Wemby Is Not Human, the WNBA Season Is Back & Kate Martin Got Waived!?!?

Hoops for Hotties is back for another Thursday — the sports show for the girls, gays, theys, and the straight men who need us more than they'll admit.

This week is all about the NBA and WNBA and there is a lot to get into. On the NBA side, the Knicks are leading the 76ers 2-0, the Spurs and Timberwolves are going at it, the Pistons and Cavs are heating up, and we talk about why Victor Wembanyama is genuinely unfair. We also get into OKC vs. the Lakers and make the case for why OKC might just be too good right now.

But honestly the WNBA is the main event this week. The season starts tomorrow and the league looks completely different — 18 teams, more competition, and more storylines than ever. Kate Martin got waived by the Valkyries, Angel Reese is heading to Atlanta, Caitlin Clark is back with the Fever, and Paige and Azzi are playing together on the Dallas Wings. We break down the 2026 rookie class, who's winning Rookie of the Year, how cuts and waivers actually work in the W, and whether A'ja Wilson is about to have another historic season. We also get into officiating in the W and why the physicality is a real conversation.

TIMESTAMPS: 
0:59 Hot Girl Headlines: All About the NBA & WNBA
2:55 Knicks Leading 76ers 
7:30 Spurs vs. Timberwolves 
9:36 Pistons vs. Cavs
12:13 Kate Martin Was Waived by the Valkyries
15:06 WNBA Season Starts Tomorrow (May 8th)
16:11 Angel Reese to Atlanta — Will They Go to the Chip?
18:35 WNBA Expansion & Growth — 18 Teams
18:52 How Much More Competitive the W Will Be With More Teams
20:12 Caitlin Clark Is Back With the Fever
20:39 Paige and Azzi Playing Together on the Dallas Wings
21:19 2026 WNBA Rookie Class Breakdown
22:32 Who Is Going to Win Rookie of the Year?
23:21 How the WNBA Cuts and Waives Players
24:04 Another Historic Season for A'ja Wilson?
25:07 Natasha Cloud Is Finally on a Roster With the Chicago Sky
26:48 The WNBA Is Entirely Too Physical Is That a Problem?
26:58 Officiating in the W
31:54 Victor Wembanyama Is Unfairly Good
34:54 OKC vs. Lakers
35:36 OKC Is Too Good to Not Beat the Lakers

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello everyone. Welcome back to the Hoops for Hotties live show. Yes! Today we are going to be talking all basketball, baby. All basketball, and a little bit of a Met Gala recap slash, we gotta talk about these looks, y'all. So, first and foremost, without a without a further ado, okay, we are going to go through the biggest headlines in sports right now. And I'm going to start with obviously my handy daddy notes, which I'm kind of cheating today because some of my handy daddy notes are on my phone. That is like on my handy dandy notes, but you guys know my heart, okay. So, first and foremost, let's get a little bit of an update on the NBA playoffs. These are your hot girl headlines. Okay, so we are in the conference semifinals, which means the winner of these series are going to the NBA uh conference finals. So last night I was watching the Spurs Timberwolves game. Guys, guys, that I fell asleep. I fell asleep. Oh my god, I didn't even guys. This is so ghetto. I didn't even take attendance. I didn't even take attendance. Hold on, hold on. If you're here and awake and alive in the chat, I'm taking attendance. Say present. If you're here, let me know where you're from. Let me know what your name is. I would love to chat with you. In elementary school, people used to say our dads look alike, so I started lying and saying they were. Someone said, Hey Mariah. Ah, Bay Area in the chat. Raleigh in the chat. How are we doing, everyone? Are we watching the uh the NBA playoffs? Are we excited about the WBA? Like, what's T. I look kind of crazy today, but I'm never gonna stop looking crazy or let looking crazy stop me from talking to y'all. So that's that on that. Hey girl, hey, hey, I think that's Joanna. Joanna. Hi, Joanna. Hey, Texas, present from Texas. Okay, now that we've taken attendance, I can reintroduce myself to y'all and we can do this correctly because, like, how ghetto of me. So we are going to start off by going into our hot girl headlines. We are talking mainly basketball today because the basketball leagues are doing all the things, okay? First and foremost, we've got to talk about the MNBA before we get into the WNBA, which is back tomorrow. Yup, the WNBA is back to save basketball. I'm just kidding. The NBA has actually been really entertaining throughout these playoffs. But here's what's happening. So we are currently in the conference semifinals, and the Knicks are leading the 76ers 2-2-0. They blew them out by 30 nine. What? Next, Spurs Timberwolves. Oh, we got some Knicks fans in the chat. Ah, what? Oh, we got some Knicks fans in the chat. Yes, so the Knicks are leading the 76ers two to zero. Blew them out in game two on Wednesday. Um, that's crazy. Perla said she was at the game yesterday. It was crazy. Perla, let us know how that is. Um, because wow. I did see. We have to talk about it because you know, this is hoops for hotties and this is sports news for the girls. I guess I'm cheating. I'm not using my handy daddy notes today. I honestly just didn't get to print them out. I'm I'm using my phone. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Um, um, yes, game one was a blowout. Thank you for correcting me, Avery. Um, but any Hooseldorf after the game yesterday, I saw that Kylie and Jordan celebrated together. They gave each other a little huggy huggy and seemed very friendly and very happy, which was cutesy. Kylie was a lot more animated this time. So if you guys follow me on my TikTok and you see my daily updates about what's going on in the sports world, you would have seen my video about Kylie Jenner's beef with the Knicks social media team. And we have to talk about this because I'm actually curious to see if they posted her last night because every time Kylie is at their games, they ignore her existence. Like they post Timothy Chalamet one billion times. Like their entire feed of Timothy Jalame is at the game is Timothy Chalamet, and they literally cut Kylie out of the pictures. Like it's it sins me. When they put him up on the Jumbotron, they ignore the fact that he's sitting with Kylie. When they post videos of him, like the social team takes him on their phone, they cut Kylie out. You can like see her shoulder, and it's not like she's not a celebrity, too. Like, I used to work for the Hawks, and I believe it was Jay-Z that came to one of our games. I believe it was Jay-Z. That's so annoying me. But Jay-Z came to one of our games, and like we put him up on the screen, and he's from Brooklyn. Like, he doesn't Jay-Z's not a Hawks fan, but you're gonna put you put celebrities up on the screen whether they're a fan or not. So people are like, Kylie's not a Knicks fan. And I understand it's in New York, it's a little bit different, but guys, like if she went to any arena in the whole NBA, they will put her up on the screen. So I just I saw that there was beef there. Like, one thing about me, I'm a little bit of a messy, a messy bitch. I I know beef when I see beef. So, someone said it's because of the Kardashian curse. And y'all know, like, I know the Kardashians are flawed, flawed individuals, but blaming a man or blaming a woman for a man's shortcomings is crazy. It's crazy. Um, anyways. Here they go again! The beef between Kylie and the New York Knicks continues. Look at this. They posted Timothy Chalamet at the game last night, and there's Kylie's shoulder, and they cut her out of the photo. Like, Knicks, Knicks, what is your beef? Someone in the chat is saying that the second they show Kylie and the Knicks lose, she's gonna get dragged. And so maybe that's it. Like, everyone's gonna be like, it's bad luck, you're cursed, baby, baby. But I do truly think though, that the Knicks need to take, like, they post Timothy Charlemagne every second. They need to take every ounce of love that they give Timothy Charlemagne and double it and give it to Spike Lee. Spike Lee is a real ass Knicks fan. I was at the Knicks Hawks game in Atlanta on Saturday, April 25th, and Spikely was there. And he would have he had just been at the last Knicks game. I was thinking to myself, you flew here just to watch your Knicks. Like, do you know what a commitment it is to fly away from your home base and go to a new city just to watch a basketball game? Like, you could just watch it on TV, you know? Like, you could just watch it on TV. So I think, you know, I know Timmy is like the it white boy of the moment, but I think Spike Lee deserves a lot more love. Like, I get it, he's there all the time, but you start to unappreciate things that you see the most, okay? And we need to appreciate Spike. I I don't see one post about Spike. Was Spike there last night? Anyways. Next Spurs Timberwolves. So, oh my gosh. I have been so locked in to the Spurs Timberwolves series. I knew it would be good. I knew Anthony Edwards if he played, which I'm shocked he is after seeing his knee bend over backwards the way that it did. I knew that it was gonna be good because Ant is so fiercely competitive. I'm a Georgia Bulldog, so I've been watching Ant for a while. But I knew he was gonna be fiercely competitive, especially with a player like Wimby who has been getting all of this attention that he is like this Thanos that nobody can beat. I knew Ant was gonna be like, huh? Like Ant wants to slay that dragon so bad. Unfortunately, you just don't have the facilities. Because if they were gonna win, they were gonna, they would have had to win game one. They would have had to win game one. I watched game one, they were in it, they had a shot, they had a chance. I will say, I don't watch a lot of Timberwolves. I don't, like as much as I should, especially with Anne being as entertaining as he is. I didn't realize Rudy Gobert was that bad from the free throw line. Like, I think he's averaging like 50% from the free throw line. And I when I heard that, I was like, okay, he makes every other one. Like he goes up there and bricks the fuck out of what the hell? What the hell? How are you in the NBA? Why can't you shoot a free throw? I don't, I don't understand. Someone said LMAO, he has never made a three in his career. Rudy Gobert has never made a three in his whole career. I mean, I guess he's a big, like, what business does he have shooting threes? That's not what he's out there for. He's like a, you know, if they could only put him in on defense like this was football, they would. But that is so funny. Never? Oh, baby. If I knew that was a stat of my career, I would make it my mission and my challenge to make a three-pointer at some point. Just one. Like fuck. He, but how is he supposed to make a three-pointer if he can't even shoot a damn free throw? I was like crying laughing at how bad it was. Ugh. Anyways, Pistons Cavs. I'm so I'm glad you brung it up. So they play tonight. I I do want to say, you know, I did ignore the entire Raptors Cavs series. I ignored the whole thing. I ignored the whole thing. I didn't care. I didn't, I just I am not the person who's gonna pretend to care about something that I don't care about. You guys, it'll come through, it'll be obvious. And I was getting dragged in my comments for not paying attention to that series. And I'm sorry, I went to a screening of the Devil Wears Prada. I, you know, went to F1 Miami, I was living my life. I've got I'm a busy bee, and I didn't care. Okay. I saw a really funny video though of Coco Jones during one of Donovan Mitchell's press conferences where she's like fucking around. And it's so funny because like people go to basketball games, first of all, I don't know if she was off the off the licka, but I'd be off the lickka when I go to a basketball game. And that's she she is so me. Like that's exactly how I would act if I were her. Um, but I also think the idea of like recording somebody who is not the person giving the press conference is so strange. Like you were watching Coco and recording her while her man was doing a press conference just to wait to see if she did something, but I don't know, that was weird to me. But oh, I'm sorry, I was distracted by King Clips having something to say. Maybe not everyone should have a podcast. Then you don't have to be here blocked, goodbye. Oh I will never it never gets old. It never gets old. Men coming to my page, hoops for hotties, which is clearly I say it in every single video for the girls, the gays, and the they's men come in here and they're like because that's like that that's all I hear when they speak. And I'm like, why are you here? Go turn on ESPN, go do anything, go get a job, go to war, I don't know, but like don't come to Hoops for Hotties. Like, this is the this is probably the only sports platform that is literally just catered for the girls that gaze the days. You don't have to be here. I know there are some straight men who come and are here and who are normal and nice, which thank God, and those straight men are not offended by what I just said. Like, because trust, you will be blocked. Anyways, next. Also, yes, I did see okay, the whole chat is saying it, so fine. We'll skip to the we'll skip to talking about the W. Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine. You've twisted my arm. Kate Martin was waived by the Valkyries today. And look, I I knew this was coming because my homegirl who works in sports let me know that this was happening, and then like my phone started blowing up, and I feel for her. I really do, my Shayla. I feel for her, like that is really, really awful. And it's a part of being a WNBA player. I will say the Valkyries are cold-blooded. I mean, the Valkyries are they draft Flag to trade her. Now this, I'm just like, oh, they, oh, they're not playing. They're not playing. Someone in the chat said, I send your videos to my complicated situationship to help her. Complicated situationship. Baby, we don't give gifts to complicated situationships, my love. No, no, no. What are we what are we doing? What are we doing? No, no, no. Um, but yes, the Valkyries wave and K-Barn really hurt my feelings. But I will say, I get a weird vibe from them. I'll say it. I'll fucking say it because when they I said this on Hoops for Hotties on the Hoops for Hotties live show after they traded Flager on draft night. I said, I got a weird vibe from the way their GM responded to it. She was like, I'm not gonna answer this right now. Like, I'm not gonna speak on this right now. Like, I'm tired. She was like not trying to give a reason why they traded Flager. And it was just like, you could have just gave a PR answer and said, you know, we have to do what we have to do basketball-wise, basketball-wise. We have to do what we have to do basketball-wise, and we respect her and wish her the best in Seattle. But instead, they gave this weird, like, I'm not gonna answer that in players and fucking. And I was like, I got a weird vibe then, and I have a weird vibe now. I'm sorry. And yes, they did make that deal with Seattle ahead of time. That's what I heard about it. But then say that, right? Like, then don't give a weird ass answer after you trade her. I don't know. That just the whole thing rub me the wrong way. Now this Kate Martin situation, I'm just like, the Valkyries are kind of, which it's a business, it's sports, be cold-blooded. That's how you gotta do. Like, if you that's how you gotta run your program, that's how you gotta run your program. But I'm just saying here now, I'm getting a weird vibe from them. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, um, and other WNBA news, right? Are y'all ready to move on to the WNBA? Because I feel like, like, let's be real, right? Y'all, the WNBA starts tomorrow. It starts tomorrow, and this has all of the energy to be a historic WNBA season. And I'm so excited. I I really want to be locked into the W this season, like locked in. Everyone's asking me who my team is in the W in the chat. I I do I just did that influencer thing where I say everyone, everyone's asking me, and like literally one person asked. Someone said, Allie, hi Allie. Uh, who's your team, the W? My team and the W is to start off our headlines for the W, the Atlanta Dream. Ah, lucky me. Atlanta Dream, WNBA Champions 2026. You heard it here first, bitch. Yes! Yes! First of all, we were already good. The Atlanta Dream will already fi. That's first of all, first and foremost. And then we add Angel Reese. So I'm gonna tell you guys the top storylines for this upcoming WNBA season, and I'm gonna start at the top. Angel mother to Atlanta. You guys have to understand that the way the new CBA shook the table in the WBA is insane. We went from players getting paid, like we have Caitlin Clark making$50,000,$60,000 to historic contracts from these CBA negotiations. The WNBA leveled up like you've never seen before. And to bring it back to the Angel Reese point, right? Angel is playing in Chicago. And when you get drafted as a talented player, sometimes you get fucked because the teams that have the higher draft picks are the worst teams, they're bad teams. And she gets to Chicago and we're excited to see her and Camilla Cardoso and see what they have to do. Their coach is Teaspoon. Like everybody is living for it, right? And then they they fire T-Spoon, and Angel's obviously not happy about it, and they are just losing and losing. And Angel called out her team for losing. Like she said, we aren't good, and this has to change, or I'm gonna have to do what I have to do for me and my future, which is a normal thing to say. NBA players say it all the time. I mean, pull the records, they say it all the time. She says it, she gets suspended for half a game against the aces, which I thought was crazy, right? Punishing a player for saying that they want to win is insane to me. And so she gets traded to the dream, right? A team that already made the playoffs, and yes, we lost to the fever, but we shouldn't have. You know, it was just one of those, it was one of those Atlanta sports things where it just happened, right? Like we shouldn't have, but we did, right? An already talented core that we got to hold on to most of and add Angel. So I'm happy about it, and I'm interested to see how this works and how the season goes for her. And I also think she's just gonna be happier and enjoy herself more because the culture of Atlanta is so fit for someone like Angel. So I'm loving it. No McDonald's. Oh, look, Amanda my chat. Looked. Oh, it's so fun, it's so fun. Yes. Okay, another top storyline coming into this WNBA season is the expansion and growth of the league. The league has expanded to 18 teams with the addition of the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo. It's going to be interesting to see not only how the expansion teams do and how this works, it's also going to be interesting to see how there's more teams and more competition. There's not more playoff spots. There's gonna be more competition. I interviewed with Brianna Stewart, Stewie, last week. Was that a flex or what? Um, I I spoke with Stewie on her podcast last week and I brought this up to her. She asked me what I was gonna be the most excited about seeing as the WBA grows and in the future, and I was like, how the playoffs are gonna go. Because they the only thing that's changed about the playoffs is that the finals became a seven-game series. It it's it's there's not more teams, and there shouldn't be, right? But there's more competition. And she was gagged by that. Like she was like, wait, yeah, you're right. I think that you're gonna have to fight a little bit more. Like it's not mediocrity as the WNBA grows as a league, is not going to be rewarded with the playoff spot. So I'm very interested to see how expansion affects the league. Caitlin Clark is going to be returning after being injured last year. Um, not the whole year, but a lot of it. She was injured, she was injured during the playoffs. I know because it makes it even worse that my dream lost. Anyways, um, Caitlin Clark's gonna be back, and the WNBA is better when Caitlin Clark is playing. Caitlin Clark is lights out talent, she is so fun to watch, and I miss being able to watch her. And so seeing what the fever are like at their highest potential with Caitlin on the floor is going to be super exciting, and they play the wings on Saturday. Like, I don't think you understand how tuned I'm how tuned I am. I am going to be locked in because another storyline I'm interested to follow is Paige and AZ playing together in Dallas. Two back-to-back number one picks, two incredible players that played together in college and won a championship. I am very interested and excited to see those two back on the floor together. And against against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, it's going to be T. I will say, you know, I don't know how the wings are gonna look this year, but the fever should be significantly better than them. Am I am I tripping? Like the the fever should should definitely win that one, but I'm still gonna watch. Thank you. Yes. Next, I'm excited to see the 2026 rookie class. I mentioned that with the Paige and AZ point, but overall, I'm just excited to see a new class and how they perform. And not only that, how are rookies that kind of like changed the game? I believe this that was the 2024 class, like Cameron Brink and Angel Reese and Caitlin and everybody, how they've improved now that they're moving into like season WMBA player status. I'm very interested to see that. Um also I am interested to see how all them UCLA players that that got drafted, like fuck. I somebody said I think the wings are better that they want they won in the preseason. I am the kind of basketball fan. I don't know, I don't know how you guys are, but I'm the kind of basketball fan. Fan that does not take preseason that seriously. I I don't take preseason that seriously. I just don't they they don't take it that seriously. It's just to see like what's T, but so that doesn't mean anything to me. Sorry. Um next, oh my gosh, that wait, the way that this vision just came to me. Oh one of my storylines I am so excited to see this WNBA season is who is gonna win the rookie of the year? Because the rookie of the year, the last couple of years is kind of in the shoe wind, right? Paige, Caitlin, duh. AZ and Olivia Miles. If you guys don't think Olivia Miles is gonna try to give AZ a run for her money in that rookie of the year race, y'all are wrong. Y'all are wrong. Someone said they do take the preseason seriously. What are you talking about? People get cut. I do kind of hate when people say to me, What are you talking about? Look, I hate that. Now that I said that, people are gonna say it to me more. But like, I don't know WNBA players, but I basically meant obviously, obviously, people on the shopping block take it seriously, and obviously the WNBA is very cutthroat. If you guys don't know with the whole cuts and waving thing, I do want to explain this for a second. The WNBA is a little bit different from other leagues because there are less spots and there is less opportunity, right? So players that get drafted, it does not mean that you are going to be on the roster when the season starts. It does not mean you're gonna have a WNBA job next year, right? You're constantly fighting for your job in the WNBA. Duh. But I I was referring to like stars and stuff. Wow, Diane Johnson is rookie of the year. Lauren Betts for rookie of the year. Like the rookie of the year race is going to be very, very interesting. I don't know. Next. How can I not? How can I not mention it? The historic 2025 season of Asia Wilson. You saw her at the Met Gala dressed like a trophy. I know that's right. This is a defensive player of the year, MVP, finals MVP, champion. I am locked in to see what Asia Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces got up their sleeve this season. Because at the beginning of last season, everybody was wondering was T what's T with Asia Wilson? What's T with the well not was okay, chill. Whoa, whoa. Okay, not T with not what's T with Asia Wilson, was T with the Las Vegas Aces. Yes. At the beginning we were like, it's giving it's getting scary. And they were obviously fine. So I I am locked in to see what this dynasty can do versus all of the people who are going to be challenging them this season, i.e., the New York Liberty. Because they're trying to put together the damn Avengers up there, ain't they? Speaking of the New York Liberty, Natasha Cloud finally found herself a hub. What? Uh uh. Uh, uh. Gotosh, Gotosh, Natasha Cloud of Chicago. Bam! What the fuck happened with Chicago? Can we talk about it for a second? Can we talk about this for a second? They get rid of Angel. Uh everybody's like, they ain't gonna sell no tickets. Okay, that's mean. Can we be real with each other? Like, I feel like sometimes when we cover women's sports, we have to be like, my delicate little baby. And like, I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna talk about it just like I talk about the men's, okay? We were like, damn, do they not wanna sell any tickets? Like, fuck. I mean, you might not like her, but let's you know, put butts in them seats, you feel me? And then Dijanae Carrington, boom, Rikia Jackson, boom. I mean, they were all your favorite girls loading, loading the fuck up. And now I might have to get me a little jersey, you know, Sky Dream. You know, I can get me a I can get me a jersey with just a like a like a cloud in it, and it could, it could double for both, you know, supporting the girls. I was gagged at how they reloaded. They said, bye, Angel. Spin a check and get it right back. What? Spin a check and get it right back. I mean, good for them. They loaded the fuck up, didn't they? So, another point I want to talk about going into this WNBA season is I saw Fee talking about how the WNBA is entirely too physical at this moment. And officiating has been an issue, right? For the WNBA, as they were using refs that were also refing in the G League and in college and like weren't just dedicated to the WNBA and how they do things and their rules and their players and their player tendencies, et cetera, et cetera. And I'm not gonna lie, it is a little physical and a little violent. I do see why some of the little Caitlin Clark stands that are watching the WNBA for the first time ever were like, whoa, why are you beating up on our girl like that? I welcome. They do that to everybody. Like, but I will say, and look, a lot of men are gonna be mad at me for saying it. What's new? They're mad at me every day. I watched the WNBA with my boyfriend, I watched the NBA with my boyfriend, and all the time he says, I would so much rather be watching the WNBA because at least they play defense. What the fuck is this? You can barely blow on a player without them calling a foul in the NBA. It's insane, and they flop so goddamn much they're turning into football players. And I don't mean the kind with the pads and the listen, I'm talking about the kind with the feet. They flop so goddamn, it's like, get up, it's irritating, and everyone was like, You were entertained by the Pistons Magic series? Yeah, because they were playing defense, it was fun to watch. Like, no, they weren't the highest scoring games ever, but at least it was like a little difficult for people. Fuck. I mean, you play the Spurs, and it is difficult for you just because Wimby is like his hand, literally, it's like it extends and he like grows a new arm to like block your shot. But as far as like physicality on defense, the NBA, M NBA, simply does not have it. And the WNBA has it. They be playing defense, it is crazy. And if you like that kind of basketball, you will love the WNBA. But I do understand how from a player's perspective, you're like, I don't want to get beat up on every day, especially Fee, who got a serious injury from not from AT beating her up, but you know, a little bit of referee negligence, we could say, right? People had mixed feelings about that. So we're not even gonna get back into that. But I could see how Fee would be like, I'm saying I could see, like, I'm a WNBA player. Bitch, you're not a professional basketball player. I I concede to whatever you gotta say, Fee. To whatever you gotta say. But I do hope to a certain degree that they don't turn into the NBA when it comes to defense and fouls, because yes, I get it, y'all can shoot. Woo, yes, through the legs, around, yeah. But it's just like they're not even making it hard for you at all. I was watching the Spurs play the Timberwolves last night, and I don't know if it's just me. Look, I'm not a scout, I'm not an assistant coach, but if you were watching that game too, let me know in the chat. But I was watching the second quarter, they're getting their ass beat, whooped, chomped, slapped, go pick out a belt, go kick, they'll go pick a switch off the tree. You feel me? Old school. They're getting whooped and they just stopped playing defense. They they just stopped playing defense. It was like they were like the Timberwolves, they were like, eh, you're gonna beat us anyways. Now, this is the second quarter. I was asleep by by the end of the third quarter, I was knocked out. But I was thinking, are y'all not gonna try? If this was a WNBA, somebody would have gotten frustrated by now and just and just pushed somebody over, which also is not right, which is why they need to figure things out. But I'm like, guys, we gotta bring the defense back. It makes it makes the things that they're able to do offensively less impressive. And this is coming from a fan. Again, I'm not an analyst, I'm not a coach, I'm not a player. So the players and coaches and analysts, and those people can speak to this much better than me. But as a fan watching the game, it makes it less impressive to see what they can do offensively when it's like, okay, but they just moved out of the way. Because if because if they blew in his direction, they would get a foul called. So, and like nobody wants to watch a basketball game where it's free throws the whole time. Like, woo, free throws. Let's see how loud the crowd can scream. Nobody gives a fuck. So, yeah. Yeah. Somebody in the chat, somebody said I think Flager or Lauren Betts takes the rookie of the year this year. Wow, guys, I didn't know you had this spicy of takes about this. Well, I am really excited to tune in to the WNBA. I don't like to make early crazy predictions, so I won't. But I did tell Stewie to her face that she could be the MVP MVP. She asked me who I think the MVP is gonna be. I said it could be you if you want it to be. So I'll leave it at that. Thank you. Yes. Before I go, um, I just want to take a moment to talk about the NBA specifically, um, and one player in particular. I want to talk about Victor Womanyama. He is unfair, like genuinely unfair. I haven't been this gagged by an NBA player since I saw Steph Curry like shucking and driving at half court back in 2015. The things that he is doing, and in the reason why I compare it to Steph Curry in 2015, and again, this isn't me like making like a deep-seated analysis, so like don't take me too seriously, please. But the reason I compare what Wimby is doing to what Steph did back in 2015, 2016, that era, is because I had never seen anything like it before. Like, I remember in 2015, can we just reminisce about 2015, 2016, Steph Curry and Clay Thompson? It was such a time. I remember me and my little sister, like we're like choosing to not watch whatever girl shit we will be we will be watching to watch the Warriors game late at night because these what they were doing, it was like Steph Curry could shoot the ball from outside of the building and still make the shot. Like it was incredible. It was a big reason I fell in love with basketball, to the point where I was like, I gotta do this in my career. Like, I loved it, and I get that same excitement watching Victor Womenyama. I used to say that Victor Wimanyama couldn't be the face of the NBA because he was too perfect. He goes to bed at 9 p.m., he reads hella books, he plays chess in Central Park with fans, he is smart as shit, speaks a billion languages, he's marketable, he has a good personality, he speaks up on political issues and what he thinks, he is well respected and received by pretty much all people, it seems, which is impossible with NBA fans. And on top of that, he is seven foot six, skinny as a twig, and can move like a guard. I'm talking like through the legs. I I'm like, how is he doing that? And at the same time, he's big as hell. He's getting he's getting through, he's getting to the basket through the lane, and he's dunking, and it's like, how is he? And then at the same time, knock down three, bang! What? I just think what he is doing is so insane, and the fact that he he has literally every skill a basketball player could have. Do you know what? Like every single one, he has it. So yeah, I what the fuck are y'all gonna do? That's what I want to know for the rest of the league. What the fuck are y'all gonna do with him? Cause it's that it don't seem fair. Last thing I'm gonna say is OKC Lakers. I am gonna get out my broom. Is it too soon? Is it too soon to get out my broom on the Lakers in OKC? OKC is so fucking good. OKC is so fucking good. Now I wouldn't doubt LeBron. You know, he can get one. Why would he even want to? Why would he even want to? Why would LeBron even want to keep this shit going? They're not gonna win the series. They're not gonna win the series. And I hope I'm wrong, because then I'll get put in an edit, and I like attention. The Thunder are so good, and I am so happy for Jared McCain. Never has a person needed to be somewhere more. Never has a person wanted needed to be in a place more. Now I will say the refs when it comes to OKC, and I I've been to a playoff game in OKC, and I want to make a whole video, honestly, like ranking playoff environments that I have been to and I have seen with my own eyes and person, because there are levels to this shit, to NBA fan bases and the way they they go hard. Like I went to a game in Minnesota, and I think that the Timberwolves fan base is very polite. They are very polite. And it wasn't a playoff game, so maybe they're different when it's not the playoffs, but they were loud and they were excited, but it was very like, yay, go team. They weren't hitting on shit. The Atlanta fans are so fickle. They're only loud when the team is doing like incredible in a really high-stakes game. Otherwise, it's like everyone just goes like they're at the club. What? We pop a champagne like we won a championship game. Everyone's just there to get a fit off and dance. And if the and if the team has to earn your cheers, because you know everyone in Atlanta thinks they're a celebrity, so the team gotta earn a clap from the fans. They're not just gonna be clapping and going defense. Like, no, no. They be playing that ain't nobody going defense in Atlanta. They're not. I've never been to a Lakers game or a Clippers game. Y'all know I'm banned from the Clippers, so I haven't been to the Clippers game. I mean, I could buy tickets, but most of these, most NBA games I don't buy tickets to. So it is a little bit irritating. But I have been to a quarter state Warriors game, and it was an NBA finals game. Crowd is crazy. Warriors! They crowd is crazy, but they earn the cheers because they they they give them people something to clap about. I mean, you get your money's worth when you go to a Warriors game. I mean, and this was years ago, obviously it was a finals game, so this was years ago, it was different then. But when you paid to go to a Warriors game, you were getting what the fuck you pay for because it was entertaining. Somebody was gonna put on a show. The Warriors fans are loud, and I kind of I hate that they moved as nice as Chase Center is because it is bougie and it is nice, okay? It it's like I wish that they still had Oracle, and that's just like a like a sentimental kind of thing for me because Oracle Warriors like that. Talk about home court advantage. Jesus Christ. I've been to Boston. They yes, they're racist. Yeah, yeah. If you don't believe me, ask my sister. Not that, not that that'll make you believe me anymore, but yeah, yeah, they're racist for sure. Them fans. 100 P, 100 P, and they do not like Draymond Green. You put those two things together and you tell me how I came to that conclusion. Who else have I been to? I've been to OKC. Incredible crowd. They don't got nothing to do with an OKC but watch basketball. So no shit. Never been to a Spurs playoff game because there hasn't been one since I've been old enough to be allowed. And they seem like a really good crowd. I would thought I'd be interested in going. I've been listening Madison Square Garden. Why did nobody tell me Madison Square Garden was that old? I mean, I know it's historic and the most famous arena, but the way y'all talk about it, like I thought I was about to be getting like an experience when I walked in. Like it was cool. The fans are loud. Let me not am I on here saying, am I about to be on online on WAX saying Madison Square Garden is low-key overrated? Now, it's a great environment. The fans are loud, it's excellent. But I was like, maybe because of the way it's been talked about my whole life, we're playing a Madison Square Garden tonight. Yes. I was like expecting a little bit more. I don't know. Like the organ was cool. I went up in the thing where the man plays the organ. Like, woo. I had to pay for my drink in the Delta Club. I was like, we don't do this in Atlanta, but everything is more expensive in New York. I don't know. I was a little underwhelmed. A little underwhelmed. Someone said MSG in Yankee Stadium is definitely not experienced. It's strictly sports. Now I would counter that by saying, I thought Yankee Stadium actually lived up to what I thought it was going to be. There was a million food options. It was like the little cups with the hat. It was, I thought Yankee Stadium lived up to my expectations, no? Someone said not like the beam. The beam wasn't lit most of the season, just wasting electricity. I will say, as an NBA fan, the most diabolical tweet in NBA Twitter history, which we can make a list and figure that out for real, is when somebody responded to the Knicks and said this y'all beams, and it was like the Google this y'all beams. And that should, yeah, that should do it for you. Because that gaggy. Alright, y'all. Well, that is it for today's stream. I am so glad you came and joined. I love you all so much. I know this one was a little quick, even though it was 45 minutes long, a little quicker than they normally are, and a little less planned out. But honestly, I just want to get on here and yap. And you know, next week we'll go back to the whole. I'll have my paper notes and we'll do the drama and whatever. But I just want to talk to y'all today. So thank you so much for watching. I am so glad that you're here. And if you enjoyed this, please give me a five-star rating. If you're listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast, and if you're watching me on YouTube, please make sure to subscribe to the Hoops for Hottdies YouTube channel. It helps me keep the lights on in this bitch. And I'm self employed, bitch. I need I listen, listen. Not to beg, but to beg. And, and, and, and if you're watching on TikTok live or Twitch or YouTube live, please make sure to follow me and stay tuned because I will be back live next Thursday at 11 a.m. Bye, hopies.