Coco Gauff's US Open triumph and a first-round WNBA Playoffs preview

In this episode, host Lindsay Gibbs is joined by Jessie Breggren to talk about Minjee Lee’s win at the LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship, the North Carolina Courage’s win in the NWSL Challenge Cup, and the latest updates of what’s going on in the Spanish soccer federation.

Then (14:13), Lindsay has a reunion with two of her Burn It All Down co-hosts, Jessica Luther and Amira Rose Davis, to gush about Coco Gauff’s U.S. Open victory. All three of them are very, very excited – in one case, dangerously so.

Finally (36:48), the phenomenal Howard Megdal joins us to talk about the upcoming WNBA playoffs. We begin by discussing the first-round playoff format, highlighting the notable extension signings this week, and saying goodbye to the four non-playoff teams, the Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks, Seattle Storm, and Phoenix Mercury. Finally, we go series-by-series to preview the first round of the playoffs: (1) Las Vegas Aces vs. (8) Chicago Sky; (2) New York Liberty vs. (7) Washington Mystics; (3) Connecticut Sun vs. (6) Minnesota Lynx; (4) Dallas Wings vs. (5) Atlanta Dream.

The IX: https://www.theixsports.com/

The Next: https://www.thenexthoops.com/

Subscribe to Power Plays: https://www.powerplays.news/subscribe

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the Power Place
podcast, your weekly stop forall the women's sports news.
I'm Lindsay Gibbs, your hostand the founder of the Power
Place newsletter, which you cansubscribe to at powerplacenews,
and there's a link in thecomments.
I am joined today at the top ofthe show, by my assistant,

(00:42):
jesse Bergen.
Hi Jesse, hi Lindsay, how areyou doing today?
I'm doing really great becausewe have a really, really
fantastic show for you this week.
Joining me to talk about the USOpen and Coco Goswin is two of
my or R, excuse me when you usecorrect grammar joining me are

(01:03):
two of my Burn it All Downco-hosts.
The co-host of the podcast it'son hiatus right now, but it was
we did for five years togetherand that is Jessica Luther and
Amir Rose Davis.
So you're all going to want tolisten to that reunion as we
gush about Coco and the US Open.

(01:25):
And then I've got another greatfriend of mine, howard Magdal,
on to talk about the WNBAplayoffs, which start on
Wednesday.
So it's just, it's a podcastfull of my favorite people.
So I'm doing great, awesome,and you were included in that,
of course.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Jessica.
You were a part of that, yeahit was a fun, fun big weekend in
sports again.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
Another big weekend in women's sports Just keep
coming.
So we're going to do the top ofeach show.
If you're new here, we do alittle recap of the biggest news
of the week and the results.
We'll just I'm going to savethe US Open and the tennis talk
and the WNBA talk to theinterviews because we go plenty

(02:10):
in depth on those.
But I want to talk about acouple of sports that we're not
having interviews focused ontoday.
One was, which is the LPGA,which had another thrilling week
, this time at the Queen CityChampionships, where two-time
major champion Menjee Lee, shelost a five-shot lead on the

(02:30):
back nine, so that's not good,but ended up in a playoff with
Charlie Hull and ended upwinning in a playoff.
So after you have like, afterthis big collapse, she ended up
winning anyways, which I thinkis amazing to get it together
for the playoffs.
So congratulations to theAussie Menjee Lee and also

(02:50):
congratulations to she goes byRonnie so Ronnie Yin from China,
who won the women's PGAchampionship this year and she's
only 20 years old, and shefinished third in the Queen City
Championship, which meansshe'll be the new number one
when the rankings are releasedon Tuesday.
She was outside of the top 100at the start of this year, which

(03:11):
is incredible, and she's onlythe second Chinese woman to ever
be number one in the LPGA.
So lots of big news happeningthere.
And then the other big thingthat happened was the Challenge
Cup in the NWSL.
So last week we had a bigpreview for it at Courtney Stiff

(03:32):
from CBS and Diaspora United on.
Now we know what happened.
We know that the North Carolinadefeated the Kansas City
Current and Racing Louisvilledefeated the OL Rain in the
semifinals last Wednesday andthen in the final the courage
defeated Racing Louisville twoto nothing, with goals by
Caroline and Manaka.

(03:52):
Matsukowo, I think is how you,matsukowo, I believe it.
Manaka is how everyone,whatever, was just using that
name, and Manaka was named MVPat 19.
She's the youngest player tostart the Challenge Cup and the
youngest player to score in theChallenge Cup.
If you have not seen a clip ofher goal, have you seen this

(04:14):
goal, jesse?

Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, that was nuts.
It's nuts.
I couldn't believe that.
I've never seen a like a.
One touch perfect.
You know, lob like that.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
It was, yeah, it was like lobbed up and then she like
a one touch, half volley.
She got it while it was in theair and it went over the
goalkeepers outstretched handsand it was just, it was stunning
.
So everyone go look that up ifyou haven't seen it.
And then you also need to lookup the trophy ceremony where she

(04:49):
was named MVP and Lori Lindsay,who's a friend of mine, was out
to interview, had interviewwith Manaka.
But Manaka doesn't speak muchEnglish.
She's 19.
She's only been with thecourage for a month.
She's a.
She came over from Japan inJuly, so she's very new here and

(05:10):
so she doesn't speak muchEnglish at all.
So Neroomi, who is also aJapanese player, came up to
translate for her and you know,lori asked you know, just
basically, congratulations, howdo you feel?
And then Neroomi translatedthat and then Manaka just took
the mic and said I feel so happy, it was just the most precious

(05:35):
and endearing moment ever andI'm not making fun of people who
don't speak English, I promise,but it was just.
It was that endearing, it wasjust lovely.
And she was like I don't need atranslator for this, I feel so
happy and the whole team wasjust hugging her.
Denise O'Sullivan, who is verytiny, was lifting Manaka up in

(06:00):
the air.
The vibes, I have to say.
So I, actually I went to thecourage.
I saw the courage on media day,so I was.
My plan was to go to this gameand I went to media day and got
to talk to some of the playersand coaches and the commissioner

(06:21):
and that was a great experienceand I left there feeling like
the vibes are really good inNorth Carolina right now, like
they are just for coming.
After all, they went throughwith Paul Riley and then with so
many national team playersleaving the team, with Dabinia
leaving, they have just reallyrebuilt their culture there and

(06:43):
it's based upon youth.
It's they've got a lot ofinternational players and Sean
Nejas just has that team really,really in step and they play
beautiful soccer so much passing.
It's a style we don't usuallysee in the NWSL that much and
it's it's much more passingbased than kind of just

(07:04):
transition and running based.
Of course there's that too.
But the next day I drove it wassupposed to be an hour and 10
minute drive to the game.
It ended up taking me over twohours because I basically got
caught in a monsoon and then thesecond I got in.

(07:25):
While I was right I keptputting pull over to side of the
road.
It was raining so hard and whenI pulled over I was checking
the weather and carry, which iswhere they the mattress taking
place, and it was saying like itwas going to be sunny in the
afternoon, like it was going tobe fine.
So I was like, okay, at leastI'll deal with this because I'll
get there and the game willstart on time.

(07:45):
I knew I was going to be alittle bit late for the game by
that point but I was like, youknow, this will be fine, I get
there and it's at 11 minutes andthey are announcing that the
game is suspended due to weather.
And I looked at the weather andin that like 30 minutes I last
looked at the weather, it hadcompletely changed.
It was now going to be rainingfor at least two more hours and
not raining, thunderstorming forat least two more hours.

(08:08):
And I ended up just going backhome because I had stuff to do
that evening so I couldn't waitout.
Like a whole two hour raindelay and then the full game,
the full game basically and thengo home.
So I spent four hours drivingin torrential downpour and saw
zero soccer.
That's such a bummer.
It was really a bummer.

(08:30):
But you know, I listened tosome of the post match press
stuff and the vibes, like I said, they're really good North
Carolina right now.
I think you have to watch outfor them to possibly win the
shield or at least do somedamage in the playoffs.
This year I think they've got alot of scores.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
Yeah, that's exciting .
Well, it'd be fun to watch themgoing forward now and see if
they can carry.
This momentum will carry, carryon.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
Agreed and it was just a reminder that, like cups
do matter, you know, like I know, we can say they don't and
people can prioritize differentthings, of course, but they
matter, they're fun.
It's a fun break in the middleof the season.
All right, you want to updateus on some other soccer news.

Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah, so there's been some action on the Spanish
front, so I'm sure everyone'sheard.
But last week the Jorge Vildathe coach was fired.
Finally they already theyimmediately announced the new
coach is one of his assistants,a woman named Montse Tomé.
I apologize if I butchered that.
I don't.

(09:34):
I never took Spanish.
She's been an assistant coachfor him for about five years, so
it makes me a little nervousthat they didn't do like an
extensive search.
They just immediately hired anassistant.

Speaker 1 (09:47):
But she was one of the ones who threatened to
resign if he didn't leave.
So, that was good.
I do fear, you know it's thatthing where it's like you hire a
woman to like, be the captainof like a failing ship, right,
like a sinking ship, and so youcan say you hired a woman and
then say they didn't do a goodenough job.
I do so like, while I'm happy,like there's a woman that

(10:10):
they're naming, I just feelnervous for her.

Speaker 2 (10:13):
Yeah, it's a really tough position to be in.
I don't know anything about her.
You know her style.
She clearly knows the players.
I don't know what the players,how they feel about her or
anything like that, so just it's.
I mean, it's good news thathe's gone, for sure.
So, yes, we will watch, keepour eye out for see how she's
doing.
The other big news was thatalso last week, hermoso did file

(10:38):
a formal criminal complaintagainst Ruby Alice for sexual
assault.
So that'll be moving throughtheir Spanish legal system,
potential repercussions down theroad for him there.
And then, of course, thebiggest news he did finally
resign.
Yesterday, sunday, he announcedhe was leaving the team.

Speaker 1 (10:57):
Didn't he say something like that?
He had finally talked to hisdaughters.
Yeah, he made his daughtersmultiple times.

Speaker 2 (11:02):
He made sure we all know he has daughters and he did
his statement.
I didn't read the wholestatement, the clip, the
portions I read.
It was still being a very likea victim.
I'm the victim here.
I have to.
I have to do this for thegreater good type.
You know bullshit.

Speaker 1 (11:18):
Oh yeah, what a martyr you are, yeah so at least
he is gone.
But you forgot to tell peoplewho he gave the announcement.

Speaker 2 (11:28):
Oh, yeah, the announcement was made out of an
interview with Pierce Morgan.

Speaker 1 (11:35):
Of course, which really tells you all you need to
know about how much he haslearned.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
Yeah, so still continues to be very gross and
not great, but he's gone.
He's being charged with sexualassault, so that's big deal and
a new coach, so we'll get anystep down from his UA foot
position as well, which?
Is important.

Speaker 1 (11:58):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, all it took was all ittook for change to finally come
to the Spanish Federation wasfor the president to kiss a
player on national television,for the coach to stand up and
applaud that president.
When the president said that hewasn't going to resign, for 58

(12:23):
players to say they were nevergoing to play for the Spanish
team again until there waschange made at the top
Administration.
For the president to besuspended by FIFA.
It's all it took, and for aboutthree weeks of international
outrage.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah.
You know, easy yeah, no bigdeal.
So it is.
It is encouraging that stuffdid happen.
It's annoying and frustratingthat it took all of that and and
like a video of the incident inquestion, because we you know,
tend not to believe women whenthey say these things.

Speaker 1 (12:58):
So Tend not to All right.
Well, thank you for that update, and we'll keep an eye on any
further updates.
Oh, and one more thing, becauseI don't talk about this in the
interview, but we've beenkeeping you all updated on the
WTA final saga as it continues.
So two weeks ago, we thought itwas going to be in Saudi Arabia

(13:18):
.
That was the our interview withJohn Worthyme.
By last week, it looked like itwas moving towards Prague, and
now, though, it's beenofficially announced that it's
going to be in Cancun.
So the WTA finalist will be inCancun this year and you know I
have thought about starting aGoFundMe but you know I'll

(13:38):
probably resist the urge to dothat.
But it's going to be hardbecause I really think I should
be there.

Speaker 2 (13:44):
Yeah, I think that seems important.

Speaker 1 (13:46):
Yeah, it seems super important.
Actually, I would probably bepushing for it, but one of my
friends is getting married onthe day of the final, so you
know, not in Cancun.

Speaker 2 (13:56):
That would be a fun question.

Speaker 1 (13:58):
No, he's getting married in DC.

Speaker 4 (14:03):
So not nearly as exciting.

Speaker 1 (14:05):
All right On to the show.
Hello, hello, hello everyone.
I am so excited to be joinedfor this segment on the US Open
and Coco Goff by two of myfavorite people and tennis fans

(14:29):
in the world Jessica Luther andAmira Rose Davis.
Hi, jess and Amira.
Hello.
I'm sure most of you know thatthese are two of my co-hosts on
Burn it All Down, so we havemany hours of podcasting
together about tennis in ourback pocket, but it's been a
while.
So I'm a little giddy at thisreunion here.

(14:51):
But I just have to start inAmira's dancing and posing.
So that's good, we're feelinggreat.
But I just have to start with.
How are we feeling?
Coco Goff won the US Open.
She won it two, six, six, three, six two over Irina Sabalenka A

(15:11):
year ago.
You two were there to seeSerena's farewell match.
So which is also behind Jess,that's what she's pointing at
it's sometimes the narratives.
Sometimes you have to force thenarratives, sometimes they
write themselves and then othertimes the narratives force you,

(15:36):
like there's just, there's noway around.
Just how beautiful this linedup.
Amira, how did you feelwatching that match?

Speaker 3 (15:44):
Well, lindsay, I will tell you it was a series of
emotions.

Speaker 1 (15:49):
Were you very calm and collected, like you usually
watch a comic collection.

Speaker 3 (15:53):
But have you ever seen me not calm and collected
watching a sporting match?

Speaker 1 (15:57):
I'm picturing you literally hiding in a stairwell
watching a Serena match at onepoint.

Speaker 3 (16:02):
No, I was losing it.
I mean, Jess were texting.
I don't know if anything Itexted Jessica was words.
I was just like she'll figureout what I'm saying and I was
pacing because I said to Jessicayou know, you know, I believe I
like influenced the matches, soI was worried about what my

(16:24):
behavior was during the firstset, when Coco was, you know,
her foreign.

Speaker 1 (16:28):
Oh yeah, what was the first set behavior?

Speaker 3 (16:31):
I don't know what I was doing, but it wasn't working
.
I think I was like in transit.

Speaker 5 (16:35):
I was watching for a while.

Speaker 3 (16:37):
Yeah, I like then I was, I had to run my kids around
and I was like watching on myphone and I was very stressed
out.
And so when I got, I got homeRight at the start of the third
set and I said what do I do?
It just said pace in capitalletters, very seriously.
So I just as she started likeplaying very well and winning,

(17:01):
and I decided, like Jessica saidpace and it's working.
I cannot sit down.
So I did not sit down.

Speaker 5 (17:08):
You're welcome, Coco.

Speaker 3 (17:11):
I did not sit down at all, like even.
Wow you must have gotten a lotof steps.
I was just pacing back andforth and then I started to get
very into it and then I wouldsay by the end I was just like a
puddle.
I had started crying when shewas at four and at that point we
were like two more games andthen, when she finally got to

(17:32):
five, I was like is this really?

Speaker 5 (17:34):
happening Because she lost her sir, like she didn't
hold.

Speaker 4 (17:37):
And then she had to break right, broke for five and
then serve for six.

Speaker 5 (17:41):
Yeah that was when she got broken and I was like
this is bad, jess, how are you?
Oh, it was a mess.
My kid had their 15th birthdayparty in the living room and
Aaron and I were in the bedroomwatching.
And I went out at some point toyou know, do a parent thing,

(18:01):
and one of the kids was likehow's the tennis?
And I realized they could hearme screaming in the back of the
house and I was like sorry, Ican't do anything about it.
I mean, that first set wasreally hard.
I was like this, is it LikeSabalinka is just going to run
away with this?
She looked, I mean, sabalinkacan like play tennis like this
way she thinks that ball is just.
Oh, my God, it looks like it'sgoing to rip through the wall

(18:23):
Like it is slow and you know Idon't always agree with Kristi
Everett of all things, but shedid have this point towards the
end of the match that, likeSabalinka can place the ball
Like she hits the hell out of it, and she can really place it.
She's number one in the world.

Speaker 1 (18:36):
She's not just a one-dimensional right, right,
right, she's a champion.

Speaker 5 (18:42):
And so that first set , I was definitely in that, like
just she's going to win it,that's sad for Coco, or, you
know, she's really good, that'sfine.
And then when Coco figured outin the second set and when she
broke her to take the lead, Iwas like, oh, we are in it.
And then by the third, yeah, Iwas, I was screaming, I was

(19:03):
trying to be quiet, I was tryingto be aware of my surroundings,
but like I had to keep jumpingoff the bed and like like
running around the room, andthen the dog was like what is
happening?
So, yeah, it was a lot and itwas just a really amazing tennis
match, which you don't alwaysget in finals, especially with
all the emotions and the nervesand the way people play.
So we were lucky in one sensethat we just got a phenomenal

(19:25):
three-set match.
But man, I just wanted it forher so much and the way she
figured it out during the matchwas one of the great things
about tennis is watching someonefigure it out and execute.
And Coco, oh, and I just loveher, like.

Speaker 3 (19:40):
I just she makes me so happy, Like every time right
there was a ball that you werelike, oh, this is where her
defense it's amazing.

Speaker 1 (19:49):
I mean I know she's like, I want to be an offensive
player, but it's like.
But your defense is offensivebecause it's so good, it is like
offense, it's like it's so good.

Speaker 2 (19:59):
I know it is.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
It is like a strong, strong weapon.

Speaker 5 (20:02):
This isn't like mentally it seemed to mess with
Sabalinka, but like oh it didbecause she couldn't.

Speaker 1 (20:08):
I mean she would hit five or six shots in a rally.

Speaker 4 (20:11):
It should have been winners it should have been
winners.

Speaker 1 (20:13):
Yeah, I would have lost my mind.
And here's the thing isSabalinka is one of my favorite
players and I really, really,really like her and I have a
hard time rooting against her,like in the semifinals.
I found myself rooting forSabalinka because I didn't want
this semifinal curse.
So, like, continue on her.
I didn't want her to lose it.
So I really like Madison Keys.

(20:34):
But I found I was surprised.
Like you know, sometimes yousurprise yourself by who you're
rooting for.
Yeah, like that was me in thesemis.
So I was a little afraid thatwas going to come up in the
final, because I had pickedarena also to win the whole
tournament beforehand.
I guess I'm one of the hatersthat Coco was talking about.

Speaker 4 (20:49):
We can get to that in a minute.

Speaker 1 (20:52):
The way these athletes spin everything into
haters is just one of thetalents I will never understand.
But you know, but I, but it was, it was.
No, I mean it was.
This was Coco's most, this wasCoco's moment and you could just
see it building.
And after, I think there's abig rally in the second set
where she saved what should havebeen like, you know, yeah, like

(21:16):
five or six winners in a row,and then she got, she hit a
winner of her own and then gotthe crowd all revved up and kept
, you know, and I was like, oh,this is hers and this is just
like Destiny.
And then the press conferenceat that moment was the one that
she just that.
She knew that the trophy wasgoing to be her.
She just had to go after it,she's 19.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
She's 19.
She played with this kind ofspotlight since she was for 15
and she beat Venus.
And it's kind of way you talkabout narratives, lindsay, this
way that that game when she beatVenus and kind of announced
herself and then had, you know,a four game, run into the
tournament, right, like it wasthis announcement, but also it

(22:02):
was just like kind of bowtidenarrative about making her heir
apparent right Out of all ofthese kinds of emergence of
black women in tennis coming upafter Serena and Venus, her like
literally displacing Venus inthat game made her narratively a
great heir apparent to them.
And because she is so clear,this is a kind of tangential

(22:23):
point.
But she's so clear aboutlineage, she's so clear about
the influence that Serena andVenus, but also other black
women that she charts Sloan Iloved her so to Sloan, naomi,
how they have made space for herin this game and she's very
clear about that.
And so it was like a bowtidenarrative to put that spotlight

(22:43):
on her.
But it also meant that she hasbeen dealing with that spotlight
and those expectations as she'sgrown over these last few years
.
And there's these points whereI felt like you know, the weight
of this is a lot, and it's theUS Open like this is a lot, you
know, and I just she's so calmlike just wild.

Speaker 4 (23:07):
Just like one of the things.

Speaker 5 (23:09):
I wanted, like I wanted to make sure I said the
thing that really got me abouther in this match was she was so
patient, so on.
There were different timeswhere I'd like yelled probably.
I was like that was she justwaited to hit the right shot in
the rally or she waited for theball to fall a certain way, like
she was.
So, like Amir says, the calmand the patience, but she was so

(23:33):
smart with her tennis andyou're like 19.
Oh, do you remember yourself at19.
?

Speaker 1 (23:40):
I mean talk about narratives like she won ugly
right.
Like she ended up winning uglywhich is like the name of Brad
Gilbert's book right and he likecame in and helped her and like
help talk about my thing.

Speaker 5 (23:53):
Cannot believe that she can like handle the guy
Gilbert clearly is working forher.

Speaker 1 (23:57):
It's work, it's work, but like, yeah, I don't, and I
don't want to give him credit,but I'm just saying, like that
narrative, like she didn't, shewants to play, she wants to be
the one doing the first strike,like area Sabalinka does, like
she she's talked about how likeshe has to go against that and
really lean into her defense andshe didn't like having to do
that in this final.
But she knew, like, the way I'mgoing to win is by forcing her

(24:20):
to make errors.
You know, the way I'm going towin is by is by hitting so many
balls back that she has to gofor the line and she's going to.
I'm going to pull the playerout of her and even though
that's not how I want to play,even though that goes against my
instincts, that's the beststrategy.
And God, how many of us can dothat, can say this is what I

(24:41):
want to do and what I think Ishould do, but is not what I'm
going to do because it's not thebest way to do like that like
on a day to day basis with, likethe tiniest things.

Speaker 3 (24:53):
She also like there's all these times where, you know
she, there's so many gameswhere Sabalinka would go up 30
love.
And this is when me and Jesshad started being like okay,
like this is when the tide isgoing to shift and within that
game she would battle back andall of a sudden we're all tied

(25:14):
up and it's due somewhere.
Like oh, how this happened.
Like I just felt like there wasno give and like I kept waiting
for Calamity to befall you knowwhat I mean which you know
that's a tennis thing, Watchingpeople just fall apart Like they
just hit a wall and they justcrumbled and neither woman
crumbled like credit toSabalinka, even towards the end

(25:36):
when it was pretty clear Likeshe was still out there playing.

Speaker 5 (25:42):
I think.

Speaker 4 (25:42):
I texted Amira.

Speaker 5 (25:43):
I would have just rolled over, like towards the
end of that match.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
I would have just rolled over and you could see
the emotions bubbling up on herand you could see how like
frustrated she was.
I have to give like because,like I said, I really love arena
Sabalinka and like there youknow how, like there's a lot of
like non-tennis fans who watchthe US Open right and like just
watch it, like for things, andthey have opinions on everybody
and everything.

(26:05):
You know, and there was a lotof people on my timeline saying
that like Sabalinka was like notgracious and that she was like
they didn't like her speechbecause she was trying to make
jokes.
And, as someone who makes jokes, when I'm feeling awkward, like
the only thing I knew know howto do is to try and make bad
jokes.

Speaker 5 (26:23):
I was just like- Her joke about firing her entire
staff.

Speaker 1 (26:26):
Aaron and I were like let's just show it.

Speaker 3 (26:28):
It's just so good of that.
You went right what you said,lindsay, I think when she made
that joke, jessica was like whatis happening?
And I was like I reallyempathize with the like awkward
jokes in the middle of cryingyeah, exactly, yeah, that is
very-.

Speaker 5 (26:42):
That's our language and like, oh yeah, like,
probably like her eighthlanguage.
She was like yeah, I was likeoh gosh.

Speaker 1 (26:50):
And clearly her two jokes go to.
Jokes were like I'm gonna firemy team and oh, the crowd, you
should joke in about how thecrowd wasn't cheering for her
right, and like I get thatthey're not everyone's cup of
tea, but like calling herungracious and saying like she
was being entitled and stuff.
I was like okay, we gotta getpeople a little bit of grace,

(27:11):
just like.
Just like gotta get people alittle bit of grace here.

Speaker 3 (27:15):
I'd say things get a lot simpler once you like.
Disengage with Twitter, becausethere are some truly wild takes
.
This US Open that like was justlike not.
There is this one.
You know they had a greatgraphic.
I don't know if you know, butlike every American woman who
won the US Open since the year2000 has been a black woman.
So Venus.

Speaker 1 (27:34):
Venus, five million.
Oh, and then someone was madthat Naomi wasn't included in
that, even though the graphicclearly said American women,
Somebody?

Speaker 3 (27:41):
was like somebody posted an image of Naomi in
front of like the scoreboard andthey're like quick, what's that
flag next to her name?
Yeah, you know, and it was justlike, but you know it wasn't
even in good faith, becausepeople explained it and the
person in the pair.
But there was like, andespecially during the climate,
protesters like that.

Speaker 1 (28:01):
Can we talk about how Coco handled that?
Yeah, she was perfect.
And I will say I totally agreewith what they're protesting.
Sure, I wish it wasn't duringmy match.

Speaker 5 (28:10):
That is what I thought she was going to say and
everyone was like so mad on herbehalf and I was like I feel
like Coco is going to get this.

Speaker 3 (28:17):
I believe in climate change.
It's hot, is that?

Speaker 5 (28:20):
how it was, but the anger that people had on her
behalf.

Speaker 1 (28:25):
Which it goes back to how we infantilize women
athletes, sometimes right, likeeven if we're fans of them,
right.

Speaker 5 (28:32):
I mean, I get the historical worries that people
have about, like black women inthe sport and being disrespected
and blah, blah, like that allmakes so much sense to me, like
I get the emotion, but at thesame time it was like this is
clearly more complicated thanthe just they weren't doing this
to Coco.
But yeah, she is so good infront of the media just in a way

(28:57):
that is stunning for her age.
For all of it, Just she isspectacular.
It's so fun that she is thechampion.

Speaker 3 (29:06):
This is one of my favorite things about this, like
rising generation of blackAmerican tennis stars and not
even black American tennis stars, but their relationships with
each other and the way and theease they have about like
literally just being themselves,and they are so aware of the
space that they now can occupywhere they don't have to walk on

(29:26):
eggshells.
And there's my I would say mytwo favorite things from it is
this one quote when Coco wasmaking fun of Francis's like
shirt and which you knowwarranted Right she was like
it's confetti, it looks likeconfetti.
And then also talking aboutBen's and when a reporter asked

(29:49):
Francis about it, he was likeshe's on that light skin energy
which was just like my favoritequote and then only matched by
every black person watching thistrying to figure out why Leon
was in Coco's family box, and itwas very clearly-.

Speaker 5 (30:04):
Anyone ever figured out?

Speaker 3 (30:05):
No, it's a mystery.
Reddit has been on it and it'sso like.
The going idea is like maybehis kids play tennis with that.
Like he likes tennis, I don'tknow.

Speaker 5 (30:14):
Like why?
Who Leon he's From CoolRunnings?
He's an actor in Cool Runnings.
He was, the like, main driverfor the Cool Runnings.

Speaker 3 (30:23):
So it was one of these cases that they were like
I did not recognize him.

Speaker 1 (30:26):
I didn't I missed this word.

Speaker 3 (30:27):
Well, they were like this is clearly a case of black
famous because they never, likementioned him.
But everybody like it was thefunniest thing.
It was like Joel a Dean Benton,like everybody on my timeline
was like, why is Leon there?
They're like, and somebody waslike I wish there was a black
reporter who could ask Coco, whyis Leon in your box?
And it was like a mysteryrunning from, I would say, the
semis on.

(30:48):
And then after the finalseverybody was like, so like, did
we solve the mystery?
Like, why is Leon there?
And that was also one of myfavorite things.
But I just like I don't know theenergy coming from Coco and
Francis and Ben and like I don'tlike Taylor Townsend's back and
looking great, like I'm justthrilled.

(31:08):
I'm thrilled and I know thatwhen we left New York last year
it was absolutely the end of anera in this kind of farewell to
Serena, and it was when we werewatching this year.
I remember saying like I can'timagine, like we couldn't
imagine at the start of this,how they were gonna fill that
void or that space narratively,optically, like all of it.

(31:30):
And yet I love this tournament.
It brought me back to tennisand I have to say that's a
testament, because the otherslams this year.
I was like, oh, what'shappening?

Speaker 5 (31:39):
Yeah, same.
Actually I didn't really.
I was in a connected.

Speaker 3 (31:42):
And I felt like this kind of brought me back in.

Speaker 1 (31:44):
So I watched every set, like every second of this
tournament, almost like it wasridiculous how much I watched at
this tournament.
But it was a good one and Ithink, yeah, tennis is in great
hands.
What do we think is next forCoco?

Speaker 5 (32:01):
Australia.
I mean, it's interesting theway that the grants lambs line
up so that you go from ahardcore to a hardcore.
Everyone, please expect moreclimate protests.
It's just gonna be 120 degreesFahrenheit in Australia.
But yeah, I, you know, Naomidid that when she won the US
Open, went on to win theAustralia.

Speaker 1 (32:20):
Both times yeah.

Speaker 5 (32:21):
Because of you you're on the same kind of court.
So she and she really did comeinto her own on the hard court
this summer.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
So speaking of Naomi Naomi's back in Australia.

Speaker 3 (32:33):
Naomi showed up at this tournament.
This is radiant, glowingRadiant.

Speaker 1 (32:37):
My friend Ben Rothenberg has a biography.
Shout out to Ben, pre-order theNaomi Osaka biography.
He's worked really hard on itbut yes, and Naomi will be back.
I just think women's tennis isjust in such a good place.

Speaker 4 (32:50):
Yeah, I love the power of the head.

Speaker 1 (32:52):
So Zabelinka made this semi-finals.
She's the number one and sheabsolutely deserves to be world
number one, Ega will come back.
Ega will be of course Ega is sogood.
Rybakken is still there andaround Alms is still gonna be
fighting to get her.

Speaker 5 (33:05):
We saw Maddie play like the best game of tennis she
has ever played.

Speaker 3 (33:09):
Yeah, and I watched an hour and a half of.
What's her name?
Kastina?
I can never say her name, CassKatina.

Speaker 5 (33:16):
Cass Katina yeah.

Speaker 3 (33:18):
Of her vlog cause you know my other.
When she promote her vlog she'slike subscribe and I was like I
will subscribe.
I did too, and I have what her?
I just shout out Her US Openvlog is an hour and a half.
It's wonderful.
There's great cameos.
Jesse Pugler's dry humor comethrough.

Speaker 1 (33:36):
Oh, jesse Pugler, we should have mentioned her.
Yeah, of course.

Speaker 5 (33:39):
And Cocoa and Jesse are number one in doubles, so
like yes.

Speaker 3 (33:43):
The number one in doubles, she's Cocoa's now
number three.
I mean like talk about a brightass future, it's a bright ass
now, like the world is hot,everything low fire,
everything's going to shit, butCocoa great, just women's tennis
is, and women's tennis feelslike it's.

Speaker 1 (34:00):
For years.
It felt exciting in a way ofyou didn't know who could win.
It's like, literally, you mightnot know them.
Do you want?
To make it?
Yes, literally, but right now Ifeel like it's like really big
names competing for the bigtrophies and you don't know
who's going to win, becausethey're all so good and that's
an exciting way to feel.

Speaker 5 (34:21):
And I'll just say that once again, the women's
three sets are far superior tothe men's five.

Speaker 1 (34:29):
I just think that's Because that's second set.

Speaker 5 (34:31):
Towards the end of that second set, you've got to
come out the gate, you've got tocome out the gate ready to win
a match, or you've got to comeback hard and fast, and I just
once again watching Coco do that.
The three sets are everythingBrenda can't shout out to the
brand.
At some point she was watchingsome men's match and the entire
text was these men's matches aretoo long.

Speaker 4 (34:51):
That was just too long.

Speaker 5 (34:52):
And I was like yep, these women.

Speaker 1 (34:54):
And we have to see it on display in that final Yep.
They don't tune into men'smatches until the third set.
Basically All right, jess andAmira, this has been a pleasure.
I cannot think of a better wayto have Gus over Coco's win than
with you two.
I love you very much.
Where can people follow you?
Do you have any plugs?

Speaker 5 (35:15):
Don't be a mother.
I don't know Jessica W Lutheron the things kind of there All
right.

Speaker 1 (35:23):
All right, I'm just.
It was a generous question.

Speaker 5 (35:26):
That was a very nice thing to ask us.
Please don't fight me, pleasedon't fight me.

Speaker 3 (35:31):
I didn't even tell you the worst part about my
celebration.
When Coco won, I was so excitedthat I shot my hands up and
caught my hands in my fan, andso I was cheering like this.
My finger started to swell it'snot bad anymore, but it started
to swell and I was like I'mignoring, I'm ignoring and I was
like cheering and crying.

Speaker 1 (35:51):
So you injured yourself during the Coco Golf
match.

Speaker 3 (35:54):
Yeah, I put a bag of frozen smoothie on my finger and
I was holding it and runningaround the house screaming and
crying and Samari and her friendwere like.
And Samari turned to her friendwas like my mom gets very into
sports.

Speaker 5 (36:09):
I love that we have the same experience with our
children during this event.

Speaker 1 (36:13):
I love how you just got past this on your sports.
Love onto your children.

Speaker 3 (36:17):
Well, no, then I will well credit to Samari, because
at two in the morning she sentme a Hamilton behind the scenes
clip where somebody said what doyou think about Coco Golf?
And the Hamilton people saidshe's only 19, but her mind is
older, which is a very specificgroup of people who will
appreciate that.
And so that was our crossoverepisode, because I really said

(36:37):
that.

Speaker 1 (36:38):
And with that we're out.

Speaker 3 (36:42):
Don't you miss us.

Speaker 1 (36:48):
Hello, hello, hello.
Lindsey, back here with youwith one of my other favorite
people.
This episode is full of myfavorite people, as I've
probably said a hundred times bynow, but joining me now is
Howard Magdal, the founder andeditor of the Next and the Nine.
Howard, thank you for makingyour Power Place podcast debut.

Speaker 4 (37:09):
I am so excited to be here.
I am also president of theLindsey Gibbs fan club.
I think it's important to notethat.

Speaker 1 (37:16):
I appreciate that and it makes me very uncomfortable.
So, moving on very quickly,because we have a lot to talk
about, because it is WNBAplayoff time.
Last week we had the seeds werefinally set.
So in last week's podcast,maggie and I talked through all

(37:38):
the potentials for this week andI gotta admit there were a
couple of surprises for me.
The sparks we talked about thesparks maybe being out because
of their.
They had a tough schedule thisweek, but they did end up on the
outside of the playoff lookingin the sky got it instead.
The links had about, by mycount, a million opportunities

(38:01):
to clinch the fifth seed.
It never did.
Is that more or less correct?

Speaker 4 (38:06):
And I kept your math and, yes, you are correct.

Speaker 1 (38:08):
Yeah, so, because I knew they had a chance to clinch
it before last week's podcast.
And then somehow we wentthrough a whole another week and
here they are as the sixth seed, which means they face
Connecticut instead of theDallas wings, which this is not
meant to be disrespectful to theDallas wings, it's just the

(38:30):
truth.
That's a big difference.
That's a big big difference.
I would say, well, maybe we getinto preview, maybe you have a
hotter take than me about that.
Maybe you do.
Oh, stay tuned.
So here are our matchups.
We have got the number oneversus number eight matchup is
the Las Vegas Aces versus theChicago Sky.

(38:52):
The two versus seven, which isthe one I feel like we might
talk about the most here is theNew York Liberty versus the
Washington Mystics, who lostthat in that six seven battle to
the dream.
The dream actually moved allthe way up to number five, which
I definitely did not see coming.
But anyways, three versus six,as we mentioned, sun versus
links, four versus five, wingsversus dream.

(39:14):
The schedule will be sun versuslinks will kick off the
playoffs, tip off the playoffs.
I always say kick off, but youall know what I mean.
Wednesday at 8 pm Eastern,followed by Aces versus Sky,
wednesday at 10 pm Eastern, andthen the Liberty versus Mystics

(39:34):
will be Friday at 7 30 pm.
Wings versus Dream will beFriday 9 30 pm.
This is quite a.
The first round is pretty spreadout and I'm sure it's for TV
purposes, but it's a littleweirdly spread out over a full
week almost for three games.
So Howard, first off.
I got a couple of questionsbefore we get into the actual
previewing of the games.

(39:54):
My first is one of the bigcontras, not con, I don't know.
Points of contention is the waythis first round is structured.
So this is our second year inthis playoff system
configuration of having thefirst round be best of three,

(40:14):
the semifinals and finals bebest of five.
Here it goes that the home teamhas the first two games and
then the road team, the lowerseed, gets game three.
How do you feel about thatconfiguration and is that fair
or unfair to the home courtadvantage?

(40:35):
People.

Speaker 4 (40:36):
In my time covering the lead, there have been a
number of different playoffconfigurations.
I think this is the best onethere's been.
I understand the concerns.
They're all trade-offs whenyou're trying to figure out what
do you do to give the higherseed an advantage.
To me, when this used to be aone and done game for the three

(41:02):
and the four, after five througheight, or battling through
these one game playoffs to thedeath, this seems more
appropriate to me.
I know that the down side is ifyou lose one of your first two
home games, you've got to playan elimination game on the road

(41:22):
here in round one.
But it also gives you theopportunity.
You are the higher seed, youhave the opportunity to take
care of business, to win twogames at home in a row and if
you haven't, you face a littlebit of a challenge, but you're
still not knocked out of theplayoff.
So that balance feels in syncto me, even though, yeah, I

(41:43):
guess in theory, having one oneone would be fairer to the
higher seed to give you anopportunity to win a winner.
Take all game at home.
The travel on that is sosignificant.

Speaker 1 (41:55):
How many caveats to the charter schedule do you
think there would be then?
There would be approximately100 asterisks.

Speaker 4 (42:05):
And even if you had that everyone charter, you're
still asking people to fly thereand back and back.
It's still a lot.
So I don't think there's aperfect system that exists, but
I do think this is the bestsystem the WNBA has had playoff
wise ever in terms ofeliminating randomness, which is
what I think you really want todo when that scenario.

Speaker 1 (42:26):
Another thing I want to bring up is I just want us to
take a moment and almost have alittle bit time for the gosh I
can't remember who they are thefever and the sparks and the
storm and the mercury.

(42:48):
Thank you.
Any players from those teamsyou want to give a shout out to?
And why should we start withShook Sutton?

Speaker 4 (42:59):
Well Shook Sutton always Sure, but you know, to me
.
I see a lot of promising moments, especially out of LA and
particularly out of Indiana.
I think if you ask the coachesaround this lead, indiana is one
of the eight best teams now.
They got off to a terriblestart.
We're able to overcome the math, but the Indiana fever.

(43:23):
You add the fact that there's alottery pick coming to that
team and that is verysignificant.
And in the same way, you lookat LA.
Well, la is in a greatsituation now.
Over the weekend we saw a numberof the key guards sign
extensions to stay in the home.
So what does that mean?
Well, now Jordan Canada jumpsup the list.

(43:44):
And Jordan Canada who is mymost improved player this year,
although that was a challenge,and there were quite a few.
You know a lot of Smith andDavid Evans, and you know I
still put Jordan Canada at thetop of that list.
Well, jordan is very happythere.
Jordan is a California productand so LA is in a scenario where
they can potentially keepJordan and lottery pick.

(44:05):
You know, see what you can doin free agency, even though it's
more limited, but they're in avery good position to me going
into 2024.
And the storm and the mercurywill also be going into 2024.

Speaker 1 (44:20):
That is true, they will.
Those are two teams that willbe playing.
Although the storm, the stormgot the best news they could
have possibly gotten this week.
They were able to extend jewelLloyd for two seasons, which is
huge news and, I think, a creditto the ownership group there,
because Jewel had made it veryclear she was looking into see
what ownership groups were doing.

(44:41):
She there was pretty legitimatenoise that she was going to
possibly be looking at the sky.
That's her hometown team.
Her mother is courtside forevery sky game.
So there's a lot of reasonsthat you know that could have
been a nice place to go.
They got Dwayne Wade.
I know Dwayne Wade was tryingto recruit her a little bit I'm
sure not in any tampering way,but but anyways, I think that's

(45:07):
a big deal.
I don't think we know it's abig deal that the storm.

Speaker 5 (45:10):
The storm.

Speaker 1 (45:11):
And they've still got Eze, Magda or it's just.
What are they?
What are they doing with thatteam?
I'm not quite sure outside ofthat.

Speaker 4 (45:19):
And again, you keep jewel Lloyd, whenever you have
the opportunity, one of thestars in this game, and you're
right, it is a huge endorsementfor what they're doing.
The question is can you add alottery pick, which they'll get
this year to, to what Eze bringsto a jewel brains?
Is that going to be enough?
Can you build around them?
Is there a pathway?

(45:39):
People I talked to around theleader split this week.
Some people say you know, yeah,I get why jewel Lloyd signed
there.
They're not as far away as youthink.
I had some others who said youknow, I'm really surprised that
jewel made this decision beforeeven testing the waters.
And so you know, listen, timewill tell ultimately about that

(46:00):
choice.
We certainly know that jewel isan iconic player of this
generation, as is Gwen, aniconic presence on the sidelines
from this generation.
Shout out, mama Lloyd.
But it will be fascinating tosee how Seattle gets there.
You never know.
But to me the pathway to how LAgets there is pretty clear, and

(46:22):
how Indiana gets there isextremely clear, although it
would have been even clearer hadIndiana, for instance, been
able to get a jewel Lloyd or aCaliocopper you know, who
resigned in Chicago.
That was a very big deal forthe sky.

Speaker 1 (46:35):
The sky got a very big deal with Cleo Copper
resigned.
Liberty got a really big dealwith Benizolani's extension, so
definitely A bargain to boot, asit relates to Benizolani.

Speaker 4 (46:48):
She signed for approximately $25,000 less
depending on what year you talkabout in this two year extension
than she was making currently.
A real endorsement of the ideathat New York is going to be
able to keep this team togetherwhich doesn't matter, just with
the Mercury.

Speaker 1 (47:05):
I just the Shug Sudden Story was one of my
favorites of the year.
The Mercury seemed to well.
I guess they give a lot ofplayers some opportunities to
shine with all the injuriesthey've had and all the roster
troubles they've had, but I'mreally was excited to see she
became the first Mercury playerto ever get a triple double,
which is just amazing.
And she was the last pick inthe 2021 draft, I believe.

(47:26):
And she played a little bit forthe Mystics there's no, it must
have been 2020, because sheplayed a little bit for the
Mystics during the COVID year,during in the bubble, and then
was basically out of the leaguefor a couple of years and then
came back.

Speaker 4 (47:40):
So a fun story Again.
Another Karen Aston product.
Yeah, into a better thanexpected WNBA player.
These things don't happen byaccident in the same way that we
had, you know, 20 years of.
Oh, another C Vivian Stringerplayer was better than expected.

(48:01):
You know, it just happenedagain and again and you can
trace it back to roots and seethere are some coaches who
prepared their players for thepros.
Karen Aston's one of them.
She should have a power fivejob yesterday.

Speaker 1 (48:12):
All right.
Well we, I brought you here topreview the playoffs, so 13
minutes into our conversation,do you want to preview the
playoffs?
Let's talk.
I'm just going to go in order.
Seed wise, right, so let's talk.
One V eight aces versus sky.
Aces have a three and oh recordagainst the sky.

(48:33):
To me, the only way the skyhave even a tiny chance of
getting this as if their threeguards play out of their minds
and their that that is apossibility.
The three players that play offof the playoffs and the three

(48:53):
players that play off of theplayoffs Lea copper, marina
Maverick and Courtney Williamsare three players who love the
spotlight, who thrive in biggames.
I mean, we've seen playoffCourtney Williams before, we've
seen playoff Lea copper beforeand I believe a playoff Marina
Maverick exists.

Speaker 4 (49:14):
If I've ever believed anything in my life, I believe
that we know it from college.
Yeah, we know what, based onthe state.

Speaker 1 (49:19):
But look, I love Elizabeth Williams.
Alana Smith, if I had a vote,would have been my most improved
player, just because of what Ivalue.
That's just totally a valuecall versus how you see the
award.
I don't think there's a wronganswer this year.
But they're going to have theirhands full in the post, so as
much as they're going to behanging on for dear life down
there.
So it's going to come down tothese guards and Dana Evans off

(49:42):
the bench.
I don't think they're going toget a game.
What are your thoughts on that?
And if they do, it would bebecause that impressive guard
trio shows up and the aces haveone of these off shooting nights
where they don't have theirlegs like they've had over the
past couple weeks.

Speaker 4 (50:01):
They have.
And again it goes back to howenergized are the Las Vegas aces
right now?
How much do they have left inthe tank?
Becky Hammond has made thedecision once again to play with
a short rotation all season.
It didn't come back to bitethem last year, I would argue,
in part because their talentlevel was so much further ahead

(50:23):
of the rest of the lead theywere able to get away with it
rather than that being a goodplan.
But there's been a doublingdown on that and it's happened
during the season, and there isa contender who was arguably as
talented.
One through five, that's realclose, but indisputably deeper.
Six through eleven, and I thinkthat is a problem.

(50:44):
I don't expect it to be aproblem here in round one.
But to your point, listen, I'mold enough to have covered
Christie Tull.
We're hitting nine threes inMadison Square Garden to beat
Liberty.
I mean a team, I mean we bothremember so like that was an
example of why, geez, let's nothave a one and done three

(51:05):
posting at home.
Could you have a scenario wherethat happens for one of the
first two games in Vegas andsuddenly we've got a winner take
all at Win Trust Arena?
Very possibly the Chicago skyhave rallied late in a way that
I listen.
I think we both thought therewas a good chance that LA was
gonna overtake them, as LA gothealthy.
The problem is, la never reallydid get healthy.

Speaker 1 (51:27):
No, their rotation got shorter and shorter.
They were playing with seventowards the end of the season as
well, and and they had atougher, as Maggie and I talked
about last week they did havethe tougher schedule this week
than the sky and I think theyhad a game, yeah just a brief
detour like a shout out toanyone.

Speaker 4 (51:45):
Anyone who has opportunity to hire Maggie
Hendricks, hire Maggie Hendricks, please.
That was our.

Speaker 1 (51:51):
That was our rallying cry last week and I will
refresh it again.
Hire Maggie Hendricks.
Go back and listen to ourpreview last week of this week
because it was.
We were right on on everything.
So hire Maggie Hendricks.
You know not to toot our ownhorns, but let's do it.
Liberty vs Mystics they are tiedtwo and two.

(52:13):
One of the losses the Mysticshad was in overtime, so you know
really close.
They beat the Liberty on Sundayin one of the coolest buzzer
beaters.
You'll see just a perfectlyexecuted inbound lob pass to
Britney Sykes who shot overBrianna Stewart, which is hard

(52:35):
to do.
Not many can pull that off andallow the Mystics to win by two.
Mystics technically had nothingon the line in that game.
There they were seven seed, nomatter what.
The Liberty technically werestill in the battle for the
number one seed.
But anyways, what are yourthoughts?

(52:55):
Do you think that this is asblockbuster of a matchup as it
seems on paper?
Or are the Liberty, with all oftheir depth, with all of their
star power, with it beingplayoff time, with them being in
front of a sold-out crowd, arethey just going to turn it up a
notch and obliterate the Mystics?

Speaker 4 (53:14):
obliterate the Mystics.
No, I think that's hard to do.
I think this Mystics team isbuilt to, if healthy challenge.
Now, this is the idea behindhow Mike Tebow has built them.
You know they've built forseveral years around the idea
that, look, if you have ahealthy Elena Deledon come
playoff time, that gives you apuncher's chance to win it all.

(53:36):
Yeah, I think that is aperfectly reasonable way to come
into the playoffs now.
Shakira Austin not beingavailable is a huge, huge loss.
I think we're having adifferent conversation if you
can throw Shakira Austin at JohnCole Jones and try and
neutralize what JJ does in thepaint as well.

(53:56):
To be clear.

Speaker 1 (53:57):
We don't know officially Shakira Austin is
gonna play this week.
She re-aggravated her hipinjury and the Mystics, I know,
you know they see her as a very,very long-term and important
piece of their franchise and asmuch as they're gonna want to
push the envelope for a playoffgame, as much as I know she'll
want to put push the envelopefor the playoff game, all signs

(54:19):
are that they are going to becareful and think long-term with
her, as they should, especiallywhen you've got a
re-aggravation of an injury.
Right like you don't want tocome back too soon from that,
but she hasn't been officiallyruled out in that game.
They are lucky that game is notuntil Friday night, so that
gives them extra time to get herready.
So just we, at the time ofrecording this, we do not know

(54:40):
Shakira Austin status, but I, II will be surprised if we see
her.
I'll be honest.

Speaker 4 (54:46):
I would as well.
You certainly hope to see herback.
You certainly hope more thanthat that she's healthy, because
that's what really matters atthe end of the day.
But I think without having herto be able to bang inside, I
think it's very difficult forthe Mystics to keep up with what
the Liberty can do.
You know, the phrase I've usedwith the Liberty repeatedly is

(55:07):
they've got this Noah's Arkroster, and what I mean is
they've got two of everything,and the reason why that matters
so much come playoff time is ifplayer X is unavailable to do
something or is ineffective in agiven night, player Y is
available there to do it.
Exactly if Sabrina UNESCO isnot hitting threes, courtney
Vanersloot is around to hitthrees, but Nigel Laney is not

(55:30):
taking advantage of the factthat defenses have to overplay
the four other starters in thatline of Kayla Thornton's man
would come off the bench and dothat while defending multiple
positions, the way Laney does aswell.
It really blows my mind to lookat the level of talent that they
have.
The idea the Marine Johannes iswhat.
The fourth guard on this teamis incredible as well, and so

(55:53):
when you're talking about ashort series, things can happen.
The Mystics.
Listen, elena goes out thereand goes for 40 at Barclays and
they steal a game would notsurprise anyone.
This is what Elena has beenworking so hard to get to Elena
to get back to the playoffs, tobe in a position and that chip
right there for her.
But we also have a lifetime ofBrianna Stewart finding another

(56:16):
level and elevating herteammates to another level in a
way that, frankly, I don't thinkwe've seen in this league since
to make the catchings, and so,from that perspective, I think
there's a non-zero chance thatwe see a game three at ESA,
where the Mystics play.
I still could see the Libertycome down and do that as well,
but my goodness, would that be afun one.

Speaker 1 (56:37):
That would be fun and I will say the Mystics they
don't have.
This is that they're like thebeelis Liberty almost in that
they do have.
They do have backups and that'show they've still we're still
able to get in the playoffs,right, like Tiana Hawkins can do
a good Elena Deladon impressionat times, like my Asia Heinz

(56:58):
Allen, gay John Qual Jones, arun for her physicality money on
Sunday.
Right, you do have theseMystics had 24 bench points
against the Liberty on Sunday.
They're gonna need that.
Right, every single benchplayer came in.
You've got Shatori WalkerKimbro can do a great Aero
Lackens impression.

(57:19):
Right, like, like on defense Imean, it's not quite the level
of the Liberty, right, but theydo have these other players.
They're gonna need all thosebench points, although of course
, sunday was a light.
It was a bigger rotationbecause they weren't trying to
play everyone too much.
But you're gonna leave.
Need mom coming off the benchand scoring three, three or four
threes, because Marine Johannesis gonna do that.

(57:41):
Right, you're gonna need tomatch player for player.
But listen, it's, it's at thevery least.
It's legitimately intriguingfor a first round series, for
two versus seven.

Speaker 4 (57:51):
It's a legitimately intriguing series it is
incredibly intriguing and againto your point about this to be
able to build depth in the WNBAwhile having star power.
Given the realities of the tap,it's extraordinarily difficult,
and that's again why you knowto me Jonathan Cole was
executive of the year for whathe did in New York, but I, this

(58:13):
young, up-and-coming GM inWashington, might I?
Guess they bought the box, thebox, I don't know yeah, whoever
he is, I think she's got a realfuture in the league.

Speaker 1 (58:27):
Yeah and we didn't mention Natasha Cloud's name, so
I'm just gonna mention her name, natasha cloud, who did you see
her wave to the crowd after theBritney Sykes shot.

Speaker 4 (58:39):
I mean listen, if there's a more entertaining
player to watch in this leaguethan Natasha cloud, I'd be
surprised.
And it does worth.
It is worth pointing out thatshe finds another level come
play out.
And we forgot to also mentionBritney Sykes as well.

Speaker 1 (58:55):
We mentioned her with the law, but they are too.
I would say they're probablythe best guard defensive guard
duo in the league right now andthat's in the liberty or close
to it.
But I think the mystics whendefense.

Speaker 4 (59:09):
I know, I think they do, and Britney Sykes is in the
MIP conversation too and I willsay you know, look, I've had the
privilege of covering BritneySykes and she was at Syracuse,
you know, the pride of Newark,new Jersey.
She is somebody who haselevated her game, I would argue
, three different times sincegetting to the WNBA.
And to do that with a historyof two ACL tears in her career,

(59:30):
it just it boggles the mind.
She has.

Speaker 1 (59:34):
She was brought in to be a basically a good
role-player right, a startingrole player, do you what I mean?

Speaker 4 (59:40):
and she has dragged this mystics team into the
playoffs she was better thanthat knew where people who said,
geez, she's being paid like afeatured player and she's just
gonna be this solid, they're notit they're not even in the
playoffs without her.

Speaker 1 (59:55):
They're not even in the playoffs without her period
all right, we have two otherseries.
Let's keep going.
Sun vs Lynx, the one I'm themost kind of don't know what to
say about.
I don't think I really caughtany of their games this season
or that I can remember threeversus it's three to one Sun.
I think the obvious headlinehere is two MVP candidates,

(01:00:20):
alyssa Thomas versus NafisaCollier, although a fee is not
not quite on the level as ATthis year, but what?
You seem to have interestingthoughts on this.
What are your?
What are your thoughts on Sunvs Lynx?

Speaker 4 (01:00:38):
you know it's funny I there are people who don't
routinely put fee in the top 10in this lead in terms of as an
overall player, and I think itdoesn't make any sense.
That's really in that top 10group and I think, under
different circumstances, wouldhave been in the MVP
conversation this year.
Yeah, but yeah, no, listen whatwhat Alyssa Thomas did she has

(01:01:01):
a support group that agrees onTwitter.

Speaker 1 (01:01:03):
I don't know if you've known this.

Speaker 4 (01:01:07):
I spend almost no time on Twitter by that.

Speaker 1 (01:01:10):
I mean, I mean her husband who likes to?

Speaker 4 (01:01:15):
call anyone who has not included her in the top five
but the point being fee is aclear number one option for a
championship team.
The thing to worry about withMinnesota, I think, comes back
to I'm basically there's acouple of things.

Speaker 1 (01:01:34):
One is that they figured out a way to run the
offense around Lindsay Allen andthen they lost Lindsay Allen,
which is so sad because like tosee a player six, seven years
into their career all of asudden find a spot right, find a
starting spot that's solid.
And I didn't see that, like Ididn't see that coming her, like

(01:01:57):
reemergence is season, and thento have it end like this you
know another up-and-comingyounger executive since when has
she known more than me?

Speaker 4 (01:02:09):
but they started all in six and it clearly figured
out a way to be not just aplayoff team but a dangerous
playoff team and again go backto like.
There are people who would say,oh, indiana's lottery team,
they beat him by 15.
What a terrible loss that is.
Chris decides has that teamplaying extremely well?
I don't think that's a bad loss.
It does come back to do.

(01:02:30):
We think Minnesota can come inand steal a game in Connecticut.
Well, if they can, you know thisyou go to the Target Center for
a winter.
Take all those Lynch fans areand I mean this in like a
positive, respectful way likecrazy as hell, like they're just
gonna go like turn thatbuilding into an absolute place

(01:02:52):
of beggin for a winter.
Take all a day and the Sun.
Do not want to be in thatsituation.
You do not want to be in asituation where you got the home
crowd behind you wherepotentially, feet can go out and
win a game by herself.
Diamond Miller, pride ofSomerset in New Jersey, could
possibly go out and do it andTaylor McBride, who is playing
as well as she ever has in thisleague, you know, has somehow

(01:03:16):
found a way and I believe it'syour 10th year in the league to
reach another level and she alsogot extended.

Speaker 1 (01:03:21):
I didn't mention her when I was saying guards guys,
senate.
Yeah well, I own Minnesota saidit was a breaking news
conference, they they werehaving that's fair, I think.

Speaker 4 (01:03:32):
That's reason why I think it was.
You know, is she the secondmost important player on that
team, arguably, arguably, andthen you know, I know who's your
second most important player onthat list too, I mean it's
diamond.
Diamond is great, diamond isimportant.
I'm just saying.

Speaker 1 (01:03:53):
Arguably.
That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (01:03:54):
I think it's arguable between those Part of the way
that team operates on the day-in, day-out basis.
Taylor is the reason, to mymind, or a reason why diamonds
has had as easy an adjustment asshe has, and I'll go to UMass
has been a critical part of thatand they'd be the first to tell
you that.
So I thought it was not at thelevel news-wise of like, if

(01:04:15):
Prowl retired, that would havebeen like, oh my God, like we
would have had a podcast atLockdown with these basketball
it would have been a whole thing.
But no, I thought that waspretty important and you put
Taylor and Fee in a scenario ofa winter take-all game.
I'm just saying Connecticutbetter take care of business.

Speaker 1 (01:04:33):
Well, and I would say Minnesota is streaky.
It's a very, very trickyshooter and that means that
that's that sounds like anegative but it can mean a very
big positive if they get going.
You know you've got RachelBannum coming off the bench who
once she starts hitting, there'sno stopping it.
You know you.
I mean you've got some.

(01:04:53):
If they find that gear, which Ijust think their fumbles this
last week worry me a little bit,the fumbles of not being able
to get that, that five seeddon't do, worry me a bit.
But I would pick the sun andtwo there.
But betting against the CherylReeve team has definitely come
back to bite me in the bottombefore.

(01:05:15):
So all right, the final one isour four, our surprising four
versus five, matchup, the wingsversus the dream, two of the
younger teams in the league,kind of most exciting, yet
erratic, I think, the way Iwould put it.
We would put it the wings,surprisingly, I think, have like

(01:05:36):
a three and oh, went recordagainst the dream this season,
which I was surprised to findout.
What's our take on this one?

Speaker 4 (01:05:48):
I am going to go a little bit different direction
from where you were talkingabout, where you were saying you
know, clearly there's thismajor step down after
Connecticut, heading into Dallas, and I see it a little bit
differently.
I see Connecticut and Dallas asessentially three A and three B
If you go back net rating, andby net rating, connecticut's a

(01:06:08):
plus four point four on theseason, dallas is a plus three
point five on the season.
They are neck and neck.
Atlanta is actually a minus onepoint eight on the season.
And while they, in the same way, atlanta and Minnesota are
basically the two that havemoved my needle the most over
the last couple of weeks.
Minnesota in that negative way,like you said, not being able

(01:06:30):
to go and secure that five seed,and Atlanta, quite the opposite
, being able to figure out someof their offensive limitations
that really hurt the monologistand really put them in a
position to have to win late anddoing a great job of, let's say
, writing the ship going intothe playoffs.
But Dallas, to me that's a teamthat beat Connecticut, that's a

(01:06:51):
team that beat Las Vegas andthat's a team that beat New York
as well.
Dallas has a ceiling where youcome in and you say, geez, all
it takes is one road win in anyof these series and you can
suddenly turn things around.
If you're Dallas heading intothe semifinals and that's not a
given, because Atlanta is goingto be tough and it's a real

(01:07:11):
challenge and Dallas has somelosses they shouldn't have had
either you still have anopportunity if you're the Dallas
wins when you get to thosesemifinals, to really make some
noise.
But I think literature travelsdone an incredible job here in
year one.
I think LT will have them readyto play.
I think you know Arike is goingto be ready for the playoffs.

(01:07:33):
Natasha Howard and this is nota coincidence had won a lot of
WNBA playoff games everywhere.
She's been Everywhere she'sbeen, even when she was like a
bench player for TamikaCaction's Indiana Fever back in
the day.
So there is a lot of talentthere and that is a team.
Quite frankly, you can bringMaddie Segerist off the bench

(01:07:54):
and Maddie Segerist could burythree or four.
Three.

Speaker 1 (01:07:57):
The next columnist Maddie Segerist.

Speaker 4 (01:08:00):
Yes, exactly, she's at the nine and we'll have that
this week.

Speaker 1 (01:08:03):
Oh, I'm sorry.

Speaker 4 (01:08:05):
At the nine newsletter.
Maddie will be talking thisWednesday about getting ready
for the playoffs.
On the diary she's been doingthere all year but it is.
It is a sign of the kind ofdepth you know.
Greg Bibb gets a lot of grieffrom a lot of people over some
of the the move he has, herconversations through the years,
but it's hard to argue with theteam that he's put together

(01:08:27):
here as very dangerous.
If Dallas ends up winning aseries, it shouldn't shock
anyone.
They're the favorite.
If Dallas ends up winning twoseries, it shouldn't shock
anyone.
Surprise yes, shock no.

Speaker 1 (01:08:40):
I would, I would, I would agree with that.
I think them being at home isso key for them.
They've really built a reallygreat fan base there.
I don't know that.
I love their.
Their erraticness, I think,shows up much more on the road.
But we also have to mention thename that I know a lot of
people are going to vote for formost improve.

(01:09:01):
So, too, sobly is also on thatteam and rumor has it she's
pretty good.

Speaker 4 (01:09:07):
She was on my own WNBA first.
Yeah, wow, yeah, that's good.
I think she has gotten to it.

Speaker 1 (01:09:13):
I'm with you that I think she's that good and I'm
not surprised she's that good,which is why she wouldn't have
been my most improved pick.
That's the problem, it's just.

Speaker 4 (01:09:25):
she's just finally healthy for a second A couple of
weeks ago.
Or she had 40 points on 19shots from the field.
I mean, that's crazy.
They should, they should comeup with some sort of mythical
animal that is unrepeated.
You know I've been a reallyunique animal and use that as a
nickname for her.
I don't know what you wouldcall it, unicorn.

Speaker 1 (01:09:47):
Oh, that sounds about right.
One of my favorite tweets ofthe year was when she had the
bump coming out of her foreheadand she said it's just the
unicorns just inside me.
Anyways, I I think I referredto, you know, a Rique Natasha
Institute is the big three inthe very first power plays
newsletter about the WNBA thisseason and I think I stick by

(01:10:10):
that and I don't think that'sthe three of them are going to
be a problem in the playoffs andI don't think Atlanta is ready
for it.

Speaker 4 (01:10:19):
I think Atlanta little immature.
Sorry to make the playoffs thisyear.

Speaker 1 (01:10:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:10:25):
I will experience.
I'm a big believer in whatTanisha right and Dan Pat over
are building in Atlanta, butthere's there's more work to do
and I suspect I suspect theyfeel the same way.

Speaker 1 (01:10:37):
Absolutely All right.
Well, howard, how can peoplefollow all of your work?
Please just up just women'ssports work for now, please.
You know Howard also doesbaseball stuff, but we will.
We will leave that for anotherpodcast and women's baseball.
We'll leave that for you.

Speaker 4 (01:11:00):
But go to the next to stop calm and check out what we
do.
We're over over a hundredreported pieces every single
month.
We have a pipeline ofincredible writers who have gone
on to everywhere from theathletic to sports illustrated
to the power place podcast.
We also over at the nine T H EI X sports as entitled nine the

(01:11:23):
nine sports dot com, we goacross six different sports
women's soccer, tennis,basketball, golf, hockey and
gymnastics.
We're going to have incrediblecoverage there all week as well,
and we just have it's up rightnow.
I just got to shout it outMichelle Smith, special to the
nine to the story on girls fledfootball in California high

(01:11:46):
schools.
It was just incredible.
She was there to take us insidethe first day of it as a as a
varsity sport.
So those are the ways that Iwould go and do it.
Make sure you follow both andif you can subscribe, the
subscriptions mean everythingbecause so many of you have
stepped up to subscribe to thenext to stop calm, I can send my
reporters on the road here inthe playoffs and we've got

(01:12:08):
somebody for every team.

Speaker 1 (01:12:09):
That's so incredible Congratulations.
Thanks so much for listening tothe power place podcast.
See you all next week.