Lynx on Top

On today’s episode, we dive into how Cheryl Reeve stamped her legacy into WNBA history and celebrate the dominance of the top‑seeded Minnesota Lynx. We look ahead to the WNBA All‑Star festivities with 72 hours of Stud Budz chaos, plus a few Timberwolves updates — including saying goodbye to our beloved Naz Reid as the Wolves welcome the electric, unpredictable Lamelo Ball. Two words. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:26

Welcome to Love and Basketball, a Timberlynx fancast. I'm Matt.

SPEAKER_03 0:30

And I'm Marissa, and we're a married couple and longtime fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Every week we break down the games, spill the off-court tea, and share our takes. This is our weekly catch-up, and you're invited. Welcome back. On today's episode, we're going to break down the top teams in the WNBA right now and who is playing in the upcoming WNBA All-Star events. We'll also brag about the Minnesota Lynx and all the successes thus far in the season.

SPEAKER_03 0:58

And we'll discuss the most recent Wolves roster changes and what's going on with the Timberwolves.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

It's good to be back on.

SPEAKER_03 1:05

Yeah, it's been a minute.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

I know, I know. I think it's been exactly a month, which is which is too bad. I'm sorry, everybody.

SPEAKER_03 1:12

Apologies. It's been a really exciting month full of really, really good Minnesota Lynx basketball. I hope you all have been watching. Really exciting and um a lot of wins. We're we win a lot of games.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

Yeah, I know. It's so much fun. It's it's it's it's been a wild ride. A lot of close games, too.

SPEAKER_03 1:31

Yes, no, they're typically very competitive, and we typically are not winning during the entire game.

SPEAKER_02 1:37

Right, right. It's it's it's not all blowouts like really good teams are are usually have. It's you know, we fight for our wins, but we we tend to always come out on top. In fact, I think that we won seven straight going into the all-star break, isn't that right?

SPEAKER_03 1:51

That is right. We are at 22 and 6. So we are have the most wins in the WNBA. Um, and we're playing really, really good defense and offense right now. I don't know that Cheryl would agree that it's all that good, but um enough to to make us the number one seed. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

Cheryl has said that they've there's been some funny quotes in and around that sort of thing. What did um what did Courtney say? Someone said um.

SPEAKER_03 2:20

Kayla McBride was being interviewed. Oh, there we go. Um and Kayla or Courtney was next to her, and they just said, Yeah, so the the Lynx have the number one defense and number two offense. And Kayla goes, has anyone told Cheryl that? And Courtney goes, Yeah, I don't think Cheryl knows that. So um, yeah, really high expectations, and a lot of people are saying that that Cheryl is why the Lynx have been winning so much or have had such a successful start to the season. Um, but she's the X Factor.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

Um and then after the Lynx, how how's the rest of the W from um shaping up right now?

SPEAKER_03 2:55

Yep, so we have Golden State, um, the second seed, they have the best three-point offense in the league. Um, the aces are behind them, and then the wings and the fever. Um, and those have all been really competitive games for us. We've not won um all of those games when we've played. I think, did we lose our most recent game to the aces? One of them, yeah. And I think we lost a game to the Valkyries as well. Um, so yeah, these are all really good teams with really, really good players.

SPEAKER_02 3:27

Um, so and one thing that's important for you know casual or new to the W fans is that um unlike the NBA, the W takes the top eight teams in the league to the postseason. It isn't East and West and breaking it up like that. So it doesn't matter, you know, where they're at, it's just everything's done by record, and then obviously, you know, um head to head and that sort of stuff. It's a tiebreaker. But I I really like that. What do you think of you know, them taking that instead of by conference or having Yeah, it's really different.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

I mean, I I guess I like it. Um I mean, think about how the NBA would be so different. I know. If yeah, I mean over the Would that behoove us or not?

SPEAKER_02 4:17

Of course, yeah. I mean it would yes, we would be towards the top of you know both. You know, there aren't very many East teams that had better records than most of the West. You know, there's a few of them, but overall the West over the last couple decades have been so much stronger than the East that um it would really benefit um those people usually down at the you know the seven to ten range, but you know, we were there for a long time.

SPEAKER_03 4:44

Yeah, right. Um anyway, um yeah, so and kind of going back to the they're there's been talk about MVP candidates already, and Olivia Miles is in the talk, and then of course Asia Wilson, and some people are saying, oh, they're they're having a little bit of Asia Wilson fatigue. Yeah, yeah. Um, like, do we want her to win again? There's not a dog outside our doors. No, I think that's Owen will coming next to the dog. Okay, just making sure there's not a dog. Um but I mean, I feel like it's been fun listening to all the talk about Olivia. Um, there's been a lot of talk about um Paige and Aisy, and then a lot of talk about Caitlin. Yes. We don't necessarily need to get into all of that, but um pay attention to what's kind of the talk of the W, it is it is quite fascinating. So um, yeah, lots of things happening around the league in terms of yeah, just I don't know, how do you summarize that?

SPEAKER_02 5:45

I don't know. The Caitlin thing is is a little bit dangerous to talk about just because you know you don't want to get too fired up, but you know, she's she's definitely a um polarizing figure right now in the WNBA on on everything, and their fans are also you know quite um expressive. Absolutely. So it's it's an interesting uh process. I don't I don't know if we needed to go into that.

SPEAKER_03 6:08

One thing that's been fun for Dallas is obviously Paige and um Aisy kind of they they started the season kind of being the talk of that team, but it's been Jess Shepherd, who used to be um on the Minnesota Lynx. Um she's yeah, she's an all-star this year. She's playing really, really, really well. Owen just told us that she has the second most triple doubles of all time in WMBA history. So she's playing very well. Um but this weekend is a big weekend, and it's we can all start watching starting tonight. There's a lot of media um covering the WNBA All-Star game, but the the games start tomorrow night.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

But specifically, if you guys want to have a little bit of fun, you can always like check out the stud buds because they're live streaming everything.

SPEAKER_03 6:58

That's on Twitch.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

That's on Twitch, but it is it it is fun. We were um getting ready for the show and we had it on in the background, and they're just they're just a lot of fun to listen to. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 7:09

So um starters um for the so there's two different teams this year for the All-Star game. Um, and it's team uh Cynthia Cooper drafted one team, and Teresa Weatherswin drafted the other. So on Team Cooper, it's Paige Beckers, Gabby Williams from Golden State, Kelsey Mitchell from Indiana, um, Stewie from the Liberty, and then our own Natasha Howard has a starting spot on that team. Um, and then the reserves are Angel Reese, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Marina Mabri, um Sonia Citron, and Dominique Malonga. So that means that some of our team is broken up. So we have Natasha on Team Coop, and then on the other team, we have Caitlin Clark, Asia Wilson, and then Olivia Miles. Olivia Miles is gonna play starting with Caitlin Clark, which is kind of bizarre. And then Aliyah Boston and Jess Shepherd. And then reserves are Ryan Howard, Alicia, Alicia Gray, um it's John Cal Jones. John Quell? I always pronounce that wrong.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

Yeah, John Cal.

SPEAKER_03 8:14

John Cal Jones, then our own Courtney Williams. So Courtney and Olivia are on the same team.

SPEAKER_01 8:19

Um could you scroll down a little bit on this one? Sorry, I want to be able to thank you. Sorry, little on-air um reading there.

SPEAKER_03 8:27

Yeah, so it should be a fun game. Um, and before that happens, it's gonna be the three-point contest, and they have a new um shooting stars event, which is kind of exciting, and we have players and former players in both um categories. So in the three-point contest, we have um, well, Natisha Heidemann is a former player who's in it, and so is BC Bridget Carlton. That's awesome. Um there's a little bit of drama. Kayla McBride, I guess, was asked in kind of an informal text fashion, um, but it kind of came out that she she declined because she couldn't take the smoke, and she made it clear like it wasn't about that. It was a very informal ask at the last minute.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

I actually heard a little bit of um on on the person that leaked that or or said that. Um he said, one of these three players is scared or can't take the heat. And um he named, oh I don't know, I forget the third one, but it was Caitlin Clark and Kayla, um, and Kayla as whatever. And um Kayla came out and said, Hey, that's not, you know, that's not me. And and I listened to the guy's response today on TikTok, and he's like, just so you know, Kayla, I wasn't spot, I wasn't talking about you. I think everyone now knows who I'm talking about. It's Kaitlyn. So he the whole time was just trying to, I don't know why he was being cute about it.

SPEAKER_03 9:48

But um So he was saying that Caitlin got asked and declined?

SPEAKER_02 9:53

One he's he's yes, all three of the people supposedly declined last minute or whatever it was. Okay, and he said one of these people can't take the heat. Um and he wasn't talking about Kayla.

SPEAKER_03 10:05

But he was just saying from his own personal that's his personal belief.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

Yes, yes. And it was just like an opinion-based someone talking trash.

SPEAKER_03 10:12

Yeah. Yeah, I don't know what to think about all the Caitlin Clark um stuff. It's it's pretty heated right now. Um, but that'll be fun. I don't know that Natisha can hang in that group.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

She can get hot though.

SPEAKER_03 10:25

She can get hot. We'll see. Yeah, I'm pulling for her. That's a that's a big event for her. Um, and pulling for um Bridget Carlton as well. Azy Fudd will be there. And then this is a new event. So it's a new multi-generational challenge event that the NBA has never done, to the best of my knowledge, but they're pairing a current star with a former like a Hall of Famer or a former or former great within the W. So Team Minnesota is our very own assistant coach, um, Rebecca Brunson. She's gonna be starred with Courtney Williams, and then do you know for Team Seattle who Lauren Jackson is?

SPEAKER_02 11:02

I don't, I don't, there's some of the people, there's two of the people I don't know who they are, and I apologize.

SPEAKER_03 11:06

So she's paired with Flager Johnson, who's a current star, and then Team Washington, um, Elena Del Don is um paired with um Shakira Austin, and then Team Dallas slash Detroit. I think that's just because they're from one's from Dallas and one's from Detroit, as Deanna Tweety, Nolan, and Jess Shepard. So I think it'll be like the skills challenge, or what do you think it's gonna be?

SPEAKER_02 11:33

I don't know. I hope that there's a little bit more basketball play, like almost like a two-on-two type deal. That would be kind of fun, but I don't know if they Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:42

We have plans Friday night, but we'll record everything.

SPEAKER_02 11:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 11:47

And then on Saturday, I think we can watch, I think we can watch.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

I hope. I hope. Or we might be going to the movie.

SPEAKER_03 11:54

We might be going to a movie, but I don't know. I really would love to watch this stuff live. I feel like once it gets leaked, I feel like I kind of miss out. I like to just have it on all the time. Um, and that way when you're like letting the dog out and running back in, you can you're not missing a lot. So it's a lot of good events. I know there's not really wants to see the Odyssey. Owen saw it on Tuesday night at 10:30 p.m. Got home at two. But he said it's one of the best movies he's ever seen in his 16 years.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

He had to kind of take that with a grain of salt, but I'm really glad he liked it. Because how many really great movies it's like.

SPEAKER_03 12:34

Owen's theater that he works at has the biggest IMAX in the state. So a lot of people have been going to see it.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:42

So that's kind of for news around the league. Um, it's been fun to watch the league, but it's been even more fun to follow the links because I feel like I mean, when you're the most successful team in the league and you have the best coach and you have the best rookie, and your MVP's injured, but she's gonna she's also the best. When you know when she comes back, she'll be right back to being the best. It's fun, and we don't ever get to experience that as Timberwolves fans. We get bits and pieces, we get to experience oh, Anne's the best, and we have a pretty great coach. Yeah, and at times, you know, we've had some good rookies, but this is this is different. Um, so do you want to share kind of like some of the biggest news?

SPEAKER_02 13:22

Some of the big news. Um shout out to Cheryl. Cheryl Reeve became the WNBA's most winningest coach, um, surpassing 380 wins. Um it just shows like the dynasty that she's created um with her time here, and I mean, like you just said, how lucky are we to be able to say that she's our coach. So it's been it's been great. Um I also on that same note we got to um got to see Sylvia Fowl's um her number retire and hang up on the club.

SPEAKER_03 13:59

Well, it's actually already been retired, she got inducted into the Hall of Fame, so they just added that to her.

SPEAKER_02 14:04

That's right, at the bottom of the of the jersey. It was fun, it was fun hearing the speeches, people were having a lot of fun. Another Cheryl Reeve um dig towards the current team was that she pointed out all of the past teammates that were sitting on the court, which was you know, Rebecca Runson, um Lindsay Whalen, uh Simona Gus Augustus, um, and and she said, I'm pretty sure that these four or five could get out and beat our current team uh and play better defense than our current team. And everyone was just like, Oh, it was it was crazy to watch.

SPEAKER_03 14:39

Yeah, and uh Syl, you know, is a coach now for the Portland Fire, and she kept on her Minnesota Lynx jersey during the entire game while we were playing them, and she was sitting on the fire bench as a coach. I know all's like I've never seen that before in the NBA. I'm like, nope, that doesn't, I don't think that happens in the NBA, but it's also just I feel like the W is different, but also like the links are different. Um, you know, I now that I'm watching more videos of players outside of the links, they're just like, man, I hated playing the Lynx. Like if they're retired players, they're just like, oh, the links have always been good.

SPEAKER_02 15:13

Um another cute thing about that that night, um Syl's mom was there and she was she was just having a blast, and everyone was giving her um her flowers to you know, raising such a wonderful person. Because as it turns out, I mean there's an award that the Lynx created, and it's a Sil Sylvia Fowles like humanitarian award, or um, and uh it's just goes she's such a great person on and off the court, and they gave uh her mom you know credit for that, and she got up there and she was like waving and almost dancing a little bit in front of everybody because every it all happened after the game, after one of the games this week, and um yeah, it was it was pretty special.

SPEAKER_03 15:52

I'm a little surprised we didn't hire her. Like that we hired Janelle McGarvel over Sill. Sure, sure. And maybe we don't know the ins and outs of that, but I feel like she would have preferred to come here.

SPEAKER_02 16:04

I'm su yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:06

But yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:06

And I don't know, I I know that this was her, you know, first time. I don't know if Janelle had other stuff before this as well to kind of you know cut her teeth. But um, you know, Sill Sill thanked um the Portland team for giving her a chance to do that.

SPEAKER_03 16:21

Yes, this is her first. That is correct. That's her first time.

SPEAKER_02 16:24

I'm not exactly sure. Yeah, I think she would be welcome to hear, you know, down the line, everyone loves loves her, and Cheryl gave a beautiful speech um about her.

SPEAKER_03 16:33

So and when Syl was talking about Cheryl and Cheryl was crying, I was crying too. I'm like, oh, just they're it's very sweet. In you know, when a coach coaches you that hard but loves you that much, it's like such a beautiful combination, and I feel like it again, I'm sure it happens in the NBA. We've talked about Popovich, Steve Kerr. There are definitely coaches who coach hard and are so loving. Um, Doc Rivers, you know, they're out there for sure, but I think Cheryl's just-I mean, so many of these women just remark about how grateful they are for her. I know Kayla's talked a lot about like how life-changing, you know, that's been for her. But anyway, so that was a really fun thing um this month. And then also, Nafisa, we've been talking about when is she gonna come back. Yep. And honestly, I found myself getting kind of annoyed that it was taking so long because everything, everyone talked about June. It was gonna happen in June, mid-June, and it is, you know, July 22nd. And then we started hearing, well, she'll hopefully get a game in before the all-star break. And that is exactly what happened. We played the storm two twice in a row in Seattle, and the first game she did not play, the second game she did play. Yes, and you know, it makes you a little bit nervous, like she hasn't been a part of all of this success. How is she gonna join the team? Also, we know she's like the best player in the league, so she's probably gonna do just fine, and that's exactly what ended up happening.

SPEAKER_02 18:04

Um mic drop of 22 minutes played, 24 points scored, and just fit in like seamlessly into everything.

SPEAKER_03 18:12

Yeah. Uh after three 300 days, this is how long it was since her injury. Um, and I remember it very well. Oh yes. That was bad news. So um, yeah, so she's back, and it was really fun to see Olivia pass to her. Um I'm like, oh, this is gonna be great. I don't know why I was worried for a second. Yeah, this is gonna be great. Um, and then Olivia had a big month as well. She uh broke the all-time rookie record. Um, she became the fastest player in WMBA history to reach 500 points and 150 assists. Um yeah. She's been really fun. It's just been a really fun team overall. Really, really fun.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

So, what's your favorite nickname for her?

SPEAKER_03 19:02

Um, I think after being at the game and seeing people dressed up in wigs and glasses, I think my favorite is the spectacle.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

Yeah, me too.

SPEAKER_03 19:11

Um, even though I like the other ones, I like the show, and then the other one is Magic Miles. Yeah, I like both of those, and I can see why Magic Miles is her favorite after Magic Johnson. Um, but I think the way Minnesotans are embracing her look, which is an interesting look, and I think there are some communities that could like nod it and be like, What's going on there? Yeah, what's that vibe? And Minnesotans are like full on loving it. Um, I just love her authenticity, I love her confidence, and like I just love how good she is. And I I can't think of another rookie if you we look at men's basketball. Is there I mean, it just doesn't happen where a rookie gets that much playing time and is that good year one.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

No, it's it's different.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

I mean, Derek Rose a starter on the all the all-star team.

SPEAKER_02 19:59

Derek Rose was the last rookie to win MVP.

SPEAKER_03 20:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 20:04

Um, even LeBron, I mean, he he didn't get that. So the fact that Olivia is in that kind of rarefied air is is is cool, and she's handling it really well. Um I don't know, she still gives props to you know all of her teammates, and she's talking about continuing to learn and talking, like for instance, the last few weeks I've heard her talk about talking to Fee and figuring out you know how they're gonna work together and just not taking any of it for granted. She's really humble after the game. She is, but during the game, she's a beast. Like she'll spicy. She's a little spicy, and you know what? I think you have to be if you're gonna be putting up those kind of numbers, you have to have to back it up. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:47

Yeah. Um do you think? I know we've watched a lot of NBA all-star games, and there's not a lot of like good passing happening. It's like a lot of run and dunks. Do you think Olivia's gonna shine in this all-star setting where you know her she her gift is passing?

SPEAKER_02 21:06

Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 21:08

It could be some really flashy passes.

SPEAKER_02 21:10

It could be really flashy.

SPEAKER_03 21:10

She could be she's a no-look fun passer.

SPEAKER_02 21:13

I I I wonder, I don't think I've watched a lot of W all-star games.

SPEAKER_03 21:18

I haven't either.

SPEAKER_02 21:19

And shame on me. I know. Um, but it is it it it's gotta be more like basketball because in the in the NBA, they just it's all dunks. It's all dunks, all alley oops, and it's lazy stuff. No defense. Maybe it could just be a lot of threes. Um, but I just I think Sabrina's not in it, though.

SPEAKER_03 21:38

No, there are other people who shoot threes, but she didn't play enough games to be eligible.

SPEAKER_02 21:42

Um she should be. There's just uh a lot of it'll be interesting. I'm I'm hoping that they play the game as hard. Oh, bless you. Um as hard as possible. You know, I know that it's not a real game, but I hope that there's some effort, um, a little bit more than the men's games.

SPEAKER_03 21:57

Yeah, I'm excited to see like Caitlin and Paige and Olivia like all out there together. It'll be fun.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

Yeah, it it will be. I'm excited to watch.

SPEAKER_03 22:07

Yep. Um, and yeah, we already talked a little bit about the studbuds, but they're already um live streaming everything. So jump on and um you can get some good clips too if you're uh follow them on social media if you don't want to like actually watch their live stream. Just follow their account, Stud Buds account on TikTok or Instagram, and just they have they'll the that's where they'll they'll take the clips that are actually like funny or you know, kind of um yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:35

One thing that I noticed while watching the live stream is they are super comfortable just being themselves, not not when they're being interviewed because that they do their little shtick and everything. Yeah. But like just walking around. They've gotten really used to the cameras just being on them.

SPEAKER_03 22:48

It's interesting. Last year it was it was so new and different, and I wonder, I mean, from what we've seen so far today, we have been listening a bit, it seems about the same, but I do wonder, you know, like we've talked about how sometimes like we have some reality TV shows that we love or that I love, but I'll be clear. And like the first season feels so like unscripted and unfiltered and like so authentic, and then the second season, you're like, oh, that was so they totally scripted that. I'm a little bit worried that it'll it's gonna be a little bit like that with the stud buds. I think it's because they have that they prove themselves, you know, or you know, there's a little bit of pressure. So many people are following.

SPEAKER_02 23:26

Yes, and they have like real sponsors.

SPEAKER_03 23:28

They do. So last year they had pink hair, you know, their big song was Pink Pony Club last year. This year they have blue hair, they're stud one and stud stud 2. Yeah, um thing one and thing two, yeah, and um their hair is ATT blue because that's their sponsor. So that's just the fact that they have sponsors. Oh, and in Chicago is where the All-Star game is, they have two huge billboards, one of Natisha and one of Courtney. Really? Yeah, and they're looking at each other, yeah. It's awesome, but it's like, yeah, I just hope it like stays because last year they would catch people saying things, not realizing they were on a live stream. Right. Like really famous people, and coaches, right? And coaches, and like, I mean it like Tyrese Halliburton was there, and like, oh, um, who's Sue Bird's ex-partner? Oh, I can't think of her name, the soccer player. She said some really like salacious stuff, not realizing she was like on the live stream. And it anyway, I'm like, I well, people now know. Yes. So they're gonna be a little bit more polished and aware. So which is it's okay. That's okay. So yeah, that's the links and the W. Um, but we should definitely also talk about the Timberwolves. There's been a lot that's happened this month as well.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

A lot of news, crazy news. And I'm gonna I'm gonna put it like this. I am the bullet point is Nod Nas Reed was traded to Charlotte. I just want to first focus on that part. Um, our beloved Nas Reed, who's came up and is like the darling of the Twin Cities.

SPEAKER_03 24:59

Umrafted.

SPEAKER_02 25:01

Undrafted to two-way player. No, to from G-League to two-way to full contract to sixth man of the year. Yep, and uh and and just such a wonderful thing um, you know, for the Twin Cities, people getting behind him, and yeah, he's our our our story. Um he was traded uh to Charlotte, and the only reason why I think that Nas should be happy about this is like who what he was traded for. He was traded for one of the most dynamic point guards in the league. I'm not saying the best point guards in the league, but one of the most dynamic point guards in the league, and a future, distant future first round pick. So that's where he's come from.

SPEAKER_03 25:42

That shows his worth.

SPEAKER_02 25:43

It is really, really incredible that he came from that to being the main part of a trade this big.

SPEAKER_03 25:51

Yeah. So it is hard. I mean, I do think our collective hearts broke. I saw a video that said this is Minnesota's Princess Diana playing to the Elton John um Candle in the Wind song. Um, I do think it just hurt in a different way, and I honestly was surprised. I didn't think it was possible. I know his name has been brought up before, but then I just thought, but Tim Connolly like knows Minnesotans, but he uh more importantly knows how to put teams together so that they win, and we had to give up something in order to get a good point guard. And Lamello is very dynamic and he's an amazing passer, and I'm starting to get on board. Uh I just don't really like to look at him, I don't really like to listen to him, but that's all off the court. Yeah. And I haven't watched, I mean, Charlotte was like everyone's favorite team to watch this year. They were like so fun.

SPEAKER_02 26:52

They were the one of the it they were the best team post-all-star break in the NBA last year. Or like the last time.

SPEAKER_03 26:57

A lot of that had to do with LaMello.

SPEAKER_02 26:59

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:00

With that said, his feet are tattooed and like he's just kind of odd. I don't know. Like, uh, I don't know. But again, that's off the court stuff. I can get on, I just need to watch him play basketball. I need to watch him pass it to Ant like five times, and I'll be like, it's fine. I can get over Nasre leaving.

SPEAKER_02 27:22

I think that um it'll instead of passing to Ant, what's gonna get you excited is about his way that he's gonna get everyone else involved too.

SPEAKER_01 27:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:30

I think that Rudy, I know we're not gonna unlock Rudy, but he's a lob first point guard. Like, he's going to look for Rudy. Every time that we're like, oh, Rudy wants a lob and no one trusts him, Lamel's gonna do it and he's gonna put it in the right spot. I also he m he's made careers out of some of the big guys in uh in Charlotte because of the way he he passes them the ball. So I'm excited to see that. I'm excited um what this means for the team.

SPEAKER_03 28:01

We also signed IO. I don't think we talked about that. Um so Oh, we might have. We might have talked about that. So we signed Io, uh, we also signed Jalen, Jalen.

SPEAKER_04 28:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 28:10

I'm not sure if we talked about that, Jalen Clark. Um so we have pretty much a full roster, other than we're missing, like there's a gaping giant hole in the power forward spot. Um, because obviously Julius Randall was traded uh to Brooklyn. Um for like a bag of chips. We don't have a power forward. And I was telling you earlier, Matt, that like I'm kind of I last year it was all oh, we're gonna what are we gonna do without a power forward or without a point guard, and oh, we'll have Dante or we'll have Io or we'll have Ant. And I just we learned that we just needed a point guard, and that's what we're doing. But now I'm sorry, Jaden McDaniels is not a power forward, he's very much a small forward, and Rudy is nothing but a center, and we keep coming up with like creative, you know, suggestions of who could do it, and the reality is none of them are good, other than LeBron James, and he is taking his sweet time telling everybody um where he's gonna be going, but we very much doubt it's to Minnesota. So it would make the most sense basketball-wise, but his wife doesn't want to live here.

SPEAKER_02 29:19

I I think I just want to point out that we almost made it 30 minutes without bringing up LeBron.

SPEAKER_03 29:25

Yeah, the only basketball podcast out there.

SPEAKER_02 29:28

Kudos to us.

SPEAKER_03 29:29

And I don't even think I want to talk about it anymore because it's like I feel like that's all I hear about. And it was at first, it was really exciting because our name was out there. Yeah, he might come to Minnesota. We need a point guard, and he wants to come to a team and he wants to win, and this is a match made in heaven, and I was like on that train.

SPEAKER_02 29:47

Power forward, she means what you said point guard.

SPEAKER_03 29:50

I interchange those. I also interchange August and October, interesting, March and May. Um yeah, I was booking a client today, and I said, So we I'll see you in October. And she looked at me like, what? And then she goes, Do you mean August? And I was like, Yes. I'm so sorry. I did not mean to, yeah. Anyway, so yeah, we need a power forward. It's probably not gonna be LeBron, but we will wait to see.

SPEAKER_02 30:18

I think there's I think that there's ways to look at it. It's really defense that's the worry. Like, who's going to guard the second biggest player on the opposing team?

SPEAKER_03 30:30

So well, and we just got really small.

SPEAKER_02 30:33

That's what, yeah, that's what I mean. So, like on on offense, a lot of people think, you know, power forwards, like, you know, on offense it's fine.

SPEAKER_04 30:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:40

But because we, you know, stretch fours happen all the time, so we can, you know, play anyone that is gonna be sitting in the corner and shooting threes. But it's really, it's really who's gonna who's gonna guard Zion? Um, who's gonna, you know what I mean? Like those really big guys. Um so it'll be interesting to see what what Finch does. Uh there's rumors and around other players that could come over for the vet minimum, but it's the vet minimum. I don't think that we can like start a Kevin Love at Power Forward.

SPEAKER_03 31:09

Ooh, that would be interesting.

SPEAKER_02 31:11

Well, that's a that's a that's a real possibility.

SPEAKER_03 31:13

What are you rolling in your hand?

SPEAKER_02 31:14

It's garbage that I found right here. Okay, got it.

SPEAKER_03 31:17

Um, is Kevin Love one of the options? Ha ha. But he can't start.

SPEAKER_02 31:22

I mean, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_03 31:25

What are our other options? Everyone else that was on the list has been signed.

SPEAKER_02 31:28

Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_03 31:29

So it's Kevin Love or LeBron James, those are our two options.

SPEAKER_02 31:33

Yeah, there's it's gonna be interesting. I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 31:37

Man! So but lots of excitement still. Um, we heard this week, and you all have probably already heard, but if for those who haven't, there's been talk that Ant and LaMello and they want the rest, they want to put a team or a group of our team to go out to France and visit Rudy.

SPEAKER_02 31:56

And play with Rudy, play with like have some team bonding and practice. Go to France! Why not? Let's go to France. Yeah. Can we can they take us with us with them? I don't doubt that. Maybe they're listening. Hey, you can bring us. Um no, I I I love to hear that Ant and uh Lamello are spending a lot of time together before the season.

SPEAKER_03 32:21

All I've seen them do is take half-court shots that they both missed. Have you seen other good things?

SPEAKER_02 32:26

Well, I know that they're spending time out of the room. Right, I've heard that.

SPEAKER_03 32:29

I just saw that one video. Like, brick, brick, that's all. And then, like, kind of I'm like, oh, they're gonna be it's like having the two-class clowns in the same class. It's every teacher's nightmare. It's literally the two boys with ADHD who you have to keep separated in order to get anything done with the rest of the class. They're gonna be in the same, like, poor Finch. Let's bring in Cheryl Reeves.

SPEAKER_02 32:52

We'll see. But Cheryl needs to come over and as you mentioned though, Ant is maturing.

SPEAKER_03 32:58

Yes, he is. And how do we what are some signs of maturity? Um, I saw a really cute video of him in I don't know what country, but he was acting like a really good father and a husband. And I'm using the term husband because he and his longtime girlfriend just got married in Hennepin County this week.

SPEAKER_02 33:17

That's congratulations.

SPEAKER_03 33:18

Shannon Jackson and Anthony Edwards. I don't know if she took his last name. Maybe it's Shannon Edwards, and they have a daughter named Aislin, and her nickname is Ladybug.

SPEAKER_02 33:29

That's cute.

SPEAKER_03 33:30

And she's so cute.

SPEAKER_02 33:32

Yeah, yeah. The the players have some cute kids. They really do.

SPEAKER_03 33:36

Jaden's littlest son just got braids. Actually, it might be his older son, his older son. Yeah. He's two sons. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

Just adorable. Those two looking in the mirror at each other with their wife.

SPEAKER_03 33:46

And then Mike Conley, um, I don't know if we talked about that he signed with the Boston Celtics. Yes. But he did, so that's a huge loss. If we had these two class clowns, it would be better if we had a teacher's pet, you know, to help keep them in line. But he's in Boston. But he and his wife just had their fourth boy.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

Just almost a basketball team.

SPEAKER_03 34:03

So many boys. Um, I'm trying to think of other changes. Um, Dante is expecting his second. Well, his partner is. Um, and he's been in Minnesota all summer, which has been really nice. Like working out, rehabbing, going around with his kid on his tricycle, things like that.

SPEAKER_02 34:22

And then there's the Jalen Jalen Clark stuff.

SPEAKER_03 34:25

He went viral this week. Um, he kind of broke down some of the finances, like things that are kind of like pull back the curtain from like what like the money that he got when he first got into the league, and then the money he got now. He signed a three-year, $10 million contract. And he talks about it in a way that's very um like he's astute, like you can tell he cares about the financial. I mean, I think everyone does, but he is not he doesn't make it.

SPEAKER_01 34:54

We hope that we don't not everyone does.

SPEAKER_03 34:56

Not everyone does. We hope everyone does. Um, I think he because he doesn't make quite as much as all of the other players, he's trying to be really wise with this money, but also he's like being transparent. And I do love like a lot of creators will say, sure, I'll tell you how much I make. I make this much doing this and this much doing that. And that's what he did. He's like, like you, I think it's for 2K, every player that is a part of 2K gets the same exact amount.

SPEAKER_04 35:22

Really?

SPEAKER_03 35:23

385,000. Regardless, he said, regardless if you're the best player or the the worst player.

SPEAKER_02 35:28

For for NBA 2K, the video game, they get $300,000, almost $400,000.

SPEAKER_03 35:32

Yep. That's insane. Yeah. I was gonna pull up but yes.

SPEAKER_02 35:37

Um that speaks to you know what we were talking about uh with the Tuckers last weekend um over dinner. Um no, no, it wasn't the was it the Tuckers? Who are we talking about? The the the with Eli and the It wasn't the Tuckers.

SPEAKER_03 35:55

I have no idea what you're referring to.

SPEAKER_02 35:57

It was the cards that about the actors' guild and then trying to make the cards.

SPEAKER_03 36:03

Oh, the Maguire's.

SPEAKER_02 36:04

The Maguire's. Oh my gosh, shout out to the Maguire's, but I don't think they're gonna be.

SPEAKER_03 36:07

This is our idea.

SPEAKER_02 36:08

Greg and Andrea.

SPEAKER_03 36:09

We really want to patent this idea.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Are you gonna tell everybody?

SPEAKER_03 36:13

Well, you were just about to.

SPEAKER_02 36:14

Oh, I'm teasing music. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:17

We have an idea about cards for like Broadway stars.

SPEAKER_02 36:22

Right, right.

SPEAKER_03 36:23

Like, where's the untapped, like, you know, and Eli was like, you could have um stars, you know, in this role and in that role and want to collect them from every sort that they've had.

SPEAKER_02 36:34

It's instead of sports cards, it's like acting cards. I know that they exist in some capacity now with some things, but nothing like what um we were talking about. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:42

And instead of like little pieces of their jersey, you could do little pieces of their tap shoe.

SPEAKER_02 36:47

Or like, you know, I don't know, the autographs, the auto cards or programs or um, so the reason why I thought about this is like if you if every single player for NBA 2K gets almost $400,000, you'd have to do that for everyone like in you know, associated with that union as well, then.

SPEAKER_03 37:07

Oh, you mean if they had a video game about them?

SPEAKER_02 37:09

No, just like that's what the rights cost in order to do it.

SPEAKER_03 37:12

Oh, the rights cost in order to do it. And isn't it like so? And I know Charles Barclay refuses to do it. You did, yes, correct. And I think there's other players too, but like that's the players that make have made so much money they do not care about their 2K money. Yeah, so that's surprising.

SPEAKER_02 37:29

I didn't know that much. Yeah, cool, good for them.

SPEAKER_03 37:31

Yeah. So I think those are all of our updates for the Dead Wolves.

SPEAKER_02 37:37

Yeah, I'm I'm very curious on on how things will finalize because we have that one roster spot left, and we've always kind of kept one roster spot open. Once that you know, it's months away still, but training camp happens and people get cut, or people get, you know. So though there's gonna be some there's going to be options, you know.

SPEAKER_03 37:59

Do you want to talk about summer league just a little bit?

SPEAKER_02 38:02

Uh a little tiny bit. I mean, we played four games.

SPEAKER_03 38:05

We played it was Barranjay, Rocky, Rococo, Rocco, and then who's the guy that made the second team?

SPEAKER_02 38:13

Um yes.

SPEAKER_03 38:15

You don't know his name? Um Owen just told us.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

I know, I just blanked on it.

SPEAKER_03 38:20

Julian?

SPEAKER_02 38:21

No.

SPEAKER_03 38:21

It's not Julian. Is it Zion? Yes.

SPEAKER_02 38:24

Zion. Zion.

SPEAKER_03 38:25

Yay! Okay.

SPEAKER_02 38:26

You got the uh summer league second team.

SPEAKER_03 38:28

Summer league second team.

SPEAKER_02 38:29

And I think he averaged like 20 some odd points per game. He he really he really made a splash.

SPEAKER_03 38:35

And Baron Jay. And Barenjay played one game. And looked really good.

SPEAKER_02 38:39

He looked really good, and then supposedly he tweaked a hammy or something like that, so he didn't play. But most of the time, if you are either a top rookie or someone coming back, you don't play a lot in the summer league.

SPEAKER_03 38:51

And he played as a power forward. He did, and he is an option for one of our but he's a center.

SPEAKER_02 38:57

Finch really shut that down when he was pressed on it a few different times. Um, and and he said that the main reason why they started him next to Zakarski um was he he wanted to see them both.

SPEAKER_03 39:11

Are you talking about Rocco?

SPEAKER_02 39:12

Zakarski, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:13

You're using his last name, which is Zakarski.

SPEAKER_02 39:16

Well, I didn't want to accidentally say Rococo.

SPEAKER_03 39:19

Do you guys remember the restaurant back in the day, Rocky Rococo?

SPEAKER_02 39:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:23

Isn't it a restaurant from Minnesota?

SPEAKER_02 39:25

I don't know, but I I I don't remember, but I know it's something because when you say it, it does Rocky Rococo.

SPEAKER_03 39:31

Anyway, I guess his last name is Zakowski. Zarkowski. Zarkowski.

SPEAKER_02 39:36

Maybe. Now I think I'm saying it wrong too.

SPEAKER_03 39:38

So Rocco and um what's his name? Baron Jay went fishing this summer. Together. They went fishing.

SPEAKER_02 39:46

Boat is big enough to find out.

SPEAKER_03 39:48

I know, seriously. They're like, I know, and I think it was a Minneapolis Lake, so it was probably like not very big, but that's awesome. Yeah, they went fishing.

SPEAKER_02 39:56

Well, anyway, so it was we went like one or we went two and two or something like that. Not very special in terms of a performance, and there aren't that many guys on the team that are going to even make, you know, the they'll be on the G League team. So it wasn't it wasn't as important as many um in the past have been. So um, yeah, I wasn't I wasn't really excited. There were some other games that were fun. It was fun to see some of the rookies, you know, make big splashes uh in their debut, summer league debuts, and to see all like the coaches and the other players there, it's so fun.

SPEAKER_03 40:29

And if it weren't 120 degrees, we would be there.

SPEAKER_02 40:32

I know, I know. We will make it there when we're I think we need to before Owen graduates. Well, that's like next year. I can't do that. We have so many trips with him now that we have to take.

SPEAKER_03 40:42

No, that would just be a quick one.

SPEAKER_02 40:44

Like a quick little Vegas trip. Yeah, of course. Yeah, no, yeah, let's do that. Let's do that. I'm in I'm on board. Anyway, so Okay, let's just finish with our really big news. What's our really big news?

SPEAKER_03 40:56

Joan graduates from puppy training school on Saturday. She gets her picture taken. Yes, that's gonna be hung up in the store. Check it out, Pet Smart Burnsville.

SPEAKER_04 41:08

There it is.

SPEAKER_03 41:09

Juni, the most precious baby that ever was.

SPEAKER_04 41:13

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03 41:14

She's a really big WNBA fan for the record. I took a little video, I was like, June. Well, she does watch a lot of things for the record, but she does love women's basketball. And I'm not surprised. She's such a good fan.

SPEAKER_02 41:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

She also likes what else does she like to watch?

SPEAKER_02 41:29

Um, musicals. She likes musicals, specifically Spring Awakening with Eva.

SPEAKER_03 41:34

Yeah, those are our two favorite things: musicals and basketball.

SPEAKER_02 41:37

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 41:37

She's our Can I just brag about for one second? We brought her to the dog park. We are used to going to the dog park and our dog being like, peace, and like never coming back to find us. Like, we have to like stay right by Bonnie or Berta because they're sniffing trees and sniffing dogs, and they're like act like they don't know us. Like they're too cool. Yeah. Like they're like, I barely like they give us side eyes, like, I barely know you. Like, I'm I'm fine, I'm with my friends. Like, they're like middle schoolers. Like, don't bother me while I'm with my friends. June stayed with us the whole time.

SPEAKER_04 42:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:07

I this is how she responds to come. I go, a tiny little kissing noise that I've heard other dog owners do my whole life and go, how do they do that? Oh, June's like, Mom, what is it, Mom? What do you need from me? I will be right at your ankle, Mom. I'm like, what? She just stayed with me the whole time. She interacted with dogs in a non-awkward way.

SPEAKER_04 42:29

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 42:30

Basset house can be very awkward, very adorable. But we have a little bit of I don't think trauma's the right word, but a little bit of like nervousness with dog parks because it's like well, Bonnie and Berta, they both bark. They bark their faces up. I'm like, June is so quiet. Like, she doesn't make any noises. So it's like, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 42:49

It's nice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:51

So this is you guys, this is why we've not been recording. We apologize we haven't been recording, but it's really hard raising a puppy. A puppy. And she's intensed. She's almost 35 pounds. She's 18 weeks, like she's a big girl, but she's still a tiny little baby at heart, like with the soul of an angel. Sorry. Just wait till she looks into your eyes with her blonde eyelashes. You'll die. But you have to get her calm. But you know what she's really good at when you meet her for the first time? A sitted greet. She greets, she sits when she greets people, and she talks, sits really proudly, like, I'm here to greet you.

SPEAKER_02 43:29

So I think that we just discovered like discovered on your next podcast. And it's just gonna be the breakdown, the weekly breakdown of our dogs and their lives. Because I think that you had more passion in around you know that last segment than though, you know.

SPEAKER_03 43:44

I was holding it in. I was trying to, I was like, we're talking about basketball. Oh no, it's been really fun watching basketball, but our lives have been a hundred percent two dogs, so yeah. It's yeah, we're gonna be excited to watch some basketball with them this weekend. But again, we can't sit down for that long. We're like, oh, stop, stop, stop playing, stop barking, stop. We have to like play referee a lot. So exactly. But thanks for joining us again. Um, we do hope to get back on more of a regular schedule, especially after you know, Junior's growing up, she doesn't need us all the time. She's a big girl, she's a puppy school graduate. Exactly. So, and everyone enjoy WMBA All Star Weekend, and we'll catch you in a few weeks.