WNBA Playoffs: Valkyries vs. Lynx, MVP Debate & Angel Reese | Podhalla

WEBVTT

00:00.131 --> 00:09.484
[UNKNOWN]: It is officially Valkyries Play Off weekend.

00:15.886 --> 00:22.728
[SPEAKER_02]: If you see the branding on the video, you'll notice that we are exclusively going with the Pod Halla brand today.

00:23.369 --> 00:33.052
[SPEAKER_02]: When we cover the Valqueries in the playoffs, we're going to do some recaps after games, maybe even some live streams immediately after games.

00:33.092 --> 00:33.512
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll see.

00:33.852 --> 00:35.333
[SPEAKER_02]: We may only have two shots at this.

00:35.373 --> 00:35.733
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll see.

00:36.553 --> 00:38.374
[SPEAKER_02]: But we're going to go with Pad Hall.

00:38.434 --> 00:39.954
[SPEAKER_02]: We're not going to talk any warriors today.

00:40.014 --> 00:43.676
[SPEAKER_02]: We're not going to talk any warriors on our playoff of recaps.

00:44.576 --> 00:47.377
[SPEAKER_02]: So this is a exclusively Valkyries.

00:47.597 --> 00:48.538
[SPEAKER_02]: Brian and I are here.

00:49.378 --> 00:54.320
[SPEAKER_02]: And Brian, when we set out to talk about the Valkyries,

00:55.266 --> 01:01.991
[SPEAKER_02]: When we were talking to Sabrina Merchant about what this team will will be like and what to expect.

01:02.091 --> 01:06.154
[SPEAKER_02]: And when we talk to other people that we brought on like Michelle Smith.

01:06.214 --> 01:21.286
[SPEAKER_02]: And like I don't think we ever imagined that we will that the team was going to be facing off in the playoffs and in round one against one of the historical and a WMBA seasons of all time with the links.

01:22.810 --> 01:25.291
[SPEAKER_02]: coming folks kind of feels full circle here.

01:25.931 --> 01:27.972
[SPEAKER_02]: We didn't really know what we were getting into.

01:28.072 --> 01:29.753
[SPEAKER_02]: We were very interested in this team.

01:29.973 --> 01:40.076
[SPEAKER_02]: And then the bug hit us and I've loved following the season, but tell me what you think about, you know, just the idea that the values are in the playoffs in the first season.

01:41.096 --> 01:43.337
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it's it's crazy.

01:43.357 --> 01:48.839
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think to piggyback off of what you said, kind of everyone preemptively wrote them off, including myself.

01:49.099 --> 01:50.880
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought that this would be a team

01:51.874 --> 02:03.279
[SPEAKER_00]: that more resembles where Dallas and Connecticut are right now and not where Seattle and Indiana are of all teams so I think it's I think it's pretty crazy I think that.

02:04.949 --> 02:16.462
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just, you know, not to ruin the happiness quickly, but I've admitted that I've been wrong about this team many times.

02:16.482 --> 02:21.147
[SPEAKER_00]: I said that I thought Julie Van Luce should start over Veronica Burton by the first game of the season.

02:22.909 --> 02:24.831
[SPEAKER_00]: Didn't think they were going to be good, it's another one.

02:27.817 --> 02:54.013
[SPEAKER_02]: But my new one is I have I believe but I but I don't it's Minnesota, you know Like this is this is like the worst case scenario type of matchup for them It's the scariest one and if you watch any of the games this season There are clear things that Minnesota does that golden stage just cannot Keep up with one of them is just you know one of the two or three best players in the WMBA right now.

02:54.053 --> 02:56.495
[SPEAKER_02]: They that she's a matchup nightmare for anybody

02:57.315 --> 03:18.964
[SPEAKER_02]: But for the way that Golden State's bigs work, if you had, you know, maybe in two or three years, Janelle Salon, though, has much slower feet than Nefisa Collier, maybe that becomes a nice matchup at some point, but she's not there yet.

03:19.285 --> 03:23.146
[SPEAKER_02]: And so then your actual bigs being, you know,

03:28.062 --> 03:31.803
[SPEAKER_02]: then it's up to them and it's been a struggle so far.

03:31.843 --> 03:35.445
[SPEAKER_02]: Like you watched the last game, the end of the season.

03:36.165 --> 03:43.648
[SPEAKER_02]: And she literally got to every single spot she wanted with no real frustration on her end.

03:43.788 --> 03:47.849
[SPEAKER_02]: And this is not to say that gold state wasn't playing great.

03:48.430 --> 03:53.672
[SPEAKER_02]: She's just one of the few people that is kind of unstoppable for them.

03:54.152 --> 03:55.872
[SPEAKER_02]: And yeah, that's the main worry.

03:58.298 --> 04:17.482
[SPEAKER_02]: So, as that game was going, and really it was the Seattle game where I started thinking this, because had they beat Seattle, they're not playing Minnesota, and so I'm thinking like, okay, current Bay Area teams, what, where are we as fans?

04:17.502 --> 04:18.663
[SPEAKER_02]: And I was thinking about the warriors.

04:18.723 --> 04:24.104
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like, okay, if I was, if this was the warriors, what would I be feeling right now?

04:25.150 --> 04:29.553
[SPEAKER_02]: And my feeling would be, oh, they're going to lose the game because of a mistake or something.

04:30.214 --> 04:32.735
[SPEAKER_02]: And so then I was thinking about that with the Valcreus.

04:33.916 --> 04:40.461
[SPEAKER_02]: The Valcreus having excused though, being the expansion team and never having been here before as a unit.

04:40.921 --> 04:43.743
[SPEAKER_02]: And so thus, I was like, okay, I get it.

04:43.843 --> 04:53.870
[SPEAKER_02]: If they lose this game to Seattle, which they did, and if they lose to Minnesota and I had a feeling Minnesota was going to load up against them, which they did.

04:54.550 --> 04:57.151
[SPEAKER_02]: This is what expansion teams are supposed to do.

04:57.171 --> 04:59.352
[SPEAKER_02]: It's supposed to lose these games like this.

05:00.032 --> 05:08.955
[SPEAKER_02]: And the narrative of the season for the Valkyries is that they didn't, like any time they were close, they were close.

05:09.015 --> 05:10.316
[SPEAKER_02]: And they were playing really well.

05:10.356 --> 05:13.417
[SPEAKER_02]: And it was because of the fight and the tenacity.

05:13.877 --> 05:16.038
[SPEAKER_02]: They didn't fold all season long.

05:16.198 --> 05:18.779
[SPEAKER_02]: And while you could say losing three games to end the season

05:23.307 --> 05:28.153
[SPEAKER_02]: It was also reps in what the playoffs are gonna feel like.

05:28.593 --> 05:36.122
[SPEAKER_02]: So I think I'm with you in that if this thing goes to a third game, I'll be very surprised, but at the same time,

05:37.497 --> 05:39.978
[SPEAKER_02]: I think the SAP Center is gonna be rocking on Wednesday.

05:40.098 --> 05:44.039
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think they're going to play a really good basketball game on Wednesday.

05:44.320 --> 05:54.483
[SPEAKER_02]: Whether that even matters, just because Minnesota is so good, I'm not sure, but I don't believe this is gonna be you know, two 20 point losses.

05:55.104 --> 06:02.526
[SPEAKER_02]: The first game could be if it mirrors what we saw on Thursday, but I have a feeling Wednesday's gonna be a vibe.

06:02.667 --> 06:06.228
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think they're gonna play really, really strong basketball.

06:06.768 --> 06:08.451
[SPEAKER_02]: And maybe they can actually win that game.

06:08.491 --> 06:13.698
[SPEAKER_02]: I know I listen to Zina on the athletic show, the no-off season show.

06:15.535 --> 06:18.197
[SPEAKER_02]: She covers the Valkyrie, so there's a little bit of bias there.

06:18.737 --> 06:25.500
[SPEAKER_02]: I think Ben Pickman and Sabrina, both probably feel like it's kind of too and barbecue for the Valkyrie.

06:26.061 --> 06:28.162
[SPEAKER_02]: But Zina was there, I'm not so sure.

06:28.222 --> 06:29.603
[SPEAKER_02]: It's gonna be a sweep here.

06:30.103 --> 06:34.525
[SPEAKER_02]: So, that just shows you how the Bay Area feels about this team.

06:34.545 --> 06:43.790
[SPEAKER_02]: Zina's a, you know, Zina works for the, I don't know if she works for the Valkyrie, or if she works for technically works for KPIX or whatever,

06:44.500 --> 06:48.862
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, there is a feeling that there is something unique and special with this team.

06:48.902 --> 06:53.823
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think that will transcend into into these games, but it still might not matter.

06:54.924 --> 06:58.005
[SPEAKER_02]: But man, this has been a fantastic story.

06:58.045 --> 07:03.927
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe my favorite sports season sense the Warriors last championship.

07:05.540 --> 07:19.275
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, I think what I'm most interested to see is the Natalie necase, uh, adjustments because you could basically say that this is a four game series and they already played game one, like as they get to stay in Minnesota.

07:20.255 --> 07:35.345
[SPEAKER_00]: from the last game of the season to the first game of the playoffs, and you know, like we saw the last two games of the season have have been treated like playoff games that Seattle game felt like a playoff game this Minnesota game until the fourth quarter was actually kind of close so.

07:36.759 --> 07:52.446
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think that I'm interested to see what Nicosia changes because Minnesota basically showed their cards like they played the top players up like I think Nefisa Collier might have logged fourth quarter minutes in this game.

07:52.926 --> 07:56.228
[SPEAKER_00]: She was trying to keep that 40% three point percentage.

07:56.248 --> 07:56.948
[SPEAKER_00]: She was hitting them too.

08:00.570 --> 08:07.435
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think you can also say that Minnesota trying that hard to end the season almost says that they wanted to see Golden State.

08:07.515 --> 08:08.635
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh yeah, I'm sure they did.

08:09.516 --> 08:17.081
[SPEAKER_00]: And I had heard and seen that Seattle has gotten two wins over them to see and know other teams done that.

08:17.341 --> 08:19.263
[SPEAKER_00]: And so they were like Golden State or Seattle.

08:19.783 --> 08:22.505
[SPEAKER_00]: We have beaten Golden State every single time.

08:23.265 --> 08:26.487
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's what we want to play and just looking back at the history.

08:29.254 --> 08:31.435
[SPEAKER_00]: Gold state kind of plays them well, like surprisingly.

08:31.615 --> 08:37.737
[SPEAKER_00]: So the first time they played is a game I went to on June 1st, Minnesota beats the Valkyries 86 to 75.

08:38.057 --> 08:39.938
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a good game.

08:40.578 --> 08:41.159
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah.

08:41.259 --> 08:46.801
[SPEAKER_00]: There I think there was a Kate Martin like travel at the end that I remember that she had a three, but then they called travel.

08:46.841 --> 08:48.822
[SPEAKER_00]: So it couldn't even been close for then it was Minnesota.

08:48.842 --> 08:52.023
[SPEAKER_00]: So then July 5th, 2025, Minnesota 82 Golden State 71.

08:58.400 --> 08:59.801
[SPEAKER_00]: So again, relatively close.

08:59.881 --> 09:00.722
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, 11 points.

09:01.222 --> 09:05.845
[SPEAKER_02]: They're going to pull away in the fourth quarter because they have the athletes.

09:06.085 --> 09:08.867
[SPEAKER_02]: Like that was one of the distinctive things I saw.

09:09.507 --> 09:12.930
[SPEAKER_02]: Again, call your known congarner.

09:13.970 --> 09:26.018
[SPEAKER_02]: But what stood out in the other matchups was the athleticism, Courtney Williams and Hydeman, like if they had a small space,

09:27.125 --> 09:29.907
[SPEAKER_02]: to get going and they got to full speed.

09:29.927 --> 09:32.449
[SPEAKER_02]: There's nobody on Golden State's team who could catch up to them.

09:32.549 --> 09:53.466
[SPEAKER_02]: Like it was like lightning in a like bam, lay up and I was like, okay, we cannot turn the ball over if that is the case because those are just layups that are uncontested and they create momentum and they get the team and the crowd going and I wonder if you're Natalie I mean, the Valkyries already play slow,

09:56.633 --> 09:57.674
[SPEAKER_02]: put this game in the mud.

09:57.714 --> 10:02.897
[SPEAKER_02]: I wonder if this is like slow, fouls.

10:03.958 --> 10:13.644
[SPEAKER_02]: Really trying to avoid fast breaks, really trying to avoid defensively, that's also how Minnesota started to vote race them in the end as they're just getting steals.

10:14.584 --> 10:20.768
[SPEAKER_02]: But, you know, strategy wise, and you can go back to your point, which is that the voucher's played them close.

10:21.769 --> 10:23.930
[SPEAKER_02]: But that was something I thought about when I was watching.

10:24.604 --> 10:33.892
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, I'm with you and and so I'll just we just saw the last one, but the third one was not long ago, it was like the last week.

10:33.952 --> 10:45.642
[SPEAKER_00]: It was yeah, it was like the six days ago the 10 or six they lost by six points 72 to 78 Minnesota and then this was actually the worst loss was this one two days ago they lost by the piece of plate and all of those games.

10:46.702 --> 10:52.767
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I could remember off the top of my head who was here and who wasn't like we did we have basically never had a full

10:53.815 --> 10:57.397
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, full squad against Minnesota and now that Kayla's out.

10:57.417 --> 11:07.161
[SPEAKER_00]: You can never say it, but yeah, I think the one most recently, there's still no Xandalucini no Tiffany Hayes and then the one two days ago, there's no Tiffany Hayes, Iliana repair goes down.

11:07.501 --> 11:17.605
[SPEAKER_02]: So I think I was kind of hoping that there was no Xandalucini in the last game because she was very frustrated, okay, you could just tell they she could not do anything.

11:17.845 --> 11:19.526
[SPEAKER_02]: They were just in her face.

11:20.246 --> 11:25.050
[SPEAKER_02]: She was trying to do her normal moves and they were like, nope, we got we got to scout it my friend.

11:25.631 --> 11:28.133
[SPEAKER_00]: It's yeah, I mean, Xandela Sini was on Minnesota.

11:28.153 --> 11:29.774
[SPEAKER_00]: That's who we drafted from the expansion team.

11:29.794 --> 11:37.360
[SPEAKER_00]: It's kind of crazy to think that Minnesota had her, but I almost feel like she doesn't really fit their style that much because they just want to go so fast and just wants to slow things down.

11:39.807 --> 11:46.551
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think what I noticed from this past game is there was no three pointer made by the Valkyries that up until like midway through the third quarter.

11:47.011 --> 11:49.312
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think it was not because they weren't trying.

11:50.273 --> 11:50.913
[SPEAKER_00]: They were trying.

11:51.453 --> 11:54.675
[SPEAKER_00]: It was it was partly good defense, but also just missing.

11:54.775 --> 11:58.978
[SPEAKER_00]: So I just wonder like, can you can you come out and and hit a couple that?

12:01.375 --> 12:07.779
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the only way they win a game is if they create a lead and they have a 10 point lead going into the fourth quarter.

12:07.799 --> 12:12.881
[SPEAKER_00]: So they could chip away and kind of lose that where it's a final shot at the end and the other team misses it.

12:13.201 --> 12:17.684
[SPEAKER_00]: Like we know like they're not going to if they're down in the fourth quarter, they're probably not going to win any of these games.

12:17.864 --> 12:19.465
[SPEAKER_00]: It's always the fourth quarter that they

12:20.327 --> 12:38.658
[SPEAKER_00]: kind of fall on their face, but I'm wondering if the fourth quarter in a regular basketball game, more so resembles the entire game of a playoff game, because it's so like possession of possession, whereas the entire entirety of a game in the playoff is a possession of possession high stakes defense up past the three-point line type of game.

12:41.002 --> 12:45.867
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, I'm interested in the cost it like you, okay, here's Coach of the year, you're going to get it now.

12:45.887 --> 12:49.171
[SPEAKER_00]: I would love to see what the substitution changes.

12:49.191 --> 12:58.260
[SPEAKER_00]: I know I kind of felt like when Carla got out there, it was a little like little wild, a little bit, but she had like the best plus minus on the team plus zero.

13:01.263 --> 13:11.152
[SPEAKER_00]: And even the minute she shared with the kind of when they threw everyone in and and said they were going to lose the game like still that whole squad Kate with the amoe here.

13:11.252 --> 13:14.015
[SPEAKER_00]: Chan, they were all plus zero, but they played like three minutes.

13:14.315 --> 13:16.477
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, Carla had 12 minutes and she was still plus zero.

13:17.431 --> 13:20.834
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, I don't know what do you want to talk about like for regard to the matchup.

13:21.174 --> 13:34.624
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, we'll talk about about, you know, we'll continue this conversation, but one thing I wanted to mention, because you, you made this point the last time we talked that I think you felt that Carla kind of gets slided sometimes in.

13:35.625 --> 13:53.672
[SPEAKER_02]: How many minutes like if she makes a mistake or she doesn't attack the way she may get a little bit of a at least there and you know what I thought was interesting so back to no off season they interviewed Veronica Burton sometime earlier in the week and they asked Veronica Burton.

13:54.745 --> 13:56.986
[SPEAKER_02]: who the little cisses are on the team.

13:57.886 --> 14:01.067
[SPEAKER_02]: And of course, everyone would think, Caitlyn Chen, she's right at the college.

14:01.727 --> 14:08.549
[SPEAKER_02]: But she said the number one little sis is Carla late or I actually, she actually pronounced her last name a little shit.

14:08.569 --> 14:10.069
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I don't think she pronounced that correct.

14:10.109 --> 14:12.290
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I don't know who's right or who's wrong.

14:12.430 --> 14:15.371
[SPEAKER_02]: We're not going to have a you'll see the situation go.

14:17.307 --> 14:20.288
[SPEAKER_02]: by the way, Bayer and Media still butchering use to his name.

14:20.548 --> 14:21.208
[SPEAKER_02]: I think we're not 100%.

14:21.429 --> 14:24.089
[SPEAKER_02]: I think we're the closest.

14:24.330 --> 14:25.510
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, we're the closest, I agree.

14:25.990 --> 14:35.354
[SPEAKER_02]: Which is funny because one of the early, one of the early, I want to argue, mincer, whatever I had with one of our listeners, was that when you,

14:36.750 --> 14:46.074
[SPEAKER_02]: Talk to her about pronouncing her name and you kind of made it a bit because you knew that everyone in their mother is going to have problems with this and you wanted to hear it from her mouth.

14:46.694 --> 15:02.400
[SPEAKER_02]: The the person who saw you guys are so disrespectful like making fun of her I was like dude we were trying to make sure that we got this thing right because we heard so when I was butcher when I was first talking to her like I thought I had the name locked down and so when she told me like.

15:03.100 --> 15:03.920
[SPEAKER_00]: what it was.

15:03.961 --> 15:05.321
[SPEAKER_00]: I felt like I got punched in the face.

15:07.002 --> 15:08.603
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't have time to go back to the drawing board.

15:08.643 --> 15:11.844
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm literally about to start pressing record and I don't have it down anymore.

15:12.905 --> 15:17.167
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm here with ghost, by the way, he said easy peasy to go about.

15:17.287 --> 15:17.687
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, man.

15:19.768 --> 15:20.488
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's go.

15:20.508 --> 15:26.871
[SPEAKER_00]: Does anyone have the stats on the underdog winning in a three game matchup.

15:29.538 --> 15:32.821
[SPEAKER_00]: The team and that, yeah, to get the one one one one one.

15:32.841 --> 15:35.543
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know.

15:36.024 --> 15:36.444
[SPEAKER_02]: So okay.

15:36.484 --> 15:39.867
[SPEAKER_02]: So we do have information from last year.

15:40.885 --> 15:44.507
[SPEAKER_02]: Which is underdogs one and they all got swept by the way.

15:44.567 --> 15:46.047
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, nobody will want to game.

15:46.187 --> 15:49.669
[SPEAKER_02]: So this addition of a home game.

15:49.749 --> 15:56.932
[SPEAKER_02]: I think is probably somewhat in the defense of that is so that we, they would get more game threes.

15:57.272 --> 16:01.834
[SPEAKER_02]: So that is in the Valkyries favor, but going back.

16:01.874 --> 16:07.677
[SPEAKER_02]: So going back to the Karla thing, which is We forget how young she is.

16:08.736 --> 16:08.976
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.

16:09.216 --> 16:10.497
[SPEAKER_02]: She's so young.

16:10.517 --> 16:10.938
[SPEAKER_02]: Anyone, 20.

16:11.318 --> 16:13.440
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, she's, I think she's the youngest player on their team.

16:13.800 --> 16:26.930
[SPEAKER_02]: So when we, you know, I think we'd like to see her energy on the court, I think we'd like to see how aggressive she is and how all over the court and hit in the floor and everything.

16:27.450 --> 16:30.993
[SPEAKER_02]: But I'm sure there are some things that Natalie sees, or she's like, okay.

16:31.653 --> 16:51.315
[SPEAKER_02]: The energy is great, but this thing isn't working, so we've got to pull her back a little bit and we've got to put the people maybe who won't make a mistake, but I'm with you, I think there are more opportunities for Carl at a kind of be that energizer bunny for the team when they're flat because that is if you want to say one critique of this team.

16:52.800 --> 17:06.154
[SPEAKER_02]: If there are three point shot isn't cooking, they can get really flat on offense and we see that because how many grenades have we seen this year where people are just throwing stuff up at the end of the shot clock because they can't get a look.

17:06.694 --> 17:14.662
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that is more obvious than ever this last game against Minnesota where defense is just too good and they have to just chuck something because it's the end of the shot clock.

17:15.635 --> 17:24.711
[SPEAKER_02]: So that is, you know, that that is something to this whole thing is because Carla is probably one of the athletes who could who could hang with

17:25.301 --> 17:36.269
[SPEAKER_02]: with the guards, with the back court from the links, but someone who we haven't talked about, who I think is going to be back is, is Tip Hayes, and she is one of those players, right?

17:36.309 --> 17:42.433
[SPEAKER_02]: From an athleticism standpoint, she can keep up with the best of them, so that will be a benefit.

17:42.493 --> 17:47.437
[SPEAKER_02]: I think to this game, or this series is if you have Tip, then

17:48.337 --> 17:49.958
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe the matchups are a little bit better.

17:50.118 --> 17:59.222
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe the athleticism is as clearly in Minnesota's favor.

17:59.262 --> 18:01.564
[SPEAKER_02]: It will still be in their favor, but maybe not as clear.

18:03.204 --> 18:12.649
[SPEAKER_02]: Before we get to the rest of this, I just wanted to mention for the folks who are listening as well as the folks who are watching us shout out to Ghost.

18:13.269 --> 18:13.970
[SPEAKER_02]: I wanted to mention,

18:14.750 --> 18:17.751
[SPEAKER_02]: we do have our discord going.

18:17.812 --> 18:19.032
[SPEAKER_02]: It is still in beta.

18:19.132 --> 18:23.434
[SPEAKER_02]: I haven't even put it done all the things that I've been wanting to do.

18:23.494 --> 18:25.395
[SPEAKER_02]: Hopefully I'll get some of that stuff done today.

18:26.315 --> 18:31.318
[SPEAKER_02]: But we mentioned the last couple shows the branding is under the Golden State hoop, because I think the

18:38.881 --> 18:40.422
[SPEAKER_02]: is is lacking right now.

18:40.463 --> 18:42.484
[SPEAKER_02]: I haven't seen all that many great places.

18:42.504 --> 18:44.746
[SPEAKER_02]: So hopefully we can be a nice landing spot.

18:44.966 --> 18:45.667
[SPEAKER_02]: But we're off to good at.

18:45.687 --> 18:49.810
[SPEAKER_02]: We also talk about all the other sports in the Bay Area and others in there.

18:50.050 --> 18:51.752
[SPEAKER_02]: But again, it is very early stages.

18:51.992 --> 18:59.378
[SPEAKER_02]: So if you want an invite to what is right now a private discord shoot me gg at bsp and media.com.

18:59.678 --> 19:01.380
[SPEAKER_02]: And I know for folks who are a little bit

19:02.128 --> 19:10.374
[SPEAKER_02]: more on the OGN, who might be more to my age, discord is probably a little scary, but it's actually very easy to use.

19:10.594 --> 19:12.735
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's kind of, it can be a kind of a difting.

19:13.696 --> 19:23.082
[SPEAKER_02]: So you may have to, you know, put it away for a little bit, especially if you get some good discussions going, but I want to get that going, and now we can talk about the rest of this stuff.

19:24.023 --> 19:24.483
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, so,

19:26.534 --> 19:45.538
[SPEAKER_02]: Before we get into the playoff matchup, was there anything in the last three games that you saw that gave you any worry, or maybe that gave you a little bit of, huh, this is kind of interesting in how they did this or how they did not do this as it pertains to what playoff

19:52.735 --> 19:55.558
[SPEAKER_00]: Kaila Kaila Kaila, Kaila, you apologize.

19:55.578 --> 19:56.318
[SPEAKER_00]: I should have this down.

19:56.358 --> 19:57.139
[SPEAKER_00]: Kaila, it's Kaila.

19:57.519 --> 20:12.533
[SPEAKER_00]: Kaila, she's pretty damn good at that defense and driving to the lane when he kind of feels like they have nothing going and it's like, OK, well, at least Kaila might drive to the lane.

20:12.553 --> 20:16.877
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it was, was it against Seattle?

20:17.417 --> 20:18.298
[SPEAKER_00]: Who was she guarding?

20:18.358 --> 20:19.019
[SPEAKER_00]: She was guarding.

20:21.499 --> 20:29.981
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, kind of blanking, but I just thought she's been, she's been excellent on defense and kind of like a plug and play for what the Valkyrie starting line up looks like the Valks are third and defensive rating right now.

20:30.021 --> 20:41.903
[SPEAKER_00]: So she kind of just fits that she's like super athletic super fast and can guard these guards that Veronica may not want a guard to guard to preserve energy or just there's two good guards and you need both of them to guard them.

20:42.343 --> 20:48.204
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm interested when tip haze comes back one, do they need to drop anyone still because I think that would put them to 13 and two.

20:51.759 --> 20:53.381
[SPEAKER_00]: is this tip get the immediate start.

20:53.921 --> 20:54.882
[SPEAKER_00]: I think I would be interested.

20:55.142 --> 20:59.806
[SPEAKER_00]: I'd assume I'd assume, but Charles has been pretty good on defense.

20:59.826 --> 21:05.551
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm just wondering, like, if, you know, what they would they do with that?

21:05.571 --> 21:09.855
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel I think it, you know, Zandalasini was a clear starter before she got hurt.

21:09.935 --> 21:11.557
[SPEAKER_00]: She's come back to games.

21:11.617 --> 21:12.357
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, she's been back.

21:12.397 --> 21:13.298
[SPEAKER_00]: She has not started.

21:13.999 --> 21:14.900
[SPEAKER_00]: I also think that's because

21:18.592 --> 21:27.454
[SPEAKER_00]: I think, well, I mean, the most interesting thing on in the unfortunate sense is the way that that Seattle game ended.

21:28.354 --> 21:41.537
[SPEAKER_00]: Nikasei, I guess, didn't really make any subs in the second half until that offense defense Charles Cape Martin substitution pattern where Kate was on offense, played a couple defense

21:45.894 --> 21:49.216
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, it was Erica Wheeler because Wheeler was the way there was a man who lost my Wheeler.

21:49.636 --> 21:50.317
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, she was a man.

21:50.417 --> 21:56.800
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, if if you ask yourself like, what Seattle storm are you least worried to lose to?

21:57.321 --> 21:59.002
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like they did good on digins.

21:59.022 --> 22:00.242
[SPEAKER_00]: They did good on a Goomekai.

22:00.262 --> 22:01.363
[SPEAKER_00]: They did good on Gabby.

22:01.403 --> 22:02.003
[SPEAKER_00]: They did good.

22:02.023 --> 22:06.326
[SPEAKER_00]: They did, that's probably actually Dominique probably played their best against the Velcro.

22:06.366 --> 22:12.689
[SPEAKER_00]: He's that game that she has the entire season, but you're just like, I'll say with, she was, she was your favorite.

22:12.789 --> 22:14.450
[SPEAKER_02]: I know in the draft and then she kind of

22:16.537 --> 22:20.439
[SPEAKER_02]: Dominique's going to be a problem going to be a big she's so good.

22:20.459 --> 22:31.985
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I the Valkyries have done so good against Melonga and then she figured out something so that they'd were not that good against her I think in this in that last game, but

22:32.931 --> 22:54.220
[SPEAKER_00]: uh... magma gore as well like they did well against all of those and they lost eracle wheeler i think you kind of you kind of say a well because like there was a lot of good defense on her and she was hitting tough shots uh... i think when they started to do offence defense is when she had a tough three on kmart and then neck in the cost of it's like okay i think we need to start bringing in charles for the defense positions leave cate in for the offense

22:55.710 --> 22:57.251
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't think we needed Kate though.

22:57.571 --> 22:57.651
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

22:57.691 --> 22:59.592
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought we could have gone Carla.

23:00.653 --> 23:05.696
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought that we could use someone who can, who is comfortable handling the ball and can get to the room.

23:05.736 --> 23:08.498
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's exactly why they have like Tiffany Hayes.

23:08.538 --> 23:09.999
[SPEAKER_00]: Like that's what she's perfect that doing.

23:10.039 --> 23:14.441
[SPEAKER_00]: She would have helped them close that game more because she does exactly that and even better than Carla.

23:15.882 --> 23:22.226
[SPEAKER_00]: I just didn't think we needed a three point specialist out there because I thought that getting to the room.

23:23.206 --> 23:27.011
[SPEAKER_00]: might have initiated a foul or might have, you know, there's just more opportunity.

23:27.511 --> 23:31.255
[SPEAKER_00]: And they even sat repair down the stretch and they bring her in for one offensive possession.

23:31.295 --> 23:32.577
[SPEAKER_00]: She hits a three, they're in the game.

23:32.597 --> 23:33.999
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like, why where was repair?

23:34.639 --> 23:41.808
[SPEAKER_02]: So no, this was one of the conversations we were having in the discord, which is Kylo was playing very well, but

23:42.936 --> 23:44.638
[SPEAKER_02]: she was struggling with her shot.

23:45.379 --> 23:48.382
[SPEAKER_02]: And so you would go, okay, her shot's not falling.

23:48.982 --> 23:50.424
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe Kate shot is falling.

23:50.724 --> 23:57.751
[SPEAKER_02]: But then if Kate is in the game, then you give up a lot of the defensive cohesiveness because Kate is just not fleet of foot.

23:58.352 --> 24:04.638
[SPEAKER_02]: She's a smart player and you can see her IQ from the perspective of,

24:05.683 --> 24:07.325
[SPEAKER_02]: She can she's a really good passer.

24:07.605 --> 24:11.871
[SPEAKER_02]: She can anticipate, but the just the athleticism isn't there when that ball is moving.

24:12.692 --> 24:19.440
[SPEAKER_02]: So I would have preferred that they stuck with Kyla for the same reason because if Kyla shot is not falling, she could then.

24:20.469 --> 24:47.416
[SPEAKER_02]: want to she could then drive she could then try and get to the little she's a good rebounder and then defensively she's she's going to be there so that was maybe the one thing that's stood out so I think you're right about that and I wonder if faced with the same scenario in the playoffs and and this might just be a bad match it for Kate I'll be surprised if she actually gets run but then again I've said that before and then she it was in like by the second

24:49.717 --> 24:56.062
[SPEAKER_02]: that will be interesting and then like you said, putting Hayes back in and how she fits back into the rotation.

24:56.683 --> 25:02.648
[SPEAKER_02]: I always like players like tip to be the sixth person because

25:04.384 --> 25:05.945
[SPEAKER_02]: A, she's a vet.

25:06.385 --> 25:09.727
[SPEAKER_02]: So she can handle the kind of the psychology of it, right?

25:10.507 --> 25:16.410
[SPEAKER_02]: It may help Kayla's confidence, especially with how her career has come.

25:16.450 --> 25:19.972
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, Golden State has stuck with her, when other teams have not stuck with her.

25:20.352 --> 25:24.174
[SPEAKER_02]: And so you go, okay, we're giving her the confidence to start.

25:24.534 --> 25:27.456
[SPEAKER_02]: It's kind of like the Andre Aguadala Harrison Barnes thing, right?

25:27.996 --> 25:29.877
[SPEAKER_02]: Where Harrison Barnes was the younger player

25:32.530 --> 25:58.759
[SPEAKER_02]: you have Iguadala kind of the vet in the smart basketball player who can kind of shape the team when he's in the game and I think tip can do that too and then you can build your offense around what what tip is good at because tip is going to want the basketball and and and that you know she needs the basketball in order to do a lot of the things that she wants so I think that's a it's a great point but now that you just mentioned it

26:03.106 --> 26:13.081
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think I think the beatwriter, Kenzo, I think might have gotten a quote from Natalie, but it sounds like their optimistic she will play.

26:14.002 --> 26:17.447
[SPEAKER_00]: I could, I literally could not tell how she heard she got her stuff.

26:17.527 --> 26:18.389
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't know clue.

26:19.145 --> 26:32.973
[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't know why she was like, yeah, I could go up and down a position, just like she could not like, yeah, by the way, Ghost said right as we were talking about TIP, he had the Igwood dollar point as well.

26:33.033 --> 26:35.475
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, we're we're on the same page.

26:35.535 --> 26:40.818
[SPEAKER_02]: So it sounds so the injury that we're talking about if you don't know what it was

26:41.719 --> 26:51.368
[SPEAKER_02]: I think it did repair get an offensive rebound or she had something and she was just in the middle of like three of the links bodies I didn't think it was like that.

26:52.049 --> 26:59.076
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I thought it was kind of a maybe one body and maybe I didn't the landing didn't even look awkward to me.

26:59.616 --> 27:05.042
[SPEAKER_02]: I wonder the thing that I was wondering is if she so she is in the paint

27:06.085 --> 27:08.987
[SPEAKER_02]: and she gets moved and there was no foul call, by the way.

27:09.007 --> 27:16.751
[SPEAKER_02]: So I don't remember who the link's player was, but I think the link's player kind of bought a fake and kind of moved her by leaning into her.

27:17.391 --> 27:21.534
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I don't know if she got stepped on because my initial worry was,

27:22.454 --> 27:33.358
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, she got kind of like need in the calf or she got stepped on, you know, on the back of her heel, but then, you know, the announcers didn't know and they didn't say anything about it.

27:33.418 --> 27:36.440
[SPEAKER_02]: So all we got was the one slow motion and then that was it.

27:36.880 --> 27:42.222
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, I'm not even sure what the injury is or I haven't heard anything about it.

27:42.322 --> 27:46.964
[SPEAKER_02]: I haven't seen, but you know what, you know, the perfect person.

27:47.789 --> 27:57.135
[SPEAKER_02]: to look at their blue sky profile is Marissa in Jimmy, let's see if she said anything about it.

27:57.716 --> 28:00.498
[SPEAKER_02]: It does not look like she has anything on it.

28:00.998 --> 28:02.139
[SPEAKER_02]: But she is, it's funny.

28:02.159 --> 28:02.999
[SPEAKER_02]: She's in Minnesota.

28:03.060 --> 28:12.206
[SPEAKER_02]: She took a photo from Marissa in Jimmy, the San Francisco Chronicle beat writer for the Valks who's been a great resource for us because she covers every game.

28:12.806 --> 28:15.407
[SPEAKER_02]: She's at where the twins play.

28:15.427 --> 28:23.429
[SPEAKER_02]: She was, I guess, so she's still in Minnesota, but yeah, I don't see anything from about about repairs injury.

28:23.469 --> 28:25.109
[SPEAKER_02]: So we'll have to wait and see.

28:25.309 --> 28:27.710
[SPEAKER_02]: And I guess we'll know by Sunday morning.

28:28.170 --> 28:32.191
[SPEAKER_02]: By the way, the W MBA scheduling.

28:34.102 --> 28:50.703
[SPEAKER_02]: Is there a reason why they wanted their playoffs to start on Sunday against the NFL so dumb so dumb there's got to be some data That suggests the NFL dominates, but there's this pocket of fans who don't care about the NFL and maybe

28:52.127 --> 28:58.892
[SPEAKER_02]: they feel like they're they're the great option there, but what are you worse to go against college football on Saturday?

28:59.133 --> 29:01.975
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, so I would have loved for the playoffs to start today.

29:02.055 --> 29:06.358
[SPEAKER_02]: Now I'm also we are a network that covers all of the Bay Area sports.

29:06.418 --> 29:10.742
[SPEAKER_02]: So the Niners in the Saints and the Valkyries and Lynx go head to head.

29:11.442 --> 29:13.123
[SPEAKER_02]: tomorrow on Sunday morning.

29:13.743 --> 29:18.385
[SPEAKER_02]: I have to do a live stream on this channel of the 49ers and Saints right after that game is over.

29:18.705 --> 29:23.707
[SPEAKER_02]: So I'm going to be kind of like figuring out how to watch both games at the same time.

29:24.188 --> 29:27.109
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's going to be a bit hard because I don't want

29:27.749 --> 29:36.577
[SPEAKER_02]: I like I want to watch the Valkyries as much in real time as possible, but I am going to have to talk about the 49ers right after that game is over.

29:36.597 --> 29:40.901
[SPEAKER_02]: So my focus will lean a little bit more towards the the 49ers.

29:40.941 --> 29:42.582
[SPEAKER_02]: So I'm going to have to figure that one out.

29:42.622 --> 29:44.904
[SPEAKER_02]: But that's the thing that's how it is like.

29:45.805 --> 29:55.937
[SPEAKER_02]: of all the days to start your playoffs because one, one thing that we know is that the NFL is going to also dominate all the social engagement on that day.

29:55.997 --> 30:00.602
[SPEAKER_02]: So even if, you know, even if maybe the WMBA is not going to get

30:01.503 --> 30:04.725
[SPEAKER_02]: the the television viewership that they could if it was not in football season.

30:04.805 --> 30:07.586
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not only that, it's the engagement.

30:07.646 --> 30:09.787
[SPEAKER_02]: It's all of the discussions that are happening.

30:11.048 --> 30:12.729
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's that's kind of unfortunate.

30:12.789 --> 30:20.653
[SPEAKER_02]: And then we wait and then so the Valkyries play Sunday and then it's Wednesday and then if there's a third game, it'll be Friday.

30:20.693 --> 30:23.955
[SPEAKER_02]: So this entire first series will be done

30:24.735 --> 30:26.077
[SPEAKER_02]: in during this week.

30:26.157 --> 30:32.304
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's not going to be stretched out like the NBA first round playoffs that seems like it goes for like two and a half weeks.

30:32.864 --> 30:34.286
[SPEAKER_02]: But this will be done this week.

30:34.326 --> 30:39.152
[SPEAKER_02]: And then second round, you know, if the Valkyries shop the world will be a five gamer.

30:39.892 --> 30:46.334
[SPEAKER_02]: And then the finals for the first time ever in WMBA history will be a seven game series.

30:46.394 --> 30:51.835
[SPEAKER_02]: So the playoffs themselves will be stretched out longer than ever.

30:52.555 --> 30:54.556
[SPEAKER_02]: And this was the longest WMBA season.

30:54.596 --> 30:59.677
[SPEAKER_02]: So far, which I'm guessing going to have to be longer next year, because you're adding more teams.

31:00.317 --> 31:03.518
[SPEAKER_02]: So this is like,

31:04.495 --> 31:05.076
[SPEAKER_02]: I did watch.

31:05.758 --> 31:09.866
[SPEAKER_02]: I have watched bits and pieces of the WMBA playoffs for like the last three years, but not.

31:10.809 --> 31:11.329
[SPEAKER_02]: like this.

31:12.110 --> 31:14.051
[SPEAKER_02]: So this will be a good experience for me.

31:14.512 --> 31:20.416
[SPEAKER_02]: But then, if the Valkyries do lose, how much interest will I have in watching the rest of the teams play?

31:20.496 --> 31:20.876
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know.

31:21.636 --> 31:28.481
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe for this show, I will want to have more knowledge, but otherwise, we'll see how that works.

31:29.021 --> 31:33.544
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just following in the giants are playing very well and they're right in the wild card race.

31:33.645 --> 31:36.546
[SPEAKER_02]: Somehow, I have no idea how because they're not great.

31:37.407 --> 31:44.036
[SPEAKER_02]: So all of these three sports are in flux right now and then the warriors open up training camp in two weeks.

31:44.076 --> 31:45.338
[SPEAKER_02]: So this for this channel.

31:46.730 --> 31:52.592
[SPEAKER_02]: It's cooking, but yeah, with nine players, because they only have nine contracts signed.

31:52.953 --> 32:05.398
[SPEAKER_02]: So this channel, for it's great for this channel, because we have tons of stuff going on, and I can switch my brain constantly back and forth, but we've never had the vouchers who've never gone through the postseason.

32:05.778 --> 32:09.459
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know how that fits in my normal schedule, but I'm still excited.

32:09.499 --> 32:10.640
[SPEAKER_02]: I can't wait to see how it goes.

32:11.160 --> 32:25.706
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and for those I just thought of this, but for those who maybe started watching the WMBA this season, last season's finals were kind of known as maybe one of the greatest finals of all time and that was because the Minnesota links went up against

32:26.970 --> 32:45.946
[SPEAKER_00]: The New York Liberty and the Liberty were the favorite and Minnesota pushed him to five games and Minnesota felt like they got screwed at the end of game five by a couple of calls that if you look back at it like it's it's pretty rough and then they have a case and you know I was kind of yelling at the TV I remember during game five like how did they miss this.

32:48.208 --> 32:54.411
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's why it's it's kind of rough that the Valkyries are going against the team on a revenge tour.

32:54.811 --> 33:01.194
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he'll like they got screwed over in the finals that have played like the best like they look like they're going to clearly win.

33:01.895 --> 33:04.536
[SPEAKER_00]: The finals unless the ace is have something to say about it.

33:04.636 --> 33:12.580
[SPEAKER_00]: Like that's that's I think that's to me that's the clearest outcome here, but I think they did this year's playoffs are going to be interesting because they have a chance to rematch.

33:13.464 --> 33:17.026
[SPEAKER_00]: The New York Liberty in the second round because I believe the liberty or the fifth seed.

33:17.046 --> 33:20.587
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's Phoenix for Atlanta three or Atlanta two.

33:22.608 --> 33:23.448
[SPEAKER_00]: It is.

33:23.468 --> 33:26.030
[SPEAKER_00]: That land is our race.

33:26.890 --> 33:29.151
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, because the ACEs are playing Seattle, where the seven seed.

33:30.331 --> 33:31.552
[SPEAKER_00]: Atlanta has the easiest match up.

33:31.592 --> 33:34.193
[SPEAKER_00]: I think with Indiana at six.

33:34.453 --> 33:38.135
[SPEAKER_00]: And then, of course, Minnesota, playing us at eight, you might even say where the easiest match up.

33:38.195 --> 33:38.475
[SPEAKER_00]: I wouldn't.

33:39.677 --> 33:56.654
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, I think it's going to be Minnesota versus the ACEs would be my guess, but there's a lot of interesting matchups, whether it be ACEs versus Atlanta and in the second round or literally any of Phoenix or New York versus Minnesota should could be a good matchup to.

33:57.480 --> 34:04.325
[SPEAKER_00]: But I don't think, well, I don't think I'm going to have the last top last year's finals because those were incredible, but I think it could still be an entertaining playoffs.

34:04.785 --> 34:22.596
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, if you are the WMBA, and we'll get back because I have a couple of thoughts on some of the things that I want to see in this matchup with Minnesota, especially if, you know, we look at this thing, not just season to season, but also you look at the young players and, you know, we already talked about

34:26.659 --> 34:34.017
[SPEAKER_02]: So but before I get to that, the one thing I wanted to mention is the WMBA now there's a lot of people who

34:36.118 --> 34:42.600
[SPEAKER_02]: were probably less than casual fans who fell off once Caitlyn had the injury concerns.

34:42.620 --> 34:46.162
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, they're probably more Caitlyn fans and they are actually basketball fans.

34:46.202 --> 34:46.782
[SPEAKER_02]: Which is fine.

34:47.502 --> 34:49.923
[SPEAKER_02]: You get your fans how you get them.

34:50.323 --> 35:00.066
[SPEAKER_02]: And then it is your job as a leak to turn them into a more hardcore fans or less casual fans or you turn them into to to tick it buyers or

35:05.933 --> 35:09.114
[SPEAKER_02]: trying to think of a comparable person.

35:10.415 --> 35:24.741
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, someone who just makes the league interest more than it is, you know, necessarily the if you are looking at it from a WNBA perspective from day, how does this lead grow?

35:25.141 --> 35:30.563
[SPEAKER_02]: What would be the best matchup to probably draw in the most viewers?

35:32.304 --> 35:35.545
[SPEAKER_02]: Nike and Jordan brand.

35:36.297 --> 35:42.982
[SPEAKER_02]: could create a hell of a naffisa versus Asia campaign.

35:43.022 --> 35:46.304
[SPEAKER_02]: That's probably the dream matchup right now with Caitlyn out.

35:48.266 --> 35:56.632
[SPEAKER_02]: That is you want your top two players to go one-on-one for the title.

35:58.253 --> 36:00.355
[SPEAKER_02]: Brianna Stewart may have something to say about that.

36:02.336 --> 36:05.619
[SPEAKER_02]: Unfortunately for the liberty they've had so many injury problems this year.

36:06.347 --> 36:32.825
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, if they get it or not, if the top thru player in my opinion, if they get it together, though, because they have last season that they can kind of like, just go, hey, we did this before, like, let's just get back to get, you know, you even said it, you know, the Valkyries haven't even played Minnesota with their full squad, but if they do, if they can get healthy, they can get on a run, they have that championship DNA that they can rely on, but

36:34.378 --> 36:39.983
[SPEAKER_02]: the marketing of the season of the end of the season of this new seven game series.

36:40.763 --> 36:43.505
[SPEAKER_02]: The best two players in the league going head to head.

36:44.326 --> 36:46.548
[SPEAKER_02]: That is what the WMBA wants.

36:47.288 --> 36:47.829
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm assuming.

36:49.470 --> 36:50.471
[SPEAKER_02]: I would have to assume.

36:50.511 --> 36:52.613
[SPEAKER_02]: Like I don't think that's a guess on my end.

36:53.153 --> 36:57.477
[SPEAKER_02]: So what what what makes these

36:59.520 --> 37:05.952
[SPEAKER_02]: so fun is that it often does not go as a computer simulation would seem.

37:06.312 --> 37:07.855
[SPEAKER_02]: But if I'm thinking

37:08.853 --> 37:22.402
[SPEAKER_02]: You know me as a Valcrease fan and I'm with I'm like with the actual NBA 2 when the warriors are out my interest lessons because I'm so exhausted by the time the warriors are out I don't even know if I want to watch basketball anymore.

37:22.562 --> 37:27.386
[SPEAKER_02]: So I become a little bit more of a casual NBA finals viewer like I'm it's not a point.

37:27.406 --> 37:28.086
[SPEAKER_02]: Met television.

37:28.126 --> 37:29.347
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm watching a lot of it late.

37:29.447 --> 37:31.989
[SPEAKER_02]: If I get spoiled like oh, okay, maybe I didn't have to watch that game

37:32.589 --> 37:44.196
[SPEAKER_02]: So in watching the OKC and Indiana Pacers series this year, which had its moments, I wasn't like, oh my gosh, I can't wait to get home and watch this series.

37:45.317 --> 37:55.504
[SPEAKER_02]: Asia Wilson and the Aces versus Nefesicolier and the Lynx, that kind of becomes appointment viewing if you are a fan of a

38:01.378 --> 38:04.320
[SPEAKER_02]: because I think it's the best way that you can market this game.

38:04.840 --> 38:14.967
[SPEAKER_02]: And you have all these new viewers, some of them like I said, fell off because of no Caitlin, but here's how we raise up the league, because we have the two best players going head to head near me.

38:14.987 --> 38:21.291
[SPEAKER_02]: If I know, it's it's not magic and bird, but it's kind of the idea of of magic and bird.

38:23.512 --> 38:29.276
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, I think I would guess that's what it's going to be is those two teams.

38:31.102 --> 38:33.904
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I guess Atlanta has a chance to upset Vegas.

38:34.004 --> 38:40.307
[SPEAKER_00]: I wouldn't, I think Vegas is going to beat Seattle, which is a rematch from last year's first round as well.

38:41.888 --> 38:44.670
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, that I'm with you.

38:44.690 --> 38:46.911
[SPEAKER_00]: That would be my guess, probably the best matchup.

38:46.931 --> 38:50.293
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are the best two players in the WMBA, Asia being the best.

38:50.313 --> 38:51.454
[SPEAKER_00]: And if he's a being the second best.

38:54.153 --> 39:11.574
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I don't really have much to say about that much of that's just what I think it's going to be I think the WMBA for my experience watching the league has gone a little more chalk so that would kind of be following that you know recipe a lot of times that's what happens in smaller leagues too because there there's not that many teams you know there's not that there's not that many

39:12.795 --> 39:25.977
[SPEAKER_02]: chances for things to get upset, because you have a lot of the teams are stacked and there's not a lot of variance in, you know, because there's only 13 teams.

39:26.037 --> 39:28.098
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's kind of how it's going to go.

39:28.158 --> 39:34.299
[SPEAKER_02]: I think until they expand and as women's basketball in the the US and overseas by the

39:40.220 --> 39:46.243
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, but yeah, as you build this league more, you then, then you'll see an Oklahoma city.

39:46.263 --> 39:55.847
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, when the title, in my experience watching the WMBA is I feel like this is the most good teams I've seen in a season.

39:56.127 --> 40:03.811
[SPEAKER_00]: Like you couldn't tell me there are five pretty good teams, you know, Minnesota to the fifth seed, you know, I think it kind of went out one to five are

40:04.451 --> 40:31.980
[SPEAKER_00]: who I think are all pretty good teams and you could even say like if Katelyn never got hurt in diana you push that to six that's six pretty good teams but I just think that minnesota is like a really really good team historical season yeah the ace has kind of turned into a a really good team and then the rest of everyone are still pretty good but the narrative if you if you want to give it a narrative could be the team with the historical season versus the team on the historical run

40:33.540 --> 40:44.468
[SPEAKER_02]: And what is the better, you know, what what better to have, do you want to be the the the winning is team in league or do you want to be the team that got the hottest at the end?

40:45.229 --> 40:50.633
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think it's a good to make it to be from a video.

40:50.753 --> 40:59.199
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, so back to this matchup with the links and then we'll get to our, um, because I do want to ask you about the, the, the, the awards, the yearly awards.

40:59.720 --> 40:59.860
[SPEAKER_02]: So,

41:01.577 --> 41:10.582
[SPEAKER_02]: I think one of the things that stood out in these last three games, I thought Janelle played so well against Seattle, offensively.

41:11.303 --> 41:17.206
[SPEAKER_02]: She, it almost felt like she was like, I got this guys.

41:18.207 --> 41:24.030
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, just, I'm gonna be the one to either take us over the top or keep us in this game.

41:25.079 --> 41:28.701
[SPEAKER_02]: And I thought that was a nice growing thing for her.

41:29.061 --> 41:32.943
[SPEAKER_02]: Because also we got to remember, she is technically a rookie.

41:33.083 --> 41:35.024
[SPEAKER_02]: She is also a very young player.

41:35.044 --> 41:39.567
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think she's had some really, really high highs.

41:39.887 --> 41:42.268
[SPEAKER_02]: And then there's been some games where she's had some lows.

41:42.788 --> 41:49.952
[SPEAKER_02]: And consistency is one of the hardest things for young players, obviously, like that that I think that is very easy to say.

41:50.492 --> 41:58.455
[SPEAKER_02]: without people saying that that is a wrong thing to say like that's just what happened when you're younger, you're going to not going to be as consistent.

41:59.535 --> 42:05.398
[SPEAKER_02]: She, but I think she showed in that game where her ceiling is as a score.

42:06.758 --> 42:14.481
[SPEAKER_02]: She's going, the values are going to need one of those games from her to match what Nefisa Collier could do.

42:14.601 --> 42:16.202
[SPEAKER_02]: Because that's the other thing, right?

42:17.663 --> 42:21.244
[SPEAKER_02]: You have a star player on the other team who's so good, so dependable.

42:22.664 --> 42:25.885
[SPEAKER_02]: When Minnesota needs a bucket, we know where the basketball is going.

42:26.125 --> 42:37.328
[SPEAKER_02]: Whether or not Nefisa is the one shooting that shot, there's gonna be so much gravity towards her that she's gonna have the opportunity to score or make the right play to get that bucket.

42:37.448 --> 42:38.928
[SPEAKER_02]: Everything's gonna revolve around her.

42:39.308 --> 42:41.249
[SPEAKER_02]: The vouchers don't really have that.

42:41.389 --> 42:44.189
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of their buckets that don't come from

42:47.263 --> 42:51.345
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of it comes from Veronica Burton just having to create on the fly.

42:51.725 --> 42:57.127
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's what's been so impressive from her is that she's just got that dog atness about her.

42:57.187 --> 42:59.228
[SPEAKER_02]: Like the engine never shuts off.

42:59.968 --> 43:01.448
[SPEAKER_02]: She never seems to get tired.

43:01.509 --> 43:05.950
[SPEAKER_02]: She's always going and she's always, you know, moving in the right direction.

43:06.670 --> 43:11.933
[SPEAKER_02]: But they are going to need some, somebody to be that,

43:16.462 --> 43:21.523
[SPEAKER_02]: The hard to buck it, you know, when you need a tough to who do you who do you get?

43:21.543 --> 43:24.584
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think she's the best one for them right now.

43:24.984 --> 43:33.706
[SPEAKER_02]: Now, if if repair is hot and the three point the that's the other thing is they're going to to shoot well from three if they don't shoot well from three this thing could get away from them.

43:34.226 --> 43:37.107
[SPEAKER_02]: So you're going to need the three point ball to go in.

43:37.747 --> 43:41.891
[SPEAKER_02]: because they shoot a lot of them, but you're also going to need someone you can rely on as a score.

43:41.931 --> 43:44.214
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think Janelle is probably the best one.

43:45.595 --> 43:49.019
[SPEAKER_02]: Chetchie is going to do it from the mid range.

43:49.419 --> 43:50.841
[SPEAKER_02]: She's not going to do it from the post.

43:50.901 --> 43:51.842
[SPEAKER_02]: She's not going to do it.

43:52.802 --> 44:00.624
[SPEAKER_02]: in the flow of a fast break offense, everything's going to kind of be slower for her because that's more of her style.

44:01.924 --> 44:20.209
[SPEAKER_02]: But I think the two keys in this series for the Valkyries, and I'm only specifically talking offensively because I think defensively they're just going to be game, they're going to be able to hang, and they're going to be able to stay with Minnesota, but Minnesota has some great athletes, so they're going to be moments where they're just outmatched.

44:23.230 --> 44:34.857
[SPEAKER_02]: The three pointers and and Rupert is going to be vital if she can stretch that floor, that is going to be a big thing because then she can stay on the court.

44:36.197 --> 44:42.341
[SPEAKER_02]: And then how do you get the tough to is it's going to have to be Janelle and she's going to have to be on her game.

44:42.401 --> 44:48.225
[SPEAKER_02]: And that is a recipe for me to where the Valkyries may be able to surprise some folks in this series.

44:49.257 --> 44:58.463
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm honestly really like interested in the idea that they played their season finale against Minnesota.

44:59.323 --> 45:01.084
[SPEAKER_00]: And now they play the playoffs against Minnesota.

45:01.204 --> 45:06.828
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, assuming they stayed in Minnesota, would you think that too?

45:07.288 --> 45:07.888
[SPEAKER_00]: They didn't leave?

45:07.908 --> 45:09.589
[SPEAKER_00]: Who are you talking about?

45:10.470 --> 45:12.431
[SPEAKER_00]: The Valkyries, they played the Minnesota links.

45:12.911 --> 45:15.613
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think that was, I think that was the plan was to stay there.

45:17.117 --> 45:25.802
[SPEAKER_00]: Like is that I feel like us covering the warriors they're a little bit older so I think we kind of get more into the scheduling of like okay, so here are the rest days here are the travel days.

45:26.822 --> 45:44.192
[SPEAKER_00]: I just wonder if that that that that that that seems pretty ideal of playing in you know in a way game and then getting to stay there and I'm just really wondering like Can not only have said in the locker room like we could treat this like a four game series this is game one and then now this Sunday is game two because they played them on the season finale like I think.

45:45.663 --> 45:49.746
[SPEAKER_00]: They need to hit threes, of course, have any type of chance they need to hit threes.

45:50.107 --> 45:56.511
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think Rupair might be the most important like is she playing or is she not that the Valkyries have had all season right now.

45:57.532 --> 46:04.458
[SPEAKER_00]: Because she just changes the the dimension of the offense, just being out there, drawing attention, only one to hit two threes.

46:04.478 --> 46:07.020
[SPEAKER_00]: How do I think she was the only one to hit a three last game?

46:07.700 --> 46:08.741
[SPEAKER_00]: They need to get it to her more.

46:12.907 --> 46:18.110
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought they played good defense against Minnesota and some of those in that open opening quarter and most of the game.

46:18.650 --> 46:29.796
[SPEAKER_00]: But Minnesota has a way of zip in the ball around that the Valkyries almost like their eyes like can't keep up with it and they're in their reaction time to like get to that spot is like You're just watching it happen because it's so fast.

46:30.256 --> 46:41.562
[SPEAKER_00]: I just wonder if not not only can set up any type of like zone coverage or you know just like here's what they do when we do this they do this they when we go here they they zip the ball around it and then that's always been

46:42.122 --> 46:44.884
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, they'll get an open shot or get a get an open layout out of it.

46:44.924 --> 46:46.325
[SPEAKER_00]: So how do we prevent that from happening?

46:46.345 --> 46:49.047
[SPEAKER_00]: Can we have someone positioned here prior to that?

46:49.107 --> 46:58.553
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I just all that stuff is like I think that's where the what the game is one is like she's just got to like, she's got to like out maneuver one of the greatest coaches of all time.

46:59.294 --> 47:01.075
[SPEAKER_00]: And she's going to win coach of the year this year.

47:01.095 --> 47:03.137
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm kind of like, I want to see it.

47:03.237 --> 47:05.238
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to see what she does and what she changes.

47:05.938 --> 47:10.161
[SPEAKER_02]: Natalie is the coaching version of

47:11.280 --> 47:17.400
[SPEAKER_02]: Janelle, in a sense, like you want to see Janelle and how she's grown, can she be your go-to score?

47:18.368 --> 47:23.352
[SPEAKER_02]: and she's growing as the season is going and so was Natalie and this is Natalie's moment.

47:23.392 --> 47:32.818
[SPEAKER_02]: Can you know, does she have something up her sleeve to inspire these teams and strategically to find holes in Minnesota that that nobody has?

47:32.858 --> 47:38.262
[SPEAKER_02]: And you know, I know Natalie's like, ah, I don't know, you know, who cares about these awards?

47:38.662 --> 47:42.545
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a whole staff kind of thing, which is the perfect thing to say, of course.

47:43.106 --> 47:43.326
[SPEAKER_02]: But

47:45.208 --> 47:59.412
[SPEAKER_02]: Natalie, I said at the beginning of the season, I said no matter what happens with the Valkyries, Natalie and I Cossay is gonna be a star to the Bay Area, because she's so good with media.

48:00.372 --> 48:06.514
[SPEAKER_02]: She's so good with how she coaches her team, a team where there's many young players, of course.

48:07.494 --> 48:09.875
[SPEAKER_02]: And the story of her and Veronica Burton,

48:11.392 --> 48:21.420
[SPEAKER_02]: And she, her telling Veronica Burton sort of like, you know, you're kind of the leader of this team or, you know, I need you to MF some of these people and run out because like, well, I don't MF anybody.

48:21.460 --> 48:23.601
[SPEAKER_02]: So I will get through to them in another way.

48:23.682 --> 48:35.330
[SPEAKER_02]: And so, you know, you have this dynamic with Natalie who, she has, you know, I'm sure she's had so many doors closed.

48:36.229 --> 48:43.092
[SPEAKER_02]: in her face because of her size, because of her race, because of a bunch of different things.

48:43.852 --> 48:58.017
[SPEAKER_02]: But for her to be on this stage in that all black with the sneakers on is just so amazing and if she could actually get a game out of the series,

48:59.044 --> 49:02.725
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, it's just gravy on top of what this season has been.

49:02.825 --> 49:06.886
[SPEAKER_02]: Because as we've seen with the Warriors, right?

49:06.906 --> 49:09.626
[SPEAKER_02]: And we always compare to the Warriors, because that's the other team in the Bay Area.

49:09.666 --> 49:21.089
[SPEAKER_02]: But when Steve Young joined the Golden State franchise, the one thing that's been constant in this entire run from 2015 until now, Steve Kerr,

49:28.872 --> 49:50.063
[SPEAKER_02]: Steph Curry like those are the constants and so you don't think of it that way in that the coach kind of is franchise defining but because Steve has been here for that long the players come and go sometimes but if you have that lead person at the head of the snake and that person stays with you that kind of becomes

49:50.783 --> 50:06.748
[SPEAKER_02]: What what your team is and we know that stuff and Steve Kerr are kind of tied together that their futures with the warriors are probably tied together like if staff whenever step for tires that's probably going to be the day that Steve Kerr stops coaching so Natalie herself.

50:08.295 --> 50:18.943
[SPEAKER_02]: is kind of the personality and DNA of this team, more so than even the players in a sense, because of how she stands in front of this team.

50:19.143 --> 50:28.170
[SPEAKER_02]: And so that whole thing is so fascinating to me, because I'm going to guess, we've never interviewed Natalie, we've only read the clips.

50:29.932 --> 50:35.636
[SPEAKER_02]: There's the story that that was out, I forgot, I read a bunch of stories this week, I don't remember who wrote it,

50:38.050 --> 50:43.993
[SPEAKER_02]: Just Smith and O'Hemma and kind of the building of this team and that aha moment of like, oh my gosh, it's really here.

50:44.073 --> 50:44.833
[SPEAKER_02]: What do we have?

50:46.094 --> 50:48.215
[SPEAKER_02]: They have a bunch of Natalie's is what they have.

50:49.175 --> 51:00.080
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'm sure that that was part of the game was we need to get players who kind of have the same personality type as our leader.

51:01.604 --> 51:03.484
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's just been the perfect recipe.

51:03.524 --> 51:06.745
[SPEAKER_02]: And you have the perfect chef to lead this team.

51:06.785 --> 51:15.787
[SPEAKER_02]: So that is ultimately, I think the biggest thing for this entire series for me is, what does Natalie have?

51:15.807 --> 51:19.308
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, what has she not done yet?

51:19.368 --> 51:20.768
[SPEAKER_02]: That she's been waiting to do.

51:21.389 --> 51:23.149
[SPEAKER_02]: And how does the team react to that?

51:23.169 --> 51:26.570
[SPEAKER_02]: Because if they do pull off a gay man, that is a giant story.

51:27.050 --> 51:30.031
[SPEAKER_02]: And it is just her way of putting her signature

51:32.769 --> 51:51.423
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm, I'm interested on who gets the Nefisa assignment because looking at the last game, like you, I think they had Charles on Courtney Williams, Courtney held to six points, played 30 minutes and they had Veronica Burton on Caleb McBride, Caleb McBride held to eight points in 30 minutes.

51:51.564 --> 51:52.504
[SPEAKER_00]: It was Nefisa who had 19.

51:54.437 --> 51:59.298
[SPEAKER_00]: So I wonder, I've seen them throw Temi, I've seen them third Janelle, like it's going to be one of those two.

51:59.338 --> 52:06.239
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm just wondering what they're going to start as do they throw Temi out or to keep Janelle on the help side coverage or to the opposite.

52:06.259 --> 52:13.961
[SPEAKER_00]: Because Bridget Carlton is where they can hide someone, because she's just a catch and shoot through point specialists.

52:15.521 --> 52:16.421
[SPEAKER_00]: So they're going to be able to hide,

52:24.480 --> 52:30.662
[SPEAKER_00]: Hmm, yeah, I guess I guess it's, yeah, I mean, it's all just relates back to the coaching stuff.

52:30.702 --> 52:34.883
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just interested on what they're going to set up here.

52:36.644 --> 52:43.946
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, man, but I think if they don't come out, and if game one isn't a game, it's audio switchachos, and two.

52:45.887 --> 52:47.127
[SPEAKER_00]: Game one has to be a game.

52:47.827 --> 52:49.808
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, I see it a little bit differently.

52:50.088 --> 52:52.369
[SPEAKER_02]: I think no matter what happens in game one,

52:54.477 --> 53:06.993
[SPEAKER_02]: Game 2 is just going to be that much closer because we've seen how they play at home and we've seen how the home crowd affects them, how the the experience at chase affects them.

53:07.234 --> 53:10.398
[SPEAKER_02]: Now this isn't San Jose, but they're doing things like they're

53:11.407 --> 53:15.489
[SPEAKER_02]: pulling the court from Chase and bringing it over to San Jose.

53:15.990 --> 53:21.093
[SPEAKER_02]: So they're going to try and replicate that scenario as much as humanly possible.

53:21.373 --> 53:29.398
[SPEAKER_02]: Because I think even if they get exposed in game one and it's like Minnesota turns it on, it's like no, this is our real team and you guys are still over here.

53:29.658 --> 53:32.920
[SPEAKER_02]: I still think game two is just going to be more competitive because of that.

53:33.380 --> 53:36.261
[SPEAKER_00]: But even the two will be a game came to will be a game.

53:36.361 --> 53:39.542
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just they lose by, you know, so they didn't lose by 20 last bite.

53:39.582 --> 53:42.782
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah, that could definitely be where they pull away in the fourth quarter.

53:43.202 --> 53:48.344
[SPEAKER_02]: Even even Brad host of Thompson, the clerk is checking us out said, let's go.

53:48.684 --> 53:53.125
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, the one thing about Brad is he saw the Las Vegas Knights.

53:54.045 --> 53:57.128
[SPEAKER_02]: in their first season get to the Stanley Cup finals.

53:57.629 --> 54:02.974
[SPEAKER_02]: So I think the stories of the Las Vegas Knights versus a brand new franchise.

54:03.194 --> 54:08.720
[SPEAKER_02]: I think I don't think the Las Vegas Knights were born and and created

54:09.340 --> 54:20.827
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, we're there next, a team that relocated, I don't actually remember that story, but that's the NHL version of this, right, which is they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season.

54:20.927 --> 54:24.189
[SPEAKER_02]: So if you are trying to look at historical,

54:26.436 --> 54:28.577
[SPEAKER_02]: historical comparisons or whatever.

54:28.597 --> 54:29.738
[SPEAKER_02]: That's that's the one to make.

54:30.718 --> 54:38.662
[SPEAKER_02]: So so ghost in the chat said you when I when I said curve stuff and dream on, he said, well, what about clay?

54:39.502 --> 54:40.783
[SPEAKER_02]: And I said, well, Clay's not here.

54:40.863 --> 54:46.766
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm talking about from 2015 until now, you can add Jolika to that by the way,

54:47.381 --> 54:56.783
[SPEAKER_02]: From 2015, when Kirk came here, until now, Curs on the mountain with Stefan Dramon, because he is still here, those guys are still here.

54:57.383 --> 55:00.564
[SPEAKER_02]: Clay has gone, Clay chose to leave, and rightfully so.

55:00.624 --> 55:01.945
[SPEAKER_02]: This is the right decision for him.

55:02.185 --> 55:04.205
[SPEAKER_02]: That doesn't take away what he meant to the franchise.

55:04.225 --> 55:06.446
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm just saying, who is still here with the team?

55:06.486 --> 55:10.527
[SPEAKER_02]: Now, Kirk is with Stefan Dramon, almost equally.

55:11.307 --> 55:15.628
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's what Natalie could be for this franchise, depending on how long she wants the coacher.

55:16.128 --> 55:17.489
[SPEAKER_02]: you know, WNBA.

55:17.769 --> 55:34.158
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know the rhythm of the league yet when it comes to coaches and such, but you know, if Natalie, I imagine, you know, if Natalie is running around San Francisco, you know, people are recognizing her and go, hey, drinks on me, you know, that kind of thing.

55:34.198 --> 55:37.540
[SPEAKER_02]: Like she's the star in this area, and I think it's very deserving.

55:38.431 --> 55:44.394
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, so your prediction is, I know your prediction is too embargoQ, mine is as well.

55:44.955 --> 55:47.916
[SPEAKER_02]: Ghost says it's too embargoQ the other way for the Valkyries.

55:47.936 --> 55:53.599
[SPEAKER_02]: He's predicting a Valkyries sweep that, and if he says not ready, and the Valkyries are going to shock the world.

55:54.460 --> 56:06.126
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, but let's, let's, I just want to quickly go through the rest of the matchups and just get your quick thoughts on who you think's going to win these series's Vegas and Seattle.

56:09.488 --> 56:12.630
[SPEAKER_02]: So Vegas wins two and and Seattle's Seattle's out.

56:13.291 --> 56:14.492
[SPEAKER_02]: What about the dream and the fever?

56:16.413 --> 56:17.714
[SPEAKER_00]: Two, two and barbecue.

56:18.675 --> 56:19.896
[SPEAKER_00]: Phoenix and New York.

56:21.337 --> 56:24.439
[SPEAKER_00]: That one has the only one that can go to three in my opinion.

56:24.539 --> 56:27.682
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think, I guess I'll pick an upset New York.

56:28.502 --> 56:35.084
[SPEAKER_02]: I will pick a New York upset too, but it's all on the idea that they're healthy and who knows, right?

56:35.324 --> 56:46.408
[SPEAKER_02]: Because, you know, I, I think I mentioned this on the show before, but you, you had a, you have a WNBA fantasy basketball league, and I was out with friends when the draft happened.

56:46.468 --> 56:55.211
[SPEAKER_02]: And so, you know, I'm trying to order dinner, and they serve me the giant, most giant drink of all time, and I'm trying to draft, and I mistakenly, I mean, I, I guess

56:58.220 --> 57:02.181
[SPEAKER_02]: I drafted Brianna Stewart and John Quill Jones as my first two picks.

57:04.421 --> 57:06.722
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't think they played 20 games together.

57:06.782 --> 57:09.503
[SPEAKER_02]: Like it's ridiculous how much they were hurt.

57:09.743 --> 57:12.863
[SPEAKER_02]: And then you add Sabrina in there who was hurt for the end of the season.

57:12.903 --> 57:14.544
[SPEAKER_02]: And Sabrina has been great this year, by the way.

57:15.004 --> 57:20.825
[SPEAKER_02]: So the idea of the Liberty beating the Mercury is all based on these players.

57:20.885 --> 57:24.046
[SPEAKER_02]: Being healthy, which has not been the story all season long.

57:24.066 --> 57:26.006
[SPEAKER_02]: So why are they going to be healthy during a playoffs?

57:26.107 --> 57:28.047
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know, but that would be the one where I think

57:29.013 --> 57:34.254
[SPEAKER_02]: I would look for the upside of the Liberty's Championship DNA to come out of that series as well.

57:35.175 --> 57:36.875
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.

57:37.035 --> 57:38.175
[SPEAKER_00]: MVP, who are you taking?

57:39.216 --> 57:41.656
[SPEAKER_00]: Each, I think that race has become a lot closer.

57:42.296 --> 57:45.537
[SPEAKER_00]: Like it was, it was for me, Nefisa, that's who I predicted to start the year.

57:46.817 --> 57:50.038
[SPEAKER_00]: And then she went down for a little bit and then Asia's team started winning like crazy.

57:50.078 --> 57:54.379
[SPEAKER_00]: So I went Asia and then Nefisa ends the year as the second player to ever to have a 50,

57:59.276 --> 58:06.645
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm going to stick with Asia because I think she's going to go down as the greatest player of all time.

58:07.606 --> 58:09.328
[SPEAKER_00]: No one has had four MVPs before.

58:09.388 --> 58:10.349
[SPEAKER_00]: She would be the only one.

58:10.369 --> 58:12.092
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's fitting.

58:12.612 --> 58:14.915
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think both are very deserving candidates.

58:15.015 --> 58:15.435
[SPEAKER_00]: I just think.

58:17.033 --> 58:24.696
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's by design that Asia's team relies on Asia more than the feces team relies on the feces team can win without in the feces more than Asia's team can.

58:24.757 --> 58:26.097
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think that's more by design.

58:26.297 --> 58:36.022
[SPEAKER_00]: Like in the feces, when she's on the court, like just all the right stuff happen, whether she's involved or not, like you said, Asia has to be way more like involved than it to have more of an impact.

58:36.482 --> 58:39.523
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm not saying there's a better way, I think.

58:40.564 --> 58:43.425
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think if Asia was on that team, I mean, they're,

58:45.167 --> 58:52.631
[SPEAKER_00]: they are drafting AZ foot in the draft and without an FISA Minnesota actually might be where the Valkyries are.

58:52.931 --> 58:54.792
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, and I'm not sure how much that should matter.

58:55.433 --> 59:00.655
[SPEAKER_00]: I've seen a lot of beatwriters say that they're going to FISA because they will always vote for the best player on the best team.

59:01.296 --> 59:03.837
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's the thesis of bringing a merchant said that and I respect that.

59:05.818 --> 59:08.580
[SPEAKER_00]: I just feel I feel like Asia's the best player in the league.

59:09.568 --> 59:10.771
[SPEAKER_00]: more important to our team.

59:11.291 --> 59:15.259
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's not like the two are far from each other.

59:15.299 --> 59:17.303
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I think they just is whooped.

59:18.542 --> 59:39.160
[SPEAKER_00]: Minnesota in their rate latest matchup or I don't know about whooped but but Asia had a way better game than a feces in a head to head matchup and I know that was you know one of four that have already happened I am sure Minnesota got the best of them in the other ones but it like we said the historic season or historic run the aces are on a crazy run right now and and I can only really look at it from like

59:39.740 --> 59:45.542
[SPEAKER_00]: when they made some of those changes that we talked about, we saw them play the Valkyries where like what the hell, like they can't beat them anymore.

59:46.003 --> 59:46.243
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

59:46.323 --> 59:54.066
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you take out Gustafson, you take out Stokes and you put in the Elizabeth Smith and Kirsten Bell and you have these bigs that can kind of move faster, like this is just a different team.

59:54.526 --> 59:57.567
[SPEAKER_00]: We said that from the jump and they have been outstanding.

59:57.667 --> 01:00:04.850
[SPEAKER_00]: So, if you can tell already, I'm not certain, but I'm gonna lean Asia.

01:00:06.451 --> 01:00:07.291
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm going the other way.

01:00:09.912 --> 01:00:35.732
[SPEAKER_02]: if Nefisa's team wasn't so dominant that and they had to play some closer games in this last quarter of the season because you know they're they're record of in the last you know 10 games or whatever isn't as good as how they were early they were able to coast a little bit and so I don't like disqualifying her or giving her demerits because her team was so good

01:00:36.370 --> 01:00:37.971
[SPEAKER_02]: because she's the biggest part of that.

01:00:38.211 --> 01:00:51.497
[SPEAKER_02]: So I would still lean, Nefisa, but Asia's having one of those seasons of like you guys like it's always the it's always the new hotness like don't forget about.

01:00:52.165 --> 01:00:55.727
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, it don't forget about me like that this that's what the season is about it.

01:00:55.847 --> 01:00:58.268
[SPEAKER_02]: It's amazing to see her like just keep doing it.

01:00:58.388 --> 01:01:16.655
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's I mean, that's greatness really, you know, talking about what Janelle the consistency like just having the consistency to dominate basketball games is that that is a star that is like your most valuable player in in the league.

01:01:17.215 --> 01:01:20.657
[SPEAKER_02]: So do we think Veronica's getting six or the most improved.

01:01:21.733 --> 01:01:24.055
[SPEAKER_00]: I think Veronica's getting most improved for sure.

01:01:24.816 --> 01:01:26.578
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's like all but certain.

01:01:27.639 --> 01:01:29.481
[SPEAKER_00]: And then Natalie's getting coach of the year.

01:01:29.521 --> 01:01:30.742
[SPEAKER_00]: I think both of those are locks.

01:01:30.762 --> 01:01:31.823
[SPEAKER_00]: So you can lock those in.

01:01:32.944 --> 01:01:34.826
[SPEAKER_00]: And then what do you think about all in VA?

01:01:38.069 --> 01:01:40.411
[SPEAKER_02]: Veronica has a chance to be the running for second team.

01:01:40.932 --> 01:01:42.213
[SPEAKER_00]: She has a chance for the second team.

01:01:42.293 --> 01:01:43.575
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's probably the.

01:01:44.563 --> 01:01:47.085
[SPEAKER_00]: longest shot out of all the rewards.

01:01:47.546 --> 01:01:50.569
[SPEAKER_02]: The number war super gaudy for Veronica.

01:01:50.589 --> 01:01:56.094
[SPEAKER_02]: So if people are just looking at statistics, she's not going to stand out in that way.

01:01:56.574 --> 01:02:02.940
[SPEAKER_02]: But if you have people voting who are watching Valkyrie's games and they see her effect on the court, that would be helpful.

01:02:02.960 --> 01:02:07.104
[SPEAKER_02]: But I kind of feel like she's going to lose out because she doesn't have those crazy stats.

01:02:08.430 --> 01:02:09.310
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm with you.

01:02:09.550 --> 01:02:12.191
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't, I think it's the most unlikely out of all.

01:02:12.211 --> 01:02:15.171
[SPEAKER_00]: I think there's five rewards awards that I think Valkyrie can get.

01:02:15.191 --> 01:02:17.972
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's one of the most unlikely ones.

01:02:18.012 --> 01:02:19.772
[SPEAKER_00]: But it would be crazy if she got it.

01:02:22.112 --> 01:02:25.533
[SPEAKER_02]: OK, so last question, and we'll get out of here.

01:02:25.673 --> 01:02:29.654
[SPEAKER_02]: And we'll sort of, we have to decide on what we're doing tomorrow night after Game 1.

01:02:31.094 --> 01:02:33.474
[SPEAKER_02]: I would just stay tuned to our YouTube channel.

01:02:33.754 --> 01:02:35.014
[SPEAKER_02]: We will definitely do something.

01:02:35.054 --> 01:02:36.775
[SPEAKER_02]: I just don't know the exact time yet.

01:02:39.860 --> 01:02:44.423
[SPEAKER_02]: There's a problem brewing in Chicago with one angel race.

01:02:45.743 --> 01:02:49.625
[SPEAKER_02]: Now we know that free agent, she's going to be crazy.

01:02:51.266 --> 01:02:58.110
[SPEAKER_02]: We don't know what's going to happen, CBA wise and how the free agency is going to shake out.

01:02:58.130 --> 01:02:59.110
[SPEAKER_02]: There's an expansion draft.

01:02:59.150 --> 01:03:02.732
[SPEAKER_02]: So there's a lot of question marks going into next season.

01:03:04.053 --> 01:03:07.435
[SPEAKER_02]: If angel race is like,

01:03:09.088 --> 01:03:11.349
[SPEAKER_02]: kind of like what Golden State is building.

01:03:12.450 --> 01:03:18.253
[SPEAKER_02]: Is she the type of player that you think that the Valkyries should add?

01:03:20.994 --> 01:03:22.935
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think she's incredible.

01:03:23.676 --> 01:03:25.657
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that a locker room fit.

01:03:28.939 --> 01:03:34.581
[SPEAKER_00]: I think she is like great and I think I think a lot of people don't understand

01:03:38.265 --> 01:03:45.589
[SPEAKER_00]: bad Chicago is compared to the rest of the league in terms of higher ups and like you don't have it.

01:03:45.649 --> 01:03:58.475
[SPEAKER_02]: They don't have a new facility that you know when you just franchise in general versus what Joe Lake up his try to build to give the Valkyries you know that the the best possible A plus franchise you could have in the WMBA.

01:03:58.936 --> 01:04:03.798
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so I feel like she's probably going to get labeled as a locker room cancer if she hasn't

01:04:07.820 --> 01:04:18.965
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, but I don't think that's totally the case here and I could see like just these personalities clashing and in golden state with angel being very

01:04:20.227 --> 01:04:31.494
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, just the way Angel is she's just she's unapologetically angel shadow to her podcast and then just kind of what the culture of the values of built I'm interested to see how that would like go I think it'd be great.

01:04:31.894 --> 01:04:33.555
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that she would make this team better.

01:04:33.575 --> 01:04:42.040
[SPEAKER_00]: I think she'd fit right in, but that would I guess would be where the question is if those personalities kind of mesh together on the court off the court.

01:04:42.060 --> 01:04:42.500
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm with it.

01:04:42.900 --> 01:04:45.742
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think it's likely the boundaries get her would be incredible if they did.

01:04:47.523 --> 01:04:52.664
[SPEAKER_02]: by the way, I'm just reading Noah Dalzel who writes for S.B.

01:04:52.704 --> 01:04:53.144
[SPEAKER_02]: Nation.

01:04:53.744 --> 01:04:54.785
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

01:04:55.145 --> 01:05:01.526
[SPEAKER_02]: And Noah's just posted the first and second team all WMBA.

01:05:01.666 --> 01:05:02.426
[SPEAKER_02]: And did she go Burton?

01:05:03.007 --> 01:05:06.007
[SPEAKER_02]: Jackie Young was the other guard.

01:05:06.527 --> 01:05:07.128
[SPEAKER_02]: Because she went

01:05:09.028 --> 01:05:14.712
[SPEAKER_00]: So just to close out like the most likely awards, Janelle's probably going to get a rookie team.

01:05:15.152 --> 01:05:16.213
[SPEAKER_00]: There's only one rookie team.

01:05:16.773 --> 01:05:20.076
[SPEAKER_00]: It's probably like a 50 to 60% chance Janelle's on that team.

01:05:20.816 --> 01:05:24.919
[SPEAKER_00]: And then what's more likely than that is Veronica gets second team on defense at least.

01:05:26.400 --> 01:05:27.521
[SPEAKER_00]: So that'd be great.

01:05:28.421 --> 01:05:28.581
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

01:05:30.382 --> 01:05:32.984
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, personally, I asked you about Angel.

01:05:40.984 --> 01:05:46.370
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, she's, she's kind of too dimensional because she's get three bounds, she can score in the post.

01:05:47.451 --> 01:05:53.138
[SPEAKER_02]: I wonder positionally how the vouchers would see her because they are a stretch five kind of team.

01:05:54.419 --> 01:06:11.303
[SPEAKER_02]: how does she fit in that offensive ecosystem would be great her and root pair would be great I would without it so you'd have you'd play the double bigs yes and have her close to the bucket and root pair extended out so you she would essentially be playing the four so then you slide Janelle to the three

01:06:13.205 --> 01:06:15.767
[SPEAKER_00]: I think Jenelle's going to need to be a three, like eventually.

01:06:15.927 --> 01:06:21.012
[SPEAKER_00]: Like you think about the best fours in the league, Nefisa, Asia, Elizabeth Thomas, Brownist Stewart.

01:06:21.412 --> 01:06:25.516
[SPEAKER_00]: Like Jenelle kind of sometimes seems like she gets kind of just out big by them.

01:06:26.157 --> 01:06:28.679
[SPEAKER_00]: And if she wants to be a four, she's got to hold up in those matchups.

01:06:28.859 --> 01:06:32.062
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, I mean, she's going to, she'll get stronger for sure.

01:06:33.122 --> 01:07:01.542
[SPEAKER_02]: As she gets older she'll she'll learn the physicality and and everything she just doesn't work with her back to her like she doesn't work Offensively like those players do like a more post oriented like she's kind of like likes to be perimeter and I think that I think that she's going to have to be a three and a four in this league So yeah, and then now I know we're looking really forward to this because it's not like I don't know if the warriors or the warriors if the Valkyries are interested in angel reefs or not, but I just know that name is out there and I was kind of thinking about it

01:07:03.381 --> 01:07:05.202
[SPEAKER_02]: You stay as you stay at two or three.

01:07:08.505 --> 01:07:09.305
[SPEAKER_00]: I think she's a two.

01:07:11.507 --> 01:07:12.147
[SPEAKER_00]: I think she's a two.

01:07:12.587 --> 01:07:17.631
[SPEAKER_00]: She's six foot six one would be the best shooter on the team tomorrow.

01:07:19.892 --> 01:07:23.155
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm going to say it to but she I mean, she has point guard like skills.

01:07:23.195 --> 01:07:23.795
[SPEAKER_00]: She's just tall.

01:07:23.835 --> 01:07:26.897
[SPEAKER_00]: She's just but so she doesn't like to call herself point guard.

01:07:27.017 --> 01:07:27.598
[SPEAKER_00]: But she has.

01:07:28.923 --> 01:07:34.086
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, one of the, should be one of the best ball handlers and probably the best pass around the team from day one and the best shooter.

01:07:36.188 --> 01:07:36.468
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.

01:07:36.548 --> 01:07:37.609
[SPEAKER_02]: No, that was, that was good.

01:07:38.729 --> 01:07:41.711
[SPEAKER_02]: We will be back tomorrow at some point.

01:07:41.751 --> 01:07:53.399
[SPEAKER_02]: Just check the YouTube page for the, uh, the schedule, but for this channel, um, and obviously the audio will be up very soon after, but for this channel,

01:07:54.532 --> 01:08:05.804
[SPEAKER_02]: We have, uh, we want winners Rod and I live streaming after the 49ers game against the Saints 49ers are in injury, it's injury season and it's only week two.

01:08:06.965 --> 01:08:15.574
[SPEAKER_02]: And then Brian, now we back Sunday night, so there's two shows tomorrow and then Monday.

01:08:16.545 --> 01:08:32.074
[SPEAKER_02]: Brad and I back for Thompson to Clark with this crazy giant steam that they they stuff two games against the Dodgers and they could very well lose those two games, but man to be a half a game back in the wild hard is a wild card race is nuts at this point based on all of the things that we've seen.

01:08:32.874 --> 01:08:38.918
[SPEAKER_02]: And then Wednesday, you and I were talking about trying to figure out how to watch that game live.

01:08:39.693 --> 01:08:49.711
[SPEAKER_02]: And then coming on immediately after that game, I think that's kind of the soft plan and what I would like to do is maybe with like five minutes left in the fourth quarter.

01:08:50.945 --> 01:09:01.772
[SPEAKER_02]: kind of go live and watch the last five minutes before we even start the show kind of like a little bit of a watch along leading into into the show.

01:09:02.213 --> 01:09:06.195
[SPEAKER_02]: So if we can do that schedules wise, we will try and do that.

01:09:06.215 --> 01:09:10.538
[SPEAKER_02]: And then obviously, of course, the audio will be in the podcast feed after that.

01:09:11.058 --> 01:09:13.080
[SPEAKER_02]: But all right, this was fun.

01:09:13.600 --> 01:09:14.441
[SPEAKER_02]: This season has been

01:09:15.327 --> 01:09:17.168
[SPEAKER_02]: just amazing fun for me.

01:09:17.288 --> 01:09:19.769
[SPEAKER_02]: So, and then doing the show with you as well.

01:09:19.809 --> 01:09:26.832
[SPEAKER_02]: And all the guests that we've brought on talking to you stay was, I haven't seen any interviews with her.

01:09:26.972 --> 01:09:28.913
[SPEAKER_02]: So we may have been one of the first ones.

01:09:30.174 --> 01:09:35.516
[SPEAKER_02]: And then Sabrina, like all of this stuff is Brian, by the way, doing the kind of the producing end of it.

01:09:37.077 --> 01:09:47.744
[SPEAKER_02]: getting the people involved with Sabrina and Richard Cohen from her hoop stats and Michelle Smith, of course, and the only one that I really did was my guy, Conrado.

01:09:48.385 --> 01:09:54.049
[SPEAKER_02]: And we'll bring Conrado back during the draft stuff because that's really where his forte is.

01:09:54.309 --> 01:09:56.730
[SPEAKER_02]: He's really into women's college basketball.

01:09:57.151 --> 01:10:00.573
[SPEAKER_02]: He wrote that preview that we talked about, which I ordered by the way, I ordered

01:10:06.597 --> 01:10:08.638
[SPEAKER_02]: because I want to support him, but I'll just send it to you.

01:10:09.118 --> 01:10:09.858
[SPEAKER_02]: So you might have it.

01:10:11.318 --> 01:10:23.882
[SPEAKER_02]: And yeah, it'll even be a fun off season because this is gonna be the first real off season that we have where we know what the Valkyries are and all of that stuff works out.

01:10:23.942 --> 01:10:24.622
[SPEAKER_02]: So, all right.

01:10:25.554 --> 01:10:26.415
[SPEAKER_02]: That is it from here.

01:10:26.955 --> 01:10:31.678
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll be back on Sunday evening, Monday morning in your audio feeds.

01:10:32.178 --> 01:10:34.259
[SPEAKER_02]: So for Brian, I am WG.

01:10:34.319 --> 01:10:36.020
[SPEAKER_02]: We will see you when we see you.

01:10:36.981 --> 01:10:38.702
[SPEAKER_02]: Peace out.