Valkyries Take Down Seattle: Game 1 Reaction and Mercury Preview | Podhalla

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[SPEAKER_02]: All right, we're back.

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[SPEAKER_02]: We haven't done one of these live streams in a little while.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I hope our video holds up, but Valkyries opened the season amongst lots of news and thoughts and

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[SPEAKER_02]: concerns by the fan base about the team and the future of the 2026 season will get into all of the news here in a second because so many things happen since we last recorded.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But they beat the Seattle storm pretty impressively and you know my major takeaway in that game is

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[SPEAKER_02]: You kind of, if you want to show your cohesiveness and your team chemistry and the reason why you brought all of these players back together, you gotta take care of business against a team like Seattle, who has all of these new pieces.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So that was sort of necessary for my eyes was to see them beat Seattle and beat them fairly decently.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And they did, it took care of business, going into Seattle and one by nine,

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[SPEAKER_02]: almost 20 points at some quarter.

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[SPEAKER_01]: They were up by like 20 when they pulled these starters.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Like I think Janelle stayed out there for a little bit, but it was a little bit of like a lot of Dominique Malanga kind of getting by a me here or getting found by a me here for this last like two minutes or whatever it was.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so job well done.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And we'll talk about the phoenix game later because I think my instinct was, you know, phoenix loses one of their best players to New York, Satu Sabali and I was like, maybe they're going to be a little bit closer to where the Valkyries were.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And then I looked at the roster and I was like, their roster is still really good.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So that's going to be a big game.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And as we are recording, I don't know what the outcome's going to be by the time people on the podcast listen to this.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But Phoenix is stomping the ACEs right now.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I think it wasn't this the ACEs ring ceremony night or ring ceremony day too.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Sabrina Merchant is there.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And she said that they introduced Tom Brady and he got lots of booze.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, so let's get to the news and then we'll come back to the basketball game to the actual basketball game.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So we posted, we did our preseason predictions.

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[SPEAKER_02]: We did all that stuff.

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[SPEAKER_02]: We have a new YouTube short.

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[SPEAKER_02]: That's up there for people who want to check out some Valks predictions that we did.

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[SPEAKER_02]: What we didn't know is what the final roster was going to be.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And we kind of hedge and we're like, well, probably a me here is going to be cut.

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[SPEAKER_02]: was that Iliana Rupair was going to miss this entire season because of pregnancy.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And first, first and foremost, congratulations to her.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Like, this is this is amazing for her.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But there is a flip side to kind of the Valkyries team and how you, you've built your team.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And now I have to make some maneuvers here.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So when that happened,

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[SPEAKER_02]: keeping a me here was necessary because while she's not a five, she is a a bigger player and a taller player and someone who they are going to need to get minutes playing on the inside.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And so because of that, they kept Caitlin Chen and then they cut Kate Martin.

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[SPEAKER_02]: What is your, you know, kind of as that stuff was happening, it was happening in real time in the discord as we were talking about it.

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[SPEAKER_02]: We were just reacting to everything in the discord.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Well, we've had some time to absorb that, give me your thoughts on all the things that happened before the season even started.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Crazy, crazy.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, yeah, the K-Martin wave followed up with or the repair, you know, pregnancy announcement, just like,

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[SPEAKER_01]: Unexpected with the the root pair thing like you said congratulations to her, but yeah, like on the flip side like that's a huge loss that I imagine the Valkyries weren't expecting they don't have a A five who could spread the floor.

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[SPEAKER_01]: The root pair was the only one and so now you have Stokes and a me here that you know Just our centers that don't shoot the basketball and and maybe Stokes tried one It looked a little it looked online a me here's didn't and I'm talking about the three-pointer the

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[SPEAKER_02]: I was like, I need to see a shot, but she gave me a shot, but that's what it was.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I see huge loss.

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[SPEAKER_01]: It's like, I know that they played, you know, two thirds of the season without repair, but you could tell right when she got into that lineup, like it looked pretty seamless.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, you can't understand how big of a loss that is.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I wonder if they are still looking at a replacement player.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think Jack and Leng and one in Tonda is technically the replacement for repair, but I know they temporarily suspended U-stage contract.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I wonder if

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[SPEAKER_01]: another spacing five, another stretch five to add to this roster while repair is out, which you'll be out for the entire season is, I'm pretty sure, I imagine.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, and then on the Kate Martin side, like, I think as a fan base, we knew like we talked on this podcast of like, okay, it's Kate Martin, Chen, or me here.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I said it was up to me, a me here in Chen.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But I think the team's going to keep Kate and cut me here and you know, maybe that was the intention until the repair pregnancy announcement.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I know that Dawn Staley had some comments and I kind of feel like it was, you know, that that that just was the three that was in conversation.

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[SPEAKER_01]: For for this team in terms of who was going to make the roster or not, like I couldn't think of anyone else who could also be on the brink of getting cut.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And so I think it was those three.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So all of those things happened and then they still had to play the basketball game and going back to your repair point that was part it's a I don't know for sure, but that seemed like it was part of the process here, which is

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[SPEAKER_02]: we want to see what she looks like for a full season like how do we play with her and they did not change their style at all in how they opened up everything was five out but you put her there instead of stokes or a me here and it's a it's a different game it is and and like that had to be part of the strategy in the process for twenty twenty six which is

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[SPEAKER_02]: She is going to be better.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She's got her legs under her.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She has her, you know, her her previous season kind of underneath her in this team.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And she was going to be a big player.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Like, I forget who someone in our discord said, she's the single most important player to their success.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And so you pull that value out of the team.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And now it's really about

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[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, have a finding a player to fit or to, you know, to, to maybe someone that we don't or not even thinking of that could help, you know, there were cuts for every single team and we don't know who, how the waivers are going to work out, maybe they claim somebody, maybe they didn't, we don't know that yet.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And then,

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[SPEAKER_02]: Natalie, right, you know, Natalie is getting so much press from the perspective of she is a key piece of the of this Valkyrie's success.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She's kind of the the sense say she's the Yoda of this team and she is going to put them in the right places to achieve their highest success.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So oh, Emma and Natalie, and then now

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[SPEAKER_02]: who takes the leap.

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[SPEAKER_02]: We talked about this on the last show.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I think it's Veronica.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I know you think very highly of Veronica as well.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But after Game 1, Genel did not lack confidence last year.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Genel salon.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But she looks even more confident.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Like Stephanie Colson was seemed like she was just playing basketball in every time Genel.

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[SPEAKER_02]: had an opportunity.

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[SPEAKER_02]: It was almost like she kind of flexed her traps.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I got Stephanie just like kept doing the thing like right at her.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I was like, whoa, what did Stephanie do?

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[SPEAKER_02]: There was one moment where Stephanie had a hard foul on somebody.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So I don't know if she's related to that.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But every opportunity, Janelle had, it was like she was like just looking at her, like looking through her.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So I and I may be thinking that something's there that wasn't, but that's what I saw when I was watching.

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[SPEAKER_02]: but it looks like she's maybe taking a leap.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And then before Chetchie gets hurt, I think she hurt her jaw.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She was like, she was like KD.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She was a little KD out there.

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[SPEAKER_02]: They're just giving her the ball, jab step, fade away, jab step, dribble, jumper, and she just like, she became the bucket getter.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So there, I could see the vision of

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[SPEAKER_02]: All of these players are going to level up for us, which is going to help us stay with the top teams and make the playoffs and achieve success.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But I don't think that they bargained for the stretch five who was going to be a key cog being out for this season.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And now you have to figure out how to adjust that.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, there was, there was a lot from this game and, you know, you didn't mention, I mean, I'm sure we're going to get there, but like even Kyla Charles, who I think was the team high plus minus and plus 16 or something like that.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And she, she looked, I thought she looked really good last night, but yeah, no, the Xanderlacini I heard that Xanderlacini and Tiffany Hayes did not practice today.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I was kind of impressed by, you know, they were just almost playing that playoff like defense where it's like you're playing them past the three point line like I like, you know, like the volleyball line like they were just up in everyone's grill and I think the spacing was a little off from the Valkyrie so Veronica would just try to drive to the pain a little bit.

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[SPEAKER_01]: the Gabby Williams defender would go and tag Veronica.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So Gabby Williams is open but it's like a deep three and Gabby's not really a three point shooter and she just kept taking them.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And so I was a little impressed by Seattle's defense and I feel like you know the coaches has has coached them well and and you know if they once that young core is more solidified like I think they could be a pretty good defensive team but right now they're just all young players out there and then and other players

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it took to me.

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[SPEAKER_01]: It took until Zandalizeini came in to be like, okay, now we're starting to break their defense a little bit because we have someone who can shoot contested shots, you know, shoot when the hands in their face and then just kind of break a defense a little bit.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And then she goes down with the jaw injury, which was tough, because she's making this jumping past to the right corner.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And then Zia Cook, I don't know what she was thinking, but she just like clocked her jaw.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Um, and then, you know, the ball skips to Kyla Charles or hits a three point of the doesn't count, but yeah, that was, that's, that's, I mean, you need that.

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[SPEAKER_01]: You, they, they were still able to figure it out, but And I said, that's going to be a tough loss for a game or two, especially against a Phoenix Mercury team who we have yet to beat, by the way, and four to five games of playing them.

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[SPEAKER_01]: We haven't beaten them yet.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Um, so, yeah, no, a lot to talk about this game.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Would you want to talk about first?

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[SPEAKER_02]: Well,

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[SPEAKER_02]: What did you think?

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[SPEAKER_02]: I don't imagine that the starting line if they put out is officially the starting line up.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I had some questions about that.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I wonder if it was like, you know, Janelle got to camp late and maybe she's just not up to like game speed, maybe she needs to learn some plays a little bit.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So they went with tip haze, but like Janelle needs to be in the starting line up.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Like I thought to me, like it was, it should be that starting line up, take out tip, put in Janelle.

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[SPEAKER_01]: That's, I think that's the five I predicted.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I wonder if it was like Janelle's not up to,

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[SPEAKER_01]: She came to camp late, but at the same time, Janelle came from last year.

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[SPEAKER_01]: She came from the Italian finals, where she won finals MVP.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I believe it was the second game of the season.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Right when she gets there, she's starting.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And it's like, she's just, yeah, and she's just letting it fly.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She's like, yeah, I don't care.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know any of my teammates.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I'm letting this thing go.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And that's the energy, right?

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[SPEAKER_02]: When she is confident in making buckets, and she's shot the three-pointer very well,

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[SPEAKER_02]: Then you're like, wow, that is that just transfers energy to the rest of the team, but she can also take those same shots and then they don't fall and then that could transfer energy in the opposite way.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So I think her, the way she seems to believe that she is kind of the offensive bucket

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[SPEAKER_02]: If she has a good shooting season, I think it's going to be really good for the offense, but she's also has to know, okay, maybe I don't have it because because of that slow and long release, some of this stuff is going to be contested, but she's also very tall, so some of it may not affect her the way that we think it may affect her while she's out there.

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[SPEAKER_02]: What did you think of Kayla Thornton and her return?

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[SPEAKER_02]: She's she her numbers were were okay.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She I think she had the second highest.

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[SPEAKER_02]: No, she had the highest minute.

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[SPEAKER_02]: The second highest minute.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Sorry.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Second highest to Veronica Burton.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So he so she ended up with 13 points.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She also shot the three very well three of six and she was the leading rebounder on the team with eight.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And the reason why brought her up is because

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[SPEAKER_02]: that was pretty clear that the Valkyrs were suffering from, I thought it was defensive rebounds.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Because when you take your five out and then there were moments where a me here has to play five, that is not a very strong defensive rebounding team.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So somebody like Kayla, she picked up the slack and I almost think that Janelle is gonna have to do a lot of that too.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Janelle ended up with only two rebounds

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[SPEAKER_02]: but she will need to do to do more Kayla Charles had six and Gabby Williams had six as well.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But just the rebounding aspect of this team, when you play against some of these bigger teams, they play so that they have such a good defensive persona, just their style, their personality, of the team is very defensive.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But if you don't get the defensive rebound,

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[SPEAKER_02]: then you just have to play defense for much longer periods of time.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So I think I don't know if it was specifically like Kayla thought that, hey, this is my job with with with us being a little small.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I have to step up my game and I would hope Janelle would see it that way too because Janelle is a force.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She she just is a physically a force and I think she could help in that area.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, looking at it now, it looks like one of Kia Stokes or a me here, we're on the floor at all times this game.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So they did not kind of try to do a small ball five with any other forward.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't think can be small ball fives.

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[SPEAKER_01]: They're just, they don't play that way.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, I wonder if we got a, you know, an extra center or a four that can play the five coming in here soon.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Because I don't know how realistic it is for Stokes and a me here to always be in the game.

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[SPEAKER_01]: at every, you know, a one of them to always be in the game, especially, you know, if God forbid injuries happen.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So, which you know that they will, right?

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[SPEAKER_01]: That's one of these very people get injured in easily.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I also think Gabby's going to jump in and help a rebound.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Those checking, because I felt like they were getting a lot of offensive rebounds.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And then I checked and I was like, oh, Seattle was getting, I think they tied an offensive rebounds of Algorithms and Seattle.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But I think Kayla and Gabby both had three offensive rebounds.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, no, I mean,

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[SPEAKER_01]: I imagine we're going to get to Gabby at some point, but yeah, maybe not the best offense of performance, but everything else looked awesome.

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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, the connection she had with Janelle on a three pointer, the offensive rebound, she was doing all the right things.

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[SPEAKER_01]: It just was she wasn't able to find her shot.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She and Veronica are a little duplicative in in some ways, but I think it's it's it's good as well.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I would have to see Gabby play more in in this offense like we saw whole year of Veronica so we know exactly what she's doing like I can almost tell you now When she's going behind her back or when she's crossing over like that's how much that's how much Veronica Burton I've watched, but to see Gabby fit It's gonna be interesting because a lot of the skillsets are the same what which is gonna help on defense by the way because you saw

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[SPEAKER_02]: they were getting after it and they I think they're going to be a really successful back court unit from the defensive perspective, but also if you're game planning against the Valkyries on offense, you're probably not too worried about either of those two beating you from deep.

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[SPEAKER_02]: You know, I think Veronica Burton's going to end up with a pretty good 3.8% but she is not the type of player

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[SPEAKER_02]: who's going to come down on a fast break and pull up from three.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She's going to get an open three because of the, you know, just the ball moving.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And sometimes she'll get it because she just got the ball in her hands a lot and it's late in the shot clock.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So I just want to see them play together more.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I think from the overall sort of Steve Kerr basketball understanding of smarts and decision

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[SPEAKER_01]: they're having both of them in the lineup is going to be great, some of the will I'll just have to see how they differentiate from each other a little bit more right and I know Gabby Williams does have point guard experience and I was wondering if they were going to ever use her as like the only point guard on the court at in some iteration some lineup last game and it looks like they didn't I'm checking right now and

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[SPEAKER_01]: Gabby for, I think she only played like 22 or 23 minutes to Veronica's 30, but for basically 21 to 22 minutes, she was shared the court with Veronica and for like not even a full minute.

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[SPEAKER_01]: It was Caitlyn, Chen, and Nova Veronica.

18:09.825 --> 18:17.955
[SPEAKER_01]: So, I mean, that could also be like the Genel example of like, you know, Gabby, Genel, some of those other international players,

18:17.935 --> 18:44.685
[SPEAKER_01]: just haven't been at camp for that long and maybe they're just waiting to experiment more with different lineup iterations only the first game of the season but I am interested on like how they're going to also I mean we talked about it like point guard and center where we're lead the thinnest positions on the team and you know just a me here and stoke to the center and you might even say a me here's more of a four than a five and totally for the point guard it's gabby and and Caitlin and Caitlin and a me here were on the brink of not making this team so

18:44.665 --> 18:46.669
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, incredibly thin at those positions.

18:46.689 --> 18:58.273
[SPEAKER_01]: So I wonder if they are going to try a little bit of Gabby at the one, or maybe she's always just going to share the court with one of Chen Arbor and then just take up some point guard responsibilities and some possessions, but always share the court with one of them.

18:58.654 --> 19:01.881
[SPEAKER_01]: But, you know, I'm interested to see how they play this thing.

19:02.587 --> 19:16.326
[SPEAKER_02]: Before we get to Katelyn Chen, because she's a big story from this game, what did you think of Stokes, you know, in our discord, Stokes is probably like the least popular player and nothing to do with her just do with the fit.

19:17.147 --> 19:22.654
[SPEAKER_01]: I think this just has to do with the contract and to me like I just I just feel like he is Stokes.

19:23.512 --> 19:28.298
[SPEAKER_01]: was brought in to just be like a defensive like plus.

19:29.239 --> 19:32.743
[SPEAKER_01]: And you know, just kind of do the right things on offense.

19:32.763 --> 19:33.945
[SPEAKER_01]: It's not going to be an offensive.

19:33.965 --> 19:35.547
[SPEAKER_01]: There's she's not going to be a focal point on offense.

19:35.567 --> 19:38.230
[SPEAKER_01]: Just set screens and roll and like just fight.

19:38.470 --> 19:39.571
[SPEAKER_01]: Like that's really it.

19:39.671 --> 19:42.054
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think she did she displayed that perfectly.

19:42.074 --> 19:43.556
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's kind of all I've expected over.

19:43.596 --> 19:45.098
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not expecting.

19:45.078 --> 19:55.148
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I tell me he's probably a better offensive player just because Temi looks more like naturally athletic out there, but Stokes, Stokes did the job had a job well done.

19:55.248 --> 19:56.650
[SPEAKER_01]: I thought she played defense really well.

19:56.690 --> 20:07.340
[SPEAKER_01]: I think she's actually a better defender than Temi But, you know, on the offense, you know, it's limited and she just basically a lot of her good buckets were Natasha Heidman gets switched on to her and she's like, just give me the ball.

20:07.380 --> 20:14.848
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, Natasha Heidman's, you know, five six or something like I'm just going to, you know, seal her back or down and shoot over her and she did that stuff perfectly and

20:14.828 --> 20:26.120
[SPEAKER_01]: I just don't think there's going to be much expected at a verse, so outside of some of those things, just don't be a minus, just don't be a minus on defense, don't be a minus on offense, and she won't be that on defense and for offense, it's just already so limited.

20:26.701 --> 20:28.045
[SPEAKER_01]: Here's how she can help.

20:29.155 --> 20:43.599
[SPEAKER_02]: catch the basketball, late because a lot of Tammy from last year, a lot of her, I guess you could say the negatives about her offensively, just mislay ups, you know, drops the ball.

20:44.340 --> 20:54.657
[SPEAKER_02]: And on the flip side, if Stokes did that well in this game specifically, she was three of five shooting and was a plus 10.

20:55.582 --> 21:12.595
[SPEAKER_02]: Those things, you know, when they do run pick and roll, having her just catch a ball put it in like there were moments where you're like, she's just right there, put it in, sometimes going to be matched up with a smaller player because they know that when you guard the valks.

21:13.722 --> 21:20.654
[SPEAKER_02]: sometimes the worst defender is going to end up on the center because you don't expect her to, you know, to do much with the basketball and she gets it.

21:20.714 --> 21:28.608
[SPEAKER_02]: So then when you can, when you see that, then you manipulate that scenario and maybe she does get some opportunities against smaller players.

21:29.129 --> 21:35.140
[SPEAKER_02]: But it's funny that you said that because as I was watching last night, I wanted to figure out

21:35.879 --> 21:58.528
[SPEAKER_02]: what were the barbecue chicken opportunities for the storm or what were the two little opportunities for the storm because when a me here was in the game now they're not small genel salon is not small calithorten is not small they just don't have that shop blocker in the middle

21:58.728 --> 22:17.800
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think the when you have this line up with me here playing center, you do have to put size around her so that there aren't these opportunities for the other team like Dominic Malanga, she's not only she tall, but she's so quick has such a great first step.

22:19.315 --> 22:39.051
[SPEAKER_02]: In some cases, having a smaller center guard her who's also quick, maybe helpful, there's going to be other centers that she plays against, who maybe a little bit bigger and taller and longer, who she's just going to cook because she's so quick, how they defend all of these different bigs is going to be a giant focal point for this season.

22:39.111 --> 22:39.973
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'm sure

22:40.696 --> 23:05.320
[SPEAKER_02]: the reporters and and I was kind of happy to see you know I'm like okay who's covering this game and it's people that that we've been following it's Nathan it's Marissa and it's Eric apricot and it's like okay those those like we're kind of not close to them from like a proximity but those are the people we follow we those are the the

23:05.300 --> 23:11.956
[SPEAKER_02]: the Bay Area folks like your Tim Kawakamis and your Marcus Thompson's like they're not on the valves beat yet.

23:12.337 --> 23:23.224
[SPEAKER_02]: So I'm so interested to see how these reporters, you know, the questions that they ask, what's going to be the interesting thing that they see as far as,

23:23.204 --> 23:27.615
[SPEAKER_02]: getting Natalie or oh him to talk about strategies and stuff.

23:27.635 --> 23:36.315
[SPEAKER_02]: So those are just some of the things that I was thinking of and I'm sure the way that they defend Phoenix is going to have to be a little different than the way that they defended Seattle.

23:36.335 --> 23:39.964
[SPEAKER_01]: Totally totally um yeah Phoenix can be tough.

23:39.944 --> 23:49.187
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't really know what to expect like there's a player on phoenix like apologies for my lack of ball knowledge, but it looks like there's a player on phoenix So I'm not even that familiar with that's like leading the game in scoring.

23:49.227 --> 23:50.409
[SPEAKER_01]: I think she had 19 at half.

23:50.430 --> 23:50.730
[SPEAKER_01]: It's Serbia.

23:50.750 --> 23:56.805
[SPEAKER_01]: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

23:57.005 --> 23:57.486
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.

23:57.506 --> 23:58.507
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

23:58.787 --> 24:00.589
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't really know much about that player.

24:01.070 --> 24:03.633
[SPEAKER_01]: They are killing the aces.

24:04.233 --> 24:05.335
[SPEAKER_01]: Just destroying them.

24:05.915 --> 24:06.416
[SPEAKER_01]: Wow.

24:06.576 --> 24:09.340
[SPEAKER_01]: I wouldn't have expected this, but they had to get their get back.

24:09.780 --> 24:16.788
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but there was a nice, I was watching the game a little bit, and there's a nice Kennedy Carter past Asia, and I was just like, man, how's he going to be harder?

24:17.229 --> 24:18.150
[SPEAKER_01]: Could have been on any team.

24:19.211 --> 24:19.992
[SPEAKER_01]: Um.

24:19.972 --> 24:45.000
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, I'm interested to see how they what they what they employ next game against a team that they have yet to beat and, you know, a list of Thomas is just always kind of gotten the best to them.

24:45.841 --> 24:52.415
[SPEAKER_01]: But this is a four, you know, with the strength of a five and she just can handle the ball and she's just going to drive in try to make contact.

24:53.257 --> 24:56.043
[SPEAKER_01]: So you have to put someone who's strong out there who's not going to get moved by that.

24:56.083 --> 24:58.950
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's why I think it could be stokes because not like a list is insanely quick.

24:58.970 --> 25:03.259
[SPEAKER_01]: You could play her back because she's not going to shoot three, but she's going to try to once she gets.

25:03.239 --> 25:17.224
[SPEAKER_01]: in stride, you know, you give, if you back up, it's like Yannis, if you back up to the free throw line, you're basically saying, Yannis, you can shoot the three, but if Yannis starts driving in and gets two steps, you know, and he gets to go with that speed, then you're already kind of, it's also a loss.

25:17.284 --> 25:18.386
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what makes him so deadly.

25:18.726 --> 25:20.910
[SPEAKER_01]: I think a list of Thomas is also of that.

25:20.890 --> 25:23.373
[SPEAKER_01]: of that mold of just like she's going to create contact.

25:23.413 --> 25:32.926
[SPEAKER_01]: She's going to get to the who don't give her you know too much speed or run way to you know get into her two steps and so we'll see how they do it but I imagine it's going to be someone stronger.

25:33.927 --> 25:35.229
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think it's going to be Janelle.

25:36.090 --> 25:42.118
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think Janelle I don't I mean I think Janelle's great but I don't think she's strong enough to guard the list so I think it's probably going to be key up but I don't know who their five is.

25:42.178 --> 25:46.003
[SPEAKER_01]: Is there five this this no-gitch no-yitch?

25:47.317 --> 25:49.079
[SPEAKER_01]: Uh, no, no, Jake is a guard.

25:49.139 --> 25:49.799
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.

25:50.080 --> 25:51.221
[SPEAKER_02]: See, I'm a match.

25:51.261 --> 25:51.661
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm a match.

25:51.681 --> 25:52.622
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm a match start.

25:52.642 --> 25:54.104
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, Natasha, I'm a match to five.

25:54.484 --> 25:54.824
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

25:54.844 --> 25:56.166
[SPEAKER_02]: I. Yeah.

25:56.186 --> 25:56.506
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.

25:56.526 --> 26:00.089
[SPEAKER_02]: You know who else they have on this team, Kira Lindskins former val.

26:00.109 --> 26:00.430
[SPEAKER_01]: Shout out.

26:00.450 --> 26:04.614
[SPEAKER_01]: I was going to say shout out to the Velcro's international scouting department because I don't know who it is.

26:04.694 --> 26:05.935
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know who's so good at it.

26:05.995 --> 26:14.303
[SPEAKER_01]: But the fact that Lindskins is on a roster, the fact that, you know, the players they scouted this year for Sula has a developmental contract spot.

26:14.283 --> 26:44.087
[SPEAKER_01]: They're just so good at the international scouting like Janelle Salon just to like she goes on drafted and we just sign her and she's just like, you know, she's the same age as page beckers and what does she go in that draft what number does she go in the page beckers drop probably really high and they just get to just sign her like there are there's so many players that you know that they're just ahead of the game on and now are just you know that made their debut with the Valkyries that now just have homes in the WMBA.

26:44.067 --> 26:52.030
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'm sure that we talked about this rule, and I'm sure you mentioned it before, but I don't think it really resonated with me until I listened to no offseason.

26:53.173 --> 26:58.127
[SPEAKER_02]: And the international players, they are available to be drafted at 20 years old.

26:58.563 --> 27:05.073
[SPEAKER_02]: if they do not get drafted in their 20 year old time frame, they then become free agents.

27:05.093 --> 27:05.294
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.

27:05.835 --> 27:06.676
[SPEAKER_01]: That's wild.

27:07.057 --> 27:07.297
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

27:07.317 --> 27:11.504
[SPEAKER_01]: They have no choice to not like to take their name out of the draft.

27:11.544 --> 27:18.395
[SPEAKER_01]: The moment that if they're turned 20 during the year of the draft, they are immediately eligible and they can't take their name out of it.

27:18.755 --> 27:20.959
[SPEAKER_01]: So if they don't get drafted, they're just immediately free agents.

27:21.480 --> 27:24.705
[SPEAKER_02]: And there's a player, there's a player who was drafted,

27:24.685 --> 27:43.614
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think then went to college, but the team that drafts her still has her right, I didn't think we see this in the WMBA already like we're just starting to see it in the NBA or like what how do you approach this like I guess, you know, I think it was like James Najee of the next and it went to like Baylor or something's like how do you handle this.

27:44.135 --> 27:46.659
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I just Sivga or something like that.

27:46.939 --> 27:48.702
[SPEAKER_01]: I forget what country.

27:48.682 --> 27:55.230
[SPEAKER_01]: She's Serbian, but I know she played, um, I want to say she played, you stay in Eurobasket and I was kind of not impressed at all.

27:55.310 --> 28:04.581
[SPEAKER_01]: Like she profiles is like a spacing, you know, four slash five probably a four, but I definitely, I don't think she's ready for the W. So it makes sense to go to college.

28:05.702 --> 28:06.623
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, we saved.

28:07.944 --> 28:09.246
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe the best for last year.

28:10.367 --> 28:15.313
[SPEAKER_02]: We have not yet talked about Caitlin Chen and.

28:16.340 --> 28:19.064
[SPEAKER_02]: Uh, you know, just watching that first preseason game.

28:19.144 --> 28:21.007
[SPEAKER_02]: And again, we know small sample size.

28:21.027 --> 28:29.539
[SPEAKER_02]: They're if Caitlyn Chen becomes a player, they will target her and they will figure out ways to get her to get the basketball out of her hands because she is small.

28:29.640 --> 28:33.425
[SPEAKER_02]: Like all of that is going to happen at some point.

28:33.505 --> 28:36.910
[SPEAKER_02]: And she's going to have to figure out how to adapt the valkers will figure out how to adapt.

28:37.111 --> 28:42.178
[SPEAKER_02]: But just in these two games of this season, watching her play,

28:43.154 --> 28:49.884
[SPEAKER_02]: I feel like she's taking the other team by surprise because she is so definitive in her decision making.

28:50.986 --> 28:59.980
[SPEAKER_02]: And she's throwing up some shots where she knows that they are going in and the other team seems flummixed that she's even shooting them.

29:01.241 --> 29:11.457
[SPEAKER_02]: And if that is not taken, like if that if they are not game plan, they're probably not game planning for her now, they are going to have to game plan for her because as a backup

29:12.702 --> 29:17.668
[SPEAKER_02]: What she's actually doing is she's not just playing point card.

29:17.688 --> 29:30.245
[SPEAKER_02]: She's actually breaking down these defenses to either open up shots for the for her teammates, or to get shots for herself, which is not anything I feel like we saw last year.

29:30.485 --> 29:33.108
[SPEAKER_02]: And if we did see it, it was like, oh man, what she's doing too much.

29:33.148 --> 29:33.889
[SPEAKER_02]: She's doing too much.

29:33.909 --> 29:34.610
[SPEAKER_02]: What she doing.

29:35.171 --> 29:39.777
[SPEAKER_02]: But now these these two games that we've seen, both of them against the same team, by the way.

29:40.157 --> 29:40.718
[SPEAKER_02]: So.

29:40.698 --> 29:48.932
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, well, I'm sure it will not always be this successful, but man, what a transition from a player who.

29:48.992 --> 29:58.668
[SPEAKER_02]: We did we didn't think was even good enough to make the roster last year comes back becomes an overall fan favorite.

30:00.831 --> 30:06.621
[SPEAKER_02]: Probably wouldn't have shocked most people in the WNBA if they did let her go.

30:06.820 --> 30:12.273
[SPEAKER_02]: and they didn't, and she is now playing actual minutes with this basketball team.

30:12.714 --> 30:21.034
[SPEAKER_02]: She played 16, uh, seven, no, eight, 16 minutes, 14 points in 16 minutes.

30:21.314 --> 30:22.838
[SPEAKER_02]: Hit two threes.

30:24.353 --> 30:44.269
[SPEAKER_02]: hurt her uh the only other player who was who had a similar points per minute was a was Janelle because she only played 27 minutes and had 20 points yet she eight points and six minutes oh yeah yeah yeah you're right you're right set seven minutes eight points you're right but like this is

30:44.249 --> 30:49.656
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't even want to make too big of a thing about it, but it has to be a story.

30:49.736 --> 30:55.083
[SPEAKER_02]: This her playing this well has to be a story because it's a surprise to me.

30:55.103 --> 31:01.511
[SPEAKER_02]: And if it's a surprise to me who watched every single one of her games last year, I'm sure it's a surprise to the rest of the WNBA.

31:02.272 --> 31:02.993
[SPEAKER_02]: So I don't know.

31:03.554 --> 31:04.295
[SPEAKER_02]: It may go away.

31:04.515 --> 31:10.763
[SPEAKER_02]: She may not ever be this good again this year, but because she is, I feel like we have to talk about it and make a big deal out of it.

31:10.895 --> 31:18.384
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, her plus minus kind of got screwed up there at the end to like she probably would have been way higher in that category had a not been for those last couple minutes.

31:18.544 --> 31:21.889
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, I also like I agree with you on the chin point.

31:22.209 --> 31:24.892
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm interested.

31:24.912 --> 31:32.802
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I just interested to see how her game grows throughout the season because I kind of like I guess she is the backup point guard, but to me, like I.

31:34.182 --> 31:58.924
[SPEAKER_01]: I haven't, I kind of feel like she's looking for her own shot more than she is looking to set up her teammates and, you know, of course, like, people who play basketball, like it feels like that, you know, sometimes just changes from a possession to possession basis, like, okay, I have my shot, I'm going to go for it, or it looks like my shots closed off, someone passed the teammates, but now I'm just interested to see how she, you know, grows and if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if

31:58.904 --> 32:10.841
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just a little hesitant to be like, I'm confident in her as a player, but as the backup point guard, like I kind of feel like she's a little combo guard like, um, just, you know, wanting to look for her shot as well.

32:11.462 --> 32:21.456
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but no, I could be, I can be convinced otherwise, but yeah, I was, I'm, I'm, I'm impressed by Caitlin Chen, I'm a fan and yeah, 14 points and 16 minutes is, is a lot.

32:21.777 --> 32:28.827
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but man, I was going to say though, though, it's a crime that

32:29.482 --> 32:46.660
[SPEAKER_01]: the violet out there, man, I can't believe they're rolled out white home jerseys and black oagersies with like the the littlest like tint of violet in there, like if you you you showcase the violet more that looks awesome, and then you know the wagersies this year being all violet, I'm very excited, or no, is it?

32:47.521 --> 32:53.928
[SPEAKER_01]: No, because then they wore the white ones on the away, I forget how they do the homoways, and I don't think it's like, I think they wore white last night, didn't they?

32:54.268 --> 32:58.813
[SPEAKER_01]: They did, so maybe they were where the violet one violet should be

32:59.350 --> 33:01.198
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, but yeah, I'm excited for that.

33:01.580 --> 33:06.622
[SPEAKER_02]: I think some of what you're saying, her looking for a shot.

33:06.682 --> 33:08.550
[SPEAKER_02]: I think some of that has to do with

33:10.285 --> 33:27.910
[SPEAKER_01]: How teams defend her right like if I also feel like it's a little bit of like sorry, I thought just came to my head, but I feel like you see that a lot with These point guards who are coming into the league that are just trying to get their their bearings and kind of figure it out like they just kind of get Bated into taking their own shot, but she looks confident doing it.

33:27.970 --> 33:30.133
[SPEAKER_01]: I just feel like it's a little bit of like a

33:30.113 --> 33:36.199
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, progressing in this league, she'll she'll be more comfortable setting up her teammates in that point guard role than looking for a shot.

33:36.239 --> 33:38.141
[SPEAKER_01]: But I mean, it's working, you know, ships.

33:38.161 --> 33:49.673
[SPEAKER_01]: I really like the confidence in like taking pulling back a little bit when she realized she had malonga on her and just went straight at her just like I'm quicker than you and I'm going to get my lay up off and she missed it, but like it was it looked confident and looked good.

33:51.275 --> 33:51.615
[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah.

33:53.337 --> 33:55.159
[SPEAKER_02]: I do wonder if

33:55.342 --> 34:07.521
[SPEAKER_02]: when she is in the game, and I didn't track this, I should probably should have tracked this, because I was interested in wondering how much is she gonna play with Gabby and or Veronica at the same time?

34:08.142 --> 34:15.814
[SPEAKER_02]: Because, you know, the size is a little bit worrisome, just because, you know, you want her to be,

34:15.997 --> 34:23.644
[SPEAKER_02]: comfortable and confident handling the basketball and let's say, you know, team is like in a possession, they just blitz her and they trap her.

34:23.804 --> 34:27.268
[SPEAKER_02]: It's going to be hard for her to throw over some of those players because she's so small.

34:27.288 --> 34:35.215
[SPEAKER_02]: So I do wonder if they're going to play minutes with her and also one of the other two guards at the same time for that reason.

34:35.255 --> 34:45.345
[SPEAKER_02]: But, you know, this is something that

34:46.591 --> 34:53.078
[SPEAKER_02]: their ability to get buckets with that second unit, or it could just be like, hey, maybe she's going to have these great games.

34:53.098 --> 34:54.399
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's not really who she isn't.

34:54.419 --> 34:56.522
[SPEAKER_02]: She is going to be a little bit more of a floor director.

34:57.002 --> 35:03.029
[SPEAKER_02]: But she did have some really, really high level reps at Yukon playing this, you know, playing her game.

35:03.109 --> 35:07.513
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's not like she's an inexperienced against top level competition.

35:08.595 --> 35:09.716
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.

35:10.076 --> 35:15.602
[SPEAKER_02]: So let's talk a little bit about this Phoenix game here.

35:16.021 --> 35:24.490
[SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, it's hard to know, because like I said Phoenix is just blitzing the ACEs, but they are going to be on a back to back.

35:24.510 --> 35:24.730
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.

35:24.990 --> 35:26.852
[SPEAKER_02]: So there could be a little bit of a come down.

35:27.453 --> 35:32.738
[SPEAKER_02]: They are coming to, you know, so road game, another road game for them.

35:32.778 --> 35:36.282
[SPEAKER_02]: So there's, you know, the whole travel aspect of it and and such.

35:36.302 --> 35:44.610
[SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, the the Valkyries, even if this by the time this game is over, I mean, we're talking about, you know,

35:45.502 --> 36:00.253
[SPEAKER_02]: Last I saw was like a 35 point difference or whatever right now it's a 34 and it's in the fourth quarter, you know, there's going to be some come down from that and the Valkyries being at home, the energy in the crowd, I think they're going to play.

36:00.571 --> 36:08.544
[SPEAKER_02]: against this team in a really high way, I did the only thing is, you know, just talent for talent like Phoenix was just better than them last year.

36:09.025 --> 36:15.575
[SPEAKER_02]: So it'll be interesting to see what changes that they've made, you know, Phoenix's top two players are still the same.

36:15.956 --> 36:21.946
[SPEAKER_02]: There are two of their top three players are still on the team in Alyssa Thomas and Cooper.

36:22.807 --> 36:23.288
[SPEAKER_02]: So,

36:24.263 --> 36:49.005
[SPEAKER_02]: do you see anything like do you think Natalie held some stuff back for how she wants to play Phoenix versus what they did against Seattle because I think in the back of her mind she probably thought yeah our chemistry, our cohesion the way that we play together we should beat these guys like you know definitively but Phoenix is really the game where we're going to have to dial it up.

36:49.643 --> 36:49.983
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

36:50.143 --> 36:51.385
[SPEAKER_01]: No, I think you're right about that.

36:51.485 --> 37:02.274
[SPEAKER_01]: I think, you know, it took a little bit to get some of these players go and like Veronica didn't have like the strongest first half in that game, but now I think in the second half she played a lot better and and I hope that leads into the Phoenix stuff because.

37:03.175 --> 37:09.681
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and I'm I've been thinking about it since I said like, you know, who's going to guard Alyssa is going to be stokes and then you mentioned in Tasha Mac is a starting center.

37:09.701 --> 37:19.650
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like that's just a tough combo for the Valkyries to go against because who do you put on a Tasha Mac because it's not just like,

37:19.630 --> 37:20.031
[SPEAKER_01]: right now.

37:21.534 --> 37:23.778
[SPEAKER_01]: And you know, it's the ace is play small.

37:23.818 --> 37:41.571
[SPEAKER_01]: That's kind of what ended up working out for them in the long run is, you know, taking off, taking gust of sin, taking even stokes out of the game and starting with the Kirsten Bell or within a list of Smith, you know, just these taller players who, you know, didn't, I guess could space the floor and could play fast.

37:41.551 --> 37:49.307
[SPEAKER_01]: But that's it looks like, you know, I've only watched a little bit of the game right now, but it looks like that's actually hurting them, which worked for them and the play and in the finals against this team.

37:50.329 --> 37:55.579
[SPEAKER_01]: So I am interested to see how defensive adjustments are going to go because.

37:55.600 --> 37:59.307
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if they expected this.

37:59.877 --> 38:06.709
[SPEAKER_01]: It was a big hit for them, I said it in this podcast and I'm surprised just how well they're playing without her.

38:06.829 --> 38:08.773
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a lot of looks like they're going.

38:08.813 --> 38:13.721
[SPEAKER_01]: They've gone nine deep and the starters are just killing.

38:13.942 --> 38:17.768
[SPEAKER_01]: Like the starters are just going nuts and copper only has 13 points on 16 shots.

38:18.069 --> 38:19.231
[SPEAKER_01]: Like not shooting well at all.

38:19.672 --> 38:25.041
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's just a lot of illicit Thomas just, you know, my MVP pick looking good right now.

38:25.021 --> 38:32.280
[SPEAKER_02]: and she is, you know, from a height perspective, they can match up with the height, but like you said,

38:32.632 --> 38:34.195
[SPEAKER_02]: There's a strength aspect.

38:34.475 --> 38:35.317
[SPEAKER_02]: This is a strength, right?

38:35.677 --> 38:43.431
[SPEAKER_02]: Like Kayla Thornton is strong and shorter, but she's still outweighed by probably like 15 pounds.

38:43.531 --> 38:45.895
[SPEAKER_02]: Like that's where the strength comes in.

38:45.935 --> 38:54.169
[SPEAKER_02]: And so, you know, from a physicality standpoint, Salon can probably match up, but she's much quicker than Janelle.

38:54.209 --> 38:56.293
[SPEAKER_02]: So you wonder if maybe,

38:57.100 --> 39:06.602
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you're wondering if they do a double big like they they they pulled it out a little bit last year against the aces even but like when they used to go like Monique and tell me or, you know, like or.

39:07.825 --> 39:16.324
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm me here and tell me like I wonder if they do bring in a me here and stokes I don't I don't I'm just thinking from a defensive perspective if like no one can guard a list of.

39:16.304 --> 39:30.252
[SPEAKER_01]: And you have to put a bigger player on Alyssa, but then that leaves open the Tasha Mac, just to get easy boards, every it's going to have to be everyone rebounding in and I think we do have a strong rebounding team just in the sense of everyone having that rebounding instinct and wanting to at least go for the ball.

39:30.993 --> 39:36.304
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that's going to pay off tomorrow, but yeah, they got to be disciplined because what Alyssa Thomas wants to do is just like all those.

39:36.284 --> 39:57.769
[SPEAKER_01]: you know athletic players who don't have a three point shot they want to drive and kick they want to kick the open shooters so the moment that said you take you know you leave to want a bother from the corner to go help on a list Thomas that ball is going to to want a boner so you just have to be really defensively disciplined which I think they are because even if someone helps off like the person who's guarding the wing is smarter enough to then go transition to the corner

39:57.749 --> 40:05.782
[SPEAKER_01]: And you saw it against Minnesota, just like even though Minnesota was clearly the better team like they hung in that for way longer than they should have just because of how good and smart and discipline that defenses.

40:05.822 --> 40:09.949
[SPEAKER_01]: So you'd really got to have that on display tomorrow, which I think they will.

40:09.969 --> 40:13.294
[SPEAKER_01]: I do hope and I do anticipate this to be a tight game.

40:14.067 --> 40:28.077
[SPEAKER_02]: Especially when I packed it back like you mentioned like that's yeah, that's the thing is I think you got to take advantage of that and whether that means you just try and get a good jump on them and start quick and really force the action.

40:28.782 --> 40:58.384
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, there's some things that hopefully that I'm sure this is all that Natalie's thinking about I'm sure I don't want to say I hope they're thinking that if she she's thinking of a thousand more things than I am as someone just watching these games on television, but yeah, I think this is going to be in every game as a test we said this last year.

40:58.364 --> 41:09.910
[SPEAKER_02]: As you can tell in our in our discord, we have the game chat going and I think five minutes into the game, somebody said, oh man, this is the same old offenses last year and what they meant was

41:10.379 --> 41:14.645
[SPEAKER_02]: Circle in the three pointers, you know, late shots in the shot clock.

41:14.666 --> 41:16.689
[SPEAKER_02]: And then they start to make it.

41:16.709 --> 41:17.450
[SPEAKER_01]: It's your model.

41:17.610 --> 41:18.591
[SPEAKER_01]: It just figures it out.

41:18.632 --> 41:20.514
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I just just like the defense is so good.

41:20.554 --> 41:24.240
[SPEAKER_01]: And the offense just looks like you don't know how you're going to get a bucket each possession.

41:24.380 --> 41:26.544
[SPEAKER_01]: Like you just don't confidently know who's going to do it.

41:26.764 --> 41:27.485
[SPEAKER_01]: How you're going to get it.

41:27.505 --> 41:29.128
[SPEAKER_01]: And then they just still like figure it out.

41:29.228 --> 41:31.852
[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, that I saw that comment.

41:31.872 --> 41:33.434
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is just, yeah, I feel the same way.

41:33.995 --> 41:35.597
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, that's how everyone felt.

41:35.718 --> 41:38.682
[SPEAKER_02]: As they were watching as I come in, here we go again.

41:39.269 --> 41:54.219
[SPEAKER_02]: then they did like he said then they can figure out by the way, I had so much fun with the people to discord, even though I watched the game on a bit of a delay, I caught up and then I had to I got got behind again and then I kind of came back, but it was so much fun talking to the folks on this court.

41:54.239 --> 41:59.590
[SPEAKER_02]: So if you if you want to join the links or in the the invite links are are in the

41:59.570 --> 42:02.533
[SPEAKER_02]: YouTube summary as well as the podcast summary.

42:03.254 --> 42:11.323
[SPEAKER_02]: And yeah, the whole thing is a blast because last year when we're talking Valkyries, it's me, it's you, it's JJ.

42:11.343 --> 42:15.108
[SPEAKER_02]: It's Obena, it's Marshall Silva.

42:15.128 --> 42:24.058
[SPEAKER_02]: And so like we have this like small circle, but now there's more people in the discord who are think, you know, it's so interesting to see how people

42:24.038 --> 42:27.525
[SPEAKER_02]: think of the team and the expectations and so I really love it.

42:27.605 --> 42:37.987
[SPEAKER_02]: It just opens up your your scope because sometimes you think of basketball in like a very specific way and then someone comes in and they give you something else to think about.

42:38.107 --> 42:41.555
[SPEAKER_02]: And someone else comes in and you're like, oh man, I really disagree with them.

42:41.655 --> 42:42.216
[SPEAKER_02]: But

42:42.922 --> 42:49.248
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, if you're looking at learning more about the sport and about the way teams play, like, of course, you're going to be open-minded.

42:49.268 --> 42:50.009
[SPEAKER_02]: So I appreciate.

42:50.029 --> 42:53.653
[SPEAKER_02]: I have, I'm having so much fun in our pot hall of discord.

42:53.673 --> 42:54.714
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, come through with you.

42:55.354 --> 42:57.917
[SPEAKER_01]: My girlfriend told me last night, she's like, I always see you on the discord.

42:57.957 --> 43:10.049
[SPEAKER_01]: And for me, like, I just have been always wanting like a WMBA community to talk to because I just feel like I never really, I don't really, there's not many people in my life that are super as dialed in and interested as I am outside of one person.

43:10.089 --> 43:11.190
[SPEAKER_01]: It was now in our,

43:11.170 --> 43:33.499
[SPEAKER_01]: fantasy league so i'd always just be talking to cam and then now that we have this whole you know discord like that's just my primary place of talking to mba who's especially velcro's because we're just always in the velcro's chat talking velcro's whoops so yeah if you have any interest in doing that like it's really fun and you know there's no judgment no shame and and i know discord is kind of a little scary for people but it's actually it's like just a

43:33.479 --> 43:36.141
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not that different from like a group chat or something.

43:36.161 --> 43:43.588
[SPEAKER_02]: There's just channels and you can you can chime in and we do fun stuff with the emojis for for the players to Yeah, okay, they're on little stickers.

43:43.748 --> 43:45.470
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I what did want to say one thing though.

43:45.510 --> 44:01.765
[SPEAKER_02]: Do you think Mark the Swar is gets a gets a video What what do you mean oh Welcome back What is the video gonna be just of her on like media day flipping the ball in the air and I they should say something right

44:02.167 --> 44:11.879
[SPEAKER_02]: But I don't know, I don't know, we'll, we'll, the fans boo, not, I don't, I don't know, owing the pick and all the stuff that happened.

44:12.660 --> 44:23.653
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think so, but I think it's, yeah, such a hilarious turn of events that the whole, all that goes down and Marta is not even on the team, and she's on Phoenix on a developmental contract, and they might play her because this is a back-to-back.

44:23.673 --> 44:24.554
[SPEAKER_01]: They might, they might, they should.

44:24.574 --> 44:25.575
[SPEAKER_01]: They might play her.

44:25.977 --> 44:32.628
[SPEAKER_01]: And I wonder, you know, given that Tiffany Hayes and Chet's you're out, I wonder, you know, Amelasoa was activated.

44:33.149 --> 44:35.313
[SPEAKER_01]: You played a little bit last night, played a little bit.

44:35.493 --> 44:40.943
[SPEAKER_01]: And so now that's one of her 12 games that she has 11 to go before I forget what happens when it's up.

44:41.043 --> 44:47.654
[SPEAKER_01]: Like do they just have to make a decision like either you're off on the roster or, I don't even, I doubt you even wave a developmental.

44:48.295 --> 44:51.040
[SPEAKER_02]: Because it's just the spot that has 12.

44:51.020 --> 44:51.481
[SPEAKER_02]: games.

44:51.521 --> 44:52.804
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't think it's the player, right?

44:52.824 --> 44:53.705
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just the spot.

44:53.745 --> 44:53.986
[SPEAKER_02]: You get.

44:54.086 --> 44:54.848
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, the way.

44:55.228 --> 44:55.529
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

44:55.589 --> 44:57.713
[SPEAKER_02]: You get 12 games per spot, I think.

44:58.655 --> 45:00.699
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, we got to look into that because if so, that's crazy.

45:02.162 --> 45:12.402
[SPEAKER_02]: That's why like if you if you if you were listening to no off season, they were saying like, I don't know why this developmental thing is seen as such a big boon to the team.

45:12.442 --> 45:13.264
[SPEAKER_02]: Like,

45:13.430 --> 45:17.217
[SPEAKER_02]: every every team carried 11 or carry 12 players last year.

45:17.257 --> 45:21.325
[SPEAKER_02]: So now your developmental spots count as like a half of the player.

45:21.365 --> 45:22.607
[SPEAKER_02]: So now you get 12 and a half.

45:22.727 --> 45:27.636
[SPEAKER_02]: You should just carry be able to carry 14 players or 13 players.

45:27.957 --> 45:29.159
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I totally agree with that.

45:29.199 --> 45:30.842
[SPEAKER_01]: But I'm just saying from what we have right now.

45:30.882 --> 45:34.088
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I didn't realize that it was the spot and not the player.

45:34.068 --> 45:40.055
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but yet Jacqueline went and went and went and went and tonne us on a replacement deal, so she's not a part of the developmental stuff.

45:40.075 --> 45:44.420
[SPEAKER_01]: We It's just so a and then we have a spot remaining and I wonder how that plays out.

45:44.440 --> 45:47.123
[SPEAKER_01]: I think the ace is still don't have anyone signed to any of those spots.

45:47.664 --> 45:50.387
[SPEAKER_01]: If it's still the same as yesterday or two days ago when I last checked.

45:51.088 --> 45:52.830
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but yeah, so a was activated.

45:52.870 --> 45:59.217
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's one of the 12 games for that spot and she did not need to be activated at all.

45:59.397 --> 46:01.780
[SPEAKER_01]: What did you hear how they activate?

46:01.760 --> 46:05.865
[SPEAKER_01]: These, like, six minutes before the game, not has to let them know and you have to declare it.

46:06.927 --> 46:13.435
[SPEAKER_02]: So you have no light like, okay, let's say, let's say, um, these injuries happened in last night's game, right?

46:15.077 --> 46:17.660
[SPEAKER_02]: You cannot go, oh, we had these injuries happen.

46:17.781 --> 46:20.444
[SPEAKER_02]: We are now activating so a spot right?

46:20.744 --> 46:21.926
[SPEAKER_01]: You would have had to do it.

46:22.006 --> 46:22.527
[SPEAKER_01]: And be a two.

46:22.547 --> 46:23.768
[SPEAKER_01]: It's that they dress or not, right?

46:23.909 --> 46:25.050
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, but

46:26.937 --> 46:31.067
[SPEAKER_02]: if they activate her and they don't play her, it still counts.

46:31.087 --> 46:31.468
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, right.

46:31.528 --> 46:31.829
[SPEAKER_01]: Totally.

46:32.029 --> 46:38.044
[SPEAKER_02]: So that that 12 games may not even be 12 times where she actually gets in the game.

46:38.445 --> 46:39.909
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just 12 times when she dresses up.

46:39.969 --> 46:41.352
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it just has, yeah.

46:41.450 --> 46:42.191
[SPEAKER_01]: crazy.

46:42.351 --> 46:43.613
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, not great.

46:43.633 --> 46:46.056
[SPEAKER_01]: They said, can they do an amendment in the CBA one year in?

46:46.096 --> 46:48.279
[SPEAKER_01]: Add another spot.

46:48.459 --> 46:49.320
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know two spots.

46:50.401 --> 46:53.265
[SPEAKER_02]: It would it would make so much sense for the mad more spots.

46:54.166 --> 46:57.330
[SPEAKER_02]: And to me, it's like, do you add more spots?

46:57.731 --> 46:58.832
[SPEAKER_02]: You get more players?

46:59.233 --> 47:02.056
[SPEAKER_02]: You, you know, you could bring in more international players.

47:02.076 --> 47:03.138
[SPEAKER_02]: You're expanding the game.

47:03.158 --> 47:10.427
[SPEAKER_02]: But to those teams, they're like, yeah, I got to pay an under another $150,000 for for an extra player.

47:11.403 --> 47:12.004
[SPEAKER_01]: crying broke.

47:12.465 --> 47:13.046
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

47:13.066 --> 47:14.329
[SPEAKER_02]: So all right.

47:14.629 --> 47:15.451
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll be back next week.

47:15.471 --> 47:26.713
[SPEAKER_02]: I think you may even be at a game upcoming and I know that I think Crystal and I are going to go to the we're attempting to go to the Juneteenth game.

47:26.733 --> 47:27.795
[SPEAKER_02]: I think that's the links.

47:28.597 --> 47:30.480
[SPEAKER_02]: So I can't wait to get back out there.

47:31.402 --> 47:31.943
[SPEAKER_02]: Nice.

47:32.885 --> 47:33.286
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.

47:34.047 --> 47:34.828
[SPEAKER_02]: That is it from here.

47:36.270 --> 47:44.322
[SPEAKER_02]: We will be back at some point later next week, probably after these game against the sky.

47:44.703 --> 47:55.399
[SPEAKER_01]: You should have stood before before, as you're doing your outro though, we should mention that you stay plays on Sunday and you know, depending on the outcome of that game, she could be coming over earlier than expected.

47:55.880 --> 47:56.921
[SPEAKER_01]: She's playing Valencia.

47:56.941 --> 47:57.622
[SPEAKER_01]: She's on Gerona.

47:57.642 --> 47:59.365
[SPEAKER_01]: They just have to win, you know, right?

47:59.345 --> 48:00.547
[SPEAKER_01]: I think they just have to win.

48:00.947 --> 48:25.183
[SPEAKER_01]: It's it's basically how I was told by cast on the discord is that it's it's just the overall score of the two games combined they played on Thursday of Lensia one by one and so then they play on Sunday and I think

48:25.163 --> 48:27.425
[SPEAKER_01]: if they win by two on Sunday, they advance.

48:27.445 --> 48:32.131
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if it's the finals that's next or what rounds next, but Valencia is the more talented team.

48:32.151 --> 48:51.812
[SPEAKER_01]: They have Leonie Fibitch who was cooking in that game, Awafam, they have Elina Buena Vida, they have Raquel Carrera and Tarrona's just got like you stay in Koolabali and Clara Holmes, who's been good, but yeah, I think so it is interesting format because yeah, like

48:51.792 --> 49:03.729
[SPEAKER_01]: Valencia could have won game one by two, but if, you know, if Jrona wins game two by, if Jrona wins by two on Sunday, then they advance.

49:04.630 --> 49:05.752
[SPEAKER_01]: That is my understanding of it.

49:05.932 --> 49:12.461
[SPEAKER_01]: But if they were to lose at all, you stay will be on a plane to, to SFO.

49:14.905 --> 49:18.610
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's that, that's going to be a story in of itself.

49:18.877 --> 49:24.787
[SPEAKER_02]: to see how she adapts with her style of basketball, to what the Valkyries do.

49:24.987 --> 49:37.628
[SPEAKER_01]: They're missing it, like it doesn't, like from what I've seen, you know, especially in recently is like, they could definitely use that stuff, just the three-point ability, the ability to put the ball on the floor for two dribbles and take a mid-range.

49:37.608 --> 49:55.820
[SPEAKER_01]: fade away that she's she's been hitting or just a face-up shot like it's it's it's a little Chetchy like in in the way that she could just get her shot off and have an offensive confidence So yeah, just that's gonna be fun to to see how they integrate and integrate you stay All right, that is it from here for brai.

49:56.080 --> 49:59.987
[SPEAKER_02]: I am double g. We'll see you next week peace out