November 25, 2025 • 34 mins
The future of the WNBA?
It’s coming fast and furious. On Sunday, the Dallas Wings won the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft for the second straight year. Today, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz trade predictions on who they think is heading to Dallas, before taking a look at the larger WNBA landscape, from the NY Liberty’s new head coach to the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
Thanks to Fan Duel for supporting today’s podcast. From the rink to the court to the pitch, FanDuel is the home for women’s sports betting in Ontario. Download the FanDuel app or click here to get started.
A big shoutout to LPGA for sponsoring The GIST of It. Check out the LPGA’s 2026 schedule, lock in your plans, and get ready to cheer on a sport that’s been lifting up women athletes for 76 years.
Show notes:
LPGA 2026 schedule
Episode #496: Behind-the-scenes of the Golden State Valkyries with team president Jess Smith
More on The GIST:
☎️ Leave us a voicemail! Call us at 1-437-564-5579 or hold down on this link
🎧 Subscribe: thegistsports.com/subscribepod
✉️ Email: pod@thegistsports.com
📷 Instagram: @thegistca @thegistusa
🐦 X: @thegistpod
It’s coming fast and furious. On Sunday, the Dallas Wings won the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft for the second straight year. Today, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz trade predictions on who they think is heading to Dallas, before taking a look at the larger WNBA landscape, from the NY Liberty’s new head coach to the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
Thanks to Fan Duel for supporting today’s podcast. From the rink to the court to the pitch, FanDuel is the home for women’s sports betting in Ontario. Download the FanDuel app or click here to get started.
A big shoutout to LPGA for sponsoring The GIST of It. Check out the LPGA’s 2026 schedule, lock in your plans, and get ready to cheer on a sport that’s been lifting up women athletes for 76 years.
Show notes:
LPGA 2026 schedule
Episode #496: Behind-the-scenes of the Golden State Valkyries with team president Jess Smith
More on The GIST:
☎️ Leave us a voicemail! Call us at 1-437-564-5579 or hold down on this link
🎧 Subscribe: thegistsports.com/subscribepod
✉️ Email: pod@thegistsports.com
📷 Instagram: @thegistca @thegistusa
🐦 X: @thegistpod
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A big shout out to our friends at FanDuel for
teaming up with us on today's episode. We're only four
games into the PWHL season and I am already locked
in from gaming and goals to jaw dropping saves. This
league didn't waste a second reminding us of why we
missed it so much. And I didn't have a chance
to go to a PWHL game last week stuff, but
(00:21):
I did see Maria Phillip Plain of the Montreal Victoire
in person at a Montreal Canadians game, which was really
really cool. I know that you've been tracking every stat
including hers, but for anyone else itching to get closer
to the action, FanDuel is the spot, with betting lines
on every matchup and future bets on the table. There
(00:42):
has truly never been a better time to put a
little green on your gut feeling.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
What is upisters?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Welcome and welcome back to another episode of the Gist
of It. Today's Tuesday Noveva twenty fifth.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
We're your co hosts. I'm back on the mic, whether
you like it or not.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I'm Ellenhislop and I'm Steph Rotz, and I've missed you
so much.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
I'm as you so much for context for everyone. I
was away last week. You still would have heard me
chatting with Asia Wilson, though, which was like probably one
of the most fun interviews I've ever actually done for
the podcast. But I was away last week in Quebec,
enjoying a wintery wonderland, going to a couple hockey games,
(01:28):
eating really well, going on some wintery trails, and so
as much as Steph and I weren't together, I actually
think this is probably that probably was my most Steph
branded vacation I've ever had in my life.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
I'm so happy that you thought of me when you
see snow, and you know what, I hope all of
my axes do too.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I was not where I thought you were taking that.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Do you ever just think wow? I hope because there's
I'm I'm an easy to please girly. There's certain things
about me, you know, Taylor Swift snow that are just everywhere,
and sometimes I think, hmm, that's good for me.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
That is one of the top ten most funny things
you've ever said. I made that so much. I hope
you think about me.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yes, so as away last week, but then also, Seph,
before we get into Today's podcast too. We also for
podcast listeners and for all of the Just plus members you.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Might have seen this.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
We're doing a short mini podcast series for the next
eight weeks titled She's Not Next, She's Now Steph.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
I listened to up until the point where my voice
came on and I.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Put So we're doing this a part series basically on
all of these emerging entities within women's sports. And the
reason why we wanted to do it is because there's
so much movement in the women's sports space right now,
and there's so many emerging leagues and so many of
(03:09):
those emerging leagues getting started and then stopping getting acquired.
There's so many different players, and there's so many different
ways to look at all of these spaces depending on
the sport too, And it almost feels stuff that women's
sports are in this movement and having this moment right
now from a business perspective and a league perspective, in
the same way that centuries ago the NFL was figuring
(03:33):
out its formation between the NFC and AFC, the NHL
was kind of growing, and so it's this really interesting
moment where I feel like we can kind of capture
what's happening on the business side, and so we decided
to do that and so over the next eight weeks
where we're having a special series with me and Lauren
hosting it.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
So the episode that's out right now is about the PWHL.
Are there some other leagues that you can talk about
they're going to be in this series?
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Yes, So what I'll say, today's we did on Pro
Women's Hockey, but it was mostly a focus on the
PWHL because that is the league right now in North America.
Our one next Monday is actually going to be on volleyball,
and volleyball is so interesting because there was an acquisition
over the last twelve months of one league of another.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
There's three leagues that are really the.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Main front runners right now, and so when you're looking
at indoor volleyball and the professionalization of it in America,
it's really interesting too. Stuff because Pro Indoor Women's Volleyball
was super big in Europe and so it was kind
of similar to the WNBA in that like all of
these top players after they graduated from the NCAA were
(04:41):
going over to Europe and they weren't able to stay home.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
And so now there's this big pro indoor.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Volleyball opportunity, but everyone's going at it in a different way.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
I'm so excited to listen to this whole series and
just have a one stop shop of where I can
learn and just refer. Like even also, if I'm talking
to people and we get on the topic of women's sports,
as we often do, if I'm involved in the conversation,
i'del like, you should listen to this series and you
can learn all about the history, and it's going to
be a really good resource. I'm really excited.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yes, thank you so much, And I should say too,
it's not just Laura and I chatting like Steph is
on our women's hockey episode, because what we've tried to
do in every episode is have basically an executive, a player,
and a fan perspective, and so that way you get
kind of a I don't know, just a I don't know,
a different perspective on everything, because the players are really
different than the fans, who are really different than the executives.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
And I find too, especially in women's sports, I mean
maybe in men's sports, I don't know. The women are
so imperative to the development of these leagues and often
are very vocal and very involved into the development, especially
when it came to women's hockey.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
So it is really cool to have their perspective. They're
the marketers of their own product. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
So anyway, it's called She's Not Next, She's Now, and
we're just dropping it on our regular the Gist of
It feed every Monday, so it's not like you have
to download or subscribe to another RSS feed. You're going
to see it and if you're just plus subscrib you'll
get to listen on Sundays. Cute.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Anyway, what are you talking about today, Steff?
Speaker 3 (06:05):
We are talking about the WNBA, speak of women's leagues.
We get to talk about the WNF today. I'm so excited.
On Sunday, the Dallas Wings won the number one pick
in the twenty twenty six WNBA Draft for the second
straight year.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
So today, what.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
We're going to talk about in our one Big story
is we are going to try our best to predict
who will be heading to tell us before taking a
look at the larger WNBA landscape, from the New York
Liberty's new head coach to the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations,
There's truly so much going on in the off season
that it deserves its own episode. But before we get
(06:42):
into that one big story, we need to start by
calling an audible.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
It is famously about to be American Thanksgiving on Thursday,
also known as the best football day of the year.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Nobody talked to me.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
I actually have a lot of meetings books, which I'm
kind of annoyed about. I like, you just spend my
entire day watching the NFL, But you know it is
a bit.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
Of my business, and you know, I was just saying,
I'm like, I'm annoying.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Myself for book of those meetings. But also with.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
American Thanksgiving comes Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, all that.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Sort of stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
We have some really fun newsletter content coming out on Wednesday.
We have something special coming out for registers and they're
just plus subscribers. On Giving Tuesday, we're doing something cool
for that. But Steph, I'm very curious of what's catching
your eye this holiday season.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Unfortunately, I have been nosedown crafting. I have been really focused,
really determined to bring so much whimsy into my home
that is so cute. I have not started on my
gift giving because it's like eight sleep crack Club, another Club, Garlands,
fabric Garlands, ribbon Garlands, pipe cleaner Garland. If it was
(08:00):
on Pinterest, I unfortunately saw it and now I'm doing it.
And so that is what I'm currently obsessed with. And
you need to tell me to start getting involved with
my gift giving and thinking about that.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Okay, Well, I think that maybe craft could be a
great gift giving opportunity, you know.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
What I mean, Like Arlaers makes something.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Yeah, like you could give those to people, which I
think is a really great idea for gift giving. But
also if there's any of those set, like are you
buying any of this in a set? Or are you
going out and buying the products individually and then crafting
them for the holidays, or could you gift I don't know,
somebody like me who's really bad at crafts something to
(08:40):
make crafting easy.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
The thing is my algorithm now is oh, you want
a craft, here's so many options for you. So I
would have bought each individual item. But something that came
up on my FYP is a little mini book on
how to learn how to embroider that I immediately thought, who
can I put this for? Because it just just do
the stitches and different patterns that you can make without
(09:03):
having to commit to a project, which I think is
really fun because.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
You can also do it on your lap.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
So I was thinking about getting that for maybe my mom.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
I was just about to say.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
I didn't want to interrupt, but I was just about
to say, can you provide just the holiday Laura.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
On your mom right now?
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Because you are giving your mom a little bit with
just how much you're getting into the holidays.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Yeah, my mom famously is a November first Christmas person, yes,
waiting for midnight on October thirty first to take down
any sort of Halloween decor on the outside that indicated
she would be giving out candy, so the obligatory pumpkin,
et cetera, and putting out the Christmas tree, the multiple
(09:46):
Christmas trees. Growing up, we had three Christmas trees. We
had the one that the family was allowed to touch
it's really giving Monica Geller, and then two for her
so one that was a white theme and then one
that was more of like a red theme. She had
since scaled back. She only has two trees now, and
now that there's no children in the house, she has
full rain on both of those.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So I'm sure she's sure that's all she needs.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Now do you?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Is she crafty? Is this what you're tranneling?
Speaker 3 (10:12):
She knits and she paints, okay, but she's never embroidered.
So there you go, There you go, there you go.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
So there's a gift. So there's a good holiday gift.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I want to keep it maybe on this art train
less crafty, because there are a lot of people like me.
We in our group chat newsletter.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I want to say two Sundays ago.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
I'm getting the Sundays confused because I was on vacation.
I think it was last Sunday, so not this past Sunday,
but the one before it.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
We had a guest.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Editor come on and talk about interior design and how
to basically incorporate sports into your world. And our team
also put together recommendations of their favorite artists. And I
have a couple prints in my office from Rookie Maid,
so would definitely go check them out on Instagram. We've
also worked with them a couple of times on some
(11:03):
merch I have some really cool sports pieces from Mallory
tolsher Me the North on Instagram that has amazing beautiful
basketball prints.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
I have a couple of.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Those in my office and then my one day artist
who I would love to be able to be rich enough.
So maybe this is this is this is somebody someone
in your life who's in the highest tax bracket can
get you this Herner Burncourse or Berner Horn Court. Anyway,
he's this guy that does like more of the textured painting,
(11:37):
and then he does the little people who are playing
the sports, and then he does.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
The shadows of them.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
And I love watching this guy on TikTok and found
him on TikTok and just one day I want to
have a piece of his so bad. So if you are,
if if you're I don't know, going in on a
big gift or something like that for someone who loves sports,
that could be cool.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
I think that he is prints as well.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Also, I think people are making cakes in his style
for fun. Oh my god, because he does the skiing right, yeah,
the skiers, so taking the icing and putting it on
the cake in the same motion and then taking a
little icing drawings and making the skiers on them.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
You really can't help yourself but bring it back into
something crafty.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Design and bacon.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
It's hard, you can do.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Here's how you can participate.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Here's how you can do it yourself. And you know
what stuff.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
This is my complimentary to each other because that is
something I will never do.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
I love bacon. No, I'm not a DIY girly like,
absolutely not.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
And we need both to make the world go round.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
We need both and we also need our friends at
FanDuel to make the world go around.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Who are sponsoring today's podcasts?
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah, another big things to our friends at FanDuel. It's
game day in Montreal. Victoire and the New York Sirens
are about to light up the ice.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
And if you're as empt.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
As we are, now is the perfect time to open
up the FanDuel app and make this one even more exciting.
The app is so easy to use and built with
women's sports fans in mind. As for my pick, it's
hard to bet against the Victoirs Mary Filippe Poulin. That
woman is as clutch as they come. They call her
Captain Clutch. But the Sirens love spoiling a good storyline,
(13:23):
so they could pull off something dramatic. And they also
have Sarah Filier, a star in the making, constantly a
name to no so no matter how this one ends,
you'll want to say you saw it coming. Download the
fan Duel app and give yourself a stake in tonight's history.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Okay, we have so much to chat about.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Sorry, we've been yappy so far, but we're getting to
the actual content, which is discussing what's happening in the
WNBA right now. We have four things that we want
to go through. That's the agenda today. First things first,
we want to talk about the Dallas Wings clinching the
number one draft pick for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Yeah, on Sunday, the odds were in the Dallas Wings
favor quite literally, they had a forty two percent chance
of snagging the talk pick and we're guaranteed a top
three selection. And just a quick note here, lottery odds
are based on the cumulative records of the past two
WNBA regular seasons for the five teams that did not
make the playoffs in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Great context, and Seph, I'm not a conspiracy theorist.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
I want to put that out there right now.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
However, there is something happening with Dallas and with basketball.
So you just mentioned Dallas has the twenty twenty six
draft picked. They also had the twenty twenty five draft
pick in Page Beeckers, and then after a little someone
named Luka Doncic got traded to the LA Lakers. And
(14:57):
what was the most wild trade in I'd say the
last five to ten years in the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks,
against all odds, win the number one draft pick in
the NBA and they take Cooper Flagg, who is destined
to be one of the best basketball players over the
next five years. And so I think that a lot
(15:18):
of people were saying conspiracy after what happened with the NBA,
And now that I'm seeing, okay, the Dallas Wings got
Pagebeckers and now they have the number one pick again.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
It's starting to feel like it's more than just luck.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
And again, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I love
just putting that out there.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
I love that you say you're not a conspiracy theorist,
because I think if you rewind the tapes, you've said
that before. Oh not today, but I've certainly heard you
say that before.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Yeah, you just like to amplify. You're just amplifying. Yes,
you know.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
As a Libra, we love to watch drama unfold from afar.
We love to start a pot in a pot that
we have we're not even touching that we shouldn't be
a part of, but.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
We love to stir it.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
And I think that's the thing is that I love
the drama that conspiracy theory brings. And I go, oh,
oh my gosh, really you know what I mean. But
I've never actually I like to amplify conspiracy theories.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I guess do you want to talk about them, but
you don't necessarily believe everything?
Speaker 1 (16:20):
No, But in this case, I'm like, what is happening
in Texas? Imagine something then happens with the Dallas Cowboys.
And it's also just fishy that it's all the NBA,
which also owns the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
I'm just saying, it feels like there's something here.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Okay, Okay, I'm going to let you have your space
for that, and we're going to continue to talk about
the WNB.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Yeah, let's get into let's get into the real stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
So we're going to do the impossible here, I mean
not impossible, but we're going to start to make some
predictions here. The NCAA women's basketball season is of course
underway and continues through March, with the draft occurring in May,
and it's super early. We do acknowledge that to predict
who the Wing will use their number one pick on,
but we do have a few ideas and we do
(17:04):
want to talk about some of the possibilities with that.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
I think the most exciting possibility because it's the most
love and basketball.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
And it's the most WNBA and makes.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
I think people who love love happy everywhere is that
Yukon senior asy Fud would potentially be joining the Dallas Wings.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
And Steph right now you.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Can't see her is kicking her feet, being all cutesye
with her shoulder, she's flirting with a camera.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
And that is because asy Fud and.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Pagebeckers, the reigning Rookie of the Year and last year's
number one draft pick for Dallas, are dating and.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
They're so cute.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
They're so cute. We love them so much on TikTok.
They look like they're and love. We love young love.
But we're also giving them space. They're young women figuring
things out. But they played together at Yukon and they
were really really good. And so while a lot of
people don't think that Fud is actually the best fit
for Dallas, a lot of people are saying, okay, brand partnerships,
(18:03):
brand deals, and also the chemistry that Page and Asy
have on court is undeniable. That chemistry is so good
and potentially part of the reason why Yukon won the
NCUBA championship last year.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Yeah, I would selfishly like it just for the content,
but of course there are other options out there as well.
So another person who could potentially be drafted is Spain's
Awa fam who is six foot four. Fam is nineteen
years old, so younger than most players in the draft,
but she'd be an excellent pick for a team who
needs a solid, tall center standing at six to four
with plenty of potential, and the Wings do fit that bill.
(18:41):
They do need a center of that stature, and this
is part of the influx of international talent in the league.
So we have talked a lot about nc DOUBLEA players,
but just a quick note. All NCUBA players must graduate
from a four year college within three months of the draft,
or be four years removed from high school, or turn
twenty two, which in the year that the draft takes place.
But international draftees only have to be twenty years old
(19:04):
during the year in which the.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Draft takes place.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
So that's why we are able to talk about a
current nineteen year old, and.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
There's a lot of content right now on FAM basically
being like, okay, there's asy fun Awa FAM, two other
women who are about to mention, and she is climbing
the ranks slowly but surely, and people are really really
paying attention to her. The other top player, which I
think this is probably who Dallas would take, would be
(19:31):
UCLA senior Lauren Betts, as we mentioned. As you just
mentioned Steph, the Wings need a center. Lauren Betts is six'.
Seven she is also JUST i feel, like such a
game changer WHERE i could, see especially if they're playing
through someone Like pagebeckers or playing with and alongside someone
like Arique A Goomba walle who's such an amazing. Shooter
(19:53):
just the space That Lauren betts would open up on
the court because she is so big and, dominant especially
under the, basket would be. Huge and Then Olivia miles
is also up. THERE i don't think that she's the
best pick For. DALLAS i think it will Be, BETTS
fud Or, fam but it is just all interesting to.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
See keep your eyes locked and loaded this upcoming year
with THE ncaa to see how that all plays. Out
so the next thing that we need to talk, about
the second thing on our agenda for THE, wnba is
circling back to talk about The New York liberty reportedly
Hiring Chris DeMarco as their head.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Coach this was really interesting for some, context The liberty
fired head Coach Sandy brundello at the end of the.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Season she led.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
The liberty to their first ever championship in twenty twenty,
four and then The liberty, Season i'd say last year's
stuff was pretty injury. Plagued they were ousted in the
first round of the playoffs this, year and she was fired.
Immediately people knew that she was going to get picked,
up and she ended up getting picked up by The
toronto Ten, po which She's.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Australian That commonwealth.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Connection you, know it's going to be really interesting to
see what she. Pulls but making a coaching change is
nothing new in THE. Wnba of the fifteen teams competing
in twenty twenty, six because there's those two new, teams
five named a new head coach in the, offseason which
only began In, october so quick, math not even two.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Months five new head.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Coaches The liberty are the fifth and final squad to
make that decision And.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Steph WHAT i find interesting is that the trend.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Right now is THAT wnba teams are hiring FORMER nba, coaches.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
And that is what The liberty said they're looking. For
they're looking for someone WITH nba. Experience So DeMarco does
filter that. Bill he has been an assistant for the
NBA's Golden State warriors for twelve years and he has
been both an assistant coach and a player development.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Coach, yeah so it seems to be the.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Trend seven of the league's head coaches are, women eight are.
Men only two of the fifteen head coaches a, black
and there are no black women head coaches in THE
wnba this, season which is also a very similar trend
to what we see in THE nba side of things as.
Well and it's hard to see, that especially in a
(22:14):
league where sixty percent of players are black. Women and
so there's something here about the coaching pipeline that we
just come back to again and again and, again especially
in sports dominated by black athletes like basketball and like,
football where you're not seeing that run up throughout the.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Organization Phoenix mercury's assistant head Coach Christa, tolliver who is
a black, woman and fourteen year Wnba, vett was reportedly
a finalist in the search before the job reportedly went To. DeMarco,
yes SO i.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Just think there's going to be a magnifying glass on
the liberty regardless of who they, hired if they hired
from THE, nba if they hired from anywhere else within the,
league which is What tolliver is coming from because Of.
Brendanello so let's move along to the third thing that
we need to talk, about and that is the business
side of. Sports because we are famously also a sports business.
(23:04):
Podcast we also have a, newsletter The business Of Women's,
sports that comes out Every, Tuesday, thursday And.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Saturday But i'm.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
So excited to talk about this because The Golden State
warriors recently announced a new partnership With.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Sephora what was That Kate hudson's.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Show that's exactly WHAT i was going to, Say seth
That Kate hudson Show Running, point which you recommended to,
me which is very off brand for?
Speaker 4 (23:25):
Us was it, well because NORMALLY i do the recommending On.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Netflix, OH i was, like that's not off brand for
us to watch.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
NO i NORMALLY i do the recommending on the SPORTS docku,
series but this was a scripted.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
SHOW i love scripted.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Television so in case you missed, it in that, Show
Kate hudson brings In sephora as a sponsor in THE
nba for what is kind of supposed to be The La,
LAKERS i would say in that, Show but right now
we're talking about The Golden State. Warriors they announced a
new partnership with in real, life this is in scripted
television and this is a significant and obviously we talked
(24:01):
a lot about it on our. Socials so if you
want more, content you can go. There because it marks
the first time A Wnba Golden State valkris partner has
crossed over and linked up with its PARTNER nba. Team
So sephora is a founding partner of The valkris whose
performance center is named After, sephora and then, boom they
(24:24):
went to the Men's Bay area team and now they're there.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
TOO i love, that AND i think what's so cool
here sep Is especially at THE, gist we always talk
about how women also love men's sports and there's not
enough marketing dollars products what have you that are speaking
to women through men's sports. Either AND i think what's
so cool is that with this partnership with The valkyries
(24:48):
and The, warriors you know you're in The Bay, area
you know you're getting that data that is showing that
women are Also warriors fans in addition to Being valkyries.
Fans so it makes sense For, sephora who probably 's.
WOMEN i think that's a safe, way a safe thing
for us to assume would want to do. That it's
just like it's such a big. Deal we also did
an interview With Jess, smith the president of The Golden State.
(25:10):
Valkyries we linked to that interview in the show. Notes
if you're looking to get a little business side of the, sports,
OOH i do like.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
This so so for will be the official fragrance partner
of The warriors and The Chase, center but also the
presenting a beauty partner for The warriors dance. Team, oh
there's so, much so much, here so much, here so.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Much last and, final we need to talk about where
THE WNBA cba stands because shit's going.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Down we've talked about this a lot on the podcast
in in our sports business letters because we absolutely have
to and want. To The Collective Marketing agreement or THE
cba between the league and its players union remain, ongoing
so all of these negotiations keep. Happening the original deadline
Of october thirtieth was extended Until november, thirtieth which is
(25:58):
this Upcoming. Sunday ording To insider, reporting the two parties
still remain miles, apart so it doesn't seem like That
november thirtieth deadline date is going to be met.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Either The Associated press reported that the league's latest proposal
includes an increased based salary that would allow players to
earn more than one point one million a. Year this
proposal also bumps the leagu's minimum salary to more than
two hundred and twenty, thousand and it's average to around
four hundred and sixty. Thousand so to compare those, numbers
the current minimum salary is sixty six, thousand and the
(26:31):
super mac, salary which is reserved for just a few,
players is around two hundred and fifty, thousand and so
this is a huge. DEAL i think the big thing,
though that THESE wnba players are looking For steph is
that there's just more skin in the game for. Them
from that top line revenue, perspective or potentially from a profit.
Perspective this proposal from THE wnba does include revenue, sharing
(26:53):
though the details around how that would work include reaching
potential targets, first which is the same as the most
recent AND. Cba and SO i think that's where there's
still this friction.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Because the players union they don't want. That they're pretty.
Adamant of course this is great in terms of this
proposal dramatically increasing player, salaries but they do not believe
this new proposal allows for the players to benefit enough
from the growth of the league as the revenue sharing
is not. Guaranteed and they're really thinking long term here,
(27:27):
Too AND i think you got to take a step
back and, say take a second and think how SELPLESS
i think some of these stars would be to not
take the one point one and to really be focused
on the. Growth that's my. Perspective the players aren't looking
for a fixed salary system like the one that we just.
Described they sell as from the, beginning are looking for
a system that mirrors the NBA's where a salary cap
(27:48):
is determined by the league's basketball related.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Income AND i think what's interesting right now, too step
is that you Have, unrivaled which is providing equity opportunities
so that players who are part Of unrivaled have the
opportunity and make money for a very long time even
when they're not actually playing with the league. Anymore and
then you also have this New PROJECT b potentially coming
into the, fold where there also is apparently an equity.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Conversation and so.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
This type of equity conversation happens all the time with
male athletes who have so much money to throw around at,
startups and the way that they make their money is
investing in things and then taking the equity and having
that in the long haul and then. Reinvesting and female
athletes have never made the salary or the revenue share
to be able to actually do, that and so now
(28:37):
they're trying to do it through their leagues and they're
being successful with these upstart. Leagues but that's really hard
to do with THE wnba that's been around since what ninety,
Five and SO i think that's where there's this again
friction of we need to be part of the, upside
and that upside is the, revenue whereas THE wnba is
like there's a lot of, upside but also to hit those.
(29:00):
Upsides there's so much cost that we have to manage
and figure.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Out and they need to hammer out THE cba for
the two expansion teams that are coming in twenty twenty,
six The Toronto tempo And Portland, fire because they need
THE cba to be in place to figure out how
their expansion draft will. Work, so for, reference the twenty
twenty five expansion draft for The Golden State balgrease was
(29:25):
held In december twenty twenty, Five so if we were
going by that, schedule you would think that The tempo
And fire would want to also have their expansion In.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
December SO i don't think it's going to happen this.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Year, YEAH i really. Don't, WAIT i really.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Hope that it.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Does it's twenty twenty five right, Now this doesn't make.
Sense do they Mean december twenty twenty? Four? Yes, Okay
i'm gonna say that again BECAUSE i said. That, Okay
so for, reference the twenty twenty five expansion draft for
The Golden State valkyries was held In december of last,
(30:03):
year so you would think that The tempo And fire
would want to copypastet for twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
FIVE i really don't think they're going to figure it
out by the end of the. Year, NO i think
that this is a twenty twenty six. PROBLEM i, also,
though don't think that we're going to see a. LOCKOUT
i don't think that it's in the interest of the
league or of the. Players if the players aren't able
to keep their momentum, up that's bad for.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Everybody did you see that video With Diana trossi And Page,
Becker oh my, god hilarious. Grilling becker is, saying, like
what do you mean you have revenue and.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Unrivaled she's, like and how does that? Work how does that?
Work how does that?
Speaker 1 (30:40):
Work you're so lucky we did not have that, anyway,
Fam thank you so much for listening to us. Today
we also have to give a big thank you to
THE lpga for sponsoring today's.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Podcast as you all, Know i'm a massive golf. Fan
i'm a big golf.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Girlly i'm so excited for this UPCOMING lpgac and it
is never too early to start planning next year's golf,
adventures especially during a time like this when they are
a deals. Galore the LPGA's top players are already circling
the biggest twenty twenty six events on their, calendars and
you should be, too because the tour just dropped their full.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Schedule you can check out the full schedule AT lpga dot.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Com very easy to remember so that you can lock
in your plans and cheer on a sport that's been
lifting up women athletes for over seventy six. Years i'll
say from attending a golf tournament in person, too it's really.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Cool it's not like anything else you actually.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Have it almost feels like direct access to these players
in a way that you just don't really get maybe
outside of basketball only if you have court side, tickets
but you can actually get so close to these players
and look at their swing and see how they're, putting
and just look at how athletic they, are and hear
them speak to their caddies like it is just so
(31:57):
cool and these are the best golfers on the planet
who are doing, it and so, again would really recommend
you go to THE lpga dot com check out the
twenty twenty sixth. Schedule we're going to link that to
our show notes as, well and.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Figure out what tournament you want to see in, person
and with, that that marks the end of today's. Episode
thank you so much for tuning. In we'll be back
in your feed with the new podcast On, thursday Aka American.
Thanksgiving in the, meantime if you enjoyed today's, episode we
would love for you to, rate, review and.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Subscribe this episode was edited By savannah How old and
produced By Alisandra puccio And Lisa. Mantillo, Again I'm Ellen hisslip.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
And i'm Step rottz and we will chat with you
again On. Thursday absolutely
A big shout out to our friends at FanDuel for
teaming up with us on today's episode. We're only four
games into the PWHL season and I am already locked
in from gaming and goals to jaw dropping saves. This
league didn't waste a second reminding us of why we
missed it so much. And I didn't have a chance
to go to a PWHL game last week stuff, but
(00:21):
I did see Maria Phillip Plain of the Montreal Victoire
in person at a Montreal Canadians game, which was really
really cool. I know that you've been tracking every stat
including hers, but for anyone else itching to get closer
to the action, FanDuel is the spot, with betting lines
on every matchup and future bets on the table. There
(00:42):
has truly never been a better time to put a
little green on your gut feeling.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
What is upisters?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Welcome and welcome back to another episode of the Gist
of It. Today's Tuesday Noveva twenty fifth.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
We're your co hosts. I'm back on the mic, whether
you like it or not.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I'm Ellenhislop and I'm Steph Rotz, and I've missed you
so much.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
I'm as you so much for context for everyone. I
was away last week. You still would have heard me
chatting with Asia Wilson, though, which was like probably one
of the most fun interviews I've ever actually done for
the podcast. But I was away last week in Quebec,
enjoying a wintery wonderland, going to a couple hockey games,
(01:28):
eating really well, going on some wintery trails, and so
as much as Steph and I weren't together, I actually
think this is probably that probably was my most Steph
branded vacation I've ever had in my life.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
I'm so happy that you thought of me when you
see snow, and you know what, I hope all of
my axes do too.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I was not where I thought you were taking that.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Do you ever just think wow? I hope because there's
I'm I'm an easy to please girly. There's certain things
about me, you know, Taylor Swift snow that are just everywhere,
and sometimes I think, hmm, that's good for me.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
That is one of the top ten most funny things
you've ever said. I made that so much. I hope
you think about me.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yes, so as away last week, but then also, Seph,
before we get into Today's podcast too. We also for
podcast listeners and for all of the Just plus members you.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Might have seen this.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
We're doing a short mini podcast series for the next
eight weeks titled She's Not Next, She's Now Steph.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
I listened to up until the point where my voice
came on and I.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Put So we're doing this a part series basically on
all of these emerging entities within women's sports. And the
reason why we wanted to do it is because there's
so much movement in the women's sports space right now,
and there's so many emerging leagues and so many of
(03:09):
those emerging leagues getting started and then stopping getting acquired.
There's so many different players, and there's so many different
ways to look at all of these spaces depending on
the sport too, And it almost feels stuff that women's
sports are in this movement and having this moment right
now from a business perspective and a league perspective, in
the same way that centuries ago the NFL was figuring
(03:33):
out its formation between the NFC and AFC, the NHL
was kind of growing, and so it's this really interesting
moment where I feel like we can kind of capture
what's happening on the business side, and so we decided
to do that and so over the next eight weeks
where we're having a special series with me and Lauren
hosting it.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
So the episode that's out right now is about the PWHL.
Are there some other leagues that you can talk about
they're going to be in this series?
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Yes, So what I'll say, today's we did on Pro
Women's Hockey, but it was mostly a focus on the
PWHL because that is the league right now in North America.
Our one next Monday is actually going to be on volleyball,
and volleyball is so interesting because there was an acquisition
over the last twelve months of one league of another.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
There's three leagues that are really the.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Main front runners right now, and so when you're looking
at indoor volleyball and the professionalization of it in America,
it's really interesting too. Stuff because Pro Indoor Women's Volleyball
was super big in Europe and so it was kind
of similar to the WNBA in that like all of
these top players after they graduated from the NCAA were
(04:41):
going over to Europe and they weren't able to stay home.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
And so now there's this big pro indoor.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Volleyball opportunity, but everyone's going at it in a different way.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
I'm so excited to listen to this whole series and
just have a one stop shop of where I can
learn and just refer. Like even also, if I'm talking
to people and we get on the topic of women's sports,
as we often do, if I'm involved in the conversation,
i'del like, you should listen to this series and you
can learn all about the history, and it's going to
be a really good resource. I'm really excited.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yes, thank you so much, And I should say too,
it's not just Laura and I chatting like Steph is
on our women's hockey episode, because what we've tried to
do in every episode is have basically an executive, a player,
and a fan perspective, and so that way you get
kind of a I don't know, just a I don't know,
a different perspective on everything, because the players are really
different than the fans, who are really different than the executives.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
And I find too, especially in women's sports, I mean
maybe in men's sports, I don't know. The women are
so imperative to the development of these leagues and often
are very vocal and very involved into the development, especially
when it came to women's hockey.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
So it is really cool to have their perspective. They're
the marketers of their own product. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
So anyway, it's called She's Not Next, She's Now, and
we're just dropping it on our regular the Gist of
It feed every Monday, so it's not like you have
to download or subscribe to another RSS feed. You're going
to see it and if you're just plus subscrib you'll
get to listen on Sundays. Cute.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Anyway, what are you talking about today, Steff?
Speaker 3 (06:05):
We are talking about the WNBA, speak of women's leagues.
We get to talk about the WNF today. I'm so excited.
On Sunday, the Dallas Wings won the number one pick
in the twenty twenty six WNBA Draft for the second
straight year.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
So today, what.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
We're going to talk about in our one Big story
is we are going to try our best to predict
who will be heading to tell us before taking a
look at the larger WNBA landscape, from the New York
Liberty's new head coach to the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations,
There's truly so much going on in the off season
that it deserves its own episode. But before we get
(06:42):
into that one big story, we need to start by
calling an audible.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
It is famously about to be American Thanksgiving on Thursday,
also known as the best football day of the year.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Nobody talked to me.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
I actually have a lot of meetings books, which I'm
kind of annoyed about. I like, you just spend my
entire day watching the NFL, But you know it is
a bit.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
Of my business, and you know, I was just saying,
I'm like, I'm annoying.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Myself for book of those meetings. But also with.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
American Thanksgiving comes Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, all that.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Sort of stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
We have some really fun newsletter content coming out on Wednesday.
We have something special coming out for registers and they're
just plus subscribers. On Giving Tuesday, we're doing something cool
for that. But Steph, I'm very curious of what's catching
your eye this holiday season.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Unfortunately, I have been nosedown crafting. I have been really focused,
really determined to bring so much whimsy into my home
that is so cute. I have not started on my
gift giving because it's like eight sleep crack Club, another Club, Garlands,
fabric Garlands, ribbon Garlands, pipe cleaner Garland. If it was
(08:00):
on Pinterest, I unfortunately saw it and now I'm doing it.
And so that is what I'm currently obsessed with. And
you need to tell me to start getting involved with
my gift giving and thinking about that.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Okay, Well, I think that maybe craft could be a
great gift giving opportunity, you know.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
What I mean, Like Arlaers makes something.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Yeah, like you could give those to people, which I
think is a really great idea for gift giving. But
also if there's any of those set, like are you
buying any of this in a set? Or are you
going out and buying the products individually and then crafting
them for the holidays, or could you gift I don't know,
somebody like me who's really bad at crafts something to
(08:40):
make crafting easy.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
The thing is my algorithm now is oh, you want
a craft, here's so many options for you. So I
would have bought each individual item. But something that came
up on my FYP is a little mini book on
how to learn how to embroider that I immediately thought, who
can I put this for? Because it just just do
the stitches and different patterns that you can make without
(09:03):
having to commit to a project, which I think is
really fun because.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
You can also do it on your lap.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
So I was thinking about getting that for maybe my mom.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
I was just about to say.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
I didn't want to interrupt, but I was just about
to say, can you provide just the holiday Laura.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
On your mom right now?
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Because you are giving your mom a little bit with
just how much you're getting into the holidays.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Yeah, my mom famously is a November first Christmas person, yes,
waiting for midnight on October thirty first to take down
any sort of Halloween decor on the outside that indicated
she would be giving out candy, so the obligatory pumpkin,
et cetera, and putting out the Christmas tree, the multiple
(09:46):
Christmas trees. Growing up, we had three Christmas trees. We
had the one that the family was allowed to touch
it's really giving Monica Geller, and then two for her
so one that was a white theme and then one
that was more of like a red theme. She had
since scaled back. She only has two trees now, and
now that there's no children in the house, she has
full rain on both of those.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So I'm sure she's sure that's all she needs.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Now do you?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Is she crafty? Is this what you're tranneling?
Speaker 3 (10:12):
She knits and she paints, okay, but she's never embroidered.
So there you go, There you go, there you go.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
So there's a gift. So there's a good holiday gift.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I want to keep it maybe on this art train
less crafty, because there are a lot of people like me.
We in our group chat newsletter.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I want to say two Sundays ago.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
I'm getting the Sundays confused because I was on vacation.
I think it was last Sunday, so not this past Sunday,
but the one before it.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
We had a guest.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Editor come on and talk about interior design and how
to basically incorporate sports into your world. And our team
also put together recommendations of their favorite artists. And I
have a couple prints in my office from Rookie Maid,
so would definitely go check them out on Instagram. We've
also worked with them a couple of times on some
(11:03):
merch I have some really cool sports pieces from Mallory
tolsher Me the North on Instagram that has amazing beautiful
basketball prints.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
I have a couple of.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Those in my office and then my one day artist
who I would love to be able to be rich enough.
So maybe this is this is this is somebody someone
in your life who's in the highest tax bracket can
get you this Herner Burncourse or Berner Horn Court. Anyway,
he's this guy that does like more of the textured painting,
(11:37):
and then he does the little people who are playing
the sports, and then he does.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
The shadows of them.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
And I love watching this guy on TikTok and found
him on TikTok and just one day I want to
have a piece of his so bad. So if you are,
if if you're I don't know, going in on a
big gift or something like that for someone who loves sports,
that could be cool.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
I think that he is prints as well.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Also, I think people are making cakes in his style
for fun. Oh my god, because he does the skiing right, yeah,
the skiers, so taking the icing and putting it on
the cake in the same motion and then taking a
little icing drawings and making the skiers on them.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
You really can't help yourself but bring it back into
something crafty.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Design and bacon.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
It's hard, you can do.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Here's how you can participate.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Here's how you can do it yourself. And you know
what stuff.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
This is my complimentary to each other because that is
something I will never do.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
I love bacon. No, I'm not a DIY girly like,
absolutely not.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
And we need both to make the world go round.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
We need both and we also need our friends at
FanDuel to make the world go around.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Who are sponsoring today's podcasts?
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah, another big things to our friends at FanDuel. It's
game day in Montreal. Victoire and the New York Sirens
are about to light up the ice.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
And if you're as empt.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
As we are, now is the perfect time to open
up the FanDuel app and make this one even more exciting.
The app is so easy to use and built with
women's sports fans in mind. As for my pick, it's
hard to bet against the Victoirs Mary Filippe Poulin. That
woman is as clutch as they come. They call her
Captain Clutch. But the Sirens love spoiling a good storyline,
(13:23):
so they could pull off something dramatic. And they also
have Sarah Filier, a star in the making, constantly a
name to no so no matter how this one ends,
you'll want to say you saw it coming. Download the
fan Duel app and give yourself a stake in tonight's history.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Okay, we have so much to chat about.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Sorry, we've been yappy so far, but we're getting to
the actual content, which is discussing what's happening in the
WNBA right now. We have four things that we want
to go through. That's the agenda today. First things first,
we want to talk about the Dallas Wings clinching the
number one draft pick for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Yeah, on Sunday, the odds were in the Dallas Wings
favor quite literally, they had a forty two percent chance
of snagging the talk pick and we're guaranteed a top
three selection. And just a quick note here, lottery odds
are based on the cumulative records of the past two
WNBA regular seasons for the five teams that did not
make the playoffs in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Great context, and Seph, I'm not a conspiracy theorist.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
I want to put that out there right now.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
However, there is something happening with Dallas and with basketball.
So you just mentioned Dallas has the twenty twenty six
draft picked. They also had the twenty twenty five draft
pick in Page Beeckers, and then after a little someone
named Luka Doncic got traded to the LA Lakers. And
(14:57):
what was the most wild trade in I'd say the
last five to ten years in the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks,
against all odds, win the number one draft pick in
the NBA and they take Cooper Flagg, who is destined
to be one of the best basketball players over the
next five years. And so I think that a lot
(15:18):
of people were saying conspiracy after what happened with the NBA,
And now that I'm seeing, okay, the Dallas Wings got
Pagebeckers and now they have the number one pick again.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
It's starting to feel like it's more than just luck.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
And again, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I love
just putting that out there.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
I love that you say you're not a conspiracy theorist,
because I think if you rewind the tapes, you've said
that before. Oh not today, but I've certainly heard you
say that before.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Yeah, you just like to amplify. You're just amplifying. Yes,
you know.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
As a Libra, we love to watch drama unfold from afar.
We love to start a pot in a pot that
we have we're not even touching that we shouldn't be
a part of, but.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
We love to stir it.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
And I think that's the thing is that I love
the drama that conspiracy theory brings. And I go, oh,
oh my gosh, really you know what I mean. But
I've never actually I like to amplify conspiracy theories.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I guess do you want to talk about them, but
you don't necessarily believe everything?
Speaker 1 (16:20):
No, But in this case, I'm like, what is happening
in Texas? Imagine something then happens with the Dallas Cowboys.
And it's also just fishy that it's all the NBA,
which also owns the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
I'm just saying, it feels like there's something here.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Okay, Okay, I'm going to let you have your space
for that, and we're going to continue to talk about
the WNB.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Yeah, let's get into let's get into the real stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
So we're going to do the impossible here, I mean
not impossible, but we're going to start to make some
predictions here. The NCAA women's basketball season is of course
underway and continues through March, with the draft occurring in May,
and it's super early. We do acknowledge that to predict
who the Wing will use their number one pick on,
but we do have a few ideas and we do
(17:04):
want to talk about some of the possibilities with that.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
I think the most exciting possibility because it's the most
love and basketball.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
And it's the most WNBA and makes.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
I think people who love love happy everywhere is that
Yukon senior asy Fud would potentially be joining the Dallas Wings.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
And Steph right now you.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Can't see her is kicking her feet, being all cutesye
with her shoulder, she's flirting with a camera.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
And that is because asy Fud and.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Pagebeckers, the reigning Rookie of the Year and last year's
number one draft pick for Dallas, are dating and.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
They're so cute.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
They're so cute. We love them so much on TikTok.
They look like they're and love. We love young love.
But we're also giving them space. They're young women figuring
things out. But they played together at Yukon and they
were really really good. And so while a lot of
people don't think that Fud is actually the best fit
for Dallas, a lot of people are saying, okay, brand partnerships,
(18:03):
brand deals, and also the chemistry that Page and Asy
have on court is undeniable. That chemistry is so good
and potentially part of the reason why Yukon won the
NCUBA championship last year.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Yeah, I would selfishly like it just for the content,
but of course there are other options out there as well.
So another person who could potentially be drafted is Spain's
Awa fam who is six foot four. Fam is nineteen
years old, so younger than most players in the draft,
but she'd be an excellent pick for a team who
needs a solid, tall center standing at six to four
with plenty of potential, and the Wings do fit that bill.
(18:41):
They do need a center of that stature, and this
is part of the influx of international talent in the league.
So we have talked a lot about nc DOUBLEA players,
but just a quick note. All NCUBA players must graduate
from a four year college within three months of the draft,
or be four years removed from high school, or turn
twenty two, which in the year that the draft takes place.
But international draftees only have to be twenty years old
(19:04):
during the year in which the.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Draft takes place.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
So that's why we are able to talk about a
current nineteen year old, and.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
There's a lot of content right now on FAM basically
being like, okay, there's asy fun Awa FAM, two other
women who are about to mention, and she is climbing
the ranks slowly but surely, and people are really really
paying attention to her. The other top player, which I
think this is probably who Dallas would take, would be
(19:31):
UCLA senior Lauren Betts, as we mentioned. As you just
mentioned Steph, the Wings need a center. Lauren Betts is six'.
Seven she is also JUST i feel, like such a
game changer WHERE i could, see especially if they're playing
through someone Like pagebeckers or playing with and alongside someone
like Arique A Goomba walle who's such an amazing. Shooter
(19:53):
just the space That Lauren betts would open up on
the court because she is so big and, dominant especially
under the, basket would be. Huge and Then Olivia miles
is also up. THERE i don't think that she's the
best pick For. DALLAS i think it will Be, BETTS
fud Or, fam but it is just all interesting to.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
See keep your eyes locked and loaded this upcoming year
with THE ncaa to see how that all plays. Out
so the next thing that we need to talk, about
the second thing on our agenda for THE, wnba is
circling back to talk about The New York liberty reportedly
Hiring Chris DeMarco as their head.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Coach this was really interesting for some, context The liberty
fired head Coach Sandy brundello at the end of the.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Season she led.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
The liberty to their first ever championship in twenty twenty,
four and then The liberty, Season i'd say last year's
stuff was pretty injury. Plagued they were ousted in the
first round of the playoffs this, year and she was fired.
Immediately people knew that she was going to get picked,
up and she ended up getting picked up by The
toronto Ten, po which She's.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Australian That commonwealth.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Connection you, know it's going to be really interesting to
see what she. Pulls but making a coaching change is
nothing new in THE. Wnba of the fifteen teams competing
in twenty twenty, six because there's those two new, teams
five named a new head coach in the, offseason which
only began In, october so quick, math not even two.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Months five new head.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Coaches The liberty are the fifth and final squad to
make that decision And.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Steph WHAT i find interesting is that the trend.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Right now is THAT wnba teams are hiring FORMER nba, coaches.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
And that is what The liberty said they're looking. For
they're looking for someone WITH nba. Experience So DeMarco does
filter that. Bill he has been an assistant for the
NBA's Golden State warriors for twelve years and he has
been both an assistant coach and a player development.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Coach, yeah so it seems to be the.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Trend seven of the league's head coaches are, women eight are.
Men only two of the fifteen head coaches a, black
and there are no black women head coaches in THE
wnba this, season which is also a very similar trend
to what we see in THE nba side of things as.
Well and it's hard to see, that especially in a
(22:14):
league where sixty percent of players are black. Women and
so there's something here about the coaching pipeline that we
just come back to again and again and, again especially
in sports dominated by black athletes like basketball and like,
football where you're not seeing that run up throughout the.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Organization Phoenix mercury's assistant head Coach Christa, tolliver who is
a black, woman and fourteen year Wnba, vett was reportedly
a finalist in the search before the job reportedly went To. DeMarco,
yes SO i.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Just think there's going to be a magnifying glass on
the liberty regardless of who they, hired if they hired
from THE, nba if they hired from anywhere else within the,
league which is What tolliver is coming from because Of.
Brendanello so let's move along to the third thing that
we need to talk, about and that is the business
side of. Sports because we are famously also a sports business.
(23:04):
Podcast we also have a, newsletter The business Of Women's,
sports that comes out Every, Tuesday, thursday And.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Saturday But i'm.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
So excited to talk about this because The Golden State
warriors recently announced a new partnership With.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Sephora what was That Kate hudson's.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Show that's exactly WHAT i was going to, Say seth
That Kate hudson Show Running, point which you recommended to,
me which is very off brand for?
Speaker 4 (23:25):
Us was it, well because NORMALLY i do the recommending On.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Netflix, OH i was, like that's not off brand for
us to watch.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
NO i NORMALLY i do the recommending on the SPORTS docku,
series but this was a scripted.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
SHOW i love scripted.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Television so in case you missed, it in that, Show
Kate hudson brings In sephora as a sponsor in THE
nba for what is kind of supposed to be The La,
LAKERS i would say in that, Show but right now
we're talking about The Golden State. Warriors they announced a
new partnership with in real, life this is in scripted
television and this is a significant and obviously we talked
(24:01):
a lot about it on our. Socials so if you
want more, content you can go. There because it marks
the first time A Wnba Golden State valkris partner has
crossed over and linked up with its PARTNER nba. Team
So sephora is a founding partner of The valkris whose
performance center is named After, sephora and then, boom they
(24:24):
went to the Men's Bay area team and now they're there.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
TOO i love, that AND i think what's so cool
here sep Is especially at THE, gist we always talk
about how women also love men's sports and there's not
enough marketing dollars products what have you that are speaking
to women through men's sports. Either AND i think what's
so cool is that with this partnership with The valkyries
(24:48):
and The, warriors you know you're in The Bay, area
you know you're getting that data that is showing that
women are Also warriors fans in addition to Being valkyries.
Fans so it makes sense For, sephora who probably 's.
WOMEN i think that's a safe, way a safe thing
for us to assume would want to do. That it's
just like it's such a big. Deal we also did
an interview With Jess, smith the president of The Golden State.
(25:10):
Valkyries we linked to that interview in the show. Notes
if you're looking to get a little business side of the, sports,
OOH i do like.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
This so so for will be the official fragrance partner
of The warriors and The Chase, center but also the
presenting a beauty partner for The warriors dance. Team, oh
there's so, much so much, here so much, here so.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Much last and, final we need to talk about where
THE WNBA cba stands because shit's going.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Down we've talked about this a lot on the podcast
in in our sports business letters because we absolutely have
to and want. To The Collective Marketing agreement or THE
cba between the league and its players union remain, ongoing
so all of these negotiations keep. Happening the original deadline
Of october thirtieth was extended Until november, thirtieth which is
(25:58):
this Upcoming. Sunday ording To insider, reporting the two parties
still remain miles, apart so it doesn't seem like That
november thirtieth deadline date is going to be met.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Either The Associated press reported that the league's latest proposal
includes an increased based salary that would allow players to
earn more than one point one million a. Year this
proposal also bumps the leagu's minimum salary to more than
two hundred and twenty, thousand and it's average to around
four hundred and sixty. Thousand so to compare those, numbers
the current minimum salary is sixty six, thousand and the
(26:31):
super mac, salary which is reserved for just a few,
players is around two hundred and fifty, thousand and so
this is a huge. DEAL i think the big thing,
though that THESE wnba players are looking For steph is
that there's just more skin in the game for. Them
from that top line revenue, perspective or potentially from a profit.
Perspective this proposal from THE wnba does include revenue, sharing
(26:53):
though the details around how that would work include reaching
potential targets, first which is the same as the most
recent AND. Cba and SO i think that's where there's
still this friction.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Because the players union they don't want. That they're pretty.
Adamant of course this is great in terms of this
proposal dramatically increasing player, salaries but they do not believe
this new proposal allows for the players to benefit enough
from the growth of the league as the revenue sharing
is not. Guaranteed and they're really thinking long term here,
(27:27):
Too AND i think you got to take a step
back and, say take a second and think how SELPLESS
i think some of these stars would be to not
take the one point one and to really be focused
on the. Growth that's my. Perspective the players aren't looking
for a fixed salary system like the one that we just.
Described they sell as from the, beginning are looking for
a system that mirrors the NBA's where a salary cap
(27:48):
is determined by the league's basketball related.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Income AND i think what's interesting right now, too step
is that you Have, unrivaled which is providing equity opportunities
so that players who are part Of unrivaled have the
opportunity and make money for a very long time even
when they're not actually playing with the league. Anymore and
then you also have this New PROJECT b potentially coming
into the, fold where there also is apparently an equity.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Conversation and so.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
This type of equity conversation happens all the time with
male athletes who have so much money to throw around at,
startups and the way that they make their money is
investing in things and then taking the equity and having
that in the long haul and then. Reinvesting and female
athletes have never made the salary or the revenue share
to be able to actually do, that and so now
(28:37):
they're trying to do it through their leagues and they're
being successful with these upstart. Leagues but that's really hard
to do with THE wnba that's been around since what ninety,
Five and SO i think that's where there's this again
friction of we need to be part of the, upside
and that upside is the, revenue whereas THE wnba is
like there's a lot of, upside but also to hit those.
(29:00):
Upsides there's so much cost that we have to manage
and figure.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Out and they need to hammer out THE cba for
the two expansion teams that are coming in twenty twenty,
six The Toronto tempo And Portland, fire because they need
THE cba to be in place to figure out how
their expansion draft will. Work, so for, reference the twenty
twenty five expansion draft for The Golden State balgrease was
(29:25):
held In december twenty twenty, Five so if we were
going by that, schedule you would think that The tempo
And fire would want to also have their expansion In.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
December SO i don't think it's going to happen this.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Year, YEAH i really. Don't, WAIT i really.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Hope that it.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Does it's twenty twenty five right, Now this doesn't make.
Sense do they Mean december twenty twenty? Four? Yes, Okay
i'm gonna say that again BECAUSE i said. That, Okay
so for, reference the twenty twenty five expansion draft for
The Golden State valkyries was held In december of last,
(30:03):
year so you would think that The tempo And fire
would want to copypastet for twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
FIVE i really don't think they're going to figure it
out by the end of the. Year, NO i think
that this is a twenty twenty six. PROBLEM i, also,
though don't think that we're going to see a. LOCKOUT
i don't think that it's in the interest of the
league or of the. Players if the players aren't able
to keep their momentum, up that's bad for.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Everybody did you see that video With Diana trossi And Page,
Becker oh my, god hilarious. Grilling becker is, saying, like
what do you mean you have revenue and.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Unrivaled she's, like and how does that? Work how does that?
Work how does that?
Speaker 1 (30:40):
Work you're so lucky we did not have that, anyway,
Fam thank you so much for listening to us. Today
we also have to give a big thank you to
THE lpga for sponsoring today's.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Podcast as you all, Know i'm a massive golf. Fan
i'm a big golf.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Girlly i'm so excited for this UPCOMING lpgac and it
is never too early to start planning next year's golf,
adventures especially during a time like this when they are
a deals. Galore the LPGA's top players are already circling
the biggest twenty twenty six events on their, calendars and
you should be, too because the tour just dropped their full.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Schedule you can check out the full schedule AT lpga dot.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Com very easy to remember so that you can lock
in your plans and cheer on a sport that's been
lifting up women athletes for over seventy six. Years i'll
say from attending a golf tournament in person, too it's really.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Cool it's not like anything else you actually.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Have it almost feels like direct access to these players
in a way that you just don't really get maybe
outside of basketball only if you have court side, tickets
but you can actually get so close to these players
and look at their swing and see how they're, putting
and just look at how athletic they, are and hear
them speak to their caddies like it is just so
(31:57):
cool and these are the best golfers on the planet
who are doing, it and so, again would really recommend
you go to THE lpga dot com check out the
twenty twenty sixth. Schedule we're going to link that to
our show notes as, well and.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Figure out what tournament you want to see in, person
and with, that that marks the end of today's. Episode
thank you so much for tuning. In we'll be back
in your feed with the new podcast On, thursday Aka American.
Thanksgiving in the, meantime if you enjoyed today's, episode we
would love for you to, rate, review and.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Subscribe this episode was edited By savannah How old and
produced By Alisandra puccio And Lisa. Mantillo, Again I'm Ellen hisslip.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
And i'm Step rottz and we will chat with you
again On. Thursday absolutely
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