This Past Weekend - #692 - Sophie Cunningham

Episode Date: October 28, 2026

Sophie Cunningham is a professional basketball player in the WNBA. She also hosts her own podcast “No Hesitation”.  Sophie joins Theo to talk about real vs. fake drama in the WNBA, how she d...eveloped her unique persona in the league, and the fight to get players paid more.  Sophie Cunningham: https://www.instagram.com/sophie_cham/  ------------------------------------------------- Tour Dates! https://theovon.com/tour New Merch: https://www.theovonstore.com ------------------------------------------------- Sponsored By: Celsius: Go to the Celsius Amazon store to check out all of their flavors. #CELSIUSBrandPartner @CelsiusOfficial https://amzn.to/3HbAtPJ  Prize Picks: Go to ⁠https://link.prizepicks.com/LME0/TPW ⁠and use code: TPW Morgan and Morgan: Visit https://forthepeople.com/THEO to see if you might have a case. Morgan and Morgan. America's Largest Injury Law Firm. Shopify: Take control of your income. Start your free trial at http://shopify.com/theo  ------------------------------------------------- Music: “Shine” by Bishop Gunn Bishop Gunn - Shine ------------------------------------------------ Submit your funny videos, TikToks, questions and topics you'd like to hear on the podcast to: tpwproducer@gmail.com Hit the Hotline: 985-664-9503 Video Hotline for Theo Upload here: https://www.theovon.com/fan-upload Mail stuff to:  ATTN: TPW PO BOX 40137 Nashville TN 37204 ------------------------------------------------ Find Theo: Website: https://theovon.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/theovon Facebook: https://facebook.com/theovon Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thispastweekend X: https://twitter.com/theovon YouTube: https://youtube.com/theovon Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheoVonClips Shorts Channel: https://bit.ly/3ClUj8z ------------------------------------------------ Producer: Zach https://www.instagram.com/zachdpowers Producer: Trevyn https://www.instagram.com/trevyn.s/  Producer: Nick https://www.instagram.com/realnickdavis/ Producer: Andrew https://www.instagram.com/bleachmediaofficial/  Producer: Halston https://www.instagram.com/halstonrays/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:22 free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. She's number eight for the Indiana fever. and a cornerstone for that locker room. She's one of the most talked about players in the WNBA, and she's absolutely hilarious. I'm thankful that I got to sit down with Miss Sophie Cunningham. Oh, so are you going to be torn, like,
Starting point is 00:01:05 just working with Toccova's old time? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, sweet. Dude, I wish I would have known because, yeah, Toccova sponsors our podcast, too. Dude, you need to get some shit kickers, man. I don't know what happened. I have some. I don't know who took them.
Starting point is 00:01:17 Sophie Cunningham, what's up? Nothing. Let's start there. How about that? There you go. It's good. It's nice outside. Good mother here, right?
Starting point is 00:01:25 Oh, I feel honestly, almost feel bad being in here. Why? Just because it's, because you just said, it's because it's nice. Well, we should have done this out by the pool. Yeah, but I don't know because sometimes there's wind conditions. And we tried one time, and they had like a, there was like some nightingales or something or sparrows or something. And it was like problematic.
Starting point is 00:01:44 Well, yeah, I was kidding. But I could see. Yeah. I would want to burn a shit on me. So it's fine. Yeah, I mean, and it's good luck in some countries. I think, where is that if an animal? Don't even look it up.
Starting point is 00:01:54 Never mind. Let's keep it moving, dude. Thanks for hanging out. Yeah, thanks for you're here for the race. Nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What are your plans with the race? Probably watch some cars.
Starting point is 00:02:08 Okay. Meet some drivers. Meet some teams. I think that would be fun. I have a couple girlfriends coming down. Really? Yeah, and so we're just going to kick it. Like, this is like, my first weekend that I can just like relax
Starting point is 00:02:18 and kind of have some fun. So why not? Because y'all season ended, what, like two, two or three weeks ago? Ours is that was kind of like a month ago. Was it? Yeah. I watched the final game.
Starting point is 00:02:27 Yeah. Not great. Not great. Wasn't our best. Yeah. What's it like right when it ends? Like right when the season ends. I mean,
Starting point is 00:02:33 because you guys were in the best of three with the aces and you guys lost. Yeah. So, um, it's like a, I mean, it sucks. Like I hate to lose.
Starting point is 00:02:41 And so, um, I don't know. When you feel like you have the potential, you have the potential of like your team. Like, you know what you're made of and you can do it, but we just didn't get it done. And so it sucks. But then like after a couple weeks, it's like, ding. It's kind of nice to like relax and,
Starting point is 00:02:56 I don't know, get back home and get around your people. So what did you think y'all were missing? Like, did it come to a- Our shots? Duh. Bro, you're so right, dude. Like, that's a big problem. You didn't take that many shots in the last game. No. It's okay. Maybe next year. Like, what are you ever to say? I don't know. That's so true, though. No, I, first game we got blown out, so not great.
Starting point is 00:03:20 Had a pretty good game individually, but, you know, that doesn't matter. Second game, we won, nice, at home. And then went back out to Vegas. Great environment. I'll give them that. But some tough calls. We didn't make our shots. Just didn't play great.
Starting point is 00:03:35 Yeah. It just felt kind of, yeah. Yeah. It was kind of, it wasn't fun to watch, you know? That's probably my favorite team, I think. Us or Vegas? Y'all's team. Oh.
Starting point is 00:03:45 Oh. I was like, which one? Well, no, you did come to a regular season game. Oh, yeah, we came. I've come, let me see. I think I've been, like, the past two seasons I've been to a game. Yeah, we went with, um, Patrick and Connor. Yeah, he was in town.
Starting point is 00:03:59 Yeah. He's playing in like Poland now or something. Um, but yeah, it was a good time. I love it over there. I mean, I love watching the team. It's a good time. But like, I guess when I'm sitting there as a fan when I'm watching a game, there's so many other things that I'm wondering if they're going on on the court, right?
Starting point is 00:04:12 Like, is there? Because a lot of times y'all sport is one of the few sports. where you can see, where you know some of the people been dating or been in love or studding around or whatever it's called or being buddies or whatever, you know, so you're always wondering like how much like of that sort of like lesbian espionage is going on out there, you know? I mean, that's a valid point. And like teach their own. Like our league is fun. It truly is. And like the girls are great. I do feel like sometimes there's like a lot of tea and drama going on, but like, for us, that kind of makes it better because, like, you know what's going on.
Starting point is 00:04:46 I don't know if the fans do. I think, like, the hardcore fans do. But at the end of the day, like, when it's time to play, people, like, forget about that. Like, we're professional basketball players. You show up, you do your job. I'm sure the guys have drama with the same girls that they're messing with. Like, it's the same thing. But ours is just either teammates with the person they're messing with or going
Starting point is 00:05:03 against. So I can see where from the outside it could be weird. But, like, I don't know. I think I'm just, like, used to it. Right. Yeah, I guess there's a thing you just wonder, man, is just like, if if they're two X's and they're right there, they're playing against each other,
Starting point is 00:05:16 or now they're on the same team, or sometimes it seems like they're trading people to other teams that are like now lovers or whatever. You're like, what is even going on? There's a web, but it's like fascinating. I'm on the outside of that web. So like I just kind of sit back and eat my popcorn and watch it all and bowl,
Starting point is 00:05:30 and it's entertaining. It's fun. Is there like a lesbian mafia in the league? Like, is there any like animosity if people are between, if somebody is straight or by or gay? Is there any animosity between, those people. Dude, honestly, I'm like strictly dickly, so I have no idea.
Starting point is 00:05:46 Like, I don't know who the mafia would be. And what does that mean, wiener only or for wieners or whatever? No, like, guys only. Man, yeah. Yeah, just men. Yeah. But, like, teach their own. Do, go do what you want?
Starting point is 00:05:56 Like, I don't care. Yeah. Like, I don't give a dang. If somebody's, you know, being like, whatever they're doing or whatever. I don't care at all. I could, in fact, if I did care, it would be crazy. Like, if I went home and I was like, angry about it? Like, why?
Starting point is 00:06:12 Who goes? gives a flying fuck. Like I don't. Could you even imagine if I was just drawing pictures, if I was getting ordering like lesbian voodoo dolls or something? Like that would be the most obscene thing I could ever even fathom. But yeah, I guess I just wonder how much like, as somebody watching the game, you just wonder, oh, how much extra lore is going on out there?
Starting point is 00:06:31 And are people using that? Like, is somebody ever posting you up and they're just like, they're flirting at the same time, you know? No. Like, I, no. No. Okay. That's what I wonder, I think, is going on sometimes.
Starting point is 00:06:45 It feels like somebody's like, you know. But again, I don't know. Like, I'm not in it. But, like, you know your teammates and, like, people that they've kind of been with or have not been with. You know the team what's going on, right? So, like, when you're playing those people, it's not like you're focus on that. You're literally trying to fucking win a game, you know? Like, that's just like, not even in.
Starting point is 00:07:04 And somebody's like, hey, pass a note to that other girl over there or whatever. No. No. Okay. When would, you've been in a game? When would we have time to do that? I don't know. Exactly.
Starting point is 00:07:13 Okay, that's a good point. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. It just seems like there's so, you guys, is like always just seems like has the wildest shit. Like when people were throwing
Starting point is 00:07:22 those wieners on the court and all that? Well, yeah, I got hit by one of them. No way. Yeah, in L.A. Yeah. Hit me in the left foot. Did it? Mm-hmm.
Starting point is 00:07:31 Did anybody take one home or was that like taboo or whatever? No. Do you know about it? No, no one's taking that home. I loki kind of wanted to take it home, though,
Starting point is 00:07:40 just to be like, I was probably the first person to get hit by a dildo while playing in a WMBA game. Yeah. Or in a sport at all. Look that up. Actually, valid point. Okay, so I was on the free throw line here. I bet somebody's hummed one at a-
Starting point is 00:07:54 And it scared me. At a ball boy. Wait, hold on. Let me see. Go ahead. Yeah, let's play out that when that wiener hitter. All right, whatever, you know what I'm saying. But let's play it out.
Starting point is 00:08:05 And where was? This was in L.A. So this is in L.A. And, like, I think the clip kind of cut before, but like, we were on the free throw line. she shot it and I went to go like box her out. Okay. And all of a sudden something like hit my foot and I look down and that's when I jump because I like, you're in a game.
Starting point is 00:08:19 Like you're trying to compete and win. Like we're down. I'm focused on. And slow it down so we can see that. Like right. You kind of get in the way, but right there. Oh, there you go. That's a wiener.
Starting point is 00:08:32 I actually got made fun of in the locker room because they're like, have you never seen a dildo before? And I was like, dude, I'm playing a basketball game. I wasn't expecting you one to be thrown at me. Yeah. So it was fun. And did they find out who threw it even? Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:08:44 They have cameras like everywhere in those arenas. So they like narrow it down to the person. They get like banned for life. But if you really think about this. Yeah. If you got hit by one and like it didn't hit your foot and legit like hit your face or something, that could hurt. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:08:59 From that far. And if it had batteries in it or whatever. Yeah. Or if it was weighted or whatever. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. I could have broke my shnaz. Oh, if somebody would have fucking home to,
Starting point is 00:09:08 Do you think about that, though? I've already thought about it because I was like that year, that was last year, I was like, someone's going to get hit. Like, someone's legit going to get hit in the face by a dildo. And then you know that's going to be all over the internet. Yeah. So I was just hoping it wasn't me. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:09:24 Yeah. Anyway, so Becunningham, good to see you. Nice seeing you. So you're from Missouri, right? That's where you grew up. And were your parents, athletes or what was there? Yeah. Our whole, like, family played sports.
Starting point is 00:09:38 actually the University of Missouri. So like grandpa, Anne's uncles, mom, dad, cousin, sister, like is in the bloodline to go there. So was it just one sport? Was it all hoops or was it for like our whole family? Yeah. The men were pretty much football. And then like all the women were basketball and track and field. More the field portion than the track, but still successful. What does the field mean like shot put or whatever? Yeah, like shot put javelin throwing those events. Oh yeah. Yeah. I never, I don't know if I ever really even seen that that month. You don't see like, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:10:11 Did you play sports? I play basketball. Bring it up. Oh, God. Why did I ask? I know. It's not even worth talking to me. But we'll keep this going for another few years.
Starting point is 00:10:25 We got one good pick, that's me right there. Bottom left. I don't know why I was looking at top right. I was like, that is not you. Also, some of these pitchers. I mean, some of these people look like, they like, this looks like it's from like the 1800s, bro. What filter is this? Whoever uploaded that is a messed up person.
Starting point is 00:10:50 Did they not have like colored pictures? Yeah, well, obviously they did. Where? Look at six of my teammates, bro. No, no, like colored pictures. Like when you take a picture. And so, my, yeah. But we had color photography, dude.
Starting point is 00:11:10 Yeah, that's what I was getting at. Yeah, but we just didn't, I think they didn't pay for it in our town. Huh. And so this is what we got. But yeah, I was pretty good, actually. But I don't know. I like to smoke and stuff. I was enjoying, I was a childhood smoker or whatever.
Starting point is 00:11:25 And that was something that I also enjoyed. Like sigs or blunt? Cigarettes. Oh. And so the coaches kind of frowned on that. Well, were you like 13? Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:11:35 But they didn't want you smoke enough. to practice or whatever it is like it gives a team a bad name he gives the town a bad name so we had differences of opinion on that are there any um so did you quit the team or quit the six I quit the team but I'm fine okay yeah yeah that's I don't know I was I think I always similar to those people that have like that whole that the trache thing freaks me out like on the commercials and stuff and they'll still smoke some of them I know they'll just put that They'll put like, bring up that people who still smoke with the tracheotomy. And that's probably, and you can put Indiana after it if you want.
Starting point is 00:12:16 We know where it happens. No, this is diagrams, bro. Do not take me to eighth grade. Put me in the real. I want to see boots on the ground. Okay. I want to see boots on the ground. There we go.
Starting point is 00:12:30 And is she had, oh, oh, the trache has a hole for the cigarette. Yeah. There's people that will smoke right through that trache hole. Oh, I have never seen that. Yeah, that was a big thing when people were Trake smoking for a while. I don't think that was a thing. Yeah. All right.
Starting point is 00:12:47 Got a weird gink going on over there or what's going on? You guys are the ones who I can throw in wieners at each other. We were not. The random fans. They weren't even our fans, you know. Is this? Oh, this is just somebody trying to. Oh, he does?
Starting point is 00:13:04 Ew, that just grosses me out. What? That like is, uh, you like that? I can't even look at that again. We mean like it? Like you have a hole in your throat for a reason and that's what you're doing?
Starting point is 00:13:17 No, look, I'm not saying I support it. Oh, no, I can't watch it again. I think it's very, I'll say this, it's cultural appropriative of Native Americans. Play it again. Yeah, these are white folks. I know, but that guy's using smoke signals. Oh, oh.
Starting point is 00:13:31 What else can you put in there? Not in a weird way? Like, can people eat? through that? Yeah, you could probably use berries or something. I would do that. Maybe pecans or something. If you put a blueberry and it like, it got stuck until are you choked? That's horrible. Dude, the most horrible thing is when you freaking, you take a sip of water and it goes down, people are like, it goes down the wrong pipe, like suddenly they're a plumber or whatever. And then you're just like, and you can't breathe. I don't think it's funny,
Starting point is 00:14:00 but like you're dying. But you try to pretend like you're fine. And you know you have to like, Do you know I'm talking about or not? Yeah, because you're like trying to not call for like do it politely. Yeah. Is there a term for that? There's got to be a term for that because people suffer from it all the time. Anyway, let's get into this episode. Sophie Cunningham.
Starting point is 00:14:19 This is just how it is today, Sophie. Did your, was there a lot of expectations on you to play sports from your kid or just something you wanted to do? No. Like if your family does it that much, would it be weird if you were like a gamer or if you were like, you know, if you were doing something that wasn't. Like if you weren't an athlete. There you go. No. Like we have, I mean, I feel like everyone in our family actually did play sports.
Starting point is 00:14:44 So at least like. Look, have some support, okay? If I can, if every time you guys went up for a layup and you didn't make it and we smoked it out our little pipe hole. Yeah. Just support me when I can't get through a sentence. Sorry. Yeah, you're right. If every time you guys went for a layup and it didn't, I still sat there.
Starting point is 00:15:02 You're right. Okay. How many layups were missed in the W last year? it was, putting out of it. A lot. Oh, my God. I will say,
Starting point is 00:15:10 I mean, my family and friend groups say the same thing. They're like, how the hell does a league that is like the pro, you know, like, and we have some phenomenal athletes.
Starting point is 00:15:19 Like, we're, we could kill people, right? Like, we're good at it. Yeah. But we do smoke a lot of layups.
Starting point is 00:15:24 Yeah. Yeah, I don't know what it is. Sometimes it just happens. It could be nerves. It could be. No, not my teammates.
Starting point is 00:15:31 The WMBA does not officially track or publish an aggregate league-wide total from misle Miss layups. Official League statistics track overall miss field goals. That's not really fair. No,
Starting point is 00:15:42 field goals doesn't count. Because like Kel, she shoots the shit out of like the three point line, the three ball. Same as Caitlin. Yeah. Yeah. So that doesn't really track then.
Starting point is 00:15:52 Looks like we make all our layups. Yeah. No stat. Doesn't count. Did you, did you, were you one of those kids that got into basketball early because they got tall?
Starting point is 00:16:04 Great question, actually. Thanks. No, yeah. Because that's a valid question. A lot of kids do that, right? Like, oh, you're tall, go play basketball or, you know. Do you anything, yeah. Once somebody gets tall, they have to be the model or like basketball.
Starting point is 00:16:17 No, just go be a normal human. But, no. They're like, I can, I'm tall, man. Yeah, I was about to say something. Glad I didn't. Really, that doesn't seem like you. Yeah, I know. Look at me, having restraint.
Starting point is 00:16:31 So, we grew up playing everything. And when I say we, it's like me and my sister. are we best friends. And so we did every sport together. And I knew from like a young age, you know how like kids who are doctors, they like were naturally really good at school from a really young age. Like same with like a lot of musicians and singers. Like you're just having natural talent.
Starting point is 00:16:50 Yeah. That's how I was with sports. And so I knew from young age, like I was going to be a pro athlete one way or another. I didn't know if it was going to be basketball, volleyball, or soccer. Like those were my three. And like I just naturally loved basketball more. So I knew like. And when I say young, I'm talking about like,
Starting point is 00:17:05 three, four, five years old. Like, I just knew that, like... That's so young. I wasn't like... How'd you even know, do you have a diary or something? No, I just like, that's always been my mindset. Like, I was just good at it and, like, I had so much fun doing it. I loved it.
Starting point is 00:17:18 So I was just like, this is where I belong. Yeah. Yeah. And that's your sister right there? Yeah, that's Lindsay. She's the best. Like, she's the best sister out of all of us. Is she a better person than you, you think?
Starting point is 00:17:30 Probably, 100%. Yeah. And anyone who, like, knows us would say the same thing. That's fair. Yeah, my brother's the same way. Older, younger? He's older than me. He's just better than me, but I'll catch up.
Starting point is 00:17:43 Oh, that's nice. And is Lindsay Hoops still? We played at Missouri together. Oh, did? Yeah, that's fun. No way. We had two years together. It was so much fun.
Starting point is 00:17:50 Ooh, our glory days. Do you guys really have to bring that up? We can sub it in with a different pitcher. Yeah, that'd be great. But we won't look. I'll tell you this, a lot of dudes would throw a wiener at that one, okay? Honestly, I don't even care. Because, like, nowadays, people don't,
Starting point is 00:18:05 college are like doing Pilates and drinking green juice and like and like back then Missou was making us eat and lift like football players. Really? So when I like look back, I'm like honestly not mad about it because I was doing what I was supposed to. Oh, it sounds like you have some aggression towards them. No. No, I'm just kidding. No, I just feel like that's like what was the were any, would you all have any smokers on the team? No. Like sigs? Yeah. Like maybe a drunk sick here and there. Yeah. And that was me.
Starting point is 00:18:38 But, you know, everyone else, no, like, everyone. You're like, I don't think we had any, I don't think we had any smokers on the team. You're the smoker? No, I, no, I'm not actually a smoker, but I will have a good drunk sick. I love them.
Starting point is 00:18:52 Did you smoke a lot of weed growing up or not? No. Like, I'm really not, I don't know why I think my family just, like, drugs are bad. And I know, like, weed, people are like, it's not a drug. like whatever. Growing up,
Starting point is 00:19:04 we considered it a drug. But I like, we've, I mean, we drink, but that was kind of hard. We did it, like,
Starting point is 00:19:12 we, we did alcohol. That's what I was just about to say. We drank alcohol, but we didn't, we didn't get in drugs. Yeah. Which I'm not mad about.
Starting point is 00:19:21 Like, I'm so glad they beat that into us. Yeah, don't feel bad about yourself because you didn't do drugs. Like, I'm, Sophie,
Starting point is 00:19:27 that's crazy. No, I don't feel bad. Like, I'm proud that I don't, I'm not a druggie. Okay. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:19:32 Good. Like, I think that's a good thing. It is kind of weird. You'll meet people now and they're like, yeah, man, I'm sorry. I never did any drugs or whatever. But that's kind of sad, isn't it? It's so sad.
Starting point is 00:19:40 Like, that's a good thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah.
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Starting point is 00:22:59 Y'all don't have any fans either, to be honest. That one really just bit me in the ass. Sorry, sorry. Yep. Maybe that was kind of rude. Oh, it's not. I do not. I literally don't care.
Starting point is 00:23:09 Well, was there a fan, was there more, I mean, there's more fans now. Well, yeah. Like, there's definitely no way we could do it now. But I think you have a good point. And that was, that was rude, actually. I'm joking. That was just me joking. Dude, I don't, like I.
Starting point is 00:23:20 I care, though. Okay, but I don't. Okay. And like, here's my thing is... Hold on. I need you to care a little bit. Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry. Somebody has to apologize, and it's going to be me. I'm sorry. Thanks. But I will say from like your point of view on that, we weren't on TV.
Starting point is 00:23:34 Like, how were people going to know who we were? Like, that's not anyone's fault. It's not your fault. It's not our fault. Yeah, people, some people... How did you know who we were then? Because I saw some of y'all's gear and I know that Tarasi was playing with you guys. So I saw her. Yeah. That was a main one that I saw. And I saw...
Starting point is 00:23:52 And I saw you, I remember. And I saw, we had, we had, you'd probably know BG, Brittany Griner. And you all had Britney Griner too. Yeah, and Diana. Those are like the two stars. Right. And so I kind of was like milling around. It was like baggage claim.
Starting point is 00:24:05 And I was like milling around. Anyway, I actually almost came up to get a photo. But I think I was like, what am I doing? Now I'm just standing around. And somebody had children. One of the women had children that were, their wife and children were than my thing. It was probably Diana.
Starting point is 00:24:20 Yeah. Yeah. It might have been. But how much is the league changed from whenever you got into where it's at now? Dude, night and day. Is it really? Yeah, you can't even compare the two. So it's incomparable.
Starting point is 00:24:31 I mean, I think the talent, you can because the talent has always been there. Like, there has been some phenomenal, phenomenal people go through the WMBA. Yeah. But we just didn't have the platform that we do now. Like, we didn't have the TV deals. We didn't have, we just weren't exposed. Like, people couldn't watch games. I remember, like, my first three or four years.
Starting point is 00:24:50 Like, my parents had to, like, download. some weird app and like even then it was like a black screen the entire time like it was just you could not watch games and so um i definitely think like the last i don't know three four three years pretty much that you know that class of katelyn kerman brink haley van lith um angel like that class they just had the platform they had the eyes they had the audience from college um and they brought it into the w and now it's just exploded like and people love us like if you put it us if you put really any women's sports on tv people are going to fall in love with it And my biggest thing that I love about it is like little girls, they can find someone.
Starting point is 00:25:27 Our league is so diverse that they can find someone on TV that like looks like them or comes from where they come from. And then we're inspiring them to be the next us someday. And so I think that's the coolest part about having this platform is like it's accessible and people can watch it and you inspire the youth. So I love that. Yeah. Oh, it's crazy to think that you did your parents had to do that.
Starting point is 00:25:47 Like how do we watch it? Like we have to go under a bridge. Like we have to meet somebody or something. Like we have to like, that's unbelievable. I mean, I'm like not, I'm happy of where we're at now, but I also like love those times too because I'm like in the perfect spot of, uh, I saw where the W was at, but I'm also like reaping the benefits of the people who came before me even of like leading us to where we're at now.
Starting point is 00:26:09 And so I didn't get all this right away. And so I had a, I saw kind of the bad parts of it, if that makes sense. But now I'm reaping the good parts of being in the WMBA. Does that make any sense? Um, yeah, I think it has, it makes sense in the way that it feels like you, were there, like, it almost feels a little bit more like you at least were there in some of the years where it was tougher. Yes, exactly. Because like some of these, and it's not their fault. It's just like how old they are. Like, they come in and they, they just think it's hype. Yes. And they like they don't, all they know is
Starting point is 00:26:35 private flights. All they know is the nicest hotels. All they know is like you have security. My first five years, we had zero security. Yeah. And like there's a, I was loitering around y'all at the airport. Yeah. Stalker. Like, where's our security? And so, no, like, so there's. The first thing as Stalker says, when he gets busted is like, actually, I was just here doing security. How do you know that? Huh? I just, I don't know. I just, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:26:56 I've interviewed some of these people at home by myself. So, yeah. Anyway, what are we talking about, dude? Somebody helped me out. God, what is wrong with me today? So here's some information right here. It says regular season, same method for both leagues, play by play. Oh, wait.
Starting point is 00:27:18 That's damn near the same thing. Wow. So this says missed layups per team per game. The NBA. Don't mind how many games they play compared to us. Okay. Hold on. I just called us out.
Starting point is 00:27:31 Sorry, girls. So per team in the NBA, the men miss 7.6 layups per 40 minutes and the women miss 9.7. Okay. I'm just going to talk a little shit. Yeah. Because I understand that we miss a lot of layups. We also can't really, majority of us can't dunk the ball.
Starting point is 00:27:47 And if I was a man and I was able to dunk, I'd be dunking that thing. every single time. Yeah, what are you even doing? Like you're that high up there? Like, just fucking, fucking dunk it. Yeah, what are you doing, guy? Mr. Here's what are you,
Starting point is 00:28:01 that should have an asterisk bite that's like, also these dudes are fucking poosies for not dunking the ball. Just making myself feel better, okay? No, but you did a really good job of actually reframing that. And I'll say this. I think that's one thing
Starting point is 00:28:15 that I can relate to about the WNBA is, can't dunk, right? Sometimes Miss Leop. And, yeah, and some, and you're like, I can't remember what the third one is. But anyway, Tocobas, guys. When you're stuck in a shitty conversation. Just switch the subject all together. These nice boots will get you on your way.
Starting point is 00:28:41 You were saying that there was an incident when you guys didn't have security. And it was like, so, yeah, tell me about a time when it was when it was more. When we weren't secure. Yeah. Yeah. When I was a little insecure. Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:28:53 When you didn't have a firewall. Yeah, literally. No, we were going through the airport and, you know, stuff as that like had happened that year and whatnot. But Britney Griner gets like the worst rap. She is like the coolest person you will ever meet. Is she? Yes.
Starting point is 00:29:09 Like you would, you and her would be best friends. She's down to Earth. She's country. Like, just chill. Super chill. And so I want to shout that out before I even tell the story. Okay. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:29:20 she does get a, or the rat, or the energy you feel for some reason is different about her. Yeah, no, she's the best. And so something happened at the airport and we literally had zero of security and we got like swarmed. And they were all kind of going like after her a little bit. And so we all kind of like, was as players, like put a circle around her. And like there was one guy who, I guess he was kind of our security. I don't, I don't know. And like he was carrying her actually Louis Vuitton bags. Okay. That's. No, listen to this. No, listen to this. This is. funny. Hold on. And I, I was like, I was the caboose and like he saw what was happening. So he ran and to like push those people away. But when he did it, he threw the bags that it came back
Starting point is 00:30:02 and cracked me right in the nose. And I was like, damn. I was like, I was trying to help. But I just get cracked by like a $5,000 bag right in my schnaz black guy the next day. It was great. People are like, all I'm saying is the WMBA is crazy. And we tried to talk to Bernie Griner and some gay guy hit one of their own players. He wasn't gay. I know he wasn't. But he was also carrying a Louis Vuitton bag for a WMBA player. So I'm just saying it comes across unique.
Starting point is 00:30:30 But anyway, so, but yeah, that's dangerous. And you're the one that got, you were the victim. Oh, yeah. Yeah. You were the victim. You end up in a lot of kind of spaces like that. But I'm the victim. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:30:41 Or like you just end up in the scuffle somehow. Like I don't mean to. I literally don't mean to. Really? I don't. I mean, like, you're really telling me that I plan for someone to come. Like I was trying to get the caboose ever so they didn't come behind. And also someone comes and throws a bag and I'm the one who has a broken schnaws.
Starting point is 00:30:57 It's your friend. No, but I'm saying like the guy came up and just threw the bag. Like how was I going to know that's going to hit me in the face? You're right. You know? You're right about that. I mean, like a smoke to my neck. Can you see my napkins?
Starting point is 00:31:12 No. Is napkins a euphemism for something? That's all that is. No. No. Oh, okay. I didn't know you were talking about. He gave me napkins. My bad.
Starting point is 00:31:20 I don't know if there's like, yeah, I just didn't know if there's like, I just, I didn't know. Yeah, I just didn't know if there's like a lot of like. Wait, that's actually hilarious. A lot. Yeah. I don't know if there's like a lot of sexual euphemism out there or whatever. Never heard that one. And somebody's like, hey, yeah, anyway, moving on, I can't see you napkins.
Starting point is 00:31:37 I haven't looked either. I'm a gentleman. Thank. Thank you. Okay. How much did things change kind of when that class came in with like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink. Bukers was the year after her, I think.
Starting point is 00:31:52 But how much when this new energies come in, like how much did things change and how quickly do you notice it as a player? Yeah, I think like night and day and immediately. Like you just have, now I will say like being drafted out to Phoenix because I had Diana Tarasi, who's the goat of our game. Yeah. Because of BG, like I, our games were always sold out. So like the sold out crowds were nothing new to me.
Starting point is 00:32:15 Now, like being in Indiana. Oh, you guys were always sold out of there. Yeah. Like we are, I've been very blessed with where I've played, truly, because you would go, like, when I got drafted, Indiana, I think they only had like 200 fans. Like, it was, I mean, it was Nap Town. Like, people went there to catch up on sleep. You play a game and you wanted to get out. But like now, it's like the place you want to play.
Starting point is 00:32:37 People, that's like people's Super Bowl coming into Gamebridge Arena. Like, it's, I mean, you've been in it. The energy. Yeah, like, it's fun. And so now every arena is like that. And so I think since that new class, You truly do. You have the private flights. You have security. I know some teams are still kind of working on making sure everyone gets to a certain level, but I know that the fever are there. Like we're at the highest level you can get at, right? Like operationally. Yeah. Operationally, our security. And I know we keep saying that, but like it's a huge, it's a big deal. Like the more that people, the more you're visible on TV, you're going to get more fans. Like people are going to know who you are. And that's a really great thing. But there's also a lot of like,
Starting point is 00:33:18 kind of crazy people too that like we do have a lot of stalkers I know I do and like that's a negative side of things that people don't think about um and so you you do want to feel secure but have you received like have you had stalkers like oh my gosh out like I will have to check if I'm even allowed to say this but like I like have I think 20 I think people kind of that the FBI are watching for me me alone really yeah I mean I don't know I know yeah I definitely not allowed to say that. I know one of them. You do? Yeah. I mean, he's locked away now. What? They get locked him up because he was talking?
Starting point is 00:33:55 Actually, this is public knowledge. Yeah, his name's Kevin. And the worst part about that is like, I have a miniature donkey named Kevin. And now I'm like, well, shit, do I need to rename Kevin? Oh, it sounds when he looks at you too. And I wonder if he's working for that guy somehow. If he could be channeling visual like, you don't think that's possible? I mean, I don't know. I don't know. But no. Yeah, you're right. Yeah. That's stupid. This was about two hours ago. Judge denies bail reduction for Sophie Cunningham's alleged stalker.
Starting point is 00:34:25 The man accused of stalking Indiana fever guard Sophie Cunningham, that's you, was denied a bail reduction at Marion County Superior Court hearing October 23rd. Nice. Good work, Judge. Good job. Thanks for clapping, everybody. It made me feel good. So that's got to be crazy then.
Starting point is 00:34:42 Did you have stalkers before? No. Why would I? Well, I mean, just if you're still playing. Well, yeah, but since it's gotten different. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I will say, like, even just the, I don't know, the skill level of our game is always getting better. The athleticism of these young bucks are, I mean, so many people in our league can dunk now.
Starting point is 00:35:01 That's insane. Really? Yeah. And like the younger classes, even who are, like, in high school and college, like, people are just getting more and more athletic. So I'm just like. Rattle off. You guys have the one, I know you have one girl on your team that can dunk. Yeah, KK definitely can.
Starting point is 00:35:14 She hasn't done in a game. We have another girl named Shelly. She's like a player development player. She can dunk. Yeah. But like, I went up to KK one time. I had to start walking in the casino. She's the best.
Starting point is 00:35:24 And I was like, you play for the Indiana fever, don't you? She's like, yeah. She is the best. She's chill. It's cool. Yeah. I was kind of excited. Alia Boston's probably my favorite player.
Starting point is 00:35:32 Really? Yeah, I think so. That's a ballsy of me sitting right here. But you're also a good player. Thanks. Thanks. No, I mean. I'm literally kidding.
Starting point is 00:35:42 I mean, yeah, I'm a fever fan. You know, I'm kidding. Right? A.B. No, I love being a fever fan, dude. It's been good. No, but Alia Boston just got just watching her get better so much. It's like amazing. Oh, I was mean. I thought it was like 200. It's only, it was actually 6,000.
Starting point is 00:35:57 Yeah, actually, you know what? Here's a stat right here. It says here the, here are the fever's regular season home game averages. Average per home game. Oh, in 2018, the average was 6,300. And then in 20206, the average is 16. Look at 2022, though. Like, that's the one I remember. In 2022, the average was 1,700 fans. We were also in like a Coliseum that they do the state fair at. But even then. Still, that was COVID times though. Was it still COVID? I mean, it was like coming back from COVID.
Starting point is 00:36:27 Either way, yeah, that was a rough year. I love how people just use that term. That's true. People today also like, well, COVID. I'm like. Yeah. They're like my husband left or whatever. Like, yeah, I got COVID.
Starting point is 00:36:37 I've never heard that one. But people were using it for everything. Yeah. I got busted for pedophilia, but it was COVID. You know, and you're like, that's, that doesn't matter. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's still a crime. Okay.
Starting point is 00:36:54 Still a bad deal, buddy. Oh, have the halftime shows gotten better, like, as well with success? Like, what were some of the early halftime shows? Well, I mean, I was in the locker room, so I don't necessarily know. Hey, can you wait? I'm going to go check out what the halftime shows are like, I don't know. Well, what I really want to know is how did you end up with a miniature pony? That's what I want to know.
Starting point is 00:37:19 I don't know. Where was that? Was it an indie? No, you said you had a small horse. That's all I'm saying. Oh, I mean, we have like horses, donkeys, mules, and like we just thought a miniature one would be kind of fun. Oh, I see what you're saying. It's not something you have in the house.
Starting point is 00:37:32 No. That'd be gross. Would it? I have no idea. I mean, do you want horse shit stepping out of the shower? No, I didn't know if people have those. I don't know if they put diapers on them. I don't know what that's like.
Starting point is 00:37:45 I mean, you do see that like on, I guess, social media of like the pigs and like the, I guess there are like goats and stuff that are, I don't know. Oh, dude, some freaking lady had a kangaroo on an airplane and had a diaper on it. Bring it up. Bring up that rue they found on that plane. Oh, you weren't on it. No, it was diaper, though. Wait, but if you were on it, then what? Then I would have, like, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:38:07 I probably would have rung that buzzer, you know. Dude, when they hear that buzzer, they get so pissed. Here you go. Look at this. What? Yeah. An emotional support kangaroo. I think they did band them.
Starting point is 00:38:19 I mean, it's kind of cute. No, I know it's cute, but look at him. First of all, he's mixed. But second of all, look at this, bro. I mean, it's just like, what the world are we living in? Is it strapped in? Huh? Like, is it belted in?
Starting point is 00:38:34 He's carrying his own ticket. How are you missing the obvious things? You can't even. Just give him some credits. Dude, I didn't even notice he was old. his own ticket. And he knows CPR. The craziest thing is those animals know CPR.
Starting point is 00:38:51 Actually, a kangaroo would be good at CPR. They're very powerful hind end. If they were able to use their legs and stuff to push forward. I think kangaroos get their power from their tail. Well, dude, if that thing beat the fucking air back into my lungs, that'd be sick. You're just, and then he pavow. You're like, come back. Drew.
Starting point is 00:39:14 Drusky and I were talking about getting a WMB. Oh, there he is right there. And that one. Oh, my God. All I'm going to say is that one's from Sacramento. If you know, you know. What were you about to say you and Drusky were about to what? Oh, me, Drusky thought about starting a, we talked about starting a WMBA team.
Starting point is 00:39:30 We're trying to. In Nashville? Yeah. Or try to get one somewhere. Do it. Does all. Or probably not now. No.
Starting point is 00:39:38 We thought about doing it. But we couldn't, we're trying to think of like a good team name, one that's real, you know. This should be good. Yeah. We didn't know what to do. The studs, maybe we're thinking. Or the Nashville licks, maybe, like a guitar lick.
Starting point is 00:39:50 You think it would be viable or not? Or is that too, you think it's too crazy or whatever? Or do you think, I think it'll be good. I mean. Yeah, we were talking about trying to maybe be a part of a team somehow. It'd be pretty cool, I think. Dude, I think you guys would thrive. You do?
Starting point is 00:40:07 Yeah. I mean, already the team name, I think that is like a marketing genius idea. Do you think people would come and play for it? I mean, yeah, I mean, the shoe fits, right? You write about that if the Timbalin fits. It is what it is. But yeah, I'll have to see if he's still interested in that. You know, the best business ideas come from people who are passionate about what they're creating.
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Starting point is 00:41:25 creative side. There's no better feeling than having something that is truly yours. Find out what it feels like to say, that's my business at Shopify.com slash Theo. That's Shopify.com slash Theo. You've kind of been out spoken about like things the way that the league is kind of run and like you guys as chairman or whatever or chairwoman. What's her name? The commissioner. The commissioner. Yeah. Kathy.
Starting point is 00:41:51 Kathy. Yeah. Are there things that you would do or the things that you think would be better to like that you can talk about that you think would be better to help the league? I mean, I think first of all that is a very hard position to be in and like give her a little bit of credit. When she started, the league is not what it was now. And so we're in the process of getting a new commissioner. I don't know if you know that. Oh, I didn't know that.
Starting point is 00:42:14 Yeah. So she, this is her last, I guess, kind of like a couple weeks. I don't know when she's stepping down. So we'll see here. Honestly, I have no idea. Oh, December. She's retiring. I mean, that's one way to put it.
Starting point is 00:42:31 I would say. Retiring by force, they call it sometimes as well. Yeah, I think that's more like it. I think Adam Silver does a phenomenal job of having a relationship with his NBA players. And so I just think that's what we need on the W side. Like where we're at as a league, like we need someone to come in here who has a backbone, who's going to stick to, you know, what they do and hold the standard. But also like we do have a lot of people who come from a lot of different backgrounds.
Starting point is 00:43:00 It's a very diverse league, which I think is awesome. But you also need someone who has a common goal, like a goal and bringing everyone together to like try to get that goal. And so I think it needs to be a. player and owners league first. And so like, that's like having a relationship. Like, you don't have a boss. You are the boss. But say you had a boss. God is my real boss. There you go. I like that. Well, it's like, honestly, him walking in here and him not even saying hi to you. And so like, it's like, no, like we're in the, like say hi, be human, be nice. And I think that's all we're really asking for is a little bit of respect and just like be a normal human. Like we're all trying to work for
Starting point is 00:43:38 the same goal. We all want to make the WMBA the best it can be. So I think in order to do that, you need great communication. You need to be open. You need to have our backs. You need to have the owner's backs. We're not always going to get along. We're not always going to agree. And the majority of the time,
Starting point is 00:43:50 we're not going to get what we want as players. But just having that open line of communication and respect, I think, is huge. And I think we deserve that. Yeah. Yeah. So you think that there's more potential for that forthcoming? 100%. Like, there has to be.
Starting point is 00:44:03 There has to be. And I think she did a lot of good things. But again, like, you've got to be willing to have a growth mindset. You have to be willing to grow and want to grow our league. want this to be the best league and have this be the standard of all female sports leagues, right? And so in order to do that, you have to have someone who's, you know, willing to stick to their guns a little bit, push the limits a little bit, but also like, I don't know, be normal at the same time. Like, I don't think that's really that hard to do. Do you think she was just too
Starting point is 00:44:28 business focused or too, or just like, dude, I don't know. Like, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't know her. Like, I don't talk to, she didn't talk to any of us. So how would, how would we know? Right. Here's Dan Patrick right here on W.M. MBA commissioner, Kathy Engelberg, canceling her appearance on the show. If you want to be treated as a serious league, this is what happens. These are tough questions, but this is a fair, should we just play it? Okay. A couple weeks after this is when she stepped down. It was like when there was a lot of pressure on her. But this is really funny. Yesterday, we were hoping to do an interview with Kathy
Starting point is 00:45:00 Engelbert. She's the WNBA commissioner. Todd spoke to her a couple of nights ago. And we had a pairings party. Todd went up to her. She's been very friendly to the show. year at this event was friendly to us. And Todd said, hey, we'd love to have you on. There's a lot of questions. People have not heard answers from the commissioner. And she said yes. So yesterday, after the show, we waited almost two hours for her.
Starting point is 00:45:27 This was scheduled. And she's 50 yards away. She's getting practice shots out of the bunker. So that's what's disappointing. We deserve more respect than what she gave us yesterday. We want to cover the WNBA. the PR staff, somebody did a disservice to this. I love how they picked that shot.
Starting point is 00:45:48 She kind of seems she gives some Biden energy too there. Just disassist, like this little Biden energy for me and that. But he's saying they felt disrespected. Why? She bailed at the last second for the meeting. I see. And they were looking forward to it. Well, like, here's our thing.
Starting point is 00:46:05 Yeah, you need a spokesperson. Well, and also like, we have been screaming from the roof. Tops, since this league started that like, we want respect. We want to be on mainstream TV. We don't want to people have to go to weird websites to watch us. Like, we have been asking for equality. And now that we have it, like, pressures are privileged. Like, you've got to step up to the plate.
Starting point is 00:46:26 And that doesn't mean it's always going to be easy. Like, that is a very tough job. You're going to have to answer really tough questions. You're going to have to maybe not always know the answer, but it's okay to admit when you don't know. Yeah. And say that. That's why you have a whole staff around you so you can be your best self and lean on them.
Starting point is 00:46:40 Like, no one's great. by themselves. That's why everyone has a village. And so I just think we need someone representing the WMBA who's willing to do the hard, who's embracing the hard. And also like, that's a really cool freaking job too. Like, I mean, that's a badass job. And so like, be proud of that. Want to be interviewed. Want to promote your product. Like I just don't understand that point of you're denying an interview, but people are wanting to talk to us finally. So why are we denying it? Right. I don't get that. Yeah. Maybe she's shy. you know what maybe she is we'll give her that we'll give her a little bit of grace she's shy
Starting point is 00:47:17 the shy commissioner they'll call her yeah some people are shy but sometimes you can't wait forever for them to figure it out also that's not the job if you're shy then yeah why did why was she picked in the first place yeah do something different just work indoors or something um or do something calmer work at like a trying to think it's somewhere i would work if i was real shy i guess maybe um library or movie, working the movie projector at a theater. Toll booth, but now people get chatty with those people.
Starting point is 00:47:48 My buddy was trying to flirt with this toll booth lady for like two years because every time he'd go by you get like one word into her, you know? And so finally he got her number, but it took like she would yell the number like each time when he came through, dude. He communicated with her for like two years.
Starting point is 00:48:03 And finally he kind of got her number and shit and they went out one time. No way. Yeah, swear to God. But it didn't work out, but. Because do they only know how to say one word when they were on the date? Well, he'd be going, no, he'd be going, yeah, oh yeah, they're on the date. They're like, what?
Starting point is 00:48:18 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That'd be so stupid, dude. I got to get some help for myself. But I'm going to be fine. Were you the friend? No, I wonder if I've ever been like somebody like that.
Starting point is 00:48:32 Oh, dude, I'll tell you one time. I left, I was at the bank and I'd been trying to flirt with this teller, right? And so I finally get up to courage and I'm like, oh, I'm going to write her a note. But then I'm at the bank writing a note on a thing. And then as I'm slipping it through the thing, you can see her face. Like, yeah, I think she thought it was going to be a crime. Oh. Oh.
Starting point is 00:48:51 Because I was like putting a note through the thing. And she just kind of went like this. So she might have been married or she might have just like been like the alarms are going to go off, you know. Feel that. Weirdly. I don't, once the last time you've been to a bank to do that? This was probably three years ago. Really?
Starting point is 00:49:08 Yeah. Oh, wow. Well, I was looking in L.A. And it's, I just like, it was more fun to go on errands there because the weather's always nice. So it's just like, you get out and it's so great. I feel that actually. You know, it's like, okay, I'm going to go to the bank. Yeah, like, get outside and actually do something.
Starting point is 00:49:22 Yeah, you're like, hey, I'm at the bank. Who works at the bank? Dude, when I was a kid, if you went to the bank, bro, they had, like, candy. It was good. Suckers. Yeah. And they had that, you remember that thing that would go up through. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:49:33 Yeah. Yeah. You could watch it. You could watch your. Yeah. Yeah, I like that. And you'd be like, oh, that's our money. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:49:40 You know, and then in high school, we would get those things and we would like fill them with a week. We'd like tournamental like for smoking dope or whatever. So you stole it? Well, no, we would use it in the car and then we would send it back into the people. Oh, and you have smoke in it. Yeah. Oh, you shitheads.
Starting point is 00:49:56 We both smoke. Or did they like it? Well, one or the other? I mean, they never complained about it. I don't even know what we're talking about, dude. How do you think, how many points do you think I, oh, God. How many points do you think I could score in a WMBA game? Dude, I, all I've seen is a picture of you in, when was that?
Starting point is 00:50:18 How old were you? All I know is you were ripping Sigs and you chose Sigs over basketball. So honestly, I'd say you wouldn't score a point. Whoa, Sophie, that's not even that fair. Is that too harsh? I think I would score eight points. If you let me play for three quarters, I'm going to need a little bit of rest.
Starting point is 00:50:38 Like, what did you do? Like, when you took a break from SIGs and you came back to the game, were you like a point card? Were you a shooter? Were you smoking lays? I was, I was a power forward probably. I was a slight forward. Something slight.
Starting point is 00:50:58 Yeah, nothing. I was good for. Left bench. I was good. I was good for six points. thing. Back then. Yeah. But that's because I didn't give me a lot of playing time, dude. Dude, if you're not getting playing time thin. They had racial, they had a big racial barrier. You're not even. That's all I'm saying. There was a big racial barrier in our league.
Starting point is 00:51:19 Okay. And we were not getting a lot of playing time. And that's when the, yeah, so I've had a different W that kept me on the bench. Okay. Dude, you're an idiot. I know, but I'm good at it. You are. Thank you. You're pro at it. Oh, how much, how much of, uh, because for some reason you guys' league creates a lot, like, for some reason there's like so much energy coming out of it. Do you feel like that?
Starting point is 00:51:49 Yeah. I do. And maybe it's because it's women and that's where like the world, like the, that's like the creation of like life, you know? So it's like that creates like a lot of like different energy. But do you feel like the media makes way more bullshit than? Dude, yes. Like that is actually part of our problem is like the media around the W.
Starting point is 00:52:09 It's gross. It really is because like you are stirring stuff up that doesn't even exist. And then like we all see it and it's like, wait, is there like no, there's not. And like a lot of the beef in between players on social media, like they don't even talk. They've never even really had a real relationship. So like it's strictly media. And honestly, I just started a podcast myself. You did?
Starting point is 00:52:29 Yeah. It's called No Hezzi. And me and Drew Hanlon do it. And it's like strictly basketball. And it's like where you can, like all we do is actually talk about what real and good basketball looks like. And it's just an outlet for WMBA, NBA, because there's not on the WMBA side, like all these people covering us. I want to say all because I don't want to discredit the people who do do a good job. But like the majority, they just want the clickbait.
Starting point is 00:52:52 Like they just want the drama because that's where the intention pulls. But like there's so much like so many great things going on in our league that like that needs to be highlighted. The people playing at an elite level, like, why are we not highlighting and breaking down those people's film? Like, that makes no sense to me. And so that's kind of why we started this because I personally have seen the awesome things that, you know, social media can give you. But I've also seen the real negative, like, bad stuff that it also brings. And it's like, okay, it's never as good as it seems. It's never as bad as it seems.
Starting point is 00:53:24 So, like, why can't we just have, like, real basketball journalism? So that's what I'm here for. Nice. Well, yeah, I don't know if real journalism even exists anymore. I don't know. Well, I would say like the NBA and like I would say like NBA, NFL, MLB, they don't have the drama and like their people are actually covering stats in sports and like good stories where ours it's like barely any of the real basketball. Like it's all about and I think it's cool that people are wanting to know who we are and like, yes, write stories on how we were raised and X, Y and Z. But also like cover. what we do for a living. We have this platform for a reason. That's the only reason why you know us is because of basketball. So like, that should be the majority of it. And it's not. Yeah, I agree. And it's, I mean, I do think the media creates that that's part of it, right? It is. They want to create. They're doing their job. Right. Right. But that doesn't always mean like you can,
Starting point is 00:54:19 you can do your job. It depends actually what you're in goal is. Like, what's your intent. Are you just trying to be drama and be a diva and stir up shit? Or are you actually going to be like someone who is respectable and who does a great job and people learn from you, but also have fun while doing it, like what's your end goal. Yeah. I don't know. That's actually a really good answer by me. I was good.
Starting point is 00:54:38 Yeah, thanks. Dude, isn't it cool when you have a good answer? Yeah, it makes me feel good about myself. Dude, when you get to the end of a cool couple of sentences in a row, nailed it. Yeah. You're like, ta-da-da. Yeah, it's like that lady that lands, like after the flips, whatever in the Olympics or whatever. Gymnist?
Starting point is 00:54:53 Yes. Yeah. Thanks. Yeah. You're like, da-da, I told you, Mom. Look at me now. It's just a fucking three-sentence thought. Dude, that is pretty good, though.
Starting point is 00:55:06 I like that. Yeah, what's one of the bigger things you feel like that the media stirred up that maybe it wasn't even a thing? I mean, they're like, I would say 90% of the drama that you hear about and the WBA is made-up drama. Like it's not I don't know Like you And another thing is like You go from
Starting point is 00:55:29 I get this a lot And I've learned to be a pro To like not judge people When you're competing Against them all the time Where it's like if they were on my team I'd probably absolutely love them And so I don't know
Starting point is 00:55:41 It's it's us as the women in the league To like you know you're gonna compete You know you're not always gonna get along Like why would you be best friends with I don't know people you're Trying to not like I don't know Try to win against
Starting point is 00:55:53 Yeah And so if you're always competing and like never on their side, then you're probably going to create some rivalries. You're going to create some tension. And I think that's natural. That's what happens when you're a competitor when you're at the highest level. But also I think, I don't know, just like, I don't know, people just run with shit that is just not. I just don't get it. Like I'm like, now I'm not going to give you details, details, but like I'm telling you 90% of WMBA drama is made up shit.
Starting point is 00:56:22 Okay. Yeah. I think we really do have like a solid cool league. Like I think when people get to know the women in our league, like people are like, oh, y'all are great. You guys are awesome. It's like, yeah. Like actually have a conversation with us.
Starting point is 00:56:33 Do which is what we're trying to do here. Yeah. Okay. Sorry. I don't know why something kind of gruff, but I was just practicing a new voice. But sometimes it feels like the teams in the W actually don't like each other as much, which I kind of think is better because sometimes the NBA, it feels like it almost, like a lot of the NBA just feels like everybody's just buddies now.
Starting point is 00:56:52 Yeah. It's just a bunch of millionaire buddies. So I think sometimes the thing that's interesting about the W is that, like, you know, like, some of these women probably have a second job, right? You know somebody's women out here grinding. And so they got to beat the other team. Whereas a lot of, like, I think some pro levels of sports, it starts to feel like, oh, these guys are all just rich friends who were just like passing around a lot of the same women
Starting point is 00:57:21 or whatever and not going to. And just like getting a lot of the same wounds filled up type of energy, baby mama shit or whatever type shit. But it's like, y'all stuff feels like, I don't know. It just feels like, okay, let's see what's popping out here. No, I think there's some like real truth to this. I mean, there's definitely players that. And here's a clip of you right now hugging a woman, which first of all. I'm just trying to show love.
Starting point is 00:57:45 Gosh. But that's a little. So you did not like that girl. Um, no, I don't have a problem with her. Really? Let's watch this one more time. Are you guys laughing? I really don't. No, I'm not saying you do.
Starting point is 00:57:59 Do you want me to break it down? Yeah, break it down. I know you want me to break it down. So I will. Break it down. So how many, that was 15 seconds. Mm-hmm. So the other like 38 minutes in that whole game,
Starting point is 00:58:15 I'm a queen for blaming who I'm about to blame. The refs. our refs are horrible. And so... Are they real refs? Like, are they licensed or whatever? I mean, yeah. Okay.
Starting point is 00:58:27 No one knows. You know what? Actually, I've never seen any of their license. So, I don't know. They keep showing up. They have some type of credential. I've never seen it. They should have to wear it around their neck
Starting point is 00:58:39 or at least have a QR code on their chest or whatever. Yeah, I mean, I think that's a great idea. Maybe we'll add that in. This game was just crazy. Like, they were just getting away with stuff that should not, like, if that was any of us, they would have called it tech. People would have been already ejected by this game if they called it correctly. Right. And it was just too much. Right. Like this game was just too much. It was just like petty shit. She'd have gone way
Starting point is 00:59:00 overboard. And like, I can deal with that for a little bit. But then like, this is at the end of the game. I'm a little tired. I'm hungry. Horrible combination. And honestly, when she stole this ball, I was like, I was like, I was back there. So I was like, okay, I literally in my head was like, you know, you don't have to foul her. Like you don't like, you're up by 15. There's, amount of minutes or seconds left, who cares? You kind of wrapped your arms around it. Almost like you were trying to get just a little bit of rest, like a little second of rest.
Starting point is 00:59:24 Well, this is where no one really believes me, but... Actually, I guess you can't really tell them that. I would look like a liar if I was about to say what I was going to say. What were you going to say then? Well, what I was going to say is I was just going to go straight up. Yeah. But at the last second, I really was like, I was like, fuck it. And so I did that.
Starting point is 00:59:40 Let me hug a big. Yeah. Well, I didn't mean to like get her there, but I mean, I did get her, but shit, if you're going to do that, buck up. And I mean, I'm not ever going to... I mean. And then you guys, yeah, it just didn't. I mean, but you just get tired of people's shit.
Starting point is 00:59:54 I'm sure people in our league. Oh, I'm sure. Get tired of my shit. And I know that. And that's fine. And like, that's part of pro sports. And I think rivalries are fun. I think when teams or like players don't like each other, like, you know it's about
Starting point is 01:00:05 to be a good ass game. I agree. Like, and like, why don't people want that? Right. Like, be like, I get it. Like, you can be cool. And as a pro, you have to, you have to, there's a fine line. I'm still trying to figure that out.
Starting point is 01:00:16 The fine line of like being a competitor, but. you might be teammates with them down the road. But like at the end of the day, I'm sometimes maybe too good at where my two feet are at where I'm like, this is my team. I'm going to go to war with them.
Starting point is 01:00:27 If they need something, I'm going to be there. Like, that's just who I am. As a person, as a player, all that. And so in that instance, like that game was too much. I was over their shit. And so I was like, why not?
Starting point is 01:00:37 This is what's up? Yeah. Yeah. Just going to inject here myself a little bit. One of the many things that stood out for people was your famous point, right? Oh. And it was,
Starting point is 01:00:47 and how do you take me through it? So how do you actually do it? Well. Is there a strategy to it? No. No, I think that I'm, people say pointing is rude. But how are you going to give so many directions if you don't, like if they don't have a GPS or whatever? Well, that's what I'm saying in like, I.
Starting point is 01:01:05 You know what I'm saying? Yes. Say if you drove up to somebody, right? You're with your grandpa or whatever. You drive up. And your grandpa's like, how do I get to Johnson's farm or whatever? And the guy just said, well, you go and didn't fucking point. I would be like, I don't know.
Starting point is 01:01:18 know where to go. Like, go that way. Like, we were like, I just don't, I don't know. I think everyone's just got so soft. What if you see something in the sky? I think I maybe have a pointing problem. I don't know because like, growing up, it's like, oh yeah, it's over there. Or like, hey, or like, what's going on? Like, I'm, like, I use my hands when I talk. Like, that's just who I am. You have a pointing problem. You pointing, it's just saying, hey, there. Yeah. So it makes sense. And it's not like I walked out there. And God gave us 10 abilities to point. Yeah. So maybe I should have pointed with this finger. Oh, yeah. I'll point me at that middle when I was. lot, boy. Yeah. See, and I don't. So anyway, what happened was I, you know, I need to stop
Starting point is 01:01:55 sticking it for my teammates. I think that's what it is. That's where I get, that's where I get caught. Really? But that's fun, though. And it seems like it gives you a role too, even more of a role than just, um, smoking lays. Just. Just. Just shooting threes and being a boss. Yeah. I mean, dude, the game I was out. I think he had six threes. Yeah. I mean, that's what I get paid to do. I should be able to do that. Type shit. Look at this again. Okay.
Starting point is 01:02:22 And bro, this point was up. And what were you actually doing? And what were you? Thinking. The point was up for 22 seconds. Were you just making sure they knew who did it? Yeah. Okay.
Starting point is 01:02:31 No. Really was, I just got in her head. Like, look, like, here's the thing. Something happened. And I was talking to the ref 41. Yeah. I'm blinking on his name. It's like the pointer sisters.
Starting point is 01:02:42 Wasn't that an old band or whatever? But what happened was I was like... Find one other hit songs. Good one. But all I was saying, I was like... like, if she's going to get a T, shouldn't she? I literally just went like this. And then she got, she just got mad at me. She's like, don't you can point at me? And I was like, oh, shouldn't have said that. Boom. Yeah. And that's when like she was just going, I mean, look at it. Like, she's just going
Starting point is 01:03:01 crazy. And so I just held, I just held it. I didn't say a word. Didn't say a word. I got my nails done that day. So happy I did that. Oh, so you definitely had to put them out on the front porch. I mean, no, but. Put them bitches on the front porch. I did, but not even knowing. So. And you pointed for 22 seconds, it said. Well, she just kept. going crazy. Like, the thing is, don't, don't react. Like, don't, like, don't care. Who cares? Yeah. Like, what? If someone pointed at me, I'm like, all right, cool. Like, who gives a fuck? Yeah. I don't know. I just, maybe I'm different. I don't know. That should be the W logo. Did people, there was a bunch of, didn't people sell merch and everything about this?
Starting point is 01:03:35 Dude, yes. It was honestly, the internet's undefeated. Yeah. Yeah. It's funny. It was a good moment. And how did, was there was a certain way that you did it? How do you even unleash it? Dude, I don't know. It was just natural. Okay. My, like, my, like, natural. Sash just kind of got got me. Okay. I don't know. Yeah. But like last year, because the clip you guys played, like last year,
Starting point is 01:03:56 fans would come up and they're like, can you put me in a headlock? And I'm like, ooh. Why? That's not because of the clip before that we just showed. And like now it's like, oh, point. And I'm like, ugh. I'm like, let's just take a normal photo. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:04:09 Yeah. I was joking a little bit ago about people having other jobs. Do people in the league have other jobs? Do you know? Honestly, this is a great point because you were talking about like the NBA getting along. It's because they all make a shit ton of money. Yeah. So like no one, I mean, they care, right?
Starting point is 01:04:28 And they love ball, but like they're all getting paid millions of dollars. All of them might not be. Well, not all. A lot of them are. And I agree they all are friends. So it is definitely. But it's because of the money. Think about this.
Starting point is 01:04:39 Like what is the minimum in the NBA salary? I have no idea. One year of service. First of all, calling it a year of service is an insane statement. And that is actually. When there are people who are actually serving. Yeah. One year of service, dude.
Starting point is 01:04:56 Okay, but look, my point exactly is like everyone. It's $2.1 million. Yes. And a rookie is making $1.3. It says the NBA league minimum salary for a rookie for the 2026-27 season is 1.3. While a veteran with 10 or more years of service earns a minimum of 3.8. So everyone's at least making a million. Right.
Starting point is 01:05:15 that might, that might be a part of why they can get along easier just because they're all comfortable. Yes, everyone's comfortable. My rookie year after tax and everything, I think I made like $28,000. So yeah, and I'm not like back then I was not a very scholarly person. Like I went to high school. I went to college because that was the steps to become a professional athlete. And I wish I would have been better in school. Like, I wish I would have done like finances or business or something like that. I didn't. And that's okay. Yeah, it's fine. But what I'm getting at is like, I was making $28,000. and I was like, I was like, I need to get a job. Like, I need to actually do something to make money.
Starting point is 01:05:48 So you were playing in the W and do you have another job? Yes, and like there's a girl. She just came out. She plays for Seattle. Okay. She actually was working out like a grocery store and playing in the W&BA. So like people actually had two jobs. But now because of our new CBA agreement, which is great, it's going to continue to get better.
Starting point is 01:06:03 Like we're all making good money now so we don't need to. The median salary is $350,000 is the base pay. What does that say? Let me see. The average WMBA base salary in 2026 is about, 518,000, but most players earn far less with the median at 350 and 45% making 300,000 or less. Wow, that's a great deal of money. 31 players earn one million or more led by Kelsey Mitchell, Asia Wilson and Nefisa Collier,
Starting point is 01:06:30 Nefisa. Nefisa Collier at 1.4 million each. Caitlin Clark earned $528,000 in 2026 and is set to earn $597. She's still on her like rookie contract. In 2027 with a potential max deal. Wow, so it's gotten a lot better. Dude, yeah. So that was the only case that you know of a woman that had another job?
Starting point is 01:06:49 I mean, I know a lot of people who are doing like side gigs and like I. Are people, are people doing only fans? Are any players doing only fans? I don't think so. I don't know. I don't know. I'm not. I mean, I don't know.
Starting point is 01:07:00 I wouldn't know, I guess. Have you ever thought about it or not? No. I'm like, yeah. No, not at my alley. I keep my private to myself. Well, actually, I guess her. WMBA affiliated figures who have only fans include veteran guard Erica Wheeler and former all-star Liz Cambage.
Starting point is 01:07:20 Wait, what? Cambege, who launched an account after stepping away from the league. So Erica's is with only fans trying to show that they have other content down there. I was going to say, I've never heard of it of training family. You know, this doesn't make sense to me because that's like McDonald's trying to serve enchiladas. Like, that's never going to be. Right. If you, yeah, don't, yeah.
Starting point is 01:07:44 You get what I'm saying? Like, no one, I promise you, no one is going or thinking of that and thinking, oh, family, health content. Right. Let me go to OnlyFans to see, yeah, this cool recipe or someone building a birdhouse with their son. No, yeah, that's just not it. Yeah. And like, really, if she would have stuck it out a little bit, 1.5, I'm sure sounds nice, but she would have been making way more if she would have just stuck in the league.
Starting point is 01:08:09 But. If she'd have stayed in? What are some things that take women out of the league that maybe we don't see? Actually, that's good. I'm going to hit on this point, too, that I think a lot of people, we actually used to have to go overseas because that's where we made the majority of our money. So, like, now because of this new CBA and even the last CBA, you saw less and less players going overseas. So, like, people would go to China, Russia, Turkey, Spain, like, they would make hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars over there. So they had to.
Starting point is 01:08:38 Okay. But if you have that WMBA, like, title within, like, who you are, you're going to automatically make more money. Like, that's, we were the most elite level that you could get at. But back then, we were making kind of like the minimum almost. And so now it's like flipping. So now we're starting to get paid for, you know, who we are and what we represent and all of that. And so it's good. So you see less and less people going overseas.
Starting point is 01:09:00 But there's a new off-season league that there's one in Miami. And then there's one this year. It's actually called Project B. and I'm doing it. It's like the first year. Project B, like the pill or whatever? That's plan B.
Starting point is 01:09:14 Oh, my bad. I mean, I could see how you get it confused, you know. I don't take them. I'd be concerned if you did. Yeah, and would they let me play in the league? I mean, hey, if you're having to take that after some stuff, maybe you do belong in our league. I don't know.
Starting point is 01:09:30 That's all I'm saying, dude. We can all find common ground. That's true. Yeah. It's all perspective. We got to get some help. So we finished up, were you saying? I think I stepped on you.
Starting point is 01:09:40 No, you're fine. So like we're like some of us too. Like I stopped going and playing overseas because I was making more money in marketing agreements. I was endorsers, partners. I was doing broadcast for MBA. Was that before you played in for the Mercury? No, that was like during.
Starting point is 01:09:58 So like our season is from. Oh, you would finish your season with the W and then go play? Yes. So like, so our season is from like mid April's when training camp starts. then we would typically in like beginning of October. And so then from October to like beginning of April, a lot of people will go play in different leagues to like continue to make more money. Right. But I, there's a lot of people, including myself, that like we made more money not doing that and we made it more off of like doing deals. Yes. All that type of stuff. Yeah, yeah. So you were
Starting point is 01:10:26 able to have those opportunities you didn't have to. Exactly. Right. Yeah. A lot of people's argument with, I mean, you guys are getting paid better now. You guys have television deals and things like that. I do just even by watching all I start to get to know other players yes dude there was a freaking dime that played on the tempo you know what I'm talking about um white makes black mixed kind of um isy Harrison post player she's beautiful but they they have they have a lot of pretty players though oh dude the point guard that they had I saw her in the freaking pool at the freaking hotel oh really yeah yeah yeah she was cool I think is her last name she was tough yeah she's a rookie Yeah, she's good.
Starting point is 01:11:06 Oh, no. Oh, no. This lady had been in Toronto, the Toronto team. Are they the maroon team? Yeah, they're new this year. Is that the tempo? Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:11:14 Who is that? Can you look up? Yeah, just look it up. Sorry, I should probably know that. No, it's cool. Oh, Mabry. Oh, yeah, Marina. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:11:22 Love her. You know what I love is like. She's tough. Dude, yeah. She's good. 20 points per game. Marina Mabry. That's who I saw play.
Starting point is 01:11:28 I saw her in the pool. Dude, I was like, I saw her in the pool in Las Vegas. It was during Summer League. Oh, yeah. You guys had a game, I think, a couple days, like, towards the end of Summer League, but I was leaving that day. But anyway, and I think I saw her in the pool with, like, her family or something. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:11:47 But she's a bucket there. She's good. She's so good. Dude, I think it's so funny, though, that, like, normally females are going to, like, NBA rosters and seeing, like, oh, where's the hot one? And now you are going to a WMBA roster? Where's the hot one? No, I didn't say that, bro.
Starting point is 01:12:02 I said, I saw. You're not saying it. You're literally doing it. Oh yeah, shit. And you did say it. But I think it's fun. But that's what you're saying is like the attention. Now you know other people.
Starting point is 01:12:12 Well, I got to watch her play. I know. She's a badass. Like she's freaking good. Yeah. She was tough. Yeah. Oh, you know where I saw you?
Starting point is 01:12:20 I saw you a UFC in Vegas. That was my first UFC event. Really? It was awesome. I remember Dana saying right after I was talking to where we're just like, I love Dana. Oh, he loves you. He's like, oh, that's so great. No.
Starting point is 01:12:32 Well, what happened? I was just kidding. Like, clearly I don't look like a. a ring girl. And so, wow, you said that a little too fast. Relax. Well, some of them are professional. No, like they're like real ring girls. And so. Which is a crazy term, too. Let's just go ahead. Sorry, I don't know. Like, I don't know anything about, no, about UFC fighting. Oh, no, some of them are freaking war. I mean, they are number warriors. What's, what are we talking about? Ring girls. And there's freaking patty right behind you.
Starting point is 01:12:57 Dude, I know. Oh, that was the best energy fight, I feel like. Like, the McGregor went. Oh, my God. Yeah. What's the, what's the song? Yeah, it was fucking awesome. Because here's what happened. Usually they just come out and then they start to fight. But this time, since they have a new deal with Paramount, they had to have. Oh, I thought you're going to say because they have a new ring girl. Oh, all right, whatever, Paramount.
Starting point is 01:13:18 But I love, I was about, it was about you, though. They're like, oh, this ring girl's so good. Let's just keep having her do laugh. We're not going to, yeah. But they had, they went to a, they had more commercial breaks. They had to go to commercial. Okay. So they just let him basically have this DJ moment in the middle of the ring.
Starting point is 01:13:35 Yeah, dude. It was awesome. And so what, but the McGregor, like, yeah, that's me. At least you shaved under your arms. Yeah. That's good. Thanks. But what I was going to say is I. And you're number one. Oh. I was talking to Dana and I was like literally kidding. That was the first time I met it. And you said, let me go. Love it. I said, hey, I said, right when he was leaving, I said, hey, if you need another ring girl. And I literally went like that. And he's like, you want to do it. And then I was like, yeah. Hi. He's like, no, seriously. You're up in like five minutes. I was like, oh, shit. Wow. Yeah. I actually got. I don't.
Starting point is 01:14:05 really get nervous for things. And I don't know why I was going to get nervous to turn left. Yeah. Like, well, could you go left easily or is that a, yeah, I think I did it. I think I can walk left. Yeah. Well, I would get scared, I think. No, it's actually way more nerve-wracking than what you give those, well, I did not give maybe those girls as much credit as I should, but then once I was over there. Well, like, I don't know. Like when you're not, when all you see is like them walking, but then when you have to be the one walking, it's like a whole different deal. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:14:38 Like give them some damn respect. Shit's hard. Dude, I've been supporting them, dude. I've even freaking, I think I slid into one of them's DM. Yeah, I was one of the say, you're supporting them for different reasons. UFC, though, as a whole, amazing experience.
Starting point is 01:14:51 Had you been before? No. Oh, you'd never been. Ever. It's the best. But I will say I am definitely a newbie because on one of the fights, someone like kicked the shit out of someone
Starting point is 01:15:00 and I heard the skin on skin. And I went, oh! And everyone else's, And I had got like no joke like 25 people were like and I was like sorry it's my first fight and they were like oh it's okay I'm like are you not allowed to scream here like they can beat the shit out of each other where you can be like oh I hit it's kind of crazy like there is like this odd silence it same thing happens I feel like at a lot of sporting minutes at boxing I notice sometimes people will be very silent while the beating is going on oh see and here here's my thing too is like I'm fine like yeah you can get a hidden but once like they're like knocked out I can't watch anymore like I don't know like call the fight fast
Starting point is 01:15:34 Oh, sometimes they let them punch them one more time after he's knocked out. And sometimes two more times. Yeah. And just like those. I guess if they've been really bad. But like choking people out scares the shit out of me. I'd really get choked out because then at least you're going to go, you're going to. No, that's like a slower, that's a slower like death. I'd rather just get knocked out because then you're just knocked out. You don't have to like, oh, it's happening. You know, it's like, oh, shit, it happened. Hmm. I thought about, actually I have thought about it. Yeah, I'd rather just get choked out and then come back and like, what? Where? Where? was a, you know.
Starting point is 01:16:05 Yeah. Who am I or whatever? Yeah. Hmm. And they just had the, and this, they had the teams that were walking out on the anthem the other night. Yeah. How do you feel about that?
Starting point is 01:16:17 Or do you have any thoughts on it or is it even? I mean, you know who you're talking to. Of course I have thoughts on it. Yeah. That's good. Obviously, I wasn't even asking you. Of course I knew. And I think the majority of people know my thoughts.
Starting point is 01:16:27 But I will say like this is like this has been happening throughout the whole season. Oh, it has. Yeah, so this isn't like anything new. People are just kind of like getting mad about it now, but it's happened the whole season. So I don't know. Like I, I don't know. I just feel like personally I have a lot of I am grateful and I support the people who serve. We have family members who have served and, you know, they're over there doing things that are imaginable for us to be out here, living our dreams and having the freedoms that we live. And so anytime that I can shout out our veterans and the people who are currently, you know, fighting for us to, to. live in the best country. Yeah. You know, I'm going to show that support and I'm going to give them love. And so that's where I stand. That doesn't mean that's where everyone stands.
Starting point is 01:17:13 And if it's right, wrong, whatever. But, no, I take a lot of pride of where I come from. And I'm proud to be an American citizen. Yeah. Yeah, that's how I feel. It's like, what do you mean? The least I can do is somebody's over there doing something. I can have a moment of peace or respect or prayer or a moment to think about them.
Starting point is 01:17:29 Exactly. And not to think about myself. Yeah. It's not even about like what I need or any of my friends. feelings or whatever. For me, I totally, it's like the one time where you had to be good. Or like have a moment where you're like, okay, this isn't about me. I need 20 seconds of your best behavior. Do it. Like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's odd. I mean, I definitely feel that. Is there a lot of pressure in the league to do that to like for those kind of wall, like that kind of
Starting point is 01:17:53 stuff to take stands? Or do you guys do that kind of stuff or talk about it as a team? I mean, yeah, I think that's like something that the WMBA is kind of known for is like we, we stand for a lot of things. And again, we have a lot of women in this league. And that doesn't mean we're all going to agree. And it's not like we're all aligned on some of those things. Oh, you guys have the diversity in there is insane when you think about it. Y'all got mothers.
Starting point is 01:18:17 Yeah. Y'all got stepmothers in there. Nobody even thinks about the stepmothers union in the W, right? Y'all got studs. You got ballers. Yeah. Y'all got women that can dunk, which also should be a special group of women that should meet every now and then just to discuss what's going on amongst them,
Starting point is 01:18:34 because that's a rare group, right? Yeah, yeah. I think we need more, like, unifying than more groups. Oh, that's what you're saying. But I get where you're coming from. Right. But, like, I think we need more unifying. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:18:47 But then there is also this thing that makes it like you, like it does feel something like you're saying, this team probably don't like this team, you know. But I think that's healthy. I agree too. That is what sports is. I agree. Like, tell me. I agree.
Starting point is 01:18:59 When you see all the players are best. friends. It definitely is kind of like, okay, but like in college SEC, that's where I went to school. Like not, do you think that Missouri loved every team and every player that we played against? No. Okay. Now take it to the men. Do you think all the men? Like, no. Like we don't, like, why are we such? Why do we have to be an outlier? Like, it's okay to be a female and compete and have rivalries and it's like, it's okay. That's what sports is. Like, that's what we signed up for. Yeah. So I just, I don't get that. Dude, I kind of wish that every team was their own state team and then the states all play each other.
Starting point is 01:19:33 That'd be badass. It'd be so badass. I feel like that there's a new possibility for maybe like a, like, I know they've tried with like the UFL for football or, but I feel like, I don't know, you would just have so much more pride. I mean, there is a lot of pride with certain areas and their teams. Yeah. And I do think like when you're good, like the state, regardless of where you're at, rallies
Starting point is 01:19:54 around that good team. Yeah. And like on any sport, like that's just natural. But I think in order to, I don't know, When there's rivalry and there's stuff on the line, you just get like the fans are rowdier, we're rowdier. Like, I just think that's fun entertainment. At the end of the day, we're in an entertainment business.
Starting point is 01:20:10 Like, I don't know. Yeah. I think it's part of it. When you're out on the court, is there a lot of studs out there hollering at you or what? Like, like, and the fans? Yeah. Like, or fans hollering? Is there like a lot of lesbian women trying to flirt or anything like that?
Starting point is 01:20:23 Does that happen? I mean, I don't, I don't, here we go again. Oh, sorry, I keep going down this road. I just feel, for some reason, I feel like it's like. Playing a game. I don't know who's yelling at me. I feel like it's like a lot of girls that be like, hey, let me get your number after the game or something like that. Is there energy like that ever? I mean, yeah. But like it's also. So that happens in the game sometimes? Oh, oh. I'm talking about like before and like after and stuff like that. Okay. But like in the game like I promise you, you don't hear people yelling.
Starting point is 01:20:51 Like you're that locked in. Like it's like, it's, I don't hear the crowd. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. Like you can tell the volume if like it's loud or if it's quiet, but you can't hear individual people. Yeah, I see what I'm thinking if there's like a girl flirt with you on a court. Like let me cross you up and then uncross you, you know? God. Or something. Is that crazy to say? I got to get some help.
Starting point is 01:21:11 It's a great pickup line. Honestly. Like, yeah, it is. But no, no one's ever used that on me. So. Okay. Well. What you say?
Starting point is 01:21:20 Let me. I'm going to cross you up and then uncross you. Yeah. Yeah. Is that good? I like that. I should have been a freaking lesbian. Dude, they said I had the fucking heart of a lesbian when I was a child.
Starting point is 01:21:30 Bring up that. Can you bring that up? This is true. There's a clip about it. Our doctor said it. You know, I was born with a rare body style. You know, the doctors, when I said, when I was born, some of the doctors said I had the rib cage of a large cat. And some of the doctors said I had the heart of a lesbian.
Starting point is 01:21:51 Praise God. That, you know, I had that real, that ticker that wants to, you know, just be naughty and sometimes do something dea. I didn't know it said all that at the end, but you know what it is. Anyway, rough transition here, but let's talk about your faith. You got baptized as an adult, right? I'm going to bring you to church with me. What church do you go to? Because of my lifestyle, I don't have.
Starting point is 01:22:19 It's hard to go sometimes. Well, I just don't have like a home, home church. But like I'm just like, I was raised Catholic, but now I'm just like more Christian. So I can never say this word, non. nominational. Just said it. And so like, yeah, I just, I, I love Jesus and I've actually listened to you a little bit that you're starting to kind of maybe get into it or intrigued by it a little bit. Oh, yeah. Or maybe that was just you not actually. I don't know, but it's okay. But all I'm saying is I rely a lot of my faith because of what I do for living. You get a lot of
Starting point is 01:22:53 hate, you get a lot of praise. And I think that just like morally in my head, everything, like, it just keeps me stable and it keeps me to be who I am. Like I don't care what people's opinions are about me. Yeah. Because I'm not living for their praise. No. Yeah. Yeah, the part that I like the most or sometimes right now in my life is just like prayer connection
Starting point is 01:23:12 with God. But then sometimes it's like I'll get too busy and it gets like disconnected. And then I feel scared almost get a little bit like, ah. Well, don't be scared. Why would you be scared? I'm not scared. Yeah. I don't know why I said scared.
Starting point is 01:23:23 But I get like, I wish I had, I wish my connection was stronger right now. That's what I get like. Like out, you know, it's like, it's like if you charge your phone, but then you see it getting low, but you feel like, dang. Dude, I feel you. Like, you need something to feel, but there's nothing. I'm just going to say this. And this for other people listening to, but there's nothing that you can or can't do that's going to separate you from God's love and grace and forgiveness.
Starting point is 01:23:45 Like, that's why Jesus came and died on the cross because he already knew everything you were going to do. So like, I mean, that's up to you now to like kind of educate yourself and read the Bible of like good, bad, how are you going to represent? but like you're already forgiven. So like, no, I think I understand that. You know what I'm saying? Yes. And like you probably feel better when you are. Right.
Starting point is 01:24:05 If you just accept that. And you are. Oh yeah. I mean, yeah. Yeah, but I just feel more of a like personal connection when it's like, um, I'm prayed up. Yeah. My buddy says stay prayed up.
Starting point is 01:24:17 I like that. He said it all the time. Stay prayed up. It's almost like if you talk to somebody around then, then you don't have to catch up with them. Well, that's a thousand percent what it is. That's what I'm saying. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:24:26 No, 100%. So it's like, but sometimes I'll get like, yeah, I'll just, yeah, I'll just get honestly busy. I mean, but that's natural. That's what it is to be human. You just got to prioritize the good. Yeah. Yeah. Do you feel like, I feel like sometimes the media doesn't, it feels like the media is unfair
Starting point is 01:24:43 to Christians. Do you ever feel like that? I mean, it's all how you perceive it and your perspective on things. But I do love that there's more and more people coming out that they are Christians and that they are believers. and I feel like there's a revival happening. And I love when people have the confidence to be their true selves and to represent something bigger than them.
Starting point is 01:25:06 And sometimes it can be scary of, you know, you never know how people are going to take that because people have, you know, bad experiences with the church or really with the church or religious people. And that's not really what it is. And so when you see people coming out, athletes, you know, is kind of my realm and you see more and more people who have a huge platform, have a lot of eyes and ears looking at them.
Starting point is 01:25:25 It's cool to see them be able to be bold and courageous and come out about Jesus. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it is. I think a lot of you, you know what I do notice? You see a lot of it amongst athletes. There's a lot of faith in the athlete in the athlete community. Do you think that that's real or do you think that that's posturing sometimes?
Starting point is 01:25:41 And I guess maybe does it even matter? But I just thought about it. It's like the more like more athletes that I've gotten to know probably in the past four years I've known more than ever in my whole life. Yeah. And it does seem like there's a lot more faith-based energy in their world. Really? Yeah. Do you think like coming from like is this like a comedian like the comedian world you don't see it as much or you're just like the because you're kind of in a different. Yeah comedians I think you don't see it as much. You get what I'm saying. You're just questioning everything and they're like you know a lot of them probably. Which I don't think that's a bad thing. Like I don't think it is either. I don't think it is either. Yeah. But no I don't know. I think this is all I know. Like I'm I've only ever been an athlete. So like I've there are athletes who aren't and that's totally okay. And, um, you know, it is what it is. That's that's, that's, that's, that's, that's,
Starting point is 01:26:24 their walk, but I know the majority of people that I'm around and who I know, they are faith-based. Oh, yeah. I mean, I find more and more of my friends are these days, or trying to. And that's really the biggest thing is just trying to have a relationship, trying to learn about it. We want to have some more religious figures on to talk about stuff on here. It's pretty fun. You should. And like, people who love history, love science, like talk to these people who are like, I don't know. They're just experts when it comes to the Bible. And that's what they do. for a living. And so people are like, oh, well, history and science, it doesn't make so actually all pretty much top scientists. They figured out that Jesus did live and he is real. And so you should
Starting point is 01:27:03 have them on because I think it'd be a fascinating conversation. And I think you would ask some great questions. Yeah. Yeah, we want to have it. Yeah, yeah, thanks. And yeah, we want to have the Pope on, but he won't. I don't even know if he has a phone. I mean, someone has a phone around there. They're not the Amish. And even the Amish have phones. There is a kid that does. Amos Timothy's coming back on. Really? Yeah. Did you know that people in prison have phones now?
Starting point is 01:27:28 I didn't know this. I just found this out last week. Yeah, I think they're Drewski fans. But yeah, a lot of them are. But dude, maybe the Pope, he'd send him some of the smoke signals and even hit us back, dude. Maybe.
Starting point is 01:27:40 You should start with that if you get them on. That'd be good. Gosh. What about off the court? So what's your life like off the court? Are you engaged? What's going on? Are you going on Love Island?
Starting point is 01:27:52 No, why would I go on Love Island? I heard a rumor that you were. No. I literally like I am someone who actually like am trying to, I was not always like this. Like I feel like I was one foot in, one foot out with my faith. And now that I'm like two feet in, I'm not trying to not live that life.
Starting point is 01:28:09 What is that like being in a relationship you mean? No, the love island. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. A little reckless. Well, also the island doesn't seem like it has any love on it. I mean.
Starting point is 01:28:21 You know what I'm saying? Yeah. But some people, but people, but people. love, love watching that. I've literally never, I've seen one episode and I felt like my brain cells were dying, so I stopped. Yeah. Like I need all the brain cells I can get, you know? Yeah. Got to protect them. Yeah. Yeah. Um, is it ever a common thing in the W where women will, like, kind of, where they want to have a family? Is that become a tough thing that someone has started to balance? Do you hear about
Starting point is 01:28:44 that? Oh yeah. And I think that's like a more and more thing. And typically, you know, it's, it's doable. Like you can be pregnant, go have your baby and come back. Now it's hard on your body. There are people have done it. A lot of people that were my teammates, this is strictly my experience and like teach their own on this. But their wives are typically the carriers. And so they have the wife had to have, yeah, has the baby. Okay. Yeah. So they're, they're not the ones having the baby. Okay. So they don't have the baby. The wife had the baby. Yes. Yeah. Okay. And hold on a second. They don't have the baby. The wife has the baby. So the wife carries the baby.
Starting point is 01:29:24 Yeah. So this and the semen or whatever, they buy it from somewhere. Yeah. But I think like now this could be totally wrong. But I think now like you can, I mean, no, I know I'm right on this. You can have your partner carry your egg. Oh, like the assist or whatever. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:29:40 Like the greatest. I mean, if we're talking basketball terms, yeah, the assist. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They go and dunk it, you know. Like the greatest assist or whatever. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:29:48 Yeah. Or surrogate. But like if you don't know balls, you don't know balls. The surrogates could be a good WMBA name. Fuck. Yeah. If there were like an expansion team. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:30:00 You're on a roll. So we got the licks and the surrogates. I'm just, I'm just brainstorming something. No, I like this. I don't think any idea is a bad idea. Yeah. Oh, I could see it.
Starting point is 01:30:10 I could see it a little bit. Yeah, because I just wonder like, yeah, just something that I like expansion. You got to freshen the league up, you know? I mean, how many times can you have young MA play at the halftime show? You know what I'm saying? Like, you got a fresh in the league up. You got to.
Starting point is 01:30:24 You got to. We got to try. The tides are changing, you know. Yeah. You got to continue to grow with it. We got to try new stuff. Is there any women that you know of that ever have ever played pregnant in the league? And are they allowed to play pregnant in the league?
Starting point is 01:30:38 Yes. Actually, I think one of my teammates was. Like if I'm, I know she was. I just don't know how far along. Because I think that's like, is it a, I don't know. don't know. I've never had a kid in my life, but I feel like you'd have to tell your doctors you're pregnant, right? And like- You could hide it. You could wear like a cumberbun or whatever. Well, I know, but I feel like once the player tells like the team doc or like the team trainers
Starting point is 01:31:03 that you're pregnant, then like it's there, they have to be like, okay, at this time you should probably not play. You know what I mean? But I feel like you could play up to like three, four months. I don't know. Do you guys know? I don't know because I don't know. But people have definitely played pregnant. Like she's not the only one. There's like there's been multiple people who, but then you kind of see them taking like once they find out, I guess. Just shooting three pointers or whatever? No, they, they don't play that season. Like they sit out. Oh, they take a season. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So is that a part of this is their baby season or whatever? Um, I mean, there's like a term for that? I don't know. I literally don't know. I should probably know more,
Starting point is 01:31:40 but I will say like, back when I first started like five-ish years ago, like it did, you could not be pregnant and play. Like they, you kind of get, I don't want to say, in trouble. But yes, you want to get your salary. But now in our new CBA, now you receive 100% of our base salary. Wow. So, but before you couldn't, you had to, it was like pay or it was like player pay. Well, you actually looked that up because I'm pretty sure that like we, there was, it was like a bad thing. We're like we weren't allowed to be pregnant and play. Like, you kind of had to pick and choose what you wanted to do. WMBA players now receive 100% of their base salary while on maternity leave. That's currently. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:32:19 Let me see before that. Yeah. Under older WNBA collective bargaining agreements and historical team practice, pregnancy was frequently treated similar to an injury, illness, or contractual impairment. Yeah, like you could get cut. Hmm. Which that's like actually insane, right? Yeah.
Starting point is 01:32:36 I mean, yes, it is. Looking at it through the eyes of now. Right? But even... But then it's like if you're, it's like, yeah, you would think they would keep you on. But I think who knows if there was a... enough money. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 01:32:50 In the end, it's unfortunate that so many things come down to money when you're involved in a business, right? Right. If it's just a group of women traveling around playing basketball, yeah, for the, completely for the love of the game. Yeah. And gestating together or having a child or someone, one of them has a child. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:33:05 Then yeah, you don't, they're, they're there. But you would, you would think of though, like as a, if you're like trying, no, but like if you're trying to like promote women and like, everyone's like, oh, we support you equality, like all that. then you would. And then the second Keisha's knocked up when fucking Lattner
Starting point is 01:33:23 hit this. Sight? You're cut, bitch. Like what? Like so you're, you're, yeah,
Starting point is 01:33:28 that makes no sense to me. So I'm glad to we fix that. Good job. Yeah. That was good. The one thing we're learning today,
Starting point is 01:33:33 it's one step at a time. So if you're kind of in hand. Yeah, I like it. That's one thing we're learning. Um, where, like if say if a man in the world, where does a man meet Sophie Cunningham these days?
Starting point is 01:33:43 There's a lot of young men out there that are, you know, not even loiterers, good men probably. You know? Do guys, like, do you, like, do guys hit on you or your DMs or is it just something like you meet a man in just regular life? Like, could you meet a man at like a gas station or like a Petco or anywhere? Or like anywhere. I'm just thinking of places out loud. Yeah. Is Petco a thing? Still?
Starting point is 01:34:04 Are they? Yeah. They have one of the largest hamps. They own one of largest hamster reserves in America. You kind of remind me of a hamster. Oh, really? Yeah. My first job was selling hamsters. Really? Yeah. Well, I'm sure you did a really good job with that. I don't really know. Like I...
Starting point is 01:34:20 It was okay. Oh, you didn't do a great job? We sold them outside of raves. I did all right. But do basketball players mostly date other basketball players? Is that the biggest thing amongst the straight players in y'all's league? I think, I don't know about basketball players, but like typically athletes. Like, I'm, we're tall.
Starting point is 01:34:37 Like, we're... Right. You have to, yeah, you can't hug somebody and have them not show up for it. Yeah. I mean, I guess. But, like, you... I don't know. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:34:48 I don't know about other, I just don't care enough to know about other people's dating life. And I know like athletes are hard though. Like we're hard. Like our schedule sucks. Um, you're always on the road. But like male athletes are scary.
Starting point is 01:35:01 Like they just, they're scary. Are they? I mean, they have so much money. They have, anything's accessible. And like,
Starting point is 01:35:08 you know what I mean? Like, that's kind of scary. Yeah. It can be dangerous. Dangerous. There you go. Like,
Starting point is 01:35:14 like if you're not mature enough to handle all of that, it could be scary. It could be fun. It could be dangerous. I mean, I'm sure it is fun. Until it's not. Exactly. But honestly, that's in the industry. Think about it.
Starting point is 01:35:27 Doctors, comedians. Yeah. An NBA athlete is a very insider industry right there. Is that what you're saying? I don't know. I don't know what I'm saying. I don't know what we're talking about anymore. Your podcast is no hezzi.
Starting point is 01:35:42 And that's out now. You can find it on everywhere. and it's with Sophie Cunningham and Drew Hanlon. And congratulations. Thanks, man. It's new. I think we're on like week five or six and it's been fun. We're trying to figure it out.
Starting point is 01:35:56 Nice. Yeah. Do you have big plans for the off season? Is there something specific you're going to do or learn a skill? I know that one of your players, I know that Kelsey Mitchell just finished school. Yeah, she's like getting her Ph.D. I know. She was doing it during season.
Starting point is 01:36:09 She's the best. She's simply the best. She's so great. No, I'm not going back to school. I don't know what I'm doing this off season. I'm kind of just like having fun doing Project B, which like we're going to different countries going to explore that and see that.
Starting point is 01:36:22 Oh, you're going to be traveling with that? Yeah. So like it's like you play 10 days and then you're off the rest of the month. So that's kind of awesome. Oh, so you're going to be doing that league? Yeah. Oh, I didn't even realize that.
Starting point is 01:36:30 Yeah, Project B. So like. Where are you guys going to be playing? We'll be over in China, Singapore, Spain, Germany. I think that's it. I think it's only four countries. Poland, too.
Starting point is 01:36:40 Are you going to Poland? No, no, Poland. Dang. But yeah. I'll be doing that, but otherwise just kicking it, hanging out. Excellent. All right, Sophie Cunningham, thank you so much. Thank you.
Starting point is 01:36:49 This was a blast. Was it? It was fun. I really enjoyed this. Oh, good. Yeah. It's my speed. My brain speed.
Starting point is 01:36:56 Okay, good. Now, I'm just floating on the breeze, and I feel I'm falling like these leaves. I must be cornerstone. Teach that ground. I'll share this piece of mind I found I can feel it. BOMBOR.

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