WNBA Expansion Draft Recap: Valkyries Lose Carla Leite and Maria Conde | Podhalla

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[UNKNOWN]: Thank you.

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[SPEAKER_00]: This is going to be a quick expansion draft episode of Pothala.

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[SPEAKER_00]: If you heard our episode earlier this week with Richard Cohen, we broke down the expansion draft, we gave our predictions, and it looks like we were wrong in who we thought the

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[SPEAKER_00]: Carla late was selected in the what she third pick was she the third pick of the draft third pick of the expansion draft to Portland she goes to Portland.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So I think you start to see it if you kind of go through Valkyries, socials and stuff, but I mentioned it in the podcast with Richard, which was she's so beloved by the fan base, but also by her teammates, because she was like the little sis of the entire team.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And this is like the first moment for Valkyries fan.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Actually, I take that back, not the first moment.

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[SPEAKER_00]: who, who did they cut early in the season last year where a falcary fans were like, no, like we like this person was it, um, well, they're, their draft pick.

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[SPEAKER_01]: It was a shot.

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[SPEAKER_01]: It was kind of a shocker that Cheyenne sellers fell to them in the second round.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if that's what you're talking about.

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[SPEAKER_00]: If you're talking about it, if you're talking about it, if you're talking about it, if you're talking about it, if you're talking about it, if you're joking, it was Julie, it was Julie.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I remember when Julie, like we were all really surprised when Julie was cut.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But it was at that moment where Valkyries fans who were so embracing this team, a member of the team who they were rooting for and who had bombed a bunch of threes in that, was the first game of the season or one of the early ones.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And then, so as I go, nope, this is a business.

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[SPEAKER_00]: This is just like every other sport, but you get attached to the player.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So Carla leaving, I think, I think people are having to deal with that in real time with the expansion draft.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But she wasn't the only one drafted.

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[SPEAKER_00]: from the Valkyries, Maria Conde, who we haven't seen, was drafted by the Toronto Tempo, their sixth pick.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So I think she was probably the 12th pick overall.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So that what that means is,

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[SPEAKER_00]: The players who are still here, Latisha and me here did not get selected.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Kate Martin did not get selected.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And it looks like it was the Chetji versus Carla protection and so Chetji will be back as well.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So overall, big picture thinking, what do you think about how this thing, how this thing came out for the Valkyries?

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, we said it in this podcast, even though we predicted Carla it was like this is a coin flip.

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[SPEAKER_01]: This is a tough decision and they went with the player who overall gave them more production last year and that makes sense given that, you know, you always hear with this team.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think one of the first things we said after they lost him in the soda last year was like, okay, well, you know, they set like an expectation, you know, now it's, if you want to improve, you got to win in the first round of the playoffs is upcoming season.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, I think that's going to be addressed in the off season.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I kind of think that might happen, you know, some people in our discord think they're getting a couple stars.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's fair to assume at least one stars coming to the boundaries.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I think what is your level of star though?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Like what,

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[SPEAKER_01]: in all star, but I know Kayla Thornton was an all star, but maybe someone who's like a multi-time all star.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if we didn't mention Kayla, Kayla is coming back too.

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[SPEAKER_00]: She, if we are to assume that she was unprotected, she did not get drafted.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So she will be back on the roster.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And as long as free agency's concern still has concerns,

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So I think this is just another move telling us that they want to win.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I think Carla was, you know, good and and and give production, but Chetchi Morso and Chetchi was more relied on and, you know, so I think that's just the direction they went and I think they're signaling to us that, you know, share their fan favorites and their young players, but we want to win.

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[SPEAKER_01]: you know, that makes you question some of the, some of the young talent like does that make you go like okay, you know, how, how much run could you stay potentially get on this team or are they going to kind of do, you know, like how much are they going to mimic golden state.

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[SPEAKER_01]: the warriors with how they kind of treat young players.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I know there are different coaches.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But it feels like they kind of have a same like a similar philosophy between current and Kasey.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Like I feel like there's similarities there and how they approach the game.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But no, I think Cone Day is going to go down as potentially a tough loss.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But we didn't see her in a Valkyries jersey.

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[SPEAKER_01]: It's tough to protect someone who never saw play for you.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But she missed an entire year because of I think in Achilles or an ACL and now she's back playing.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And it's probably safe to assume that she,

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[SPEAKER_01]: It's likely to report to Toronto, you know, Konrado was was mentioning that that could be a tough loss, too.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So I take his word for it.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But no, I think this is still a lot to look forward to for the season.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And you just get one, like can you get like a big time guard next to Burton?

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[SPEAKER_01]: and like, you know, you roll out, you know, Janell or KT and Chetchi as your wings and you, you know, maybe maybe you get a little bit of an upgrade at the center position.

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[SPEAKER_01]: That's a good looking squad, you know, especially if you go home with my Jackie Young route, you go Jackie Young at the two.

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[SPEAKER_01]: That would be, I don't think it's going to happen, but Veronica Jackie or name your other shooting guard all star player with either Kayla and and Janelle or Chetchi and Janelle or Chetchi and Kayla and Janelle's probably going to start.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And then, you know, another five who can be in a little center rotation with Rupert and and and even some of me here, like I think that's just a good quality team and then I like our odds.

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[SPEAKER_00]: You know, where my brain went with Carla leaving, I wonder if they think that they can get Eonomartine in the draft.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think we were probably,

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I felt like they wouldn't go in the guard route unless Kiki Rice fell because of Carla being there, but, you know, Carla and Eon are completely different players.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So I can see them go for Martin and I think she's a good player.

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[SPEAKER_01]: She's someone who I've actually been watching for a little bit now and yeah, I think she'd be good on this team.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Kiki Rice in Veronica Burton as a possible to some tandem point guard or maybe even playing together would be interesting as well.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I don't see how that doesn't work, you know, like I do you just can see it how out like both smart players both players who play hard can handle the ball pass the ball like I you just see it.

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[SPEAKER_01]: you know, I've I've looked at both teams, but I think I like Portland's more and I was expecting to like Toronto's more.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So shout out Vanya, sirnivage for once again, you know, being a part of an expansion draft where you like the roster.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think some of my biggest shockers was honestly bridge it going first.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I know Bridget was, you know, mocked to get selected, but everyone was like, oh, she's probably going to, she's probably going to Toronto back to her home country in Canada.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And then, you know, Portland Snipeser, I was surprised that, you know, with the sparks, it was clear that they had four must-protects.

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[SPEAKER_01]: They honestly, six people you probably wanted to protect, but at least four of them was Kelsey Plum, DRK-Hambi,

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[SPEAKER_01]: for Kia Jackson and Cam Brink.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And so it was like, okay, do you protect Ray Burrell, who's a reserved contract or do you protect Azarei Stevens, who's an unprotected free agent?

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[SPEAKER_01]: But, you know, Azarei, they have those forward positions locked essentially with Rukia, Cam, and D'Arica.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So Azarei would have just been an expensive six woman, who's really good.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But I expect to either her or Ray Burrell to go unprotected.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And one of them would have had to go unprotected.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And they weren't taken.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So it was all among and Sarah Ashley Barker.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So I was surprised that one of them didn't get protected or taken.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I wonder

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[SPEAKER_01]: if there were conversations where the expansion team's checking in on, say, like, neco-gumukai, who was potentially unprotected.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Sorry, I keep saying unprotected when I mean unrestricted in the free agent terms, but unprotected in terms of the expansion draft.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I believe neco-gumukai had a chance to be unprotected.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I wonder if, like, Toronto or Portland checked in with her and said, hey, we're thinking of taking you,

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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, you're an unrestricted for agent, would you sign with us?

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm wondering if she's just saying like, no, I wouldn't.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I wonder if they're passing on people because of that?

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[SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, I wonder how much that went down, but, you know, Haley Jones, who we've talked about in this podcast, being from, you know, this area, gets drafted from Dallas, and I think I was, I've been saying at least in our chats that, you know, it would, it would, if Haley's unprotected, she's getting taken, a couple others, Clinton, Kovah gets taken, Nierasabili is someone

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[SPEAKER_01]: When you watch that New York Liberty versus Minnesota links game five near our sobly really showed up in overtime in game five and so I was wondering like oh man are they going to leave her unprotected for the Valkyries to get and they ultimately seemingly protected her the Valkyries could kill a thorn and then the following year now she's available and gets selected by Toronto goes back to play for her old coach.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I'm back to play for old coach.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I was surprised, Nico Mule got drafted in the expansion draft, who just announced another ACL surgery.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So she's going to miss another year that's back to back years where she gets taken out for the entire year with an injury, has yet to play and, no wait, I forget if she played.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think she actually did play in her, maybe got a little bit of running or rookie season.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no, a lot of players here.

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[SPEAKER_01]: The unrestricted for agent picks were ended up being Bridget Carlton,

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[SPEAKER_00]: and uh... marina mabri so marina mabri was marina mabri was drafted by toronto uh... lexie held was drafted by toronto uh... on the portland side uh... cloy vibi former valka reino on the fan you know i'm a fan i always i mentioned they want to spot cuss

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[SPEAKER_00]: was drafted, you mentioned Haley Jones, uh, uh, sucks, uh, Sutton as well.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, the, the, the white just will, we'll quickly talk about the ESPN presentation.

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[SPEAKER_00]: There, there was no actual draft.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Like the draft happened and then they just had the analysts there to talk about it.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Like they already had the picks out.

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[SPEAKER_00]: They just discussed them.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So it was, you know, it wasn't actually a draft.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It was a discussion of a draft that happened behind closed doors and away from cameras probably on a zoom chat or something.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, I think people.

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[SPEAKER_00]: At least in our discord and we had actually pretty fun conversation in our discord about the draft they were kind of hoping that it would be like an actual draft like you could see the people make the picks says they were making it that's not what it was and I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be that because I knew the time of the thing was only like a half an hour right.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Uh, but there's last year like you could totally tell like it was done 30 to 45 minutes before the picture made 30 to 45 minutes before and then people like I think it was a rotating between three people three and I think Baron Davis is one of them just like made the picks.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, he reported on Steph Curry today, so I guess looking ahead and we don't have the the final force happening tonight so we won't have anything on that but we'll be able to talk about it next week when we do our show our regular show and also just heads up on some other dates so.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Early next week, April 7th and 8th, qualifying offers and core designations will happen.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And then a couple days after that, April 9th through the 11th, free agency negotiations.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And then the official contract signing period, April 12th,

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[SPEAKER_00]: through the 18th and then April 13th is the WNBA draft.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So all of that is coming up.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to have so many things to talk about.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We may even do a little bit of these like immediate reaction kind of pods as well as if we can find the time as we find the time and so yeah.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So we'll be back next week.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We'll talk about the final four.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We'll talk about any other news that has come out.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Asia Wilson says, yeah, I'm not leaving Las Vegas.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, there's going to be a lot of that as well.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And we'll have to figure out who's staying and then who could possibly be available for the season on the as an

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[SPEAKER_00]: What if she was like a giant bridge at Carlton fan and she's like if you leave her unprotected I'm out of here.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, man.

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[SPEAKER_00]: No, no, no, never happened forever.

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[SPEAKER_00]: All right.

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[SPEAKER_00]: That's it from here.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for checking out our really quick immediate reaction podcast for the expansion draft for Brian.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I have double GC when we see you piece out