April 9, 2025 • 51 mins
his week on The Baseline NBA Podcast, we’re joined by ESPN NBA reporter Kendra Andrews for a power-packed episode you don't want to miss. Right as the news broke that the Denver Nuggets fired head coach Michael Malone, Kendra jumped on with us to give her immediate reaction and expert insight into what this means for the reigning champs and their future.
But we didn’t stop there. Kendra also weighed in on the state of the WNBA, previewing top prospects ahead of the 2025 WNBA Draft, and dropped some serious knowledge on how the league is evolving. We also asked the burning question: Is Paige Bueckers ready for the WNBA Spotlight?
Kendra keeps it real and delivers must-hear perspective. Whether you're a hardcore NBA junkie or hyped for the next era of the WNBA, this episode delivers exclusive analysis, next-level insight, and that signature Baseline breakdown you love. Subscribe, Rate & Review – and don’t forget to follow us on all platforms @NBABaseline for more unfiltered hoops talk every week!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-baseline-nba-podcast--3677698/support.
But we didn’t stop there. Kendra also weighed in on the state of the WNBA, previewing top prospects ahead of the 2025 WNBA Draft, and dropped some serious knowledge on how the league is evolving. We also asked the burning question: Is Paige Bueckers ready for the WNBA Spotlight?
Kendra keeps it real and delivers must-hear perspective. Whether you're a hardcore NBA junkie or hyped for the next era of the WNBA, this episode delivers exclusive analysis, next-level insight, and that signature Baseline breakdown you love. Subscribe, Rate & Review – and don’t forget to follow us on all platforms @NBABaseline for more unfiltered hoops talk every week!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-baseline-nba-podcast--3677698/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the baseline discussing the hot button topics of
the nb A. Welcome everybody, your tune to the baseline.
Cali warn't share discussing the hot button topics of the
nb A live and full effect. So much going on
in the NBA climate, the NBA atmosphere.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I mean, woo.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
And it's not even the end of the regular season.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
It's this is nuts, man.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Totally right.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
But it's almost like the end of the NBA as
we know it.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Like literally, it may not be the end of the
regular season, but it's the end of the NBA as
we know it.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Maybe possible he wants to end some jobs exactly. I mean, well,
there's Black Friday, Black Monday. What's this Black Tuesday. It's like.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
It's hard on these NBA streets. Man, it is hard
on Wow.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
And that's not even the reason why we we we
on this. We're doing this show. You know, I'm saying
absolutely nothing. Anyway, let me roll out the red carpet
to my right hand man, Www. Dot Shaw Sports Dot
in at BIGAHUNAP and c my man, mister Warrenshaw repping
out of Fort Florida to Florida.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
What's good, my man?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
I am so excited for this upcoming show that we've
got going on, but I can't wrap around my head
with the craziness that the NBA continually keeps putting out.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
When we got got Ish coming out.
Speaker 5 (01:22):
Hey, I mean, hey, likely gives you lemons or you
know it mean you gotta do what you gotta do.
And I think we're gonna make the best of a
very interesting situation here for us, an amazing, amazing show
lined up here for you, and I cannot wait for
our fans listeners to kind of tap into this and
uh well, our special guests will be able to give
us some insight on their thoughts on some of the
breaking news that is happening in the NBA atmosphere as
(01:44):
well too.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Absolutely, man, we are so excited to have our special
guests from ESPN ESPN dot Com covering sports journalism, the
all around, but you know, primarily NBA w NBA.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
We got her on lock.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
For this week's episode, Man, to talk the w NBA
draft that's coming up, the WNBA just in general, Shaw,
because that is woo. It's buzzin' right now, so it's
a hot week. But she is just a remarkable voice
excellent storyteller. Trailblazer Kendra Andrews will be joining us in
a few moments, so we are so excited to chop
(02:23):
it up with her. As always, we appreciate everybody hopping
off board with us this week. Be sure to get
my manshawe Ashaw Sports NBA get at me a gay
face lead the show's Twitter to handle at NBA Baseline.
You can also catch this episode and all of the
episodes that we roll out for the Baseline NBA podcast
by going to www.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Dot Thebaseline NBA dot com.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
If you're catching us on the YouTube channel and you
catch that blue and white logo down in that corner,
you know that we rocking with the nineteen Media Group family,
So we'd like to say hello to you and yours.
Be sure to check out not only us, but the
great family of content creators on nineteen Media Group. Go
to www dot nineteen MediaGroup dot com. Before we get
(03:04):
into the logistics of having a awesome conversation with our
special guests, you know it's that time we got to
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(04:41):
game coming up. Great conversation, Ready to go with our
special guests Andrew Andrews. Don't want to miss out here
on the Baseline. Time now to do a little FaceTime
(05:02):
with the Baseline and with us. We are super super excited.
Our next guest is a true powerhouse in sports journalism.
Since joining the ESPN family, she is a rising phoenix
in the world of basketball, reporting for not just the NBA,
but also the WNBA as well. Not only can you
find a reporting on ESPN dot Com, you can also
(05:23):
catch her as a contributing analyst and reporting on many
of ESPN's television platforms, including SportsCenter and NBA Today, the
latter of which is hosted by her sister, Malika Andrews.
Truly a remarkable voice, an excellent storyteller, and a trailblazer
in our own right. We are thrilled to have the
incredibly talented Kendra Andrews joining us here on the baseline. Kendra,
(05:46):
We're so stoked to have you on with us this week.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Welcome.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Wow, what a intro. I'm happy to be here too.
Thank you, guys.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Uh, I mean, I'm glad we're able to put a
smile on your face because clearly the NBA was trying
to make us look like the Grimaces today with some
of the again out of the box news that has
been you know, elevating and racing through the wires and stuff.
And I'm sure you were right there when Sham's reported
(06:16):
that the Denver Nuggets decided to part ways with head
coach Mike Malone and also decided to discontinue the relationship
with their general manager with I believe Kylevin Booth right. So, Kendra, listen,
Shaw and I we've been doing this for a while.
We're not immune to the to the crazy cycles that
(06:37):
go on, but to me, I find this very much
unprecedented that this has now happened twice in less than
like a month's time frame. We're too well known, very
very you know, in their own right, legendary head coaches
have been dismissed. What do we make of something like this?
And this is this really actually the trend of the
NBA right now?
Speaker 6 (06:56):
And I think we're also off to throw in like
the timing of it right because it's Taylor Jenkins, who's
the other one that you're mentioning three weeks ago, right,
three weeks before the playoffs start, Michael Malone now with
the Nuggets, I think there's three games left in the
regular season, and it's I mean, it sure feels like
it's the way that the NBA is trending right now.
I think it's four head coaches who have won a
(07:18):
championship in the last five years or not with the
team that they won the championship with. So it's like,
I mean again, it's it definitely feels like it's trending
that way. I think, especially with this one with Michael Malone,
it feels very shocking.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
I've seen a lot of reporting done by my colleagues of.
Speaker 6 (07:38):
It appeared that there would the Nuggets were reaching a
tipping point with either Calvin Booth or Michael Malone with
the tensions and within the organization, But the firing of
both of them, and again at this time, was definitely
the shock. And you know, actually before I joined ESPN,
I covered the Nuggets for about two years and it
was at the start of their rise.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Before you know.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
They won a championship, Michael Porter Junior was still working
out his back issues, so they weren't, you know, a
real contender yet, they were working towards it. But just
the way that Malone had his relationships with Jamal Murray,
NIKOLEA Jokic. Of course it was a different general manager
at that time, but those three guys of yokch Malone
(08:24):
and Murray really seemed to have something going for them.
So when you fire the head coach of arguably the
best player in the world, that's the only coach he's
ever known. I'm very curious to see kind of where
the Nuggets go from here, because it's all about maximizing
Yokic's window, which they feel they still have. He's like
(08:48):
twenty six or twenty seven years old, maybe twenty eight,
but like they still have a lot of time left
in his Prime. So I'm really really curious to see
what direction the Nuggets take this.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
In Kendro, I'm going to chime in and follow up
with the NBA question only from the lens, because we
have you here, right, and so I want to get
somebody who's been covering the league perspective. I'm not one
for hyperbole, I'm not one for overreactions, but I feel
like this is one of the wildest seasons we've seen
in recent history. I mean, maybe just twenty twenty five alone.
(09:17):
You know, obviously the Luca trade and so forth. But
from that, Lens, have you been a part of something
that has been as wild as this specific season seems
like it speak.
Speaker 6 (09:27):
Maybe not in terms of like player movement or am
coach movement, you know, since I've I mean, I think
nothing will ever top the COVID year the league got
shut down.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
I think that was the craziest season to ever happen.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
But in terms of player movement, I have never been
a part of something like this, when yeah, you look
at the Ady and Luca trade, you look at.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Jimmy Butler going.
Speaker 6 (09:52):
To the Warriors, just like really seismic moves that that
shifting Karl Anthony Towns, you know, being traded from Minneso.
So many huge, huge pieces have been moved from the
franchises that they that's what they're synonymous with for so long.
I think it the NBA and the teams that are
(10:13):
in it, and the competing like it's all about winning
right now, and Patients is running thin at least with
the moves that we've seen be made. Right whether that's
what the Mavericks were going for when trading Luca and
Want and getting eighty, they thought that that was going
to help them in the immediate in the immediate now,
(10:33):
whether okay, Carl Anthony Towns had been in Minnesota for seven, eight,
nine years, that wasn't getting them where they wanted to go.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Should they have given them more time?
Speaker 6 (10:44):
I mean, they made it to the Western Conference finals
and the Map made it to the NBA Finals last year,
so coulda would have should have? But it definitely feels
like the Patients is maybe from the outside looking in,
not as much as as it once was. You know,
the coaching carousel I think has been coming to this
(11:05):
tipping point for a while. You know, I remember we
would always ask Steve Kerr, you know, I think Steve Kerr,
Eric Spolstra, and Greg Popovich are the only three coaches
with the same team they've been with since twenty twenty three.
In the entire league, there are only three coaches that
have been with their team for at least five years.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
And you know, the.
Speaker 6 (11:24):
Coach is always the first one to go, then players
are probably traded next. But it's it's definitely happening at
a high rate and a very seismic rate this year,
which is definitely more eye catching than I think in
years past.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
I think this is the reason why we're so grateful
that you are and you're you're you know, your contemporaries
are out there, because I think even now, with the
way that the NBA culture has evolved, we have to
know more than just what the byline is telling us.
Like we are now tuned into the nuances of what
(11:59):
has change this dynamic to to, you know, to allow
these things to happen. I think before it was just
you know, playing vanilla. Oh that that star player just
didn't like that head coach, and you know that head
coach is clashing with the with the executive, and you
know this guy said something that just was not acceptable,
and you know they had to part ways and things
of that nature. There's some kind of a scandal, But
(12:20):
I really think that a lot of what you're speaking
to Kendra speaks a lot more to the nuance of
where we are with really understanding that these moves.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Are calculated moves.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
And probably now it's like we have to be very
dialed in to truly understand it's not just about somebody
being mad, but also it just kind of there's somebody's
keeping tabs on a lot of the things that are
taking place, and if they choose to wait too long,
then it confesster into a nightmare of you know, somebody
has to get in front of it and speak to
(12:52):
it and things of that nature.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
And so it was.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Never like this, you know, for how long we've been
watching the game of basketball. But now we have to
come to that realization that if this move happens before
we're just quick to just judge and say, oh, you know,
they're in the wrong for doing something like that. It's
so important to find out just really the backstory about
what's impacted that situation.
Speaker 6 (13:14):
Well, and it's also one of those things of it's
if it works out, it's like that was the right choice,
and then if it doesn't, it's like what, We're like,
what were they thinking? You know, I think I think
that the Dallas Lakers trade was such a prime example.
You look at how Dallas's season has unfolded since then,
and they could they could have never guessed that the
(13:36):
injuries that have happened, you know, with ad and with
Kyrie would have happened when they made that trade.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
But you're like, what again, what were they thinking?
Speaker 6 (13:45):
Like they you know, the Lakers, they have a chance
to be the number two seed in the West, Like,
oh my god.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
But if the MAVs had made it back to the
NBA Finals this season, we would have all been saying, oh,
oh my god, like they knew, like they knew that this.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Is before anyone else did.
Speaker 6 (14:04):
And so again, if the Nuggets make this crazy unexpected
run in the playoffs, it's wow, like they really knew something.
I mean even you look at when Mike Brown was
fired from the Kings, and the Kings then you know
they're still in the play in picture right now, but
they went on a little run and it was wow. Okay,
(14:26):
maybe they did need to breathe some fresh life into
that organization.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
That was a firing that was very shocking to a
lot of us.
Speaker 6 (14:33):
But then Doug Christy came and brought like a new
energy and the players really seemed to be receptive of that.
So there's always a lot that we don't know about
when it happens, and yeah, we try and do our
best to kind of figure it out and ENLiGHT everyone else,
and then the results speak for themselves.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
If it works, everyone's genius.
Speaker 6 (14:52):
If it doesn't work, it's MANLIZT what were you thinking
that was a big fat failure.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
Well, Kendor Andrews, you are a genius and we think
you've forgiven us some inside here. No, it's some great
insight here into the NBA. Let's take a quick break
here on the Baseline NBA podcast. We're here with Kendra
Andrews from ESPN. We'll be right back here on the
other side of this break, and.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
We are back Cali Warrantshaw Baseline NBA Podcast and joining
us is the talented Kendra Andrews of ESPN, and it's
time for us to talk WNBA. We apologize, Kendrick, because
we knew that that was what we were bringing you
on for, was to really kind of like get our
listeners geeked up and ready for the upcoming twenty twenty
five WNBA Draft, which will be taking place really one
(15:45):
week's time, right from April to fourteenth. And yeah, obviously
again the NBA news cycle remains undefeated, so really does
so let's get let's so, let's get right in to this.
You know, Kendra, what an exciting time, right, like, you know,
fresh off of the unrivaled season, you know, where there
(16:09):
was some really great basketball being played by some of
the best into w NBA, which I'm you know, it
keeps me in tune, keeps me in the cycle. And
then lo and behold, I'd look up and right now
we're already talking about this year's upcoming w NBA Draft,
And so much has even happened that I completely forgot,
Like there was an off season right fresh off of
the Liberty winning the championship, right, but so much happening
(16:33):
in the off season.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
I think the first thing that I want.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
To ask you is with the way that the with
the way that I guess everything has played itself out
with the NCAA tournament, what's the momentum, Like, what are
you hearing as far as the excitement and the feel
like for this upcoming draft draft class is is there
a lot of a lot of talk about what who's
(16:57):
getting ready to jump out and be a part of this.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
Yeah, I think there's a lot of excitement and you really,
I think women's basketball is very lucky that a year
after the Caitlin Clark phenomenon, you have a player like
Paige Beckers who won the NCAA title with Yukon right
she ended, she helped end their sixteen year draft and
(17:22):
she finally after five years at Yukon, got her title
and she's parlaying that now she's heading right into the
to the draft where she's expected to go number one overall.
And so I think having a face like that that
people you say the name and they know exactly who
you're talking about is just so helpful again for the
continuing of growing women's basketball. There's a lot there's a
(17:47):
lot of interesting players and interesting prospects within this draft,
And I think the exciting thing about this is that
depending on who you asked, depending on what mock mock
draft expert you talked to, or which teams, the order
in which these players are going to go besides pagebackers
is kind of up in the air you had. And
(18:08):
part of that also is you see a player Olivia
Miles who's was with Notre Day today you know report
she's transferring to TCU, her not coming to the w
she decided to, you know, forego the draft. And not
only that, but transfer out of Notre Dame was huge,
huge news during the tournament because she was projected to
be the number two pick. And so when she took
(18:29):
herself out of the draft, I think it opened up
everything else even more. And so from a team side,
if your front office you say, okay, well, how does
that change everything else?
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Now?
Speaker 6 (18:41):
You know the Storm have the number two picks because
they got that in the trade.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
What are they going to do now?
Speaker 6 (18:46):
Because they're not going to get Olivia Miles in a
draft no matter what sport, no matter what league. And
so I think it's going to make it exciting because
teams could go a lot of different ways.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
And Andre, I'm going to pick up right where you
left off there because it is something that I was
wondering about. There's a lot of intrigue about people who
did not enter the draft. I think there's a lot
of women who had opportunities or air quote could have
opportunities to be high draft picked, but they chose to
go back to school. Yeah, and so your your insight
on that is that I have a theory, but you're
(19:18):
inside is it an il situation or or and or
because of the caps fife that's expected in twenty twenty
six with the w where higher draft picks can clearly
get more money, you know, earlier on what's your insight
onto why so many lades went back to school back
to school this year?
Speaker 6 (19:36):
Yeah, I mean I can think it both can be true, right,
you know, NIL is huge and especially for a lot
of these women.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
You look at a player like FLA J. Johnson who
has just you.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
Know, I couldn't during the tournament, I could have turned
on my TV and not see her face in some
commercial or some rap or something like that. And so yeah,
NIL has made it a very attractive place to be,
you know, stay in school again, especially you add in
the transfer portal and the power that that gives these
student athletes to you know, have more say in their
(20:12):
future and in their collegiate careers.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
I think is a very attractive thing.
Speaker 6 (20:14):
And as you mentioned, like the CBA is going to
be huge and you see that even with players that
are already in the W free agency, everyone's signing one
year deals because they know in a year's time they
could be getting so much more money than if they
signed a two three year contract, right, So I think
a little bit of both. And then you also just
have to say, okay, like for some of these other
(20:36):
players who maybe they could have gone did they just
want to get another year under their belt. But I
do think, you know, nil and the CBA will play
a part, you know. I know there were all these
rumors and even asking Paige Beckers it was getting a
good work out the w for a year and you know,
(20:56):
wait for that new CBA to kick it and stuff.
And she's clearly not she said ultiple times that she's
entering the job. But you know, there there are valid
conversations about that, you know, with some of these other players.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
I think, so.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Kendrick, the you had brought up about, you know, the
phenomenon that is Caitlyn Clark, right, And look, I had
an opportunity to watch Caitlyn through you know, sporadically throughout
the course of the year. You could, like I could
clearly tell that she's so badly was shouldering the popularity
(21:33):
of the rise of the NBA on her shoulders, and
to me, it kind of exemplified that with some of
the early on struggles and you know, kind of getting
through where she wanted to be and then you saw
her take off like a lightning rod and elevating that
Indiana Fever team to a playoff burst. Right, I'm wondering
(21:54):
where we will see what what what could we expect
to see with Pagebackers. I don't want this completely being
about just Page Beckers, but I watched Page Beckers through
this NCAA tournament and she was phenomenal. I don't think
people really give credit to the way that she played
throughout this tournament, how she elevated her team in so
many different ways. Even when her shot was not falling,
(22:16):
she figured out ways to still have an impact on
this this tournament. Obviously they won a chip, but she's
got some big shoes to fill, not just as the
number one see but clearly you know for where for
what she's gonna need to do for the Dallas Wings.
Do you think that she's in a position where she
could just come out the gate and be that kind
(22:37):
of Page Beckers or should we pump the brakes a
little bit and give her a little bit of landing space.
Landing space, she can get her you know what I'm saying,
get get flight control ready.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
So was she ready to take off? She's like a
concord moving.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
I mean I think she's gonna be. I think she's
going to adjust really well. She just she's one of
those players, right, she just has a natural feel and
knock for the game and how to be the floor
general and step people up and take over scoring.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Right.
Speaker 6 (23:05):
It's it's her mid range is insane. Like people always
say the mid range is dead, She's bringing it back.
She's like doing everything she can to keep that, keep
that alive. You know, whenever I see a rookie come
into the w the NBA, whatever it is, I always
like to give them a little a little grace and
(23:25):
a little breathing room. Even when Victor Wembinyama came into
the NBA last season, I was like, Yeah, I'm so
on board with this this phenom that he is.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Like let's give it.
Speaker 6 (23:37):
Let's give him a second, or let's give him twenty
games or so, you know, just to see where he's at.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
And so that's how I approach.
Speaker 6 (23:43):
That's how I was with Caitlin Clark, and that's how
I'm kind of approaching with Pagebackers. You know, the fever
they were able to, like you said, go from getting
two consecutive number one draft picks to then making it
into a playoff team. And this year, I think with
the pieces of added over the off season have probably
they're they're in my top four or five, you know
(24:08):
for title pintenders.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Really they and Alia Boston took a major step. I
was watching the step yeah, uval, she was bawling and unrival.
I don't even think she got the adequate amount of
playing time. I wanted to see her play more so,
I'm really eager to see what she's gonna do.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
She she had a great in the one on one tournament,
like she was, she has been great. They have a
new head coach in Stephanie and Stephanie White, you know,
they like I don't know, I don't think that the
the wings, with the pieces that they lost this off
season are in a position for Page to come in
and suit them straight back up. You know, they lost
(24:48):
a lot. You never know, but I you know what
it is, like what we were saying with Caitlin Like,
that's a lot to put on a rookie's shoulders. So
my expectation for Dallas isn't for them to be playoff contenders,
but I think Page will still be Paige buckets and
be able to do her thing. It's just about how
(25:08):
can they rebuild a little bit more of this roster
again and not big free agency coming up next year?
When when the scene when there's new CVAs and new
contracts for everyone, I think that's you know, when maybe
they can start kind of peace, putting the pieces around
her to make them to make her really be able
to do everything that she's capable of doing.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
Kendre you had indicated earlier on in the in the conversation,
you know, especially with a living miles like not coming
in that the number two spot was.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Up for grabs, so to speak.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
Yeah, so I'm seeing a lot of stuff on Dominique Maloga,
you know, out of France. But it also gets me
wondering is just what is kind of the international scene
as you just talked about Wemby in the NBA, right,
and ye, the French, the French are coming, you know,
they're coming through to the NBA and the w NBA's
world too. Kay, talking a little bit about, you know,
the international scene in general and how that influx is
(25:58):
or continued influxes happening WNBA.
Speaker 6 (26:01):
Absolutely, I mean, like the French are here, the Serbians
are here, the like it's it's like it really is
an international fanfare, and it's it's great to see how
global basketball has become and scouts and teams are taking
international play way more.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
Seriously.
Speaker 6 (26:21):
You look at the Valkyrie's expansion draft and they've brought
in so much international talent, and I again, that's a
really and they signed a lot of international free agents.
I think that's a sign of the confidence that they
have in players that are playing overseas. And I don't
think it's gonna go anywhere because it's kind of one
of those things of like what came first, the chicken
(26:41):
or the egg, But it's at this point it's I
think international clubs and athletes see that the NBA the
WNBA are investing more in these players, so they're in
turn going to invest more in those international programs to
kind of keep producing these these kinds of players and
these kinds of prospects. You know, Dominique malong As you said,
(27:02):
she's definitely in the conversation to go number two. And
I think there are a couple other international prospects sprinkled
throughout the w NBA Draft whose names I was literally
pronounced or I was practicing the pronunciation, and now I'm like,
oh my god, I'm just I can't even say them.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
Because I'm gonna don't. I don't want to.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
I don't want to be rude to them like that,
as they deserve the respect, because they're like, there's there's
serious contenders, and as as we talked about again, it's
with Olivia Miles not being in the draft, with Flaje
Johnson not being in the draft, with all these players,
it's opening up more and more possibilities and options for
(27:39):
these international players. It's it's one of these things that
we're seeing within teams that usually I feel like, for
so long, when you talk to a scout, it was
I'm going to this college or I'm just going to
go scout this pro this, you know, domestic protein and stuff.
But now when you talk to scouts, it's like, oh, sorry,
I was just in France for two two weeks and
(28:00):
then I hopped over to Germany and then I hopped
over to Lithuania.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
They're really putting in.
Speaker 6 (28:05):
The time to scout these athletes because they they're they're
clearly there and who doesn't want to find the next
the next Wembye, the next the next big international job.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
So, Kendra, I know you had to make sure you
put a plug in your hometown for the Valkyries there
just just a little bit, which is good because you know,
it's awesome that they now have expanded and now there
is home for women's basketball with the Valkyries set to
to tip for tip off right this upcoming season.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
But that being said, and you know, we spoke about Malanga,
what what are we also?
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Who do you feel is the one person that we're
not talking about that I think people really need to
pay attention to that lottery pick that has that insider's
chance to kind of upset the Apple car Maybe give
Paige Beckers a run for a money for that rookie
of the year. Who's the dark horse candidate that you're
looking at, saying y'all better pay attention.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
If you don't know, that's a good that's a good question.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
I don't you know. I think I think.
Speaker 6 (29:13):
A player who's gonna go who's high on my board,
who's high on a lot of boards is Sonya Sittrawn.
I think you know, another another fighting Irish Notre Dame player.
I'm not saying I don't think that's a surprise that
she's high. You know, I know that the Notre Dame
didn't do as well in the end of their season
and in the tournament as they were hoping, especially as
how strong they started the year. But I think, you know,
(29:34):
she's someone who you look at those players who can
kind of contribute now. I think Dominique Malonga is another
one that we talked about, someone who can just kind
of go in. Because she's international too, fans American fans
don't know her as well. As much as the scouts
and the teams have put in resources to go watch her,
the viewers haven't. I think that is someone And then
(29:54):
also I think they're just players that helped their draft
stock when you look at the NCAA tournam so maybe
it's not they're not gonna come for pages Rookie of
the Year, but you look at like a Haley van Lift,
who I think really helped her draft stock. You know,
after her season at LSU, people didn't have her high right,
(30:16):
and she I mean, the TCU did incredibly well in
the tournament.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
I think she really helped herself.
Speaker 6 (30:22):
Someone like Sarah Ashley Barker who's with Alabama again, another
player who just exploded onto the scene during March Madness
and really helped her draft stock. Those are the kinds
of players that I've watched over the past couple months,
and again we kind of keep going back to as
more players decided to return to school. It's opened the
door for the Hailey Van Lift to get in there,
(30:45):
get in that first round, for the Sarah Ashley Barkers
to get in the first round, the Snaia Rivers.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Just these players that.
Speaker 6 (30:53):
Probably they had a shot right, they were probably going
to join a team somewhere, but they went from not
being talked about to no on draft night, like they
I always think that's the last year's draft from Kate
Martin was sitting in the back as she was just
there to cheer on Caitlyn Clark, and then she's like,
oh wait, that's me. It had to walk all the
way from the rafters all the way down and like,
(31:13):
these are those kinds of players to me that that
are going to probably have special nights on draft night.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
One thing shot before you jump in, Kendrew, I love
what you just said here. I don't know if you're
reading our minds before. We didn't have any pre production
conversations before jumping in, So I love this. This is
this is what the MC's called the freestyle moment of
the cipher, right.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
This is what I love is.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Especially, and I appreciate that you've pointed to the fact
that the the the new, the uniqueness of what last
year's w NBA draft brought us and what I'm hoping
to see more of is the more natural camaraderie and
brotherhood sisterhood type feeling that really kind of helps people
(31:55):
appreciate the grind that these athletes to put themselves through
to put them to selves in this position to possibly
get called up to that stage. So to your point,
what I'm thinking about with this year's draft and especially
like the dark horse, you know, candidates and things of
that nature, the word that comes to my mind is moxie.
I feel like all of these players are going to
(32:16):
come in with a ton of confidence and moxie that
they truly believe that they can help take the WNBA
to that next level, because someone like a Hayley van
List and what she did in the last couple of
years to take two three centrally different teams higher than
where they are, she has to be coming in with
a ton of confidence that whoever she joins, whatever team
(32:38):
she gets on, she's going to have an initial impact
not just to her teammates, but also with the coaches
and what the expectations are to see that those teams
are improving from the year previous.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (32:49):
Absolutely, And you look at the impact that a lot
of the younger players have made on their teams this postseason,
right when you compare it lastly, Like again, outside of
Kaitlyn Clark angel recent how she's helped elevate the sky
a Kate Martin who quickly became a fan favorite in
Vegas and now is with one of the first people
that Natalie Nakassai said I want to bring out to
the Bay Area. During the expansion Draft, you look at
(33:12):
these these first year players and yeah, there's no reason
that these young women who are entering this year's draft
shouldn't be saying, yeah, I can do that too, and
and I'm gonna do that too, especially some of these
players who have had these, you know, really incredible journeys,
and even even a pagebackers because her journey was by
(33:33):
no means easy, between her injuries and having to rehab
and come back and injuries to her teammates at Yukon
and everything that they have. That builds a lot of character,
builds a lot of boxy, to use your word. And
so I think that these players are coming into this
league and again everyone.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
Understands where the W is at right now.
Speaker 6 (33:55):
It's at again this point of growth with the Vakerries
launching this season, there's two more teams coming in next year.
There every day I feel like we over the past
couple of months, it's, Oh, this incredible group is trying
to buy a team in Memphis, and this team's trying
to buy a team, and this city and that city
people they want to continue in Nashville right like they
(34:17):
want to keep on growing it. And so I think
everyone who's entering this year's draft understands like we're just
getting started with this growth. I'm personally coming off of
a really great college career or a really great tournament.
I want to just roll that right into starting off
the W season strong.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
Kentron, I'm gonna take it, maybe a little left, and
but we'll be We'll be right back, I think, and
you know where we need to go in terms of
the conversation. So I have a question about the Las
Vegas cases. So a team that you know was dominant
and obviously you know last year didn't go the way
that they wanted it to go. Specifically, what do you
think they need, you know, and they made some some
(34:59):
some some trades, yes, the moves. You know, what do
they need to kind of rebuild or rebuild their situation
to kind of get back to promise? And is that
all those players available to them in this year's draft? I,
you know, it's about I spoke with Asia Wilson a
couple of months ago in February when she was out
here in San Francisco for her All Star weekend, and
(35:22):
we were talking about some.
Speaker 6 (35:23):
Of the trades that they made, you know, namely Kelsey
Plumb leaving, Jewel Lloyd coming in, and she said, you know,
people say that we're not a super team anymore, but
I don't view it that way. You know, maybe the
the glitz and the glamor of the names have changed,
but when you look at our roster, she said, you know,
we still have these really really strong players, and so,
(35:47):
you know, I am curious.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
I agree with you.
Speaker 6 (35:49):
Obviously, when you have that many personnel changes, you're it's
going to look different. You know. I think the the
Aces don't have a first round pick, so how impactful
is a second or third round pick going to be
to their situation immediately? Like that's always Again we've seen
(36:11):
in years past teams hit the jackpot with a we'll
call them a surprise second round, late late draft pick
that can really elevate them, but it's usually not immediately.
So I think they're going to lean on the veterans
that they already have. They feel confident with Jewel Lloyd
and the other pieces that they got in some of
the trades that they made. But you know it is
(36:34):
I am. I am curious to see how they do
navigate it. I think the parody in the w also
is closer than it has been ever before. I was
me and some of my coworkers we were talking where
like who would your playoff teams be? And you have
some I think really obvious ones near the top, but
then when you get to the middle bottom of that
(36:54):
playoff picture, it's kind of hard to start creating some separation.
And so the Aces are in where I think they're
still going to be good, but as purely dominant as
they had been these past couple of years, they have
a lot of competition now.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
Well, I was gonna say, Kendrick the one team that
I think has that's going to be impacted by everything
that's happened in the off season. And I don't even
think whether or not the trade is gonna necess that
trade is giving me the draft is going to really
do much of anything for them. Is a Connecticut, Connecticut son.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
First of all, it's one thing to lose your head
coach in Jennifer White, right like It's it's tough to
lose that. Now.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
You know they've obviously replaced her with a good a good.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Coach, but you don't have Melissa Thomas right like I Again,
and you're in a position where you are a top
seeded team in the playoffs right last year, and you
there's no one that's within the draft. And again, we
were speaking highly about what people should expect to see
for this year's upcoming draft, but the way that this
team was kind of structured. I thought that they were
(38:02):
at least gonna give it one more year before they
start considering trying to balance out that veteran you know,
rookie league.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Now, do you think they.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Are gonna have to like, Yeah, I hope we have
that diamond in the rough, you know, uh on.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
This roster.
Speaker 6 (38:21):
For the for this year kind of yeah, because I
mean they also like all their starters.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Yeah, literally right, I'm just speaking of like to me
because I think of I think of list of Thomas
as the heart and soul. There was definitely talent there,
but I just think that the way that that team
operates like it to me, you just can't replace that
with just anyone that has a semblance now, especially if
you don't have your head coach who had a culture
(38:46):
and the system in place that's gone.
Speaker 6 (38:49):
So yeah, yeah, I mean culture, culture is hard to create.
You can't force a culture right Like it's it's built
over time with a heart and a soul, as you said,
the head coach, and it's like all the chapras have
to be aligned in order to get that kind of vibe.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
And it's very temperamental.
Speaker 6 (39:11):
I mean, it kind of circles us all the way
back to like our NBA conversation at the start of
this when we're talking about the culture within Denver, the
culture within Sacramento, the culture of the Miami Hugh and
you know, it's all it can change so quickly. But yeah,
when you have your your engine and your head coach,
which your conductor leave, you know it's going to take
(39:34):
more than just let's bring in this person, let's bring
and you know, it's really hard to build a culture
around a rookie. I think even when you look at
Caitlin Clark going to the Fever, you look at these
you know, really, you know, astronomical rookies going to teams,
there's still like this veteran presence already there that you,
(39:54):
as the rookie or the sophomore player, might be the
number one option, but you're still falling into this into
this culture that's already there, and you can kind of
either buy in or you don't.
Speaker 4 (40:09):
But it's hard to do that.
Speaker 6 (40:10):
At the same time, it's hard to bring in a
rookie and then also rebuild from scratch. So I think
the Sun are going to be it's it's a rebuilding
project for them. They have to figure out kind of
which direction they want to go. There's a chance that like, yeah,
you can draft someone who then eventually becomes your culture
and your identity. But I don't think that's going to
play out immediately this year. It's going to take a
(40:32):
little bit more time for them to figure out exactly
who they are.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Kendra last few for me.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
So when I when we cover the NBA, we often
talk about socially in the draft, like, oh, it's an
ex heavy draft.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Is there is it from the w NBA standpoint this year?
Speaker 5 (40:47):
Is it a guard heavy draft, a forward heavy draft,
a center heavy draft.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Kind of like your overview from those positions.
Speaker 6 (40:53):
Yeah, I think I don't know if i'd say there's
one over the over the other. I think we've seen
a really good mix of bigs of guards, you know, rebounders,
of people who can who can score. And that's what
I think makes this, you know, exciting. You have the
Page Beckers, you have the George rum moore is.
Speaker 4 (41:14):
You know, you have.
Speaker 6 (41:16):
Really talented guards who I think are gonna play the
Siona Citrons, and then you have biggs, you Vanissa Morra
who's gonna be in this year's draft. You have other
players who are gonna be dominant inside. I guess maybe
a little bit more guard heavy Hailey van Lit who
we've talked about, so I think I guess a little
(41:37):
bit more guard heavy. But there's still some dominant bigs
who I think will make will make some noise this year.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Right, So my final question is this, Uh, Kendra, We've
we've already lost a couple of really great w NBA
players right either too, but basically through retirement, right t
rass stuff away from the game, you know, and Ella
is also stepping away from the game as well too. Yeah,
(42:07):
pillars who really helped elevate the face of the w
NBA in so many different ways. Who are you looking
to have step up? Who's stepping up to the plate
to now to take kind of take that mant? I
know we've got the Caitlyn and stuff like that, But
who are you saying, all right now is your time
(42:29):
to shine?
Speaker 6 (42:30):
I have two names for you, Asia Wilson, I think
is I mean, she's been so dominant, one of, if
not the best player in the league the past couple
of years, and and you know, is just great. And
then you know someone else who I don't think we
talk enough about is an a Fista Collier and she
(42:53):
is coming off of a final appearance. She's coming off
of she literally built a basketball.
Speaker 4 (43:02):
League, then went and won the one on.
Speaker 6 (43:05):
One competition, and then was on the best team at
the league that she but like she would completely I
know that her unrival team didn't make it to the final,
but it was like the biggest upset there. So I
think in Ifista Collier is playing some of her best
basketball and she's going to be.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Playing angry too, She's going to be playing angry this year. Yeah, right,
like right, That's what I love about her.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Man.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
She looks like she has that nice, real you know,
uh what you will call it collegiate smile when she's
on that basketball court.
Speaker 3 (43:36):
She's a killer man.
Speaker 4 (43:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (43:38):
So for me, it's those two women who I'm kind
of looking at as like your your vets, you've been
around and you're playing incredible basketball.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
You know.
Speaker 6 (43:48):
The legend of Tarassio like she is, she's her own
She's her own storybook, right, Like that's that is, she
is a legend. But I think, you know, in terms
of looking at like the next faces of this league
that aren't the Caitlin Clarks that aren't the Angel reess
that have been around. For me, it's those two women
who I think are probably the two best players in
(44:09):
the league right now.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Last, I just want a quick follow up question because
I was a little surprised you, like you didn't mention
whether or not maybe this could be Kelsey Plum's time
to shine. She's now paired up with Cameron out there
with the Sparks.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
But I'm just wondering, curious.
Speaker 6 (44:25):
To see I'm curious to see how that works with
the Sparks. You know, for me, that wasn't a trade
that when it happened, I was like, Boom, Sparks.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
Championship.
Speaker 6 (44:37):
Fine, Like for me it was it was a little,
a little, a little lesser than that type of reaction.
Speaker 4 (44:45):
I think she has a chance.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
To but I still those for like, those were the
two names that immediately popped.
Speaker 3 (44:50):
Upped in my mind.
Speaker 4 (44:51):
So I went with all good, all good.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
I like that, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (44:55):
I don't want any Kelsey Plum fans coming off for
out of thing, so I have to give her her
flower do.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (45:01):
My final one is really just kind of even expanding
upon that last part there too, because I think when
we have that conversation in NBA space is it's so
much about like, well, who wants to be the face
of the league?
Speaker 2 (45:12):
Right, so as you.
Speaker 5 (45:13):
Tag you know these these individuals, do you think they
want that? And in some ways it's more it's not
always about what you do on the court, but what
you can bring on the court, and you get endorsements,
et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (45:24):
I mean I think that that.
Speaker 6 (45:26):
I mean Asian and and and the FISA are very
plind to you can also for the face of the league.
You can also look at like a Cibrian, Sabrina I
and Escu. You can throw Kelsey in there because and
and what and one of the many.
Speaker 4 (45:41):
Things that separates.
Speaker 6 (45:42):
I think where women's basketball is and where men's basketball
is is women's is still growing so much. I think
with what we're seeing with the NBA, you know, we know,
Okay Lebron, Steph, Katie, they only have f amount of
years left and they need someone to pass the torch to.
With the w It's still growing and so it's not
(46:05):
as much of like this, oh my god, who are
we going to pass the torch to as all of
these women, I think are trying to grow the game
because they know there's so much more that this league
and this sport can reach to, and so they're already
ambassadors of this sport. Again, like Nofisa did Unrivaled because
(46:25):
she felt like and Stewie. We can throw Stewie's name
in there too, Like, we deserve to get paid more,
and we also deserve a domestic alternative to play during
our off seats. And if this is the structure of
the WNBA season, we're not going to not play for
eight nine months of the year.
Speaker 4 (46:42):
Let's give us something where we can be here. I mean,
that's huge.
Speaker 6 (46:46):
And you see Asia her a one, you know, being
the first female since Swoops to have her entire own
line with Nike. You look at you know, Sabrina and
what she's been doing with business wise and stuff.
Speaker 4 (46:58):
I think that these women want to take.
Speaker 6 (47:01):
It on, you know, Whereas maybe some of these NBA
players are a little bit more skeptical, at least that's
what some are suggesting because of some of the responsibilities
that come with being the face. Whereas as these women
want to do what they can to grow the game
and they just happen to be playing really good basketball
to go alongside it, and so it's a fun it's
(47:24):
a fun Maridonnestly, it's fun to see these people be
excited about the attention that they're getting, and it makes
it a fun thing to be a part of and
to cover. And it also makes it just feel promising
of the direction that the w is going in.
Speaker 3 (47:43):
Andandre, what can I say, man, or what can we say?
We listen? If we could, we would be kidnap.
Speaker 1 (47:51):
You to have you like on and talking all the
way throughout up until you know, April fourteenth, when the
w NBA Draft is taking place.
Speaker 3 (48:04):
But it has been such it's just just.
Speaker 1 (48:08):
So remarkable having you on with this, uh to cover
the NBA, w n B A. It's it's just been
Are you gonna be at the w NBA Draft in Manhattan?
Speaker 4 (48:19):
I won't.
Speaker 6 (48:19):
I won't be in New York, but I'll be all
around right after for training camp and the season, and
so I'm sure I'm going to talk to you guys
soon throughout the season. Please, like, you don't have to
kidnap me because I'm offering myself.
Speaker 4 (48:34):
Oh yeah, yeah, I hang out with you guys, it's.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
A wild time. It's a wild time.
Speaker 5 (48:38):
But please please before you go, please tell the people
where they can find you anything that yes.
Speaker 6 (48:44):
Yeah, you can find me on on what are we
calling it these days? X Twitter at Kendra two underscores
Andrews because the only one underscore was taken by the
time I got on an Instagram Kendra, just one underscore
Andrews and yeah, ESPN dot com, ESPN, all those all
those good things.
Speaker 1 (49:04):
Once again, Kendra, thank you so much for joining us
this week. We definitely hope to be able to bring
you back on because there's so much good stuff and
you are just a lightning rod of information.
Speaker 2 (49:15):
I think it's just.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
Awesome that we had this opportunity to have you on
board with us this week here on the baseline.
Speaker 4 (49:21):
I appreciate you guys so much, and I'll talk to
you guys.
Speaker 3 (49:24):
Yeah, we are back.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Cali Warrenshaw basedline NBA podcast. Time for a little after math.
My goodness, my gosh, goodness, gracious, what an awesome, awesome
conversation that we had with with Kendra. Man and I
just man, you know, we've been fortunate to be doing
our show for quite some time. Man and I am
always just taken back at how lucky we are to
(49:57):
have just great people with you know, profound minds, you know,
always on it, very into it, great perspective. But the
energy bro just always man, I'm always grateful for the
energy and she just has such great energy.
Speaker 3 (50:11):
Man.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
I love the fact that she is one of the
important cogs is keeping track of things that are going
on in the culture of the NBA and the W.
NBA in kind just just great all around, man.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 5 (50:25):
You know, for us, it is always about a vibe,
and she definitely brought that, and she's enthusiastic about her
job and about covering the W in a way that
you know, not a lot of people have been.
Speaker 2 (50:35):
And as the W continues to grow, it's great. They're great.
It's great that she's a part of that space.
Speaker 5 (50:40):
And I think she treated us with kid gloves like
we're still real stal novices, right, We're still only you know,
we don't cover it on a regular basis here on
our show. And I think she brought such insight and
such grace to the overall conversation and gracing us as
if you will too, with some of her knowledge from
her days when she covered the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 2 (50:55):
Truly truly amazing conversation. Cannot wait to work with her
down the line again here on the baseline.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
Yeah, man, absolutely, And again you know, I encourage you know,
our listeners if you had an opportunity to check out
the interview, uh, you know, and you definitely want to
continue to follow her work, uh, you know, be sure
to catch her on her plugs on Instagram on x
uh and then also check out you know what she's
dropping on ESPN dot com and on the ESPN platform
(51:22):
as well too. You know, again, she is just right
in the thick of it, man, She's keeping her finger
on the pulse of everything that's going on with the
w n B A and also the NBA respectively as
well too. So for the baseline, Calie Warrenshaw, we appreciate
you guys. You know, we do catch up with you
next time.
This is the baseline discussing the hot button topics of
the nb A. Welcome everybody, your tune to the baseline.
Cali warn't share discussing the hot button topics of the
nb A live and full effect. So much going on
in the NBA climate, the NBA atmosphere.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I mean, woo.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
And it's not even the end of the regular season.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
It's this is nuts, man.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Totally right.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
But it's almost like the end of the NBA as
we know it.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Like literally, it may not be the end of the
regular season, but it's the end of the NBA as
we know it.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Maybe possible he wants to end some jobs exactly. I mean, well,
there's Black Friday, Black Monday. What's this Black Tuesday. It's like.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
It's hard on these NBA streets. Man, it is hard
on Wow.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
And that's not even the reason why we we we
on this. We're doing this show. You know, I'm saying
absolutely nothing. Anyway, let me roll out the red carpet
to my right hand man, Www. Dot Shaw Sports Dot
in at BIGAHUNAP and c my man, mister Warrenshaw repping
out of Fort Florida to Florida.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
What's good, my man?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
I am so excited for this upcoming show that we've
got going on, but I can't wrap around my head
with the craziness that the NBA continually keeps putting out.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
When we got got Ish coming out.
Speaker 5 (01:22):
Hey, I mean, hey, likely gives you lemons or you
know it mean you gotta do what you gotta do.
And I think we're gonna make the best of a
very interesting situation here for us, an amazing, amazing show
lined up here for you, and I cannot wait for
our fans listeners to kind of tap into this and
uh well, our special guests will be able to give
us some insight on their thoughts on some of the
breaking news that is happening in the NBA atmosphere as
(01:44):
well too.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Absolutely, man, we are so excited to have our special
guests from ESPN ESPN dot Com covering sports journalism, the
all around, but you know, primarily NBA w NBA.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
We got her on lock.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
For this week's episode, Man, to talk the w NBA
draft that's coming up, the WNBA just in general, Shaw,
because that is woo. It's buzzin' right now, so it's
a hot week. But she is just a remarkable voice
excellent storyteller. Trailblazer Kendra Andrews will be joining us in
a few moments, so we are so excited to chop
(02:23):
it up with her. As always, we appreciate everybody hopping
off board with us this week. Be sure to get
my manshawe Ashaw Sports NBA get at me a gay
face lead the show's Twitter to handle at NBA Baseline.
You can also catch this episode and all of the
episodes that we roll out for the Baseline NBA podcast
by going to www.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Dot Thebaseline NBA dot com.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
If you're catching us on the YouTube channel and you
catch that blue and white logo down in that corner,
you know that we rocking with the nineteen Media Group family,
So we'd like to say hello to you and yours.
Be sure to check out not only us, but the
great family of content creators on nineteen Media Group. Go
to www dot nineteen MediaGroup dot com. Before we get
(03:04):
into the logistics of having a awesome conversation with our
special guests, you know it's that time we got to
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(04:41):
game coming up. Great conversation, Ready to go with our
special guests Andrew Andrews. Don't want to miss out here
on the Baseline. Time now to do a little FaceTime
(05:02):
with the Baseline and with us. We are super super excited.
Our next guest is a true powerhouse in sports journalism.
Since joining the ESPN family, she is a rising phoenix
in the world of basketball, reporting for not just the NBA,
but also the WNBA as well. Not only can you
find a reporting on ESPN dot Com, you can also
(05:23):
catch her as a contributing analyst and reporting on many
of ESPN's television platforms, including SportsCenter and NBA Today, the
latter of which is hosted by her sister, Malika Andrews.
Truly a remarkable voice, an excellent storyteller, and a trailblazer
in our own right. We are thrilled to have the
incredibly talented Kendra Andrews joining us here on the baseline. Kendra,
(05:46):
We're so stoked to have you on with us this week.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Welcome.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Wow, what a intro. I'm happy to be here too.
Thank you, guys.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Uh, I mean, I'm glad we're able to put a
smile on your face because clearly the NBA was trying
to make us look like the Grimaces today with some
of the again out of the box news that has
been you know, elevating and racing through the wires and stuff.
And I'm sure you were right there when Sham's reported
(06:16):
that the Denver Nuggets decided to part ways with head
coach Mike Malone and also decided to discontinue the relationship
with their general manager with I believe Kylevin Booth right. So, Kendra, listen,
Shaw and I we've been doing this for a while.
We're not immune to the to the crazy cycles that
(06:37):
go on, but to me, I find this very much
unprecedented that this has now happened twice in less than
like a month's time frame. We're too well known, very
very you know, in their own right, legendary head coaches
have been dismissed. What do we make of something like this?
And this is this really actually the trend of the
NBA right now?
Speaker 6 (06:56):
And I think we're also off to throw in like
the timing of it right because it's Taylor Jenkins, who's
the other one that you're mentioning three weeks ago, right,
three weeks before the playoffs start, Michael Malone now with
the Nuggets, I think there's three games left in the
regular season, and it's I mean, it sure feels like
it's the way that the NBA is trending right now.
I think it's four head coaches who have won a
(07:18):
championship in the last five years or not with the
team that they won the championship with. So it's like,
I mean again, it's it definitely feels like it's trending
that way. I think, especially with this one with Michael Malone,
it feels very shocking.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
I've seen a lot of reporting done by my colleagues of.
Speaker 6 (07:38):
It appeared that there would the Nuggets were reaching a
tipping point with either Calvin Booth or Michael Malone with
the tensions and within the organization, But the firing of
both of them, and again at this time, was definitely
the shock. And you know, actually before I joined ESPN,
I covered the Nuggets for about two years and it
was at the start of their rise.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Before you know.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
They won a championship, Michael Porter Junior was still working
out his back issues, so they weren't, you know, a
real contender yet, they were working towards it. But just
the way that Malone had his relationships with Jamal Murray,
NIKOLEA Jokic. Of course it was a different general manager
at that time, but those three guys of yokch Malone
(08:24):
and Murray really seemed to have something going for them.
So when you fire the head coach of arguably the
best player in the world, that's the only coach he's
ever known. I'm very curious to see kind of where
the Nuggets go from here, because it's all about maximizing
Yokic's window, which they feel they still have. He's like
(08:48):
twenty six or twenty seven years old, maybe twenty eight,
but like they still have a lot of time left
in his Prime. So I'm really really curious to see
what direction the Nuggets take this.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
In Kendro, I'm going to chime in and follow up
with the NBA question only from the lens, because we
have you here, right, and so I want to get
somebody who's been covering the league perspective. I'm not one
for hyperbole, I'm not one for overreactions, but I feel
like this is one of the wildest seasons we've seen
in recent history. I mean, maybe just twenty twenty five alone.
(09:17):
You know, obviously the Luca trade and so forth. But
from that, Lens, have you been a part of something
that has been as wild as this specific season seems
like it speak.
Speaker 6 (09:27):
Maybe not in terms of like player movement or am
coach movement, you know, since I've I mean, I think
nothing will ever top the COVID year the league got
shut down.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
I think that was the craziest season to ever happen.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
But in terms of player movement, I have never been
a part of something like this, when yeah, you look
at the Ady and Luca trade, you look at.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Jimmy Butler going.
Speaker 6 (09:52):
To the Warriors, just like really seismic moves that that
shifting Karl Anthony Towns, you know, being traded from Minneso.
So many huge, huge pieces have been moved from the
franchises that they that's what they're synonymous with for so long.
I think it the NBA and the teams that are
(10:13):
in it, and the competing like it's all about winning
right now, and Patients is running thin at least with
the moves that we've seen be made. Right whether that's
what the Mavericks were going for when trading Luca and
Want and getting eighty, they thought that that was going
to help them in the immediate in the immediate now,
(10:33):
whether okay, Carl Anthony Towns had been in Minnesota for seven, eight,
nine years, that wasn't getting them where they wanted to go.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Should they have given them more time?
Speaker 6 (10:44):
I mean, they made it to the Western Conference finals
and the Map made it to the NBA Finals last year,
so coulda would have should have? But it definitely feels
like the Patients is maybe from the outside looking in,
not as much as as it once was. You know,
the coaching carousel I think has been coming to this
(11:05):
tipping point for a while. You know, I remember we
would always ask Steve Kerr, you know, I think Steve Kerr,
Eric Spolstra, and Greg Popovich are the only three coaches
with the same team they've been with since twenty twenty three.
In the entire league, there are only three coaches that
have been with their team for at least five years.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
And you know, the.
Speaker 6 (11:24):
Coach is always the first one to go, then players
are probably traded next. But it's it's definitely happening at
a high rate and a very seismic rate this year,
which is definitely more eye catching than I think in
years past.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
I think this is the reason why we're so grateful
that you are and you're you're you know, your contemporaries
are out there, because I think even now, with the
way that the NBA culture has evolved, we have to
know more than just what the byline is telling us.
Like we are now tuned into the nuances of what
(11:59):
has change this dynamic to to, you know, to allow
these things to happen. I think before it was just
you know, playing vanilla. Oh that that star player just
didn't like that head coach, and you know that head
coach is clashing with the with the executive, and you
know this guy said something that just was not acceptable,
and you know they had to part ways and things
of that nature. There's some kind of a scandal, But
(12:20):
I really think that a lot of what you're speaking
to Kendra speaks a lot more to the nuance of
where we are with really understanding that these moves.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Are calculated moves.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
And probably now it's like we have to be very
dialed in to truly understand it's not just about somebody
being mad, but also it just kind of there's somebody's
keeping tabs on a lot of the things that are
taking place, and if they choose to wait too long,
then it confesster into a nightmare of you know, somebody
has to get in front of it and speak to
(12:52):
it and things of that nature.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
And so it was.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Never like this, you know, for how long we've been
watching the game of basketball. But now we have to
come to that realization that if this move happens before
we're just quick to just judge and say, oh, you know,
they're in the wrong for doing something like that. It's
so important to find out just really the backstory about
what's impacted that situation.
Speaker 6 (13:14):
Well, and it's also one of those things of it's
if it works out, it's like that was the right choice,
and then if it doesn't, it's like what, We're like,
what were they thinking? You know, I think I think
that the Dallas Lakers trade was such a prime example.
You look at how Dallas's season has unfolded since then,
and they could they could have never guessed that the
(13:36):
injuries that have happened, you know, with ad and with
Kyrie would have happened when they made that trade.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
But you're like, what again, what were they thinking?
Speaker 6 (13:45):
Like they you know, the Lakers, they have a chance
to be the number two seed in the West, Like,
oh my god.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
But if the MAVs had made it back to the
NBA Finals this season, we would have all been saying, oh,
oh my god, like they knew, like they knew that this.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Is before anyone else did.
Speaker 6 (14:04):
And so again, if the Nuggets make this crazy unexpected
run in the playoffs, it's wow, like they really knew something.
I mean even you look at when Mike Brown was
fired from the Kings, and the Kings then you know
they're still in the play in picture right now, but
they went on a little run and it was wow. Okay,
(14:26):
maybe they did need to breathe some fresh life into
that organization.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
That was a firing that was very shocking to a
lot of us.
Speaker 6 (14:33):
But then Doug Christy came and brought like a new
energy and the players really seemed to be receptive of that.
So there's always a lot that we don't know about
when it happens, and yeah, we try and do our
best to kind of figure it out and ENLiGHT everyone else,
and then the results speak for themselves.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
If it works, everyone's genius.
Speaker 6 (14:52):
If it doesn't work, it's MANLIZT what were you thinking
that was a big fat failure.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
Well, Kendor Andrews, you are a genius and we think
you've forgiven us some inside here. No, it's some great
insight here into the NBA. Let's take a quick break
here on the Baseline NBA podcast. We're here with Kendra
Andrews from ESPN. We'll be right back here on the
other side of this break, and.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
We are back Cali Warrantshaw Baseline NBA Podcast and joining
us is the talented Kendra Andrews of ESPN, and it's
time for us to talk WNBA. We apologize, Kendrick, because
we knew that that was what we were bringing you
on for, was to really kind of like get our
listeners geeked up and ready for the upcoming twenty twenty
five WNBA Draft, which will be taking place really one
(15:45):
week's time, right from April to fourteenth. And yeah, obviously
again the NBA news cycle remains undefeated, so really does
so let's get let's so, let's get right in to this.
You know, Kendra, what an exciting time, right, like, you know,
fresh off of the unrivaled season, you know, where there
(16:09):
was some really great basketball being played by some of
the best into w NBA, which I'm you know, it
keeps me in tune, keeps me in the cycle. And
then lo and behold, I'd look up and right now
we're already talking about this year's upcoming w NBA Draft,
And so much has even happened that I completely forgot,
Like there was an off season right fresh off of
the Liberty winning the championship, right, but so much happening
(16:33):
in the off season.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
I think the first thing that I want.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
To ask you is with the way that the with
the way that I guess everything has played itself out
with the NCAA tournament, what's the momentum, Like, what are
you hearing as far as the excitement and the feel
like for this upcoming draft draft class is is there
a lot of a lot of talk about what who's
(16:57):
getting ready to jump out and be a part of this.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
Yeah, I think there's a lot of excitement and you really,
I think women's basketball is very lucky that a year
after the Caitlin Clark phenomenon, you have a player like
Paige Beckers who won the NCAA title with Yukon right
she ended, she helped end their sixteen year draft and
(17:22):
she finally after five years at Yukon, got her title
and she's parlaying that now she's heading right into the
to the draft where she's expected to go number one overall.
And so I think having a face like that that
people you say the name and they know exactly who
you're talking about is just so helpful again for the
continuing of growing women's basketball. There's a lot there's a
(17:47):
lot of interesting players and interesting prospects within this draft,
And I think the exciting thing about this is that
depending on who you asked, depending on what mock mock
draft expert you talked to, or which teams, the order
in which these players are going to go besides pagebackers
is kind of up in the air you had. And
(18:08):
part of that also is you see a player Olivia
Miles who's was with Notre Day today you know report
she's transferring to TCU, her not coming to the w
she decided to, you know, forego the draft. And not
only that, but transfer out of Notre Dame was huge,
huge news during the tournament because she was projected to
be the number two pick. And so when she took
(18:29):
herself out of the draft, I think it opened up
everything else even more. And so from a team side,
if your front office you say, okay, well, how does
that change everything else?
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Now?
Speaker 6 (18:41):
You know the Storm have the number two picks because
they got that in the trade.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
What are they going to do now?
Speaker 6 (18:46):
Because they're not going to get Olivia Miles in a
draft no matter what sport, no matter what league. And
so I think it's going to make it exciting because
teams could go a lot of different ways.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
And Andre, I'm going to pick up right where you
left off there because it is something that I was
wondering about. There's a lot of intrigue about people who
did not enter the draft. I think there's a lot
of women who had opportunities or air quote could have
opportunities to be high draft picked, but they chose to
go back to school. Yeah, and so your your insight
on that is that I have a theory, but you're
(19:18):
inside is it an il situation or or and or
because of the caps fife that's expected in twenty twenty
six with the w where higher draft picks can clearly
get more money, you know, earlier on what's your insight
onto why so many lades went back to school back
to school this year?
Speaker 6 (19:36):
Yeah, I mean I can think it both can be true, right,
you know, NIL is huge and especially for a lot
of these women.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
You look at a player like FLA J. Johnson who
has just you.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
Know, I couldn't during the tournament, I could have turned
on my TV and not see her face in some
commercial or some rap or something like that. And so yeah,
NIL has made it a very attractive place to be,
you know, stay in school again, especially you add in
the transfer portal and the power that that gives these
student athletes to you know, have more say in their
(20:12):
future and in their collegiate careers.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
I think is a very attractive thing.
Speaker 6 (20:14):
And as you mentioned, like the CBA is going to
be huge and you see that even with players that
are already in the W free agency, everyone's signing one
year deals because they know in a year's time they
could be getting so much more money than if they
signed a two three year contract, right, So I think
a little bit of both. And then you also just
have to say, okay, like for some of these other
(20:36):
players who maybe they could have gone did they just
want to get another year under their belt. But I
do think, you know, nil and the CBA will play
a part, you know. I know there were all these
rumors and even asking Paige Beckers it was getting a
good work out the w for a year and you know,
(20:56):
wait for that new CBA to kick it and stuff.
And she's clearly not she said ultiple times that she's
entering the job. But you know, there there are valid
conversations about that, you know, with some of these other players.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
I think, so.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Kendrick, the you had brought up about, you know, the
phenomenon that is Caitlyn Clark, right, And look, I had
an opportunity to watch Caitlyn through you know, sporadically throughout
the course of the year. You could, like I could
clearly tell that she's so badly was shouldering the popularity
(21:33):
of the rise of the NBA on her shoulders, and
to me, it kind of exemplified that with some of
the early on struggles and you know, kind of getting
through where she wanted to be and then you saw
her take off like a lightning rod and elevating that
Indiana Fever team to a playoff burst. Right, I'm wondering
(21:54):
where we will see what what what could we expect
to see with Pagebackers. I don't want this completely being
about just Page Beckers, but I watched Page Beckers through
this NCAA tournament and she was phenomenal. I don't think
people really give credit to the way that she played
throughout this tournament, how she elevated her team in so
many different ways. Even when her shot was not falling,
(22:16):
she figured out ways to still have an impact on
this this tournament. Obviously they won a chip, but she's
got some big shoes to fill, not just as the
number one see but clearly you know for where for
what she's gonna need to do for the Dallas Wings.
Do you think that she's in a position where she
could just come out the gate and be that kind
(22:37):
of Page Beckers or should we pump the brakes a
little bit and give her a little bit of landing space.
Landing space, she can get her you know what I'm saying,
get get flight control ready.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
So was she ready to take off? She's like a
concord moving.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
I mean I think she's gonna be. I think she's
going to adjust really well. She just she's one of
those players, right, she just has a natural feel and
knock for the game and how to be the floor
general and step people up and take over scoring.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Right.
Speaker 6 (23:05):
It's it's her mid range is insane. Like people always
say the mid range is dead, She's bringing it back.
She's like doing everything she can to keep that, keep
that alive. You know, whenever I see a rookie come
into the w the NBA, whatever it is, I always
like to give them a little a little grace and
(23:25):
a little breathing room. Even when Victor Wembinyama came into
the NBA last season, I was like, Yeah, I'm so
on board with this this phenom that he is.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Like let's give it.
Speaker 6 (23:37):
Let's give him a second, or let's give him twenty
games or so, you know, just to see where he's at.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
And so that's how I approach.
Speaker 6 (23:43):
That's how I was with Caitlin Clark, and that's how
I'm kind of approaching with Pagebackers. You know, the fever
they were able to, like you said, go from getting
two consecutive number one draft picks to then making it
into a playoff team. And this year, I think with
the pieces of added over the off season have probably
they're they're in my top four or five, you know
(24:08):
for title pintenders.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Really they and Alia Boston took a major step. I
was watching the step yeah, uval, she was bawling and unrival.
I don't even think she got the adequate amount of
playing time. I wanted to see her play more so,
I'm really eager to see what she's gonna do.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
She she had a great in the one on one tournament,
like she was, she has been great. They have a
new head coach in Stephanie and Stephanie White, you know,
they like I don't know, I don't think that the
the wings, with the pieces that they lost this off
season are in a position for Page to come in
and suit them straight back up. You know, they lost
(24:48):
a lot. You never know, but I you know what
it is, like what we were saying with Caitlin Like,
that's a lot to put on a rookie's shoulders. So
my expectation for Dallas isn't for them to be playoff contenders,
but I think Page will still be Paige buckets and
be able to do her thing. It's just about how
(25:08):
can they rebuild a little bit more of this roster
again and not big free agency coming up next year?
When when the scene when there's new CVAs and new
contracts for everyone, I think that's you know, when maybe
they can start kind of peace, putting the pieces around
her to make them to make her really be able
to do everything that she's capable of doing.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
Kendre you had indicated earlier on in the in the conversation,
you know, especially with a living miles like not coming
in that the number two spot was.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Up for grabs, so to speak.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
Yeah, so I'm seeing a lot of stuff on Dominique Maloga,
you know, out of France. But it also gets me
wondering is just what is kind of the international scene
as you just talked about Wemby in the NBA, right,
and ye, the French, the French are coming, you know,
they're coming through to the NBA and the w NBA's
world too. Kay, talking a little bit about, you know,
the international scene in general and how that influx is
(25:58):
or continued influxes happening WNBA.
Speaker 6 (26:01):
Absolutely, I mean, like the French are here, the Serbians
are here, the like it's it's like it really is
an international fanfare, and it's it's great to see how
global basketball has become and scouts and teams are taking
international play way more.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
Seriously.
Speaker 6 (26:21):
You look at the Valkyrie's expansion draft and they've brought
in so much international talent, and I again, that's a
really and they signed a lot of international free agents.
I think that's a sign of the confidence that they
have in players that are playing overseas. And I don't
think it's gonna go anywhere because it's kind of one
of those things of like what came first, the chicken
(26:41):
or the egg, But it's at this point it's I
think international clubs and athletes see that the NBA the
WNBA are investing more in these players, so they're in
turn going to invest more in those international programs to
kind of keep producing these these kinds of players and
these kinds of prospects. You know, Dominique malong As you said,
(27:02):
she's definitely in the conversation to go number two. And
I think there are a couple other international prospects sprinkled
throughout the w NBA Draft whose names I was literally
pronounced or I was practicing the pronunciation, and now I'm like,
oh my god, I'm just I can't even say them.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
Because I'm gonna don't. I don't want to.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
I don't want to be rude to them like that,
as they deserve the respect, because they're like, there's there's
serious contenders, and as as we talked about again, it's
with Olivia Miles not being in the draft, with Flaje
Johnson not being in the draft, with all these players,
it's opening up more and more possibilities and options for
(27:39):
these international players. It's it's one of these things that
we're seeing within teams that usually I feel like, for
so long, when you talk to a scout, it was
I'm going to this college or I'm just going to
go scout this pro this, you know, domestic protein and stuff.
But now when you talk to scouts, it's like, oh, sorry,
I was just in France for two two weeks and
(28:00):
then I hopped over to Germany and then I hopped
over to Lithuania.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
They're really putting in.
Speaker 6 (28:05):
The time to scout these athletes because they they're they're
clearly there and who doesn't want to find the next
the next Wembye, the next the next big international job.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
So, Kendra, I know you had to make sure you
put a plug in your hometown for the Valkyries there
just just a little bit, which is good because you know,
it's awesome that they now have expanded and now there
is home for women's basketball with the Valkyries set to
to tip for tip off right this upcoming season.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
But that being said, and you know, we spoke about Malanga,
what what are we also?
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Who do you feel is the one person that we're
not talking about that I think people really need to
pay attention to that lottery pick that has that insider's
chance to kind of upset the Apple car Maybe give
Paige Beckers a run for a money for that rookie
of the year. Who's the dark horse candidate that you're
looking at, saying y'all better pay attention.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
If you don't know, that's a good that's a good question.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
I don't you know. I think I think.
Speaker 6 (29:13):
A player who's gonna go who's high on my board,
who's high on a lot of boards is Sonya Sittrawn.
I think you know, another another fighting Irish Notre Dame player.
I'm not saying I don't think that's a surprise that
she's high. You know, I know that the Notre Dame
didn't do as well in the end of their season
and in the tournament as they were hoping, especially as
how strong they started the year. But I think, you know,
(29:34):
she's someone who you look at those players who can
kind of contribute now. I think Dominique Malonga is another
one that we talked about, someone who can just kind
of go in. Because she's international too, fans American fans
don't know her as well. As much as the scouts
and the teams have put in resources to go watch her,
the viewers haven't. I think that is someone And then
(29:54):
also I think they're just players that helped their draft
stock when you look at the NCAA tournam so maybe
it's not they're not gonna come for pages Rookie of
the Year, but you look at like a Haley van Lift,
who I think really helped her draft stock. You know,
after her season at LSU, people didn't have her high right,
(30:16):
and she I mean, the TCU did incredibly well in
the tournament.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
I think she really helped herself.
Speaker 6 (30:22):
Someone like Sarah Ashley Barker who's with Alabama again, another
player who just exploded onto the scene during March Madness
and really helped her draft stock. Those are the kinds
of players that I've watched over the past couple months,
and again we kind of keep going back to as
more players decided to return to school. It's opened the
door for the Hailey Van Lift to get in there,
(30:45):
get in that first round, for the Sarah Ashley Barkers
to get in the first round, the Snaia Rivers.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Just these players that.
Speaker 6 (30:53):
Probably they had a shot right, they were probably going
to join a team somewhere, but they went from not
being talked about to no on draft night, like they
I always think that's the last year's draft from Kate
Martin was sitting in the back as she was just
there to cheer on Caitlyn Clark, and then she's like,
oh wait, that's me. It had to walk all the
way from the rafters all the way down and like,
(31:13):
these are those kinds of players to me that that
are going to probably have special nights on draft night.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
One thing shot before you jump in, Kendrew, I love
what you just said here. I don't know if you're
reading our minds before. We didn't have any pre production
conversations before jumping in, So I love this. This is
this is what the MC's called the freestyle moment of
the cipher, right.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
This is what I love is.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Especially, and I appreciate that you've pointed to the fact
that the the the new, the uniqueness of what last
year's w NBA draft brought us and what I'm hoping
to see more of is the more natural camaraderie and
brotherhood sisterhood type feeling that really kind of helps people
(31:55):
appreciate the grind that these athletes to put themselves through
to put them to selves in this position to possibly
get called up to that stage. So to your point,
what I'm thinking about with this year's draft and especially
like the dark horse, you know, candidates and things of
that nature, the word that comes to my mind is moxie.
I feel like all of these players are going to
(32:16):
come in with a ton of confidence and moxie that
they truly believe that they can help take the WNBA
to that next level, because someone like a Hayley van
List and what she did in the last couple of
years to take two three centrally different teams higher than
where they are, she has to be coming in with
a ton of confidence that whoever she joins, whatever team
(32:38):
she gets on, she's going to have an initial impact
not just to her teammates, but also with the coaches
and what the expectations are to see that those teams
are improving from the year previous.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (32:49):
Absolutely, And you look at the impact that a lot
of the younger players have made on their teams this postseason,
right when you compare it lastly, Like again, outside of
Kaitlyn Clark angel recent how she's helped elevate the sky
a Kate Martin who quickly became a fan favorite in
Vegas and now is with one of the first people
that Natalie Nakassai said I want to bring out to
the Bay Area. During the expansion Draft, you look at
(33:12):
these these first year players and yeah, there's no reason
that these young women who are entering this year's draft
shouldn't be saying, yeah, I can do that too, and
and I'm gonna do that too, especially some of these
players who have had these, you know, really incredible journeys,
and even even a pagebackers because her journey was by
(33:33):
no means easy, between her injuries and having to rehab
and come back and injuries to her teammates at Yukon
and everything that they have. That builds a lot of character,
builds a lot of boxy, to use your word. And
so I think that these players are coming into this
league and again everyone.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
Understands where the W is at right now.
Speaker 6 (33:55):
It's at again this point of growth with the Vakerries
launching this season, there's two more teams coming in next year.
There every day I feel like we over the past
couple of months, it's, Oh, this incredible group is trying
to buy a team in Memphis, and this team's trying
to buy a team, and this city and that city
people they want to continue in Nashville right like they
(34:17):
want to keep on growing it. And so I think
everyone who's entering this year's draft understands like we're just
getting started with this growth. I'm personally coming off of
a really great college career or a really great tournament.
I want to just roll that right into starting off
the W season strong.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
Kentron, I'm gonna take it, maybe a little left, and
but we'll be We'll be right back, I think, and
you know where we need to go in terms of
the conversation. So I have a question about the Las
Vegas cases. So a team that you know was dominant
and obviously you know last year didn't go the way
that they wanted it to go. Specifically, what do you
think they need, you know, and they made some some
(34:59):
some some trades, yes, the moves. You know, what do
they need to kind of rebuild or rebuild their situation
to kind of get back to promise? And is that
all those players available to them in this year's draft? I,
you know, it's about I spoke with Asia Wilson a
couple of months ago in February when she was out
here in San Francisco for her All Star weekend, and
(35:22):
we were talking about some.
Speaker 6 (35:23):
Of the trades that they made, you know, namely Kelsey
Plumb leaving, Jewel Lloyd coming in, and she said, you know,
people say that we're not a super team anymore, but
I don't view it that way. You know, maybe the
the glitz and the glamor of the names have changed,
but when you look at our roster, she said, you know,
we still have these really really strong players, and so,
(35:47):
you know, I am curious.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
I agree with you.
Speaker 6 (35:49):
Obviously, when you have that many personnel changes, you're it's
going to look different. You know. I think the the
Aces don't have a first round pick, so how impactful
is a second or third round pick going to be
to their situation immediately? Like that's always Again we've seen
(36:11):
in years past teams hit the jackpot with a we'll
call them a surprise second round, late late draft pick
that can really elevate them, but it's usually not immediately.
So I think they're going to lean on the veterans
that they already have. They feel confident with Jewel Lloyd
and the other pieces that they got in some of
the trades that they made. But you know it is
(36:34):
I am. I am curious to see how they do
navigate it. I think the parody in the w also
is closer than it has been ever before. I was
me and some of my coworkers we were talking where
like who would your playoff teams be? And you have
some I think really obvious ones near the top, but
then when you get to the middle bottom of that
(36:54):
playoff picture, it's kind of hard to start creating some separation.
And so the Aces are in where I think they're
still going to be good, but as purely dominant as
they had been these past couple of years, they have
a lot of competition now.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
Well, I was gonna say, Kendrick the one team that
I think has that's going to be impacted by everything
that's happened in the off season. And I don't even
think whether or not the trade is gonna necess that
trade is giving me the draft is going to really
do much of anything for them. Is a Connecticut, Connecticut son.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
First of all, it's one thing to lose your head
coach in Jennifer White, right like It's it's tough to
lose that. Now.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
You know they've obviously replaced her with a good a good.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Coach, but you don't have Melissa Thomas right like I Again,
and you're in a position where you are a top
seeded team in the playoffs right last year, and you
there's no one that's within the draft. And again, we
were speaking highly about what people should expect to see
for this year's upcoming draft, but the way that this
team was kind of structured. I thought that they were
(38:02):
at least gonna give it one more year before they
start considering trying to balance out that veteran you know,
rookie league.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Now, do you think they.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Are gonna have to like, Yeah, I hope we have
that diamond in the rough, you know, uh on.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
This roster.
Speaker 6 (38:21):
For the for this year kind of yeah, because I
mean they also like all their starters.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Yeah, literally right, I'm just speaking of like to me
because I think of I think of list of Thomas
as the heart and soul. There was definitely talent there,
but I just think that the way that that team
operates like it to me, you just can't replace that
with just anyone that has a semblance now, especially if
you don't have your head coach who had a culture
(38:46):
and the system in place that's gone.
Speaker 6 (38:49):
So yeah, yeah, I mean culture, culture is hard to create.
You can't force a culture right Like it's it's built
over time with a heart and a soul, as you said,
the head coach, and it's like all the chapras have
to be aligned in order to get that kind of vibe.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
And it's very temperamental.
Speaker 6 (39:11):
I mean, it kind of circles us all the way
back to like our NBA conversation at the start of
this when we're talking about the culture within Denver, the
culture within Sacramento, the culture of the Miami Hugh and
you know, it's all it can change so quickly. But yeah,
when you have your your engine and your head coach,
which your conductor leave, you know it's going to take
(39:34):
more than just let's bring in this person, let's bring
and you know, it's really hard to build a culture
around a rookie. I think even when you look at
Caitlin Clark going to the Fever, you look at these
you know, really, you know, astronomical rookies going to teams,
there's still like this veteran presence already there that you,
(39:54):
as the rookie or the sophomore player, might be the
number one option, but you're still falling into this into
this culture that's already there, and you can kind of
either buy in or you don't.
Speaker 4 (40:09):
But it's hard to do that.
Speaker 6 (40:10):
At the same time, it's hard to bring in a
rookie and then also rebuild from scratch. So I think
the Sun are going to be it's it's a rebuilding
project for them. They have to figure out kind of
which direction they want to go. There's a chance that like, yeah,
you can draft someone who then eventually becomes your culture
and your identity. But I don't think that's going to
play out immediately this year. It's going to take a
(40:32):
little bit more time for them to figure out exactly
who they are.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Kendra last few for me.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
So when I when we cover the NBA, we often
talk about socially in the draft, like, oh, it's an
ex heavy draft.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Is there is it from the w NBA standpoint this year?
Speaker 5 (40:47):
Is it a guard heavy draft, a forward heavy draft,
a center heavy draft.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Kind of like your overview from those positions.
Speaker 6 (40:53):
Yeah, I think I don't know if i'd say there's
one over the over the other. I think we've seen
a really good mix of bigs of guards, you know, rebounders,
of people who can who can score. And that's what
I think makes this, you know, exciting. You have the
Page Beckers, you have the George rum moore is.
Speaker 4 (41:14):
You know, you have.
Speaker 6 (41:16):
Really talented guards who I think are gonna play the
Siona Citrons, and then you have biggs, you Vanissa Morra
who's gonna be in this year's draft. You have other
players who are gonna be dominant inside. I guess maybe
a little bit more guard heavy Hailey van Lit who
we've talked about, so I think I guess a little
(41:37):
bit more guard heavy. But there's still some dominant bigs
who I think will make will make some noise this year.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Right, So my final question is this, Uh, Kendra, We've
we've already lost a couple of really great w NBA
players right either too, but basically through retirement, right t
rass stuff away from the game, you know, and Ella
is also stepping away from the game as well too. Yeah,
(42:07):
pillars who really helped elevate the face of the w
NBA in so many different ways. Who are you looking
to have step up? Who's stepping up to the plate
to now to take kind of take that mant? I
know we've got the Caitlyn and stuff like that, But
who are you saying, all right now is your time
(42:29):
to shine?
Speaker 6 (42:30):
I have two names for you, Asia Wilson, I think
is I mean, she's been so dominant, one of, if
not the best player in the league the past couple
of years, and and you know, is just great. And
then you know someone else who I don't think we
talk enough about is an a Fista Collier and she
(42:53):
is coming off of a final appearance. She's coming off
of she literally built a basketball.
Speaker 4 (43:02):
League, then went and won the one on.
Speaker 6 (43:05):
One competition, and then was on the best team at
the league that she but like she would completely I
know that her unrival team didn't make it to the final,
but it was like the biggest upset there. So I
think in Ifista Collier is playing some of her best
basketball and she's going to be.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Playing angry too, She's going to be playing angry this year. Yeah, right,
like right, That's what I love about her.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Man.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
She looks like she has that nice, real you know,
uh what you will call it collegiate smile when she's
on that basketball court.
Speaker 3 (43:36):
She's a killer man.
Speaker 4 (43:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (43:38):
So for me, it's those two women who I'm kind
of looking at as like your your vets, you've been
around and you're playing incredible basketball.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
You know.
Speaker 6 (43:48):
The legend of Tarassio like she is, she's her own
She's her own storybook, right, Like that's that is, she
is a legend. But I think, you know, in terms
of looking at like the next faces of this league
that aren't the Caitlin Clarks that aren't the Angel reess
that have been around. For me, it's those two women
who I think are probably the two best players in
(44:09):
the league right now.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Last, I just want a quick follow up question because
I was a little surprised you, like you didn't mention
whether or not maybe this could be Kelsey Plum's time
to shine. She's now paired up with Cameron out there
with the Sparks.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
But I'm just wondering, curious.
Speaker 6 (44:25):
To see I'm curious to see how that works with
the Sparks. You know, for me, that wasn't a trade
that when it happened, I was like, Boom, Sparks.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
Championship.
Speaker 6 (44:37):
Fine, Like for me it was it was a little,
a little, a little lesser than that type of reaction.
Speaker 4 (44:45):
I think she has a chance.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
To but I still those for like, those were the
two names that immediately popped.
Speaker 3 (44:50):
Upped in my mind.
Speaker 4 (44:51):
So I went with all good, all good.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
I like that, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (44:55):
I don't want any Kelsey Plum fans coming off for
out of thing, so I have to give her her
flower do.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (45:01):
My final one is really just kind of even expanding
upon that last part there too, because I think when
we have that conversation in NBA space is it's so
much about like, well, who wants to be the face
of the league?
Speaker 2 (45:12):
Right, so as you.
Speaker 5 (45:13):
Tag you know these these individuals, do you think they
want that? And in some ways it's more it's not
always about what you do on the court, but what
you can bring on the court, and you get endorsements,
et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (45:24):
I mean I think that that.
Speaker 6 (45:26):
I mean Asian and and and the FISA are very
plind to you can also for the face of the league.
You can also look at like a Cibrian, Sabrina I
and Escu. You can throw Kelsey in there because and
and what and one of the many.
Speaker 4 (45:41):
Things that separates.
Speaker 6 (45:42):
I think where women's basketball is and where men's basketball
is is women's is still growing so much. I think
with what we're seeing with the NBA, you know, we know,
Okay Lebron, Steph, Katie, they only have f amount of
years left and they need someone to pass the torch to.
With the w It's still growing and so it's not
(46:05):
as much of like this, oh my god, who are
we going to pass the torch to as all of
these women, I think are trying to grow the game
because they know there's so much more that this league
and this sport can reach to, and so they're already
ambassadors of this sport. Again, like Nofisa did Unrivaled because
(46:25):
she felt like and Stewie. We can throw Stewie's name
in there too, Like, we deserve to get paid more,
and we also deserve a domestic alternative to play during
our off seats. And if this is the structure of
the WNBA season, we're not going to not play for
eight nine months of the year.
Speaker 4 (46:42):
Let's give us something where we can be here. I mean,
that's huge.
Speaker 6 (46:46):
And you see Asia her a one, you know, being
the first female since Swoops to have her entire own
line with Nike. You look at you know, Sabrina and
what she's been doing with business wise and stuff.
Speaker 4 (46:58):
I think that these women want to take.
Speaker 6 (47:01):
It on, you know, Whereas maybe some of these NBA
players are a little bit more skeptical, at least that's
what some are suggesting because of some of the responsibilities
that come with being the face. Whereas as these women
want to do what they can to grow the game
and they just happen to be playing really good basketball
to go alongside it, and so it's a fun it's
(47:24):
a fun Maridonnestly, it's fun to see these people be
excited about the attention that they're getting, and it makes
it a fun thing to be a part of and
to cover. And it also makes it just feel promising
of the direction that the w is going in.
Speaker 3 (47:43):
Andandre, what can I say, man, or what can we say?
We listen? If we could, we would be kidnap.
Speaker 1 (47:51):
You to have you like on and talking all the
way throughout up until you know, April fourteenth, when the
w NBA Draft is taking place.
Speaker 3 (48:04):
But it has been such it's just just.
Speaker 1 (48:08):
So remarkable having you on with this, uh to cover
the NBA, w n B A. It's it's just been
Are you gonna be at the w NBA Draft in Manhattan?
Speaker 4 (48:19):
I won't.
Speaker 6 (48:19):
I won't be in New York, but I'll be all
around right after for training camp and the season, and
so I'm sure I'm going to talk to you guys
soon throughout the season. Please, like, you don't have to
kidnap me because I'm offering myself.
Speaker 4 (48:34):
Oh yeah, yeah, I hang out with you guys, it's.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
A wild time. It's a wild time.
Speaker 5 (48:38):
But please please before you go, please tell the people
where they can find you anything that yes.
Speaker 6 (48:44):
Yeah, you can find me on on what are we
calling it these days? X Twitter at Kendra two underscores
Andrews because the only one underscore was taken by the
time I got on an Instagram Kendra, just one underscore
Andrews and yeah, ESPN dot com, ESPN, all those all
those good things.
Speaker 1 (49:04):
Once again, Kendra, thank you so much for joining us
this week. We definitely hope to be able to bring
you back on because there's so much good stuff and
you are just a lightning rod of information.
Speaker 2 (49:15):
I think it's just.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
Awesome that we had this opportunity to have you on
board with us this week here on the baseline.
Speaker 4 (49:21):
I appreciate you guys so much, and I'll talk to
you guys.
Speaker 3 (49:24):
Yeah, we are back.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Cali Warrenshaw basedline NBA podcast. Time for a little after math.
My goodness, my gosh, goodness, gracious, what an awesome, awesome
conversation that we had with with Kendra. Man and I
just man, you know, we've been fortunate to be doing
our show for quite some time. Man and I am
always just taken back at how lucky we are to
(49:57):
have just great people with you know, profound minds, you know,
always on it, very into it, great perspective. But the
energy bro just always man, I'm always grateful for the
energy and she just has such great energy.
Speaker 3 (50:11):
Man.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
I love the fact that she is one of the
important cogs is keeping track of things that are going
on in the culture of the NBA and the W.
NBA in kind just just great all around, man.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 5 (50:25):
You know, for us, it is always about a vibe,
and she definitely brought that, and she's enthusiastic about her
job and about covering the W in a way that
you know, not a lot of people have been.
Speaker 2 (50:35):
And as the W continues to grow, it's great. They're great.
It's great that she's a part of that space.
Speaker 5 (50:40):
And I think she treated us with kid gloves like
we're still real stal novices, right, We're still only you know,
we don't cover it on a regular basis here on
our show. And I think she brought such insight and
such grace to the overall conversation and gracing us as
if you will too, with some of her knowledge from
her days when she covered the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 2 (50:55):
Truly truly amazing conversation. Cannot wait to work with her
down the line again here on the baseline.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
Yeah, man, absolutely, And again you know, I encourage you know,
our listeners if you had an opportunity to check out
the interview, uh, you know, and you definitely want to
continue to follow her work, uh, you know, be sure
to catch her on her plugs on Instagram on x
uh and then also check out you know what she's
dropping on ESPN dot com and on the ESPN platform
(51:22):
as well too. You know, again, she is just right
in the thick of it, man, She's keeping her finger
on the pulse of everything that's going on with the
w n B A and also the NBA respectively as
well too. So for the baseline, Calie Warrenshaw, we appreciate
you guys. You know, we do catch up with you
next time.
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