WNBA Expansion Draft: Who Will the Golden State Valkyries Protect? | Podhalla

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[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.

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[SPEAKER_00]: for Pad Holla, Brian and I are here and we're going to have a special guest at the end of this show.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Richard Cohen from her hoops stats.com was so gracious to lend his time and chit chat with us about the upcoming Valkyries expansion, not the Valkyries expansion draft.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The Valkyries expansion protections

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[SPEAKER_00]: as the expansion draft is this weekend for Portland and Toronto.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And we're also going to give our picks.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, we'll before we get to that segment, we'll we'll predict to we are we would protect.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But before that, the final four is also this weekend.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It is all the number ones.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It is, uh, rematches in these two, uh, battles, one of them, Yukon and South Carolina is a rematch of last year's championship game in which Yukon won pretty handily.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And then the second game is UCLA and Texas, which is a rematch from a game in November, which Texas won.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And that was UCLA's only loss, right?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Yep.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So, big weekend, you have both games, and then the championship game is on Sun, is the championship game on Sunday?

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that sounds right, Sunday, I think.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The two games are on Friday, and then the expansion draft is on Friday, and then so huge weekend for women's hoops.

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[SPEAKER_00]: and the next progression for the WNNBA.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And there's been some news and we mentioned it a little bit with Richard but Brianna Stewart in Sabrina.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I UNESCO basically said no matter what, they're going back to New York.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So take a couple of big swings off the board there for your free agent dreams.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Though, I don't think anybody really thought that those two players were going anywhere, except the fact that maybe Sabrina would want to come west.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But that is not the case.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So a Portland fire, the Portland fire, the fans were hoping that because she went to Oregon that they would, you know, so maybe later in her career, right?

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, maybe maybe at the two fan bases that are said today.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so let's talk about the two final four games.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Yukon is head and shoulders above the rest from what it seems.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, Texas is hot.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I think a lot of people have watched UCLA play, and they look at Lauren Bets and go, okay, can she be the ex-factor, obviously South Carolina, they had the game last year when you have Dawn Staley on the other side.

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[SPEAKER_00]: You know, there's something there.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But is this just Yukon going through both teams and whomever comes out of the other side and winning both games and winning their back-to-back championship?

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, and note, like I do feel like there's been some South Carolina games in this tournament specifically where it's like if this player, if these players are like this hot, shouldn't the ball this well, it feels like they could be at anyone.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But I think it's just, you can't just so like steady consistent, they take care of the ball.

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[SPEAKER_01]: It's just like, you know, if Sarah's not able to get an automatic scoring thing going, if A's is not able to be automatic, they still have these other players like Blanca, Kinyona's who could just hit a three, you know, they still enter the ball, the Sarah Williams.

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[SPEAKER_01]: They still have, you know, even if things aren't going while they still have a way to just always be there in the game and then be better than the other team.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So I feel like, you know, his street tells us that this is,

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[SPEAKER_01]: out of the two get back potential games that are happening.

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[SPEAKER_01]: This is one that they probably South Carolina probably won't get their get back.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And South Carolina, if you are looking at it from a possible upset.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The one thing that you can't doesn't do well is they don't really go out there and guard the three.

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[SPEAKER_00]: They guard everything else very well, but they don't guard the three well and if South Carolina does get hot, that could be the opportunity for them to keep this game close for me.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I just want to see somebody hang with Yukon within eight points, within six points.

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[SPEAKER_00]: To me, making that a game and not just a formality is going to be what's interesting.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And then, if you get the opportunity to possibly get close there and upset them, that's what's going to get everybody talking.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But everyone's going to turn into the last five minutes of this game.

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[SPEAKER_00]: What Yukon's only winning by three?

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[SPEAKER_00]: What Yukon's down by one?

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[SPEAKER_00]: That's going to get everybody talking to everybody turning their TVs on.

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[SPEAKER_00]: What do you think about the other side?

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[SPEAKER_00]: What do you think about UCLA and Texas?

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[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, good game, these are, this was the easiest, you know, final four to predict, right?

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think we both predicted it or, you know, it's been said literally probably since like two months in to the season, maybe even before the start of the season, it was like, I don't really see how these four unless it's like LSU and I think before the season, it was like, unless it's LSU that creeps their way into this, I feel like this final four is the final four.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And you've had some teams that played well throughout the year that maybe you weren't expecting that could have creeped into the final four, like Vanderbilt and Michigan.

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[SPEAKER_01]: but it's still like this was the final four.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So this was the easiest thing to predict.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I still think it's probably going to go chalk where these are all one seeds, but there are like Yukon was the one one seed.

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[SPEAKER_01]: UCLA was the one two one seed.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Texas was the one three.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And South Carolina was the one for so I think that you know UCLA and Yukon like we've been saying I think those are the two teams that are going to play each other in the championship I think Texas is a very good team I think you know UCLA just needs to take care of the ball a little bit Pretty good and you know they have six WMBA players that are going to get drafted in this next draft in two weeks With that I think that you know

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[SPEAKER_01]: I just think that UCLA is going to get to get over the final four hump that they couldn't get over last year against Yukon and then go play Yukon, probably lose in the championship game.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Is that you think that's the game that everybody wants?

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[SPEAKER_01]: I do, I do think that's the game everyone wants and that's the game we kind of thought was going to happen.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Last year too, I want to say during the season when the UCLA was the clear one seed until they dropped some games to Notre Dame or not, or Notre Dame, but to USC and then it was like, wait a second, are they not like this juggernaut of a team, but no, I think this is this.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think they got, yeah, they got, they got the talent to give you con the most trouble.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, South Carolina is right there too.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Any of these teams, I think, can actually make like a potential 10 point game.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And at that point, it's like a couple play positions go this way that way, then it could be anyone's game.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm cool with any of these given you con a good shot for in any of these games.

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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, let's look at who our projected

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[SPEAKER_00]: protections are for the Golden State Valkyries.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We'll talk about this.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Richard will give his picks and his rationale for his picks, but I think as we talked about in the interview, Burton, you stay, Janelle, and Iliana Roupaire seem to be an easy four.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I would say that the three is like, there's a, you know, a must.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Protect three being and probably

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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, ranked Veronica, Janelle, you stay.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Those three, I think are like the tier one must protect.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think the tier two very, very likely to protect is repair.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And then the tier three is kind of where Carla and Zendil has seen the kind of fall end of who's going to be that last one.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And if you guys are wondering why Kayla, we didn't say Kayla's name, just waiting till the Richard interview.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, Carla or Chetchi.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And who would you take?

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[SPEAKER_01]: I still don't know.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I still don't know.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think I think I would go, you know, this might upset some people of the discord, but I think I would go Carla.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Me too.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think on the rookie deal, you know, age 21, I think Xandela Sini is a great role player.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And you know, that might bite them in the butt.

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[SPEAKER_01]: If they're like a genuine like contending team, I do think like Zindalizini is probably maybe someone who you would want off the bench, but, you know, what she was able to do in the second half of the season when Kael Thorne goes down and kind of become, you know, a leading score for the team, someone who took the very last shot of the entire season, like someone who they trusted, I just feel like that.

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[SPEAKER_01]: what they need from her is going to be very reduced this year into like the role playing kind of role and I feel like there's a players that they can get that can achieve what they're reducing her potentially reducing her role too.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I even think you stay can shoot the ball and and you know

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I maybe people listening to this and saying, well, you know, just because you didn't, you know, protect or doesn't mean that they're gone.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's very likely that whichever one they don't protect at a Carla and jet gee, it's very likely that that player's gone unless the Valkyries make a trade like the Chicago sky did today, but the Chicago sky had draft assets and the Valkyries don't really outside of just their own picks.

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[SPEAKER_01]: you know Chicago had a New York Liberty second to throw at one of those teams and those other teams didn't really want the Chicago skyscrapers is probably anyway as much as they do thought Grease Liberty wings even like Atlanta has had some has some players that I'm interested in in our discord cast uh or however you pronounce that we we should ask

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[SPEAKER_00]: offered to drive Carla to the airport to did what we'll get the pronunciation uh uh i i get a kick out of uh the discord the discord's kind of popping right now we don't have too many people it is so fun to talk valkyries whoops with very knowledgeable people

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[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, if you are interested, there is a link both in the podcast feed and in the YouTube video of this video, if you want to check it out.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And this court can be a little intimidating, especially if you've never really used it before.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But it also, at the same time, is very intuitive, and so I don't think it's that scary.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It was kind of scary to kind of create it, because it's like, oh man, you have this big playing field.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But when you join, and things are already organized and stuff, it's a pretty easy place to navigate.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So definitely come.

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[SPEAKER_01]: come and hang out in the discord and talk some balcony and we also have all the other bayreous sports and all the other just regular sports if you and yeah don't be intimidated if it's like if you're like oh I don't know if I want to join because I might not know that much or you know the no trolls are allowed no bad energy will personally I'll personally get rid of the trolls so you can get more comfortable and joining this stuff I want to make it like a safe space and

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[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we're very, very few rules.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And those rules are exactly Brian said no trolling and no hate speech essentially.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And as long as people are cool, they can hang out.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And if not, I have the band hammer and I will use it.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So, okay, let's get to our interview with Richard Cohen from herhoops.com.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Or sorry, herhoopsstats.com.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I know what was gonna do that.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We want to welcome back a returning guest, Richard Cohen, who joined us last year as we were getting this thing going, we were very appreciative to have him on to basically tell us what the heck we were supposed to expect when it came to

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[SPEAKER_00]: everything WMBA really, but this time we're going to talk specifically about the expansion draft and for our podcast, the fans are very interested in the five that the Valkyries are going to protect and Richard wrote a piece on her hoop stats just recently and he gave his predictions and I've seen some wild predictions in our YouTube comments about who should be protected.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So we'll talk to Richard about that.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But first of all, Richard, how are you doing?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm good.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I'm looking forward to Friday.

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[SPEAKER_02]: See what actually happens compared to my guess is which you know, I wasn't all that close last year in the end.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So it'd be interesting to see what to run on Portland.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think I, I think a message to do on Blue Sky, but I think you got Burton.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Did you get Burton?

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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I felt like that was pretty clear.

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[SPEAKER_01]: There you go.

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[SPEAKER_02]: That means it had seven players.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So whichever one they left available was going to be the one of our careers took.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But yeah, because you're seeing when offbook compared to what most of us, although we're going to do right.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Brian and I talk about this at the end of last season, which was fans have fallen in love with so many players.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And we were just basically telling folks like, hey, we're probably going to lose a couple of these players possibly.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, even though you do love them, this is a business like get ready.

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[SPEAKER_00]: This expansion draft is going to be really interesting.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And so,

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[SPEAKER_00]: at when you fall in love with certain players, other teams may fall in love with them too.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So that makes this really interesting because the Valkyries one year into their franchise were very beloved, great fan base, great attendance.

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[SPEAKER_00]: They did well, they made the playoffs.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So this year too, it's like bang, right?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Right at the beginning of year two,

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[SPEAKER_00]: is the expansion draft and the team changes immediately.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So you made some predictions and we'll get to your list right now of who you thought the Valkyries should protect and then we'll get Brian's thoughts and my thoughts and I'll kind of give you some of the things that I've been seeing just from some of the hardcore fans.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But you had

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[SPEAKER_00]: Veronica Burton, which is very obvious, you had you stay Yote Sete, who has not even come over yet.

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[SPEAKER_00]: She's she was drafted last year, but she's coming over this year, Janelle Salon, Iliana Rupere, and the one that I'm seeing the most divisiveness about is Carla Lait.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And what was your definitely debatable?

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[SPEAKER_00]: So what's your methodology in who you thought the

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[SPEAKER_02]: Well, the first three you mentioned are young talented and get still getting better, yeah, you wouldn't, I, I, unless you've got concerns about salon and repair showing up.

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[SPEAKER_02]: in the future and hopefully with the increased money coming into the league that's going to be less of an issue going forward because you would think the international players are going to be even more interested in playing in the WMBA in future now that they're going to get paid a lot more.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, I think I think repair and salon alongside the obvious button are pretty easy.

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[SPEAKER_02]: she looks worth protecting to me.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I know obviously you guys haven't seen her so the fans haven't developed that relationship that you were talking about with that they have with a lot of the people who they do know but she was drafted so high it would be a surprise to see the Valkyries be willing to let her go unless they have very good reason too and yeah really feel that they can't

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[SPEAKER_02]: I am happy to concede that there are arguments to leave late available and protect.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I would understand Zandalisini, I would understand Thornton, anyone else, I think is probably a little bit of a reach, but either of those two in the fist spot, I think would be somewhat reasonable.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, I think those are the two.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think, you know, and for fans who maybe aren't as familiar with how the expansion draft works and they're saying, wait, like Caleb Thorden was an all star last year, like why is she available?

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[SPEAKER_01]: And it's because just like the Valkyries last year, they're only allowed to select one.

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[SPEAKER_01]: unrestricted for agent.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And the thought is that maybe Kayla isn't, you know, one of the top unrestricted for agents that are going to be available.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And if both teams only get to select one, then maybe she's not one of the one.

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[SPEAKER_01]: one of the ones.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And so, you know, with Carla still on that, you know, second year of a rookie deal.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And Zandela Sini, she's 27, and then, you know, played really well last year for the Valkyries when they needed her.

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[SPEAKER_01]: When Kayla went down, like, you know, she had to step up and be like a primary creator and initiator in some, like, fans can point to, she took the last shot of the entire Valkyries season.

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[SPEAKER_01]: That was a play drawn up for her, too.

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[SPEAKER_01]: It looked like.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So,

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think, you know, I, I, I, I two might be close to like a flip of the coin and, you know, we have some people in our discord who are a little lower on, on Carla and, you know, I kind of feel like for Carla to take the next step, it is that that three point shot probably developing, which kind of feels like it hasn't.

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[SPEAKER_01]: just looking at stats.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I haven't watched as much of a European season in the Spanish league, but it feels like maybe that still has been more of a struggle.

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[SPEAKER_01]: But I still like trust her.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Like I remember games last year.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I went to the Vegas game in Vegas during the NBA Summer League where I felt like they couldn't really get anything

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[SPEAKER_01]: In chunks of the game, but when Carla got in the game, she was forcing the issue and just taking it to the whole, whether it went in or not, she was getting to the line.

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[SPEAKER_01]: It's just some people you need to force the issue.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I feel like Carla was pretty good at that when they needed her to be.

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[SPEAKER_01]: So I think it's still a really tough decision.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And that kind of honestly brings me into one of my first questions for Richard, which is, you know, which teams do you think will have the hardest decisions to make?

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[SPEAKER_01]: And I imagine the Valkyries are one of them.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, I think it's the teams that have a lot of

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[SPEAKER_02]: players who are worth protecting which is seems like New York have a long list of options Dallas despite how bad they were last season have the right to a lot of at least either good players or players with potential going forwards because they're young enough that they're still going to get better and then yeah the the easier ones or at least the ones where you're not that worried are

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[SPEAKER_02]: the ones with only sort of five or six players where you're actually that worried about where the loot whether you'd lose them or not because there might be players on the end of the roster but if they haven't shown that much in the league already then in some cases you're protecting other people ahead of them because you're not that worried about losing them so yeah I think it's it's it seems like New York in particular who have a long list where

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[SPEAKER_02]: your most concerned, but then at least you're only using two.

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[SPEAKER_02]: That's that's why you have the big list.

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[SPEAKER_02]: You you try and build up that debt like they did before even Golden State were picking.

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[SPEAKER_02]: They had people like Kennedy Burke in reserve, so that losing Kayla Thornton they had they had cover behind that in that case.

19:48.394 --> 19:59.728
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, it's they might lose people and them they might end up giving up the better players in the expansion draft, but they've also

20:00.805 --> 20:01.186
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.

20:01.286 --> 20:01.607
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

20:01.667 --> 20:15.237
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I saw your list for them and I was just like, well, did they really do just have like a pretty deep talent pool, specifically New York and just like interesting players that I've gotten to watch whether it be a neurobasket with like Raquel Carrera, I was like, okay, that's like a talented player that they just have the rights to.

20:16.740 --> 20:18.865
[SPEAKER_01]: But I guess like.

20:19.823 --> 20:21.506
[SPEAKER_01]: Uh, I guess kind of going back.

20:21.546 --> 20:24.391
[SPEAKER_01]: I thought about the, you know, the Kayla Thornton thing a little more.

20:24.431 --> 20:36.251
[SPEAKER_01]: I was wondering your thoughts on this is that, you know, in the Valkyrie's expansion draft, um, you know, the thought process was whoever they picked from unrestricted free agency or from the their unrestricted free agent pick.

20:36.271 --> 20:42.442
[SPEAKER_01]: They only got one whoever they picked, they would have to core that player and they ended up choosing Monique Billings and they did not core her.

20:42.622 --> 20:43.283
[SPEAKER_01]: They,

20:43.887 --> 20:46.611
[SPEAKER_01]: went into the office isn't it just negotiated like a one year deal?

20:47.251 --> 20:47.752
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

20:48.113 --> 21:12.004
[SPEAKER_01]: And I guess that kind of does bring up the question of like could that potentially happen with Kayla Thorin because you think of the two franchises, one being Portland and Vaughnia Cernavich runs the team as the general manager who was a part of the Golden State Valqueries organization and then you think of the Toronto tempo with Sandy Brondello as the head coach who also has familiarity with Kayla Thorin and I kind of wonder

21:12.068 --> 21:24.210
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, is this more of a, maybe a, because I think most of the mocks I've seen is either that fifth protection goes to Carla or, Jesse.

21:25.092 --> 21:33.587
[SPEAKER_01]: And I just, well, I do wonder if like there it could be something there with, you know, even if they don't core Kayla, could they take it to the office and then do what they did with Monique.

21:34.664 --> 21:53.078
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, it's certainly possible because obviously one of the things that comes with the Corders Ignation is that Supermax one year offer and do you want to give that much cash to to to one player, especially potentially a player of Kalathonton's level, which is good, but not a superstar.

21:53.058 --> 22:05.114
[SPEAKER_02]: So I mean, in this new CBA, we're looking at a super max salary that's 20% of the cap, which is significantly more than it was last year, when it was around 16, 16 and a half.

22:05.835 --> 22:11.843
[SPEAKER_02]: And most players weren't even taking that if you look at players like Asia Wilson and Brianna Stewart were, were.

22:12.127 --> 22:15.331
[SPEAKER_02]: actively taking less than that so that their teams could build the roster.

22:15.851 --> 22:25.683
[SPEAKER_02]: If now if you actually take that step up to 20% that makes negotiating and finding enough room to sign everyone else that you want on the rest of the roster, increasing any difficult.

22:26.203 --> 22:33.272
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, whether you would want to call someone like Thornton, even if you do protect them, that's a separate question.

22:33.552 --> 22:38.758
[SPEAKER_02]: But yeah, you're going to see teams

22:39.633 --> 23:02.316
[SPEAKER_02]: both whether to protect people and whether to call them and it's not necessarily the same the same decision sometimes you're just protecting them to make sure they can't be taken by the expansion team not necessarily so that you're then going to call them yourself even if they are an unrestricted free agent either way.

23:03.562 --> 23:20.457
[SPEAKER_00]: She's very slow-footed on defense, and while she has a fantastic shot, like she has a great looking shot, and you're pretty confident when she shoots it, that it's going to go in, and I think there's a trust that the fans kind of built up with her going like

23:20.437 --> 23:22.560
[SPEAKER_00]: I just want to see her shoot the basketball.

23:22.580 --> 23:24.544
[SPEAKER_00]: It just looks so pretty when she does.

23:25.144 --> 23:34.539
[SPEAKER_00]: But on the flip side, there is a defensive thing that we started to sort of start it to see late where maybe she was going to get targeted a little bit.

23:35.180 --> 23:44.335
[SPEAKER_00]: And I wonder if the idea for the Valkyries is as great as Chetchie played last year at times.

23:45.597 --> 24:03.268
[SPEAKER_00]: lean towards the younger player, Karla, I think is 21, it seems like Karla is a fantastic fit as far as the team morale, not saying that I've heard anything about Chetchy opposite, but it seems like Karla was like the little sister of the whole team.

24:03.248 --> 24:12.661
[SPEAKER_00]: And I wonder if the Valkyries think that there are other players out there who they could move in to actually upgrade over Chetchie.

24:12.941 --> 24:19.931
[SPEAKER_00]: And so then you just kind of like, go, hey, like, let's keep the younger player, let's work on building up the younger player.

24:20.191 --> 24:24.958
[SPEAKER_00]: And maybe we can find somebody to fill Chetchie's spot in free agency.

24:27.782 --> 24:30.285
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, I mentioned in my article as well that there are

24:30.822 --> 24:41.577
[SPEAKER_02]: a couple of teams in particular, you can have gold state to that as well where what you're planning to do in free agency definitely has a big impact on who you want to protect.

24:42.158 --> 25:00.323
[SPEAKER_02]: The plans that you've got for the current roster and for who you want to chase as a free agent has to come into the thinking because if you're LA then do you want to move on from some of the roster that only finished 500 last

25:00.792 --> 25:03.536
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, yes.

25:03.837 --> 25:10.868
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I came on your podcast last year and suggested they should go young with all of the picks in the in the expansion draft.

25:10.888 --> 25:15.615
[SPEAKER_02]: So I can hardly argue against going young with protection for for this year as well.

25:15.695 --> 25:15.936
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

25:17.157 --> 25:19.301
[SPEAKER_01]: I want to say I was totally with you on that last year.

25:19.381 --> 25:23.948
[SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, it was it was a nice surprise at the Valkyries ended up kind of.

25:25.058 --> 25:30.784
[SPEAKER_01]: uh, over like doing better than my expectation and and competing feel like it kind of like said.

25:30.804 --> 25:31.104
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh yeah.

25:31.484 --> 25:31.745
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

25:31.765 --> 25:32.045
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

25:32.505 --> 25:32.766
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

25:33.606 --> 25:35.648
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, and I even thinking about these new expansion teams.

25:35.668 --> 25:40.493
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like Vania was a part of that Valkyries, you know, system and now is going to Portland.

25:41.214 --> 25:44.257
[SPEAKER_01]: So you think maybe Portland does a little bit of that Valkyries stuff.

25:44.297 --> 25:50.543
[SPEAKER_01]: But then you have Sandy Brondello coaching and Toronto words like you were not going to put Sandy Brondello to like develop a

25:50.810 --> 25:51.751
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, you're not going to hire her.

25:51.791 --> 25:53.373
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like to like develop.

25:53.453 --> 26:01.463
[SPEAKER_01]: I guess I feel like she's a winning coach, but so I guess we'll see with what directions those teams take, especially with like this, you know, the juju lead draft class coming in.

26:01.503 --> 26:03.406
[SPEAKER_01]: You think teams would maybe want to tank for juju.

26:04.447 --> 26:15.341
[SPEAKER_01]: But I think going back to your like expansion draft piece and one of my next questions was I guess kind of a two partner where it's who do you expect?

26:16.142 --> 26:18.825
[SPEAKER_01]: I guess out of the people that you protected.

26:18.923 --> 26:23.771
[SPEAKER_01]: and left unprotected, who was the best player left unprotected?

26:23.792 --> 26:28.159
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the second question is, I'm sure you were teetering on a few names.

26:28.800 --> 26:32.347
[SPEAKER_01]: Who do you think could be like the biggest shocker left unprotected?

26:32.968 --> 26:34.350
[SPEAKER_01]: Either that you protected or didn't?

26:35.073 --> 26:39.097
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, technically, the best player I left unprotected was Brianna Stewart.

26:39.117 --> 26:41.980
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, really good.

26:42.000 --> 27:01.300
[SPEAKER_02]: But I mean, that was a sort of calculated decision on the basis of her understanding how this all works and like you would expect the other teams to pass on her and you would expect that even if they took her, there's a good chance she would go back to New York anyway because did you see your comments today?

27:01.432 --> 27:07.223
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, she's basically said she's resigning in New York, but then she might have gotten the nod from Colb that she's also being protected.

27:07.363 --> 27:10.288
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, we'll see how that plays out.

27:12.011 --> 27:24.334
[SPEAKER_02]: The one name I mentioned in that article, I did protect she's on my protected list, but I did point out that it's not definitely up 100% certainty was a Recaig and Boirelli.

27:24.955 --> 27:36.653
[SPEAKER_02]: I can see Dallas moving on from her and trying to turn the team over to Paige and to whoever they take at the top of this year's draft and trying to move on from from a good boirelay and

27:37.055 --> 27:47.427
[SPEAKER_02]: and become a different kind of team, because a decay kind of forces you to play a certain way, or at least for part of the game play a certain way, because she's going to want to get her shots and take over the ball on occasion.

27:48.809 --> 27:56.878
[SPEAKER_02]: But I had them protecting her and then probably core in her to try and turn that into value because they still see that they're being trade value there.

27:57.619 --> 28:01.223
[SPEAKER_02]: If they've talked to teams and don't think there's much trade value,

28:02.013 --> 28:12.276
[SPEAKER_02]: to be gotten there, then maybe they could leave her unprotected and that would be a hell of a big name for for Portland or Toronto to try and sell their franchise on if she was there.

28:13.640 --> 28:33.083
[SPEAKER_01]: That feels like that's like the winner of getting the first pick of the expansion draft because was it like Toronto that won the coin toss and they elected to pick sixth in the college draft so then Portland gets first and the expansion draft and yeah that would be like the crown jewel that'd be like oh you probably should have taken first in the expansion draft potentially.

28:34.244 --> 29:02.985
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, I feel like you kind of presented an argument in the expansion draft piece that I'm just like I think she'll be protected because of the argument you presented where it's like they won't feel like she didn't want to lose her for nothing, you know, she's I feel like you could still maybe get something for a player like her and so yeah, I mean we'll see we'll see, but I almost like the argument you presented in that for for Rique I feel like I even saw some crazy ones today too, but kind of

29:02.965 --> 29:12.322
[SPEAKER_01]: had some questions about like specifically like the international players like the European players, the Australian players in that you know with the new CBA with the increased salaries.

29:12.562 --> 29:26.728
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like Emma Measeman has been someone I feel like I've seen you talk a lot about on blue sky from time to time, who you know took a what was it like a two or three year gap from like 2021 or 2022 until like she most recently joined with the New York Liberty.

29:26.708 --> 29:33.695
[SPEAKER_01]: I wanted to get your thoughts on if the new increase in salary, it jumping from the number it did to the number it is now.

29:34.756 --> 29:43.605
[SPEAKER_01]: If someone like her is maybe expected to like just finish out her career in the WMBA because of this increased amount.

29:43.745 --> 29:47.629
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you think there's still potential that she might not play in the W?

29:49.431 --> 29:53.475
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I think there has to be some question on whether she will do it or not because she's

29:53.962 --> 29:57.407
[SPEAKER_02]: what she's played two seasons out of the last five.

29:57.868 --> 30:00.813
[SPEAKER_02]: So, and even that was only half of season last year.

30:01.434 --> 30:07.704
[SPEAKER_02]: So, even with the increased money coming in, I think there has to be some question on whether she's that interested.

30:08.225 --> 30:11.209
[SPEAKER_02]: I imagine she's very well paid to pay to play for Fenobachae.

30:11.650 --> 30:15.396
[SPEAKER_02]: So, she won't exactly be hurting for cash, but

30:16.220 --> 30:19.424
[SPEAKER_02]: That would be a worthwhile name to take again.

30:19.504 --> 30:26.251
[SPEAKER_02]: She was left unprotected, but that's partly because of the number of people that New York have to consider on their list.

30:26.892 --> 30:34.721
[SPEAKER_02]: And partly because of that worry about whether she would show up also because of what we talked about with the age of various players that she's 33.

30:35.822 --> 30:41.468
[SPEAKER_02]: She's still very, very good, but you don't know how many years

30:42.123 --> 30:48.873
[SPEAKER_02]: maybe teams think they can find someone who would have more time left on their clock to play with.

30:49.494 --> 30:57.627
[SPEAKER_02]: But if she's available and I don't know how much sort of the expansion teams would have got hold of these lists and then been able to make some phone calls.

30:57.987 --> 31:05.940
[SPEAKER_02]: Hopefully they have the time to do that and find out whether someone like me someone would be interested in playing for Toronto or for Portland.

31:06.420 --> 31:10.847
[SPEAKER_02]: Obviously, in some cases, this is the case with someone

31:11.232 --> 31:22.945
[SPEAKER_02]: These players aren't going to want to play for an expansion team unless that expansion team's going to go out and make a massive splash in free agency as well to try and build an immediate contender around them.

31:22.965 --> 31:32.456
[SPEAKER_02]: Some players will be tempted by that extra cash, you know, if the team wants to offer them the super max, then $1.4 million is more money than some of these players have ever seen.

31:32.496 --> 31:36.160
[SPEAKER_02]: So there'll be they'll be interested in taking that, but I think someone

31:36.595 --> 31:50.115
[SPEAKER_02]: who's made a quite a bit of money over their career, especially overseas rather than in the US, someone likes you at someone like, you know, at least a Thomas or whoever, those those level of players probably don't want to play for an expansion team.

31:50.696 --> 31:56.544
[SPEAKER_02]: So that then that affects your thinking in terms of who you're going to take in the draft like this because what's the point?

31:57.346 --> 32:02.854
[SPEAKER_02]: Unless you think there's immediate significant trade value just moving the player straight onto someone else.

32:03.495 --> 32:05.758
[SPEAKER_02]: There's not much point in taking a player who won't want to come.

32:06.920 --> 32:10.646
[SPEAKER_00]: going back to the Brianna Stewart comment from today.

32:10.706 --> 32:12.649
[SPEAKER_00]: She basically said she's coming back.

32:12.669 --> 32:14.412
[SPEAKER_00]: I think Sabrina said the same thing, right?

32:14.973 --> 32:16.515
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

32:16.535 --> 32:22.044
[SPEAKER_00]: Asia's Asia, I think similarly, I think people think like he's done deal.

32:22.064 --> 32:22.885
[SPEAKER_00]: She's going back as well.

32:23.185 --> 32:24.287
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you think

32:24.571 --> 32:34.804
[SPEAKER_00]: this free agent period, which we, everyone was specifically wanting to be a free agent knowing that the CBA was going to be up.

32:35.345 --> 32:42.074
[SPEAKER_00]: Thus we have this possibility of movement, but I do wonder if any of the big pieces are going to move.

32:42.114 --> 32:43.896
[SPEAKER_00]: I know Brian has a, uh,

32:43.876 --> 32:56.757
[SPEAKER_00]: has a Jackie Young dream for Golden State, but like it just seems like the way that things are going to work out is most of the very, very valuable players are going to end up staying put.

32:57.217 --> 33:03.387
[SPEAKER_00]: Or is that, is that based on the team and kind of where those teams are?

33:06.212 --> 33:11.200
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, it's definitely possible that a lot of them will resign, but I will tell you that we do

33:11.635 --> 33:20.349
[SPEAKER_02]: Or at least we have in previous years done a mock-off season podcast over at her hoop stats where we sort of play out as if we were the GMs of each team.

33:20.990 --> 33:26.499
[SPEAKER_02]: And what usually happens is real life ends up being crazier than we managed to come up with in our mock-off season.

33:28.562 --> 33:35.213
[SPEAKER_02]: We don't manage to match the kind of moves that end up happening in reality.

33:36.273 --> 33:54.636
[SPEAKER_02]: They've shrunk the offseason so much by how long it took them to get the CBA done that you do wonder if that's going to sort of limit how much jumping around we see maybe people think I'll take a I'll take a short deal somewhere where I'm comfortable and then

33:54.869 --> 34:05.464
[SPEAKER_02]: In a year or two, I'll go through the whole free agency process where I get to be wooed by all the other teams and take visits or around the country and see how much they can tempt me.

34:05.484 --> 34:08.208
[SPEAKER_02]: Because there's not really going to be a lot of time for that.

34:08.248 --> 34:12.394
[SPEAKER_02]: There's probably going to be a lot of video calls and things like that going on in this free agency period.

34:12.454 --> 34:15.278
[SPEAKER_02]: Because you're going to have to decide fast.

34:15.819 --> 34:23.290
[SPEAKER_02]: Because the teams are going to have to sign people quickly and make decisions quickly and that's going to move on to the players as well.

34:23.793 --> 34:29.230
[SPEAKER_02]: If you don't sign then they might move on to the next person on their list and then the money's gone and you've got to go somewhere else instead.

34:33.108 --> 34:34.229
[SPEAKER_00]: Go ahead, Brian.

34:34.249 --> 34:57.132
[SPEAKER_01]: I think some of the last questions I have kind of built off of the first question with me, cement and I kind of feel like there's like, I feel like there's just going to regardless of the uncertainty, but I guess I still wanted to get your kind of takes on, you know, a player like we already mentioned her in this podcast, but like a player like Raquel Carrera who was, you know, drafted in previous years and hasn't yet come to the WMBA.

34:57.152 --> 35:02.457
[SPEAKER_01]: I think there's a couple like, and even some like an

35:03.061 --> 35:08.730
[SPEAKER_01]: um, came and then, you know, went to, has not come back for past couple years.

35:08.770 --> 35:20.149
[SPEAKER_01]: I just wonder, you know, I feel like the change in salary is like, you know, you're going from what a $60 to $70,000 rookie contract to, you know, maybe like, you know, those same players might be making $300,000 next year.

35:20.169 --> 35:21.812
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I feel like this just, like a,

35:21.792 --> 35:51.293
[SPEAKER_01]: five X or whatever, whatever that is, and I just wonder, like, if it's more likely that we'll start to see some of these international players, whether even be a Raquel Carrero who was drafted had yet to draft it in 2021 has yet to report, or even someone like, you know how Janelle Salon went undrafted and just signed with the Valkyries last year, like, I feel like there's also a lot of players like that, and you know the last name is better than I do, but isn't there like a Pauline French player like S-A-S-T-I-E-R-B-A-E-A-E-R-B-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E

35:51.273 --> 35:52.155
[SPEAKER_02]: Has she been drafted?

35:53.157 --> 35:54.199
[SPEAKER_02]: No, she went on drafted.

35:54.279 --> 35:55.281
[SPEAKER_02]: So she went on drafted.

35:55.341 --> 35:56.924
[SPEAKER_01]: Like yeah, there's like a lot of examples like that.

35:56.964 --> 35:58.808
[SPEAKER_01]: The Spanish player like Elena Buena Vita.

35:58.828 --> 35:59.930
[SPEAKER_01]: I think she's a young player too.

35:59.950 --> 36:06.543
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I just wonder if some of those players and by all means like they don't have like a for sure spot on a WMBA roster.

36:06.583 --> 36:10.952
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I don't know if there's many players that have that just like for sure roster spot.

36:10.932 --> 36:29.235
[SPEAKER_01]: outside of like a me some in from over there, but I just wonder like are they going to start expressing a lot of interest in the WMBA players who have never reported before got drafted a while ago or even players who went undrafted and maybe looking to inquire about, you know, see, see if there's a chance to sign with the team.

36:30.517 --> 36:33.781
[SPEAKER_01]: Does that just feel like much more likely or just a little bit more likely?

36:33.801 --> 36:36.484
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I think we'll see that a lot more or just

36:36.683 --> 36:38.666
[SPEAKER_02]: I think it's definitely going to happen.

36:38.706 --> 36:56.515
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, especially with more teams coming into the league because those additional players have got to come from somewhere and it's not just going to be, you know, the second and third round picks players sort of who didn't quite make the league out of college that, you know, your favorite player who came from wherever state that didn't make it as a pro.

36:56.495 --> 37:01.921
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's been playing in Sweden or wherever instead for the last two years might now have a shot.

37:02.081 --> 37:09.409
[SPEAKER_02]: But yeah, I think the European international players are going to be more interested inevitably because there's more cash now.

37:09.729 --> 37:16.396
[SPEAKER_02]: I think obviously what the WMBA would like to be at some point in the future is like the NBA.

37:16.837 --> 37:26.367
[SPEAKER_02]: They would like to be the top global league that is the destination for every player on the planet.

37:26.903 --> 37:29.768
[SPEAKER_02]: players grow up in Spain wanting to play in the WMBA.

37:29.788 --> 37:33.315
[SPEAKER_02]: They don't grow up wanting to play in the Spanish women's league.

37:34.016 --> 37:40.988
[SPEAKER_02]: And yeah, and then then it becomes a question of whether they play in the WMBA off season at all.

37:41.129 --> 37:46.819
[SPEAKER_02]: We're obviously we've got things like unrivaled and the project be lead that's that's starting up as well.

37:47.580 --> 37:50.245
[SPEAKER_02]: For now I think players are going to want to play in those as well.

37:50.731 --> 38:04.987
[SPEAKER_02]: but the more money that comes into the WMBA, the more they extend the season and start offering reasons for why you shouldn't play in URLs, including the cash, then the WMBA becomes the destination league if they get that far.

38:05.128 --> 38:20.265
[SPEAKER_02]: But yeah, I do think we could see a lot more international players because to a certain extent, that's still one of the places you can out flank other teams in the league.

38:21.275 --> 38:42.473
[SPEAKER_02]: look at players that other teams have don't even realise exist because everyone's watching much madness, everyone sees if some player stands out for Virginia or whatever, but not necessarily everyone's watching some game between Valencia and Gerona on a Tuesday night in Spain, so

38:42.773 --> 38:55.464
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, there's still options there and players to find that other teams, despite the fact that we know their names exist, I guarantee you there are GMs in this league that barely know some of the players that you just mentioned are playing basketball anywhere.

38:56.626 --> 39:04.653
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it just realized is they're trying to get to is it 18 in the like the next by 20 several years.

39:05.714 --> 39:11.599
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and we've got but we've got whatever's going to happen in Boston now that Connecticut are on the way out as well.

39:12.794 --> 39:21.397
[SPEAKER_00]: I just realized we're going to have these Valkyries expansion draft protections conversations for the next several years.

39:21.417 --> 39:22.440
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

39:22.460 --> 39:22.741
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

39:23.002 --> 39:23.202
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

39:23.242 --> 39:23.443
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

39:23.463 --> 39:25.689
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

39:25.809 --> 39:26.511
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

39:26.571 --> 39:26.772
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

39:26.792 --> 39:27.073
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

39:27.614 --> 39:28.356
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

39:28.488 --> 39:31.094
[SPEAKER_00]: don't get too close to these fringe players.

39:31.154 --> 39:32.176
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just kidding.

39:32.557 --> 39:32.858
[SPEAKER_00]: Get it.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Get as close as you want.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Just just understand that it is a business.

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[SPEAKER_00]: How closely are you following the March Madness stuff at the who as the final four is is upcoming this weekend?

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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I've been watching a fair bit of it.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I don't

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[SPEAKER_02]: I don't watch much during the season, but once March Madness is on and this year all of the games are pretty easily accessible over here, but we've actually got two different streaming services showing them rather than none, as has been the case in some previous years.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, yeah, I've been watching, but yeah, I don't pay an awful lot of attention to college outside of the top few players that you obviously become acquainted with.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I've been waiting for Olivia Miles to declare for the draft for

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[SPEAKER_02]: two, three seasons at this point.

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[SPEAKER_01]: You have had a question off of that too.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I'm sorry, sorry, you go.

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[SPEAKER_01]: No, go for it.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I was just going to say, well, you know, I think most draft analysts who I've been following, kind of just have the Valkyries go in the you stay route again and essentially just like drafting overseas, a French player named Nell and Gloma, are you familiar with with that player at all?

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[SPEAKER_02]: She, I mean, she kind of exploded onto the scene mostly this season.

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[SPEAKER_02]: She wasn't even in people that sort of pay attention to the overseas leagues.

40:46.807 --> 40:54.157
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, weren't really touting her that highly until this season when she's, yeah, done had a really good year and and got on to lots of draft boards.

40:54.838 --> 41:06.214
[SPEAKER_02]: I could see that happening given what what we've seen from your front office in the past, yeah, but you never know it.

41:06.886 --> 41:10.853
[SPEAKER_02]: sometimes someone drops to that sort of area in the draft.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, if someone like Lauren Bets could still be on the board at that point, or it'd be crazy.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But but sometimes that's a sort of area where someone unexpected is still there.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah,

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[SPEAKER_02]: If they ended up with an American, I wouldn't be that surprised, but yeah, Anglamaz is interesting.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And yeah, obviously, the advantage that you still get with some of these international players, assuming we've got no changes in the rules in the CBA, that none of us have seen yet, is that most of them are significantly younger than the players that are coming out of college.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So you're talking about drafting players who are either 19 or 20.

41:47.710 --> 41:53.937
[SPEAKER_02]: So there's more

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[SPEAKER_02]: a lot of it may have already happened.

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[SPEAKER_02]: You may have seen pretty much what they're going to be already.

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[SPEAKER_01]: I think, you know, in my last question, kind of going back to the expansion draft is I think we're probably all in agreement that,

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[SPEAKER_01]: You know, the the Valkyries tough decision comes down to that fifth protection spot and whoever is left unprotected out of Carla and Jesse is going to be drafted in the expansion draft and I was listening to the her hoops podcast today that you were on.

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[SPEAKER_01]: And one of your co hosts actually went with a me here as the second selection from the Valkyries.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Do you.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe have.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Who do you think could potentially be that second selection because he would still have, you know, Kayla available a me here, Kate Martin, Caitlin Chen, you know, a couple more players going on that list, but I was I was I guess I'm I bring this up because I was a little surprised to hear the a me here selection, but not really because I do think she's a really talented player, but I think I was just it's just expecting like probably Kate just for Kate Martin to get taken again.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, there'll be a appeal to Martin partly because of, I mean, she sells tickets or draws interest at a fair minimum, whether you think she's that much that valuable on the court or not, I could believe, I mean, here going because

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[SPEAKER_02]: whatever you may have seen on the court.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And I'm not saying that she hasn't, she's shown that she has some skills.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But you don't necessarily have to have shown those skills because people think they can teach those on top of the physical abilities.

43:41.067 --> 43:42.249
[SPEAKER_02]: You can't teach the physicals.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So those players tend to get multiple chances.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And she had flashes last season for you guys.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So you I could believe that me here.

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[SPEAKER_02]: But I think you mentioned the ones that are most likely to go.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And then later, if she was left unprotected, or I guess the some chance repair would be left unprotected, but yeah, and if and on restricted free edging goes from you guys, it surely has to be thought and I would be very surprised if.

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[SPEAKER_02]: fact been a billings or at this point in her career, even Tiffany Hayes was taken as a as a UFA pit really because Hayes feels like at this point she she plays so aggressive and so she throws herself into everybody and to the floor so constantly that you just feel like she's not going to stay in one piece anymore at this point.

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[SPEAKER_01]: There's a lot of time last year, especially when they needed her the most, she didn't even play a game in that Minnesota series.

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[SPEAKER_01]: because of that.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so I think that's probably unlikely.

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[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, it's the young players and Chetchie.

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[SPEAKER_02]: I think really, oh, your main, the main players, you may have to get prepared to lose.

44:52.497 --> 44:55.821
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I mentioned that Zandalisini has one of the prettiest jumpers.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Um, me here is the opposite of that.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, one of the ugliest jumpers, but at the same time.

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[SPEAKER_00]: you do, you see her as somebody who's so athletic, who plays hard, who's got a little bit of like anger, but like not in a negative way, like just like a little bit of a ferociousness to her game sometimes as well.

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[SPEAKER_02]: And the little age from somebody else, yeah, for sure.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And she showed that at, you know, in spades too.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And then, you know, I think she didn't even make the team coming out of camp, right?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Like they added her after the fact.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So that's a great story for someone who just, you know, didn't, didn't give up and kept fighting and made that team.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Richard, this has been fantastic.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, Brian, whenever he and I are chatting

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[SPEAKER_00]: There's a few people who he will go to to see their opinion on on said thing and yours is is often one of those so that's how much we value your takes and your analysis in your writing and and yeah really really appreciate you doing this again and I think people know by now her hoops stats dot com and you're also on blue sky you're very active on blue sky as one of the the top

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[SPEAKER_00]: uh... women's basketball do that what do they call them blue skyers they're not uh... accounts blue sky accounts whatever that would ever that yes or yes or quitter excels yeah i think most of us are over there because we decided we yet didn't fancy hanging out on x anymore yeah so uh... anything else you want to plug before we get out of here

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[SPEAKER_02]: No, I think that's about it at the moment.

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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, anything I write will come out on the her hoop stats newsletter and yeah, I'll be on the podcast that we we put out on a fairly regular basis a lot more now that we're bigger getting back into the WMBA season rather than college.

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[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I will say really quick there, um, just to kind of plug something for you is that if people haven't read it yet, we kind of talked a little bit pre-pod about how, you know, these, uh, kind of rules for the expansion draft are a little hard to follow and, you know, even some people who, you know, are in the business are even a little confused about, you know, these rules and I feel like in your piece that's on the, uh, her hoop stacks, her hoop stats, newsletter on sub stack, it's probably the most, like, comprehensive,

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[SPEAKER_01]: has all the rules listed and then has which other you know most pieces that I've seen also have everyone's contract designation next to their names as well as who you're protecting who you're leaving unprotected so it's the most comprehensive draft mock draft expansion draft piece by far so i definitely think everyone should check that out for sure

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[SPEAKER_02]: It's nice that we've got that these days because I remember I've been around this stuff long enough trying to do an expansion draft preview for Atlanta back in 2008 and we didn't have any of this information back then so it was guesswork based on who the hell was on the roster at the end of the season.

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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, that's a wrap on this edition of Pot Halla wanna thank Richard Cohen for joining us.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And hopefully we have him back on fairly soon.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So for Brian, I am WG, we will see you when we see you, peace out.