Chasing Free Agency

On this week's episode of Chasing the W, Amanda and Bonnie talk the ending of an underwhelming March Madness Tournament, the Dawn Staley-Geno Beef, the biggest splashes from Week 1 of Free Agency and finally, the WNBA draft.

Don't forget to follow the girlies at @chasingthew_pod on Instagram.

Transcript

Amanda 0:07

Welcome back to another episode of Chasing the W. I'm Amanda. And I'm Bonnie. Yeah, and that's Bonnie whose voice went down like seven octaves. Did it? I sounded you were like, and I'm Bonnie.

Bonnie 0:21

Going through puberty. Again.

Amanda 0:23

That's how I sound when I'm sick. How are you? I'm good. Not much is new. Yeah, literally nothing is new. There's been so much basketball.

Bonnie 0:32

Yeah. I mean our cat's in a cast. Still. Yeah. So it's been a little stressful at our house because we're like not trying to keep her from jumping and running around, but she does not stop. Yeah. So, you know, a cat in a cast. Sucks.

Amanda 0:54

Yeah. I feel like nothing's really new here either. I don't even know what I've done since the last time I saw you. Yeah, when when did I see you? Oh, I literally saw you on Sunday. Was it Sunday? Yeah, it was for the championship. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it feels like so much time has passed since Newsfest. It was this newsfest. Honestly, embarrassing. But we'll get to that.

Bonnie 1:14

We'll get to that. Um, yeah, but then when did we see each other before that?

Amanda 1:20

I think just to record the pa I don't know. It's we went from like seeing each other all the time. And not that we don't all the time, now it's just like not all the time, I guess. I don't know.

Bonnie 1:32

There's a few days in between.

Amanda 1:33

It's not enough.

Bonnie 1:34

It's not enough.

Amanda 1:35

Bonnie and I often talk about how we wish we lived just a little bit closer. Yeah, I mean, so we can do nothing together.

Bonnie 1:42

It would be nice to be in the same neighborhood, like walkable. Yeah. Cause like sometimes I don't want to go out and have a drink. A lot of times I don't want to go.

Amanda 1:50

Yeah, actually, yeah, that's true. A lot of times, more often than not, I don't want to. Yeah. But I would love to sit here and do nothing and like geek over Pocopia. You know?

Bonnie 1:58

Pocopia?

Amanda 1:59

Yeah.

Bonnie 2:00

Yeah.

Amanda 2:00

I'd be the whole plot.

Bonnie 2:02

You'd have to, I guess I would just watch you geek over Kopopia.

Amanda 2:05

No, you would have to start your own story.

Bonnie 2:07

Okay.

Amanda 2:07

And you'd have to you literally have to revitalize your own environment. You're not reaping the benefits of all my work.

Bonnie 2:13

I mean, I used to play Pokemon on my Game Boy. And I used to wake up early and watch it before school every day.

Amanda 2:20

Just because it was peak anime. Honestly, I'm a little embarrassed to say that I've put in over 150 plus hours into this game.

Bonnie 2:28

And have you reached a certain level?

Amanda 2:31

Yeah, actually, I beat the main story and it's pretty dark. No spoil. It was like dark but also hopeful. I don't know. Yesterday I was explaining to Brenda the end of the story and I literally started crying. I was like, just imagine. Imagine if Banks and Layla were on the plant. Well, I'm not gonna it's I'm not gonna spoil it.

Bonnie 2:53

Essentially, like Yeah, don't spoil it because I gotta start my own thing.

Amanda 2:56

It's just that the humans are gone and the Pokemon are trying to restore the land so that they come back because they miss their owners. I mean, that's pretty sweet. Right? If Flo and Penny, like you just disappeared and they were just like, well, maybe if I if I clean the house and grow the grass, mom and mom will come back home. Do you think they would clean the house? They would. They would. They would destroy it and then clean it. Layla.

Bonnie 3:22

So that's that's what's going on there.

Amanda 3:26

No, yeah, I was like 100% mid-sob. I don't know, guys. I'm just like on the brink of a crash.

Bonnie 3:32

Sometimes you gotta do it. Yeah.

Amanda 3:35

If we don't get Alana Smith to the Liberty movie, I will do it.

Bonnie 3:38

I mean, it's all hinging on Alana Smith's. It's literally that's what my mental health is hinging on. Same. Yeah. Nothing else. Uh okay.

Amanda 3:48

Well, we can get right into it.

Bonnie 3:50

We kind of get right into it.

Amanda 3:51

We alluded to this earlier, but we're gonna cover a lot today, including just wrapping up March Madness.

Bonnie 3:57

Yep.

Amanda 3:58

We're gonna talk about free agency and the W. We'll talk about the WNBA draft, which by the time this is out, it should be like a day later or something. Something like the 13th. Maybe day of. Yeah. It comes, it's happening on Monday. We're recording Friday, and this episode should be out before then. So we're gonna cover a lot today, and I know that's only like three things, but if you know, you know, there's a lot of shit happening.

Bonnie 4:27

If you know, you know.

Amanda 4:29

So let's start with March Badness, just because that's kind of like the past is in the past, you know what I mean? Yeah.

Bonnie 4:35

I mean it just wrapped up. I don't know about you, but I just felt like overall it was a little disappointing in terms of a tournament. Overall? Yeah. Like in the early rounds, it was like blowout after blowout after blowout, and like the games weren't super fun to watch. Like, no offense to any of the players.

Amanda 4:55

No, I mean because you kinda help you help. You kinda hope for a Cinderella story at some point.

Bonnie 5:01

Yeah.

Amanda 5:02

And we just didn't get one, and so And it was just like I don't know, it was just like boring basketball. I hate to say it. And it was but it was only boring, I think, because it it just wasn't as competitive, not because the teams weren't because I I stand by my opinion that women's basketball is more entertaining than men's because men's men's is like a one-man show. Yeah, yeah. And actually Raven uh Raven Johnson said this same thing recently about how yeah, she thinks that like men's basketball is or women's basketball is more skilled than men's basketball. And if you're a man listening to this podcast, I just know that you agree with that take because we don't I don't think hater men listen to this podcast. Everyone says that. I feel like, yeah, she's right, you're right. Yeah, I mean it's team it's team ball versus ISO ball. It's just not fun to watch.

Bonnie 5:54

There's movement, there's actual plays.

Amanda 5:57

Yeah, it's just like, and then imagine too, like you go to an NBA game or a men's basketball game, and the star player, which is like the whole personality of the team, isn't playing. It's like load management or they're in like anyway.

Bonnie 6:10

Yeah, so like not to I would never say that women's basketball was not entertaining, but overall I just was like not enough competition. Like, I don't know, it wasn't the best tournament.

Amanda 6:20

It also didn't feel like consistent in terms of like each team's performance respect respectively, like I guess we should talk about I guess we should talk about like the biggest like most recent moments, so Yukon versus South Carolina.

Bonnie 6:40

Yeah, when Gene Gino fucked everything out.

Amanda 6:43

That and also South Carolina, like just meeting the moment. Like, I feel like Yukon had their number last year, and they came back and said, I don't think so. Yeah. Yukon played like shit against South Carolina. It was so bad.

Bonnie 6:59

I actually didn't watch that game because we were at a play, but um It was it was pretty bad. They couldn't make a shot.

Amanda 7:07

It was a shot. No, it was it was so bad. Like I remember we were sitting here watching, and smoke layup after smoke layup. Yeah, I expected more from Aisy. She was kind of just like standing around, and I'd like was like, Oh my god, do something. I wonder what was going on. It was like so strange. Also, like it was really sad. They really could not, like, they couldn't buy a bucket. Yeah, it was it was bad, and I mean South Carolina defensively just man, they just outperformed because it really wasn't even a high-scoring game, but it got to a point where Yukon was down like 20, and I was like, okay, there's still time, like, yeah, I'm not gonna be sad if Yukon loses, but a little bit more, like, give me something. Right.

Bonnie 7:53

It's South Carolina just I would wanted it more. I definitely expected that game to end within like five points of, you know, like up or down.

Amanda 8:02

Mm-hmm. Yeah, not 20. I yeah, I remember you you came out of wherever you you were with all these texts, and you were like, What the fuck happened?

Bonnie 8:10

All these texts, and I was like, wow, I just wasn't expecting that. Um but good for South Carolina, like they're a solid team. Obviously, Don Saly's the best one of the best coaches, probably the best coach in the uh in CAA, so good for them.

Amanda 8:27

I'm glad. Yeah, honestly, it was it was a masterclass in coaching, which with class, with class, yeah, which leads us to our next thing. I'm sure at this point everyone's talked about it, and both Don and Gino have come out and said things, but essentially what happened, it's so interesting. It's almost like I feel like I jinxed it, me personally, because I was watching the game and I don't know, like I just thought to myself, do they have beef? And so I texted actually Megan and I was like, hey, like, I feel like you would know, like, are do they have beef? Are they friends? And she was just like, No, like I think that they're fine with each other, like they're cool, blah blah blah. No bullshit. Like 10 minutes later. Yeah, 10 minutes later, game's not over. Gino walks towards the South Carolina bench, starts running his mouth at Don about so I don't know. I was just like, is this motherfucker senile? Like, I don't even know what's going on right now. And then Don was just like, don't fucking do that, you can't fucking do that. I was just like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Turns out Gino's just a sore loser.

Bonnie 9:38

Yeah, that was surprising to see. Um, especially because his reasons for like getting mad were like she didn't shake his hand in the beginning, but there's like proof of her shaking everybody's fucking hand before the game started. Yeah, and also if she did it, grow up. Seriously, and then nobody ripped Sarah Strong's jersey. Sarah ripped it.

Amanda 9:59

Yeah. Like, no, like he's he's the Lulu. He was just like, You I got I got kids with ripped jerseys. Camera cuts to Sarah Strong ripping.

Bonnie 10:09

And then she like I feel like her reaction afterwards was like, Oh shit, I didn't mean to like do that.

Amanda 10:14

Yeah, it was you could just tell it was like a frustration move. Like, I mean, they completely shut Sarah down. Like, I feel like she hit her first couple of shots, and then it was brick after brick after brick. That was it wasn't it was pretty good defense. They studied the film, it was good defense, and they they went after the boards, like they were on those fucking boards, they just played with more energy. But anyway, this interaction with Don and Gino, it was just like weird to me because it's like genuinely I don't think that I don't think he would have done that if she was a man. Oh, of course not. Like, I genuinely don't also like not an appropriate time, first of all, for you to try to address something that didn't happen. Right, but it also didn't happen, and then he doubled down on it in his press conference after the game. Yeah, he also had this weird interview with Holly Rowe, yeah, with Holly Rowe. He was just like complaining about the refs, and to be fair, it was a pretty big imbalance of foul calls between the city. They weren't getting any calls, right? No, it was like that fine, fair. I myself have been in such a predicament where I'm complaining and be mad about that, yeah. But uh speaking of Holly Rowe, what'd she do? I just we were watching the game and it was like there was a game stoppage. I don't know if it was at the end or like I don't know, bro, but like the camera like almost like zoomed out a little bit, and you just saw someone in like a pencil skirt sprinting across the court, and I was just like, Did you fucking see Holly Roe running across the court? Where'd you going? And then camera cuts to her. Camera, Brun just showing Bonnie right now.

Eliza 12:03

So good.

Amanda 12:04

And I'm putting the speakers on for the cards. I just happened to be looking and I was just like, is that Holly Rowe running across the court? And then they cut to her and she's like, Yeah, it's Dogino. And I was just like, Oh shit, that's crazy. Because I've never seen her run like that at Barclays. I've never seen her run, no. I was just I was just impressed.

Bonnie 12:24

I was just impressed because she was like she was in a skirt. Hey, Holly Rowe, I know we have our opinions, but like she takes some shit. Remember when she got fucking knocked out of the sidelines of that college football game? And she like sprung back up and was like, I'm fine.

Eliza 12:41

And she's 59.

Bonnie 12:43

And she's 59. Oh, also.

Eliza 12:46

Oh, she went to VYU. Sorry.

Amanda 12:49

Holly went to VYU? Yeah. Is she Mormon? Is Holly Rowe Mormon? Is Holly Rowe Mormon? We'll have to invite Megan onto the podcast. She's our Mormon expert in how is Megan Mormon? No.

Bonnie 13:01

Oh, she's just an expert.

Amanda 13:02

Yeah. Consumes. Love it. Consumes everything. I love when people get into like niche stuff. It is great though because she just like she should be knowing everything. Yeah. And so we got questions and she got answers.

Bonnie 13:15

She does always come with the facts. Yeah. In the group chat. Yeah. I mean, former teacher.

Amanda 13:20

She be knowing.

Bonnie 13:21

Well, that's it.

Eliza 13:22

I read Is Holly and it filled out Is Holly Red Moment.

Bonnie 13:27

People be wondering. People be asking.

Amanda 13:30

People be wondering, people will be asking.

Eliza 13:32

Yes.

Amanda 13:33

So Don ended up releasing a statement after the game and was just like, Gino has done a lot to grow the women's basketball game. We gotta move on. Stop giving him hate. No, how about he stopped disrespecting you? And how crazy is it that she had to come out? I was just gonna say something when she didn't fucking do nothing.

Bonnie 13:51

It's a woman's job to like fucking fix everything and be like, no, actually, let's all move on. I will say though, like, he fucking torpedoed his reputation. I feel 100% in that moment. And then also, like, made it look made women's basketball look bad.

Amanda 14:08

It just like wasn't just it just wasn't great. And some people were actually speculating that maybe he caused such a fuss to not have to answer questions about why UConn that was previously 54-0 before they lost to South Carolina to take the heat off of them for explaining why his team couldn't score.

Bonnie 14:26

I feel like that's it's crazy. Yeah.

Amanda 14:28

That's conspiracy theory.

Bonnie 14:30

Either way, it's a crazy thing for him to do.

Amanda 14:33

It is really crazy, honestly.

Bonnie 14:35

Um, should we talk about our bracket really quick? Yeah, of course. Okay. Um, so for a while I was number one in the bracket, and then Oh wait, we should talk about the finals game. The final game before we do that. Yeah, okay. So, yeah, South Carolina beat UConn in the semifinals. So they played UCLA, UCLA's first time.

Amanda 15:01

Who did UCL UCLA beat uh Texas? Yep. And Maddie Booker really could not be able to get the game. That was a shit game, too. I turned it off games. We turned it off. Brenda and I chose Grey's Anatomy, which is notably also a terrible show over the terrible basketball game.

Bonnie 15:16

So ask me in about 2000 when I was, you know, well that's what I mean.

Amanda 15:19

It used to be good. It used to be good, and now we just hate watching. I hate the main characters, but that's not what we're gonna talk about. We can talk about that off the air. Okay. Anyway, yeah, the game's gonna be.

Bonnie 15:30

Anyway, so UCLA made it to the title game for the first time ever. Um, they played South Carolina, and again, like we kind of mentioned at top, the game was just a little like lackluster. South Carolina ran out of gas. What happened? They ran out of gas. I blame it on Gino. He killed the vibe for the rest of the tournament. But I am happy that UCLA got their first number win. Like that's pretty good.

Amanda 15:54

Like, I'm not necessarily sad that South Carolina lost. I'm just like, damn, why y'all had to go out like that?

Bonnie 15:59

I know. And again, like by 20, 30 points. Like it was a blowout.

Amanda 16:04

And you could tell that game too that they were really missing Chloe Kitts, their starting center. She got fucked over at like the beginning of the season or before it even started. Yeah, it was pretty terrible. Senior year too. I wonder I know.

Bonnie 16:18

She'll do a fifth year.

Amanda 16:19

I feel like she should.

Bonnie 16:20

I feel like she should.

Amanda 16:21

I feel like she should.

Bonnie 16:22

I mean, just look at how like the March Madness impacts the draft. Like now the draft order is like AZ's like three or four when she was one of the things. Um, yeah, the mock draft. But what I what is cool about UCLA also is that six of their seniors are are headed to the draft that played in the in the title game.

Amanda 16:43

So good on them. I mean, honestly, how do you fucking guard Lauren Bet or she's six seven?

Bonnie 16:49

I was just like she's six seven. Six seven? Oh my god. I don't think the kids do that anymore, do they?

Amanda 16:56

I don't know. Who knows? Who cares? I'm not a kid. But that's perfect though. Six seven. That was I mean, that's I didn't even force that one. She is six foot seven. I don't know. You know that originated in Philly, too?

Bonnie 17:07

Oh my god. Shout out to us. Anyway, so our bracket, thanks for joining everybody. It was a fun one. Choo C L A won the bracket in the end. So shout out to Shout out. I think that was Cassara too. Shout out. So CJ, you'll be getting some merch.

Amanda 17:25

Soon. Soon. We can discuss what it is you would like and what it is we're willing to make for you.

Bonnie 17:32

Yeah, I was gonna say based on our budget. Yeah, based on our budget, you'll be getting a prize.

Amanda 17:38

Yeah, as of right now, Switchhouse is still not a sponsor, which is really so that was March Madness.

Bonnie 17:48

Thanks. Next.

Amanda 17:51

Not thanks. Wait, actually, one thing I wanted to talk about as it relates to college basketball is that the transfer portal is going crazy. Oh, yeah. It's going crazy. We talked about Kim Caldwell earlier in the season, the head coach for the Tennessee Lady Vols, which they are all gone. All eligible Lady Vol players have left Tennessee. Most have entered the transfer portal. Did you also see that the high school recruits the number two player in the 2026 Sports Center Next 100 requested to be released from her commitment to Tennessee?

Bonnie 18:26

I mean, how do you tank an entire program? How long she got left? Not long. She's probably fired right today.

Amanda 18:34

Like, honestly, they've got to find a new coach. And I was okay, and I was speculating that you know Audi Crooks also entered the transfer portal, and I was just like, could they pay her a shit ton of money to go to Tennessee and then they use her as a marketing ploy for other players? But breaking news I saw today, Audi Crooks now follows Notre Dame.

Bonnie 18:55

Yeah.

Amanda 18:55

And Neil Harvey or Ivy, rather. Yeah. Which I could see her there. I could see her there, but I've decided that I'm not a fan of Coach Ivy because I'm speculating, you know, the Hannah Hadalgo stuff and then the Jaden Ivy stuff, and I'm just like, it's giving Coach Ivy is pro homophobia. Yeah, is a homophobia. Is pro hate, is really what it comes down to. Which is interesting. You know coaching at a Christian school, you know, love thy neighbor, whatever the fuck.

Bonnie 19:27

Not a friend of the show.

Amanda 19:28

Yeah. Not a friend of the show. Not a friend of the pod. But no, I mean, super interesting.

Bonnie 19:34

I think um but like my other thing is like I don't know all the like restrictions and stuff on the transfer portal, but are the kids abusing it a little bit? Like, I feel like they have one bad season and they're like, I'm out.

Amanda 19:48

Oh, a thousand percent. Ever since every since NIL? A hundred percent. It's happening a lot in college football as well. There was notably like a uh quarterback that I believe played at Tennessee and he had the starting job, left, went somewhere else, and I can't remember where, to make more money, and then something happened where he ended up not getting all the money. It was like something crazy. So, like, yeah, ever since NIL they have been abusing it. That's also seeing in college football, Nick Sabin, who's the coach of Alabama, which is you know like a super fucking team in college football, he talked about how kids used to want to go play for a program that was decorated that they knew they would grow and win and get them to the NFL, and now it's just about the money.

Bonnie 20:32

Yeah.

Amanda 20:33

So that's when he kind of bowed out of college football. But I think that's definitely something we're seeing everywhere, yeah, for sure.

Bonnie 20:40

Like, I don't blame any of the Tennessee players at all. Like, if you have a coach that are that's like constantly calling you a loser, like get the fuck out.

Amanda 20:47

Yeah.

Bonnie 20:48

I mean, she's definitely gotta go.

Amanda 20:49

100%. I just like I cannot imagine they keep her for any longer.

Bonnie 20:53

Like, and like I'm thinking about Pat Summit. She's probably spinning her grave being like, what the fuck are you doing? Literally. To my program. Literally.

Amanda 21:02

Because I mean, Tennessee is like, yeah. It's one of the schools. It's one of the schools.

Eliza 21:08

It's one of the schools. Awesome.

Amanda 21:10

Candace Parker. Well, she's not a friend of the show.

Eliza 21:16

Good player.

Amanda 21:17

Not a friend of the show.

Bonnie 21:18

Yeah. Yeah. That's crazy. Not that this is the same, but my mom and aunt went to Oklahoma State University, and they also told me that the entire team is in the transfer portal. I mean, they're not like a huge school or whatever, but Jan told you that? Yeah, Jan told me. Jan the night. Shout out to her! She's a hoop set. That's crazy. She's a hoops head. I mean, they made it to the tournament this year and it doesn't always happen, and then they all were like, I'm out.

Amanda 21:45

Yeah, wow, Jan, I was unfamiliar with your game.

Bonnie 21:48

I know. She knows. She pays attention.

Amanda 21:51

She'd be knowing. Man, okay. Okay. That's that's that on college basketball. Y'all they gonna have to take a back seat now.

Bonnie 22:00

Gonna say they're going night night. Yeah, they are going night night because now it's time for the big girls, it's time for the big girls.

Amanda 22:05

Let the big girls play, you guys. So incredible. Okay, I think we should start with all of the free agency stuff that's happening just because that's already started, and then we can talk about these the WNBA draft projections because I have thoughts on it. But okay, okay. Let's start with the biggest news. Yup.

Bonnie 22:30

Andrew Reese was traded to Atlanta. So insane. Bruh. It really kicked things off. Like what a fucking with the fucking bang. Yeah.

Amanda 22:39

That's crazy.

Bonnie 22:40

It's like she took those big scissors and like cut a ribbon and was like, okay, it's open season.

Amanda 22:46

That was so fucking crit. Like, I remember, I don't remember who shared it. If I saw it, and then we all shared it. I I literally just kept saying, Oh my god, wow. Wow. Wow. Because I'm so happy for her because Chicago's a poverty franchise.

Bonnie 23:00

Yeah.

Amanda 23:01

Like it is. And it's not even just the women's team, it's also the men's team. They are not managing things well over there in Chicago.

Bonnie 23:08

There's something going on with like the front office, right? Like something just like it's something going on.

Amanda 23:14

Rebecca Allen came out and talked about too like all the team she's played on and how Chicago was the first time she shared a locker room with the public, which is fucking crazy.

Bonnie 23:23

It's that's insane that is that they were like practicing at a fucking local rec center.

Amanda 23:29

No, that's it's it's wild. And what's really, really sick about Angel Reese being traded to Atlanta is first of all, they were doing all this marketing around Caitlin, right? Like the league and stuff, and everyone's like, oh, like Caitlin brought all this, Caitlin did all this. Right. The Sky immediately lost 13,000 followers when the news was announced. Atlanta gained 10,000 followers, and her Atlanta Dream jersey sold out. Yeah, talk about impact.

Bonnie 23:56

Amazing.

Amanda 23:57

That is the Angel Reese effect. Let's talk about that. Like, that is crazy. She's that girl.

Bonnie 24:03

Also, I'm thinking like Angel Dream, you know, just goes together.

Amanda 24:07

A dream angel. And also, she's also Victoria's Secret Angel. Did you know? Oh, yeah, I did see that.

Bonnie 24:13

She is the Victoria's Secret Angel. I know we've talked about it before, but outside of basketball, she's just running her business like a bro. She's literally a hustler. I I'm so impressed by a hustler.

Amanda 24:25

And also, like, if we talk about the Angel Reese effect, also as it um, as it relates to unrivaled and not even the WNBA, she came back and had an immediate impact on the Rose. Yeah. Like she came back, the the rating defensive player of the year. Like, bruh, I couldn't be I couldn't be happier for her because I'm really happy for her. I think Chicago's ghetto.

Bonnie 24:44

I also just feel like that was a perfect team for her to go to.

Amanda 24:48

Yeah, like it's it is perfect. ATL Barbie.

Bonnie 24:51

Yep. And like crazy. She can really like she's gonna slot in the starting five so easily.

Amanda 24:57

Yeah, it will be interesting to see what they do with the rest of the roster now that they have her. Because who's so big? Breonna Jones. Oh, right, right, right. But I'm not sure I don't think she's re-signed anything yet, but I do know that Nas Hillman is signing a three-year deal with Atlanta. Uh Alicia Gray is signing a three-year supermax with Atlanta. Well deserved. Well deserved. I think I think that their starters could look like Nas Hillman, Angel. And actually, I could see them still keeping Breonna Jones. Yeah, Angel should be a four.

Eliza 25:38

Atlanta Drave is signing Brianna Jones. Okay.

Amanda 25:41

Okay, reported that Breonna Jones is staying with Atlanta because I think actually Angel plays better as a four. I don't think she's meant to be a center, even though she could be on those boards. But as playing as a power forward, you still gotta be on the boards. You gotta help out with the rebound. So I feel like that could be something really interesting. We see Ryan, Alicia Gray, Nas Hillman, Brianna Jones, and Angel Reese. Oh my god, I'd be scared. And wasn't and and Brittany Greiner was there too, but they don't need Brittany Greiner, I don't think. I don't think they don't think they need her.

Bonnie 26:12

I don't think they need her. Although she probably will still be there. I don't know. Seattle needs somebody, so maybe she'll go to Seattle.

Amanda 26:21

Yeah, Seattle does need somebody because neither Skylar nor NECA are expected to return. In fact, we can confirm that NECA is returning to the LA Sparks after playing 12 seasons there. She says she finna go home. And this was right after, right after a balloon company we thought spoiled the fact that NECA was going to Minnesota.

Bonnie 26:43

Like, did they not have an NDA? On my whole, like, I'm just like, why the fuck would they post anything? This is like top secret shit.

Amanda 26:52

But no, like it's it's it's actually crazy.

Bonnie 26:55

Like so like they were like, look at this amazing job we did on the balloons, and then like didn't know what they were posting.

Amanda 27:01

Yeah, they like posted how they put together a welcome NECA sign for the links, and it was just so crazy because yeah, I don't like what would possess you to post that. Like, I understand really cool opportunity. That's the last really cool opportunity you're gonna get, respectfully, because that's crazy.

Bonnie 27:24

Or they did like or they got a huge um, I mean, uh uh, what am I trying to say? A lot of uh brand what am I trying to say? Awareness.

Amanda 27:33

Yeah, or to be honest too, like maybe they were allowed to post it because it was, I think, just like uh they were trying to woo NECA, but that was absolutely clear. That was absolutely not clear.

Bonnie 27:47

It wasn't like welcome NECA for a visit. Welcome to Minnesota.

Amanda 27:53

Yeah, it was like very much like you're one of us, which honestly, like I'm really happy that NECA didn't go there just because I'm like respectfully, who the fuck wanna be in the cold access?

Bonnie 28:03

Again, I think like such a good move for her to go back to LA.

Amanda 28:06

Yeah, I think so too. She went home in 2016, that was the year she won MVP, and that was also the same year she led them to their chip. So I think it's a good move for her. Actually, though, while we're talking about the Sparks and also having just talked about Chicago, one thing I want to just be absolutely clear on the LA Sparks have zero fucking business trading Rakia Jackson. I really hope they don't. They better not do my girl like this. Don't do her like that. She does not deserve that. She's been through too much.

Bonnie 28:35

She has been through too much here. Uh also and I would like to see her and NECA play together. I want to see her and NECA.

Amanda 28:42

I want to see Cam Brink. Like, I just feel like I just feel like the Sparks really has something special going. Yeah, I agree. They just weren't all healthy at the same time for long enough. But we do know that since NECA's coming back, there's been some speculation that Derrica Hamby will not be back because she removed the sparks from her Instagram bio and also on Twitter she posted a gif of like that yellow chicken cartoon smoking a cigarette. Like, hmm. Alright. Let me look at this. Yeah, go just go look at her Twitter. She's she was subtweeting the shit out of the LA Sparks. It's tough. Which is also tough too because she was good for LA. But I love her. I know. The way you love her is the way I think I love Rakia because I just I feel like I see her potential. Like every game she plays, she gets better. I think the same thing with Hambi though. I don't know, but maybe Hambi could go somewhere and be a core player, like for the tempo or for Portland, but probably not though, because they spending money in Toronto. They just signed for like Sice and Marina.

Bonnie 29:47

Give me this one, give me this one.

Amanda 29:49

Yes. There's no news on Sweet Baby Ray. On Sweet Baby Ray, but I don't even know if she's eligible for a deal yet. I don't know. I don't know where she is. She might be like on the last year of her rookie contract. So she might be one of those players that isn't going anywhere, but she still is getting a pay raise. But it would make sense for the I mean I I don't know. If you had to guess, if you had to guess where she is. She's a restricted free agent, so that means that LA has the first rights to negotiate with her, should they want to do that. If you had to predict though, who do you think has a higher ceiling? So you may be Ray or Rikia Jackson.

Bonnie 30:27

Higher ceiling in terms of money? In terms of skill development. Rakia for sure. Okay, and that's why they shouldn't let her go. I mean, I also feel like Rikia is like further along that development road. I would agree with that. But I I do feel like Ray is a good player. He has like a lot of heart. Yeah. You need a hustle, you need a hustle player on your team. It's like Lexi Hull. Yeah. She's not always scoring points, but she will die for every single fucking ball. Yeah.

Amanda 30:59

I like Lexi Hall. I hope she leaves Indiana.

Bonnie 31:02

God, I hope you leave it. She should go to like Toronto or something. Sandy would really do well for her. I agree. I agree with that. Okay. I wish we had all of the info right now. I know.

Amanda 31:13

Other but other notable signings include Arique signing a multi-year deal to stay with Dallas, but she's not taking the Supermax so that they can still fit under the cap space so they can build like a decent team, which is really cool.

Bonnie 31:27

Yeah, I agree. I feel like she we were talking about it on the way over here. Like, I feel like I wasn't so surprised by that. I feel like she wants to win stay and build something.

Amanda 31:38

She's a winner. She wanna win. Yeah. Like you, and you can see it too. Is Mand still their coach?

Bonnie 31:43

No, he was let go forever ago. That's right. At the end of last season.

Amanda 31:47

Yeah. So Arique staying there. Dallas also has the first pick in the draft. So, and we'll get to that. I just, yeah, I have thoughts on that, but we'll we'll get to that. Um, uh, lots of signings for Vegas. Asia's expected to return no confirmation yet on what that deal looks like, but I mean, that's a given. Yeah. Kristen Bell. Which which I'm kind of like respectfully, why? No, I thought that was kind of random. Yeah. No, yeah, Kristen Bell definitely is not getting a shortcut. Like, why are we trying to save her? Yeah, I don't know, yeah. Chelsea Gray, point guard, also re-signed with Vegas. Jackie Young was actually the first player to be a super max player. Or sorry, she's not a super max player, she's just a regular max player, so she's not getting the first one before.

Bonnie 32:33

The first one to get over a million.

Amanda 32:35

Yes, correct, correct. And then Jewel Lloyd also staying with Vegas, which I don't know if you're asking me, she didn't show me enough to remain an ace.

Bonnie 32:45

I feel like she's gotta come back this season. She wasn't playing like an ace. She was playing like a three. What did you say? Playing like a what?

Amanda 32:54

Like a three, not an ace. Not an ace of spades. Okay.

Eliza 32:58

Just the three of clubs.

Amanda 32:59

Like, you know, like a like a random, like a random number that I'm just like, what am I gonna do with that? An eight of hearts. That's that's what you were doing. Yeah.

Bonnie 33:05

Eight of hearts, yeah. That's good. It's hard to hear you because we're in these mics. I mean these uh headphones.

Amanda 33:13

Yeah, guys, we're wearing we're wearing headphones this time so we can hear ourselves.

Bonnie 33:17

And I'm but we can't hear each other.

Amanda 33:19

I can hear you. I don't know what you're talking about.

Bonnie 33:21

I mean I can hear you, but like sometimes I can't.

Amanda 33:24

I think she can hear me for a that's crazy. What do you mean?

Bonnie 33:27

Liberating out of that? Yeah, turn the volume. Well, like I didn't I couldn't hear you just then when you said like a three.

Amanda 33:33

Yeah, like okay, well, like a three. Like thank you. Like a three okay, who else is notable? Who else? Oh, Kelsey Mitchell signed a one-year super max with Indiana.

Bonnie 33:46

But she really likes Stephanie White.

Eliza 33:48

Did you say that like how much she's getting paid this year is more than what she got paid the last eight years? No.

Bonnie 33:55

Together?

Eliza 33:56

Together. Cumulative. She's making I heard the people heard that.

Amanda 34:00

Yeah. Hold on, producer. Say that one. Eliza needs to say this.

Eliza 34:03

Kelsey Mitchell is earning more in uh the 2026 upcoming season than she has for the last eight uh seasons combined. So yeah, I think it's like 1.2 and she's made like 1.1 for the last eight seasons combined. Something like that.

Amanda 34:18

That's actually crazy considering she was an MVP candidate last season.

Bonnie 34:23

Agree.

Amanda 34:25

Wow. And it's it's crazy when you think about it too, because like on the court, like she is one of those players that is like untouchable. And I don't know, I just isn't that crazy. I it's crazy. Um wow, yeah. I think as notable signings go, oh, Alyssa Thomas is looking to re-sign with Phoenix, which means that Dwana Bonner probably will be re-signing with Phoenix. Yeah. The wives gotta stay together. Honestly, it's just efficient and good for them that they're both good players, you know what I mean? So that's good. Oh, Natisha Heideman is leaving Minnesota, which is so interesting because stud buds. Well, maybe they're gonna need some time apart because they be doing too much. So maybe they need a little break, a little time out, you know.

Bonnie 35:14

Seattle's stone, right? Yeah, she's going to well, it's expected to sign with that she'll sign with Seattle. Seattle.

Amanda 35:20

But I don't think Skylar's going back to Seattle. I was telling Grandma.

Bonnie 35:22

Well, that's what I'm saying. Like, who's even left on Seattle?

Amanda 35:25

Well, I'm just curious because I'm just like Oh, yes, Ezzy MacBooker got a core qualifying offer from Seattle. There's no confirmation on whether or not uh she signed it, but also if Skylar Diggins isn't expected to stay and NECA's gone, like I think Gabby's gonna be on her way out too.

Eliza 35:44

I think she said she's leaving.

Amanda 35:46

Yeah, so Gabby could come on over to Nueva York. We got something for her over here. Marine. You mean like I mean, who knows? Anything's possible. My dream, my dream.

Bonnie 35:58

Speaking of uh the liberte. Um I hate myself. Um I haven't heard much about what we're doing besides that like Sab, Stewie, and JJ all said they want to stay.

Amanda 36:14

I've Stewie not going nowhere. Sab's not going anywhere. Sab not going nowhere. I'm still on offense about JJ.

Bonnie 36:23

But like, where's she gonna be able to do?

Amanda 36:24

How do I finna afford JJ though?

Bonnie 36:27

I know.

Amanda 36:27

Because respectfully, how are we gonna pay Alana Smith? True. How how are we gonna pay? We gotta save some money for Alana Smith. Oh my god, if we get Alana Smith, I can't, I can't, I can't manifest it.

Bonnie 36:41

We are manifesting it. I'm gonna be at every game. Um, and then we're gonna do shoeies on Flap Bush. I'll do a shoey at a regular season game.

Amanda 36:51

Yeah, I'll take my shoe off right the fuck there. Every time she comes on the court, a shoey. Yeah.

Brenda 36:58

As she runs into the tunnel, we'll show her. Yeah. Oh my god. Look at this shoey we're doing it.

Amanda 37:02

I'm gonna fill my sneaker with beer and give it to her after the game. Yeah. Yeah, she probably won't drink that. No, she won't. She don't want my shoe. She doesn't know who I am. Yes. Yes. We she's a friend of the pod. So, do you know come on over? Lots of manifesting. Yes, lots of manifesting. Alana Smiths. Love her in the pod. I want I want a New York Liberty branded montage video of her saying, hello, hello. Like that.

Eliza 37:28

And now that we've lost Sandy, we needed on C back.

Amanda 37:31

I know, because that was. You remember her?

Bonnie 37:44

You remember her, Brenda?

Amanda 37:46

Brenda was calling her tablet.

Bonnie 37:48

All season.

Amanda 37:49

Yeah. That's crazy.

Bonnie 37:51

You know Brit from the chat? She hates Stephanie Talbot so much, and it's so funny to hear it go off in the chat.

Amanda 37:58

Not Britt from the chat. And and uh Brit is the who's the oh my god, who's the girl? Who's the girl I got beef with? Every time she every time she would check in, I used to say, Don't fucking piss me off.

Eliza 38:11

I want a dungeon.

Amanda 38:13

Dok it?

Eliza 38:15

They let her go.

Bonnie 38:16

They did?

Eliza 38:17

Yeah.

Amanda 38:23

No, she would just piss me off so bad, y'all. She was on a court.

Eliza 38:28

No, they just like they renounced their rights to her.

Amanda 38:31

They said, you know what? I'm good.

Bonnie 38:33

Yeah.

Amanda 38:34

Because she would get on a court and then and then she would start acting like Sabrina. It's if she's not Sabrina.

Eliza 38:39

She did look like her.

Amanda 38:40

She did look like her from our seats. But she was not Sabrina. Like respectfully, only Sabrina in my eyes can be chucking shots like that.

Bonnie 38:47

Speaking of Sabrina, I want those fours.

Amanda 38:50

I want the fours so bad, and I want them in the New York Liberty. Me too. I was just about to say that. Those are sick. Oh, hell yeah, brother, with the Chinese written on it. Hell yeah. Yeah, brother. We need to. Yeah, because she dropped them in in China first. She did the Tai Chi. I'll tell you what, Sabrina, you better, you better not embarrass me this season because I'm not gonna hear the end of your Tai Chi session. She won't. She won't. And she and she hasn't. And I have been on her side this whole time while other people have been like, I don't know. She's not doing enough.

Bonnie 39:24

Yeah, the original Liberty colorway.

Amanda 39:26

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The OG.

Eliza 39:28

I like these ones though. These are nice.

Amanda 39:30

I think I think the best Sabrinas have been the ones. The twos are okay. The threes look too similar to the twos. And so I almost got a pair of threes, and I'm happy I didn't settle because these are dropping in July.

Bonnie 39:47

It's kind of crazy that she already has the fours out. You know what I mean? It feels like just yesterday.

Amanda 39:53

I mean, well, to be to be honest, like I think Nike is really fumbling, fumbling the bag here with these shoe releases. Like, we don't need a new fucking sneaker every year. Let it breathe a little. Yeah, let it breathe. Let it breathe. We got to girlies catch the sneaker once a year. We gotta get the shoes. Because then the older sneakers are no longer available once the new one drops. Like they'll put the threes on sale, but they don't make the ones anymore.

Bonnie 40:14

They don't make the ones anymore.

Amanda 40:15

And the ones, in my opinion, are better than the twos and the threes. Yeah. And sure, they keep upgrading the shoe, but it's just like we really need a new sneaker every year because now it's making me not want to spend money because I think hopefully after this fourth one, she'll slow down. It's just like there's just like no strategy, and this is something that they do even with Kevin Durant and LeBron. Why does Kevin Durant have 18 fucking sneakers? That's that's too much. Retire it excessive. Enough. Too much. Retire. Wait, wait, wait, Brenda, wait.

Bonnie 40:47

Sorry.

Amanda 40:48

My gain is low.

Brenda 40:50

I was saying it really goes um against their philosophy with sneakers, because remember we watched the um the Nike movie and when they were gonna release the Jordan 1s, they wanted to like show that like this was gonna be a big shoe, and they wanted to get Michael Jordan on board, and in the like back office they were talking about like doing multiple versions of the shoe. Yeah. But then they showed that like no Adidas is gonna show multiple versions of the shoe, and when you have multiple versions, then you make all of them un like unwantable. It makes it less.

Bonnie 41:26

I was gonna say you devalue the other.

Amanda 41:29

Yeah, it's like it's like um you're diminishing like the the um like the exclusivity of it and the demand. Yes, supply and demand, you know? It's just not a good strategy. Yeah, it's just not a good strategy, and it sounds like they need a new strategist on their team. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. Anyway. Yeah.

Bonnie 41:50

Would you move to Portland to work at Nike? Would I? Unfortunately, I would. I don't think unfortunately. I think unfortunately because I have no desire to live in the Pacific Northwest.

Amanda 42:05

I just hear it's beautiful. I would be depressed though, I feel like the whole thing.

Bonnie 42:09

Yeah, it's always a little wet, right?

Amanda 42:10

I would be depressed. Are there Hispanic people over there?

Bonnie 42:14

Probably. Brenda's nodding her head.

Amanda 42:16

She's saying yes. Also, our friend Julia's from Oregon. I think. Julia.

Bonnie 42:22

Sorry, I again I can't hear.

Amanda 42:23

I'm sorry, Bonnie can't hear Bonnie's.

Bonnie 42:26

Yeah. Yeah, Julia. I know Jay.

Amanda 42:29

Gia I know Jay. Also, don't let this go to your head, Julia. Just relax. Okay.

Bonnie 42:36

It's so funny because like when I first met Julia, I put her in as Jay in parentheses three by three in my phone. And now whenever I go to text her, I type in Julia and nothing comes up. But I'm like, wait, what?

Amanda 42:48

Oh no, the second I got her digits, I was just like, hey, like, I'm gonna need your full government for my contact book. I don't do nicknames because if I need to contact someone and I can't fucking find them, it really pisses me off.

Bonnie 42:59

Yeah, no, I usually do first and last. Okay, so back to free agency just for a moment. The other thing I haven't heard any or the other team I haven't heard anything about is the Valkyries. Actually, yeah. Have they like cored anybody? Kayla, Kayla Thornton better be fucking cored.

Amanda 43:16

Oh no, she's they're not letting her go. Also, wait, hold on. Actually, as we're talking about the Valkyries, can we talk about the expansion draft? Because I don't think that we talked about it. That shit was so fucking ghetto. A 30-minute TV segment. And I'm thinking I'm literally thinking that it's gonna be like end with the first pick. Me too. 2026 expansion draft.

Bonnie 43:38

Good. Like Veronica Burton extended. QO qualifying qualifying offer extended. Right? Yeah, dang, yeah. So that's good.

Amanda 43:47

That was quick thinking.

Bonnie 43:49

Um but yeah, this this meeting could have been an email. I mean, yeah.

Amanda 43:53

Yeah, no, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This meeting could have been an email because it was like it was like, yeah, and the Toronto Tempo. Marina Mabry. And then who did they say? Oh, Bridget Carlton?

Bonnie 44:03

Yeah.

Amanda 44:04

Which was an interesting pick, in my opinion. Ida.

Bonnie 44:06

I was kind of interested in that too. I mean, she is like when she's hot, she can Brenda got beef with Bridget Carlton.

Amanda 44:14

Brenda, do not fuck with Bridget Carlton. I want to hear. Hold on, Brenda. Tell the tell the pod.

Brenda 44:20

I just she got one too many blocks on Stewie from her liking. During the finals. Stewie, yeah, Stewie kind of like got heated up by that. So I I I guess I appreciate her for that, but I just she got too one too many blocks that I was like, no, get her out. Yeah. See, but she's never let it go.

Amanda 44:38

She's never let it go. She's literally never let it go.

Brenda 44:40

Every time Bridge Carlton comes, she's like, you know, a true fan, never lets that shit go. She's a player that they put on the court when they need to like um really like kind of get the momentum up again. And she is really good at that, so I'm like, no, stay down. Yeah. That's that's my role on the team too.

Bonnie 44:56

Stay on the bench. But as a first pick, I was like, oh, okay. That's what I mean. Interesting.

Eliza 45:00

Well, I figured that like she's a sixth man, and I feel like they have to just Valkyrie's model.

Bonnie 45:07

Although Marina Mabrie was definitely not the sixth man.

Amanda 45:11

Yeah, I think allegedly sh well Marina had requested the trade in the beginning of last season after Tosh ended up being sent to New York.

Bonnie 45:20

Yeah.

Amanda 45:22

Allegedly, though, I saw this online and forgive me because I don't remember the source. You know, we all think we know what the fuck is going on in the W, but allegedly she did still want to leave Connecticut. But I don't know. I think Toronto could be a really good opportunity for her. She'll be under Sandy.

Bonnie 45:41

I think she it's gonna be a great opportunity.

Amanda 45:43

It's a bigger market. Also, Connecticut not uh not even finna exist after this season.

Bonnie 45:48

Yeah. Going to Houston. So um I did want to see her and Leah Edwards play together, though, especially after Unrivaled. Yeah. They had a magic connection.

Amanda 45:58

They did. But I wonder if they're like about to go into rebuild mode.

Bonnie 46:03

Yeah.

Amanda 46:03

Just because they've got a lot of young talent. They have Sanaya. Yeah, they've got Sanaya, they've got Aaliyah, they've got Oh my gosh, her name is escaping me. She played at LSU. J.C.

Bonnie 46:15

Sheldon? No.

Amanda 46:16

Oh, they do have JC Sheldon, too. She played at LSU. Uh Haley. No. Haley Van Lutha's in Chicago. She played for LSU. She's black. She's got big ass hair.

Bonnie 46:27

Oh, oh, oh.

Amanda 46:28

Yes.

Bonnie 46:29

Um starts with an M, I think. Oh my god. She's like crazy abs. No, she's a guard. Anisa Marvel. Yes. Anisa Marrow. Anisa. Good job. Let's go.

Amanda 46:42

Wow. Power of the gays. One of us would be.

Bonnie 46:46

She is. She's a full. You say she's a taller, though.

Amanda 46:50

She's a fellow tall girl. I know.

Bonnie 46:51

She's like kind of a short tall though, I feel like.

Amanda 46:55

She's a short tall.

Bonnie 46:57

Well, you know what I mean.

Amanda 46:59

Is are you a short tall?

Bonnie 47:01

I mean, you are kind of a I'm a tiny tall.

Amanda 47:03

You're a t oh. She's a tiny tall tall. She's not even a she's not even a short tall. She's a tiny tall.

Bonnie 47:09

I love that. A tiny tall. She's 6'1. Yeah, okay. Okay, so like it from the couple.

Amanda 47:13

But yeah, like Sabrina's Sabrina, Sabrina is actually 5'11. Oh. Yeah. I only know this because well, no, I just only know this because, again, we were watching the game and I was like, Sabrina not that tall. And I looked it up. I was Sabrina tall as shit. She would swallow me up. Yeah. Dang.

Bonnie 47:34

I could go hurt. She's beautiful. She's psycho. Psych. Psyche. Card for it. Yeah, I was gonna say, she's not a sinner. I think that pretty much covers free agency. I think we can talk about what we know as of right now.

Amanda 47:46

Yes, that is what we know as of right now because shit is breaking every five seconds. In fact, our producers are scrolling the internet right now as we speed. It's crazy, it's crazy, it's crazy. It is crazy. And first, before I go through like the projections and what the latest say as of you know the March Madness tournament, whatever, I do want to talk about the order of the draft picks as of right now, because anything is possible. Dallas has the first pick, Minnesota has the second pick, Seattle has the third, Washington four, Chicago five, Toronto six, Portland seven, Golden State eight, Washington again at number nine, and then Indiana has the tenth. So the mock draft has been updated since the March Madness tournament. And I have some really interesting information about all of the players that are projected to go with each pick, including their height, age, position, and then who their pro um comparison is. So shockingly, Awa Fam, which babe, I'm sorry if I'm saying your name right or wrong. Sorry, I'm sorry if I'm saying it wrong. But she's from Spain, she plays for Valencia, she is 6'4, only 19 years old.

Bonnie 49:03

Yeah.

Amanda 49:04

She is kind of like a power forward center, and her pro comparison is Neka Ogumake. That's like crazy. And I've been reading a lot of stuff about her and saying that while she's not she's not at the top of her game yet, but she is being considered as a diamond in the rough.

Bonnie 49:23

Yeah. Like Aladdin. I did a bit of uh a deep dive on her just because I was like, who is she? Um I can give you some some quick hits. Yeah, tell me everything right now.

Amanda 49:35

Tell me everything.

Bonnie 49:35

Um, like you said, she's 6'4, but with a 6'8 wingspan. She's 19. She joined uh the Valencia basketball club at 15, becoming the youngest player to be.

Amanda 49:48

They don't care. They'd be having 13-year-olds on the team.

Bonnie 49:50

Like Yeah, I know. She was really, really young. In 2024, she became the youngest MVP of Eurobasket the tournament. Mm-hmm.

Eliza 49:59

She was 17.

Bonnie 50:00

Yep. Right? Two years ago, yeah. Wow. And key things that she has in her bag that I think like the all the recruits are looking at is that she's like this incredible passer, um, especially from the post. Like she throws like skip passes from the post. Um, and she has like all these she reads the court really well, reads the offense really well. Um, and you can see why that would like excite a coach and want to work with and develop her. She's a killer in the paint, she does like a uh joke joke, is that how I say it? Style spin cycle. Um, and can she can shoot the three. So her three-point percentage is 30.8, which you know isn't like crazy, but it rose 12.5% over the last year.

Amanda 50:46

Decent first center. That's the thing. She's young, she's a diamond in the road, she can be molded.

Bonnie 50:50

Exactly. Apparently, things that she needs to work on is that she's not the best screener. She gets caught moving a lot. Um and she's awesome. Yeah. Shut up. Um shut out. She's not super confident with her left hand, which like um as anybody if you're on the left. I feel like if you're a post, you gotta be able to shoot with both. You know, like if you're down there on the left side, you can't, like, sometimes you can't spin out of it. And this was a weird one, but people were talking about how she has small hands. Lol. Um, and this causes her to be like inconsistent when catching the ball.

Amanda 51:24

I'm gonna be honest, if I really committed and tried to go pro, they would definitely say that about me too, and that would really hurt my feelings because what the fuck am I supposed to do about that? I know, you can't like get extend my fingers to be like the men and get surgery to extend the length of my fingers.

Bonnie 51:39

Yeah, yeah. Um, she's currently playing as center at on Valencia, but they do see her as like a dynamic power forward.

Eliza 51:47

Um maybe like Ezy. She might be like Ezzy.

Bonnie 51:51

I can see her being like Ezzy. And she did an interview with Slam magazine, and this is what she said about the WNBA. She said, It was always my dream. If I'm there, I will keep improving. It's gonna be nice for me seeing the best players in the world, seeing what they're doing each day, how they approach the game, and competing. I know. I feel like she's got like such a good thing.

Amanda 52:11

She's like, I just want to I just wanna be like them.

Bonnie 52:14

I want to grow and so I'm kind of excited, knew nothing about her until yeah, like a month ago.

Amanda 52:20

Me either. Are we about to start watching your own?

Bonnie 52:22

I know, I was like, dude, I gotta tune in.

Amanda 52:24

Yeah, she honestly, shout out to her.

Bonnie 52:27

She yeah, like she's really a good passer. Everyone was talking about how she can read the read the um offense really well.

Amanda 52:35

So she was projected to be the first pick for Dallas, which is interesting because I think we talked about this last episode where AZ was projected to be the number one pick. Yeah. And I'm just so curious if Dallas will take fam over AZ. Just because I don't know.

Eliza 52:57

I just feel like Dallas needs height.

Amanda 53:02

I think I think Dallas does need height, but I'm also just like, if we have to play the politics game right now, are they gonna draft AZ to keep Paige happy, but also not just to keep Paige happy because Azer AZ is also a great player in her own right? But is that what they need right now, especially after finding out that they are signing Arike to another like three-year deal? Also, if you think about it, I mean, and you could disagree with me, because I'm not sure that I 100% believe what I'm about to say. So say it. Can AZ create her own shot? Or is she a catch and shoot? I feel like she's more of a shooting guard, but but like, but like, but like, for example, Arique could catch and shoot, but Arique has handles. Arique can get herself open, Arique can create the shot for herself. Do we know if Aisy can do that? Or is she just like an off-the-screen shooter?

Bonnie 53:58

I'm not saying you're wrong.

Amanda 53:59

I mean, I don't know. I don't know if I'm right.

Bonnie 54:01

Yeah. But I do think like I don't know, like, would she even play in Dallas? You know what I mean? Like, would she get playing time? Like, on this projected, you think?

Amanda 54:14

I think I think she would I think she would get yeah, because she's she's still like in this new draft projection. She went from one to three, I think. Yeah. And that's I mean, that's still pretty high, especially you think about so okay. But she could be a star in Seattle. She could be a star in Seattle because right now, so with Minnesota, the second pick is projected that they'll take Olivia Miles, which will be interesting. She's 5'10, 23 guard. She's been compared to Lindsay Whalen. I I guess I don't know enough about who's left in Minnesota because we're still kind of waiting for these deals to roll out. They'll definitely keep Fee. It sounds like they'll keep Courtney. Courtney is their point guard right now. I could see them taking Olivia and having her learn from Courtney too.

Bonnie 54:59

Yeah. But I could see them all. You know what I mean?

Amanda 55:04

They're not gonna keep Alana Smith. Because she's already spoken for. There are actually rumors that she is in conversations with New York, you guys. We're not Delulu.

Bonnie 55:11

We're not Delulu. Only a little. She called it home.

Amanda 55:14

She called it home. Alana Smith called New York home?

Bonnie 55:17

Am I?

Amanda 55:18

No, that's the other rumor. Beck Allen.

Bonnie 55:22

Rumors. She, I mean, she might she will call it home soon.

Amanda 55:27

Oh, yeah, Alana. Oh yeah. And it's just like, hold on. Like, I know we want our Aussie swag back, but I don't know if it needs to come through Rebecca Allen, respectfully. Respectfully. I already have my eyes set on one. Yeah, sorry, girl. On one, Alana Smith. So I don't even know where this came from, this desire to have Alana Smith on the team. It just like I feel like you said it. Okay, yeah, Eliza said it, and then when I started to think about it, I was just like, wait a minute.

Bonnie 55:52

I really feel like she would do well on our team. But anyway, back to Minnesota.

Amanda 55:55

Oh my god, can you imagine rolling up the sorry? Sorry, rolling us up at Barclays. It's exciting. It's exciting. Okay, anyway, anyway. So Minnesota is projected to take Olivia Miles at the with the second pick. Seattle is projected currently to take AZ Fudd at the three. What could also happen? What could also happen is there could be trades day of the draft. That happens. True. I don't know that I don't know that that would happen, but I am I'm like dying. I'm I mean not dying. It's like in two days, maybe this draft. But like I just want to see where AZ's gonna go. I know. Because I love tea. I love tea. And by tea I mean the relationship tea. I'm just like, what's going on?

Bonnie 56:37

What's happening? Anyway. No, I'm excited to see where she goes. I'm excited to see where they all all these go.

Amanda 56:44

Lauren Betts is is projected to go to Washington, which I think could be so interesting because you've got Lauren Betts. Is Shakira Austin staying there? Like, who fucking knows? And Kiki Irifan. Oh my god, that's right. Yeah. Steph Dawson. And Steph Dawson. That's a lot of bigs, though.

Bonnie 57:01

That is a lot of bigs.

Amanda 57:02

They don't need Lauren Betts.

Bonnie 57:04

But she's Seattle needs Lauren Betts. Fuck. Seattle needs a team. Yeah, Seattle. Do they still need a coach? No. They fired their coach too. I think they have a coach. They must at this point. God damn. I think they have a coach.

Amanda 57:23

Okay, okay, okay. Kiki Rice, UCLA. Yep. Been compared to Tosh? Okay. Projected for her to go to Chicago. Oh my gosh. I'm sorry, girl. I'm sorry. Because I'm just like, I know. I'm thinking about this. This is why I also feel like it's so dumb to send Rakia to Chicago because they have Haley Van Lith. They they offered like a core qualifying contract to Ariel Atkins, another guard. If they take Kiki Rice in the draft, that is another guard, and then add Rakia to that, another guard. Why are you why do you need four guards? You don't need four guards.

Bonnie 57:56

Especially now that they lost their big. Well, they have Camilla.

Amanda 57:58

They got Camilla, but who else they got?

Bonnie 58:01

I think they still got they still got what's her name? Oh, Elizabeth Williams. Williams.

Amanda 58:07

I wasn't even talking about her. Rachel, Rachel Banham. Yeah, but she's not a guard. She's a guard too, though, isn't she? She's a guard. How many fucking cars they got? They're drunk driving in Chicago.

Bonnie 58:17

Somebody take their keys. Somebody take the keys.

Amanda 58:20

Do you just take the wheel, please? No, literally. Toronto? You just say Holly. Holly, save them. Holly, take the wheel. Holly, you need to step in. You need to run over there. Okay. Toronto is projected to take Flager. Which I think that would be fun. I think that would be fun. I'm gonna be honest with you though.

Bonnie 58:44

I don't think we think they compared her to Bridget Carleton.

Amanda 58:47

I agree, and I don't and I don't think that because she's she could play shooting guard or small forward. I just I don't know. I and I say this respectfully, I don't think Flager is a lottery pick. That's just my opinion.

Bonnie 59:01

I feel like you pick my lottery pick.

Amanda 59:03

Like a top ten. Oh. Just because Yeah. I can see that. I feel like what she's a good player, but what makes her, in my opinion, a lottery pick is the the brand name. You know what I mean? Yeah. Because she's like a pretty popular name outside of women's basket, you know, so then uh not really anything else notable to call out except Gabriela Jaquez. Yeah, who I like her. Yeah, she played for UCLA. She honestly, I don't want to say she carried, but she carried. She carried. Uh and so she's projected to go to Indiana, which I hate for her, also. She needed to go somewhere where there's other Hispanics.

Bonnie 59:52

Where is she gonna fit there? I feel like she won't play at Indiana.

Amanda 59:56

No, probably not.

Bonnie 59:57

But that's the thing.

Amanda 59:57

This is all projections, like we don't actually know who's worked out with who, who's had conversations with who. Oh, and Raven Johnson of South Carolina is projected to go to Washington, which could be really fun.

Bonnie 1:00:09

Yeah.

Amanda 1:00:10

That could be really fun.

Bonnie 1:00:12

That could be a good, good move for her.

Amanda 1:00:13

Yeah, she's an incredible defender. She improved her three-point shooting attack. Yeah. So Medina O'Cott, she also was uh South Carolina, but she interestingly only played for like two years in college. She came from abroad, but it was because her visa was like kind of in limbo.

Bonnie 1:00:31

Oh, okay.

Amanda 1:00:32

And she tried to like renew her eligibility since she only, I think, played for two years, and NCAA said, nah, because you wasted those. She she played two years, I think, abroad, and they're saying that that counted as her college eligibility, which is bullshit. Interesting. So whatever. That's yeah, that's kind of Lonnie White. I've never heard of. Me either, but also like how much how much attention do you give to Utah?

Bonnie 1:01:02

Not a lot, respectfully. But I'm happy that she's in the draft. There's actually like there's four UCLA seniors who are projected to get drafted. I think I heard that there was gonna be six.

Amanda 1:01:17

Well, yeah, and what I only have here is just like first and like start of the second. Yeah. I kind of I stopped at 15 because I was like, okay, we can't go through everything.

Bonnie 1:01:27

Right, right, right, right.

Amanda 1:01:28

Just the big just the biggies.

Bonnie 1:01:30

It's pretty cool for them. I mean, not cool. It's cool that they won, but then not cool because then they lost all their seniors and they're gonna have to rebuild their team.

Amanda 1:01:39

Yeah, agree. Okay. Well, that's the draft. We'll find out more in just three days' time. On Monday. I'm really excited.

Bonnie 1:01:48

Me too. Have you ever been to the draft?

Amanda 1:01:50

No, I haven't.

Bonnie 1:01:52

I went one year. Did you like it? It was really fun.

Amanda 1:01:56

I yeah, I just I guess I'm just curious.

Bonnie 1:01:58

And then it got expensive, yeah.

Amanda 1:01:59

Oh, it got expensive. I just I'm curious about what the fan experience is like and how it differs from like watching on TV. Yeah, is it just that you're sharing space with these people? Yeah. I mean, it's like cool, but yeah.

Bonnie 1:02:15

I mean, I think the coolest thing that happened when we were there is that Kate Martin got drafted from the crowd.

Amanda 1:02:21

Yeah.

Bonnie 1:02:21

That was fun.

Amanda 1:02:22

That was pretty cool.

Bonnie 1:02:23

But obviously that doesn't happen every time. Um yeah, I think like uh there wasn't really like any experience besides just kind of like watching it and being there. Yeah. And then like after the the first round goes, it's like real, real quick. And they like showed up on a screen.

Amanda 1:02:44

Right, because it's all the pomp and circumstance for the first round, which also is what I expected for the expansion draft. What the fuck? No. At that point, don't even put that shit on TV. Literally, just send me a few. Send me an email. Like that was crazy. No, that was that was crazy.

Bonnie 1:02:59

Yeah, we got like a even tune into this, and then to hear other people's opinions.

Amanda 1:03:03

As soon as I seen the shit flash on the TV, I said, okay, so we could change this?

Bonnie 1:03:06

Yeah.

Amanda 1:03:07

But also, I think we also put Grays on. Listen, the season is out, and so every week a new episode drops.

Bonnie 1:03:16

Have you um watched The Pit? Brenda watches The Pit. Is it similar to Grace? Um, but kind of. I feel like I tried to watch the first episode and I was like, this is too much.

Brenda 1:03:32

It's similar in that you are in the hospital with them and you like see the different things that come into the hospital, but then you get the little side plots of like the little love stories.

Bonnie 1:03:43

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, cool. Well, yeah. So more to come, more crazy free agencies shiz. That's that on that. But that was episode 11. Thanks, Bonnie, because I didn't remember. Lucky number 11. Number 11. Do we have an 11 on our team? Alana Smith.

Eliza 1:04:10

I think number eight. I think she's gonna go unless we have number eight. Wait, Niara was number eight, I think it should have been.

Bonnie 1:04:15

Oh, that is sad. Maybe is that a sad one? Goodbye, Niara.

Amanda 1:04:18

We lost a number eight and we gained a number eight.

Bonnie 1:04:21

Rip.

Amanda 1:04:22

Okay, so you're ready to hear first. Alana Smith to the New York Liberty.

Bonnie 1:04:25

Boom, chakalaka. Period.

Amanda 1:04:29

Okay, well, like I said, that was episode what?

Bonnie 1:04:32

Eleven of Chasing the W.