The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Good Follow - Kahleah Copper & Monique Billings Join The Show, Juju Watkins Injury + Notre Dame vs TCU & More

Episode Date: March 26, 2025

This week on Good Follow: Ros, Logan & Mo discuss Juju Watkins' season-ending injury, USC’s future in the tournament, and preview Notre Dame vs TCU. Then, they debate whether or not the women’s tournament should move to neutral sites, discuss how players can translate their college game to the WNBA, and Mo gives an update on the Valkyries. Later, Ros sits down with WNBA & Unrivaled Champion Kahleah Copper to discuss her time at Unrivaled, a new big 3 in Phoenix, and learning from Diana Taurasi. Finally, Ros shares her March Madness pick of the week presented by DraftKings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, what's up, y'all? Welcome to Good Follow presented by DraftKings. I'm Roz Golden-Wooday and today I am here with the dynamic duo or maybe we're the terrific trio. My girls are here, Logan Hackett, and we are joined right from the top of the show. She's back, y'all. Mo, Neek Billings of the Golden State Valkyries, WNBA vet and a great friend to the show. And it's deserving of the. Thank you for the bell.

Love the bell. I'm doing great. How are you all doing? So good. So good. So happy to see you. Wait, first of all, can we talk about the glow that both y'all have going on? I know you were in Miami. I saw the content. Yeah, the sun did y'all well. Okay. Oh, thank you. You know what? Logan was basking in the sun. It was giving very much like Canadian does Florida. Logan was so happy to see this. 100%. Well, you know, every time I come to the show, we got to go through our intentions. So I'll start us off.

I would say my intention that I'm currently focusing on, I'm in my unapologetic area, y'all. And when I say that, when I say that, I'm walking into every space, every opportunity, like I'm meant to be there, not doubting, not questioning it, and just being unapologetic and who I am. I'm very genuine. I'm authentic, but I'm about my business and I've been standing on my business this off season. And so I'm in my unapologetic era. That is my intention. Period. I love that. I love that.

And I can't even imagine there ever being a space or a room where you are not absolutely needed and at value too. So I just want to further breathe that into you. Yes. What about you, my girl? Roz, you said you came on the show ready. I knew you were coming. And it actually like gave me a reason

to make sure I come in focused with my intentions and mine would be focused on the temple. Okay, so and the temple can be many things like body right now. I'm a month away from my birthday. We are her. Summer is around the corner and I'm trying to lock in on these goals

and what it takes to get there. Home, I've been on the road a lot. This is a temple. If your home is organized, you feel clean and organized. So I'm making sure that we're purging of things we don't need, that it's organized here, that doesn't look like suitcases, just get packed and unpacked here. And I'll say one more temple would be of the heart. So just letting go of any hurt, much like your home, you know, purging and making room through organization and cleaning. I love that. Oh my goodness.

I'm here like right like mental notes, mental notes. We didn't even get to the sports coming next. But but first we need to hear yours, Logan. Well, last time I said consistency and I think I'm going to move it to this time because last time actually change it to finding power and patience. I feel like I've been doing that kind of the past six months, but the past month, especially kind of sitting in it and being patient and knowing that's all going to work out rather than something going wrong or something not going my way. And I'm like, oh my gosh, how am I going to fix it? Um, cause I do tend to do that. But this

month or this season, I am going into consistency as I intended to, but it got a little derailed. Okay. Okay. Consistency 2.0 going into this month is what I'm hearing. Right. I love a doubling down on an intention of saying, Hey, great. What I said before is still the goal and the focus right now. Yeah. No, no, no. Mo, I mean, you already look how you just set the tone for the show. Hey, I love it. And now we get to talk hoops. The best part of the show.

Yes. Yes. So let's be intentional as well. Making sure that our listeners, our viewers know what we're talking about on this show, besides our intentions. Today's show, it's the Sweet 16 coming up here in March Madness, Women's Tournament. We're talking Sweet 16 matchups. We are also going to look at the growth of the Women's Tournament in the post-Katelyn Clark era. Things are still up, baby. We up.

We up. We up. We are seeing who's raising their draft stock from the tournament. Speaking of being up, we'll obviously discuss, you know, the unfortunate injury of Juju Watkins and what that means for her team and USC and the rest of the tournament play. And of course, we've got an exclusive sit down interview for you guys. It is with a WNBA champion, now an unrivaled champion. She's of the Phoenix Mercury and Team Rose, a four time All-Star. with for you guys. It is with a WNBA champion now an unrivaled champion.

She's of the Phoenix Mercury and team Rose a four-time all-star a finals MVP. We got Kahlia Copper joining the show today. Fire and it was it was such a fun interview. So definitely tap in to listen to that interview right Logan? Yep. And as always we love y'all. We appreciate y'all so much watching and rocking with us every single week. And please do not forget to subscribe, comment, like, follow everything that you can do. Please do it. And our new episodes drop every Wednesday at 7 PM Eastern. Y'all, it is time to get into it. Are you all ready? Yep. All righty. Well, actually, positive vibes kind of back down to somber.

Hearts are heavy in the women's basketball community right now, as Juju Watkins suffered a season ending ACL tear in the game against Mississippi State on Monday. And this was the type of injury where the second she went down, everyone probably said the same swear word at the exact same time. I mean, it was just absolutely devastating, but I think you can also kind of take this time to see how much support she has around her.

Cause immediately every single social you can think of was absolutely flooded with prayers, support, good vibes. And it has put a damper on things, but with Juju being a sophomore, she still has two years to go, don't know how long she'll take to recover. But how do you all think it'll alter her career in the long run? So I'm gonna put a positive spin on all of this. I see her writing her own story.

She's always written her own narrative. You see her in commercials, walking into lanes and really owning the space that she's in. I think she'll do the same with her comeback. I'm excited to see that. I think she'll do the same with her comeback. I'm excited to see that. I think this just adds to her story. It's just another layer and that's a part of sports.

You talk about enjoy the journey and the process. This is just a part of the process. It's unfortunate, but it's real. It's real that the process is not always glorious. It's not always beautiful, but you don't know what it'll lead to. So I'd like to take, like I said, a positive spin on this. I think it's only gonna add fuel to her fire

and just make her so much more relatable for young girls to be able to see, Juju came back, I can come back too. Juju overcame, I can overcome too. And so I think it'll be an inspirational type of thing. Really excited for her to be in her process. I know in a process when you're injured, you learn about yourself,

you tap into new levels of yourself. I know she's gonna go through that. And I'm expecting one of the biggest comebacks in sports history, claiming that now. What is deferred is not denied. That part. That part, that's that part. And I too hold the same kind of like overall positive sentiment that Juju Watkins is going

to come back from this injury. She's going to, you know, come back full strength and with hard work and the best of everything, you know, find her way back on the court, full stop. I have no doubts in her ability to do that. Also this has been done before. This is not something that's impossible. I'm someone, you know, we talked about our intentions up top. I think it is okay to admit disappointment as well.

So this is disappointing for fans, for me as a fan. Like, first of all, I was surprised that Juju got hurt. I watched a number of clips this off season and was very impressed by her training regimen. You know, it seems like she really focused on body movements, core strength, Pilates, you know, with the best of the best. And so I actually kind of thought maybe she had trained at such an elite level this wouldn't happen but here we are again, you know, whether it's Pagebackers, Juju Watkins, Cameron Brink, and these really elite female Hoopers continue to go down at these

moments where it feels like their dominance is just starting to escalate and to a point where there could be an explosion, certainly during March Madness. Boy, you know, you're talking about a triadacty that at least on the court for right now for juju is paused not over but paused And so one of my initial gut reactions is like geez This is so prevalent in women's basketball years after years after years Like where's the science like I just hope for more like advanced science to help us avoid these types of things happening over and over again. And, and like thwarting some of the blossoming of these players were just getting started.

So ultimately I think she's going to, you know, she's going to come back and I too want to turn this positive, but I think as someone who's torn torn in ACL, now begins the process of mental healing, acceptance of the disappointment. I'm sorry that this happened to Juju. I'm sorry for her family. I'm sorry for her team. It's not fair, but you have to trust, you know, whatever it is you believe God's timing, you know, what's coming for you. And that becomes the physical recovery and rehab that as someone who's torn in ACL, I got to tell you, it can only be done one day at a time, one monotonous exercise at a time. And this is as much a physical challenge as it is a mental one. Yeah. And her going down is actually kind of

ironic because I feel like the whole season we've and even last year we've been having the conversation. What can USC do without Juju? Is Juju one woman show or is there another team around her? And during the game against Mississippi State or after the game against Mississippi State, they pulled off a 37 point win. So they did show that they were capable of doing stuff, but next up they have K State, who not only upset Kentucky in overtime, but we also saw to our point Dexter go off hitting eight clutch threes at every single point when it mattered in the game, whether they were down two or down three.

It was actually insane. Then pair that with Aoka Lee and Sarita Sandal. Do you all think that USC has what it takes to pull off the win in this week 16 and then even looking longer, can they still win a championship? Ooh, great questions. I think it'll be a game definitely against K-State.

K-State has a lot of momentum after that upset win. I think it's gonna be a great battle in the post. Ray Marshall, Kiki Yereof Finn will have their hands full down there. And like you brought up, Poindexter just going off, I think, 8-3 is a career high. USC is really going to have to guard from behind the arc. But I do think it's possible. As far as winning a championship, I would love to be proved wrong. But with no juju, I just, I don't know if I see that happening

if I'm keeping it real. Yeah. I mean, I saw I feel you, Mo. And I feel like I saw some of the formula for success for this team without juju Watkins happen in their win against Mississippi State. Like, first of all, 29 assists in that game. That's going to be really key because juju Watkins like made so many things happen for her teammates, even just by being on the on the court, her gravitational pull opens things up for teammates. So now y'all got to make easy shots for one another. So that ball's got to pop 29 assists is important. Also, if you if you're losing all that Juju can do on offense, then you know, you've got to also help by being disruptive on the defensive end.

And they forced 20 turnovers. They got 27 points off of that in their last game. So I think defense creating offense, getting down the court with some tempo and momentum and beating the defense down the court to get you some easier shots. I think that's going to be key against Kansas State. And then obviously defending the three point line. But you mentioned her name and I just want to make sure we give proper like highlight. I mean, what did you that Kiki Iriafin was an incredible after Juju

Watkins went down. Juju went down in the first quarter and like that game honestly could have gone anywhere. But instead USC responded by being inspired. And I think that started with Kiki and, you know, 36 points, but it's just the fire and the undeniable that she played with. And I think she's a baller. And I think that this was an important moment for her draft stock, too, that she's got what it takes in here.

Well, I'm really keen to see what USC could do without Juju. But another game I'm super excited for is the Notre Dame versus TCU matchup. And both these teams are kind of on their own journeys, but Notre Dame is back to looking like their old self kind of looking like how they did when they were on that 19 game win streak. And in round one and round two, they won by 50 and 20 points respectively. They're starting to come together at the perfect time. But on the other side, TCU has been killing it. They're in their first ever Sweet 16 and they have veteran presence on their team with their starting five being three graduate students, one senior and a sophomore, Donovan Hunter, who's also killing it. So, y'all, what are your thoughts on this game?

I'm very actually interested to see because I personally think that TCU is going to pull off the upset, but I don't really know. Well, like you said, Notre Dame right now, they're playing like November Notre Dame, the Notre Dame that beat USC. That's what we're seeing in my bracket. I have them in my championship. I'm just saying. Um, so we'll see.

You never counted them out. You wasn't worried about that sleepy finish. They have me a little worried. I can't lie and say that they didn't, but they've been playing well as of late. I think they'll get it together. And when I think of that program, I'm thinking of the women who have come through that program and shined in March, the Erikaya Gumbawalais, the Marina Maybreeze, Skyler Diggins. They are built for March. And so I think that they'll step up

and arrive in the next, in the coming weeks. But I don't want to count out TCU. TCUs look really, really strong as well. Haley Van Lyft playing well. You got Emma NoPoo had some big moments, big threes against Louisville. So it's definitely going to be a game. I got my popcorn ready.

Yeah. Yeah. You know, earlier on one of our earlier shows I after it was it was a limp into March Madness. Like we're not going to sugarcoat it. They had a sleepy finish to the season did Notre Dame. I said, they're still those girls, but they do have like a gut check here and I think there's different ways to win like a W is a W survive in advance, but you can win in

different types of styles and the way that Notre Dame has moved to the first and second rounds has been dominant and convincing. There's nothing sleepy about it. And more importantly, I think it's them getting back to their identity. You got to be a team about identity to go far. And they were swarming on defense. They're hustling. They got pace. You know, they look tough. And the word they keep using is fighters, you know, which I think is going to be important.

But on the other side for TCU, like I think TCU is a bunch of fighters as well. Like as a program, this program has had to overcome a lot. They were having open tryouts not too long ago. Man, talk about it. And now you got individual players who are fighters. I mean, and you mentioned that Notre Dame's looking like a November team. If I'm not mistaken, Notre Dame lost in November to TCU, if I'm not mistaken. So that's a great point.

And and they had to overcome a 14 point deficit to do so. And Haley Van Lyth had 19 of her 21 points in the second half. And Sedona Prince had a 20 20 game. So I think it comes down to toughness. Both these teams are fighters and it'll be a good one. I think we've got a nice sweet 16 battle here. For sure. Absolutely. Can I wait? I mean, another thing about TCR is they look hungry.

And I don't know what it is, because obviously every team wants to win, but they just have a different fight to them right now. And they they have nothing to lose, honestly. But I would love to talk about this so much more, but unfortunately we have to toss to break. So coming up most days with us to talk about the growth of the women's game and she's I don't know which way and she's Mo Billings. We still got Mo Billings rocking with us WNBA veteran of the Golden State Valkyries here and we're breaking down how the women's tournament is impacting the women's game overall. As you've seen, the game has grown tremendously

and even in the post-Katelyn Clark era. But I just want to go through a quick timeline of what we've seen the past few years. 2021, the inequities and even in the post-Katelyn Clark era. But I just want to go through a quick timeline of what we've seen the past few years. 2021, the inequities and inequalities between the men's and women's tournament went absolutely viral. 2022, the women were finally allowed to use the term March Madness, and beforehand it was just called the Women's Tournament. Absolutely hate that. In 2023, a record of 9.9 million people watched the women's final and in 2024, 18.9 million watch, which was four more than the than the men's final. This year, the sky does actually seem like the limit. But one of the big

conversations that came up while I was watching with my family were watching both the men's and the women's was about neutral sites. And if the women's tournament should move to the neutral sites, or are we just not going to follow the men and stick around? Personally, I would love to see it as a neutral site tournament heading forward. But as a player, how does neutral sites affect the women's tournament or just like the general vibe of the game? So when I was at UCLA, we were kind of good or whatever

So we kind of always had home court advantage For the first and second round for at least I think three years that we played in the tournament and I loved it First of all, you're sleeping in your own bed. You got a home-cooked meal waiting for you you know what I mean, like it's comfortable you're in your environment. You know that environment well. And I personally love it. Logan, I'm really interested to know why don't you, why would you say neutral sites opposed to home court advantage? To be honest, there's not much behind it other than the fact that your fan bases both have to travel. So maybe it would be like even killed because especially in the first and second round tournaments based on what we've seen this year,

there have been humongous blowouts. So maybe it's a little bit like more for the team who would maybe be a 15, 13. Honestly, any team between like 15 and 11 seed some more motivation. Maybe we'd see some more upsets because the crowd isn't fully behind them. But with that said, I definitely see why the players would like it and why it is a great thing, because from what we've seen on TV, the fan bases have been going strong. I was just going to say, I think it's even more of an incentive

to have a higher seed like you're getting to play at home. So it's like that makes you play harder, like just wanting to be in your comfort zone. What do you, what you got for us? No, I think of course, you know, it's nice for the person who gets to eat at home and sleep in their beds. And you know, you're already the dominant top seed. Like how much harder do we need to make this on the little guy? I think we're missing the point. Like obviously if there were more neutral,

if we were playing on neutral sites, there's more likelihood for there to be more upsets early, more parity, more madness. And I think the woman's game is elevating to this. It's already, you know, we're seeing more parity. The biggest barrier is an economic issue, you know, just putting the butts in seats, the biggest draws and fan bases and ticket sales still in the woman's game really and naturally follows the biggest stars, legendary coaches, perennial programs. And so like that's the hard part. But as everything that Logan just listed, as far as like the growth of the woman's game only puts more, I think, incentive and accountability on the backs of the powers that be to challenge themselves to be better

and continue to innovate, find a way to organize the women's tournament where you can optimize attendance and ticket sales, but also optimize fairness. And I think that's the challenge as the game continues to escalate and grow. That's a mic drop moment, Roz. Like, that's really, really well said.

Nah, I feel you, because I, too, was on a team that was very, very good in Stanford, you know? And we loved playing at home, of course. But I think, like, back when I was playing, and I'm the generation before you, Mo, I mean, you're talking about we didn't even get challenged until the Final Four. We're talking about our first tough game was the Final four. No, no offense to respectfully to everyone. Yeah, of course. But there's the game. There was a gap.

You were top 10. You were top five. And then it was like a major gap. Like that's not the case so much anymore. True. And, you know, with that parody, it's being driven by some really incredible players. And so the tournament is also impacting a player's draft stock. And I want to point out two examples in Haley Van Lith and Deja Kelly.

Let's start with Haley Van Lith from TCU. She's taken TCU to its first ever Sweet 16 appearance, y'all. She creates shots. She has a dog mentality. She's a fighter. She has recently very publicly spoken about her battle with mental health. And she went to a final four when she was with Louisville. In addition to two elite eights, now she's taking TCU to the Sweet 16.

The girl is a part of winning. She is a winner, you know? And then you have Deja Kelly on Oregon on the other side. And for Deja Kelly, she is just a scoring guard. She's unafraid and high pressure situations. She can break down defenders with her handle. This wasn't the best overall season for Oregon as a team, but getting that first round upset and being led by Deja there,

I think that was important for her and her draft stock. So Mo, I wanna come to you as a resident player in the WNBA. When you look at guards like Haley and Deja, who stayed the extra year, who transferred schools again, and they felt they had more to showcase. Then in the tournament, they've had nice showings. What's the biggest factor in translating

that college success to the WNBA? One, I would say is just strength. I think strength is a really big thing that might not be talked about enough, but that jump from the college game to the WNBA, you're dealing with a different body type. You're dealing with the best guards in the world. You're going to have a Brittany Sykes guarding you. You're going to have a Khalia Copper guarding you. And it's like, do you have the strength to get past these guards?

So I think that's one. And two, when I came into the league, I had a vet who told me, be great at something every day, be consistent in that. For me, that's rebounding. Like that's my bread and butter. I might not hit a bucket,

I might be having a terrible day on the court, but rebounding and that energy. So if like guards, players in general, come into the league, knowing what their niche is, knowing what they're great at, I think that is what can solidify a player, especially two players like these. We know they're great. We know they can score. Everyone in the W can score. So it's like, how else can you fit into a system? Where can you

shine? Will it be defense? Will it be hustle plays along with scoring? Yeah. And I feel like too, with the expansion of the WNBA, there's more opportunity for these younger players who it takes time to get there. Like in the past, you know, you could be a top pick and not make the roster because you just aren't up to speed yet on the W. And I think with more rosters, you know, you have a chance to develop a little bit better here. Wouldn't you think Moe? Totally.

And I want to add to that. It's about fit. So it could be a great player, but just didn't fit in the system. Or there's already three three players who play the same position. It's all about fit. Sometimes it's you're lucky and you got on a team that just needed you. And sometimes it's you're unlucky and you're on a team where it just wasn't a good fit. They didn't need you.

But maybe you'll be able to get on another another team that does need you. So fit is a big thing in the W. That's one of the worst things to see, like, especially towards the end of training camp, when all the cuts are being made and you're like, dang, like you really thought that they'd fit in, but it just didn't work. And then it's kind of down to crunch time where it's like, OK, we have to find another team that works for them. And that's kind of when it gets chaotic. But speaking of expansion, Mo, you're on

the Valkyries and this is their first season. So with that, the team has not played together. The team doesn't know each other. It's a very new team. So what are y'all doing to kind of mesh, gel together and just meet each other to begin with? Well, we definitely had our first team bonding powwow over Zoom yesterday. It was cute, very simple, casual, just getting to know each other, asking, what are you into? What kind of music do you like? What are just a couple little pain points

that you're open to sharing and being vulnerable, which I thought was really cool. Everyone seems chill, competitive. That was a big thing that came up, a big theme, positive and excited. Everyone is just so excited to get to work. So the vibes are high already. Not y'all doing icebreakers.

That is so crazy. WNBA teams, they're just like us. Okay, so what was your answer in the icebreaker? Like, you know, what did you reveal to the team about your secret talents or like? Yeah. So for me, it wasn't a secret talent. It was just something I think it was, what are you passionate about? I said, I'm a yogi and that I'm planning on being certified this year. And then another fun fact was music. What do you like listening to? And I told them I'm an R&B girlie, but I also love the 2000s, the 90s. So those are a couple of little facts that I had given.

Oh, my gosh. You are just like an onion peeling back the layers. So much stuff. I would love to set intentions, do yoga with you and listen to 90s and 2000s R&B. Like you should just like set up a retreat. Like a workshop or something. Yeah, I will be intentional to do so.

It's on the way. It's on the way. I would absolutely love that. Well, Mo, thank you so much for joining us. It is always a pleasure and so much fun having you on. And y'all coming up, we have an exclusive interview with WNBA star, Kahlia Copper. We'll be right back. Thanks, y'all.

Hey, what's up, good follow? This is Roz Gold on Waday, and I am here with Kahlia Copper. What's going on? What's up? What's up? Yeah, I'm good. She's over here representing for Team Rose. You know what's going on?

Check the night. And the Phoenix Mercury as well. Four-time All-Star out of where? No Philadelphia. I knew you couldn't wait for it. Phoenix Mercury as well, four-time all-star out of where? No Philadelphia. I knew you couldn't wait for it. You know, you've been at the top of your game this whole time, but have you felt like an underdog?

Here? In life, as a Hooper? I mean, in general, my career is underdog. But being here, I think, you know that first week when ESPN put out the rankings, you know, we were sixth. I immediately screenshot that, sent it to Nola, and I'm like, hey, Nola, I need you to print this out and hang it in the locker room.

So I wanted everybody to see that and understand this is what people think about us. This is where they think we're a sixth place team. So us walking in the locker room and seeing that every single day. I think we put that chip on our shoulder and we went out there and did what we do. And not even talking about, you know, it's not about how you start, it's about how you finish. Yeah. Not for nothing on Good Follow Show,

we had our pre-season ranking. Guess where I put the rose? I don't know, let me know because I need to know if I need to stay here or if I need to go head on out. So let me know. So one. Oh period. I picked y'all to win. Okay I picked you guys to win. Okay I like that. So I appreciate the way you guys made me look smart but it's also the way you finished the season and one person who's been mind-blowing is Chelsea. Chelsea Gray. LaKesha! LaKesha! So what can you say about Chelsea and this experience with her?

I think personally I love when I'm able to play with other great players. I think, you know, being at the Olympics, I get that experience. Being here is the best players here. So being able to be with Chelsea was great, you know, as a point guard, as a leader, as a person. She Chelsea was great, you know, as a point guard, as a leader, as a person. She's been great, you know, she's literally carried us and also kept us very even-keen.

Like, throughout all of the moments and the highs and the lows of the season, I think she's been a very steady leader for us. She had one of the iconic moments of the unrivaled season. So in the sem-finals, she drops 39 points. I mean, clutch bucket after clutch bucket after clutch bucket. Actually, you may not know this. So before the game, the jerseys were out there and there were plenty jerseys. Do you know after that game, her jersey was gone? People left that arena and bought the jersey. That's what it's about. Yeah. Yeah, so how did you find yourself watching her

step up in that way and continue to pour tough shots down the throats of the laces? I mean, that's Chelsea. Like, if you watch her in her career, when it's winning time, and when it's down the stretch, and when it's clutching, who has the ball? It's Chelsea. And it's not even always to make the bucket. It's we know if we get

you the ball you gonna make the right decision. So I mean I think that's been Chelsea her entire career so just like hats off to her. One more teammate question because one of the fun things are seeing like the interactions between the different combinations of unravel players. We've loved you and Angel Reese. So what's the friendship there? And what is she like as a teammate for you? That's really grand, baby. She's been a sponge from day one.

But just outside of what you hear, you always want to experience people for yourself. you know, but just being a competitor, competing against her and seeing her and then like competing with her is a different, it's so different and I think that it was a... How was it different? Because like we on the same team now I don't got to get with you, like now we doing it together, like with other people. So not too many times teams have like real dogs, like everybody say they a dog, but them real dogs, like to be on the same team with a real, like that's elite.

So like back to like her wanting to learn, like she wanted to be around good vets, like winners. She wanted to soak in the knowledge. And she also wanted to have fun and be herself. Yeah. Like she had this girl I'd be doing TikToks. Talking about it's Sunday, grandma. Like you wasn't into all that.

No, I wasn't. I don't be doing no TikToks, y'all. I was like, I came here just like chilling. But like I said, like it's been, it's been super fun. I think for everybody, like our team has, it's been super fun, I think for everybody. Our team has, everyone's personality has come out and everyone has been themselves. And we've had a lot of fun and we've had success.

It wasn't all tight and oh, we have practice. No, we was having fun. It was fun, but it was always business too. So I like how my team really kept that balance. Even with the social media, we had fun. We engaged with our fans. We got the full experience. How did Belt to Ass come about?

Speaking of social media, because there's clips of others doing that. So it's so crazy, because I said it first in practice right before the Eagles. So it's a player from the Eagles who always say it. And like, I don't think it's Philly. I don't think it's like Philly shit. I mean, Philly stuff. But I think it's Philly stuff.

But I came to practice one day. I think me, Angel, it was either me and Angel was partners, or me, Angel, and Chelsea were together, we were shooting and I just came out there and was like, we just won. I'm like, it is belt to, it is belt to, and then we just like, it was for everything. Like we just started saying it all the time. Then I'm like, oh, that, that's it, BTA.

Y'all out there pretending, imaginary belt, NWs. Like people be getting off, feeling some type of way about it, but like that's just us. Like that's literally us in the nutshell. It's not no trolling. It's like this is, this is what we having fun. This is what we do. Like it's cool. It's all, it's all fun and games. I think all of the trash talk is great.

Yeah, right. You know, and the play is backing it up. Right. And it's healthy. And for me, I'm seeing it creating fandom where people are talking about the games and the players and the action versus sometimes the conversation hasn't been about what's on the court. Right.

Like, how do you like the trash talk happening in the women's game and during unrivaled season? I mean, I'm definitely, I'm cool with it because I'm good for a little bit. So, I mean, I'm definitely, I'm cool with it because I'm good for a little bit. So, I mean, I like it. I mean, it's not like, why not? Why can't we? We're the best at what we do. You have the best players here competing at a high level,

both wanting to win, like, why not? What's wrong with it? There's nothing wrong with it. Everybody do it, but when we do it, it's a problem. Yeah. Come on. Yeah. You mentioned the Eagles. So congratulations. Congratulations.

Thanks. Your Philly team, you know, won the Super Bowl. You managed to somehow piece together your schedule because it was literally the Super Bowl and then the Unraveled one-on-one tournament began. I was there. I was doing your interviews and stuff. So can you just explain what the Super Bowl experience in New Orleans was like? How was it after they won and your squad won and then turn around and had to come to Unrivaled for the one on one tournament? Yo, so I flew to New Orleans and I'm there

with my friends and my family. We get some food. We chillin'. Next day, the Super Bowl day, it was like, it was just hectic. Some people just came there, you know, just to just be in the environment. And it was such a crazy environment. It was just, it was really fun.

But just to go to the game and have that full experience, shout out to Gatorade. I love y'all taking care of me. You know, we were in the suite enjoying the game. And then after the post-game celebration, and then just going out and like being around, like, it's people you don't even know. It's just like, you just with everybody, everybody.

And the clerk, we all fam. We all fam. And silly, we all fam. Like, we was just. We were out. I get back to the room maybe 1, 2 a.m. flights at like 6. Oh, woof. Yeah. And you know the airports are hectic because everyone's leaving.

And then I have to, we go back, I'm like, damn, do I sleep an hour? Like, dangerous, I do it anyway. Go to the airport, fly, fly right in, try to get like a little nap, and it's game time. What? See, we didn't cover that. Yeah, yeah. You know, but you still able to get that first round win.

Yeah, got that, yeah. Somebody put me on Twitter and said, she got Don Julio and chicken wings in her stomach. Ha ha ha ha. I might. I might have. But yeah, I made it. I made it.

Big eye emoji, like, ooh. Yeah, I made it through the, that was a tough, that was a tough first round, too. Did you feel better about the second round match? Were you more rested and collected for that? I felt, yeah, I definitely felt a lot better. It was, I mean, it was a lot, but I mean, it was, it's whatever. I mean, I definitely felt better though. That's a $200,000 prize. Like, yeah, like you don't, I'm not turning that down for nothing. She

said I'll be back from the Superbowl. Yeah, I'll find a way. Too much money on the line. Okay now looking ahead though, Phoenix Mercury. Oh, it's a whole lot of new and excitement coming in to Arizona. I'm like, where is Phoenix? To Arizona. So what are you most looking forward to that there's a new big three? It's you, Satu Saboli, and Alyssa Thomas. Yeah.

I'm excited to, like I said, I love to play with great players. So just watching those two in their careers, I think A.T. has an incredible IQ, a great facilitator. And just like we talk about dogs, people is afraid to play against her. I think she is like ultimate competitor. She make others around her better. And I mean, sometimes you gotta tell her like, go, be you, like go score.

And then Sa, like unicorn, can do it all. Another one who just wants to win. And just be around great people. So I'm excited for that. I'm excited for also all the other pieces. You know, I mean, we talk about big three, but like, it's not always going to be about us. It's going to be Kalani. It's going to be Sev. It's going to be Sammy. It's going to be all of these players that are going to be with us. So I'm just excited to get back and get to know everybody. Do you feel with Diana Tarassi retiring, so an era is ended, you know, BG is going to Atlanta,

you got new faces coming in, you yourself sit here as a finals MVP, a champion, a four-time All-Star, do you feel that like the leadership voice, you have an accountability for that? I mean, for sure. I think there's a standard as far as Phoenix period and as far as honoring DT and BG for what they have done for that organization. I wouldn't have the things that we have in Phoenix without them.

So just to give them their flowers because they have set the foundation and they have done the work. So just continuing to uphold that legacy and what it means to be a Merck player. So yeah, I'm just gonna go in and be a leader and be consistent and continue to uphold that standard. Yeah. How old are you again?

30. That's great. Congratulations. I turned 30 and my back started hurting, so I don't know, I'm getting a little old. That's crazy. Don't let these young people start calling you granny, girl.

You haven't even hit prime, though. You might be prime right now. I'm right in there. Are you in prime right now? I'm in prime right now, yeah. I'm in prime right now. OK. Well, my question was to say, because you mentioned legacy,

I was like, are you old enough? Do you remember DT and her prime? Prime. Oh, yeah. I mean, you didn't get to necessarily play Like, are you old enough? Do you remember DT and her prime, prime? Oh yeah. I mean, you didn't get to like necessarily play against all that by the time, and certainly not with her in Phoenix, but what will you take away from your time

playing with, against, and just knowing the body of work of Diana Taurasi? I think how she shows up every single day. She shows up every single day and put in the work. I mean, that was my shooting partner. So every day, like sore, whatever hurt, tired, like it didn't matter. Every single day she showed up and just put in the work.

I mean, I think people, it's super cliche, like you put in the work and you get the results, but like to see her doing it at such a high level at her age is like, why aren't you doing it? It makes everyone around her look in the mirror, rookies to second years to five years to 10 years. For me, like, if D can do it, if Dee is doing it, you have no excuse.

So I think she sets the standard already by how she works. How cool you got to be shooting partners with her. I know, right? Right, what was she saying to you? Like, just like, like this tip's like, oh, we working on this today, or we're doing this. Like, it was never the same every day. It was like, okay, today we're doing our step backs. Or today we're working on this. or we're doing this like it was never the same every day it was like okay today we're doing our step backs or today we're working on

this so it was it was cool I mean I've played with greats and just to play with like ones that's on that Mount Rushmore it's like it means so much to me. Your Mount Rushmore of legends would include Candice Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, who am I missing? I mean, from the ones that I've played with. Mm-hmm. That's what I've played with. Because Mount Regimore is like, that's a tough question for me in general.

But just like the grits that I've played with, like Candice. You'll keep up. Yeah. DT, like, Sluke, like, just thinking about that 2021 season. Yo, like. You remember I was there, which I was there.

Anybody could have got finals MVP. Like, Ali was incredible. Like, everyone was just, was great. And not all the time do you have everyone clicking on the same, they're like, it was, it was, it was great. Yeah. Yeah. And we were playing against DT. And she was, oh was great. Yeah, yeah. And we were playing against DT. And she was, oh my goodness.

Yeah. She was trying to cause us some problems. Yeah. I remember there was a punch in the wall, right? Was it a wall? Or the door? The door, yeah. I mean, there was so much emotion on the line.

But it was certainly one of the big breakout moments for you during that series. You had one more, and I'll get you out on this. Wasn't just for the championship in 2021 in Chicago but then there's also one with the Olympic national team and USA needed you most. They needed anything. The game was tight to finally come away with that gold medal and boy did you step up. So where does that kind of heart and resilience like where do you dig from and how, when the lights are brightest,

how do you always seem to show up? I mean, that's what big time players do, right? When them lights get real bright, like you show up. And I think for me, that moment in the Olympics was my career in a nutshell. I have always been prepared. And when I get the opportunity, I'm prepared. So it's no problem.

It doesn't matter if I didn't play the second half. I mean, the first half, if you say I got three minutes left in the fourth and you need me to go out there, I'm gonna do what needs to be done. When I say that's my career in a nutshell is I didn't play. I mean, I got traded, didn't play, played a little bit, came off the bench, a big-time role player, inserted into the starting five, and then just kind of like taking off from there and then being consistent. I think that that was the most important thing for my career was being consistent, but also like getting better.

So yeah, it was just like, I'm like, I'm used to this. Like, I mean, I'm ready. So when you call my name, I'm going to always be ready. Yeah. Well, the trajectory continues to be up. We going up. We want to thank you so much for pulling up with us, girl. This was great to have you. Fascinating.

Thank you. Welcome back to Good Follow. Big thank you to Kahlia Copper for joining us for that sit down interview. Really cool to talk with her. So fun and so awesome to hear about how she keeps rising to the occasion time and time again. All right y'all let's go back to the NCAA women's tournament. This segment is presented by DraftKings. Oh yeah the sweet 16 is here and I'm locked in on all of the games, but especially Friday's

matchup between number two NC State versus number three LSU. Number two NC State has a terrific trio of guards and Isaiah James, Sinaya Rivers and Zoe Brooks. Isaiah James leads this team in scoring and is a veteran leader who can score at all ranges off the catch, off the bounce. She is a bucket. L can score at all ranges, off the catch, off the bounce. She is a bucket. LSU has talent too. We love the heart of Flage Johnson

and it's always fun to watch, but anchoring LSU is the relentlessness of Anissa Morrow. She's putting in the work on the glass, getting bucket. She's a force in the paint and she's leading her team in steals too. So doing it on both ends. NC State made 15 threes as a team to head into the Sweet 16. If they can keep up that kind of hot shooting, they're going to create even more space

for their guards to attack and they'll be very hard to stop. So while both NC State and LSU have deep tournament experience, I've got the Wolf Pack finding their way into the Elite 8. And don't miss your chance to get in on the action during March Madness. Here's what I got for you. Draft Kings is supporting the Women's Sports Foundation during the 2025 Women's College Basketball Tournament. So for every entry into the Second Chance bracket,

Draft Kings will donate $1 to the Women's Sports Foundation up to $25,000 total. So to enter, visit draftkings.com slash second chance. This segment is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings, the crown, it's yours. I love it every single time. Every single time. And that also means that it's time for you, Logan,

to take us through the headlines, the quick hits that we haven't gotten to yet. Yes. Well, we are getting to the end of the Miami Open with the finals coming up this weekend and we actually went together and it was so much fun. First of all, the Miami weather is amazing, but it was so much fun just to be in the whole tennis atmosphere. There were all these activations. Ross, what was your favorite part about it? Well, remember when you, when we went to one rival together and like you were taking your jump shot and you know,

you did what you could there. That was me with my tennis swing. I was out there trying to channel my inner Serena Williams, but it was so fun, a gorgeous, lovely day, really fun to do all like the activations with you and just watch some tennis. Logan, what did you love? Oh, my goodness. I think the activations was my favorite part or the sun. I was basking in the sun at one point. We were like, the seats that we had. Wait, y'all. So wait, wait, wait. It was so

hot and we were sitting, our seats were directly in the sun. It's a beautiful day in Miami. So me and our social media wizard, Kirsten, we like found some seats in the shade because uh-uh. But Logan coming in from Canada just sat in the sun, sweating, completely soaking wet and just like basking as if she would never see it again. But you did leave a shade or two darker. So good for you, girl. So worth it.

Absolutely. I did not regret it. 10 out of 10, 100% recommend. But we also have another fun story in the men's side of March madness with the McNeese state manager, Mr. Amir or a con or a NIL deals. And he's just going viral everywhere. You know what? That was one of my favorite stories of the tournament.

McNeese state is out. But, you know, I love seeing like the characters that emerge during the tournament. Good for Oricon. It was nice for the program. It wasn't a distraction. Hey, NIL, man, it's the Wawa West. Everybody's getting sort of coin with them. What a money reside. Exactly. If you have the personality, you can you can be somewhere else. You can be a manager and get NIL deals.

Like I feel like I never have. You never expected that sentence to be said. But moving on to hockey, the final Frozen 4 took place and Wisconsin won their second title in three years. Now this game was very, very chaotic. They tied the game with 19 seconds left and then won in overtime. But it was looking, as it was getting down to the wire, it was looking like Ohio State was going to upset them. So that was definitely a good one. And then lastly, we have Lindsey Vonn taking second in the Super G World Cup final. And this is our first podium since retiring.

So good for her. I feel like she is on every single podium that we see. Let's go. We love excellence, don't we Logan? Absolutely. Well, I felt like it was a pretty awesome show. Should we say excellent? I don't know.

It was a great show because we got to rock out together. We just came off of seeing each other in person. We had some awesome guests. Mo Billings hung out with us from top to bottom or midway through the show. Thank you so much Mo for pulling up friend to the show and setting intentions together. An awesome, fun, cool sit down interview with Kahlia Copper. Thank you to her for kicking it with us. And of course, all of you at home watching or wherever you watch this show, we appreciate it. If you haven't yet, subscribe, subscribe, subscribe. Subscribe. Like, comment, heart, notifications,

follow on social media. We building this thing show by show, episode by episode. And we really appreciate that you pull up. So Logan, you out, we out? We out. See you next week, y we really appreciate that you pull up. So Logan, you out? We out? We out. See you next week, y'all. See you next week.