The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Stop Throwing ‘Dos and No Love For the Mercury w/ Ciara & Alex of the Pick Up | ALLEY OOP (Ep 15)

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

Juju goes off on the Phoenix Mercury and how they were smashed by his Atlanta Dream, a passionate plea about no more throwing ‘dos on the courts, and how will the Fever deal with all those injuries? Juju Gotti talks to Ciara and Alex of Flagrant Magazine’s Pick Up podcast about the WNBA. Juju Gotti is the host of Alley Oop: the all things basketball show featuring hoops and hoopers and the people who love them. #wnba #mystics #atlantadream #indianafever #connecticutsun #basketball #basketballshorts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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screaming on Disney Plus. Sign up today. 18 plus subscription required D&Cs apply. Do you love Julie van Lowe? Because that's how you say it. Sure, Julie Van Lowe is my least favorite. She said, wait, hang on, it's Van Lowe. Yeah, she said in her country, which is Belgium, it's pronounced, the OO is O. So it's really Van Lowe, but she just let folk get away with it. Breaking news, you hear it here first, Kurt Loder. I don't know when to start. Look at me. I don't know what to do with my hands,

know when to start. All I know is this is the alley-up. Welcome back. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for locking in. Welcome to people in and give them y'all introductions, my sister. Starting with you, Alex. Oh, you're so sweet, Juj.

Yes, hi, I'm Alex. I'm one of the co-founders of Fligart Magazine. a long time listener first time guest of this pod i think so very excited you don't have to lie Craig you don't got to lie to kick it Craig you know you never heard this podcast a day of your life but soon it's going to be bigger than the shan and sharpening them i promise watch working the streets oh a little birdie told me a little something something okay let's go my sister sierra welcome to the alley you how are you doing today i'm doing so good i'm so happy to be here. I'm Sierra. I'm the host of Pickup, which is Flagrant's basketball podcast. And I'm

excited to be here because Juju is one of our favorite guests to have on the podcast. I think you're either tied or the person who's been on it the most. So I'm excited to be here and return the favor. My sisters come on here lying. They're ready to lie, ladies and gentlemen. Now I'm the best guest. Lord Jesus. If you, salute to my sister. Get you some friends that lie about you went to your face like my friends you feel me kicking it off right now sidney the kidney coarsin went down airy the prairie middano went down talk about it y'all how disappointing is that for the fever who playing pretty good without kael and clark you feel me starting with you sierra yeah it sucks i missed it i didn't i don't know what i was doing but i wasn't watching the game

and all of a sudden i get a text from alex it's like do we have any update from sid and i I was like, what are we doing someone with her? Like, are we hanging out? Like, what are we doing? No, that sucks. Courtney Vanderslupe posted on her story that I think her and Sydney are the last two people from the 2011 draft class and now they both tour their ACLs. And she was like, going to come back stronger and I was like, I really need you too.

So thank you for saying that. It just sucks. What about two addicts? Oh, I feel bad for Sid because it happened the day after her birthday. It was the game where she was wearing her birthday fit, and she was, like, feeling herself, looked amazing. And it was just, I also didn't see it live, but I was on a call with Ashton, and she was like, oh, my God. And I was like, no, why? And as soon as I saw the video, it was just, you know, one of those ghost things where you just, they fall.

And you're like, oh, that's bad. That's bad. No contact injury, bad, bad. Yeah. Right. Snipers on the roof. Yeah, exactly. I think, Sid, you're right.

Like, she's been a great backup to Caitlin. She's been great in the locker room. And obviously, any team would be lucky to have Sidney Colson. And I hope that she's able to recover and come back because I don't want this to be her last season and this to be how she goes out. Like, how devastating. So I'm not even thinking that way. I'm just assuming she's going to get better because she's, I don't know.

She should probably actually have, like, a really short recovery time and come back, like, even better. And maybe taller? Probably taller. I'll tell her for sure. You know what? I've seen that happen. Eric McDonald is well, dog. She was playing great for them,

like she was dropped by or the L.A. Sparks this year, earlier this year, and came in and was ready. She ain't had to get ready because she was already there. And she came in with the stutter steps, the hesitation. The tray balls lately.

I mean, what a great pickup for them. And now she's out the rest of the year with a dang broke bone in her. But you feel me? Like, is there any words y'all got on that as well? Yeah, it just, like, it double sucks. It sucks for people to be doing well and then get hurt. Like, obviously, it sucks when anybody gets hurt.

But to be having that kind of, like, comeback season, especially for players like these two who, it's not like they're, you know, superstars and their prime who have a guaranteed roster spot, you know, thinking about how this is, like, going to set them back also just, like, as players. Yeah. Players as well. I think it's like just a continuation of the crazy injury year that the NBA had. Like, I'm just like, can everyone stop?

Can everyone just stop getting hurt? I don't know what happened this year, but it was a bad year for legs. Get where I soon said, you got to know we love you. You're a pioneer. You're an inspiration for so many people out there, including myself. You're getting your acting on. You're getting everything happening, man. But neither here nor there.

Moving on My name is Julian And I like to do this with most of our guests That don't have media responsibilities And can't get in trouble for this As an Atlanta dream fan We own the Phoenix Mercury We are their dads

We are their moms They can't even speak without us With being spoken to first Salute to DB Salute to AT but we just swept them For the season Hell yeah Then won't no problems

Bilt to butt We didn't even have Britney ground the last game, neither here nor there. Alex, who are you? What do you represent and who do you hate? My name is Alex. I represent myself here in this podcast and I have to say this is just by default. As a Portland native, I hate the LA Sparks because I cannot support an L.A. team. Just full stop, full every sport. I can't do it. Sorry. Who's your least favorite player on the Sparks. Well, that's the thing.

I don't have a least favorite player on the Sparks. I actually like the players on the Sparks. Like, I like some fun players. I like Lexi a lot. I like Cameron. I think this is the coward's way out. I mean, just pick someone. Azaree, Rakea, who don't you like?

You don't like somebody. Are you a big fan of Julie Alamon? Do you love Julie Van Lowe? Because that's how you say it. Sure. Julie Van Lowe is my least favorite. She said, wait, hang on. It's Van Lowe.

Yeah, she said in her country, which is Belgium, it's pronounced, the OO is O. So it's really Van Lowe, but she just let folk get away with it. Breaking news, you hear it here first. Kurt Loder. Whoa, that, you know who that's, that's a scoop for Girl Shams. We should put that out there. I thought it was Van Loo because, like Waterloo.

Right. Yeah, because you're Americanized and the system and the man got his foot on your neck and you don't even realize it. Yeah, and it hurts. Waterloo from the Abba song where they invented it. But yeah Also, too, to throw in there Before you can tell us Your favorite

And person to hate In the entire WMBA Sierra Odyssey Sims just signed With the fever Breaking News as well So she will I think would be a great piece Over there

I skipped over that earlier But slew to odd Getting it done She was a spark But she must have felt like Alex Give me out of here I'm waiting for the fire

Now Sierra It's on you I'm Sierra I represent everybody over six feet tall and I think this is crazy you're gonna have to hear me out I hate the aces I think it's crazy

I think it's and here's why it's so crazy to have that many likable and cool players on your team and have your team vibes be that bad Asia just what it was like what 30 and what was the double double 30 and 20 the first player ever Are you out of your mind? That's the craziest thing I've ever

heard. And still, every time I watch the Aces, I'm like, ew. Okay. Yes. It's like the Brooklyn Nets when they had all those guys on them, but they still, the vibes were so bad. It's like

so much talent, but we've talked about this before. There's something going on back there. I know what's going on. I know why the vibe is so damn bad. Allegedly, now, I don't know what's the cause of this, but Becky, does she make her all her assistant coaches wear them hoodies under them blazers?

like that? Or is that the same color and everything, man, my Bible be down too. They're overheated and they are restricted in their motion. Oh my God. They're so overstimulated. They're just like on the sidelines. Like, tactilely they're like,

in Vegas, too. Exactly. The most overstimulating city in the world. Yeah. Becky, it is 200 degrees outside. Can I not wear my hoodie with blazer combo tonight, ma'am? Is that okay with you? They make them now. I was just shopping at a store for people who are older than me, I would like to think. And there was one

suit jacket where the hoodie was sewn into it, just the front and the back. It wasn't fully in it. But it was to look like that. And I was like, wow, there's really a market for this. There must be. And it feels like it's more tech CEO kind of outfit than like head coach. Beck CEO. I mean, I'm here all week. But who was y'all prediction for champion this year? because the links look like it. Now, I got a couple of things I can sell y'all about the Atlanta Dream in about four, five minutes. But who will y'all pick for the championship this year? Because the links, right now, like you said, them adding D.J.N.A., the stud bus looking better than ever.

Why on the feet of call you're gone? Kaila McBride them put the pink in their hair. Guess what? Not, not who's there. An extra stud. You feel me? so who do y'all think starting with you sierra um i mean i think i think it's going to be the lynx i had last season i was also like oh the lynx could win the championship but then

the liberty were also very scary and so i was never like it's the lynx for sure this like the liberty have not proven to me that they can beat the lynx obviously stewie's hurt but like okay they have so many other players they shouldn't be getting blown out like that if they want me to take them seriously. I think the mercury are fun and I'm always willing to buy

in on the Atlanta dream because I like them. So I know you like the mercury, sorry. Magic word. Oh my God. I'm going to let you go first though, Alex. Who do you think will win the chip this year? So I sort of like watch

patterns. So like with the injury thing that I was saying, I I see the fact that OKC who won the overall vibes check in the NBA this year won the championship. That's why I think the links will win because I think that's going to happen for them too.

They're the best vibes. But I could see something weird happening where the Liberty's still fucking win and it's annoying. So I could see that happening. Look, they go from your favorite team now they might they might even win.

Oh, how annoying. They were just my favorite team. Exactly. You know what, Ju-Ju, life comes out with you fast. Keep up. Keep up. I'm trying to. I'm trying to.

I didn't stretch before that part, but I'm going to keep up. But they've been out. They've been without Brianna Stewart, you feel me, for the last, what, couple of games. And they've injected Emma Misman, which I think will prove down the line to be one of the best pickups we've seen thus far. I think that the Liberty have done a great job, executively, after a. championship season like they deserve a round of applause big ellie got new dance moves every two hours the Atlanta dream this is why the Atlanta dream are going to win the championship this year let's do some more math for with the Alex first of all the top teams all year that's been above them has been

the links the liberty and some little sun team called the phoenix mercury who nobody likes We dog smacked the mercury. They don't count. They're not even here anymore. Forget about them. Deliberty. We were up 17 points in the game that could have sent us to the Commissioner Cup. We were up another 16 points in the fourth quarter the other time we played in New York.

We just got, we can't handle situations correctly. But we're supposed to or could have won those two games. And when they came to Atlanta, we kicked their behinds. We smack the behinds of the liberty. The Minnesota Lynx, they came to Atlanta, they won by two points, a couple points in overtime. They needed everything. The power got knocked out, neither here nor there. And we made history, first team to beat the Minnesota Lynx in their home gym this year, even though they lost the commissioner cup in the gym.

Neither here nor there. We kick ass when it comes to it. the vinyl won the you would have never said the vinyl i'm going to beat the hours this year in the unrival would you have alex uh no i would not have would you have sierra no i would you have sierra no i would not have the alana dream i went in the NBA championship WMBA championship this year and i put everything on it back to you sierra i don't know you even have a topic but just back to you yeah okay i love it listen I'm in.

Yeah, I mean, me too. And you're right. It kind of is like if they can step up when it counts, that's really all that matters. Like the rest of the season just gets you there. But like, that doesn't, nothing matters until you can actually play in the games that are important enough. So I'm with you. Also, I'm a huge Alicia Gray fan. So if the dream won, I would be so.

I'd be so happy. Excited for her. Yes, absolutely. Big Al, man. Oh, I love her. But yeah. agree, Atlanta Jane champions. If you guys were the commissioner of the WNBA, salute to Miss Kathy, sometimes and most of the times. I'm going to do an upside down salute. How would you

handle the Doe situation we have right now within the W? We're not going to say the first three letters, but the last letters are Doe. If you were Commissioner Alex, let's go to Alex first. How would you handle the Doe situation? Oh, I thought you're talking about the dough. Yeah. Talking about the other ones. Now, that's going to take a whole bunch of heads to put together. Not even right there.

No point of Jeter. Okay. Let's see. How would I handle it? I would, I don't know. I would like have a press conference where I said that this is like zero tolerance. You're going to be banned from the arena. If you do this, we're going to arrest you.

this is like basically sexual harassment of the players and it's not funny it could like I mean I don't want to say it could hurt somebody because if she said that I would be like okay come on but I think it's harassment I think it's sexual harassment and I think it's just like zero tolerance policy you're fully you're going to be removed although I will say I don't know the people that are buying tickets and doing that are like huge WMBA fans so I don't know if banning them from the arena is really going to do much but I think a rest of Um, not a big, you know, prison industrial complex fan over here, but maybe arresting them will deter people from doing it. So I might say something like that.

I didn't want to interrupt you, but you said like, it's going to hurt someone and you're like, or whatever. Do you think it's not going to hurt by catching a steaming fastball 90 miles per hour from section CC? So these are rubber does, right? I mean, I have no idea how dows. always work. Throwing anything on the court. I mean, weren't, this has happened in football games too where people have thrown. That's why they made like the different beer bottles

right, because people are throwing like Coors Light bottles onto the field. So yeah, you're right, Sierra. I mean, it could like escalate if what if it hit somebody in the eye. I don't care if it's just all rubber. Totally. It hit Sophie in the foot the other day. So it's got

traction. And in Atlanta when they first threw it, it hit the free throw line during your Valcary's like a chance to win the game with like under 20 seconds left that thing hit somebody square between the eyes it's a bummer because like the first time it happened the novelty and the like randomness of it was like oh that's funny and then sid was you know sid was doing her character and then the second it happened again it's like well okay you guys yeah you ruined it you right though bro at a certain point if it was funny it ran its

course already we don't need that shit man Man, this shit ain't even funny no more, bro. It's like what is really happening. You're really being disrespectful as F word right now. Because if you really think about it, like, bro, what's the messaging behind that, bro? Why are you doing this? I know Tom Brady got, you feel me, the through it in the end song. I'm a Buffalo Bills fan.

Let's go Buffalo. It's our season every year. But at the same time, these women on a basketball court with no helmet, no pads. just them and the rock you know what I mean dim and the mamba mentality they don't need that flying in with the play come on bro

what is you doing what are we doing but like I said just to remind y'all the Phoenix Mercury ain't shit this is all to say I said all that to say they need to work on somebody over there

like I'm talking about they might not even boy P you I love Sammy Whitcomb that's my sister you already know we go back sammy sound but i don't like your team man and i love all of y'all i choose not to like the phoenix mercury they can kiss my ass until infinity okay is sought to play again because she was sitting out right she was sitting out for a while but she's been back now okay she's been on a minute's restriction but she's been back and she's been kicking a little ass for real okay that's good yeah the unicorn exactly

any last words before we get up out of here y'all been fan i can talk to y'all for three days you feel me but miss rebecca said we gotta wrap this shit up because she got bills to pay oh that's fair that's that's fair and uh miss rebecca didn't say that i'm a father this miss rebecca is not like that she did not say that but uh salute to her and dillon for keeping us together man with any last words y'all where can we find y'all what's your instagram what's your Twitter. Do not turn your Instagram location on, please. There are murderers out there. My final words

is go into your Instagram settings and make sure they didn't automatically turn on your location. I manage a brand account that has like 160,000 followers. Imagine if my location had been turned on. Bray. Come on man. And they show up to my apartment. Luigi. That's so crazy. What's your

Instagram though, Sierra? Tell them. Definitely follow Flagrant Mag on Instagram and listen to our podcast. It's called Pickup. Yeah. What about you, Alex? I'm on Instagram. I post too much, but I don't need anyone following me there.

Follow Flagrant Mag. Follow the girl Shams, the girl Shams on Blue Sky and Twitter. That's basically Shams Charania for the WMBA. So if you got any hot tips, slide into our DMs and we'll post it there. You know, it's the right account because it's Girl Shams. It's Shams, but he has a bow and eyelashes. Oh, that's how to. you can tell you see what you got going on it's a little bit of miss pack man situation our 13 listeners

I do so stay out of the DM just add them mention them from your account so everyone can see i'm not i'm not answering any DM okay 100% love for me to y'all always and forever i got y'all back if y'all ever need me thank y'all for listening and tuning in to the alley oh another one salute to miss rebecca salute to dylan i see you catch us in the same place next week or two days from now same bad channel lock us in thank y'all for joining thanks for watching the show please take time and help her brother out and subscribe to d ls hoops right now you feel me