Kelsey Plum | Ep 198 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME BASKETBALL - podcast episode cover

Kelsey Plum | Ep 198 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME BASKETBALL

Sep 21, 202342 min
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Episode description

The WNBA playoffs are in full swing and we got Aces star Kelsey Plum on the latest episode of ALL THE SMOKE. KP joins Matt and Stak to discuss winning the WNBA title last season, playing under Becky Hammon and with A'ja Wilson, and how she met husband and Giants star Darren Waller. Plus, she opens up about her time at Washington and being drafted number 1 the same year as fellow Huskie, Markelle Fultz, who also went first overall.

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Transcript

Speaker 1

Welcome back all the smoke, Las Vegas Summerleague twenty twenty three, coming to you from the Blue Wires Studio here at the Beautiful Wind Hotel. You got a special guest today, Jack hey Man, you've been trying to get more women on the show, she volunteered, happy to have her queen's fresh off of WNBA Championship, fresh off of marriage, fresh off another All Star nomination. Welcome to the show, Kelsey Pluck.

Speaker 2

Appreciate you, man, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 1

I mean, as I mentioned all the stuff that's happened in this last year, like how's life, what's going on? Man?

Speaker 3

God is good. Yes, I feel so blessed.

Speaker 2

I feel you know, for a while, I think when I became a pro, it was really hard for me, you know, to kind of like go from college and have so much success to then get to be in a pro and like you think you're going to continue

that momentum, you don't. But I realized like growth is in linear, you know what I mean, Like we go in phases up and down, and so I feel like now I'm at a spot where I have my tribe and uh just consistent in what I do and how I approach my craft and you know, starting to branch out side of basketball and do other things. But but yeah, like I said, I can't say that enough.

Speaker 3

Like God is good.

Speaker 1

So I heard a little room or I don't know if it's true. Obviously you married Darren Waller, who is now a jet correct giants giant, don't make that mistake. That's really apologies. He better offer a jet than a giant in my eyes. I'm a cowboy fan, so.

Speaker 3

We're coming for you this year.

Speaker 1

Yeah, you gotta come for them. Cowboys are always weak. But I heard my bad. I heard a rumor that you guys met here. Did you guys needed the Blue Rin suicide?

Speaker 2

Just?

Speaker 3

Yeah, we did.

Speaker 2

You know what's so funny was that's how we first had our first real conversation. Was I was on his podcast and we were just we were chopping it up. I was pretending to pay attention to the other co host, but I was locked in.

Speaker 4

Yeah, he invited you on his podcast.

Speaker 3

He did, said he was doing.

Speaker 1

Yeah, probably why we keep waving off our show? Was it? Tell I think that's dope, So tell me about it. I mean, did you guys know each other before? That's kind of the first time you met you maybe obviously because you guys played in the same city.

Speaker 2

But yeah, so you know what's so funny, there was actually a fake blog that's what we were dating. And I was laughing because like, for me, I never dated a professional athlete, nor did I want to one. I think that, like, just being honest, I think we're some of the most narcissistic, egotistical people that we have to be.

Speaker 1

I am for sure, Amen.

Speaker 3

And self awareness, you know, now he's half the battle.

Speaker 2

But for me, like I'm like, man, I'm actively trying to work on not being like that, so not trying to stereotype all athletes. But you know, he asked me to be on his podcast a couple of times and I just said no, and he wore me down and then we had a conversation.

Speaker 3

It was very vulnerable.

Speaker 2

I mean, we talked about mental health, suicide.

Speaker 1

He has such an amazing story he does. I've been trying to get him on here for a minute. We've been playing phone tag on the on the d MS. But you're a great story for him too.

Speaker 3

Yeah, so that's awesome, that's really cool.

Speaker 1

Congratulations in the midst of the season, you guys had some key pickups this season. You guys are picking up where you left off. Need it, Yeah, beating the out of hereybody. Chelsea Gray, your backcourt mate, one of the best guards in the game.

Speaker 2

Speak to her point, God, yeah, Chelsea's a I think the way Chelsea plays is disrespectful. I should be she plays disrespectful. Some of the passes either even don't go through that she attempts.

Speaker 3

She's just like the audacity, the audacity.

Speaker 2

You know, she tried to throw one pass behind somebody's head last night in LA and it got tipped. But like if it maybe two inches different would have been a lab But again, there's another competitor. And I think that Chelsea, Like, I mean, she's having career highs in all different categories. She came back fifteen pounds later. She's a ball of muscle right now, she's shooting forty five percent from three. Like everyone on our team has really

decided to up to Annie. And you guys know, like when you're playing every season, when people come back better, it's like you earn a level of respect.

Speaker 1

Really, let's talk to Asia Wilson, who was named as female or excuse me, WNBA Player of the year last night that specea and for some reason she didn't get female athlete, which is crazy, crazy, But she's someone to me, I mean and obviously being a fan, I mean, she's you'll be the best player in the game, yep, but to me, still doesn't get to just do she deserves? Do you happen to know why? Man?

Speaker 2

You know, it's it's so interesting because I'm with you. I sit back and I watch just a body of work, right, and we talk about accolades, we talk about you know, some people weigh it on accolades, some people weigh it on statistics, some people weigh it on you know, big games, big moments.

Speaker 3

I mean, you name it. She's done, Like, I don't know what else she could have done.

Speaker 2

How do you win MVP Defensive Player of the Year, a World championship, a USA Basketball World Championship, and then win MVP of the World Championships.

Speaker 3

At USA Basketball?

Speaker 2

I mean, that's the best players on the best team and you win the MVP there, Right, it's like a clean sweep. I can't remember the last player that's done that. And you're right, I mean, she gets shortened, she gets shorted all the time, and it's and it's amazing because she handles it with grace. You know, she just keeps

steady in who she is as a human being. And I think, to me, like my respect just grows tremendously, and people around the league like she's just someone that carries a lot of weight in her voice because of how she carries herself.

Speaker 4

Absolutely, I love her because she speaks on mine and she marts her to beat her own drumm.

Speaker 1

And a lot of people don't like that.

Speaker 4

You don't follow suitors what everybody else doing when you do your own thing. It's always a problem with people. But like you say, she's doing everything she needs to do to get the recognition that she deserved, but she's still not getting it. But the fact that she still doing her job and not really worrying about not speaking on it, that says a lot about it.

Speaker 1

Moving on, Becky Hammond, a great player in herself for mcconnor.

Speaker 4

Was just named the whole w NBA Hall of Fame on their team.

Speaker 1

Bro. Shit, I mean that's I mean you know that this is they got a squad, bro, we got a squad. Becky all her championship experience before she was named your coach ever talks to her actually coaching in the NBA, she decided to come coach. You guys, how's it been working with her?

Speaker 2

Becky is tremendous and I always like say, it's only a matter of time before we lose her, like in the best way, because she's on that track. You know, it's a matter of time before. And it's not about to me. It's not about female or male coaches. It's just about coach coach and what you bring to that team. I don't know if y'all watch our playoff run last year, but we had some close games and those x'es and o's and how we executed Becky.

Speaker 3

Hammon being around Pop, being around Pop.

Speaker 2

And Becky has this ability to be able to have a really good feel for what each player needs. And I think that's super important because as a player like Matt, maybe she needs to talk to you differently she talks to me, maybe she needs to coach you differently, and those buttons exactly. And I think a lot of coaches sometimes cast a wide net, and Becky's able to pull little.

Speaker 3

Things out in different people. She's incredible.

Speaker 1

I had that obviously with Phil Jackson with the teams we had in his ability to push Ron's buttons, to push Kobe's buttons, to push power buttons, all that kind of stuff, and the magic Johnson told me one time, he's like a sign of a great leaders I understanding you can't talk to everybody the same way, right, and like you said, understanding how to address other people is what gets the most out of them. And then she's a player.

Speaker 4

She played the game, so the ben that's a hell of a benefit to have a coach that actually played the game. Yeah, she knows, she's seen everything.

Speaker 3

Oh yeah, she hates practice. I mean, this is a player.

Speaker 2

You know she don't you know she she'll get going, like in shooting drills. Sometimes if we're talking enough trash, she'll get in some. But she always is my shoulder, you know. It's always something You see that ship.

Speaker 3

One day you might be laughing.

Speaker 1

Now. I just got the I just got the goddamn adult league with my twins who were fourteen. In the first game, this dude was taking his job too serious, trying to fuck with me and try to box me out and made me twist money. I wanted to whoop his motherfucking ass. But speak to your upbringing out that way.

Speaker 2

I was born in Poway, California. I went to school in La Joya. Okay, that's what we played good basketball out there. I have a big family. We all play sports. Everyone played Division one college athletics. I'm the only person that plays basketball. Everyone else in my family played volleyball and my dad and my brother played football. So I grew up in a volleyball family, but again very competitive.

Speaker 3

My dad brought me to basketball when I was about ten.

Speaker 2

He used to take me to play pick up and he would say, hey, listen, like blocker, shot, steal.

Speaker 3

The ball, treat her like a dude, like.

Speaker 2

And plumb if he would call me plumb when we got there, but like he'd be like plumber, Like if you don't hit shots, like we're not winning. So like, and you know how it isn't pick up. If you lose, you got to sit for a minute for a minute, and so it's kind of you just have to get in where you fit in. And I walked home a lot. He thought he was Kobe at the end of the shot clock a lot of times.

Speaker 3

Oh yeah, we would get into it because I'm like Dad, I'm opening he like plumber. I had it.

Speaker 2

I had it, but no, it was a great, great great memories.

Speaker 1

What made you dedicate just after basketball the sports?

Speaker 2

To be honest, I just when I picked it up, I loved it. I mean, you guys know, it's like it's unlike anything else in this world. And uh, I just love to compete. I love the physicality of it. I loved just like the trash talk. I love how you can impact the game on both sides of the ball. And I just love the camaraderie with my teammates. So ever since then, I mean, I've been in love with it, and I still am.

Speaker 1

Diana Tarazzi. Yeah, when you hear her name, that's the first thing you think of.

Speaker 2

I mean, I'm smiling because we played the other day. I Mean, she's great, but she's an asshole.

Speaker 1

Man. I love. That's what I love about it. That's what I love about it.

Speaker 2

Yeah, she she's so funny in the game. Uh, I got an O board and I see her, so I backed it out a little bit and I'm like, oh, I'm ana blow ripe about her old ass, and I go, I go, I go by and she she just took me out like flagrant fast.

Speaker 1

She read your She's like, I'm having this young girl come here and try to embarrassment. Put your ass on the ground.

Speaker 2

What do you mean I was laying on my back for like ten seconds.

Speaker 3

She's laughing.

Speaker 2

Yeah, No, DT, one of the greatest all time. I love her swagger and her unapologetic demeanor.

Speaker 1

You know you've been playing a long time too.

Speaker 3

Yeah.

Speaker 1

But she hear twenty it's nineteen because someone looked that up. I know, she said. She's pushing. Yeah, she's coming up on this hell of an accomplishment. Colleges, what made you speak choose Washington? You had a couple of colleges in mind besides that school I got paid. I'm kidding, She's really not.

Speaker 2

But yesterday before nil Man, I wanted to do something different. You know, in basketball and women's basketball, it's a little bit more diverse now, but when I was in school, it was Connecticut, Tennessee, Stanford, and you kind of go If you're a West coaster, you kind of go to Stanford, if you're East coaster, you go to Connecticut, and if

you're more sol you go to Tesse. And I just said, you know what, like, I don't want to join them, I want to beat them, or at least I want to try, and so kind of felt like Washington was a great fit for me and coach really believed in me, which is I think a big part of the battle, you know, as a player, when a coach really buys into what you do, makes a big difference. And went to Washington and went to the final four, So it was it was a great run for us.

Speaker 4

When you leave college and start playing in the WNBA, do you remember the records you broke?

Speaker 2

No?

Speaker 3

All that goes away, right, all that goes away.

Speaker 2

I encourage I encourage players now that play. I'm like, when period the end, everything else comes, and everything else comes, all those scoring titles and dude, they don't mean anything when that's fun.

Speaker 4

You've been a big advocate and speaking on mental health and things of that such.

Speaker 1

Why is that so important to you?

Speaker 3

And it's important because it's all of us.

Speaker 1

We deal with it in some certain ways.

Speaker 2

Every single one of us is going through something and it's on a day to day basis, you know.

Speaker 3

And I feel like for me.

Speaker 2

When I was going through it, I didn't really have anyone to talk to about it, and it wasn't something that was super like prominent in my family. We didn't really speak about that. And then even like I didn't have a lot of resources of like whom I like going to share some of these vulnerable feelings and thoughts.

Speaker 1

It's hard for us, especially in people in our position, to kind of share our lives because we are public figures. And even before we're a public figure, it's just not comfortable enough to share. But once you can get a certain status, it's even tougher to share.

Speaker 2

I mean exactly, And so I think I kept it to myself and then I mean I just imploded. So I now I definitely I'm like, I've giving all my number, like, YO, you need me, hit me whatever, like or maybe I can put you in touch with someone that can. And so I think it's important. I feel like God really brought me through that journey to have more empathy and compassion for people going through it.

Speaker 1

You never know what somebody's going through. The number one pick in the twenty seventeen draft, the first time ever that college two kids from the same college with the number one picks in their respective drafts. What was that process like leading up? Obviously, Markel folks went to the sixers, you went to the San Antonio Stars. Was there a lot of hype around that before the process or why the process was happening?

Speaker 3

There was.

Speaker 2

I definitely remember in Seattle it kind of building because both of us didn't start number one at the beginning of the year. We kind of like worked our way up as the season went along. But I remember one of my favorite memories is he got drafted or excuse me, he decided to go pro and he called me the next day and he said, where are you at? And I was like, I'm just at the crib whatever, and He's like, come outside. He pulled them outside. What did you wagon?

Speaker 1

Okay, I'm out of here?

Speaker 2

And I was hype for but I mean, I couldn't afforded you wagon. But no, it was awesome. We were driving around because it's just like as kids, you work your whole lives for that, you get like that dream and it finally is coming true. It was really special to share that with him.

Speaker 1

And it's been unfortunate too because he has so much game, and I think them obviously try to change his shot and the surgery and everything. But I mean, he had and he's a good dude too, but he had a lot of game. I'm hoping he's able to. He's kind of found his it's funny in Orlando, but it's take him a little while, but he's got a lot of game. Good kid, You're welcome to the w NBA.

Speaker 2

Moment, Cappy pondexter, I was guarding her and I'm sure this wasn't the first play, or maybe it was, but first possession of the game, ISO on the elbow against me, hit in my face. Next possession, same play, next possession, step back, same play.

Speaker 3

I got subbed out, didn't play. The rest of the half was fucked up up.

Speaker 1

That's a great welcome. Welcome, motherfucker.

Speaker 3

Yeah, we're We're done.

Speaker 1

Welcome. That's dope. Who are some of the vets you leaned on early in your career.

Speaker 2

That's the thing. I didn't have a ton of vets. I didn't have a ton of vets. And that's how I feel now, Like even doing uh the campus offseason, it's called we called it dog class, but it was under armour, just trying to bridge the gap from college to pro because I learned a lot in those years, but I learned because I failed, and like fortunately I was in the position where I was allowed to fail

enough to find my footing. But most women don't have that position, right, So I'm like, man like, if we can figure out a way to give some of that insight earlier, it can really save some people. So to answer your question, I didn't have a ton of vets.

Speaker 1

Interesting because we just tested that all the time on the NBA side when we first come in. We came, he came in late nineties. I came in early two thousands. But there were guys that were thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight, and where they get contributed on the floor or not. They contributed so much in the locker room and on the road and just kind of putting their arm around you and helping with those pitfalls. And it seems like both leagues now are just younger and younger.

So it's the young leading the young, and like you said, fortunate enough to be able to make the mistakes because a lot of other people aren't afforded those opportunities to continue to kind of let me find my way, right. So interesting, toughest match up early on, or or one match if you really looked forward to once you got there.

Speaker 2

It's a league. The thing about the w is like everyone's good. Even now when we play it's like, okay, I think this stretch we played like we played Seattle, so I was guarding Jewel. In the next game, I was Garden Rique, and then the next game Garden Jordan, Canada. I mean, like everyone's good. Every night, there's no like, oh.

Speaker 3

You know, I'm chilling today.

Speaker 2

I mean, everyone talks about our super team or whatever, but like, man, we're out there, We're out there competing.

Speaker 3

I mean, it's just it's tough. It's tough.

Speaker 1

What kind of target. Obviously, you win a championship, so be able to back to back that it's tough. Every single night. It's the other team's biggest game. You know, they can be not even in contention, but beating you guys is like we got them. They're not that good or whatever the situation may be. So what is that like every single night going on the road. Obviously at home, it's different going on the road knowing how big this game is for the other team.

Speaker 3

I stopped I stopped caring.

Speaker 2

Okay, I mean honestly, like US versus US period, like we over here like trying to get better and like if we handle our business, it don't matter.

Speaker 3

That's kind of the approach.

Speaker 2

I feel like the older you get, the more you stop caring about everyone else, like in that way, Yeah, you know, in the right way exactly. And so to be honest, like I don't care, she doesn't, you don't.

Speaker 4

You know, I don't right about that.

Speaker 1

That's one thing you can guarantee.

Speaker 4

We all see y'all celebration on the Vegas trip, but take us take us back to the journey to get to that point. You know a lot of people have seen all that, but ups and downs, the highs and lows doing the season, the injuries, the arguments with teammates, all that. You know, a lot of people don't understand that very few people get a chance to experience being a champion, are the best in their craft.

Speaker 1

Talk about the road to get there? How does that feel?

Speaker 2

Even when you ask that question, I can tell it like it holds weight, you know, it does.

Speaker 3

It's a feeling that's hard to articulate.

Speaker 2

But you're right, there's so many moments throughout and it's not like that season. Like you said, it's like compounding because like I got drafted in twenty seventeen Asia and twenty eighteen Jackie in twenty nineteen, and then Chelsea came

in a free agent in twenty twenty. So like we've been building this for years, you know, and we've we've had i mean, first three years didn't make the play playoffs, you know, and we had three number one picks, so and we've heard like the underachieving in that for for

a while. So to get over that hump, it was just, man, it was special, special to do with that group too, you know, because as you guys know, when things get hard, it's really easy to just be like it's mass fault, I'm out, and so to kind of dig down and decide that we're going to do this together and we're going to put our egos aside, because like when you play on a team like this, you might go you might go from eighteen shots to fourteen, and your average

is going to go down, and people around what's going on with you? You're not no, no, I'm better than I was. But it's it's the team. It's the team. So it's hard. It's hard to turn it, tune out that noise, but when you in, it makes it all worth it.

Speaker 4

But that's as an athlete that says more about the players that you have that they him all buy in with being all everybody being great, we can all buy into the one goal that says a lot about players and that they're coachable. You know what I'm say, Because a lot of teams can't do that. You see teams with a lot of stars to badly make the playoffs, but to be able to come together put your egos to a side. That's the great teams. That's why I

got a chance of going back to back. Who was the most lit on the preid?

Speaker 1

Who is the Stephen Jackson of the parade? Yeah, you're about to crown yourself.

Speaker 3

Man, it's crazy. That's the guard took me out. Took me out. That's my first gigar I've ever smoked.

Speaker 2

That was brutal. I would say Asia, she was on four locos.

Speaker 3

I mean, what are we doing?

Speaker 1

I love her?

Speaker 4

I love her, I love her, I love her.

Speaker 1

Yes, I love her. Yeah.

Speaker 2

I would probably say he and Jackie Jackie sneaky. Jackie had them glasses on, but Jackie was faded.

Speaker 3

Yeah.

Speaker 4

The one day you supposed to be doing the playoffs, she had a chance to go one last time was Sue Bird?

Speaker 2

Yeah, talk about Sue man Sue's Uh.

Speaker 3

Sue is an icon.

Speaker 2

Sue is uh somebody that for me had a tremendous impact on my career because she took the time out of her day to always check on me, and like that goes a long way because that does nothing for her, you know, and not like really resonated with me. And I mean she just made everyone around her better on the court and off the court, you know.

Speaker 3

Uh.

Speaker 2

And so man Sue, she's the goat uh And it's just an honor to be able to play. I got to play with her a little bit with USA Basketball, but playing against her the way she competes, she's like a computer out there. But again, just really happy for her. She's had one of the greatest careers of all time.

Speaker 1

So I love so. She's one of the coolest people on earth. Because we talked to her, right, she's about her. She said she's gonna come smoke with us. That's so. But but but the live cast that you do with with that with DT is the funniest. They had the little red cups. You don't know what's in them cups. They turned up. You've been very vocal about the league, most recently speaking to players and all star tickets in a perfect world, what do you feel like the w can do better?

Speaker 3

Oh gosh, how much time we got?

Speaker 1

Right?

Speaker 3

No, you know, I'm not here to bitch.

Speaker 2

I would say that I feel like everything rises and falls on leadership. And so when you have the right people making the right decisions that represent the body of players that you have, good things will happen. And until that happens, you'll see what you see, which is a secondary product, and it's not it's not on the court, it's everything else that comes into that. And so you know, we're we're working to make changes, but it takes time,

and I understand that changes in overnight. But but man like we uh, we know that the game has come a long way, but we do have a long way to go.

Speaker 1

But it helps to have stars speak up and not be afraid to speak up, because some people are afraid to speak up. And even they know I could be speaking up and it's going to speak for the masses, and some people are afraid to do that.

Speaker 3

Mm hm.

Speaker 1

Any favorite college hoopers? Obviously, the final four last year for the women's was incredible. I got guarded more attention than the menu. You know, Kaylyn Kark and Angel restole the show. But any players that you still follow, Oh.

Speaker 2

Yeah, I watched a lot of college basketball. I mean those two are tremendous. Uh. I think that it's so cool to see like them take off after that too.

Speaker 1

There's a reason you like.

Speaker 3

To capitalize on that. For me, the nil like that, that to me was really cool to see.

Speaker 2

And uh, you know, people wonder like is that good for the w is I think it's great. I think it pushes is that envelope further and further. People got people talking that didn't even watch basketball before you know that tuned in, So I think all that is great.

Speaker 1

Yeah, I was definitely spoke up on it. But when Angel Rescott, I don't even know. People were just mad because she was talking shit. And I'm just like, if if men talk this shit every single day, you guys to say a motherfucking word. A woman talked shit on the biggest stage and it wasn't like it was a one sided shit talk because Kaitlyn was definitely talking her

shit the entire time. What were your guys' thoughts as women and as players in your league when there was such an outrage for what, you know, when she was doing what's a part of the game.

Speaker 2

I mean, I love it as someone that I mean, I know you guys will be surprised, but I only talk when someone talks to me.

Speaker 1

First. I was the same way he was just talking to That's hard to believe. That's hard to believe.

Speaker 2

I mean, if I get going, I get going. But to me, I feel like, honestly, it's people feel secure. You have like a strong black woman that's confident in herself and knows what she's talking about, and she's just saying what she feels. I think a lot of people were like, WHOA, Like, how do I feel about this? I think it's the same way with women in general.

Speaker 3

A lot of times.

Speaker 2

You should see some of the things that people say on w games, like I don't even know if they would ever make us up, but it's it's like.

Speaker 3

We talk like y'all talk. There's no difference.

Speaker 2

It might even be cattier. Probably it's probably more personal.

Speaker 1

Too say that women could d they get straight to shout out to life.

Speaker 3

I didn't mean to.

Speaker 1

Trauma, yeah, I mean I just thought it was adicting because, like I said, you see this ship every single day in our game. Now then women are doing it, have been doing it, but now it's on a big stage. You guys have an issue with it, like what's the problem. But I mean, I think you said it very well.

Speaker 4

Even if it was a problem, why was it the most watched. It had to be entertaining to see, to see women compete like that, that's what you want to see.

Speaker 1

It's good for the game, and it's teaching, teaching the younger.

Speaker 4

Girls that's coming up how to play and how to approach the game, how to take it serious, how to compete, how to want to win, how to state lawyer in your school. You know, it's like all these things that they showing, both girls showing. I love it for the game. Outside of your team. Give me three players. Do you feel like we're at the top of the league.

Speaker 2

We know one, I mean Stu, He's tough man. Let's see. I like Stu. I mean I think Jewel. Jewel's tough. You know, I'm gonna go to sleeper. I really like Ryan Howard. I like Ryan Howard's game. I think that she is smooth and I'm glad that she got uh the replacement for All Stars. She deserved that. In the first place. But that's a tough that's a tough check.

Speaker 1

Give me three NBA players you'd like to watch.

Speaker 2

I love Jalen Brunson. Mmm, I like watching him in the playoffs. Man, and he's a lefty. I mean, Steph is obviously probably one of my favorite players. And I would say, I like dejont I gotta go back with my dogs.

Speaker 1

He's a dude.

Speaker 3

Dude, Yeah, you went to school together.

Speaker 1

Great, dude, great.

Speaker 3

He was paid.

Speaker 1

Absolutely had him on the show and I was blown. I mean I got a chance to meet him at Jamal Crawford's wedding way back, and he was a youngster. And Jamal Crawford is such a basketball head that this motherfucker for his bachelor party had to play basketball midnight. Keep in mind, I'm off of three blunts. I don't know how much tequila and the gym has packed. I'm like, bro, we want to play basketball anyway, you gotta meet my

young boy. He was like a sophomore junior. When I tell you he was a Jamal shadow but dropped like fifty on us. I'm like, oh, he's going to be your problem. And then fast forward he's here. But we had him in Atlanta earlier in this year, and I was just so impressed with his demeanor, the way he carried himself, his maturity beyond his years, Like just a really good obviously humble, yeah humble, you know, come from humble beginnings, but just a good dude. So I really

became a huge fan. I was already a fan, became a huge fan of Johntay as a man after we got a chance to interview him.

Speaker 4

Two, you signed with under Armour. You're gonna unveil the first pe alst the weekend.

Speaker 3

YEP.

Speaker 1

Excited.

Speaker 3

Oh man, it's so cool.

Speaker 1

It gotta be cool.

Speaker 2

It's so cool to be to be with a brand too that cares and is like invested in, like really puts their money where their mouth is. I think that to me speak volumes. I mean today we're coming, like I apologize for being late. We were coming from an access camp with young kids in Las Vegas and we got to do a camp and then take them shopping. Kids were hype, you know, and it's just cool because it's like that's what matters, that's impact.

Speaker 4

What do you what do you think is the most important way to impact women's basketball.

Speaker 1

I'll just period outside.

Speaker 2

Of the WNBA, that's a question. I mean, I think, first and foremost be myself. I think that like in terms of like what I can do is like stay true to who I am, and I think that bleeds into everything that you know I do.

Speaker 3

I also feel like.

Speaker 2

When you know I make choices, I make them for the future and for these young women coming behind me, you know, like what I go through, I can help

make their lives easier or better. And like you know, for me, like being the Player Association, like being vice president, I try to really like listen to what my teammates, my colleagues, my peers want need because this game is changing, you know, the twenty twenty five CBA is coming in the w and we're gonna make big gains, and so I feel like having that proper representation and having people

get what they need is important. But this next generation is I mean, man, they don't They're they're paving their own path and it's really cool to see.

Speaker 4

What would you tell a fan who wants to see the w NBA be just as big as the NBA, What would you tell them?

Speaker 2

You know what's so interesting because when I get comparisons to the NBA. It's like apples and oranges. It's like we're so young, like where we are in our league versus where the NBA was six year Yeah, it's like we're technically bigger, right, So like we got to give yourself a little bit of grace. But I also feel like I tell fans all the time, like, don't come support me, come watch me play. Like when you go watch Devin Booker play, you're not saying I'm here to

support Devin. No, you're here to say I want to see this man hoop. Right, And there's like a there's a language difference. You know, this is in charity, right, And I think that matters, like that respect factor matters, and so like we understand like we have to earn that. But I encourage people that I run into to tell them, like, you know, we hoop just like them.

Speaker 4

There's so many people like me that just want you to have it now, you know what I'm saying. We feel like y'all deserve it just as much as we do, you know what I mean. It's the female version of women's version of basketball. It has the same initials as the NBA. Everything should be the same. That's how a lot of people look at it and now we know it doing things don't happen overnight like that. But at the same time, we know y'all deserve it. Speaking, let's

go back to stuff. You say you're a big fan of stuff. How does it feel to be under armored with Steff and also have your shoe coming out?

Speaker 1

You talk to them a lot.

Speaker 2

Oh man, this is the thing. I've never messed that from person, So I'm excited. I know, I know, we just have always like it just hasn't worked.

Speaker 1

I mean, he's a comedian.

Speaker 3

Anyone that's and I do so big. That's crazy. You're good.

Speaker 2

I heard this story that he checks his Twitter at halftime see what people are saying, like, yo, try this in the game, and then he go does it like he goes to do it.

Speaker 1

Interesting.

Speaker 3

I'm like, that's crazy, like that he could pull it off.

Speaker 2

That is a comedian, Like to me, like, you have to be kind of sick and funny.

Speaker 1

Stuff is dope.

Speaker 4

When did you find your swag growing up? I mean, I'm looking at you right now, you're swaggy. When did you come into your own way the way you like to dress your fashion?

Speaker 2

I feel like I still I'm still coming into my own trying new stuff. You know, always evolves, you know. I love being like an adult and say hey, like I wonder why people do this, and then you try right and you're like, oh that's why, Yeah, you.

Speaker 1

Know, because you can't.

Speaker 3

Yeah, just trying to work.

Speaker 2

See what doesn't I'm super open to like anything, But yeah, I would say I a little bit more casual.

Speaker 3

I don't like to be all girly, you know, like.

Speaker 2

Y'all know, y'all know how girls dressed boy growing up, like playing I.

Speaker 3

Was a big tomboy.

Speaker 2

Yeah, they didn't know if I was a boy or girl because I had like a bull cut, I had a row, I was shipped like a pair like So it took me a second to like growing to my own skin. But no, I feel comfortable in it now.

Speaker 1

Two gold medals one for three on three, one for five on five. Does one more important than other? I mean, obviously representing the country is a huge honor.

Speaker 2

Yeah, I mean I joke like three on three is like the.

Speaker 1

X Games X Games stump though.

Speaker 2

You'll ever played like three on three like hoop it up back in the day.

Speaker 1

Feb rules, Well, three rules is different than Yeah.

Speaker 4

Yeah, people they don't even take the ball out, they just throw it back out and so as they take it out the net, they go real fast. But if some of the Fever guys came to the Big Three and it.

Speaker 2

Didn't work out for him, I could see that. But the other way around, I could see it to.

Speaker 1

Kill us out there. Yeah, yeah, it's too fast.

Speaker 3

But no, I mean I would say five and five. It's huge.

Speaker 2

You know, Paris is coming up, and to be able to try to you know, make that team and you know, hopefully play with my teammates like that, that is a dream, you know, the represent your country and go for a gold medal. That's a big one on my list that I'm running for. I'm running for.

Speaker 1

Ready for it.

Speaker 4

Yeah, we talked with the Austin Reeves. He's getting a chance to play with Fever.

Speaker 1

Yeah, that's awesome. Vegas has been thriving on the sports side for the last few years. Obviously the Raiders come into town that you guys in the Knights were able to win. Uh, you guys are stealing the a's from Oakland, Vegas. You already rocket, it's already Rockets. What's the vibe out here? And and and just the energy around the city because I feel it being different. And then obviously there's talks of an NBA team possibly coming here.

Speaker 2

What's the energy like around Vegas of Lake Man Vegas? Is Vegas is I mean always but different though.

Speaker 1

I feel like it's a different energy though, you know, I mean because sports has never really had a footprint out here, and now it does.

Speaker 3

It does.

Speaker 2

The locals take it seriously and it's cool to see, you know, they appreciate winning the Golden Knights. Shout out to them, Steiling Cup. That's it was awesome to see. But I feel like it's just growing. And like you said, I wouldn't be surprised a couple of years we get at.

Speaker 1

NBA team for sure.

Speaker 2

You know, baseball, it's a pretty sweet taxes better out here.

Speaker 3

Get yourself placed out here off the.

Speaker 1

Court outside of basketball. Who are you?

Speaker 2

I'm goofy. Honestly, I'm goofy. I love to hang out with my family, I love to eat food. I'll be napping when I can. Like, I'm really low key. I just try to enjoy life.

Speaker 1

Crazy hobby that no one would expect you to have. Something you do to be like, oh, really.

Speaker 3

Crazy hobby.

Speaker 1

Crazy goofy oh you know what I like to do? Uh?

Speaker 3

You know, like the paint palettes, but there's a picture and you try to paint it. Did I like to do that?

Speaker 1

We did? Those are starting to become more popular. Like I went to a couple of paint and SIPs. Now they do those are dope? Yeah, yeah, peaceful, yes, absolutely, I ain't shit at it, even though the directions are right there that they're fun. Bro d Wade had one that was incredible, and then I went to another one. I did the d Way one, but it had the colors to the numbers to match the color so straight. When they just told us what to do, I'm like, what the fuck, I can't do this? But those are fun.

The paint STIPs are dope, all right. You know you got to get out of here, busy woman, big weekend coming up, quick hitter, So first thing to come to mind. Let us know, top your top five w NBA players of all time time right on the spot.

Speaker 2

Oh, I'll say I'll just go vintage, so I don't like get into it too much. Probably Sue d t Maya uh still and I'll go Lisa.

Speaker 1

I think we just saw may More a little bit ago, but I wasn't Did she just have a baby?

Speaker 3

I must have missed that before.

Speaker 1

I'm sorry, but this my Moore had a baby on her in the front of her, so it might have not have been the real manamour? Good question, good question. What do you know about Cynthia Cooper?

Speaker 3

No, she could be in there too.

Speaker 4

Yeah, I'll just ask that was my More.

Speaker 1

They said she had a baby last year, so I knew that was my Mour. Yeah. Who's on your music rotation on Game Day?

Speaker 3

I'm old school. I like Earth on the Fire.

Speaker 1

Word okay word, Yeah, Okay.

Speaker 3

That's a bee that's coming out this weekend.

Speaker 1

Yeah, okay, that's relations That's super dope. All right, there's another one, Ron m J. Kobe rank them?

Speaker 3

Stupid question? Why we do this?

Speaker 1

All great? All better than us?

Speaker 3

Great answer, Let's move on.

Speaker 1

She's gonna slip around it. Who's your favorite NBA player of all time? You have to rank who's your.

Speaker 2

Favorite all time? I would say it's a toss.

Speaker 3

Kobe.

Speaker 2

I watched with my dad growing up, so I feel like that was like huge. But also watching Braun and just the way he plays the game, I really appreciate it, so I feel like those two.

Speaker 4

Yeah, stuck on the islands, three shows, a movie in rotation, what you're gonna watch?

Speaker 3

Gladiator? Remember the Titans?

Speaker 1

The last spot is crucial.

Speaker 2

Hmmm.

Speaker 3

I feel like we need a funny one because we stuck on the island.

Speaker 1

Yeah, going on.

Speaker 3

Step brothers.

Speaker 1

Austin. Have you seen wedding crashers? So? Have you seen the the I think he's the gay brother that paint painted the picture. There was a me and my Austin with his hair off them, and Jack called him that guy yesterday and everybody, but I painted a picture for you. Uh. Five dinner guests dead or alive? You plus five at the dinner table, good wine, conversating who you got?

Speaker 2

I take my family, easy pick.

Speaker 1

No one's ever said that people have had family members. She said, I'm taking the whole family.

Speaker 4

If you could see one guest on our show, who would it be? But but you have to help us get them on the show.

Speaker 1

That's a cool teammates your husband's though, Darren, Yes, that's easy called all right, Well, Kelsey, we appreciate you. Best of luck. We want your teammates best of luck the rest of the season. Best of luck. This weekend w n b A All Stars here in Vegas. Look, you got some fans out there. Yeah, West Side were out here, Tyrone Corvin, Uh yeah again, best of luck with everything. Thank you for making time to come on our show today. We know you're really busy, but man messed luck.

Speaker 3

Thanks, appreciate you.

Speaker 1

Thanks Kelsey Plumb all the smoke. You can catch the show Time Basketball YouTube and I heard platform black effects. See y'all next week

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