Chasing the Best Free Agents

On this week's episode of Chasing the W, Bonnie and Amanda FINALLY get to discuss the finalized CBA agreement and all the new and improved benefits that players will be getting. 

Then they dive into the absolute chaos of March Madness and what we can anticipate with the expansion draft + free agency window coming up. 

Give us a follow @ChasingtheW_pod on IG and give us all your hot-takes!!

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:09

Welcome back to another episode of Chasing the W. I'm Amanda.

SPEAKER_06 0:13

Hi Amanda. I'm Bonnie. Hi Bonnie. It's nice to talk to you again. You too. What's going on? How are you? How's life? Life's okay. We were in California for a few days, and it'd be nice. Lovely. The sun, we forgot what all that was like. Um it was good. Yeah. But now we're back. And it's spring. Spring is sprung, which is nice.

SPEAKER_05 0:36

Spring has sprung, luckily for us. While you were gone, we had we had spring and also winter in a span of 24 hours. So that was not funny.

SPEAKER_06 0:46

I think we're done with snow, which is great.

SPEAKER_05 0:49

I really hope so. Because you know, I prematurely put my puffer away and just I could I just couldn't do it again. So I had to take it out, even though it was brick. I just said I'll be cold, that's fine. What'd you do this weekend? What'd I do? Well, I have spent a lot of time over the last two-ish weeks now playing this Pokemon game that has been a chokehold. So I've been doing a lot of that, and then they dropped an older Pokemon game on Switch that was originally for GameCube. It's because it's the 30th anniversary, and so there's a lot of Pokemon shit happening. And I thrive.

SPEAKER_06 1:31

I was wondering why it was coming back.

SPEAKER_05 1:32

Yeah, it's 30 years of Pokemon. 30 years of the main character, Ash, never growing up, which is he's gotta grow up. He's been a long time.

SPEAKER_06 1:44

It's a long time to be stuck in one age. Yeah. Eliza's gonna tell us a Pokemon joke.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

I hope it's funny. Alright, and get ready to laugh. This is my Pokemon joke. How do you get um how do you get Pikachu on a bus? How? How? You Pokemon.

SPEAKER_06 2:00

Oh god. I liked it. I liked it.

SPEAKER_05 2:03

Eliza's entering her dad era. That was That was good.

SPEAKER_06 2:07

That was good.

SPEAKER_05 2:08

That was that was good.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

Pokemon.

SPEAKER_06 2:11

I guess that's how you get it all of them on.

SPEAKER_04 2:13

Yeah. Right?

SPEAKER_06 2:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:14

Yeah, you poke them on. Wow. That I also feel like I also feel like it helps that you have an accent too.

SPEAKER_05 2:21

Because because I'm just like, well, that's not really how we would pronounce it, but it makes sense.

SPEAKER_06 2:27

How did you pronounce it?

SPEAKER_05 2:28

I didn't know. I just feel like there was the emphasis was in a different part of the word. Pokey. That's good.

SPEAKER_06 2:32

Pokemon. You would pronounce poke differently?

SPEAKER_05 2:35

Pokey. It's Pokemon. Oh yeah. But that's what I mean. It makes sense with the accent. Yeah, yeah. That's what I'm saying. Okay, okay. Okay. Well, now that we've settled what we've been up to, I'm jealous of your vacation. It was good. Next time you can come with you the whole time. Thank you. You look like you were having a lot of fun, and I was jealous that I wasn't having fun with you, but it's alright. Next time though, you can come. Yeah, next time in Montreal. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 3:06

And sooner.

SPEAKER_05 3:06

And yeah, sooner, sooner than that. Okay, well, we have honestly a really big episode ahead of us because the CBA is Can you believe it? It's tentatively agreed to. So, like I think it was 17 months of negotiating.

SPEAKER_06 3:22

Yeah, and the last week it was like 14-hour days.

SPEAKER_05 3:25

The last week they were staying there overnight. Like I saw some photos of people like camping out on the floor, like jackets balled up on the floor. Yeah. Blankets and shit, which that's commitment.

SPEAKER_06 3:38

So, you know, every draftee is welcome.

SPEAKER_05 3:42

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_06 3:43

Look at look at your leadership.

SPEAKER_05 3:45

Yeah. Also, like I just want to say they came to this agreement after March 10th, which is the date that Adam Silver set as the deadline, which leads me to my next point. Mind your fucking business. Like, what are you even talking about? You don't say shit about the WNBA this whole time, and now you feel like you gotta put in your two cents. It's just like Stephen A. Smith. How about you shut the fuck up? It's none of your business. You don't even know what the fuck you're talking about, brother. I can't stand Stephen A. Smith. Yeah. And this is why we made a podcast, right? Because it's bad takes only. Yeah. They need we need some good takes out in the world. But knowing that we have come to a verbal agreement on the CBA, let's talk what the key highlights and details are because there are a lot of them. So first and foremost, it's been confirmed that there will be a salary cap jump to 7 million in 2026. And for those who follow kind of passively, casually, a salary cap is something that is not necessarily novel to the WNBA. It's like kind of how most sports leagues operate. So there has to be rules and regulation about how much money a team can pay players just so that it remains fair. So obviously there are vast differences depending on the league, like NBA, NFL, like those salary caps are fucking insane. But it's crazy. This is huge. Um, it will rise dramatically at the start of this season, and it's not even like gonna stop at seven million. It's just it's structured to scale upward across the life of the entire collective bargaining agreement, and it's tied to revenue sharing model triggers, which is similar to what the last one had, except now there's like a bigger share of that revenue uh sharing, which is actually the next really key point. Now there is a new revenue sharing framework where the participation and revenue is tiered, so it goes up and up and up depending on how much money the league makes total. It depends on the performance of the business, and it's structured as a share-based growth participation system versus a static percentage. So, like I said, it'll continue to go up based on how the league performs.

SPEAKER_06 6:04

But it went up 115% from the city. Like a lot.

SPEAKER_05 6:07

That's a lot. Yeah, so that's huge. Yeah, I believe they maybe were at 9%. 9.3, yeah. Yeah, so the going up to 20 is incredible. And just to start, too, right? Uh the next key point here is this they've now confirmed a super max um increase, which is starting around 1.4 million. Um, and similar to the revenue sharing percentage, it's projected to exceed 2 million later in the agreement, like during the lifespan of the actual deal. This one is huge, especially for rookies. So they completely overhauled the rookie scale and added an epic clause. So uh essentially the rookie deals are now redesigned, and so they're gonna be getting more money. Because I initially I think the most a rookie could make was somewhere near like 66k, which is fucking crazy. The minimum salary was 66k. Yeah, it was something crazy like that. And then this epic clause is just around early renegotiation of that rookie salary. So, for example, Caitlin Clark, unfortunately, is a good example of who might benefit from that, as well as uh Paige Becker's. I don't think Aaliyah Boston uh technically would fall into this because I think she maybe just finished her rookie deal, but I could be making that up. But essentially, it allows the rookies coming in to make more money and it reconfigures current rookie salaries of players who are still on those deals, which is incredible. This one I think is a big one, in my opinion. Which one? Roster expansion will now be 12 players plus two developmental teams.

SPEAKER_06 7:43

Yeah, that's really cool.

SPEAKER_05 7:45

That is really great because this is something I talk about all the time. If we take take out all of the expansion teams, including Golden State, there were only 12 teams with 12 total roster spots. So that's only 144 women who are able to play. And now that we've added two additional roster spots per team, and now we're actually at 15 teams total, right? With the Valkyries and the fire coming in, and then the tempo. And so, whatever 15 times 14 is, that is the new number.

SPEAKER_06 8:16

Let me do it really quick.

SPEAKER_05 8:17

But yeah, Bonnie's gotta do it. You know, I'm not a calculator. 210. So now instead of 144 players, there are now gonna be 210 roster spots. And what's really incredible too, Eliza pointed out, is that a lot of teams only had 11 players on the roster because there was a salary cap issue they couldn't afford to play or to pay for one more player, which honestly is really tough because then imagine you have a game where you've got all these injuries and then you're fucked.

SPEAKER_06 8:45

I know.

SPEAKER_05 8:46

Do you remember that we had like a game last season where we were playing with like two pennies, a piece of string, a paper clips, and a bobby pin? It was crazy. So that's also really, really exciting. This isn't new, but it's you know, been restated here officially. They there will be charter travel, it's institutionalized now, so that's incredible. And it's now codified um in the labor structure, so it is a thing moving forward, period.

SPEAKER_06 9:14

Remember when that was like the biggest thing?

SPEAKER_05 9:16

Yeah, like that was that was just so crazy. Like, I remember I uh actually, Danny, my old boss, who we were just talking about, he and his kid were at the airport in Minnesota, and the Lynx were just chilling in the fucking terminal like two seasons ago. That's crazy. He got a picture with them, they were all so nice, but I'm just like, they should not be here amongst the peasants.

SPEAKER_06 9:36

I feel like they all have bigger internet presence and stuff, and so like just for their security alone. Yeah, it's yeah, like so nobody messes with them.

SPEAKER_05 9:45

Yeah, yeah. Ooh, crazy. Okay, a couple more key details here. So the housing benefit structure is also phased, it's not permanently universal. So the players were really fighting to have housing provided by the teams, which makes sense, especially with how cutthroat the league is. We've talked about it, right? Like what happens if you get drafted, you get an apartment, and then you get traded, and now all of a sudden you're shit out of luck. Trying to trying to pay for a move across the country with literally seven dollars in your pocket, but now they got money. So hopefully that's a lot easier. But housing will be guaranteed initially for players, and then later there will be transitions toward targeted eligibility, so it's subject to change over time. Eliza's adding something.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

So, yeah, for the housing contracts, my understanding was that um it it it's across five years in the first three years, uh, we'll cover everyone in the league in terms of housing, and then for the following two, it will be I think it's rookies or anyone who's under a certain salary band, is um is the plan thus far.

SPEAKER_05 10:46

Thank you. Thank you, producer, for that excellent insight.

SPEAKER_06 10:49

Yeah, I mean the girlies got paid. They did get paid, and honestly, I'm so proud of them.

SPEAKER_05 10:54

I'm proud of them too. I'm really annoyed that it feels like they were the ones most willing to bend. Yeah. You know, which whatever. It we have tentatively a deal. Um, okay, wait. So there's just like a couple Oh, there's more. There's just a few other key things here. But wait, there's more. Yeah, there have been some increases to bonuses. Like I I believe last year. Oh, like the games, like commissioners cost like the incentives, so winning the championship, winning MVP. Like, I think Asia, I don't know. I think she went, I think she made like 15k extra or something, which is kind of laughable for winning MVP. And then I I'm I'm not sure off the top of my head how much it was for the championship, but now it's looking like sixty thousand yeah in terms of championship bonuses, which is good. But that's another example of something that's kind of tied to the cap structure and the modeling over time. So it depends on how well the business does, etc. etc. Right. Um, so it won't be like static contractual bonuses.

SPEAKER_06 11:53

So I was surprised how low some of those were like a thousand for winning the three-point contest or something.

SPEAKER_05 12:00

No, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_06 12:01

I feel like that's nothing. Because it is nothing.

SPEAKER_05 12:04

I mean, honestly.

SPEAKER_06 12:06

Like, give me at least. Exactly.

SPEAKER_05 12:08

Yeah, taxes probably did them so crazy.

SPEAKER_06 12:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 12:11

Okay, and then another key thing here, ex they have explicitly referenced in the deal that increasing the number of games per season is a long-term target, and so they're looking to have about 52 games per season, which Damn. I'm not sure how I feel about it. That's a lot of games. I like that's the thing. Like, I feel I do feel like the NBA does 82 games, and that feels like way too many fucking games, and so I worry for the girls that it's gonna get to an unreasonable amount, especially given that if you're only gonna have like I don't know, I just I can't imagine like the introduction of all of the new expansion teams as well that have already been announced, and how are they gonna like I I don't know. I it doesn't seem very feasible to me. They play over such a short stint of time too, like yeah, I don't know, and that's a lot on their bodies, and I and then I feel like Okay, so they're adding games, but are they extending the season in terms of that's what I mean? There's there's not a ton of detail on that yet, which is why I'm just like, how is it gonna work? I'm also just like I'm predicting it now in March 2026. I'm saying it right now, if they continue to to add games to the season, we're gonna start to see a lot of load management in the same way that we see it in the NBA, and it's so corny. Yeah. So that's whatever. But I would say I would say that as of right now, like the biggest structural t takeaway from the term sheet is that player compensation growth is now formula linked to the league commercial expansion. This is bigger than the salary increases themselves. So what it actually means is that salaries scale automatically with new TV deals, expansion revenue matters, sponsorship growth matters, attendance growth matters. That is the real economic shift. So that is really, really, really, really, really exciting. And I feel like I don't know, that's kind of like what they were trying to do, but I think honestly, it's only up from here. So I think we're gonna we're gonna go onward and upward, and that's what we love to see. So yeah, big thing, but it has to be ratified. It has to be ratified.

SPEAKER_06 14:34

I think it it definitely I feel like we can feel confident finally for once. Yeah, I think so too. It's locked in, and they made it, they've come to a deal. I think so too. But so we have one more thing that two more things that are is cool about this. And it's a key d key details of like the retired players are getting paid. Oh, yeah. It's a recognition payment or like a back pay to compensate veteran players who helped like build the league before this new.

SPEAKER_05 15:07

Which I think is so good. I'm not gonna lie to you. If I had retired and I've seen all this new money coming in, bro, I would be sick. Is this like it would be a weird place to be, right? Because I would feel happy for them, but also like, damn, what about me?

SPEAKER_01 15:20

But they're just everybody probably players who play for like 50k and less.

SPEAKER_06 15:26

Yeah. If they played in the league for 12 plus years, they would get$100,000. That's not bad.

SPEAKER_05 15:32

No, it's better than nothing. It's better than nothing. Because they could have made this deal and just forgotten about the retired players because respectfully they know they're no longer employees.

SPEAKER_06 15:40

I mean they're finally investing in the players.

SPEAKER_05 15:44

Yeah, I think this is gonna change a lot for women's sports in general, which is great. And so if the players are happy with the deal, I'm happy with the deal. You know what I mean? So I'm not gonna like nitpick it. I just wish that they got their shit together sooner because what we're about to see is the craziest fucking month, I feel like, of our sports lives. Because what's happening right now, key dates to know ahead of this next season. Right now we're in March Madness. Woo!

SPEAKER_06 16:17

Hope you joined our bracket.

SPEAKER_05 16:19

Yeah, hope you joined the bracket challenge because now it's too late to join. It's too late to join, and but we'll we'll we'll talk about it later. Yeah, we'll talk March Madness after free agency, but that is what's happening right now. So it's already a month full of basketball, and then and then what we can expect is from April 1st through the 6th, we'll have the expansion drafts for the tempo and the fire. That will be interesting. What what's kind of unclear, and we've kind of been talking about this offline, but for these expansion drafts, allegedly these teams will get to protect around five players. That's the rumor. They essentially get to protect some players, but the biggest issue here is that this is probably the largest free agency in the history of the WNBA. There are like a hundred players that are about to be free agents. So from April 1st through the 6th, we have the expansion drafts. Then from April 7th through the 11th, we have free agency and negotiating windows open. Yeah. From the 12th through the 18th, we have free agents who can officially sign with teams. And then April 13th, just two weeks after March, after March Madness, we have the WNBA draft. Maybe they get no break.

SPEAKER_06 17:31

And then six days later. It's training camp. Six days later, training camp opens. And then six days after that, preseason. I'm tired already. Yeah. So I guess these are predicted timings, right? They're tentative. They're not. Yeah. But the timings are not locked.

SPEAKER_05 17:49

They kind of have to be because of that.

SPEAKER_06 17:50

Yeah. I mean, you can't really wiggle much.

SPEAKER_05 17:52

Yeah. It's like how how, like I said, the temple and fire expansion draft will happen in that first week of April. We don't have a date yet, which is probably because they're trying to secure TV time because they waited so fucking long. But whatever. It's neither here nor there. So we've turned over a new leaf. We have. We have. I still I think I think Kathy finally opened those damn books. So I guess. I almost said shout out to her, but nah. Nah. I'm not there yet. We're her. Okay, so after preseason starts on April 25th, two weeks later, it's already regular season. That's it, and we're off. And this is a longer season this year, too. They added a handful more games. So I'm overwhelmed. Overwhelmed.

SPEAKER_06 18:33

Oh no, I'm over stimulated. There was one more thing I wanted to say about the CBA. Tell me. And you know, this was a big deal because D'Eareka Hamby sued because she got traded after being pregnant. Pregnancy clause. Yeah, there's a pregnancy clause, Santa Claus. Wow. Contracts are protected during pregnancy, so there's stronger job security protections and continued medical coverage, even if waived. Yeah, and which is crazy that they didn't have that in the previous. Yeah, actually, they're also together.

SPEAKER_05 19:04

They're also required to get player consent before getting traded, including if they're pregnant. They have to get consent, which is like I love to hear it, but I'm also like, low key, this is the business, so you don't I mean, but whatever. If that's what they wanted, that's fine. If they if they like it, I'll love it.

SPEAKER_06 19:20

So I think it's like I think people were getting traded without knowing, like waking up and hey, you're on the Indiana fever now.

SPEAKER_05 19:27

I mean, yeah, that's what happens everywhere else. That's why I'm just like, okay, well, but if they like it, I'll love it. So if that's what they want.

SPEAKER_06 19:34

Yeah. I think it's more about like, okay, if my kids are in fucking school, then I don't know. It's because we're women and we need everything. We know what we want. And we know what we want, and we deserve it.

SPEAKER_05 19:45

And period. Yeah, I mean, that's huge. Very, very, very exciting stuff. I know, I know uh Becky Hammond was punching the air when she saw that fucking clause. She was punching the air. So it's cool though. It's cool though. If the girls like it, I'll love it. So And they love it. Yeah, they do love it. And that being said, we are in for a crazy, crazy free agency window. I I'm gonna be up all night. I'm gonna be like Adrian Wojnarowski from the NBA or Shams Tirania, which also Yeah, is this gonna be televised? How can we uh Oh, if you follow Shams Tirania, he is the new Woj. So they're called Wojebombs, or they used to be called Wojebombs, where he was like the senior insider for ESPN, and he would always be the first one to announce a trade. It's like every every league kind of has their insider, and now Woj actually retired from ESPN and now he's coaching a college team. And so Shams Tirania is the new is the new ESPN NBA insider, which it's kind of annoying to me that he broke the news on live TV that the CBA was tentatively agreed to because he wasn't doing any of the fucking work. Like Alexa P, she was on the ground, like staying with it. So maybe Alexa will be our senior insider for the WNBA. I would just prefer that it was a woman because the men didn't care about us before, and now I'm just like, don't tune in now that we got some money. You know?

SPEAKER_06 21:10

Agree. Okay, cool. So with that, with the CBA, we can finally open up free agent season. And 100 players, 100 vets are free agents this season. Um, it's the largest free agent class in history because many players signed a one-year bridge deal anticipating this new CBA. So, like they knew that they were gonna ask for more money, and that was just very smart of them to do.

SPEAKER_05 21:36

I forgot I forgot about that. And I've honestly I feel like I blacked out because that feels like such a long time ago. Yeah. I remember when all of this was happening though, because I remember looking at the link. It was happening for over a year, right? Yeah, yeah. Okay, okay, I'm tracking, I'm tracking.

SPEAKER_06 21:50

Um, so then the we kind of broke down the free agents in tiers. So there's the MVP level franchise players who could reshape the league or A team immediately, and obviously that's Asia Wilson, who's already sort of verbally said she's gonna stay. Aces Aces said they keep her at the Supermax. Snatch, you're not going anywhere.

SPEAKER_05 22:11

Why would and why would she? No, I mean that's her city.

SPEAKER_06 22:15

Yeah, and she brings like all the personality. Yeah, so wherever she makes really sense. She would be that girl, but I just feel like I don't see that team really changing much.

SPEAKER_05 22:25

No, I can see her being an ace's uh an ace's, being an ace until until she retires. She's an ace.

SPEAKER_06 22:34

Okay, so then there's Stewie after that. Again, she's also said like Brooklyn is home. Nefisa Collier, I feel like she's gonna stay, she's gonna stay with Cheryl. She is definitely. Why would she leave? Like all these people, why would they leave? The only one on this list, okay. So we have Alyssa Thomas, Satu Sabley, and Kalia Copper. The only one on this list, I'm like, are they in MVP level? Who?

SPEAKER_05 22:57

Who are you thinking? Satu. I know you are a Satu hater.

SPEAKER_06 23:03

I'm not a full Satu hater. I'm like, I go back and forth with Satu.

SPEAKER_05 23:07

I just feel like Satu low-key is so inconsistent, bro.

SPEAKER_06 23:10

Like, I know. That's why I'm like.

SPEAKER_05 23:13

I mean, but I get it though. It was a big deal. Her move to Phoenix was a big deal. I can see I can see Satu being the one that's kind of she could go anywhere. Yeah, I agree. I feel like Alyssa will stay where Dawana is. They they're a pair. They they finished. They're definitely not moving. I mean, gonna yeah, no. They're like, I wonder if Ka will stay. That's what I wonder too. I love Ka too, but to me she's also inconsistent. That's just my opinion, though. Yeah. Respectfully.

SPEAKER_06 23:44

I think though that she likes um Phoenix.

SPEAKER_05 23:48

Where's right? This is me connecting the love story. I'm like, where's North Notre Dame? It's in Indiana, right? Yeah. Nah, she would never she never played there. She would never play for the fever.

SPEAKER_06 23:59

No, but she used to play for the sky. She's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_05 24:02

She used to play for the sky, but it sounds like the sky is a fucking train wreck of an organization. I don't think anybody wants to fucking play for the sky. I mean the clean all of it. Yeah, yeah. But anyway, these these players can be assumed to be max contract anchors for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 24:17

Um so yeah. It'll be it'll be interesting if any of them leave, but doubtful. Okay, tier two, all-star primary players. Chelsea Gray, Jewel Lloyd, Jackie Young. I'm gonna be interested if Jewel Jewel stays in the Aces. At the Aces, I mean. Courtney Williams, Brianna Jones, George in Canada, Alicia Gray, oh sorry, Alicia Gray. Alicia Gray. Kelsey Mitchell in Sabrina Unesco.

SPEAKER_05 24:52

Man, I I can't imagine the point God leaving Asia.

SPEAKER_06 25:00

That's what I'm saying. I feel like the top five of Aces is not going anywhere. I mean, starting five. Are they gonna fight to keep Jewel Lloyd? I don't know. She was kind of as but they moved her to the second string. Yeah, that's true. She was running with the second unit. I think that they really thought she was gonna bring something else, and unfortunately, she didn't.

SPEAKER_05 25:18

Yeah, I agree. I just feel like I was just like that meme that's like the stick, the the cartoon person holding a stick, and it's like, do something. That's how I feel about Jewel Lloyd. Do something, don't just stand there. Yeah, I think Chelsea, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, I think they definitely stay. Like, I just can't like why would they leave? They are a winning formula. Courtney Williams is interesting.

SPEAKER_06 25:49

I think that's interesting. Where would she go? I mean, she could go to one of the new teams.

SPEAKER_05 25:54

Yeah. Think about it. Last last season was her first all-star bid, right? Yeah. Couldn't you see her becoming like a franchise centerpiece for one of these new teams, especially knowing like they took Kayla from us? God, I miss you, Kayla.

SPEAKER_06 26:10

I know, Kayla Thornton come back.

SPEAKER_05 26:14

Nah, they keep it. But she killed. She had the season of her life. I miss her. Yeah, so I I can see Courtney becoming a center. Unless, well, see, this is what's confusing, right? Because what if Minnesota protects Courtney Williams? But she's a free agent, right? So she could do whatever she wants. So is she restricted or unrestricted? I think she's unrest unrestricted. Okay, then she can do whatever she wants. There aren't many, there aren't many restricted free agents, to my knowledge. Yeah, there's maybe like 10 out of the a hundred. So it's like not very good. So unrestricted means they can leave freely. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Restricted means that the the team that they currently belong to, they can counter, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 27:05

The power is in the players' hands. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 27:07

If you're free agent, you go wherever the hell you want to go. So yeah, I think yeah, I think Courtney Williams maybe to a new team. Possible. I also think Brianna Jones. I feel like she wasn't on my radar until last season. She cooked last season. I think that was also her first all-star bid. Was that was she on Connecticut or no? She was on Atlanta. Oh, right. Yeah. Yeah, she was on Atlanta with Alicia and Ryan. Jordan Canada is interesting. I don't know that I would consider Jordan Canada and all-star.

SPEAKER_06 27:46

That's why I'm wondering about these lists.

SPEAKER_05 27:48

Yeah, I I do think it pro it has to do with like all-star bids and oh yeah, because tier three, you're right.

SPEAKER_06 27:55

They're like strong veterans, but they're not.

SPEAKER_05 27:58

Yeah. And I I I think it is in in Indiana's best interest to keep Kelsey Mitchell. Oh, 100%. I don't think I think Kelsey Mitchell. I also think she's a star there. Yeah, I think she can get a big contract from them. And Sab is staying in New York, actually.

SPEAKER_06 28:15

And she likes Stephanie White. She likes to be able to do it. They have a good relationship.

SPEAKER_05 28:19

Yeah, I I just I mean, I think she likes you. Yeah, I can't imagine that she'd go anywhere, even though I'd prefer for her to not play there.

SPEAKER_06 28:28

I love her.

SPEAKER_05 28:29

I wish no one played for Indiana, but that's fine. Um, okay, and Sabrina is staying in New York for sure. Yeah, definitely. Like without a doubt. I would I genuinely would be so so surprised if Sab left New York. I would be so surprised.

SPEAKER_06 28:46

I'm trying to think of a scenario in which she would.

SPEAKER_05 28:48

I don't know. I I I'm saying like I'm sure she's not leaving. I'm like, but what if she does? Why would she want to leave the greatest city in the world? She doesn't. She doesn't.

SPEAKER_06 28:59

I don't think she she already said I'm this is home. Yeah. She's Urnescu. Yeah. Nah, she ain't going nowhere. She's here for life. She's a liberty for life.

SPEAKER_05 29:09

Yeah, so I think I think I mean depending on where these players go, like, I think any of them really could be super max tier. Like just to lock them in. Yeah, just to lock them in. Yeah, that's tough.

SPEAKER_06 29:24

Alright, well, some restricted free agents to watch. Okay, so these are the the ones that the teams have to match before they can do anything. Ryan Howard, Nas Hillman, and Nelissa Smith on the Aces. I forgot what she played again.

SPEAKER_05 29:40

I think she'll stay with the Aces. I think she wasn't.

SPEAKER_06 29:42

If I were Nelissa Smith, I'd be staying with the Aces.

SPEAKER_05 29:44

I think she's learned a lot under Asia, and I feel like there's just so much conversation about the fact that she was a number one pick and she kind of hasn't lived up to that potential. But I think we're starting to see flashes of it with her playing under Asia. Like I just feel like it's so sweet, despite the fact that I don't agree with what she was saying about who she wants to date. Yeah. I do think it's like sweet to see Asia. Like Asia's been giving her tips and teaching her since before Nelissa played on the Aces. Like you would see it during games when the Aces were playing Indiana or when they were playing Dallas, like Asia was still coaching her up, and I love that. I love that. I can't imagine that she would leave. And they're birthday twins. Oh, that's cute. Fun fact.

SPEAKER_06 30:27

Yeah. You know that Asia Wilson brings a gay cake to all of her gay teammates on the first day of Pride Month?

SPEAKER_05 30:35

Yeah, because Asia is She's the real ally. She's an ally. She's a model ally. Yep. And period. With an apostrophe. A lie. A apostrophe. L-Y. No, I think it's A Lai, right? A-Li. A-Lye. A lie. Yeah, so that would be super interesting. So I think, I don't know. Atlanta didn't do too bad last season. I mean, they were low-key kind of ass leading up to it, but last season they were pretty decent. We lost to Atlanta a handful of times.

SPEAKER_06 31:06

Yeah, no, I feel like they were sneaky good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 31:08

Because they had Bree, they had Bree jok. That's the thing. Like, if you man, it's so crazy because everyone was talking about how different every team is going to look after the CBA agreement. But I'm like, yeah, wouldn't they wanna, if they found success, wouldn't they want to kind of keep the core, their core players together? That's why I think it'll be interesting. I think with the free agency, the expansion drafts, like anything honestly can happen. So it's gonna be chaotic.

SPEAKER_06 31:36

Chaotic. Okay, yeah, so I think we should make. I know you have more stuff um about different like models.

SPEAKER_05 31:44

We don't have oh, we have that for the Liberty.

SPEAKER_06 31:46

Yeah, for the Liberty. Yeah. But I wanted to say we should make a bingo card. Okay. And we can also come up with the squares around, I mean, as we keep going. Yeah, we'll post little little bingo cards based on the news. Yeah, I don't know. If your hit your square hits, then you don't get anything, but no, yeah, it's just for fun, just for tracking it.

SPEAKER_05 32:07

It's just like when you watch a show and you're just like, let's take a shot every time someone says dump itch, you know.

SPEAKER_06 32:12

Okay, take a shot every time your square hits on our beach. Take a shot.

SPEAKER_05 32:15

Or, you know, take a hit, you know, whatever you want to do. Literally anything. Literally whatever you want to do. Celebrate however you want. Celebrate however. This is this is our time, ladies. This is our time. Okay, so few men.

SPEAKER_06 32:27

I was thinking, yeah, we like we don't have to do the whole thing now, but I feel like Satu goes somewhere is a good um square.

SPEAKER_05 32:37

Yeah, I think Satu, I could see Satu like becoming a franchise player for like the fire of the tempo. I'll put that down like a fresh start. You know, Satu to the fire. I don't know. I could see that. I think okay, these are my biggest bets. I'm not a JJ hater, don't get me wrong. But I've said what I said about JJ, I feel like she's like Joel Embiid, she gets frustrated and then she just does whatever the fuck, which is really annoying. But I think I think JJ goes and becomes a franchise player of a new franchise. I could see Satu doing the same because she's only been with Phoenix for a year. That was like a big acquisition for them. And then yeah, I could see Satu maybe maybe in Toronto. No, I like fire. I like her at the fire. Oh, you like her at the fire. Okay, oh my god, yeah, she did. She went to Oregon with Sabrina.

SPEAKER_06 33:26

Yeah. What if they united the sisters, the Savali sisters? No, I won't.

SPEAKER_05 33:31

No. Okay, we need to keep me out. We're not making that a square. Yeah, she's healthy. She's fine. She's fine. She's fine. Let's not speak anything into existence.

SPEAKER_06 33:39

Okay, yeah. So then JJ leaving is a bingo square. Courtney Williams, we were saying earlier. I think she could, I think she could be moved to a new franchise. Do you think she'd like to work with Sandy in Toronto?

SPEAKER_05 33:50

I don't know because she was talking a lot of shit about Sandy. So yeah. So if I'm Sandy and she starts playing for my team, but they did low-key squash the beef, I think, at All-Star Weekend. That's good. Courtney was just like, like, I didn't say that. Like, so I think she's always doing shit like that.

SPEAKER_06 34:06

Okay. Well, I'm gonna put her to the fire in our square. Okay. Our bingo card. Courtney to squire. To fire.

SPEAKER_05 34:14

And I think too, like, what's I we can like focus really on the Liberty after this because you know, I have a whole map of what teams are like the highest at risk, but we don't have to go into every single one now because obviously, like, we love the Liberty, so I think that could be something that we really focus on here. Yeah. I think man, I I feel like people call us a super team, which to me is really annoying because why are we not calling the Aces a super team? They got three Olympians on that fucking roster. Oh, they do, okay, because I think they do.

SPEAKER_06 34:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 34:54

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06 34:55

We're the two super teams.

SPEAKER_05 34:56

We're oh, we're the two super. I don't think they call the Lynx super. But how can we be a super team if last season when we didn't play super like yeah, we didn't we didn't play very super actually we want I want Emma Misaman off my fucking team, respectfully.

SPEAKER_06 35:13

Respectfully, she was very hyped.

SPEAKER_05 35:15

She just doesn't fit. She doesn't fit the way we play. But then again, I don't think I know the way we play anymore because we hired a coach who's never watched women's basketball. So true. Who knows what our style of play is now? But I don't know, I just don't think Emma Misaman fits the roster very well. I also think I unfortunately think we have to let Marine go because I just she's not consistent enough, and I think she plays way more freely when she's in France.

SPEAKER_06 35:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 35:44

And I think she comes to New York and it it doesn't really feel like her team.

SPEAKER_06 35:48

So but we should keep Leo.

SPEAKER_05 35:50

Yeah, I think we should keep I think we should keep Leo. I think and I and we will at that fish. Yeah, she's on a contract, she's a rookie, she's still on a rookie contract, so I don't think she can go anywhere. I also think she's like every every season that I've seen her, at least I feel like she's gotten better. And so I think she has like really, really, really great potential. But anyway, anyway, if we're really looking at our core roster right now, we have B coming back because she's technically not a free agent since her contract was suspended due to injury. So she's not a free agent. She technically has one more year on her deal, allegedly. Perfect. Yeah, so well when I saw her in the street, she said she was coming back.

SPEAKER_06 36:26

She said I'm coming back, Bonnie. And I said, Okay, we'll see you there. Yeah, and then yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:30

Oh, so okay, so Savali's staying with us. She's under contract for at least one more year.

SPEAKER_06 36:37

Oh my god, Berninha, please don't leave.

SPEAKER_05 36:39

Okay, so if we focus on the New York Liberty. Oh Liberly! Liberly L. Okay, so if we just focus on the New York Liberty, the core, uh primary core roster spots are roster spine, if you will, are Stewie, JJ, Sab, Tosh, and Bet Nija. Stewie and Sab, they're anchors. They're not going anywhere, in my opinion. New York is home. Yeah, so they're good. I don't think Tosh is going anywhere. She's also been like so many people have welcomed me back today. Like her emojis, she's not going nowhere.

SPEAKER_06 37:21

I feel like she's like fallen in love with the city, and she's like, I can make it. Yeah, she's acting like she's from New York. Like she has to be able to do it. She is kind of yeah, but Philly should be you should be like good riddance. Yeah. She's a New Yorker now. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 37:35

She's I think so. And then I would really love to keep Bed Nija just because I do feel like we are lacking that defensive intensity. I think that's what we really lacked last season, especially with us losing KT. Uh, shout out to her. We don't if we don't have if we don't have any dogs on the court, like I well, Tash is a good defender too, but like I don't know. I just bet Niza is like the premier defender on the team, in my opinion. So I think we have to do what we can to keep them. Also, like I feel like B loves to stay in New York too. Like, again, greatest city in the world, it's not too far from where she was born, Philly, not too far from Rutgers. So I think, yeah, but Niger hopefully staying. And so if we I have three different model scenarios here, and you tell me how you feel about them. Okay. So if we were to like lean into a championship continuity core, this is the highest probability scenario. We would keep Stewie on a supermax, get Sabrina on a max, JJ on a max or near supermax, and then Natasha Cloud on a mid-tier veteran starter contract, which makes sense. Tasha's been in the league for a little hot minute. So man, with this, it says that B would be the likely sacrifice if we were to set up the contract.

SPEAKER_04 39:04

This is just one model, though.

SPEAKER_05 39:06

This is just one model, and why this in theory would work is because it pre preserves rim rim protection, stretch five spacing, elite weak side defense, and then playoff half court reliability. But I don't know. It's JJ is definitely the hardest archetype in the league to replace because she's an excellent post player and she's an excellent shooter, and that is really.

SPEAKER_06 39:28

I was also saying, I was talking about JJ earlier, and I feel like JJ during the regular season can play lazy sometimes or not be as consistent. But as soon as we hit playoffs, JJ like kicks it up a year.

SPEAKER_05 39:40

Yeah, but there's a difference in that. That's why I really wouldn't be surprised if she left. It's on the bingo card. Yeah, I think so. I think so too. Okay, so model number two is around perimeter control. So this is like driven by guards, by guards, and and the like uh if our identity was based around our guards. So it would be we'd keep Stewie, Sab, Tosh, and B.

SPEAKER_04 40:13

Which I think I think to be honest, I really think that's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_06 40:18

But we need a post. Yeah. I mean B can kind of play post, but not but think about but think about all of the free agents. And Leo's kind of posty.

SPEAKER_05 40:28

Yeah, Leo's Leo's almost just as tall as as JJ, though. She is tall, she's very tall, but she's not a center. Yeah, no. She's not a center. We would still have Niara. She's technically our backup center. And she has been shooting a three a little bit more, which Who do you think we'll get in the three?

SPEAKER_06 40:44

Okay, I don't know. Getting ahead of ourselves. Oh, that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 40:46

That's right.

SPEAKER_06 40:47

Who do you think we'll get?

SPEAKER_02 40:49

Well shit. I who else is it for? I want to pick up Gabby Williams. I don't think that she necessarily fits if we were to keep Sabrina Stewie B everyone.

SPEAKER_04 41:01

Do you think? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:02

I don't I think maybe she'll be reunited with Ren.

SPEAKER_04 41:05

Yeah, maybe Marine will go to Seattle. I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 41:12

Eliza has a take on if JJ leaves.

SPEAKER_00 41:16

How do we replace oh no, I I don't know, I was just saying I don't necessarily have a take, but I don't think that Stewie can play a five position. And we saw an unrivaled um 1v1 Aliah Boston just knocked her over. Like she was so much stronger. We need a strong five man, and so I don't think this model can work. I think we need to focus on getting a an actual big because I feel like we could do it. It's true.

SPEAKER_04 41:41

Yeah, these are just like players we would keep.

SPEAKER_00 41:44

But I just I don't think we'd have enough money to get a good one, is what I'm saying. So I think we'd have to drop someone else.

SPEAKER_06 41:50

Um I can't even think of the draft class because if it's like I forget the rookie too, I see as AZ.

unknown 41:57

Same.

SPEAKER_05 41:58

Oh, there's also Raven.

SPEAKER_06 41:59

Yeah, Lauren Betts.

SPEAKER_05 42:00

Lauren Betts, there's Raven from South Carolina.

SPEAKER_06 42:03

Yeah, but not a big. But I'm thinking like Lauren Betts could be sorry, I'm I'm not thinking big. But I don't know if a rookie can take us to the ship, you know. Yeah. Speaking of, do we think Flag would be a lottery pick? I kind of thought that would be fun for us to get Flaget.

SPEAKER_05 42:18

That could be fun. So if we were to go with this perimeter control model, that would assume that JJ's definitely signing with an expansion team. Yeah. And a reason why the front office might actually choose this is because this lineup prioritizes defensive switching, flexibility, transition tempo, guard-driven shot creation, and spacing versatility. And Natasha Cloud would be like a kind of key component to this lineup. So I think that would be good. And then I think I think Betnija could play two or three. Yeah. Tosh being our primary ball handler, but we would still need, I think, well, I guess then Sab could technically sub in, and and Leo could Leo is like a almost like a point center, point forward, maybe. Yeah, like a three-full. Yeah, like she can she can handle the ball, but she's also like she plays down low. Um, I think in terms of a replacement for JJ, we would definitely need to be like someone who's mobile, like someone who can move, like she who can shoot, who can but that's the thing. She's such a player. Eerie Finn. I would love Kiki Eerie Finn, but she's definitely on a rookie contract. Oh yeah. She's stuck in she's stuck in Washington.

SPEAKER_00 43:31

Rihanna Jones would be the next best.

SPEAKER_05 43:33

I mean, okay. Rionna Jones was decent and she was shooting threes.

SPEAKER_06 43:36

Why do I feel like she played for The Liberty not that long ago? Well, she definitely played for Connecticut.

SPEAKER_05 43:40

She played for Connecticut, yeah. Maybe that's what I'm thinking. She was in Connecticut before she went to Atlanta. Yeah. Yeah. And I think I actually I think in term I think Stewie makes the most sense to be a point center, but I don't think Stewie, look to your point, Eliza, I don't think she can play the five. No like Permanently. No. She's gonna get bullied down there. Yeah. So I don't know. I guess I guess we'll just have to see. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. This last model that I have here is called Super Team 2.0. Okay. Okay. So in this scenario, this is the most aggressive version of this. Ugh, God, it's tough. So we would keep Stewie, Sab, and JJ.

SPEAKER_06 44:29

But then we would Stewie, Sab, Stewie, Sab, JJ.

SPEAKER_05 44:31

Yeah, but then we would risk losing Tosh and Bent Nija. And so the reason why this is even a scenario is because Stewie and JJ, like when they share the floor defensively, like we are elite. That is when our ceiling to win is the highest, which I agree with because good defense wins wins uh games, you know? It's it's good defense turns into even better offense. So that the pairing of JJ and Stewie in the past, like it shows the erasing of points score or paint scoring. It enables that switching coverage flexibility because they're both so big and long. That 7-1 wingspan. Shout out to Stewie. And then it's also a nightmare matchup for Vegas and Minnesota, our biggest rivals. But who's to say that those rivals will still be our rivals after free agency? You know what I mean? Like the teams could just can look completely different. So right now it's really just a guessing game, it's unknown. It's only a few players I feel like we can say for sure we'll stay.

SPEAKER_06 45:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 45:30

Just a few though. Okay, so I think in terms of a replacement for JJ, Bonnie, you said it first, I think, and ever since you said it, now I'm just like, I can't believe I ever had another thought about it. I think we need to get Alana Smith on the Liberty. I don't know. I feel like I feel like she would fit in really well. She would. She is an elite defender, as we know. I will not be accepting any co-defensive player of the years if she should join the Liberty, give it to her, or don't. No co team. Yeah, it's kind of it's kind of like like I I said this when Asia was announced as winning her fourth MVP. I was just like, somebody was like, Well, what else does Nafisa Collier have to do, you know, to get this award? And I said, Yeah, I don't know, not be born during the same time as fucking Asia.

SPEAKER_06 46:21

Win they have to win the finals.

SPEAKER_05 46:22

Yeah, I mean, you just can't deny you just can't deny it. I mean, yeah. I mean, I mean, but fee went down though, and like the the Lynx were still cooking without her. That to me doesn't tell me that she's their most valuable player. It shows me that they're a great team anyway. She's a valuable player. We're not even talking about Fee. A VP. We're talking about Alana Smith, okay? She carried the miss to victory. She was the one who put the team on her fucking back. She did. For the for the championship. And that's why she deserved a shoey. And you know what? Yeah. I would do one with her. I would do a shooey with her on Atlantic Avenue. I would do it with her on Flatbush.

SPEAKER_06 46:56

I would do it on Flatbush.

SPEAKER_05 46:58

I would do it with her anywhere. Drink a shoey, I mean.

SPEAKER_06 47:01

In the subway.

SPEAKER_05 47:02

That's what I mean.

unknown 47:03

Um, and she played with Stewie.

SPEAKER_06 47:05

Yeah, we already know that her and Stewie play well together.

SPEAKER_05 47:07

Yeah, honestly, and if and if she came Chewy. If she came to New York, I shooyo. I'm gonna be honest. Oh my god. Oh my god, shoe York is crazy. We'd have to get Shoe York is crazy. Should we go to games with the Australian flag? Yes. We should. I'll do it. Do I look Australian? I mean, we Yeah, honestly, we need we need a lot of smith in New York. And and if we get her, I'm so looking forward to. I'm not gonna be happy about doing a real shoey, but I would do it if she wanted me to do it with her, like I would.

SPEAKER_06 47:39

Well, I think if you do it with her, you have to do a real shoey. And you can't be like, sorry, let me use this mug.

SPEAKER_05 47:44

I know. I'm really looking forward to like if we do get her to the hello, hello, all those videos that she does for the Lynx, they're so fun. We'll share a draft of what we think our shoe mug can look like so we can do shoeies from home with Alana Switch.

SPEAKER_06 47:59

Alana, okay, that's going on the bingo card too. Yeah, Alana sent to Liberty.

SPEAKER_05 48:03

Only though, if she becomes a Liberty. The other player that would be honestly really great for her energy and her defensive prowess, big word for Elmo, is Shakira Austin. She's that girl, I'm not gonna lie. I really love when she's like down there in the paint and she's like, get the fuck out of here. Yeah, get out of here. Stop doing that. I said that to somebody one time and it was funny because I'm short.

SPEAKER_06 48:23

But who did you say it to? It was it was in the league.

SPEAKER_05 48:26

I think I don't even I don't even know who I said. Was it Eliza? Imagine. Imagine I said something. It probably was. I do I do like to talk shit while we play. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 48:35

Amanda talks mad shit.

SPEAKER_05 48:36

Eliza's been avoiding me. She don't want to hear me talk shit because she's keep trying to post me up. Anyway, anyway, anyway, anyway. Yeah, Shakira, Shakira or Alana. I think Alana is my top option because she can shoot and she can defend.

SPEAKER_07 48:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 48:48

Oh my god, that would be incredible. Now I feel like it's a fever dream. I is she gonna come here? It's possible.

SPEAKER_06 48:54

I hope so. I mean, anything is possible.

SPEAKER_05 48:56

Don't she want to be here in the greatest city in the world and not in the middle of fucking nowhere, Minnesota? Respectfully.

SPEAKER_06 49:01

Respectfully. I would say, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 49:03

Actually, shout out to the people of Minnesota because y'all really been honing it down for us during this really crazy time. But this doesn't have anything to do with that. This only has to do about basketball. So that's that on that.

SPEAKER_06 49:13

And Tim Waltz was at the Minnesota game today.

SPEAKER_05 49:15

That's yeah, that's a good shoey. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 49:19

Okay. Well we'll see. Like it's gonna be a very exciting couple of weeks.

SPEAKER_05 49:23

I think so.

SPEAKER_06 49:24

It's gonna be like we're gonna have so much to talk about.

SPEAKER_05 49:26

No, I'm like, I'm telling you, I'm overstimulated already because even now, as we record, there's basketball on in the background. We're watching March Madness as we record. Well, Bonnie's not watching, she has her back to the TV. I'm turning around. Yeah, she's turning around right now. We are actively watching March Madness. We just wrapped the first round. So the first uh the what is it, like the the 64 or whatever? No like major upsets, I don't think. There were some really good games for those seeds that were like a lot closer in nature, but I feel like all of the teams that we kind of anticipated to win, like the higher seeds, like they pretty much demolished. Well, my bracket's already broken. Wow, it's broken. Why is it broken? Mine's broken. I didn't think I didn't think mine was that broken. I thought maybe it was a little fractured. That's it. I don't know. Well, it's not impossible. But it's so hard to get broken. Eliza Eliza wants me to lose so fucking bad she's speaking on my bracket. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_06 50:24

I think we're tied for first in our challenge.

SPEAKER_05 50:26

Yeah, I think I don't know. That seems like insider trading. I don't understand why the wives are in first place. Interesting.

SPEAKER_06 50:36

Interesting. And you gotta pick some upsets, but it's hard to know which ones to pick.

SPEAKER_05 50:44

Like I said, I don't think there have been any like major surprises. We did see a really close game today where Minnesota came back and beat um, they beat Old Miss, which was honestly a really intense game. I will say I don't um respectfully, I don't know which player it was on Old Miss the possession before just running out like she like no she ran the shot clock and it was really sad to watch she just wasn't looking. And like, what do you mean you weren't looking? And she's gonna feel guilty. And respectfully, it is your fault. Yeah, like the whole game is not on you, but yeah, yes, the coach should have called a timeout. Yeah, actually, maybe we'll put it on the coach, but also girly pop, you gotta be aware of the shot clock. You got 30 seconds, not even 24. You got extra six seconds, and you're sitting here dribbling around. Yeah, that was how you do it and it was like a three, it was like a two-point game at that point. It was so crazy.

SPEAKER_06 51:32

I Minnesota had the home court advantage.

SPEAKER_05 51:34

Yeah, Minnesota did have a home court advantage. Tim Waltz was there, as you said.

SPEAKER_06 51:37

Oh, yeah, Tim Waltz. That's the way we're talking about this. Yeah, America's almost dad. America's sweetheart, Tim Waltz. Anyway, yeah, thanks to everyone who joined the bracket. The bracket challenge, yeah. Yeah, the bracket challenge. We decided that the winner is gonna get some merch.

SPEAKER_05 51:52

The first ever merch created by Chasing the W. What will it be? Don't worry about it yet. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it yet, but you will get surprised.

SPEAKER_06 52:01

It'll be nice.

SPEAKER_05 52:02

I feel like it's not fair if Eliza wins because she's a producer.

SPEAKER_06 52:06

Well, any of but what about either.

SPEAKER_05 52:10

If a lot if Eliza wins, I suppose we can grant her some merch, I suppose.

SPEAKER_06 52:15

Are you a fandas?

SPEAKER_05 52:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 52:17

Okay, that's what I thought.

SPEAKER_05 52:18

I was just like, I wanted it to be something fun because I fucking knew Eliza was gonna go in there with the Welly stomp. Yeah, I mean it's just like I need something. But of course, the only thing I came up with was I could technically's puns. It wasn't even my pun. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_06 52:35

I can do the welly stomp now, since I'm legally a Wellington now.

SPEAKER_05 52:39

I I mean you are, but maybe it's the Welly something. Well, sorry, there's only one Welly Stomp. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 52:46

The Welly Stomp number two.

SPEAKER_05 52:48

But I have I have no right because I'm pretty sure my team name a fandas didn't even come from me. I'm I'm pretty sure that also came from Eliza.

SPEAKER_06 52:54

So um I don't know who Yukon Do It is, but they're in first right now.

SPEAKER_05 53:00

I didn't know. I kinda I wanna I I don't even know if is there like a chat feature we can be like, who is it? Show yourself show yourself after you listen to this episode. Tell us who you are. Yeah, show us Yukon Do It. That's a good one.

SPEAKER_06 53:12

That is a really good one.

SPEAKER_05 53:14

Yukon a lot of people have Yukon winning the whole thing.

SPEAKER_06 53:17

They're in first, and then there's there's four people tied for second, and then unfortunately, somehow, Amanda, you dropped to seventh place.

SPEAKER_05 53:26

I've been in seventh this whole time. No, you were yesterday. I was also at seventh.

SPEAKER_06 53:30

But Brenda, I'm so sorry, you're in last place right now. But you know, anything can happen in March. Brenda dropped it.

SPEAKER_05 53:38

Yeah, Brenda, please tell us how you selected your teams.

SPEAKER_03 53:41

Okay, so yeah, my bracket was purely vibes. Um, I went on there and I said, who has a pretty logo? Yeah, who I know. And funny enough, I know Ole Miss because of the movie The Blind Side. I one time in life met someone who went to Clemson, so I have Clemson winning a few. But I do have Yukon winning the whole thing, and I have Duke going pretty far. I'm a rookie to this. I didn't realize that when you're picking the brackets or you know, doing your selections that you see the seed. Oh so I didn't know who was gonna be, you know, like looking forward to winning, especially like right now in the early games. But it was purely vibes, which I did pretty okay yesterday, the first day of the tournament, and today I'm dead last.

SPEAKER_06 54:32

So it can always come back. You can always come back.

SPEAKER_02 54:35

Well, I'll tell you, that is the experience of being in any type of fantasy. Yeah, and now you're ready for your fantasy league. I was just gonna say I meant I was gonna save just being in any type of league where Eliza's also playing because I just feel like you're really good at these things. She's good at games, it's sickening.

SPEAKER_07 54:54

Ay, ay, ay.

SPEAKER_06 54:55

Yeah, so stay tuned for uh more thrilling March Madness.

SPEAKER_02 55:01

And this is not really mad, but the last thing I want to say about March Madness is just like how fucking diabolical it is to get like let's say your team gets a gift from the opposing coaches team that you're about to play because Don Staley gave Louis Vuitton Don. Yeah, Louis Vuitton Don gave some free Louis V to uh who did they play?

SPEAKER_06 55:18

They like designed to be a little bit more than a little bit central. It was South Central respectfully, it was the middle of nowhere, a middle of nowhere school.

SPEAKER_04 55:25

It was a Bumblefuck school. Yeah, yeah. A team Bumblefuck got some free Louis Vuitton from Louis Vuitton Don, only to then lose by like 70 plus points to South Carolina. So really, really diabolical work, but hey, I mean, at least she made the tournament. At least she made the tournament and that is an accomplishment, and it's not your fault that you had to play Don Stale.

SPEAKER_06 55:51

Honestly, that would be so hard to be like we made the tournament, but so fucking daunting.

SPEAKER_04 55:55

We have to play the best team in the decade.

SPEAKER_06 56:00

Oh, yeah, not daunting. Daunting. Taunting.

SPEAKER_02 56:03

Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_06 56:04

Daunting, taunting, daunting.

SPEAKER_02 56:06

Okay, so honestly, we've been recording for a long time, you guys. There's been a lot of news. Time has flown by. We lost track. Yeah, listen, it's it's time to get our shit together. There's a lot of news coming out. We're gonna try to do our best on resharing on Instagram, resharing to our stories, etc.

SPEAKER_04 56:25

I would love to hear what everyone's craziest take is like on our next social post, just like on who the biggest like players will be and where they'll land, if there are any predictions. Like, I want all of the unhinged free agency hot takes. Yeah, unhinged free agency predictions. Because guess what? Anything is possible, anything can happen.

SPEAKER_06 56:45

And I think we're gonna see some some shit go down. I think so.

SPEAKER_04 56:48

Alana Swift to the New York Literary. Alana Smith.

SPEAKER_02 56:52

Okay, so yeah, share those hot takes in the comments, and we'll obviously be replying to all of them. So thanks so much for listening to another episode of Chasing the W.