, hit her up, and she stayed
true to her word, you know, till this day.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So I'm I'm super blessed that I went.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
So, I mean, that sounds amazing to have somebody like
Kelsey Plump just be so personable, right like she's putting
on the camp and inviting you guys. But to have
those one on one connections that stretch beyond the camp
and the mindset that you have going in, What does
it do for your mental headspace? Getting the Dog of
a Class award, pushing you into this next season. It
(03:41):
was crazy.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I was shocked because, like you said, it was so
many big names, you know, Niqua George and KK.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yeah, I'm just like what I got it?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
So it just it felt like a sign almost, you know,
I really I'm big on signs.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
You know, everything happens for a reason. I felt like
I was there for a reason.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I felt like I was given and I earned, you know,
that bone for a reason.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
And I wear it every day. The one time I
don't have it on, but as I.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Say, where's it at? Got a flexibently care I'm.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Feeling naked right now. Nah, I feel very blessed. And
just to know that Kelsey, you know someone at the
next level where I now want to be present with
that ward, it's just even more motivated.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
So I'm sure I think that's amazing to get something
like that from her and pushing you into now your
summer workouts, which I know are tough, and I bet
you guys are in twenty hour weeks now, which is
just a whole nother thing. But talk to me about
you know, the team coming off a tough Final four loss,
and what your summer focuses were, what you guys are
improving on as a team, just kind of the headspace
(04:41):
you guys are in moving into your senior season.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Yeah, that loss was tough. I don't know the last
time about twenty. I don't know if I've ever.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Lost my twenty.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
It was crazy, and obviously it was a team thing,
but seeing that that was the team I used to
play for, I think it just hurt a little more.
But going in the summer, I worked on a lot
of things, just me personally, trying to get my shot consistent,
pull up three pointer, attacking the basket, trying to be
verst out of three levels or team wise, who big
on conditioning?
Speaker 3 (05:10):
We're on that track always.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Oh my god, it was terrible on that track at
seven am every morning running stadiums.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Oh no, we're track starts.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
For real, Because why am I out on the track?
What am I doing out here?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
That's what I'm saying, Like that outside is for me,
Like I'm sweating and places I shouldn't be sweating, like
it's too hot. It was crazy, crazy experience. But it's
twenty hours now and we feel every hour.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
But it's beneficial.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
We get up and down, we get to run our sets,
and it's just like games. He sets. I feel like
practices up just like games. We're getting up and down
going against the guys. Transition working on defense happened, so
pretty beneficial long though, for sure got.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
You doing all the things. Three level score for you
coming in to NC State your sophomore year, six play
a year, had a great season. Last year felt like
even more of a breakout year. And it also like
you step more into a leadership role and so carrying
that into this upcoming senior season. What was that change like,
having to be more vocal, lead the team not only
(06:10):
on the court but in the locker room, creating all
those different connections. What was that like?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah, Like I'll wake up every day saying like I'm
really a senior now, Like, yes, it's crazy, crazy, it's ridiculous.
I just graduated high school like yesterday. But it just
means that I'm a senior now. And I feel like
it's the simple fact that I had to lead, Like
I have no choice. I'm a senior now, like the
freshman everybody looks up to me.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I've used to be more.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Of a what do you call it, like lead by
example type of player, but now I'm forced to kind
of take this vocal role. And I don't talk very much.
I'm really nonchalant, laid back. I'm not shy, per se.
But you know, I speak when spoken to for the
most part. Yeah, so learning to speak just communicate how
you know, they like to be talked to. Everybody's not
the same. You can't talk to everyone the same. So
(06:57):
just learning the way they're learning styles and all of that.
And I think, I think I'm doing a pretty good job.
So just got to keep you know, for perfection, even
though I never get there. But I'm sure you are
doing a great job.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I think what you talked about, it's so key understanding, Like,
you know, some players you can yell out and then
you guys are gonna go back and forth and you
keep it pushing. Some players you can't do that, and
that's okay, but you have to learn how to get
the best out of them, and then vice versa. They're
going to learn that about you as well. I think
that's such a nuance that's really hard to pick up
on because I remember, like, you know, I want to
(07:29):
yell with somebody word in the key of the game whatever,
and then it's like, oh, sorry, girl, let's relax. My bad.
You gotta figure it out.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
So yeah, but sometimes even with like coaches like coach
Moor all the time, like coach more like, I'm going
to get frustrated you yelling at me, but knowing that
he's coach that's so passionate, I can't always expect him to,
you know, meet me here. Sometimes I might just have Okay, coach,
like I got you, because you have to respect each
other's you know, he's been doing this for years.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
I've been this way for you. Sometimes it's got.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
To meet in the middle, for sure. Yeah, there's definitely
take with it. You can't always situate, especially with coaches
at the head of the game. I'm like, Okay, relax,
But looking into the seasons coming up pretty soon, you
guys have a really tough non conference schedule South Carolina, TCU,
LSU all missed. The list goes on, but specifically, how
are we feeling about that South Carolina rematch? Are we
(08:18):
hyped up? Excited? What are the vibes?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I'm excited. I can't speak on bad everybody else. I'm lit.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
I'm excited season for sure.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Win THEOS with draw.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
I just want to have a personally a better performance
than I did when I play against him the final four.
But it's exciting. I still love those girls and death
in South Carolina's also family match. You know, he'll be
for anything like that. So I'm excited playing Charlotte. You know,
it's still North Carolina for me, so I have a
lot of family there. Yeah, it's gonna be a fun one.
I'm sure to be very frustrating at points.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Basketball is the game of scoring, So we're gonna go
back and forth. As long as we stand in the game,
we'll be straight.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Yeah. I feel like it's gonna be a very highly
competitive game. Like it's not gonna be a blow ut situation.
I think it's gonna be back and forth. I'm excited
to see how the two guys battle. And I mean,
you got LSU TCU reloaded this year, oh miss. Everybody
really did. And I feel like a lot of the
conference shakeups are crazy seeing like even for me seeing
packed fell teams with ACC Big twelve, I'm like, what
(09:15):
is going on? It's so weird, and so for you
in the a CC bringing teams like Stanford, cal s,
m U, all the other conferences are going through their
own things. Do you feel like there's gonna be kind
of a time where they're going to to adapt their
playing style or how those different things are gonna mesh.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
So I've always said that I feel like the ACC
is more guard heavy and SEC is a little more
post dominant. Yea, so we obviously got to taste to Stanford,
you know, was it sweet sixteen?
Speaker 3 (09:47):
We got to taste to them. So sorry, sorry, you.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Know, it's fine. We can move past its best.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Playing against them, Like Kiki, like she's tough, she's big,
Like in ACC, you don't really see height like that
except for Virginia Tech, you know. Yeah, sorry, but like
she's huge and like you really don't see that in ACC.
So just with Stanford, it's just like, bro, they're huge,
and I don't know who they picked up this year.
(10:18):
But now that Kiki's going, do you guys, do you
know if they have any real.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Height coming back?
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Not as much length with Keiki and Cam last year
that was insane with the two of them, But basically
they always have a little bit of leg, but not
the two of them last year was wild.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Listen, you're telling me, I was watching all my teammates block.
I didn't get a block me personal, they didn't give me,
but I was watching. I was I hate to need
them right now, Like yeah, nah, but I said that
that's the biggest thing, just you know, their post dominance,
their presence down there. So that's definitely something we have
to work on because we're we're a smaller team and
(10:56):
are bigger ones. They're a little younger, so we just
got to geg We'll figure it out.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Yeah, figure it out, you always do, sure. Yeah. Okay,
So besides the South Carolina game being circled on the calendar,
as we know, gonna be big, gonna be huge in
North Carolina, what's a conference game that you're really looking
forward to that you think is going to be high energy,
just great basketball.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
I just want to say our hometown rivals is Carolina.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
So that's always like the biggest matchup that everybody's looking
forward to. So I'm going to say Carolina. It's actually
at Carolina. We have the met in Carolina at Carolina
in I think two years, so I'm actually glad we
played them at Carolina.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Okay, Yeah, And how far is that drive between Riley
and on a bus? I want to say forty minutes,
but oh my god, it's that close. It's close forty minutes.
Oh dang, y'all whipping over there like right before game
time for real for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
We actually knew our shoot around right before the game.
We do our shoot around, get on the bus and
then warm up.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
And play Wow. Okay, wow, that's crazy. Then you're out
of there, back to your dorms. You're chilling. That's a
quick trip.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
And that the night on chap Hills Campus.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Sorry all the shame, that's a rivalry game, how about you?
It's fine whatever? All right? Well, talking about you know
the guard play in the ACC. I want to get
your kind of inside on the scattering report, but I'll
giving away too much of Coach more secrets and all
the great things that you guys do. But a player
like Tonight allowed to know Florida State, talk to me
(12:30):
about what makes her such a hard scout year in
and year out.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
I always feel like Coach More gets so frustrated right
before we play Florida State because Tonight, like he emphasizes
the same play like not trying to give the way.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
But everybody knows what she likes to do.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
She's gonna throw it to the key and she's gonna
cut back door looking for a lab or either She's
just gonna attack the right side, he says all the time.
Take away her right hand. Take away her right hand,
and sometimes we do it, sometimes we don't. He's there
just losing hair every time we let her right thing
with tonight. Like she's so versatile, she has that dog
entire She's gonna get to the basket. She's gonna get
her pull up, whatever it is. Even if we take
(13:06):
it away, she's gonna.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Get to her.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
So I feel like for her, it's like not letting
her catch. Don't let her catch. With the balls in
their hands, she can't score. So I feel like that's
what we're gonna focus on this year for sure.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yeah, I feel like that's frustrating as a coach, but
also as a player. It's like, Okay, I understand the tendencies,
but when somebody's that talented, I can't do it every
single time. They're gonna get to some of their spots.
It's really just making it difficult and making them do
it with more dribbles than they want to be less
efficient with it. So you know what, you's got to
understand that. I understand you're gonna lose hair. I get
it was on the scout, but like, give me a break.
(13:39):
Every time she scores.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
We could play the best defense of our life and
it's not gonna matter.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Yeah, been there, It's fine for sure. Another great guard
in the ACC who had a great freshman season last year,
hand had all gone, and now they got Olivia Miles
backcourt as well. What is it going to be like,
I mean, you guys got your own backcard too, y'all
that I'm match up, It's gonna be really excited to
see it. And so moving into that scout, you know,
what are your focuses with those two? Hannah, She's just
(14:07):
so tough.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
She brings more than just her basketball, Like she's bringing
their energy, Like she's an energy player for sure, Like
she gets on my nerves.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
But I have so much respect for.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Like she's on the ball clapping, you know, getting your
face lit, and it's just like, man, I got respect
for the kid. But yeah, going against her own offense,
like she's such a you know, she's a dog one dy.
So I love her game. I think she had an
amazing freshman year, and I'm expecting more from her her
sophomore year. As like you said, o, Libya coming back
and play the same position. So I'm interested to see,
(14:37):
you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
How that works.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Yeah, I'm interested and I don't want it to go
good against US at least, but.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
I think they're going to be really good together. So
I'm excited to see.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah, I think they'll have a good balance, but you know,
against y'all just be really disruptive all the things, very
rough time during your game. Of course, I played.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
It's Olivia plenty of times, like since AAU ball, So
I'm definitely excited to see. She's a versus player and
she's going to get to the Cup. She's a three
level score, so I just think, same, what tonight, Let's
try to keep do our best and keep it out
of her hands and we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah, I'm with you. I'm really excited. Olivia is so
shifty too. I remember seeing her when I first saw
her USA trials and I was like, okay, goggles and
I was with friend. I was like, oh gosh, planned
and then I was like, okay, how's she gonna be.
She got out for just dogging people. I was like,
oh my god, who are you? She is so tough.
It's smooth, like yeah, she's.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Going in slow motion almost like I don't get it,
but it is.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Yeah, So now bring the focus back onto you. I
want to talk about your early hoops journey. So North
Carolina kid who put the ball in your hands. I
heard that you played with boys growing up, always a hooper,
but how did you kind of get started?
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Basketball is definitely in the blood.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
My mom played, that, dad playing in college, My sister
played the n C State. My brother played for like
a year or two in college. Been that's too crazy, Okay,
I say it's in the blood my grand life and play.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
So I feel like it was just something that was
passed down. Really. I think I got my.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
First mini hoop when I was like two years old,
you know, had inside the house. I was shooting on
the goal or whatever. And as I grew older, you know,
I tried off for the middle school team, ended up
being really good to talking to the city. Then I
finally found out about AAU ball. There wasn't really much
going on in Willmington, so travel to Riley every weekend
to play for the best team in the state. The
Carolina Flames ended up getting all the offers and it
(16:30):
was just crazy. And when I got my first offer,
I just knew basketball was for me and that I
wanted to play collegiate basketball. So I feel like that's
how it got started.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Oh I love that born Hooper. Yeah, I feel like
I was the same way it ran in the family.
You just kind of grow doing it and when people
ask you, it's like it was just always there. It's
like in innate thing, it's just what you do. Talk
about your AAU journey a little bit. Obviously you were
a Hooper started getting recruited very young, but I feel
like your class was one of the first few when
overtime started popping off, y'all were all over social media,
(16:59):
all the hype. You guys had a lot of really
good players, and so are there funny top competition at
Nike Nationals or things like that.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
I will say my favorite tournament to play in in
AU was bo Woods, Like, oh, just walking in seeing
all the courts and then the coaches just lined up on.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Ye around the crack oh weirdness walking around.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
I just felt like I was that girl. You know
what I'm saying This we call team on toll and
stuff like. It was just amazing. I feel like that
was my favorite. But as far as matchups or games,
I can't really remember teams for a lot. I just
remember they were always competitive and like we were always
in the on the best courts, like because the coaches.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
I can't really remember though, but yeah, yeah, it was
long ago.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I feel like Williams is such a cool tournament because
it's nowhere else is set up like that, where it's
just like the coaches walking around the track like a
revolving door. And I remember like during warm ups, people
are shuffling in and out and it's like, okay, boom,
you missed a shot, and like some coaches keeps walking.
I'm like, oh my god, I'm back. I'm like, I swear,
(18:10):
I swear it were stressing me out walking around. I'm like, no,
sit and stay, grab a seat.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
And then they make no facial expressions because they're exciting
their disappointment. It's just like do you do you like me?
Are you gonna offer me or not?
Speaker 2 (18:24):
For real? For real? I hearted that. I'm like, why
did all y'all have a poker face for no reason
right now? Like something something?
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Then they just writing on that notebook, typing on that phone.
I'm just like, what are y'all think you?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
No, I don't like I did not like that. Whenever
I so that I'm looking around trying to read everyone's faces.
I'm like, so, what are the vibes guys to me? Yeah,
the coaches always stressed me out during recruiting trips. Like
it was just it was a lot.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
It was overwhelming.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, it was overwhelming. But speaking of your recruiting, talk
about getting recruited very young. I heard Don recruited you
pretty early on Don recruited me too. She's amazing and
so what was that experience, like, you know, getting to
be recruited by down South Carolina, all of those things
what led into your decision to choose them out of
high school originally?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Don, Like you said, she's amazing, Like, I'm still cool
with her to this day. I text her every birthday.
She texted when I have a good game. We talked
before we played each other Final four. You, like, I've
heard to death if she goes to the WNBA, would
love to play for it, hands down.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
But the first of all chances from high school to
college is crazy.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
And high school to college, You're going to high school
to play for Dawn at the University of South Carolina. Like, yeah,
it was a woman a lot, and everybody hyped it
up because obviously they were coming fresh off of championships,
and I knew I wanted to be a part of,
you know, a winning team and play under a winning coach.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
But it was just a lot of freshman year.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
It was a lot to take on, trying to figure
out how to balance athletics and academics, you know, time
management all that. So it was just basketball for me.
You know, freshman year is trying to get adjusted. But
don's great. I remember my freshman year, I was like
airball and all of my threes, you know, breaking all
my threes. It was embarrassing because I was like man
in high school, I was like Caitlin Clark.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Yeah, I was like, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
So I feel like it was just a big confidence drop.
But she always told me to keep shooting. She never
suted me out for airball in the three, she never
set me out for missing the layup whatever. I appreciate
her for that. I appreciate her.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
For a lot. She taught me a lot.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
But you know, I had had to part separate ways,
you know, to find my happiness, and I definitely feel
like I'm definitely, you know, happier now. And obviously it
was worth it because we made it back to the
fun Before I got to see him again. We didn't
beat them, okay, because I told don I text, I
told her beginning to see we were going to be
there with him, and we were there, and you know,
we'll see him again in a month or summer Charlotte.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
So it all worked out for the best.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Yeah. I'm so happy to hear that, because I feel
like a lot of times the transporport will get to
bad rep and I don't always agree with it because
I think a lot of times it's more than basketball.
Sometimes it's just not the right fit. It's a holistic
experience thing, whatever, mental health reasons, whatever it is. I
think that a lot of people leave for the right
reasons just because they think they'll be better off holistically
(21:03):
somewhere else, And so I think a lot of people
always have these misconceptions about it where I'm like, it's
just not always right fit. Also, like you're making a
decision when you're sixteen to go to college, like you
don't know what you're going to be like two years later,
how the things are going to be, And we're like,
I don't know. You're so young when you make those
choices to pick where you want to go, and it's
such a big decision, and so yeah, I think it's
(21:25):
a lot. So I think it's a great sign of
strength when other people realize that it's just isn't the
place for me, and it's it's hard, especially for you
being a top recruit, all these different things, all the
pressures that come along with that, and so I think
that's something that just shows incredible strength to leave. So
I'm very happy for you that you found your place
where you're thriving.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
I'm so glad you mentioned that.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
I definitely think people overlook that I probably got more
hate than I did love. I'm not going to yeah,
but like I'm sure, yeah it was crazy because like
what you got to ring and just dip like are
you crazy? Like you are you out of your mind?
Like there is the loyalty all of that, Like oh
she left cause she didn't get playing time. It's just
like y'all forgot. I'm a human being, you know what
I'm sactly never had to do with playing time. My
(22:06):
mental health was it just was suffering. I was not here,
you know, I had never had bad grades in my life.
I wasn't doing as well academically like I wanted to.
I was just struggling to find my happiness, found my piece.
It was not there. It had nothing to do with
the program itself. It had nothing to do with done,
it had nothing to do with the players. There was skill,
(22:26):
there was plenty of skill there. I felt like I
could have grown there, but you know, it just wasn't
for me. I feel like I would have struggled more
if I stayed versus leaving.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
So I'm mentioned strength because.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
It did take a lot of strength to leave Don
and the game Cocks.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Sometimes that's what you have to do, so, you know,
make me so happy.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
So it's hard, Like you said, like you're still close
with Don, love the girls, all the things. There's nothing
like that. So you move on to NC State, transferring
a kind of home, not home, but kind of home.
That far state didn't feel like freshman year all over again,
kind of like new school, new classes, new people, or
did you kind of feel like it was more of
a seedless transition.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
It was definitely a transition, just because anytime you go
from one place to another it's going to be different.
But as far as feeling like a freshman all over again,
I don't really think I got those vibes. I was
a little more comfortable. I was like, Okay, I've experienced
college before, not this college. But you know, I kind
of got the bube down.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Now I know how to manage my time better. Now
I'm doing better in the classroom. Now I'm doing this,
doing that.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
So it was it was a little easier.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Basketball just kind of came, you know, because I was
more comfortable, I was happier. So yeah, I wouldn't say
I felt like a freshman, but I wish that I
could do it all over again. And also when I
got here, I said, I want to give these freshmen
to experience their lives. And it's just like they got
here and I got it. Like you said, I got
to lead them to a final four. You know what
freshman can you really ask? Like, made it to a
(23:51):
final four? You know what I'm saying. A lot don't
get the experience that in college at all. So I
was just happy to be a leader and be able
to lead you know, my freshman team to a final four.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
So yeah, yeah, no, I think that's so special. And
just talking about moving to Anti State, home State, all
those things again, what led into your decision to choose
Anti State? Was it going home was it the staff,
the girls? What about it made you want to go there?
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Looking at that second go around, because it wasn't even
just North Carolina schools I was looking at. I looked
at Tennessee, I looked at LS, you know, I looked
all over. But North Carolina was really speaking to me.
After a month or so with thinking, I knew I
wanted to be back home. Like you said, I'm not
exactly home, but I'm two hours away. Yeah, i'd be
lying up, I said, I didn't miss my family closer now,
so I get to go home, stick off for them,
(24:38):
home cooked meals every now and again.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
If I just need a hug for my family, I
get to get that now.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
So there are a lot of benefits, a lot of
pros that go into my decision to come in here. Ultimately,
I will say that it was family. I wanted my
family to be able to see me play as much
as I could, especially because in the WNBA there's no
North Carolina team yet yet never know, you never know.
Hopefully they'll put one in Charlotte soon. But yeah, I
just wanted them to get, you know, all the experience
(25:03):
they could seeing me, you know, in person.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
So I get that. I went to schooling our way
from home. I got grandparents with season tickets, they up
at the games. It's such a special feeling to get
to have all of them there. And so when you
got to play in front of the home crowd, winning
ACC six Player of the Year, all those things, what
did that do for you? Just like, I don't know,
almost just feeling like, you know, it was the right choice,
(25:26):
all those things coming together. How do you think that
season really impacted you moving forward into that amazing junior
year that you had.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I just feel like I proved a lot of people wrong,
you know, getting that award, you know, just having a
you know, better season than I did my freshman I
always tell myself, people always ask what's my goals going
into next season? I just say to be better than
I was the last. So I felt like freshman. Sophomore
year I grew. I feel like sophomore in the junior year,
I grew. So I don't know, that's always my mindset.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Yeah, And I don't know.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to grow
this year.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
I got to do a lot of growing, especially if
I'm trying to go to the w so I got
to figure that out.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
But getting six many years an incredible honor.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
I didn't expect to get it, But you know, I
still have the trophy, So.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
I'm appreciate it, appreciate you, appreciate you. Moving into your
junior season, you came out fifteen and oh big win
against the Ukon. I remember being on the edge of
my couch yell a TV. That game was crazy. You
had to be there. Oh my god, I was. But
(26:31):
so you guys come out big. What do you feel
we talked about like the growth from freshman and sophomore year,
sophomore and junior. What do you feel like last summer
you really focused on that, you felt an immediate improvement
on in your junior season.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
That game was crazy, Like thirty three points. I've never
scored that much in college before in my life.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
You were hot, dude. You were not missing.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I was spelling it from the first jumper. I was
spelling it. I may spell. I got to figure out
how to get that dog mentality back. But what did
I like? I said, I just been trying to work
on staying consistent, trying to make sure I keep my
marginal ror slim.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Like I said, I'm a persatile player.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
So not only am I trying to focus on being
a three level score, I'm also trying to make sure
I focus on, you know, the other side of the ball,
making sure that I can stop small players, bigger players,
whatever the case may be. Because since I'm taller, you know,
I can go to the four spot. I'm not being
with those spots unless it's a small one. But that's
what we got to line.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Yeah, you got it, you got it.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
But I struggle the most guarding players shorter than me
because they're just so fast and so shifty and I'm
just so long, So I feel like I'm a step
behind all the time. But I say, that's definitely my
focus because in the league, you never know what your
role is going to be. Everybody's role is in the score.
Some people are strictly out there just to play defense.
You know, you just just never know. So trying to
make sure I got everything down packed so that you
(27:53):
know I can play some role.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Yeah. I think a big thing that just I saw
from your growth is just when you talked about like
that efficiency, like you're able to get to all your
spots quicker. And I think especially in that Yukon game,
it was just like, oh, boom, one, move on, I'm by,
And if they were there, it wasn't like, oh I'm thinking,
I'm thinking you made the right play every time, even
though you were hot, having thirty three points, doing all
the things like it's still moving the ball, Okay, I'm
(28:16):
being doubled. Let me swing it whatever it may be.
And so I feel like that's a thing that really
comes with maturity. And I'm really excited to see your
senior season having everything that came last year, this huge
breakout year and just even like honing in on it more,
which I think is going to be amazing. But talking
about this season NCA tournament run taking down Chattanooga, Tennessee, Stanford,
(28:37):
whatever Texas serious seems to take down, what do you
feel like was really like allowing that flow for you guys,
because you guys were moving with pace like it was crisp.
Everything looked really sharp.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I just feel like we were playing unselfish. I felt like
we were playing free. We're just having a good time.
Nobody expected us to be there. Coach called us the
party crashes. We didn't invite it that tournament. You know,
we were just there and we you know, we proved
a lot of people wrong.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
It was crazy.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
I feel like a Zion had a great season. She
definitely had a great tournament. Without her, can't say that
we would have been on the final four run, but
she definitely did tremendous I think she hit like eight
threes against Texas, probably had a smooth at least a
twenty piece of every game, oh.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
For sure, for easily.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Yeah, I'm just excited to play with a player like
that because, like I said, I'm just an all around player.
I don't have to score. So when I see my
teammates that are willing to score, willing to attack, willn't
do anything to put the ball in the bucket, that
makes my job a whole lot easier, you know, Like
I feel.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Was past the right So yeah, no problem, you.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Haven't got it, you know. So yeah, I said that
that was She was definitely a big reason we got to.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Where we were. So yeah, well, I mean she was
a big piece. And talking about that Texas game, what
was the mindset in the locker room understanding that they're
number one seed? Right? And I remember watching that viral
that you had with your dad after the game was
so specials all the things, But heading into the game,
what is it like like facing a number one seed
(30:09):
their favorite. You talk about being the party crashers. How
do you guys enter a game like that.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
We were used to being the underdog all year, So really,
I don't want to say that we brushed it off
or anything, because we did and we knew it was
an Elite eight game and they were there for a reason,
but we knew we were here for therefore a reason
as well. So I feel like, you know, we just
went out there and left it all on the court
and obviously ended up being in our favorite.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
I think relied on our scout. We relied on.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Our preparation, prepared very hard for that game. Definitely on defense, rebound.
They had to focus on rebound and they had a
lot of strong crashes in there, so I think we
had to put emphasis on boxing out, not giving them
any second chance opportunities, and I think we did a
pretty good job.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Obviously it was enough to get the wins.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
So yeah, yeah, that pushed you guys into the Final four,
which was NC State's first in twenty six years. And
so just talking about you got to experience a Final
Four on two different team games, right South Carolina, who's
been a premier team in recent years, and NC State
who's always kind of been there but never jumped that hump,
and so being a part of creating that final four culture.
(31:11):
Did you feel a difference between the different final fours
that you got to be a part of.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Definitely, there were a lot of different I actually felt
like I was a part of that final game.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Obviously.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
I think if I recall Final four, I actually played
pretty good minutes. I think, if I'm trying to think back,
I feel like we played Louisville in the final for
my freshman year, I think, and I'm pretty sure I
got some solid minutes in there. But obviously Final four,
I probably played the whole game up until maybe the
last two minutes when I was on the sideline crying
(31:42):
my little heart out because I knew the game was
up there. But that was the difference of the fact
that I felt like I was there. I felt like
I had some type of impact. That was the difference
for me.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
So it's a difference where you know you're a part
of the team, but it's different being on the court
being the the difference makers in the game. It for
sure feels different, and I bet just beating Texas. How
amazing that was to like get Coach More to the
final four, finally get him over that hump. What was
that like to you know, kind of do that for
that staff that's been there for so long, working together
(32:16):
to reach their goals for so long.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Oh yeah, we were requiring like some babies, rightfully. So yeah,
my dad was on the court, my family was there.
Like it was just amazing because obviously my parents had
experienced that before my my fresh year. But obviously I
wasn't the happiest, but them seeing that genuine smile on
my face, you know, seeing that he made it back
to the same place where my fresh year, it was
(32:39):
just amazing, and back to Coach More, like he worked
so hard on his preparation, Like he's been doing this
longer than most of his team has been alive. So
you know, I'm just saying he's getting up, but he
still has it. He still has that fire and passion,
And I'm blessed to play for a man that you know,
(33:00):
has so much love and passion for the game. Man,
he definitely deserves everyone that he has. He deserves his flowers,
and I'm definitely glad he gave me a second chance
to be here because he always jokes and said I
should have came the first go round. Yeah, and hopefully,
you know, we can get him there again and hopefully
for the first time getting to a championship.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
So yeah, that's the goal. Well, talking about Coach Moore,
talk to me about the impact that he's had on you,
not only growing as a player and all the different
things that you've out of your game, but also just
as a person and the impact that he's had on
you in your life.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Definitely from day one, Coach Moore has always emphasized that
we can knock on his door. You know, it does
not have to do anything with basketball, just life, you know,
kicking us down, Come knock on his door, talk to him.
He's a really cool guy, very funny, very sarcastic. You know,
he's a cool guy. Genuine He hasn't overd his house
like maybe two or three times a year. His wife
cooks us some dinner. We sit around a dining table,
(33:52):
we watch some games, we even play games.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
This is a good vibe. He definitely makes sure that
we get our rest.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
You want meet another coach in the country that gives
you by six days off for Christmas, so we use
all those that six days please.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Oh gosh, he gave us.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Six days and you know, during the season, he'll give
us random days off just because he knows our bodies
and our minds are just you know, wearing down on
this because season it's a lot, it's overwhelming on the
body and the mental. So he makes sure to really
look out for our mental health. So I appreciate it
for it.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. I think understanding because there's times
this season, even if you're winning, you're exhausted, like maybe
not physically, but just like it wears on you that
overall fatigue. So I think a coach that understands that
it kind of leads to the longevity. Why you guys
are able to get the final fours deep into the
a SEC tournament whatever it may be. But moving into
(34:46):
our next segment here, so and al has changed the
game forever. So we needed to get serious about our money.
And I was great for me. All of y'all have
it for two years, so little Jealous is happy at
the same time. So, yeah, what do you feel is
the biggest piece of financial advice you've gotten throughout the
NIL process.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Oh man, that's a great question. I've gotten a lot
of advice.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Yeah, so yeah, I've had four years, have been I
held the best advice.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
Probably.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
I feel like to never settle. I feel I have
an agent, and my agent always tells we never settle.
She emphasizes know your worth, know your worth. So, for example,
I think some brand came to my DM was basically like, hey,
I'll give you I don't know, three hundred dollars to
you know, post this and my brand or.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Something like that. Whatever.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
I'm thinking, oh, free three hundred dollars, Like, yeah, for sure,
I'll do it, but I always have to send to
my agent make sure you know everything's good and all that.
And she was just like, wait, you cool doing stuff
for three hundred dollars. I was just like, it's free money.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Why not. She was like watch this right, yeah, she
goes next thing, you know, she flipped that three hundred
to a thousand.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Oh yes, please please, because I was.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Schooling three hundreds. So it's just like know your work.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Because I also had to learn that brand had probably
less than five thousand followers, right, and I'm over sitting
it almost sixty k followers. So it's just like we
both have to gain something. So it's just like three
hundred dollars cool, But overall, what would I be gaining
from maybe posting your brand, you know whatever, You would
be gaining more than me because more of my follower
(36:22):
from seed sour, So you have to at least get
more money. I've learned not to settle for the dollar
that they offered, but and not to be greedy or anything,
because like I said, I don't come for much, so
I'm always happy with a couple of hundred dollars or
I can do stuff for free too, as long as
maybe I get some clothes something like that. But just
to know my word and know that I'm probably a
little worth a little more than yes, you know.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Feel so no, for sure, I think that's a big thing.
And it's also like one thing for me was like no,
understanding the value of your agent and being like okay,
how does this work? Like I'm coming to you, but
also like I remember my agent had to tell me
one time. He was like, okay, Haley, I work for you,
Like you need to tell me what you want you
need to Like I'm like, oh wow, I'm in power.
(37:05):
Here like a yeah, this is so weird. And so
those little things understanding your worth and also understanding like
you have the power to say no, oh I don't
want to do this. I get to say what I
want to do, what I don't want to do. And
it's also like understanding the value of your brand. So
like you said, knowing you're worth, understand how much you're worth.
So I think that's a bad thing.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
I wish I would have said a couple like during
the tournament run. I think it was maybe Sweet sixteen,
and all these players were asking me to do deals.
It was to the point I couldn't even focus on
the game.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
They were also giving deadline, so it's just like they
want me to do this the night before the game.
I'm like, man, I should have just said no, you know,
I said yes now.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
So yeah, that leads me right into my next question
of how do you feel like you've learned to balance
your nil obligations with not only basketball, but also with
academics in school, because it's a lot going on, you know,
talking about time management. How did you learn to do
all that?
Speaker 3 (37:59):
And I I was like, right now, like in the summer,
it's a little more quiet because nothing's really going on,
so there's not a whole bunch of deals out there
to go for it.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
But I think this season coming up will probably be
the biggest nil like experience I have, especially it's coming
off a final core and just having probably the best
season that I've had, you know, my college career, and
AL hasn't been the biggest distraction for me per se
up until last well the tournament, when I like I
(38:27):
just said, when they were.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
That. But other than that, it really hasn't hindered me.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
My agent does a pretty good job of like looking
at my schedule and saying, hey, I see you're free
on this day.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
Can you do this on this day? Can you post
this on that one?
Speaker 1 (38:41):
So I feel like that it is probably just on
her because without it, I probably, you know, it probably
be a little more difficult.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I need a schedule. I'm
a scheduled person. I'm like, okay, this this, and then
that allows me to like mentally comprehend, like then I
don't get overwhelmed about it. I've heard this on these
days thinking about outside of basketball, what things do you
feel like you're really passionate about that you may want
to invest in one day possibly.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Oh man, I actually had this conversation like a week ago.
I would love to do something around modeling. I don't
know how to. I'm like, how should I post?
Speaker 3 (39:20):
Like?
Speaker 1 (39:20):
I feel like I'm awkward. I'm more of a like
off guard type of girl. It's just like I've always
been told I have a nice smile. It's probably corny,
but I've been told I have nice slips. So I'm thinking, humh,
maybe I could do something like Coldgate or like these
Brent like Mary King lip gloss of stuff, stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
So no, I like that. Yeah, okay, yeah, we got
to reach out Coldgate anything, get us some toothpaste.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
I got a mean their smile around here.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Oh jesus. Okay. So moving on, moving on to your
senior season, big stuff coming up. What do you feel
like is the biggest piece of your that you really
focus on this offseason that you're looking forward to showing
people like, Okay, this is something I've added to my
bag talking about being being a three level score. What
are you most excited to show?
Speaker 1 (40:11):
So last year I had to be point guard for
most of the season. Obviously do that Zoe, but she
was a freshman, so you know, sometimes she played the wings,
sometimes she come off the bench. But this year, now
that she's a sophomore and she you know, has a
freshman under her. But I'm going to the wing and
I'm leaving it all in her his So yeah, I
would score a little more, you know what I'm saying.
So I think I've been working on more of a
(40:32):
mental shift, not really you know, physically, you know, obviously
I've been getting the gym, but just saying I'm going
to get to my spots. I'm going to get there,
I'm gonna score, I'm gonna do whatever I do to
get here. So I think I'm ready to displayed just
that mentality switch that I can score when I want to,
because people always tell me that I can't. Oh Night,
like you could have went past her if you wanted to,
and I'm just like, I don't know, I just rather
(40:53):
pass it. But this year I'm excited that I've had
a mental switch and yeah, I'm gonna get to my
spots whenever I want to.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Oh I like that. All right, we're calling out assertive,
aggressive getting to your spots. I'm just starting to see it.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
I'm gonna get there.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
If it's not happening, you're gonna get a DM. Say
so Snaya pull up the clip from the pod and
I was just say, what do we do? Where did
this go? Yes?
Speaker 3 (41:16):
I can yeah, yeah, exactly yeah, hold me account.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Talking about Zoe. We talked about Azia earlier, giving some
of your teammates and flowers here as I had an
amazing run last season, which I feel like really put
her on the map where she should have been before.
But I feel like that run that she had where
it was twenty ball out to twenty ball on the
biggest of stages, and she continued to rise the occasion
going to the dog class with you, What is so
(41:41):
special about her? And what do you love about playing
with her? God, it's crazy because I did not get
to play with Zaza.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
I feel like I didn't play with her this much
when I first got here my sophomore year. I feel
like she should have played more, but you know, we
had other people that were here, so you know, she
obviously had to come off the bench whatever. But playing
with us side this year or this past season, it
was amazing. Like I feel like we really jailed, like ridiculously,
like definitely the best backcourt duo. I would say, like
(42:10):
we got out in transition, I would hit her when
she's hot. I just feel like our and she was
just there, but her personally, like I feel like her
mentality has changed. I feel like she was just playing free.
She was worried free, she didn't care. She just let
everything on the court go and she did that. She
got to her spots. So the mentality that she had
last season, that's the mentality I'm trying to have this season.
(42:31):
She definitely killed. We fed her confidence. I feel like
that's a big thing and she definitely displayed it well.
So we need those fous to come back this season.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
If we need to repeat that, keep that well. And
so you talked about the backcourt due of you guys,
which is definitely one of the best in the country,
and so let's take you guys out of the ranking.
The thing about other backcourt due is that we got
going on. We got Rory Harmon, Madison Booker at Texas
page with KK and Azy both of them, of Miles
(43:00):
and hand Hidalgo, those are kind of the main three
duels I'm thinking about. I'm sure I'm missing some with
Baylor and USC butt out of those three, How do
you actually I want to keep you guys in the mix.
How do you feel like those three backcourt deals kind
of match up to you? Guys? What are the rankings
that we have going on?
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (43:17):
Man, what those are some tough backcourt duos. Okay, let
me see taking us out. I'm gonna take us out.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Yeah, okay, let's slide y'all out of the picture. We
already know in your head where y'all are landing. I
got you.
Speaker 3 (43:30):
I started thinking about some other ones. Who are the
ones you said again?
Speaker 2 (43:33):
I want to got Rory in Madison at Texas, page
KK and As at Yukon Olivia and Hannatt Notre Dame.
What are some other ones that you're thinking of?
Speaker 3 (43:42):
I automatically thought of Raping and Malaysia.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Oh yeah, yeah, I definitely should say.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
You know, we just played them. That's what I obviously
about it.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
I got you. That's a good one.
Speaker 3 (43:52):
The definitely plenty.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
But Rory Booker, oh god, Booker was already tough. Ye
just I'm excited to see her. I think they're gonna
be a tough.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
Duore, gonna be tough. I don't know if we can
rank them, but they're all gonna be good.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
I can't rank those. I'm gonna lie yeah, yeah, all right,
They're always going to do their.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
Thing, yeah every game. Now, I can't rank those. I'm
core excited to see all of them play. Everybody's amazing.
Share the letter. But just like even with the backward
does that we talked about, just across the board, the
college landscape is overflowing with talent. I feel like, especially
this year with the incoming freshmen, to people still taking
their COVID years, coming back for the final year of eligibility,
(44:37):
conference realignment, all the things. What about your team is
special that is going to make you guys stand out
compared to the rest of the talent out there.
Speaker 1 (44:47):
I've always said that we take pride in our transition game.
I feel like if we say that we're going to
score in transition, we're going to score. I feel like
we're unstopped on the transition.
Speaker 3 (44:56):
We're fast.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
I feel like all of us, for the most part,
can handle the ball, so it doesn't matter who gets
the rebound. We can all push it, we can all run,
and I feel like that's our bread and butter, so
we can get out in that.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
I think we'll be sad. I think we'll be good.
I'm excited to see it. You guys are quick, like
you talked about you kicking it up whatever. Maybe you
guys have a lot of ball handlers, which I feel
like is easy to get into that transition break. So
that that's exciting and that's the funnest way to play.
Who doesn't want to play in transition exactly?
Speaker 3 (45:23):
I don't want to set up for those players a
lot of the time. Let's get it and go.
Speaker 2 (45:26):
So yeah, yeah, I'm with you. Yeah, all right, Well,
moving into our last segment here, it's gonna it's called
the vibe check. It's rapid fire questions. So we have
some guests that are better than others. You're gonna be great.
You're gonna be great. Okay, here we go. I believe
in you. What's the drill you never want to see
on the practice plan?
Speaker 3 (45:44):
Oh, bullet layups?
Speaker 2 (45:45):
What's that? Full court layups?
Speaker 1 (45:47):
So you know it's full court layers. But you have
one of the baseline. You pass it to the side line.
They passed it back.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
Oh yeah, yeah, yes.
Speaker 1 (45:56):
But the reason I hate it is because I have PTSD. Listen,
but we missed it. One time by like two layups
and had to do it all over again. Didn't go
to the other side, so I got.
Speaker 2 (46:08):
Oh god, I get that. That's the worst. You're gonna
maybe redo it and then still do the other side. No,
you got me messed up. That's crazy. Okay, game winning
shot or game winning block, game winning block for sure? Okay,
and one a three pointer and one got a flex
(46:30):
on them with you you off the court, go to
sneaker probably okay, a classic, definitely group TikTok or solo
TikTok solo. Everybody might not be on be Yeah, maybe
taking so long to pick up the dances that I
already know, Like, what are you doing? Literally, this is
(46:52):
not an amateur hour right now? Lock in Okay, toughest
place to play on.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
The road, Oh, U n C or Virginia Tech.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Oh yeah, Virginia Tech. We getting loud, especially with Kittlee
and Georgia and all them there.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
Most of them about like one point because their fans
got them back in that game.
Speaker 2 (47:09):
I remember Cray all right, he's the biggest trash talker.
It could be anybody that you've played against that, oh,
that I've played against. Yeah, like in college on your
team something like that.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
I haven't really experienced a whole lot of trash talk
towards Okay, I've heard it then here okay, but if
I had to pick, i'd have to say I said, Angel,
I love you.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
Yeah, that's it up. So it's like, all right here whatever.
You can't argue too much. Okay. Who is the hardest
player you've had to guard? Oh my god, the age
of Kaitlyn Clark. Two really good choices.
Speaker 3 (47:59):
Oh my god. Yeah, it's just so tough she is.
Speaker 2 (48:02):
Okay. Who's the biggest flopper you've ever played against?
Speaker 3 (48:05):
Flopper? Oh? What? Hold on?
Speaker 1 (48:08):
Because it's a couple. Oh listen, I'm sure it's because
we have to be Okay, I know that Caitlyn is
one of them. Okay, why are they not coming to me?
Speaker 3 (48:20):
Oh my god? You know what, belive it? And Caitlin
she always and she gets the calls to she gets them.
Speaker 2 (48:27):
Okay, what is your biggest basketball egg? I'm sure I
have a couple of these too. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:35):
I don't like when refs make me take out my
jewelry because if I want this to get ripped off and.
Speaker 2 (48:40):
Not have no eyebrow'll let that be up.
Speaker 1 (48:42):
To me, Yeah, I don't like that, and I didn't
because I didn't like how they didn't hand the hidago.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
Did you say that stood out for so long that
the whole.
Speaker 1 (48:51):
Quarter because it made her take out? Yeah, I didn't
like that. I know people I guess like the extra
Roald sorts.
Speaker 2 (48:57):
But I love I.
Speaker 3 (48:58):
Love who I love them, but.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
So crazy, But I think those are a good time too.
I'm rich. Who is your basketball goat?
Speaker 3 (49:13):
I've never been access before really never.
Speaker 2 (49:17):
Okay, you can have like you can have your female
and male, or you can just say you're overall basketball goat.
Like for me growing up, I was a big Tamika
catchings and big buy more so, like those are my
two kind of like ask icons, do you have a
male one? I'm about to say I'm the question lady
(49:37):
over here by you flip flip from the script. It's crazy.
I'm a Lebron person. I am. I just think the
longevity of the career, the skill, everything, just how dominant
and how he makes the players around him so much better.
I'm a Lebron man.
Speaker 3 (49:55):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
I'm gonna say Steph is my goat, Like that's big
Lebron's I.
Speaker 3 (50:02):
Respect this game for sure, but yeah, definitely more.
Speaker 2 (50:05):
Okay, it's actually first, I didn't watch a whole lot
of basketball growing up, so these are probably like fresher ones. Okay,
that's fine.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
I want to say Asia like she inspires me, like
Asia top five. I love Chelsea Grey f Yeah, oh
my goodness, I love mine more so. I love watching
her clips all the time. And then I'm having to go.
I can't say Kelsey, that's too easy. I'm setting it
to Leslie.
Speaker 2 (50:36):
Okay, picks no missus for sure. I like that. I
like the show. People. It's okay, it's fine. Okay, you
had to pick someone to be your two on two teammates,
but you can't pick any of your current teammates. But
(50:56):
it could be anybody. It could be pro, it could
be a college player. Who are you picking? Half court? Yes,
half full court? You're crazy.
Speaker 1 (51:09):
Because I was host, But I was gonna say, if
they have to keep running, that's not gonna work, So
I'm gonna I'm gonna.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
Okay, solid obviously, solid choice. Okay, what's your favorite pregame
hype song?
Speaker 1 (51:23):
Oh, I'm an R and B person, like I love listening.
I am there for you.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
Yeah, you too.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
Yeah, I'm just gonna pick a genre. I like listening
to R and B before the game. I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (51:39):
I'm a big R and B girly. I'm also a
big gospel girly before game, so some Kirk Franklin, I'm
singing some love theory before the game. Relody is from Heaven.
I'm good with literally literally yeah, okay. And then my
last rapid fire for you is, what's your best impression
of coach Wes Moore.
Speaker 3 (51:59):
I'm not. There's no way I'm getting up and embarrassing
myself like that.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Please do give me. Give me a line that he
says to you all the time.
Speaker 1 (52:08):
He'll be like, suck and okay, matter of fact, story
time since the last record, please do, please do.
Speaker 2 (52:13):
My first year here, he sucked me out.
Speaker 1 (52:17):
I don't remember what I did wrong. He He's just like,
just suck. And I was just like he said I suck.
I was like, I was like, what did he say?
And then I had to ask the coaches because I
was stuck on the fact that my coaches said I
suck and.
Speaker 2 (52:30):
What I was like what?
Speaker 1 (52:31):
But then the coaches and like the players that have
been there explaining me that he was saying sock, and
really it's just like he's kind of country, so it's
kind of just like dang it, or just like, man
like what happened something like that. It says sock, and
I'm just like, what is a sock? I guess it's
actually hilarious.
Speaker 2 (52:48):
As long as it's not about you, it's hilarious. Yeah.
I feel like as long as I'm not receiving, it's
very funny. I love it. This has been such pleasure
you will be receiving for me if I'm not seeing
you out there assertive, getting buckets all the things. But
I am so excited to watch you this season and
to continued growth that you're gonna have hopefully another Final
(53:10):
Four run, unless it means beating Stanford, So rooting for
you besides that game. But thank you so much for
coming on to now. This has been so great.
Speaker 3 (53:19):
For sure, I appreciate having me. Thank you, of.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
Course, and thank you everybody for listening. Stay tuned for
more episodes of Sometimes I Hope the Players Tribute dot
(53:46):
Com
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