April 16, 2025 • 48 mins
On this episode of Full Circle, Lexie and Mariah share their draft reactions. They discuss the real steals of the draft, European players coming into the league, and the notable and not-notable transfers. They put some of the draft surprises in context, and Lexie reveals she’s preparing to throw some lobs.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Full Circle is an Iheartwoman's sports production in partnership with
Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hey yo, welcome back.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
To another episode of the Full Circle Podcast. We are
so excitedly yapp today.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Hey.
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Yes, hey girl, fresh off WMFA draft night.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
You look so cute. Yes, you looked good.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you, thank you. I had an amazing time. I
had a time, girl, It was so much fun.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh yeah, no, Well that's how we're going to start
the episode.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
You have to give us the recap because I was
traveling home from Mexico for the weekend, so I wasn't
able to go to New York and experience the draft.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
But you were there to experience for the both of us.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
So I would love to hear about your weekend in
New York.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Okay, recapping the draft. It was so much fun. I
feel like I went to the draft in twenty twenty
two and just to see how much it's changed. I
know we talk about this with every event, but the
draft of Particul it was at this place called the Shed.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
My brother told me it was a super bougie venue.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
They host really boogie events there, and it very much
gave that security was on ten. Okay, you could moved
nowhere without your wristband, your credential.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
This.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
That third, they were not playing at all and the
fans were loud like it was a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Okay, I'm glad you said that, because on TV it
was not giving that it was giving, it was giving dead.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Yeah, it's because they had the fans. Basically, all the
influencers and athletes and stuff were in the front closest
to the stage, and then Taylor Rooks was right behind
us where the influencers were sitting, and then the desk was.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Right by where the players were sitting.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
But I thought it was a miss because they put
the fans up in this balcony kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Where you couldn't really hear them.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah, they were going together up top. Couldn't hear them
at all. On TV, even when Page got drafted, it
was like crickets on television.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
But I'm glad you were there to like set it
straight that it was popping in there and it was
good energy.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I will say it was a little bit awkward in
the sense that I'd never been to a draft of
this magnitude. I haven't been to a draft since the
twenty twenty two draft, and that was very intimate. That
with the TV desk and us being able to hear
everything that they're saying.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
That was weird.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
That was weird, so weird.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
And then they would pan to the players that they
were talking about, Yeah, I agree with you, that was
a miss because why would you do that? They're talking
about how we're just gonna get right into this. The
way the draft was covered was odd to me. It
was very like weird. They obviously everyone knew page was
going number one. Okay, that gets ruined. For every draft,
(02:40):
the number one pick gets ruined. So it's up to
the people covering the draft to like leave some mystery
and excitement and ooh could they They could go this direction,
they could go this direction, they could go this direction. Basically,
what they were doing at the desk was telling us
who was about to get picked before the pick happened,
and then in the few occasions where that didn't happened,
(03:00):
they were kind of like, oh, who is who was
this person from Europe.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
That we didn't know about that much.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
So, speaking from the Seattle Storm player, our pick was amazing, incredible.
I think in any other draft, Dominique would have went one.
But I'm glad she slid to two and came to Seattle.
But I will say they were talking about her and
how the needs of Seattle were outside shooting, which we
no longer need that because we got some shooting in
(03:28):
free agency and trades. Then they wanted to talk about
how much how badly we needed Olivia Miles and how
she decided not to come out. Panned to Dominique, and
Dominique's like, Olivia Miles isn't here. Why are we even
talking about Olivia Miles? And then you panned in my face.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
She was like the fuck, Like and I missed that.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
In the crowd, I couldn't hear them because we had
to go up and do interviews after the first pick.
Their social circuit started, and so after the first pick,
I couldn't.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
We weren't even down there.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Yeah, it was like very awkward because like you were
getting live reactions of what they were saying at the
desk of the players, and I just thought that was strange,
and it.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Was so awkward in there.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
It was so because to do Yeah, I mean in
the girlies were like this group they were, like they're
so adorable and humble and sweet, and like it was
very refreshing to see them be nervous and like you.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
They're these like larger than live girls and players. They
are on all these commercials, they're on TV all the time,
but like you put them in front of a camera,
in front of all these people in the biggest day
of their lives, and they turn into these just like
really shy and humble girls and like, I really I
always love seeing that in big moments like that because
it happens to everybody, not just them. But the way
that they covered the picks were a little strange to me.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
It's cute seeing them all get all dressed up because
they're athletes and they don't do that all the time.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
We're used to seeing them.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Even when they're in commercials they put them in their
uniform and a ponytail, that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Outside of Page Who's.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Like on GQ, we don't really get to see them
dress up like that a lot.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Yeah, and it just it a.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And it's so cute because everybody's like showing off their
fit walking the carpet, and it's.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Everybody out of their zone.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
And everybody gets to show off their like personal style.
Now like when we were drafted, and even definitely before
I was drafted, it was like business casual, like be
very oh very playing Jane now like Kiky's outfit was gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I need you to clarify before back when you got drafted,
they were telling you what to wear.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
They didn't tell us what to wear, but you just
saw what they were wearing before you got there. So
I remember, like for my draft day. First of all,
I didn't get invited to the draft until mind you,
I'm a top ten player, top fifteen player in the country,
and I'm still like, am.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I gonna get invited to the draft?
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Like that was my mindset going into my c your year,
like yeah, I'm all American, but am I actually going
to get invited?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
So they officially invited me, like I would say, not
even ten days before the draft. So I am having
the conversation with my mom like Okay, what do I wear?
Like I don't want something too short, I don't want
something too tight. I don't want to like do the
most like but I was, I was.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
I was twenty three, twenty twenty three years old.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
I was like trying to still finding my personal style
because looking back at my draft pictures, the dress was cute.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
I would still wear the dress today, but like.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Yeah, cute, but I'm like, that's not giving draft night,
Like I should have like went crazier. I have my
little lubatons on, Like that was what I was most
excited about. I got my first pair of red bottom
heels for the draft, so I was like really excited
about that.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
But my hair and makeup looked a mess. But I
was just happy.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
You know. So seeing the girls every year now, like
they're like what, I don't care about no rules, no
dress code. If you line them all up and did
not have the context of the I don't know if
we would be able to figure out where they all
were going because they all were dressing so differently in
their own style. Yeah, so I'm like, Kiki looks like
(07:10):
an African queen, and then you have Page looks like
she's a rock star.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
So where are they all going? But they all looked
really good.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
But it was nice to see everybody having their like
personal styles.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Speaking of awkward interactions from the draft and the way
that it was covered, I feel like I'd never get
off Holly Roe's neck.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
But when Paige got off the.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Stage and Holly said, you just had your hand on
your heart because you were so emotional, I was like, Holly,
I think she's trying to stop her titty from popping out.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I don't think. I don't think her hand is on
her art.
Speaker 6 (07:44):
Or how about when she said, Georgia, I'm taller than you.
I've never been taller than a draft pick before. Like, hi, Okay,
biggest matter of her life, all her whole life, being
told she was too little to be a basketball player.
And this is the first thing you say to her
when she gets picked top ten of the WBA draft.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
It's oh, I'm nigger than you. Girl.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Also, it is not about you. It's not about you.
You really shouldn't be mentioned. Not about you.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Oh Holly, I thought we was gonna let her chill today.
But I should have known better than that.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
No, this is the first person who we get to
hear ask them a question after the biggest moment of
their life.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
I don't want to hear about you.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
No. You would think she would know that though, right girl.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Anyways, let's talk about some of the picks. So obviously
page one, number one, we knew that Dominique is a gem.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, I want to hear about how you feel.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
It's funny because I've been seeing people call her a
steal and I'm just like, she's number two, that's you're
not a steel number steal. But like I said, people
think she's a steal because she could one hundred percent
have been the number one pick in any in other drafts.
So I think she is very versatile, obviously athletic, super tall.
(09:02):
She's a baby though, so I'm very interested to see
how that transition works. She has been playing pro overseas
in France already, so obviously she has a pro game,
she has a pro mindset.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
I might be able to throw my.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
First lob in a game, which I don't think there's
ever been a lob thrown in a game in a
WNBA game, like there have been dunks.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
But I don't know this has to happen.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I don't know if there's been a lob, so if
it ain't, mean.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
It's gonna be Skyler and I said on Gills today
that I worked out with Javelle McGee before I went
to Nashville, and they had me throwing him lobs in
our workout.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
And it's not as easy as y'all think.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Throwing lobs is kind of hard, yeah, because the timing
has to be perfect. Yes, the timing has to be perfect.
And I'm talking like this like this is definitely gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Guys. This is just me being very optimistic here.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Okay, I'm not saying that a lob is gonna happen,
but if it does, I will be ready to throw one.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
So the key to throwing a.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Good lob, what I learned is that you have to
look like you're going to shoot a layup. You can't
be like, you can't like just throw it up, like,
because you got to get the defense to you know,
move over a jump. So if you're like looking and
you fin a lot like, yeah, sometimes some lobs work
that way. But like, the key to like a lob
that like you could potentially dunk on somebody is to
look like you're finna go shoot a floater or something.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
But really, it's a lot I need this to happen.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Yeah, if we had a lot, oh my gosh, the
internet might explode.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Explode.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Who else was I intrigued by? I think Dallas did
a really good job with their picks. I think that
they have a lot of scoring threats now to help Errique.
They did mention that she had like the most unassisted
baskets in the whole league, which is crazy, a crazy
stat for someone that led the league in scoring. Crazy
or was top three in scoring. I'm curious to know, like,
(10:43):
and I usually stay in the first like twenty picks
as far as like like conversation about who can come
in make an impact, not saying that anybody after that
can't make a team and make an impact, but typically
it's first rounders and a few in the second round
that really can come in and make an impact.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Ooh, and like the top twenty picks, do you think
is like the real steal.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
It's not Dominique and a Steel, so I wouldn't consider
her a steal, but like, I have a player in
my head, but I want to know who you think
is like the steal of the draft, the steel of
the draft.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Okay, well, I will say, now let's be real, they
are rebuilding, Okay, But one thing I wrote down is
that I thought it was really cool that the Mystics
did have three in the top six. I believe that
that's never happened before, or the second they were the
second team ever to have three in the top six,
and so I think that being able to culture build
(11:35):
like that all at the same time is really exciting.
Shout out to Georgia teeny tiny Georgia. I actually met
both Georgia and Kiki and interviewed both of them and
talking to them about their mindsets coming in and how
they want to change the game. I also think that
Kiki is going to be a star, but that's a
whole other conversation. But I think that that's really good
(11:59):
for them, that they need that, and I think that
it's good for them to be in a low stakes environment.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
So, I mean that's like ideal as a rookie to
come in with not high expectations, but also space to.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Develop and grow and play play. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
So I don't know if Yeah, like you said, I
don't know the last time there's been that many rookies
on one team, and that can be fun. So I
hope that there's like just there's a shift happening in
the w We'll get into this in a second. My
stal of the draft is Alia and I is how
you say her name from Alabama. So remember back when
I was talking about how there's not really any knockdown
(12:35):
shooters in college, she actually is one of them, and
that was my mistake for not acknowledging her because she
can shoot her ass off. So a team in Vegas
that desperately needs outside shooting, I think she was a
great pick for them, and she has great size, and
I think she shot like forty five percent from three
this year, broke the Alabama single season record for may threes.
(12:58):
So she's my deal of the draft and shout out
to her because you know me, I love a shooter.
So she's my still the draft, and she was picked
thirteenth overall.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Especially since there isn't that many of them because as
we were talking to I think we're talking to Diamond
about this about how shooters are few and far between.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Now, yes they are, and she is one of them.
And again, like I said, she has great size, so I'm.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Excited for her.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
I think this is a really great, well rounded class.
There's not really a need for anybody to come in
and make like a huge impact, like taking over the organization,
which I think is good for them. They can just
come in and be themselves and find a nice role.
I think I'm like very excited just to see how
this Dallas team shakes up, because they did have a
(13:47):
lot of.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Change to bring them up.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Yeah, so I mean, new coach, new GM, new practice
facility coming in twenty twenty six, a new basically faced
obviously Marique, but the new generation typeface.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
It's going to be very interesting.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
And them two together, them two together.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
And you know what has kind of been annoying me
is the complete lack of conversation around Maddie secret And
if anybody watched her in college, they know that she
can put the ball in the basket. If anybody watched
her and Athletes Unlimited the last two years, they know
she could put the ball in the basket. So the
fact that they don't even mention her in this three headed,
(14:26):
four headed offensive monster that they're building in Dallas, which
for her, that probably benefits her because now she just
can come in and bust ass and never it's going.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
To be like, what the hell, that's exactly what.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
But I've watched Maddie up close and personal the last
two years and Athletes Unlimited, and I really want her
to do well in w and I want her to
have an opportunity to showcase her scoring ability because it's
very elite and people are not giving her any credit
for it. She led the nation in scoring in college
her senior year at Villanova.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Well, the beautiful thing about that is that she's going
to Number one, have a lot of eyes on her
this year because of that, So an opportunity to make
a name of herself.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Number two.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Listening to Paige talk to Taylor Rolks about how her
expectation for the season is a lot of us is
she's gonna have Yeah, absolutely, I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
I Mean, it's funny talking about other teams that I'm
excited to watch because I'm like a competitor as well.
But I also like just love basketball and I love
good basketball. So moments like this, like do get me
excited for the season because it's going to be fun
and it's a season that I'm actually going to be
able to have participate in at one hundred percent, which
I haven't been able to do in the last two years.
(15:38):
So yeah, Now I also have a new appreciation for
our seasons because two of mine were taken away from me.
So I'm just like, I'm ready to go I'm ready
to play, I'm ready to have a good time.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
This summer is going to be lit. So the changes
that I was.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Mentioning prior is that we've never seen a team like
that young before, like they're doing in DC, and we
see it a lot now in the NBA. You know,
you see a team they build their core, their young core,
and it either works or it doesn't work, but you
get to like grow with them and they get to
stay together and build, and that typically doesn't happen in
the WNBA because the turnover is so rapid. But I
(16:17):
also will mention that the amount of European players that
have been drafted in the last two years has been
very interesting to me.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
That was going to be my question to you.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I want to know your opinion on what the Valkyries
have going on.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
I mean, it looks like Natalie over there building the
euro All Stars like she I know her. She has
a plan, and it was only a matter of time
before the European players actually started coming over here and playing.
And we had we had talked about that when Connecticut
hired the European coach, Like okay, so now we're getting
(16:56):
some European coaches as head coaches. So now does that
mean that more European players are going to follow suit?
And it's just been for so long, it just has
not been worth it to them to come over here
on a rookie contract, potentially leave money on the table overseas.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Leave home.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
It's just like a lot of hoops you got to
jump through to come over here for seventy grand. So
that probably was a reason why we weren't seeing so
many players coming over. But with this new CBA, I
can predict that more players.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Are going to come over, but they can come over younger.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
So we always have this conversation and now everybody's talking
about lower the age one and done. If young European
players start coming over here and taking spots, they're going
to have to change the rule.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
They're going to have to have to So I don't
know if.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
This CBA that's going to change, because we have to
see that happen European players actually coming over because they
draft a lot and then a lot of them don't
even come over, like some don't even come.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Over at all.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
But that's a draft spot that you use on a
European player that you could have used on a US
college player. So I'm very interested to see how this
shakes out because we see what the Euros did to
the NBA, to that shit over low key, So I
don't and.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
It's because they are coming from a background of playing
professionally already. So that's what we saw with the NBA
where Luca Joker. They come in and they already have
this experience under their belt as a professional, Whereas I
do think that college basketball is really competitive, especially on
(18:35):
the women's side, but it's different.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
You're treated like a pro, You're getting paid to do this.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
You're around women who you're competing with for a spot
who need that spot to eat because it's their job.
So it's you're coming in with a whole different set
of mindset, and it's like that grit and grind of
coming from another country and being like, I'm not playing
with y'all.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Yeah, I mean, in college it does hinder players. It does.
Like your job in college.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Is to win games for the university. Your job in
college is not to prepare your onet potential WNBA player
to become a WNBA player. That player has to put
in the extra work on their own and anybody who's
made it to the league understands that, like, yes, there
are skills you build there, there's concepts you learn, team
concepts and things that you learn from your coaching staff
(19:21):
and being around your teammates, but that extra work is
what's going to set you apart. So now you know,
we talked about it with Diamond, like when do these
girls have time to do any of that?
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Yes, that was gonna be the next thing I brought up.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
They don't have time to live in the gym as
much as they should, especially not as much as the
actual professional girls that are in Europe, and they're getting
paid to already live in the gym.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
So right when you have you have a twenty.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Year old, super skilled high IQ player who you know
is going to work really hard because that's the environment
they're already in. Or you have the twenty three year
old American player that I don't know how she's how
our game is going to tryranslate to the pro level.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
They're gonna start picking them.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Oh hold on, I just got to ask you this
real quick, boy, because everyone's raving about it. Why did
do you think Sadona Prince didn't get drafted?
Speaker 4 (20:20):
Oh gosh, see, I wasn't trying to get into that
no details.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
If you know, you know why Sedona didn't get drafted.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
But also as the basketball mind in me, you are
twenty four, twenty five and six, however tall she is,
and you're not dominant as dominant as you.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Should be at that age in size.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
So again going back to the conversation of picking the
younger European players versus the older college players, it's the
same thing. They gonna pick the younger, more dominant players
in college over you, and then you have a lot
of outside things affecting your life and that could potentially
affect the league as well.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, that's what I wanted you to speak too, because
I feel like that Obviously, everybody knows the chatter that's
happening on social and whatever the other stuff, but I
feel like there is a really big basketball aspect to this,
and I think a lot of people ignored that because
her name was such a hot button topic, But there
are a lot of reasons on the court why it
(21:29):
didn't make as much sense.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
I do hope that people who have a dream.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
And want opportunity to get their opportunity, and there there
are opportunities, I suppose, But I wanted you to speak
to the basketball aspect, because I feel like a lot
of people who just tune in don't know about that.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
I'm abo's a look up her stats right now.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
I think seventeen and nine because yes, we don't know allegations,
all that other stuff going on. Okay, like that is
obviously extremely problematic, especially coming out of college and coming
into a league that is now on the up and
up for the first time and like forever. So that's
a very unfortunate situation for all parties involved.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
But it's a business at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
So this year she averaged seventeen points nine rebounds, which
was a wait, I know, look at you, which was
actually a decline from last season. And you can blame
that they brought in Hailey Vanlyt, But Hailey vanleft did not.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Take away any of sit downa princess shots.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
She doesn't shoot any threes and she blocks she blocks shots.
So yes, herr her numbers at her age weren't super
stellar at her size, she's six seven, and then her
body of work is like average for someone that's six
to seven. I did think maybe a team would be like,
you know what, We're gonna take a chance on her
da da da da. But I also was like, no,
(22:51):
there could be like teams would be like, no, we're
not doing that, and that's what they decided. So if
if she doesn't even get a training camp deal, then
and I know for a fact it's because of the
off court stuff for them to not even like break
their in and give her an opportunity, I'm going to
say it's because of the off court stuff.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
So if there's anything if there's anything I've learned about sports,
it's that the higher the talent is, the.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Higher the toleration is okay for different kind of bullshit.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Yes, it's just the truth.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
I'm not condoning it, but it's the truth. And so
I feel like it's a mixture and a melting pot
of things. But I do wonder how things will be
different if the talent, if this were a top talent,
you know what I'm.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Saying, We don't know.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
She also gets injured a lot, yes, which is.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Why the body of work, which is why the body
of work is in great three different schools, two big injuries,
long time in college or one of the oldest players
in the draft.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
It's risky.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Yeah. So yeah, So I mean I feel like a
lot of people are like, ha, like it's not there's
nothing funny about this situation. It's kind of sad actually,
but hah.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
In favor of those people alleged victims of that situation,
isn't it's not funny.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
It doesn't do anything for women's basketball.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
It doesn't do anything for the league, it doesn't do
anything for those victims, it doesn't do anything for anyone.
If anything, it's a sad situation for all involved, and
not what the light we want to put on women's
basketball right now. I just wanted to make sure that
we shed light on the basketball aspect of things, because
it was such a hot button issue and everybody was
talking about it and it was such a trending thing,
(24:26):
all of them really like huge videos that I saw
today that were commentary about it. We're talking about that,
and I felt like they didn't really have context.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Yeah, so I thought it was important for.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Us at context.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, this
is a basketball draft for a basketball league. So but
it didn't surprise me. I wasn't surprised when her name
and they get called. But you were not, No, I wasn't.
I was surprised. Really, Yeah, I was really surprised.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Just because I don't know, maybe it's because just.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
With sports, that's how it usually is, Like it's morets.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
It's like I also kind of saw the writing on
the wall with all the attention TC was getting in HVO,
and they kind of just weren't mentioning Sedona at all.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
And then when the season ended, it just was like all.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
HVO like, but she dropped like four points in their loss.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Yeah, she went out on a bad note.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Yeah, so it's like every opportunity she had to like
get herself back in the door, she didn't. So like
you already was on the outside, Like, let's you already
were not in the door, so you had opportunities to
get back in and you didn't.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
So and then not everybody deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
And that's just the way it is sometimes, and I
think that's the way the WNBA was looking at it.
But I mean it's not a forever thing, you know,
all this thing, all this stuff could get cleared up
and whatever, and then she could get signed another another time.
She can go over season play like her career is
not over. So no, you know, if she really does
want to play. She will be able to play somewhere.
(25:57):
She's six seven.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Sorry, it's just not right now.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
I really wanted to talk to you about the gap
between college season and the WNBA season and what could
be done about that, because even as somebody covering the sport,
this is my first year going from covering the WNBA
last year into covering the college season, into covering the
WNBA again, like that trifecta, and so experiencing that break
(26:23):
as a person who's just covering the sport, like, oh,
let me get my draft content out by Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Because the season's going to start. It stressing me out.
I could only imagine.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Being a player moving to a new city that you
don't even know where you're moving yet yep until draft night.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Ye is crazy. What could be done about that?
Speaker 3 (26:40):
The season would have to get pushed back.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
I mean, I think that's the only solution, and I
just don't know if that's possible, because then it would
I mean, we're already overlapping with the playoffs, So I'm like,
would we rather not overlap with the playoffs and overlap
with the beginning of the season, And to me, that
makes a little bit more sense. But then we're gonna
be overlapping with the NBA and NFL. So I don't
(27:05):
know if that the timing of it would ever work
in our favor.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Overlapping with the NBA's beginning of the season. Honestly, I
feel like works in the w's favor because nobody really
watches that shit the MNBA at the beginning of the season.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
But it's the NFL that's scary. But at the same time,
the NFL only comes.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
On once a week.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Yeah, there's win a game game week. So just we
went Sundays.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
I mean, Sundays are a big day for us for games,
that's true. So I feel like the timing they would
have to like really look into, like the TV slots
and all that kind of stuff as far as the timing,
But yeah, I mean they just gotta suck it up
like the rest of us did.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
And the TV contracts are a big thing.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
Yeah, and everything is already like set in stone, like
it's very it would be very hard for us to
like change the time of our season, but I still,
I mean, yes it is. It's a very violent jump
and change. So yeah, I go to Seattle on Sunday.
I'm sure that most of them won't come into market
until a few days before camp. I had to take
(28:08):
my finals two weeks early. I couldn't even move out
of my apartment. My mom and friends how to move
my stuff out of my college apartment for me because
I didn't have time to. So, yeah, there is a
level of planning that like optimistic planning, because you're like,
all right, I'm gonna get drafted, so let me start
preparing for my finals a little bit early.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
Let me start packing some of my stuff up.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
That in il money.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Different for those that it applies to that must real help.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Yeah, like y'all, y'all good now, Like I don't really want.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
To hear it.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
They got assistance doing that.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
I'll y'all are paying movers to move from your fully
furnished three bedroom apartment that you have.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
They're like, shout out to the Peach Moving company.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
Exactly, we gonna see it what We're gonna see it
very soon. The last thing about the draft is I
do want to shout out Haley vandlydth. Her redemption arc
was completed, so I'm very happy for her. Like same
her face when her name was called, it was just.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Like relief, like that was beautiful. It was so nice
to see.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
And I like that she's going to Chicago.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Yeah, I mean she's going somewhere where she's needed. So
they need a backup point guard and they need a
score another scoring guard. So she's going to learn a
lot from Courtney Vander salute.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
If you haven't noticed that.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
In the WNBA and other sports, I feel differently about
where players I'm a fan of getting draped where I
would prefer.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Them getting drafted.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
In the w I feel like it's beneficial as far
as what I've learned from you to get drafted into
a situation where you're really needed, because then that allows
you to have more space to learn and to grow,
and to get playing time and to get one on
one time with the coaches and the players to value
you more.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
So I would prefer that.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
I feel like, if I was a player, this is
like the first draft that I've seen. I'm looking at
the drafts right now, one through twelve, first round where
I feel like every player is exactly where they should
be as far as environment, fit and what they're going
to be able to learn and do in their rookie year.
And you don't typically see that sometimes you see a
(30:13):
player get drafted and you're like they're never going to
play or yeah, that's not going to work, And I
don't feel that way about this draft, and like that's
really that's really positive, that's really good.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
That's something that we've talked about a bunch is in
this new era of the WNBA and moving into this
higher viewership, whatever situation that they're in, it is important
to allow these rookies to have an opportunity to actually
be successful. And like you said, you were in a
situation where your vets didn't even really fuck with you
(30:46):
like that, Like that's how that doesn't allow any sort
of growth. And that's thank god you overcame that and
you're still thriving.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
But not everybody has that grit or that level of competition,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
So it's good to see that they are trying to
put them in the right situations to succeed.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
I mean, it's necessary because everyone always complains about that
gap between like why is there a drop off of
retention between college and WNBA. It's because the college players
get drafted and then you don't see them again for
two years because they can't get on the court. So
I think it's a good thing that these rookies are
gonna be able to come in, and the rookies from
last year even were able to come in and make
(31:25):
their impact early and keep their fans engaged and bring
more fans to the w which is also why I
think it's a good thing that W players are at
the Draft too. Like, I feel like the WNBA the
last love that three years have like really gone into
overdrive of bridging the gap of college and W players,
because I don't remember even speaking to a single W
(31:48):
player until I got to training.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Camp and they were all interacting.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
It was super cute doing the little photo things together.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
And yeah, like I think it's so important that there's
a relationship build between pro players and college players.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Whether the college players are.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Going to be in the WNBA or not, there's still
basketball players and we're still one giant family. So I
think it's really good that the gap is lessening, and
it's been good to see and there's that there's been
like an effort put behind that of putting these W
players in these spaces at the Final Four and at
the Draft and at All Star. You know, I had
(32:24):
there was college players at All Star, Like I when
I was in college, that was not even on my radar, like, oh,
let's go to w NBA All Star.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I was like, they don't want me. Why Why what
am I going to?
Speaker 4 (32:34):
Why am I gonna go to w BA All Star?
But like, why wouldn't we go to w NBA All
Star in college like that? If that's your goal, like
you should want to be immersed and surrounded by that
kind of stuff. So it's been really nice seeing the
w NBA like embrace the college players, and then the
NCAA and college like embracing the w players more and
building that relationship and report earlier because I think that's
(32:57):
very important.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
And one thing I really learned doing this show with
you and learning more about the real issues that WNBA
players face and not the fake ones like oh y'all
are broke and a shot changee like now. But I've
learned about having opportunities when you retire as well, because
you put all this time and this effort into being
a WNBA player and being the best basketball player you
(33:19):
can be, and it's not like the league can just
throw you away when you retire. And that being said,
seeing for example, Rikia was hosting the red carpet. I
believe things like that putting WNBA players in those roles.
I some media people get mad at that stuff and
they're like, that should be a journalist.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
I love the idea.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
Of WNBA players being in those roles because number one,
y'all speak each other's language. Number two, that gives you
media experience to do the Chiney pipeline sort of situation
or do what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
So I think it's good.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
I mean, no disrespect.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
I'd rather have players doing that than random influencers that
don't know anything.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
About basketball or.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Agreed one percent.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Yeah, So I think the pairing of the media members
and the athlete and then ultimately the athlete becoming a
media member and then they can get paired with, you know,
a player, a current player, Like I just feel like
it could be like a really cute little cycle that
we got going on.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
So, speaking of the media and that, because you you
basically are you're a player, but you kind of are
a media member.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
You toll on that line.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Yeah, but but me and my brother said this to me,
shout out to my brother a man with a brain,
and it really.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
It really blew my mind.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
So he said if there are so many men that
cover women's sports like the WNBA. Obviously we have that
desk of the Big three, but outside of that, it's
a lot of men.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
There's an overwheming amount of men.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Why aren't there more women in those spaces with men's sports?
Speaker 2 (34:55):
You get what I'm saying, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Why is there that disconnect where it's like, Okay, they
can come in and they can coach our sports, and they
can be our GMS, and they can be our media,
And it's why can't that?
Speaker 4 (35:05):
Yeah, I think there's been a lot more women in
these spaces since I've been there before. Football is probably
the only sport where I'm just like, women who cover
football are They've impressed me very much because women don't
they know they yeah, and they have to know it
because they literally we don't literally play football like that.
I mean they have like lingerie league, flag football, they
(35:29):
have that, but like they can't like professionally play.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
Like in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
But women at times that didn't play women can play football,
so let me start there. But like they don't have
the accolades of like being in the NFL kind of
like how we have WNBA NBA. Honestly, I think that
it just takes time. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
The reason why my brother said maybe think about that
is because if any women make the most sense, even
more since than somebody like me to be in those spaces,
it is other professional basketball players that have that IQ
and know their shit. So I think Candice is more
than qualified to be in that qualified.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
That being said, I like seeing those opportunities happen for
the w players at the draft early in their careers
so that they can build that repertoire and there is
more of y'all in those roles.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Yah.
Speaker 4 (36:20):
I don't want to talk too much about college today
because of the WNBA Draft, but there's some like big trend.
There is like some big transfer news that happened between
our last episode and now, so we gotta get into
some more of these transfer things. So since last week,
had Olivia or Olivia had already.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I don't know if we spoke about the fact that
she chose to.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
She chows TCU, and obviously we know why she chose TCU,
But if we're going to take the money off the table.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
I'm just like, there is a hole for her there.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yeah, but I'm like, why, Like, obviously money, yes, we
get that, but I'm like, you went down is one
of the greatest to ever play a Notre Dame.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
I'm not going to no school that was hosting open
trials last year. I'm sorry you saw I can find
the money.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
So I honestly did not even peep the entire season
until the tournament how many players they had on that bench.
And those players obviously were told by that coach for that.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
Year, we bringing in these older girls.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
They're gonna get their last year in and y'all can
just sit and cheer and clap for the year, and
then next year, y'all can get your spots back. That's
what it looked like from the outside. Look again, because
they had like twenty girls on that bench. To now
Lat's into South Carolina. I was not surprised by that
at all. She wants a chance to win a championship.
So now now we're ring chasing in college, like now
(37:44):
that's where we are.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
That is so crazy.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
I never even thought I've complained about it a lot.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
We're at ring chasing like we're getting the back, like
we're gonna have players in college now that are gonna
get the bag and then ring chase or ring chase
and then get the bag. So now we have Latson
to South Carolina. When that happened, I knew Malaysia was
out of there. Now you have the one with the
ring already. Now she's trying to go get a bag.
(38:10):
So when Latson decided to go to South Carolina, I said, oh,
Malaysia for Wiley is out of there. And I personally
am very happy that she's out of there because I
was tired of seeing watching her sit on that damn bench.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
I'd about to say she didn't get she didn't get
the playing time she deserved in the championship, for sure.
Speaker 4 (38:29):
She didn't get the playing time she deserved her whole
entire two years of being there. Like, she's so talented,
And yes, I understand Team Sport South Carolina. They play
a certain way, they play a certain style, and it's
one game. So I understand that nineteen minutes per game
(38:51):
that was what she was playing this year, not even
eighteen point nine minutes, eighteen point four minutes last year.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
No, yeah, it's time.
Speaker 4 (38:58):
I thought she was going to leave after last season. Honestly,
I was very surprised that she stayed. They want to
try to run it back. I get it, trust me.
But you have your two leading scores coming off the bench.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
I've never seen that before.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
I was gonna ask.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
You where you think would be a good fit for her,
But she probably gonna be at Biyu or some shit
like that because they gonna give her a million dollars.
Speaker 4 (39:21):
I mean, for me, she's under so she's one of
Steph's girls. So I'm like, I try to narrow it
down to under armour schools.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
Oh you're so smart.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
So Maryland is at the top of my list for her,
Notre Dame Auburn.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
But we'll see where she goes. She literally can probably
go anywhere she wants. Who else transferred? Almost UCLA's entire
team is leaving well.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
I think part of that is the lifestyle of playing there,
with all that travel and bullshit, and like they then,
when I was on Tampa, I was like, this is
a fucking mess, Like I feel like a California Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
Me getting to Tampa was annoying from La M so
I can. Even when I was at Maryland when we
were doing our big ten flights, they weren't that long,
but they were too long for me.
Speaker 3 (40:12):
I was like, I don't like this.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
This is four hour, three hour, four hour flights. Sometimes
you don't want that.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
And the way they crumbled, I will be out of there.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
Too, crumbled. They got their whooked.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Cody McMahon from Ohio State was another surprising transfer, but
not so surprising because I remember her freshman year she
was like next up, and then last year she kind
of her numbers were still impressive, but like no one
was really talking about her because Big Juju came into
the Big ten and yeah, and UCLA kind of ran
(40:44):
the table.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
So she's at ole miss now. So like I said,
everybody go and flock to the SEC.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
I'm telling you that the SEC is about to be
a month.
Speaker 4 (40:56):
It's gonna be ACC team's gonna be looking like Juco teams.
They gonna have to probably go in and start getting
more Juco players now. And like these poor high school kids,
like the real losers and all this are the high
school kids.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Yeah, that it does suck, but as I mentioned before
that CEC is also the only conference I feel like,
correct me if I'm wrong that isn't really impacted by
shitty travel at all as of right now.
Speaker 4 (41:23):
Yeah, it's true, they're like the only ones that like
have their shit together.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
And all the money.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Yeah, so why would you not try to go there?
Speaker 4 (41:32):
So, I mean, I guess money wise, it would make
sense for Malaysia to stay in the SEC. And so,
I mean, she plays well in it. It suits her
style of play. So I'm very excited to see where
she ends up. Who else transferred? First of all, the
announcements of not transferring are sending me.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
Girl, we didn't know. The announcements of not declaring for
the draft.
Speaker 4 (41:57):
When we didn't think he was declaring anyway are sending me.
But okay, I guess that's what we do now. Flage
had to say that well because everyone else but like
not a single soul on earth thought that she was
leaving college or no that knows anything about Nil and
wnba in anything like. When she made that announcement, Yes,
(42:18):
I think it was to appease the rumors because they
were weird, because y'all see, like what she's doing in college,
and all y'all preaches, oh, Stan, it's cool, stay in school,
make money, and then the most money making player, y'all
are like, oh, she's gonna leave, Like what what are
we talking about? Y'all are contradicting yourselves. No, she's not
gonna leave.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
But do you think with the nil situation going back
to Olivia, so with her being injured hannah On come up,
do you think that that played a role possibly in
her wanting to leave Because in the Nil era, as
we've talked about before, it does pay to be that girl,
and I would assume it could help your draft. Me
(43:00):
look at HVL, it does help you in the draft
as far as going somewhere and making a name for
yourself and getting your numbers up and filling a hole.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
So I could see why she would want to do that.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
Yeah, but it was weird because they played very well
together and then suddenly it did not look good anymore.
So something there's something that happened with that Notre Dame team,
and it'd be like that. Sometimes that's sports. That's someone
getting hurt, someone being ready for their opportunity, and dynamic
shift and dynamics change, and like that's not anything abnormal.
(43:35):
It could have one hundred percent be like a non
malicious thing. Sometimes like things that team dynamics just change.
They've lost Sonya Citron and Mattie Westpell, who are like
pillars of that Notre Dame team and those are those
are Olivia's girls, Like those are who she came in
with and stuff. So she probably was like, let me
get out of here because I'm going to be by
(43:55):
myself here, so.
Speaker 3 (43:57):
Yeah, let me go get a bag real quick.
Speaker 4 (43:59):
So yeah, I mean not noteday team that they're gonna
look very different this year. And yeah, and now it's
Hannah Hildogo's team. It's her shit now officially, So in
that aspect, I'm excited for her because she has a
lot to prove because the end of their season was
not very good in our expectations. Like I think in
(44:19):
the grand scheme of a season, they had a very
successful they had a very successful season, but based on
the expectations that were set.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
The way they were hyped out up until like.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
A month before the tournament started. Guys, we're about to
get into the w season.
Speaker 4 (44:44):
Like in it, y'all are going to be inside of
the WWA season that's never been a thing before.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
I'm excited to I'm like going into this situation. Erica
Wheeler also has a podcast.
Speaker 4 (44:58):
So like, I don't feel like I'm just the only
one yaping away on the team, which is good.
Speaker 3 (45:03):
We have like a lot of.
Speaker 4 (45:04):
Mature veterans that you know, know how to handle themselves,
and I'm excited to learn and just be led.
Speaker 3 (45:12):
Not saying I'm not a leader, but it's gonna be
a nice change to just be like, la la la
la la. What do y'all need me to do, I'm
gonna do it. So yeah, I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
I think this was a great week for women's basketball,
great week for the WNBA, A great weekend. I think
the Final four Draft, it's all been like really good
and the momentum is still going.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
It's still momentum.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Well, I hope our momentuming.
Speaker 1 (45:38):
I hope that our Yukon girls get some rest because
they've been on a press tour because I didn't really
think about the fact.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
That Kaitlin lost so she didn't have to go.
Speaker 1 (45:48):
Do Good Morning America and all that extra shit. I mean,
obviously she had to like really speak for herself and
whatever and do interviews or whatever, but and still does.
Speaker 2 (46:00):
But it's not on the same level as you have.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
To do a parade and you have to do Good
Morning America and you have to do Jimmy Fallen and.
Speaker 3 (46:05):
Did any of the did South Carolina get on any
of these things. Last year. I know we keep going
back to this, but it like hurts my soul.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
I remember seeing Camilla do she did the drive through
like the Canes drive through shit.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
But that's I remember seeing her a lot.
Speaker 4 (46:22):
Yeah, but not Jimmy fallon Good Morning America. Right, No,
because even Kaitlin gone on Jimmy Fallon.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
No, I don't think that any of them are.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
Oh Don.
Speaker 3 (46:34):
That the press too was done done?
Speaker 4 (46:37):
Like I told you, everybody, everybody in Tampa, who are
room for South Carolina?
Speaker 2 (46:43):
Why I love Don? I love Don?
Speaker 3 (46:46):
Yes, I love Don too, But can we love the girls?
Speaker 2 (46:49):
Please?
Speaker 3 (46:49):
We love Don? We get it, everybody loves Don.
Speaker 4 (46:52):
She's just such a lovable, amazing person. But damn, can
we love on the girls please? They deserve it. They
deserve it anyway. Oh yeah, shout out to Briha and
Pow Pow and Fagan Sonya three game cocks drafted last
night or yeah, last night, so shout out to Shout
out to Calculations, showing them love that we always say
(47:13):
that they don't get shown, so we must show them
the love here.
Speaker 3 (47:16):
But flowers, we haven't been giving flowers.
Speaker 4 (47:19):
We've been forgetting so flowers for the day are going
to go to all players that were drafted last night.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
It's a beautiful moment. You should all should be very proud.
Speaker 4 (47:26):
I know you probably won't even hear this, but if
you do, I'm proud of you. I know Mariah's proud
of you, and you deserve all the flowers. And Welcome
to the w And this has been another episode of
the Full Circle Podcast. We will see you next week
when I will be in Seattle.
Speaker 2 (47:45):
Bye.
Speaker 1 (47:47):
Thanks for listening to Full Circle. We'll be back next
week with more basketball for the girls, by the girls.
We want to hear from you. Leave us a review
on Apple Podcasts and tell us what you want us
to talk about. Full Circle is hosted by Lexi Brown
and Mariah Rose. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Our
supervising producer is Grace Fuse. Our producer is Zoe Danklab.
(48:08):
Listen to Full Circle on America's number one podcast network, iHeart,
open your free iHeart app and search Full Circle with
Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose and start listening
Full Circle is an Iheartwoman's sports production in partnership with
Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hey yo, welcome back.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
To another episode of the Full Circle Podcast. We are
so excitedly yapp today.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Hey.
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Yes, hey girl, fresh off WMFA draft night.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
You look so cute. Yes, you looked good.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you, thank you. I had an amazing time. I
had a time, girl, It was so much fun.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh yeah, no, Well that's how we're going to start
the episode.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
You have to give us the recap because I was
traveling home from Mexico for the weekend, so I wasn't
able to go to New York and experience the draft.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
But you were there to experience for the both of us.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
So I would love to hear about your weekend in
New York.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Okay, recapping the draft. It was so much fun. I
feel like I went to the draft in twenty twenty
two and just to see how much it's changed. I
know we talk about this with every event, but the
draft of Particul it was at this place called the Shed.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
My brother told me it was a super bougie venue.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
They host really boogie events there, and it very much
gave that security was on ten. Okay, you could moved
nowhere without your wristband, your credential.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
This.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
That third, they were not playing at all and the
fans were loud like it was a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Okay, I'm glad you said that, because on TV it
was not giving that it was giving, it was giving dead.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Yeah, it's because they had the fans. Basically, all the
influencers and athletes and stuff were in the front closest
to the stage, and then Taylor Rooks was right behind
us where the influencers were sitting, and then the desk was.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Right by where the players were sitting.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
But I thought it was a miss because they put
the fans up in this balcony kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Where you couldn't really hear them.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah, they were going together up top. Couldn't hear them
at all. On TV, even when Page got drafted, it
was like crickets on television.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
But I'm glad you were there to like set it
straight that it was popping in there and it was
good energy.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I will say it was a little bit awkward in
the sense that I'd never been to a draft of
this magnitude. I haven't been to a draft since the
twenty twenty two draft, and that was very intimate. That
with the TV desk and us being able to hear
everything that they're saying.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
That was weird.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
That was weird, so weird.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
And then they would pan to the players that they
were talking about, Yeah, I agree with you, that was
a miss because why would you do that? They're talking
about how we're just gonna get right into this. The
way the draft was covered was odd to me. It
was very like weird. They obviously everyone knew page was
going number one. Okay, that gets ruined. For every draft,
(02:40):
the number one pick gets ruined. So it's up to
the people covering the draft to like leave some mystery
and excitement and ooh could they They could go this direction,
they could go this direction, they could go this direction. Basically,
what they were doing at the desk was telling us
who was about to get picked before the pick happened,
and then in the few occasions where that didn't happened,
(03:00):
they were kind of like, oh, who is who was
this person from Europe.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
That we didn't know about that much.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
So, speaking from the Seattle Storm player, our pick was amazing, incredible.
I think in any other draft, Dominique would have went one.
But I'm glad she slid to two and came to Seattle.
But I will say they were talking about her and
how the needs of Seattle were outside shooting, which we
no longer need that because we got some shooting in
(03:28):
free agency and trades. Then they wanted to talk about
how much how badly we needed Olivia Miles and how
she decided not to come out. Panned to Dominique, and
Dominique's like, Olivia Miles isn't here. Why are we even
talking about Olivia Miles? And then you panned in my face.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
She was like the fuck, Like and I missed that.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
In the crowd, I couldn't hear them because we had
to go up and do interviews after the first pick.
Their social circuit started, and so after the first pick,
I couldn't.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
We weren't even down there.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Yeah, it was like very awkward because like you were
getting live reactions of what they were saying at the
desk of the players, and I just thought that was strange,
and it.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Was so awkward in there.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
It was so because to do Yeah, I mean in
the girlies were like this group they were, like they're
so adorable and humble and sweet, and like it was
very refreshing to see them be nervous and like you.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
They're these like larger than live girls and players. They
are on all these commercials, they're on TV all the time,
but like you put them in front of a camera,
in front of all these people in the biggest day
of their lives, and they turn into these just like
really shy and humble girls and like, I really I
always love seeing that in big moments like that because
it happens to everybody, not just them. But the way
that they covered the picks were a little strange to me.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
It's cute seeing them all get all dressed up because
they're athletes and they don't do that all the time.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
We're used to seeing them.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Even when they're in commercials they put them in their
uniform and a ponytail, that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Outside of Page Who's.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Like on GQ, we don't really get to see them
dress up like that a lot.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Yeah, and it just it a.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And it's so cute because everybody's like showing off their
fit walking the carpet, and it's.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Everybody out of their zone.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
And everybody gets to show off their like personal style.
Now like when we were drafted, and even definitely before
I was drafted, it was like business casual, like be
very oh very playing Jane now like Kiky's outfit was gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I need you to clarify before back when you got drafted,
they were telling you what to wear.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
They didn't tell us what to wear, but you just
saw what they were wearing before you got there. So
I remember, like for my draft day. First of all,
I didn't get invited to the draft until mind you,
I'm a top ten player, top fifteen player in the country,
and I'm still like, am.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I gonna get invited to the draft?
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Like that was my mindset going into my c your year,
like yeah, I'm all American, but am I actually going
to get invited?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
So they officially invited me, like I would say, not
even ten days before the draft. So I am having
the conversation with my mom like Okay, what do I wear?
Like I don't want something too short, I don't want
something too tight. I don't want to like do the
most like but I was, I was.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
I was twenty three, twenty twenty three years old.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
I was like trying to still finding my personal style
because looking back at my draft pictures, the dress was cute.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
I would still wear the dress today, but like.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Yeah, cute, but I'm like, that's not giving draft night,
Like I should have like went crazier. I have my
little lubatons on, Like that was what I was most
excited about. I got my first pair of red bottom
heels for the draft, so I was like really excited
about that.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
But my hair and makeup looked a mess. But I
was just happy.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
You know. So seeing the girls every year now, like
they're like what, I don't care about no rules, no
dress code. If you line them all up and did
not have the context of the I don't know if
we would be able to figure out where they all
were going because they all were dressing so differently in
their own style. Yeah, so I'm like, Kiki looks like
(07:10):
an African queen, and then you have Page looks like
she's a rock star.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
So where are they all going? But they all looked
really good.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
But it was nice to see everybody having their like
personal styles.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Speaking of awkward interactions from the draft and the way
that it was covered, I feel like I'd never get
off Holly Roe's neck.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
But when Paige got off the.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Stage and Holly said, you just had your hand on
your heart because you were so emotional, I was like, Holly,
I think she's trying to stop her titty from popping out.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I don't think. I don't think her hand is on
her art.
Speaker 6 (07:44):
Or how about when she said, Georgia, I'm taller than you.
I've never been taller than a draft pick before. Like, hi, Okay,
biggest matter of her life, all her whole life, being
told she was too little to be a basketball player.
And this is the first thing you say to her
when she gets picked top ten of the WBA draft.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
It's oh, I'm nigger than you. Girl.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Also, it is not about you. It's not about you.
You really shouldn't be mentioned. Not about you.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Oh Holly, I thought we was gonna let her chill today.
But I should have known better than that.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
No, this is the first person who we get to
hear ask them a question after the biggest moment of
their life.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
I don't want to hear about you.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
No. You would think she would know that though, right girl.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Anyways, let's talk about some of the picks. So obviously
page one, number one, we knew that Dominique is a gem.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, I want to hear about how you feel.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
It's funny because I've been seeing people call her a
steal and I'm just like, she's number two, that's you're
not a steel number steal. But like I said, people
think she's a steal because she could one hundred percent
have been the number one pick in any in other drafts.
So I think she is very versatile, obviously athletic, super tall.
(09:02):
She's a baby though, so I'm very interested to see
how that transition works. She has been playing pro overseas
in France already, so obviously she has a pro game,
she has a pro mindset.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
I might be able to throw my.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
First lob in a game, which I don't think there's
ever been a lob thrown in a game in a
WNBA game, like there have been dunks.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
But I don't know this has to happen.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I don't know if there's been a lob, so if
it ain't, mean.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
It's gonna be Skyler and I said on Gills today
that I worked out with Javelle McGee before I went
to Nashville, and they had me throwing him lobs in
our workout.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
And it's not as easy as y'all think.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Throwing lobs is kind of hard, yeah, because the timing
has to be perfect. Yes, the timing has to be perfect.
And I'm talking like this like this is definitely gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Guys. This is just me being very optimistic here.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Okay, I'm not saying that a lob is gonna happen,
but if it does, I will be ready to throw one.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
So the key to throwing a.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Good lob, what I learned is that you have to
look like you're going to shoot a layup. You can't
be like, you can't like just throw it up, like,
because you got to get the defense to you know,
move over a jump. So if you're like looking and
you fin a lot like, yeah, sometimes some lobs work
that way. But like, the key to like a lob
that like you could potentially dunk on somebody is to
look like you're finna go shoot a floater or something.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
But really, it's a lot I need this to happen.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Yeah, if we had a lot, oh my gosh, the
internet might explode.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Explode.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Who else was I intrigued by? I think Dallas did
a really good job with their picks. I think that
they have a lot of scoring threats now to help Errique.
They did mention that she had like the most unassisted
baskets in the whole league, which is crazy, a crazy
stat for someone that led the league in scoring. Crazy
or was top three in scoring. I'm curious to know, like,
(10:43):
and I usually stay in the first like twenty picks
as far as like like conversation about who can come
in make an impact, not saying that anybody after that
can't make a team and make an impact, but typically
it's first rounders and a few in the second round
that really can come in and make an impact.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Ooh, and like the top twenty picks, do you think
is like the real steal.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
It's not Dominique and a Steel, so I wouldn't consider
her a steal, but like, I have a player in
my head, but I want to know who you think
is like the steal of the draft, the steel of
the draft.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Okay, well, I will say, now let's be real, they
are rebuilding, Okay, But one thing I wrote down is
that I thought it was really cool that the Mystics
did have three in the top six. I believe that
that's never happened before, or the second they were the
second team ever to have three in the top six,
and so I think that being able to culture build
(11:35):
like that all at the same time is really exciting.
Shout out to Georgia teeny tiny Georgia. I actually met
both Georgia and Kiki and interviewed both of them and
talking to them about their mindsets coming in and how
they want to change the game. I also think that
Kiki is going to be a star, but that's a
whole other conversation. But I think that that's really good
(11:59):
for them, that they need that, and I think that
it's good for them to be in a low stakes environment.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
So, I mean that's like ideal as a rookie to
come in with not high expectations, but also space to.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Develop and grow and play play. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
So I don't know if Yeah, like you said, I
don't know the last time there's been that many rookies
on one team, and that can be fun. So I
hope that there's like just there's a shift happening in
the w We'll get into this in a second. My
stal of the draft is Alia and I is how
you say her name from Alabama. So remember back when
I was talking about how there's not really any knockdown
(12:35):
shooters in college, she actually is one of them, and
that was my mistake for not acknowledging her because she
can shoot her ass off. So a team in Vegas
that desperately needs outside shooting, I think she was a
great pick for them, and she has great size, and
I think she shot like forty five percent from three
this year, broke the Alabama single season record for may threes.
(12:58):
So she's my deal of the draft and shout out
to her because you know me, I love a shooter.
So she's my still the draft, and she was picked
thirteenth overall.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Especially since there isn't that many of them because as
we were talking to I think we're talking to Diamond
about this about how shooters are few and far between.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Now, yes they are, and she is one of them.
And again, like I said, she has great size, so I'm.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Excited for her.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
I think this is a really great, well rounded class.
There's not really a need for anybody to come in
and make like a huge impact, like taking over the organization,
which I think is good for them. They can just
come in and be themselves and find a nice role.
I think I'm like very excited just to see how
this Dallas team shakes up, because they did have a
(13:47):
lot of.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Change to bring them up.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Yeah, so I mean, new coach, new GM, new practice
facility coming in twenty twenty six, a new basically faced
obviously Marique, but the new generation typeface.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
It's going to be very interesting.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
And them two together, them two together.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
And you know what has kind of been annoying me
is the complete lack of conversation around Maddie secret And
if anybody watched her in college, they know that she
can put the ball in the basket. If anybody watched
her and Athletes Unlimited the last two years, they know
she could put the ball in the basket. So the
fact that they don't even mention her in this three headed,
(14:26):
four headed offensive monster that they're building in Dallas, which
for her, that probably benefits her because now she just
can come in and bust ass and never it's going.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
To be like, what the hell, that's exactly what.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
But I've watched Maddie up close and personal the last
two years and Athletes Unlimited, and I really want her
to do well in w and I want her to
have an opportunity to showcase her scoring ability because it's
very elite and people are not giving her any credit
for it. She led the nation in scoring in college
her senior year at Villanova.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Well, the beautiful thing about that is that she's going
to Number one, have a lot of eyes on her
this year because of that, So an opportunity to make
a name of herself.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Number two.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Listening to Paige talk to Taylor Rolks about how her
expectation for the season is a lot of us is
she's gonna have Yeah, absolutely, I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
I Mean, it's funny talking about other teams that I'm
excited to watch because I'm like a competitor as well.
But I also like just love basketball and I love
good basketball. So moments like this, like do get me
excited for the season because it's going to be fun
and it's a season that I'm actually going to be
able to have participate in at one hundred percent, which
I haven't been able to do in the last two years.
(15:38):
So yeah, Now I also have a new appreciation for
our seasons because two of mine were taken away from me.
So I'm just like, I'm ready to go I'm ready
to play, I'm ready to have a good time.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
This summer is going to be lit. So the changes
that I was.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Mentioning prior is that we've never seen a team like
that young before, like they're doing in DC, and we
see it a lot now in the NBA. You know,
you see a team they build their core, their young core,
and it either works or it doesn't work, but you
get to like grow with them and they get to
stay together and build, and that typically doesn't happen in
the WNBA because the turnover is so rapid. But I
(16:17):
also will mention that the amount of European players that
have been drafted in the last two years has been
very interesting to me.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
That was going to be my question to you.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I want to know your opinion on what the Valkyries
have going on.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
I mean, it looks like Natalie over there building the
euro All Stars like she I know her. She has
a plan, and it was only a matter of time
before the European players actually started coming over here and playing.
And we had we had talked about that when Connecticut
hired the European coach, Like okay, so now we're getting
(16:56):
some European coaches as head coaches. So now does that
mean that more European players are going to follow suit?
And it's just been for so long, it just has
not been worth it to them to come over here
on a rookie contract, potentially leave money on the table overseas.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Leave home.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
It's just like a lot of hoops you got to
jump through to come over here for seventy grand. So
that probably was a reason why we weren't seeing so
many players coming over. But with this new CBA, I
can predict that more players.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Are going to come over, but they can come over younger.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
So we always have this conversation and now everybody's talking
about lower the age one and done. If young European
players start coming over here and taking spots, they're going
to have to change the rule.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
They're going to have to have to So I don't
know if.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
This CBA that's going to change, because we have to
see that happen European players actually coming over because they
draft a lot and then a lot of them don't
even come over, like some don't even come.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Over at all.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
But that's a draft spot that you use on a
European player that you could have used on a US
college player. So I'm very interested to see how this
shakes out because we see what the Euros did to
the NBA, to that shit over low key, So I
don't and.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
It's because they are coming from a background of playing
professionally already. So that's what we saw with the NBA
where Luca Joker. They come in and they already have
this experience under their belt as a professional, Whereas I
do think that college basketball is really competitive, especially on
(18:35):
the women's side, but it's different.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
You're treated like a pro, You're getting paid to do this.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
You're around women who you're competing with for a spot
who need that spot to eat because it's their job.
So it's you're coming in with a whole different set
of mindset, and it's like that grit and grind of
coming from another country and being like, I'm not playing
with y'all.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Yeah, I mean, in college it does hinder players. It does.
Like your job in college.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Is to win games for the university. Your job in
college is not to prepare your onet potential WNBA player
to become a WNBA player. That player has to put
in the extra work on their own and anybody who's
made it to the league understands that, like, yes, there
are skills you build there, there's concepts you learn, team
concepts and things that you learn from your coaching staff
(19:21):
and being around your teammates, but that extra work is
what's going to set you apart. So now you know,
we talked about it with Diamond, like when do these
girls have time to do any of that?
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Yes, that was gonna be the next thing I brought up.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
They don't have time to live in the gym as
much as they should, especially not as much as the
actual professional girls that are in Europe, and they're getting
paid to already live in the gym.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
So right when you have you have a twenty.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Year old, super skilled high IQ player who you know
is going to work really hard because that's the environment
they're already in. Or you have the twenty three year
old American player that I don't know how she's how
our game is going to tryranslate to the pro level.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
They're gonna start picking them.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Oh hold on, I just got to ask you this
real quick, boy, because everyone's raving about it. Why did
do you think Sadona Prince didn't get drafted?
Speaker 4 (20:20):
Oh gosh, see, I wasn't trying to get into that
no details.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
If you know, you know why Sedona didn't get drafted.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
But also as the basketball mind in me, you are
twenty four, twenty five and six, however tall she is,
and you're not dominant as dominant as you.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Should be at that age in size.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
So again going back to the conversation of picking the
younger European players versus the older college players, it's the
same thing. They gonna pick the younger, more dominant players
in college over you, and then you have a lot
of outside things affecting your life and that could potentially
affect the league as well.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, that's what I wanted you to speak too, because
I feel like that Obviously, everybody knows the chatter that's
happening on social and whatever the other stuff, but I
feel like there is a really big basketball aspect to this,
and I think a lot of people ignored that because
her name was such a hot button topic, But there
are a lot of reasons on the court why it
(21:29):
didn't make as much sense.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
I do hope that people who have a dream.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
And want opportunity to get their opportunity, and there there
are opportunities, I suppose, But I wanted you to speak
to the basketball aspect, because I feel like a lot
of people who just tune in don't know about that.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
I'm abo's a look up her stats right now.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
I think seventeen and nine because yes, we don't know allegations,
all that other stuff going on. Okay, like that is
obviously extremely problematic, especially coming out of college and coming
into a league that is now on the up and
up for the first time and like forever. So that's
a very unfortunate situation for all parties involved.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
But it's a business at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
So this year she averaged seventeen points nine rebounds, which
was a wait, I know, look at you, which was
actually a decline from last season. And you can blame
that they brought in Hailey Vanlyt, But Hailey vanleft did not.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Take away any of sit downa princess shots.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
She doesn't shoot any threes and she blocks she blocks shots.
So yes, herr her numbers at her age weren't super
stellar at her size, she's six seven, and then her
body of work is like average for someone that's six
to seven. I did think maybe a team would be like,
you know what, We're gonna take a chance on her
da da da da. But I also was like, no,
(22:51):
there could be like teams would be like, no, we're
not doing that, and that's what they decided. So if
if she doesn't even get a training camp deal, then
and I know for a fact it's because of the
off court stuff for them to not even like break
their in and give her an opportunity, I'm going to
say it's because of the off court stuff.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
So if there's anything if there's anything I've learned about sports,
it's that the higher the talent is, the.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Higher the toleration is okay for different kind of bullshit.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Yes, it's just the truth.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
I'm not condoning it, but it's the truth. And so
I feel like it's a mixture and a melting pot
of things. But I do wonder how things will be
different if the talent, if this were a top talent,
you know what I'm.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Saying, We don't know.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
She also gets injured a lot, yes, which is.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Why the body of work, which is why the body
of work is in great three different schools, two big injuries,
long time in college or one of the oldest players
in the draft.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
It's risky.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Yeah. So yeah, So I mean I feel like a
lot of people are like, ha, like it's not there's
nothing funny about this situation. It's kind of sad actually,
but hah.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
In favor of those people alleged victims of that situation,
isn't it's not funny.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
It doesn't do anything for women's basketball.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
It doesn't do anything for the league, it doesn't do
anything for those victims, it doesn't do anything for anyone.
If anything, it's a sad situation for all involved, and
not what the light we want to put on women's
basketball right now. I just wanted to make sure that
we shed light on the basketball aspect of things, because
it was such a hot button issue and everybody was
talking about it and it was such a trending thing,
(24:26):
all of them really like huge videos that I saw
today that were commentary about it. We're talking about that,
and I felt like they didn't really have context.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Yeah, so I thought it was important for.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Us at context.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, this
is a basketball draft for a basketball league. So but
it didn't surprise me. I wasn't surprised when her name
and they get called. But you were not, No, I wasn't.
I was surprised. Really, Yeah, I was really surprised.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Just because I don't know, maybe it's because just.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
With sports, that's how it usually is, Like it's morets.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
It's like I also kind of saw the writing on
the wall with all the attention TC was getting in HVO,
and they kind of just weren't mentioning Sedona at all.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
And then when the season ended, it just was like all.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
HVO like, but she dropped like four points in their loss.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Yeah, she went out on a bad note.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Yeah, so it's like every opportunity she had to like
get herself back in the door, she didn't. So like
you already was on the outside, Like, let's you already
were not in the door, so you had opportunities to
get back in and you didn't.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
So and then not everybody deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
And that's just the way it is sometimes, and I
think that's the way the WNBA was looking at it.
But I mean it's not a forever thing, you know,
all this thing, all this stuff could get cleared up
and whatever, and then she could get signed another another time.
She can go over season play like her career is
not over. So no, you know, if she really does
want to play. She will be able to play somewhere.
(25:57):
She's six seven.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Sorry, it's just not right now.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
I really wanted to talk to you about the gap
between college season and the WNBA season and what could
be done about that, because even as somebody covering the sport,
this is my first year going from covering the WNBA
last year into covering the college season, into covering the
WNBA again, like that trifecta, and so experiencing that break
(26:23):
as a person who's just covering the sport, like, oh,
let me get my draft content out by Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Because the season's going to start. It stressing me out.
I could only imagine.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Being a player moving to a new city that you
don't even know where you're moving yet yep until draft night.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Ye is crazy. What could be done about that?
Speaker 3 (26:40):
The season would have to get pushed back.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
I mean, I think that's the only solution, and I
just don't know if that's possible, because then it would
I mean, we're already overlapping with the playoffs, So I'm like,
would we rather not overlap with the playoffs and overlap
with the beginning of the season, And to me, that
makes a little bit more sense. But then we're gonna
be overlapping with the NBA and NFL. So I don't
(27:05):
know if that the timing of it would ever work
in our favor.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Overlapping with the NBA's beginning of the season. Honestly, I
feel like works in the w's favor because nobody really
watches that shit the MNBA at the beginning of the season.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
But it's the NFL that's scary. But at the same time,
the NFL only comes.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
On once a week.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Yeah, there's win a game game week. So just we
went Sundays.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
I mean, Sundays are a big day for us for games,
that's true. So I feel like the timing they would
have to like really look into, like the TV slots
and all that kind of stuff as far as the timing,
But yeah, I mean they just gotta suck it up
like the rest of us did.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
And the TV contracts are a big thing.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
Yeah, and everything is already like set in stone, like
it's very it would be very hard for us to
like change the time of our season, but I still,
I mean, yes it is. It's a very violent jump
and change. So yeah, I go to Seattle on Sunday.
I'm sure that most of them won't come into market
until a few days before camp. I had to take
(28:08):
my finals two weeks early. I couldn't even move out
of my apartment. My mom and friends how to move
my stuff out of my college apartment for me because
I didn't have time to. So, yeah, there is a
level of planning that like optimistic planning, because you're like,
all right, I'm gonna get drafted, so let me start
preparing for my finals a little bit early.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
Let me start packing some of my stuff up.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
That in il money.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Different for those that it applies to that must real help.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Yeah, like y'all, y'all good now, Like I don't really want.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
To hear it.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
They got assistance doing that.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
I'll y'all are paying movers to move from your fully
furnished three bedroom apartment that you have.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
They're like, shout out to the Peach Moving company.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
Exactly, we gonna see it what We're gonna see it
very soon. The last thing about the draft is I
do want to shout out Haley vandlydth. Her redemption arc
was completed, so I'm very happy for her. Like same
her face when her name was called, it was just.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Like relief, like that was beautiful. It was so nice
to see.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
And I like that she's going to Chicago.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Yeah, I mean she's going somewhere where she's needed. So
they need a backup point guard and they need a
score another scoring guard. So she's going to learn a
lot from Courtney Vander salute.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
If you haven't noticed that.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
In the WNBA and other sports, I feel differently about
where players I'm a fan of getting draped where I
would prefer.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Them getting drafted.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
In the w I feel like it's beneficial as far
as what I've learned from you to get drafted into
a situation where you're really needed, because then that allows
you to have more space to learn and to grow,
and to get playing time and to get one on
one time with the coaches and the players to value
you more.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
So I would prefer that.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
I feel like, if I was a player, this is
like the first draft that I've seen. I'm looking at
the drafts right now, one through twelve, first round where
I feel like every player is exactly where they should
be as far as environment, fit and what they're going
to be able to learn and do in their rookie year.
And you don't typically see that sometimes you see a
(30:13):
player get drafted and you're like they're never going to
play or yeah, that's not going to work, And I
don't feel that way about this draft, and like that's
really that's really positive, that's really good.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
That's something that we've talked about a bunch is in
this new era of the WNBA and moving into this
higher viewership, whatever situation that they're in, it is important
to allow these rookies to have an opportunity to actually
be successful. And like you said, you were in a
situation where your vets didn't even really fuck with you
(30:46):
like that, Like that's how that doesn't allow any sort
of growth. And that's thank god you overcame that and
you're still thriving.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
But not everybody has that grit or that level of competition,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
So it's good to see that they are trying to
put them in the right situations to succeed.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
I mean, it's necessary because everyone always complains about that
gap between like why is there a drop off of
retention between college and WNBA. It's because the college players
get drafted and then you don't see them again for
two years because they can't get on the court. So
I think it's a good thing that these rookies are
gonna be able to come in, and the rookies from
last year even were able to come in and make
(31:25):
their impact early and keep their fans engaged and bring
more fans to the w which is also why I
think it's a good thing that W players are at
the Draft too. Like, I feel like the WNBA the
last love that three years have like really gone into
overdrive of bridging the gap of college and W players,
because I don't remember even speaking to a single W
(31:48):
player until I got to training.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Camp and they were all interacting.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
It was super cute doing the little photo things together.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
And yeah, like I think it's so important that there's
a relationship build between pro players and college players.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Whether the college players are.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Going to be in the WNBA or not, there's still
basketball players and we're still one giant family. So I
think it's really good that the gap is lessening, and
it's been good to see and there's that there's been
like an effort put behind that of putting these W
players in these spaces at the Final Four and at
the Draft and at All Star. You know, I had
(32:24):
there was college players at All Star, Like I when
I was in college, that was not even on my radar, like, oh,
let's go to w NBA All Star.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I was like, they don't want me. Why Why what
am I going to?
Speaker 4 (32:34):
Why am I gonna go to w BA All Star?
But like, why wouldn't we go to w NBA All
Star in college like that? If that's your goal, like
you should want to be immersed and surrounded by that
kind of stuff. So it's been really nice seeing the
w NBA like embrace the college players, and then the
NCAA and college like embracing the w players more and
building that relationship and report earlier because I think that's
(32:57):
very important.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
And one thing I really learned doing this show with
you and learning more about the real issues that WNBA
players face and not the fake ones like oh y'all
are broke and a shot changee like now. But I've
learned about having opportunities when you retire as well, because
you put all this time and this effort into being
a WNBA player and being the best basketball player you
(33:19):
can be, and it's not like the league can just
throw you away when you retire. And that being said,
seeing for example, Rikia was hosting the red carpet. I
believe things like that putting WNBA players in those roles.
I some media people get mad at that stuff and
they're like, that should be a journalist.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
I love the idea.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
Of WNBA players being in those roles because number one,
y'all speak each other's language. Number two, that gives you
media experience to do the Chiney pipeline sort of situation
or do what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
So I think it's good.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
I mean, no disrespect.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
I'd rather have players doing that than random influencers that
don't know anything.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
About basketball or.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Agreed one percent.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Yeah, So I think the pairing of the media members
and the athlete and then ultimately the athlete becoming a
media member and then they can get paired with, you know,
a player, a current player, Like I just feel like
it could be like a really cute little cycle that
we got going on.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
So, speaking of the media and that, because you you
basically are you're a player, but you kind of are
a media member.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
You toll on that line.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Yeah, but but me and my brother said this to me,
shout out to my brother a man with a brain,
and it really.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
It really blew my mind.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
So he said if there are so many men that
cover women's sports like the WNBA. Obviously we have that
desk of the Big three, but outside of that, it's
a lot of men.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
There's an overwheming amount of men.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Why aren't there more women in those spaces with men's sports?
Speaker 2 (34:55):
You get what I'm saying, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Why is there that disconnect where it's like, Okay, they
can come in and they can coach our sports, and they
can be our GMS, and they can be our media,
And it's why can't that?
Speaker 4 (35:05):
Yeah, I think there's been a lot more women in
these spaces since I've been there before. Football is probably
the only sport where I'm just like, women who cover
football are They've impressed me very much because women don't
they know they yeah, and they have to know it
because they literally we don't literally play football like that.
I mean they have like lingerie league, flag football, they
(35:29):
have that, but like they can't like professionally play.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
Like in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
But women at times that didn't play women can play football,
so let me start there. But like they don't have
the accolades of like being in the NFL kind of
like how we have WNBA NBA. Honestly, I think that
it just takes time. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
The reason why my brother said maybe think about that
is because if any women make the most sense, even
more since than somebody like me to be in those spaces,
it is other professional basketball players that have that IQ
and know their shit. So I think Candice is more
than qualified to be in that qualified.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
That being said, I like seeing those opportunities happen for
the w players at the draft early in their careers
so that they can build that repertoire and there is
more of y'all in those roles.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Yah.
Speaker 4 (36:20):
I don't want to talk too much about college today
because of the WNBA Draft, but there's some like big trend.
There is like some big transfer news that happened between
our last episode and now, so we gotta get into
some more of these transfer things. So since last week,
had Olivia or Olivia had already.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I don't know if we spoke about the fact that
she chose to.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
She chows TCU, and obviously we know why she chose TCU,
But if we're going to take the money off the table.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
I'm just like, there is a hole for her there.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yeah, but I'm like, why, Like, obviously money, yes, we
get that, but I'm like, you went down is one
of the greatest to ever play a Notre Dame.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
I'm not going to no school that was hosting open
trials last year. I'm sorry you saw I can find
the money.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
So I honestly did not even peep the entire season
until the tournament how many players they had on that bench.
And those players obviously were told by that coach for that.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
Year, we bringing in these older girls.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
They're gonna get their last year in and y'all can
just sit and cheer and clap for the year, and
then next year, y'all can get your spots back. That's
what it looked like from the outside. Look again, because
they had like twenty girls on that bench. To now
Lat's into South Carolina. I was not surprised by that
at all. She wants a chance to win a championship.
So now now we're ring chasing in college, like now
(37:44):
that's where we are.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
That is so crazy.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
I never even thought I've complained about it a lot.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
We're at ring chasing like we're getting the back, like
we're gonna have players in college now that are gonna
get the bag and then ring chase or ring chase
and then get the bag. So now we have Latson
to South Carolina. When that happened, I knew Malaysia was
out of there. Now you have the one with the
ring already. Now she's trying to go get a bag.
(38:10):
So when Latson decided to go to South Carolina, I said, oh,
Malaysia for Wiley is out of there. And I personally
am very happy that she's out of there because I
was tired of seeing watching her sit on that damn bench.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
I'd about to say she didn't get she didn't get
the playing time she deserved in the championship, for sure.
Speaker 4 (38:29):
She didn't get the playing time she deserved her whole
entire two years of being there. Like, she's so talented,
And yes, I understand Team Sport South Carolina. They play
a certain way, they play a certain style, and it's
one game. So I understand that nineteen minutes per game
(38:51):
that was what she was playing this year, not even
eighteen point nine minutes, eighteen point four minutes last year.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
No, yeah, it's time.
Speaker 4 (38:58):
I thought she was going to leave after last season. Honestly,
I was very surprised that she stayed. They want to
try to run it back. I get it, trust me.
But you have your two leading scores coming off the bench.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
I've never seen that before.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
I was gonna ask.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
You where you think would be a good fit for her,
But she probably gonna be at Biyu or some shit
like that because they gonna give her a million dollars.
Speaker 4 (39:21):
I mean, for me, she's under so she's one of
Steph's girls. So I'm like, I try to narrow it
down to under armour schools.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
Oh you're so smart.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
So Maryland is at the top of my list for her,
Notre Dame Auburn.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
But we'll see where she goes. She literally can probably
go anywhere she wants. Who else transferred? Almost UCLA's entire
team is leaving well.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
I think part of that is the lifestyle of playing there,
with all that travel and bullshit, and like they then,
when I was on Tampa, I was like, this is
a fucking mess, Like I feel like a California Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
Me getting to Tampa was annoying from La M so
I can. Even when I was at Maryland when we
were doing our big ten flights, they weren't that long,
but they were too long for me.
Speaker 3 (40:12):
I was like, I don't like this.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
This is four hour, three hour, four hour flights. Sometimes
you don't want that.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
And the way they crumbled, I will be out of there.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
Too, crumbled. They got their whooked.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Cody McMahon from Ohio State was another surprising transfer, but
not so surprising because I remember her freshman year she
was like next up, and then last year she kind
of her numbers were still impressive, but like no one
was really talking about her because Big Juju came into
the Big ten and yeah, and UCLA kind of ran
(40:44):
the table.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
So she's at ole miss now. So like I said,
everybody go and flock to the SEC.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
I'm telling you that the SEC is about to be
a month.
Speaker 4 (40:56):
It's gonna be ACC team's gonna be looking like Juco teams.
They gonna have to probably go in and start getting
more Juco players now. And like these poor high school kids,
like the real losers and all this are the high
school kids.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Yeah, that it does suck, but as I mentioned before
that CEC is also the only conference I feel like,
correct me if I'm wrong that isn't really impacted by
shitty travel at all as of right now.
Speaker 4 (41:23):
Yeah, it's true, they're like the only ones that like
have their shit together.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
And all the money.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Yeah, so why would you not try to go there?
Speaker 4 (41:32):
So, I mean, I guess money wise, it would make
sense for Malaysia to stay in the SEC. And so,
I mean, she plays well in it. It suits her
style of play. So I'm very excited to see where
she ends up. Who else transferred? First of all, the
announcements of not transferring are sending me.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
Girl, we didn't know. The announcements of not declaring for
the draft.
Speaker 4 (41:57):
When we didn't think he was declaring anyway are sending me.
But okay, I guess that's what we do now. Flage
had to say that well because everyone else but like
not a single soul on earth thought that she was
leaving college or no that knows anything about Nil and
wnba in anything like. When she made that announcement, Yes,
(42:18):
I think it was to appease the rumors because they
were weird, because y'all see, like what she's doing in college,
and all y'all preaches, oh, Stan, it's cool, stay in school,
make money, and then the most money making player, y'all
are like, oh, she's gonna leave, Like what what are
we talking about? Y'all are contradicting yourselves. No, she's not
gonna leave.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
But do you think with the nil situation going back
to Olivia, so with her being injured hannah On come up,
do you think that that played a role possibly in
her wanting to leave Because in the Nil era, as
we've talked about before, it does pay to be that girl,
and I would assume it could help your draft. Me
(43:00):
look at HVL, it does help you in the draft
as far as going somewhere and making a name for
yourself and getting your numbers up and filling a hole.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
So I could see why she would want to do that.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
Yeah, but it was weird because they played very well
together and then suddenly it did not look good anymore.
So something there's something that happened with that Notre Dame team,
and it'd be like that. Sometimes that's sports. That's someone
getting hurt, someone being ready for their opportunity, and dynamic
shift and dynamics change, and like that's not anything abnormal.
(43:35):
It could have one hundred percent be like a non
malicious thing. Sometimes like things that team dynamics just change.
They've lost Sonya Citron and Mattie Westpell, who are like
pillars of that Notre Dame team and those are those
are Olivia's girls, Like those are who she came in
with and stuff. So she probably was like, let me
get out of here because I'm going to be by
(43:55):
myself here, so.
Speaker 3 (43:57):
Yeah, let me go get a bag real quick.
Speaker 4 (43:59):
So yeah, I mean not noteday team that they're gonna
look very different this year. And yeah, and now it's
Hannah Hildogo's team. It's her shit now officially, So in
that aspect, I'm excited for her because she has a
lot to prove because the end of their season was
not very good in our expectations. Like I think in
(44:19):
the grand scheme of a season, they had a very
successful they had a very successful season, but based on
the expectations that were set.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
The way they were hyped out up until like.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
A month before the tournament started. Guys, we're about to
get into the w season.
Speaker 4 (44:44):
Like in it, y'all are going to be inside of
the WWA season that's never been a thing before.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
I'm excited to I'm like going into this situation. Erica
Wheeler also has a podcast.
Speaker 4 (44:58):
So like, I don't feel like I'm just the only
one yaping away on the team, which is good.
Speaker 3 (45:03):
We have like a lot of.
Speaker 4 (45:04):
Mature veterans that you know, know how to handle themselves,
and I'm excited to learn and just be led.
Speaker 3 (45:12):
Not saying I'm not a leader, but it's gonna be
a nice change to just be like, la la la
la la. What do y'all need me to do, I'm
gonna do it. So yeah, I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
I think this was a great week for women's basketball,
great week for the WNBA, A great weekend. I think
the Final four Draft, it's all been like really good
and the momentum is still going.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
It's still momentum.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Well, I hope our momentuming.
Speaker 1 (45:38):
I hope that our Yukon girls get some rest because
they've been on a press tour because I didn't really
think about the fact.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
That Kaitlin lost so she didn't have to go.
Speaker 1 (45:48):
Do Good Morning America and all that extra shit. I mean,
obviously she had to like really speak for herself and
whatever and do interviews or whatever, but and still does.
Speaker 2 (46:00):
But it's not on the same level as you have.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
To do a parade and you have to do Good
Morning America and you have to do Jimmy Fallen and.
Speaker 3 (46:05):
Did any of the did South Carolina get on any
of these things. Last year. I know we keep going
back to this, but it like hurts my soul.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
I remember seeing Camilla do she did the drive through
like the Canes drive through shit.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
But that's I remember seeing her a lot.
Speaker 4 (46:22):
Yeah, but not Jimmy fallon Good Morning America. Right, No,
because even Kaitlin gone on Jimmy Fallon.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
No, I don't think that any of them are.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
Oh Don.
Speaker 3 (46:34):
That the press too was done done?
Speaker 4 (46:37):
Like I told you, everybody, everybody in Tampa, who are
room for South Carolina?
Speaker 2 (46:43):
Why I love Don? I love Don?
Speaker 3 (46:46):
Yes, I love Don too, But can we love the girls?
Speaker 2 (46:49):
Please?
Speaker 3 (46:49):
We love Don? We get it, everybody loves Don.
Speaker 4 (46:52):
She's just such a lovable, amazing person. But damn, can
we love on the girls please? They deserve it. They
deserve it anyway. Oh yeah, shout out to Briha and
Pow Pow and Fagan Sonya three game cocks drafted last
night or yeah, last night, so shout out to Shout
out to Calculations, showing them love that we always say
(47:13):
that they don't get shown, so we must show them
the love here.
Speaker 3 (47:16):
But flowers, we haven't been giving flowers.
Speaker 4 (47:19):
We've been forgetting so flowers for the day are going
to go to all players that were drafted last night.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
It's a beautiful moment. You should all should be very proud.
Speaker 4 (47:26):
I know you probably won't even hear this, but if
you do, I'm proud of you. I know Mariah's proud
of you, and you deserve all the flowers. And Welcome
to the w And this has been another episode of
the Full Circle Podcast. We will see you next week
when I will be in Seattle.
Speaker 2 (47:45):
Bye.
Speaker 1 (47:47):
Thanks for listening to Full Circle. We'll be back next
week with more basketball for the girls, by the girls.
We want to hear from you. Leave us a review
on Apple Podcasts and tell us what you want us
to talk about. Full Circle is hosted by Lexi Brown
and Mariah Rose. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Our
supervising producer is Grace Fuse. Our producer is Zoe Danklab.
(48:08):
Listen to Full Circle on America's number one podcast network, iHeart,
open your free iHeart app and search Full Circle with
Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose and start listening
Hosts And Creators
Lexie Brown
Mariah Rose
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