Best Of Query & Company - Friday 9/26/25

Today’s Best of Features:

(00:00-16:06) – Kyle Neddenriep from the IndyStar joins the show to preview tonight’s slate of high school football games, explains where he has seen high school football change the most over the course of his seventeen years covering it in the state, reveals which quarterback has stood out the most to him this season, and shares what he knows right now on how the one-time transfer eligibility rule change could look after the football season.

(16:06-40:13) – Former NFL Quarterback Jeff George joins Jake Query to kick of the second hour of the show to discuss what he has seen from the Indianapolis Colts through three weeks, highlights why he believes Daniel Jones has been able to revitalize his career with Shane Steichen, admits that he still believes in Anthony Richardson to become an NFL quarterback, and the mindset as a former player going from one franchise to another and having immediate success.

(40:13-56:46) – Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White joins the program and starts her conversation with Jake Query by discussing the loss of Nancy Leonard. Jake asks Stephanie about the difference between game one and two in the energy level of both teams, how her relationship with Kelsey Mitchell has grown throughout the season, explains how she has grown as a coach from her first stint with the Fever to now, and shares what she wants to see from her team tonight in game three against Las Vegas.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know. It took a second when that started. I
couldn't remember what song this was, and I said, Eddie,
what is this? And he said all the Lights with
Kanye and I'm like, yeah, that's right, it's Friday night lights.
And then I realized that I felt completely clueless by
asking exactly that.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Speaking of lost and clueless, so we bring on Kyle
Needdrip from the n Star.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
That's exactly correct, Kyle Nedrip joining us now from the
Indianapolis Star. He will have all of your high school
football coverage tonight. Kyle, how are you doing well?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
How are you Jake?

Speaker 1 (00:26):
You know, man, I love it, and I'll tell you this.
It always takes me a couple of weeks to really
kick into gear in terms of my thought process of
high school football because when it's really hot out, it
doesn't feel like football season, right, and then obviously we're
kind of in that transitional period. But tonight looks like, honest,
no matter where you live, no matter where you live,

(00:50):
if you have a free night tonight and you've got
a couple of bucks in your pocket and it doesn't
take many of them, you should go out to a
high school football game. Because the weather tonight is going
to be absolutely perfect and there's some big games, right.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, absolutely, and we've been lucky this year. I think
last week was probably the hottest week we've had on
a Friday night, and it wasn't. It was a little steamy,
but not terrible. But usually you know, those first couple
of weeks are can be pretty brutal. So it's been
a good knocking on wood here, but a great weather
season so far. So and another one on like you said,
on tap for tonight, Yeah, we've got I'm gonna be

(01:24):
at Decatur Central. The Hawks play Playfield, which is Plainfield
is number three in five A and feed it up
to this point. So that's a big mid state game.
Brownsburg and Westfield the rematch of the state finals last
year in six A up at Westfield tonight. That'll be
a really good one. And then Indian Creek is at

(01:44):
Try West and Try West as Jack Sorgie who is
coming into Louisville, and I think that'll be a potential
for a really good game as well. But those are
those are just a few. There's a lot of good
ones tonight on the on the schedule as we get
ever closer to the sectional.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Drag in a couple weeks, which is hard to believe,
right that we're closer and closer to that. But let
me let let's begin with this. You know, the Colts,
for example, are three and zero, okay, And you know,
last night I'm watching Seattle. Seattle goes to three and one.
I'm like, wow, that's kind of a surprise. I don't
think people thought Seattle would be where they are at
this point in the year. From a high school football standpoint,
tip the cap for me, if you could kyle to

(02:22):
a school that when you look at what they've done
so far, you say to yourself, you know what, give
them credit. I don't know how long this will last,
but they're off to a good start and they probably
have exceeded expectation.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, and I think by this point in the year,
you have pretty good sample size of what that team's about,
you know. And I think there are a few of
those out there, you know, and one, you know, one
we've talked about is is Carmel. I don't know that
you can put them in a surprise category necessarily, but
I think they had just the way they've played so
far and how they have, you know, come out, you know,

(02:56):
they won three games last year. You know that's the
another reason for that. There were you know, injuries and
you know, probably games that they could have won didn't.
But man, I mean to see them kind of hit
the ground running. Their only losses to Louisville Trinity, which
is not ranked number one in Kentucky in six A.
So you know they're they're a team I think that
you know, may fit that you know, fit that mold

(03:18):
a little bit. Another one I would say, in my
opinion if you're tipping your cap to somebody, is definitely
Pelton Heights there. You know, I know they lost last
week the New pal That loss doesn't you know, mean
any It's not going to mean anything towards their tournament
success necessarily. But you know they're four and one. They
were a six and sixteen last year, and you know,

(03:40):
I think they're going to be a team to watch,
and maybe it's flying a little bit under the radar, right. Yeah,
they play Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon's having a tough season
so far. You know, I don't know that that'll be
a you know that that's may not be a blowout
type game necessarily though, because Mount Vernon does have you know,
talented players also, but I think that's you know, the
job Jed Richmond's done there this year and and really

(04:03):
throughout his tenures. They've had some good teams, you know,
throughout his tenure there. But this could be a team
they haven't been to a you know, they haven't won
a sectional since twenty eleven. I think this is a
team maybe you know, you're looking at who they play
in the sectional, who they potentially could play, and there's
definitely a path for them to get through their Yorktown's good.

(04:24):
You know, Greenfield Central is still still a tough team.
You know, Beach Grove has had some good wins early
in the year. But I think that's a team that
you know, maybe we're not talking about enough or you
know that that maybe just flying a little bit under
the radar. And again they lost pretty badly to New
pal last week. But but everyone's doing that, you know,
this year. So but I would I would say them,

(04:45):
you know, a couple of Indian Creeks another one they're
four and one Lapal may fit that and also Avon
I think too that you know, the start that they've
got off to maybe another one who probably fits that category.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
You mentioned New pal By the way they are at
Greenfield Central tonight. You know a lot of big games
around the area of Noblesville, Franklin Central. We mentioned Carmel
and North Central. I'm curious of this, Kyle, and I
know that we have discussed with you before, and so
I apologize for asking this again. I believe you told
me this is season sixteen or seventeen. For you, I'm

(05:18):
going off the top of my head, is that right?

Speaker 2 (05:19):
I actually think it's eighteen, though for me, yeah, I
have to actually do the math on that.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
The next time I ask, it'll be nineteen because I'm
always like here one or too short. But the reason
I ask it I'm curious of this, And I don't
mean necessarily in terms of the passion for it, because
I think that's been there all the way through, but
stylistically speaking, or even just in quality of play from
the time that you arrived in Indiana now working through

(05:46):
the you know, nearly two decades of covering high school football,
how has high school football in Central Indiana grown or
changed in the time that you've been here.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
To be honest, the biggest changes I've seen in my
time is the talent, probably at the skill position, and
not that there wasn't that before, but it's I think
it's used differently now because more of the five A,
six A and even the smaller schools are are predominantly
running you know, shotguns spread offenses, and you know that's

(06:18):
not something even when I first started here, you know
that that that was necessarily the case. You know, there's
some teams that did it, and it kind of became
more you know, popularized by what the college game was doing,
which I think translates more to you know, what high
schools do than the NFL does, for sure, and the
NFL has even gone to more of that in recent years.

(06:38):
So I think that's to me, that's the biggest difference.
And now you will see and I will I'll have
a story coming on a kid next week from a
school that kind of kind of is more old school
in their approach, and it was fun to go watch them.
I won't say who it is yet, just to but
it was fun to go watch them practice just because
it was more of an old school style of game.

(07:00):
But but I think just the you know, in the
off season stuff and what the quarterbacks do, the quarterback
play is just it's really a high level even when
you come into high school. Now, I think it's almost
expected of you, where I don't know that that was
Powys the case or you know, has been the case.
But I think there's just a lot of things done.
And you know, the good thing about football, you know,

(07:22):
in my opinion, is there's you know, you can't necessarily
play year round football, you know, so you do have
some offseason, you do have some you know, most football
coaches will support, you know, their kids playing another sport.
A lot of times that's track, which fits well with
football or wrestling, you know, maybe both. So you know,
I think that's a good thing about football. But also

(07:43):
you do see I think the skill position players doing
other things that maybe have them. And also you can
practice more now too in the in the off season
with your high school. So I think just the overall
skill level of the quarterbacks, the skill position players, and
just the predominance and the defenses are better too. So
it's harder just to line up with NYE formation and

(08:05):
run unless you're just so dominant that you can do
that than it used to be. So there's a lot
of I think a lot more tactical things that are
different and also just the you know, the skill of
the players I think is just better than it used
to be.

Speaker 1 (08:18):
Kyle, when you look around the area. Let's go to
the quarterback position. Okay, I do think that that has
become a more cerebral position. It's always required to be
a cerebral position, right, but I think it's become more
understanding and more in vogue for players at a younger
age to be able to look at defenses and process

(08:38):
and know playbooks and you know, the things that you see,
the Mannings and the Brady's. I think that influence has
trickled down now to the high school level where by
the time a kid's playing as a varsity player, he
has known those are the things, those are the skills
that he's going to have to master. So with that
all said, can you give me a quarterback in the area,

(09:00):
no disrespect to others, but a player that when you
watched him, you just said to yourself, that's a guy
that just looks like he was he was born to
be a quarterback. He's got the size, he clearly can process,
he's he has shown a comfort level in the pocket,
and just an understanding. Any of them from around the
area that jump out at you when I when I

(09:21):
use that disclaimer, well.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
When you say it that way, there's one for sure.
And he's the quarterback of Brownsburg Oscar Fry, who was
you know, he was the starter last year that he
did share time a little bit with Goo Suis Stevens,
but he he was kind of the guy at a
sophomore even and now watching him as a junior last
week was the first time I've seen Brownsburg play in

(09:43):
person this year. And you know, they ran the ball
really well against Fishers, but I just did the and
he even had this last year as a sophomore, but
even more so now. But his his awareness, his ability
to you know, to to read what's about to happen
to you know, hey, we need to hurry up and
get this playoff before the quarter and he's in top

(10:04):
he's on top of it. You know, just those sorts
of things that you know, those are things that you
watch on you know, Saturdays and Sundays that that most quarterbacks,
because they're in that position, handle that stuff really well.
You don't always see that at high school or you
don't see you know, coaches maybe give their quarterback always
you know, they won't put too much on their plate
obviously as a high school kid. But he's the one

(10:24):
that I think he's just really cerebral. He's physically talented too.
I mean, he's got Division one offers and you know
he's only a junior, but ye know, he's one that
you know, because I just saw him play and just
because I think he's that way anyway, his footwork and stuff,
and he moves around the pocket. He's not he's not
a super mobile quarterback, but but he's just really you know,

(10:46):
kind of the way you described that, he really fits
that bill, I think. And yeah, he looks like he's
been and when you talk to him, it's another thing.
He really comes off like he's been NFL quarterback. You know,
when you talk to him, he's just very, uh, very polished,
very you know, respectful of his teammates and the opponents
and those sort of things. So I think he's one

(11:07):
that definitely fits that category.

Speaker 1 (11:10):
By the way, one of the schools that I mentioned
each and every week when we have on Kyle Neednrip
from the Indian Apostar Crystal House tonight taking on short Ridge.
This is a battle of two teams. The last two years,
I believe that we have kind of talked up on
this particular radio show.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
Kyle.

Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, short Ridge coach by Ron Clalls now and if
you remember, he used to coach at the Heritage Christian
and he's had obviously a lot of success overall in
his career. But you know they in Shortridge, I say,
while we're talking about they have a running back named
Thomas Campbell, had a really good year last year. He's
off to a really good start again this year and

(11:44):
they've got back to back wins and now so building
up a little bit of a momentum. And they'll play
after they played Crystal House this week, they play Addicts
next week. And we covered Adicts' game last week. They're
very talented teams. So yeah, that could be a game
to highlight next week Short Origin Addicts.

Speaker 4 (12:01):
Kyle, As we approached the halfway point of the high
school football season, I know, leading up to the start
of the athletic calendar year, the I say votes on
different rules, the Institute of the one time Transfer Rule have.
Now that the high school football season is coming to
a close rapidly quickly, have you been able to talk
to any coaches, athletic trainers or any the school officials
on what to expect, because I would assume that most

(12:24):
of these student athletes that you will see enter the
quote unquote transfer portal are going to be for your
big time sports, mainly basketball and football.

Speaker 3 (12:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
I mean we've we've there's a lot of we did
it coaches confidential before the season, where he kind of
we're able to give coaches, you know, confidential, they can
say what they want, We're not going to name them.
And that was one of the topics we brought up,
was the transfer, the one time transfer. You know, I
do think there are good restrictions in place. You know,

(12:54):
there's been some you know, this senior class kind of
gets in the cott in the middle of it all.
You know, they're they're you know, they weren't able to
really utilize this new change because they're seniors. So there's
been some I think some you know, frustration over that
part of it. But I think as we move forward,
it's it's actually going to be a little bit more
black and white than the old rule was. Hopefully, you know,

(13:17):
as people kind of understand it better and what you're
allowed to and not allowed to do, you know. And
the good thing I think is you know, it's a
one time transfer, you know, so if you're transferring multiple times,
it kind of reverts back to the old rules, so
you're not you know, able to just kind of bounce
here and there, depending on what the circumstances are in
your life. I think there's some there's some you know,

(13:41):
lessening of restrictions based on what exactly the scenario is
for that individual. But but yeah, I mean, I think
everybody's still kind of wrapping their arms around it a
little bit or understanding what exactly it is. But we
have seen, you know, as you go through some of
these teams, like you know, and a lot of it
is younger kids as freshmen sophomores who move so they're
not even you know, sometimes even on our radar that

(14:03):
much yet they may not eve even played varsity sports,
and they may be going to a smaller school from
a bigger school they weren't playing. Uh So there's been
some of that too, So it's hard to hard to
know exactly how it's been so early still in that process.
So but I think we'll, you know, it's definitely gonna
be a factor. And I think as you know, I

(14:23):
think as people kind of understand what it is a
little bit more now, you know, we'll we'll I don't
know if we'll see more of it, but I think
it will definitely be part of you know, definitely just
part of the experience.

Speaker 1 (14:34):
Now. Coaches Confidential sounds like a show I would have
tried to catch Late Night on HBO back in the days,
you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, we had some great we had some great answers
on that actually, and a lot of you know, the
problem I think is that, you know, there's a lot
of things that you know, kunt is, undue influence or
recruiting that you're not allowed to do. And I think
people at first maybe thought, well, yeah, we can now
recruit players. Well you can't. You can't just go out
and recruit players from another team. That's still not legal. So, uh,

(15:05):
there are some you know that that's some of the
issues that the coaches talked about.

Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, it's pretty gray, right, you know what I mean exactly?

Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah, And I think you still need to have those
guard rails. You don't just want you know, you don't
just want coaches going out and you know, recruiting your
players to and making you promises and things like that.
I don't think that's uh, that's not what this was
intended to be.

Speaker 1 (15:27):
So Decatur Central where you are tonight?

Speaker 2 (15:29):
Correct, Yes, I'll be at the cat looking forward to
it and seeing I haven't seen either of these teams
in person yet, so looking forward to this game tonight.
I think it's gonna be high scoring. Yeah, I think
it will be. I think it'll be a fun game.

Speaker 1 (15:42):
Playing field and Decatur Central aed DC. And be sure
look for the Eddie Garrison statue on your way in.
That's right, yes, exactly, so you'll know the statue. It's
the one with forty six pounds of bronze in the
head area and then six gold chains. That's the statue
that Teddy Garrison. Kyle appreciate it as always.

Speaker 3 (16:00):
Man.

Speaker 1 (16:00):
We'll talk to you next week, all right, guys, Thank
you Kyle Needdenrip joining us on the program. I don't
know this. I don't know this, but I suspect it.
I suspect that there was a time that this song
was blaring out of a tape deck on some car
rolling into the parking lot at Washington Square on the

(16:22):
way to get a hot Sam back in about nineteen
eighty three or eighty four, and Jeff George was driving
listening to Journey after a Warren Central football practice and
getting himself a pretzel before going home to watch Andy
Griffith and Warren tape. That's my guess. He joins us
now on the program, the former Cult of Course Illinois
and Warren Central quarterback Jeff George joining us. Jeff, how

(16:43):
are you good, Jake?

Speaker 3 (16:45):
How you doing?

Speaker 1 (16:46):
I'm good? Is that an accurate description, by the way
that Journey might have played at Washington Square back in
the day.

Speaker 3 (16:52):
I mean that's pretty accurate. He know me too well.
But I mean it's still to this day that.

Speaker 1 (17:02):
You were like, wait, what are you talking about? Back
in Washington Square back.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
In the day. That's still happening. I could go by
there and wondering where it's at. Where's Eastgate at? You
know it's Glendale. I miss all those days going to
hot Stand. How any that that does bring back memories?
And uh, what was that that story you always went
in and you you saw the posters and you're going
through the posters and oh, Spencer gifts Spencer.

Speaker 1 (17:25):
Yeah, yeah, if you were lucky, there was a heather
Locklayer poster that just got released, right those are the
glory days. Hey, Joe, listen, I wanted to ask you,
I appreciate the time coming on, you know, first and
foremost before we get into because there was a specific
thing that I thought you'd be able to add, you
know more than anybody in this town actually an expertise

(17:48):
on it. But I know you watch football. I know
you spend a lot of time watching it. So let's
begin with just simply your thoughts so far on what
you've seen from the Colts at being at three and
oh and what's jumped out at.

Speaker 3 (17:58):
You who I you know, obviously the main player that's
jumped out as Daniel Jones. You know that's you know,
without his play and without what he brings the to
the offense and to the team, the leadership, I'm not
sure that they would be there. Although I'm a big
ar fan. I think he's got, you know, a lot

(18:21):
of upside to him. But in this system and this
with this coaching staff, UH, with this UH type of offense,
I think it's a perfect fit for for what Styching
and UH the Colts want to accomplish. So I mean
it's exciting. Everybody's excited around here, especially with that for
the Paincers and all the success that they've had, and

(18:43):
you know, the city hungry to see the Colts uh
be successful again, and uh, you know what a great
start they're on and and uh, you know, I think
it all begins with the quarterback play.

Speaker 1 (18:53):
You know, So let's go back to this. And and
I've talked untill I'm blue in the face about some
of the challenges that were presented to you when you
were drafted by the Colts, and you know, we don't
need to go over that. I think most people know
that just in terms of different offensive coordinators and different
players you had around you and lack of protection. But
you know, in the four years that you were here,

(19:16):
your highest yardage passing was twenty nine hundred yards. Twenty
nine hundred and ten yards you had in a year.
And then you go to Atlanta and you take off,
and you go to Atlanta and you throw for thirty
seven hundred yards in year one, you go over four
thousand yards in year two. You combine for forty seven
touchdowns in those first two years? What was it? Jeff?
And the reason I ask is because what's fascinating to

(19:38):
me is to look at Daniel Jones and to say, Okay,
maybe he didn't get the footing that he needed in
New York, but clearly in Indianapolis so far, there is
a comfort level there and there is just maybe a
lack of pressure that allowed him to flourish. What was
it about just a new start for you or for

(19:59):
any quarterback that can be beneficial that allows you to
really kind of take off and spread your wings a
little bit.

Speaker 3 (20:07):
Well, I think the main thing is to find a situation,
a team of coaching staff that that believes in you.
The type of system that they run here it fits
his style play. They give the quarterback a lot of
freedom at the line of scrimmage, and you have to
be smart enough to understand coverages and fronts, and you know,

(20:30):
you have to know your offense like the back of
your hand. You just have to be a coach out
there playing. And what they allow him to do is
what he's probably been doing, especially when he was back
in college at Duke. I remember Washington playing college. My
oldest son played at Pitt at the time, and it
was a downpour rain and it was just miserable. And

(20:51):
he comes out and he throws for four point fifty
I think, and four or five touchdowns and had a
couple of rushing touchdowns. And at that time, I remember
telling my oldest son, uh, Jeff Junior, that I go,
this guy's pretty good. I mean, you're gonna hear a
lot from him. He's gonna be a you know, a
first round pick. And uh, you know, I thought he
was great in college. So when the Giants picked him,

(21:12):
you know, I thought it was a great pick. But
a lot of times that that doesn't me and you're
gonna have great success at that team that picked you.
So like in my for me example, coming to Indianapolis,
it was great to come back home play in front
of family and friends and hometown and all that. But
was it the right fit for me at the time, No,

(21:33):
it wasn't. It would have been nice to be able
to maybe play in the league for four or five
years and have success and if it didn't work out
as a team. I was that before to come back
to Indianapolis when they were good and uh, and you know,
finish my career out at that time. But you know,
you need a lot of luck and a lot of uh,
you know, things just need to go your way. And

(21:54):
when he was in New York, it just you know,
with a new coach, coaches coming in, coming out and
trying to place you know, future Hall of Famer and
Eli having to deal with all that. It was just
it was just too much. And you know, I'm not
sure anybody would win in that situation and been successful.
You know, he had a running back at the time,
Sir Kwon Markley, that was unhappy and wanted out. And

(22:17):
you know there's a reason why players won out of
a situation. Uh, you know, they know it's not good.
So when you have a franchise player like your running
back that is all world and he wants out of
New York, uh, you know, there's there's something to be
said about that. So I just don't think it was
made for him to be very successful in New York.
And he just, you know, he's fortunate to be able
to get out of there and get a fresh start

(22:38):
coming to Indianapolis. Media is not as big as as
it is there, and you know it's uh, he can
just pretty much breathe and be himself and be that
same kind of player that he was at college at
Duke and uh, and that's kind of what you're seeing.
He's running around making plays with his legs. He's showing
his A flakeability. He's smart, he's making checks at the
line of scrimmage, he's got a strong arm, teammates loving,

(23:01):
and you know, a guy like that, you know can't
help but be successful. So you know, I'm happy for Hims.
I've been there, like you said, and you see guys
like that, good people become successful and you can't help
but be happy for.

Speaker 1 (23:13):
Him when you go Jeff, Jeff, George is our guest,
like for example, and I've always said this. Oftentimes players
I think get unfairly judged based on how and where
they were acquired. So in other words, when you were
in Atlanta, and I say this only because again it's
kind of analogous to the situation that Daniel Jones maybe
going through. There was so much pressure on you in

(23:35):
Indianapolis because you were the number one player taken in
the draft and obviously your background in the city itself.
But when you went to Atlanta, do you think that
part of why you were able to really flourish was
because just that microscope was off a little bit, And
maybe Daniel Jones feels that same way, like you talked
about of you know, there's a difference in terms of

(23:56):
what was invested in Daniel Jones by Indianapolis, and therefore
he doesn't have that pressure bearing him down. That would
be tough for anybody. Is there some truth to that?

Speaker 3 (24:06):
There there's a lot of truth to that and and
and what he brings to It's not like he's he's, uh,
you know, first second year guy. He's a he's an
experienced veteran that understands that's been through all the every
situation you can go through as a quarterback, not just football,
but off the field as well. You know, when you
tend to when you don't have success early on, you
you really tend to isolate yourself. You know, it's not

(24:30):
just football. You you worry about where you're going. You know,
people just look at you different. Heck, your teammates even
look at you different because what the media and everybody
puts out there and says about you, it's totally not true.
But when they read that, you know, other people just
they you know, they believe that. So you kind of
like carry yourself a little bit in the facility, carry
yourself a little bit different. You're thinking, man, is this

(24:51):
you know, does my teammate believe in me to do
my coaches believe in me, does the ownership believe in me?
And I would imagine he felt that way in New York,
and you know I felt that way as well. But
you know, the main thing is he's a confident guy.
He's had success in college. He knows how good he is.
He you know, he has all the the ability in
the world, you know, like I said, not just passing

(25:12):
the ball, but he has the mental part of it
that you need to to be a great quarterback. And
and he can run. You know, he's mobile and man,
some of the plays that you've seen that you've see
him make is uh is uh. You know some of
the best that you know, the best guy's doing at
that level. So you know when whenever you go out
and you uh the first I mean game three games

(25:34):
they played and you were the first two games that
you never saw the punter on the field, that's pretty incredible,
you know, to to go down there, and I believe
that's what the record with it, the punter never played
right on that.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
Yeah, two games didn't put and then they scored on
their first ten possessions. I think something like that or
ten straight. I should say, Yeah, I mean that.

Speaker 3 (25:51):
Yeah, I mean it's hard to score points in the NFL.
So so when you're doing that, you don't you don't
need your punter. Uh. That speaks a lot of what
your quarterback's doing on the field. He's doing something right
and whether you know it's a bad play and he
sees the blitz coming or he's changed the protection, just
knowing where everybody's down on the field, he's able to
do that. So that's that's always going to be be success.

(26:16):
So you know, I'm happy for him. I'm I'm happy
for the Colts. I'm happy for him and hopefully they
can continue what things.

Speaker 1 (26:23):
Jeff, you know, you hell, you would know this better
than anybody in town. I mean, you were a long
time starting quarterback in the National Football League. So when
you're watching a game, I'm imagining that you're watching it
through a different lens than say myself for most people.
When you first saw from Daniel Jones, you know, was
there anything that you saw out of him that and

(26:44):
I know you like Anthony Richardson that you were waiting
to see out of Anthony Richardson that told you right away, Okay,
he's comfortable here. This is going to work. What does
your trained I notice that perhaps the average person does not.

Speaker 3 (26:58):
Well, you just watch him how they uh you know,
they carry themselves in the huddle, how they walk up
to the line of scrimmage. What you're looking for your keys,
You're you're looking at the fafety, you're looking at the front.
You know, there's just so much you have to do
that's going through your mind, and the clock's going down ticking,
and you have to get the playoff at uh you know,
uh at a certain time. So yeah, it's just just

(27:20):
the way he handles himself out of the huddle is
excuse me, how my car went off? And you can
still hear me.

Speaker 1 (27:26):
Oh yeah, okay, sorry about that, that's right.

Speaker 3 (27:31):
So yeah, so just how he cares himself, you know,
he you can just tell he's in command of the offense,
and players looking in the eyes. You can see in
the eyes that you know, they're just looking and knowing
that he's in charge. And you know, if he says
if he makes a check, he knows the right check
and not that Anthony Richardson didn't do that. I mean,
I I see so much uh upside to him and

(27:51):
all the talent that he has, the arm strength and
obviously the running ability. I just don't think that that
he was coached right in the beginning, you know, whereas
Daniel Jones just came into the league, uh, you know,
just prepared, came from an offense to preparing every for
the NFL and uh, you know, and and aar just
I don't think got the coaching that that he really

(28:12):
needs to to develop into a great the great quarterback
that he can be. But man, there's just so much
upside the day. And you know it when you watch him,
and you know, even in his interviews, how he talks,
how he uh, he is always picking up his teammates,
always you know, giving credit to somebody else, and you know,
it's just a he's just a polished quarterback, not just

(28:34):
on the field but in in the media world. And
he just knows the right things to say and just
how he acts. And you know, I'm just impressed. I'm
impressed with the with the not just the football player,
but the but the person. Every time I hear him talk.

Speaker 1 (28:47):
Jeff, I don't think we've had a chance to talk
to you, certainly, you know, publicly since the unfortunate passing
of Jim Mersey and you know, I know everybody listening
to this show knows what Jim Mersey meant to this
town in terms of just his philanthropy and the different
things he was involved in. He also was a guy
that clearly was a huge believer in you the story,
you know, going back to when he came and watched

(29:08):
your work out of Illinois and said, we're gonna make
you the number one picking the draft. What was your
overall relationship with jim Irsay, and just obviously your thoughts
on the loss of Jim Irsay.

Speaker 3 (29:19):
It was tough, you know, just like everybody else, you
feel all the the stuff that he did for the city.
But my relationship with him was really good. You know,
I wish I've said it all along. He's probably the
best owner that I ever played for. I just didn't
get a chance to play for the owner that he became.
We all knew that he was he was going to

(29:40):
be great. He was a he loved the players. He
was always in the weight room lifting weights with everybody,
and I mean he was always praising, you know, whoever
he drafted. Yeah, he was a big fan of mine,
and it's just unfortunate that that I just wasn't able
to continue my career to play with him because he
was you know, I played for lot of owners, obviously,

(30:01):
but out of all the owners I played for, nobody
was better than Jim. So I just wish I could
have brought a lot more wins and a Super Bowl
or a championship to Indianapolis when I played, because he's
one of those owners that deserve it. He deserved more
than the one super Bowl that they won. With all
the talents that they had here and defense and all

(30:22):
the offensive players that they had. Uh, you know, they
kind of reminded me of the the Atlanta Braves back
when the Braves were good with all that pitching and
Glavin Maddox and all those smolts and having all the talent,
but only winning one World World championship. And it would
have been nice to have brought him more than one
one super Bowl because if there's any owner that deserved it,

(30:42):
it was him. And you know, we just weren't. We
just weren't very good. I've said this all and you
know I've talked about it. We were just in that
learning stage when I got here, and you know, we're
just both on offense and defense. We just were really
weren't that good and and you know you draft a
rookie quarterback, uh, you know, like myself, and we had

(31:03):
all the comments in the world. But you know, if
you don't have uh and I was part of it,
I'm not you know, blaming anybody else, but if you do,
if you don't have a team uh on both sides
of the ball and a team that uh, you know,
an organization with an owner, and we didn't. I didn't.
We didn't even have a GM at the time. So uh,
I mean it was Bob ur Say and Jim and
uh so we we we were learning as we went,

(31:25):
but uh, they got good and Jimmy was was one
of the best. And uh what a great family to
see his daughters out there, uh being involved as much
as they are. I love that. I love hands on owners,
having them on the on the sidelines, and having Jim
be a big part of them when he was there,
it just made you as a player feel good and
you just couldn't help but win.

Speaker 1 (31:45):
What is for any player, Jeff, you know, for being
Anthony Richardson be it what Daniel Jones had to in
New York. You know, Adie Mitchell, whoever it may be
when you get into the NFL, I'm in aside from
the obvious, which is the media, and as you know,
let's go back to it. I guess this way, when
you talk about just being a leader, being you know,

(32:05):
like Daniel Jones appears to kind of have kind of
the command in the presence of his teammates, is that
a learned skill? The guys just either have that or
they don't, or do you kind of learn it through experience?

Speaker 3 (32:19):
You know what? A little bit of both, you know,
the way you carry yourself as you knows leadership. But
you know I've said this, you know, I think I
said it last time we were on for a quarterback.
When you come into a system and from college to pros,
you need to have a young nucleus around you. You really
can't have a veteran dominated team because those guys just

(32:44):
look at you different. It's hard to lead as a
twenty two year old kid. It's hard to lead a
thirty two to thirty five year old guy and say, hey,
follow me. You know, I know, you know I know
what I'm doing. I you know we're gonna win. Just
follow me. I have the the map for that. Guys,
don't really buy in. They're like, yeah, okay, rookie, you
know you're you know twenty, Just sit tight, you know,

(33:07):
two three years down the line, you know what's uh,
let's figure this out. But if you got if you've
got a young group of an offensive line, receivers, you know,
defensive guys that are you know, two three year veterans,
and you're coming in as a rookie, it's easy to
lead those guys. It's easy for those guys to follow you.
It's easy. You know, come in there and you you
you you feel you you feel like this is really

(33:27):
my team. You're in the weight room and you know
if all these young guys you're you know, not just football,
but you do stuff off the field. You do you
know in the off season, you you go to all
the pacer games. You you go to dinners, you you
you go to bowling. You know, all guys have foundations nowadays,
and you know, you you do, you know a ton
of charity work together. You're it's not just the season

(33:49):
that you're together, it's the whole off season that you're
together as well as the season. And you know, that's
kind of how you just build the chemistry and you know,
that's the way it does in college, high school, college,
you kind of grew up together, you go through some
ups and downs, you win and lose together. But if
you're trying to lead a twenty two year old quarterbacks
trying to lead a thirty five year old guy, it's

(34:10):
kind of hard. And that's kind of what I felt
like my experience here in Indianapolis was I felt like
there just wasn't a lot of young guys that we
came in together, that we could grow together. We had
two or three guys, but we were a veteran dominated
team that you know, I felt like half the guys
came from Baltimore, and you know, I was watching them

(34:31):
play as a kid, and so it's just it's just
it's different. So to answer your question, I don't know
if I'm answering your question or not, but I think
it's easier for a guy like Daniel Jones to come in.
It's been around, it's played four or five years, it's
been those the ups and downs when he was in
New York because nobody faces that type of pressure in

(34:53):
New York, and then to be able to come to Indianapolis,
it really is it's it's pretty easy. I'm thinking I
would think he would say the same thing if New
York is nothing like Indianapolis and I can just go
out there and beat myself. I can go to dinner,
I can go to the grocery. I don't have to
go to the grocery at ten forty five at night
to get my to get milk and cereal or whatever.

(35:14):
You get to watch Andy Griffiths and those, but you know,
you can go at you know, at one o'clock in
the afternoon where people really they may know you, they
may not, but you know, it's just it's the little
things that you just kind of take for granted that
you can't do and in certain places that you can

(35:35):
do here in Eatianapolis. So I know that he feels comfortable,
and obviously his play is speaking for itself.

Speaker 1 (35:42):
Have you watched Ted Lasso, Jeff, I have not. Let
me tell you some Let me tell you something. Of
all people, Jeff George, of all people that I know,
needs to watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV more than
any person because it is basically twenty twenty five Andy Griffith.
It is Andy Griffith that we're the sports team. I'm

(36:02):
telling you right now. If you start watching Ted Lasso tonight,
you will have it done before the Colts kickoff on Sunday.
It's three seasons, and then you will say to me,
you were right. I mean it has it has that.
You know, Andy Griffith, there's something you can learn in
every episode. You know what I mean. There's just Andy
Griffith gives you a little wisdom in every episode. Right,
same thing, man, I'm telling you exact same thing. You

(36:24):
will absolutely love it. My last thing for you is this.
I know a lot of guys that played will have
up on their mantle the helmets of each team they
played for. In your case, it would be you know,
the Colts, the Falcons, the Raiders, the Seahawks, the Bears, Washington.
I might be I don't think I'm missing anybody there?

(36:45):
Did I miss anybody?

Speaker 3 (36:47):
Vikings?

Speaker 1 (36:48):
Vikings? I say, okay, Vikings as well. And then just
to the left of that you would have Illinois, Purdue
and Warren Central. When you look over all those helmets,
if you had to pick up one of them to
be able to put it on an instantly put yourself
back to when you played there, that brought you the
most joy. It would be which helmet.

Speaker 3 (37:06):
Uh you're not gonna believe this, but the Warren Tomahawks
before my fifth and sixth grade travel ball, Warren travel ball,
it's you're a kid. You're just out there. You're man.
I was, Uh, we were pretty good and UH played
with all the guys that I played with it in

(37:26):
high school. Obviously, I think whenever you ask a quarter
or ask a football player what was the best part
or best time in your life when you played football,
and every I think almost everybody would say high school
Friday night lines you that that that's the best. College
is great. You know, you're there for four years and
you know, but it's more of a you know, it's

(37:47):
just it's it's not high school. And then the pros.
It's a business, and you know, you have your ups
and downs, and you know, pros are great. NFL is awesome.
But for me when it all started, honestly, I mean
this sounds crazy, but I was a Warren tom Talk
in sixth grade and we went, you know, made it
to the final game. And you know, to this day,
you know, I can still remember every pass, every past

(38:09):
incomplete pass because we threw the ball a lot in
sixth grade and uh for me as well as high school.
Uh so answer your question my Warren Tomahawk helmet, which
I don't know where it is to this day, I
probably don't have it, but uh, the high school as well,
Warren Central put that helmet up there where all began,

(38:30):
where it was all innocent. You were just a kid,
and you just go out there and then you just
played with all your buddies that you grew up with,
playing out in the yard sideyard, backyard, you know, coming
in at ten eleven at night when it's you know,
mom's calling you to you know, hey, you got to
come on in and I give us five ten more minutes.
We're almost done. Uh you know what I'm talking about.
As we talk about just when it that's when, that's

(38:53):
when it it was. It was just fun.

Speaker 1 (38:56):
So who beat the Tomahawks? When you got to the final?
Who beat you.

Speaker 3 (39:01):
The Greenwood Wood Chuck? They came up with some double
a gap. It was like you know in the teens,
it was teens. I couldn't fill my hand. Lance Shyte's
dad was our coach. He's yelling at me, saying, you
got to hold all the ball, hold on the ball.
My hands are frozen. I couldn't, you know. I'm telling him,
let's try and run the ball a little bit. We're

(39:22):
throwing it forty to fifty times in the in the
ten degree weather, and I think we got beat like
I don't even think we scored like seven and nothing.
I believe it was. But they kept coming with a
blitz through double, a gap blitz. And you know, we're
a little sixth grades and we had no idea how
to pick it up. And I'm taking one step getting
hit and getting sacked and not really sure of thinking
to myself, man, maybe I need to play baseball, get

(39:44):
into baseball. So I think that's how I became good
in baseball, because I wasn't sure whether I liked football
or not because I got hit too much in little league.

Speaker 1 (39:52):
Damn those wood Chucks, That's all I gotta.

Speaker 3 (39:55):
Say, those darn Greenwood would checks.

Speaker 1 (39:57):
That's right. Jeff appreciated as always, man and great perspectives.
Appreciate it and look forward to talking to you again.

Speaker 3 (40:04):
Sound good, Jake, anytime.

Speaker 1 (40:06):
Thanks Jeff George joining us on the program, the former
Warren Tomahawk and Indianapolis Colt. I feel like we've regressed
in the musical selections, you know what I mean? Like,
I feel like we had this great common ground in
the beginning with acts, and then with each week the
music that that we've allowed coach Stephanie White to pick

(40:27):
for us, We've regressed. So it makes me wonder what
the next one would be. I mean, how close are
we getting now to like Milli Vanilli? Pretty close? Right,
She joins us now on the program Fever and Action.
Tonight it is Game three of the w NBA Playoffs
with Las Vegas. Coach. How are you?

Speaker 3 (40:47):
I'm good?

Speaker 1 (40:48):
How are you? Did you like Milli Vanilli? I'm well,
thank you? Did you like Milli Vanilli?

Speaker 5 (40:52):
I wasn't really though.

Speaker 1 (40:54):
Yeah, I'm gonna say that's a little before your time, admittedly.

Speaker 5 (40:58):
But a little bit.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (41:00):
I want to begin with this and before we get
into and there's plenty to talk about and get to uh.
And I know that you talked about it obviously, you know,
answered some questions of publicly did but I wanted to
give you the opportunity here because since we last talked
to you, you know, we know of the passing of
Nancy Leonard, who was just an absolute pillar in terms
of sports in this town, clearly in basketball in this town,

(41:22):
and I would assume that you had plenty of interaction
with but just your overall thoughts on the loss of
Nancy Leonard.

Speaker 5 (41:29):
Yeah, I mean, you're absolutely right, a pillar of sports
and a pillar of this franchise, and you know, especially
you know from a from a female perspective as well,
the leadership, the vision, the commitment. It just you know,
someone of her stature who we have had the pleasure

(41:49):
of standing on the shoulders of, you know, and now
I think responsibility to continue the legacy.

Speaker 1 (41:55):
You know, the I thought about this stepping in and
I want your thought on this. I oftentimes when you
think about Nancy Leonard, one of the narratives, of course,
is you know, this female athletic, this female pioneer in sports,
because it was such the anomaly right to have an
assistant general manager that was a woman back in those

(42:18):
times as the Pacers were transitioning from the ABA into
the NBA. And while I understand the relevance of pointing
out her gender because of the anomaly of that, then
the more I thought about it, the more I thought,
but it wasn't necessarily even about that. It was just
about the fact of being a leader regardless of you

(42:41):
know what I mean, because she kind of transcended through
that into simply face of the franchise, if you will. Now,
is that selling short or is that discrediting the things
that she may have had to overcome earlier in her career?

Speaker 5 (42:56):
Yeah, I mean, I think that when we look at
it from today's viewpoint, we can look at it like that.
But but I do think it's it's short selling what
she had to overcome to be in that position.

Speaker 2 (43:08):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (43:09):
You know, certainly, I think we still have a long
way to go in terms of of of women in
in in sport, especially women in what have traditionally been
male sport dominate the areas. And you know that, I
think about the this organization, Nancy Leonard, think about the
drafting of Ann Myers, and and the way that that

(43:29):
this franchise has embraced women in leadership position and the
way that women have been at the forefront of change,
and starting certainly with with Nancy Lennard, uh, and then
the commitment UH to continuing to see the vision UH unfold.
And I think from a leadership standpoint, yes, leadership and sport,

(43:52):
leadership and community, you know, understanding how to break barriers.
And you know, we say it all the time in
women's sports that if you can see it, you can
and she was one of the.

Speaker 1 (44:01):
First the Fever in action tonight taking on Las Vegas
game number three. Let's talk about game number two in
the fact that and when I looked at that game,
it seemed to me to be one And it was
interesting because you guys had a couple of different periods
where you made runs coaching that game. But at the
same time, it seemed like there was a more passive

(44:24):
approach to it than in game one. Game one, it
was like they came out and said, you know, there
was we're taking this game right. There was just a
will there that seemed to drop a little bit in
game two. Am I being too critical? And I there?

Speaker 5 (44:36):
Oh, I think you're right. You know, I think some
of it had to do with with how Las Vegas
came out in game one and in game two. In
game two, they certainly came out like a team whose
won multiple championships, who understood what it meant to be there,
who had a desperation about them, as they should have
and as we should have. In game one, you know,
certainly you don't want to come back to Indiana in

(44:56):
a position where you're down two. I think you saw
there experience come through. You know, we've got a group
that's that's really not been through this before in terms
of our core group. And and I think you saw
a little bit of lack of experience in terms of
mentality what it takes consistently. Uh. And and there's no
substitute for experience understanding the urgency of the moment, Understanding

(45:18):
that not just every step that you take in the playoffs,
but every game moving forward in the playoffs requires a
different version of yourself and your team. Sense of urgency
continues to go up. You know, desperation, not the reckless desperation,
but desperation in terms of understanding how important every play,
every possession, every loose ball. Uh, you know, every box out,

(45:39):
every coverage is and and you know this this we
got knocked in the mouth and and we didn't have
a response. We had our moments, like you said, where
we could, but it was it was a little bit
of a of a of a mirror image of Game two.
You know, we came out the aggressor and then they
were a little bit on their heels and they made
some runs and we were able to make runs of
our own to extend and in Game two, they did

(45:59):
what they were suppose to do, you know, and now
fortunately for us, we're back home.

Speaker 1 (46:03):
You know, when I look at this year in the WNBA,
and there are wonderful players across the WNBA, and obviously,
you know, you see one of the best in Las Vegas,
right and Asia Wilson. But this year, and I know
that not everybody can win an award, Kelsey Mitchell is
the most valuable player of the WNBA When I look
at just what's happened this year and all and really,

(46:24):
and I think I say that, coach, because of the
different roles over the course of a year she has
had to fill at different periods depending on what it
was you guys needed. It seems to me like she's
been able to fill each and every void that has
been asked of her. At what point this year did
you see in her perhaps even that elevation of game

(46:44):
to the point and she's been a great player. I
don't mean that she didn't have that to begin with,
But when did you see this year where you thought,
to yourself, this is another level for her.

Speaker 5 (46:54):
I mean, I think, I think at various points, but certainly,
you know, when there was when we were at Chicago.
We were at Chicago, I know we were without Caitlin.
I can't remember, you know, who else was was not
playing at that moment when we were playing at the
United Center, and she just took over the ball game
in the second half, you know, in in in Connecticut
when she just took over the you know, she has

(47:16):
these moments where she just can take over the ballgame.
And and and then when we lose you know Sophie,
who was kind of our third fourth backup point guard,
and then we asked her to start playing a little
bit more primary ball handler, more point guard. And this
is this comes with more decision making, it comes with
more facilitating, it comes with more responsibility.

Speaker 3 (47:37):
And she just.

Speaker 5 (47:37):
Continued to get better and continued to shoulder that responsibility
and elevate her game from that standpoint. And then as
we headed into the playoffs, the position that that she'd
only been in, you know, last year for the first
time in her career, and her leadership really started to
come through and her uh hold taking you know, accountability
and holding one another accountable. Her communication just just different

(47:58):
different areas that she's continued to grow. I mean, she's
always been a great player, and she's always been a
terrific score and I think that at various points this year,
and certainly as we've made this playoff run, you've seen
her playmaking and her leadership.

Speaker 4 (48:12):
Steph, how has your relationship with Kelsey grown from when
you were hired, when you started out trying to convince
her to come back to the Indian and Fever to
now where she has been She arguably has been one
of the best players in a season in the Fever
history this year.

Speaker 5 (48:27):
I mean, our relationship has continued to grow. You know,
I know I know that she knows how much I
believe in her, how much I trust her. You know,
I could speak from from the outside when when we
were trying to bring her back just just how excited
I would would be to coach her, and how much
we want to put her in positions to be successful
and put her in positions to do some things with

(48:48):
this franchise that that that she hadn't done and we
hadn't done in a long time. And you know, I
think that she knows that I trust her, and I do,
and I trust her as well. I mean, she is
just the thing about Kelsey Mitchell is that she just
wants to play ball. Man. She is just somebody who
just loves the game. You know, she doesn't get caught
up and all of the things you know that are

(49:09):
a part of of being a basketball player in this league.
She just wants to hoop, and that she's the ultimate
competitor in that way. And you know, we've continued to
layer things for her, and so I think her trust
in us, and certainly our trust in her has just
continued to grow. But I absolutely love her. I mean,
she is one of the best human beings around. She

(49:30):
is one of the hardest workers you know that I've
ever been around, and she is one of the ultimate competitors.

Speaker 1 (49:36):
By the way, when's the last time you just hooped? Like,
when's the last time you just went out and played?

Speaker 5 (49:40):
Suh? I don't know, Jake went like twenty years ago.
Maybe it's been a long time.

Speaker 1 (49:46):
I mean, honestly, like, do you do you ever just
pick up a ball and like nobody's around, You're like,
you know what, I'm just gonna put up one hundred
fifty shots.

Speaker 5 (49:53):
I'll put up some shots. I don't think it's one
hundred and fifty anymore. And every once in a while
I would go out there with the kids, but now
they're getting too big and strong, so I'm I'm not
trying to get hurt.

Speaker 1 (50:01):
Well just wait, wait, like wait till you're my age.
And then all of a sudden you're like, oh my gosh,
like I think I told you. I was playing pickup
ball and this is probably eight years ago, and I
go for a routine putback I've done a thousand times,
and just when I'm about to basically lay it back in,
this young buck comes up. I look over and I
see like knees elevating above me for a put and
I'm like, that's it, you know what I mean, that's it.

(50:23):
You've just done you know, you know when you got
to be done? Right?

Speaker 5 (50:26):
Oh yeah, that's for sure.

Speaker 1 (50:27):
I don't know why or where this came about this
in this postseason run, coach, but I've seen a lot
in the last couple of days of people saying, wait
a minute. There's this weird language within the WNBA rules
of when a player's out that they're still eligible in
the postseason, and that means that Caitlin Clark can still play,
especially if they get in the finals, et cetera, et cetera.

(50:50):
Your thoughts on that, I.

Speaker 5 (50:52):
Don't know anything about that language. I haven't had one
thought on that. I have not seen anything about that.
So it's the first time I'm hearing it, you know.
But no, I mean, Kaitlin Clark is out. Kayln Clark
is again priority long term health and wellness, making sure
that she's ready to go and ready to be healthy
for our team a year from now, well not a

(51:14):
year from now, but for next season.

Speaker 1 (51:16):
Correct, So she is. There is no situation where she
would play in the remainder of this year, regardless of
how many games are left.

Speaker 5 (51:23):
Well, I mean, I cannot foresee. I don't like to
use the words always and never, but there's not a
situation that I could could absolutely foresee.

Speaker 1 (51:33):
Fair somebody asked me this question, which I think is
a good one, and I know that there's still basketball
have to be played, and I want to get into,
you know, before we let you go about tonight, what
things we might anticipate. But I think it's a good
question when you look at the number of players that
you have been able to utilize this year and the
players that were not on the roster at the beginning

(51:54):
of the year that have found themselves there now because
of attrition. Is there one that jumps out you where
you say to yourself, boy, if there's a way to
keep them long term and get them on the roster
beyond just this short window, I'd love to have it.
Who would that be?

Speaker 5 (52:11):
Well, I mean, I you know, I don't, I don't know.
That's a that's a tough question, especially because pretty much,
you know, most people on our roster are going to
be free agents anyway. But you know, I think the
thing that we've that we've continued to learn, and I
think those of us who have been in this game
a long time, you know, know, is that you got
to stay ready so you don't have to get ready right.

(52:32):
And you know, I think Odyssey Sims has been a
difference maker for us. When she's aggressive and she's hunting, hunting,
you know, shots and hunting opportunities at the rim. We're
a different team. You know, Shay Petty is the ultimate
you know, leader teammate. You know, got guy who can
come in and make an impact, and and and and
a player who can make an impact in our locker
room and on the sideline and aerial power, saym, it's

(52:53):
like her energy to be able to come in at
the point that she came in and really impact our
team in that way, give us some things that you
needed we missed without the size that we had on
the perimeter. I mean, every single one of them has
played a vital role in us getting to the point
you know that we are. You know, I think it'd
be tough to say if there's one that you absolutely,
you know, have to have because they've all been so

(53:14):
important to what we're doing.

Speaker 1 (53:16):
How have you changed as a coach from the last time,
you know, over the just the course of it's hard
to believe that it was what ten years ago before
you came back to coach this franchise. When you look
at where you guys are now and some of the
things you've had to navigate, you've handled that differently now
than you would have, say, ten years ago. In what way,
if at all?

Speaker 5 (53:36):
Well, I think number one, you know, life experience. You
understand that you got to play the hand that you're dealt,
number one. But number two, you know, maintain perspective, keep
it in perspective. So maybe ten years ago, you know,
I would have been caught up in in what we
don't have instead of really reprising and rethinking about what
we do have and how we can make that work.

Speaker 3 (53:59):
You know.

Speaker 5 (53:59):
I think the other thing is is just learning that
that I have to adjust to what our team needs
from us, and whether that's you know, energy, whether that
you know, being a being a hype man, whether that's
as much as X's and O's. It's also about presentation
and production, and what they feel from me is what

(54:21):
as much as what they see from me. And so
you know that different players need different things, and so
I think my ability to adjust and be flexible to
what they respond to as opposed to just being rigid
and how I do things, I think that that's changed,
and I think it impacts different players in different ways,
you know, And and certainly I think you know, from

(54:42):
my standpoint, learning what that is and and and and
it's been different at various points throughout the year too,
and being flexible and being able to adjust to that.
But I think more than anything, you know, it's just
understanding that that we've got to control what we can control,
and how we put one foot in front of the other,
and how we approach the day to day in terms
of putting the players that we have on the floor

(55:02):
in the position to be success, be successful. And you know,
maybe ten years ago I might got I might have
got caught up in some of those things that we
couldn't control and have not been or would not have
been able to lead a group like this in the
way that I am now.

Speaker 1 (55:17):
And the response that you would like to see tonight,
in terms of what's going to tell you early on
how the night's going to go, would be what from
your team?

Speaker 5 (55:26):
I want to see it's be aggressive. I want to
see us attack of pain. I want to see us
get to the rim, get to the foul line.

Speaker 3 (55:32):
I don't want to.

Speaker 5 (55:32):
See hesitation and taking shots in decision making. I want
to see you know, active and aggressive, you know, dictating
on the defensive end of the floor. I want to
see that energy. I want to see that attention to detail.
I want to see that fire, competitive fire that our
team has shown, you know, all season long. Look, I
mean the reality is the pressures not on us right
like we I want them to go out and I
want them to play hard. I want them to play together.

(55:54):
I want them to play free.

Speaker 1 (55:56):
It's pretty special though, isn't it. I Mean, it's an
awesome night outside, it's a great sports calendar, it's a
great time in Indianapolis. Chad by Cannon talked to yesterday
about the fact that winning has become contagious amongst the
franchises in this town and collegiately and everything else. It's
going to be a pretty big atmosphere down there tonight.
I know you've got to be excited about it.

Speaker 5 (56:14):
I'm absolutely excited. You know, this city has been waiting
a long time to have playoff games in our home
arena in the WNBA calendar and WNBA season, and now
being able to do it in the semi finals is
a huge opportunity. We know that they're gonna they're gonna
show up. We know that they're going to show out,
and we're gonna we're gonna lean on them, you know,
to give us that added edge, to give us that
added adrenaline.

Speaker 1 (56:34):
Tonight, Coach Stephanie White, appreciate it as always. We look
forward to talking to you again. All right, all right,
thank you bes to luck tonight. Coach Stephanie White. Game
number three tonight between the Fever and the LAS Vegas aces,