Trash Talk Has Commenced with Napheesa Collier

Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're screaming Happy Black History Month louder than ever this year. It's Monday, February third, and on today's show, we'll be talking with unrivaled basketball co founder and Minnesota Links superstar and Avisa Collier about playing in her own league while helping run it, the WNBA's unidentified tamper rules, and having a quarter of the w's players in one place during free agency, plus all the latest w trades and deals. Aposto Bam Lives,

In the WNBA.

Well, y'all, free agency is free agencying, and a lot has happened since we last spoke. So let's run through the non exhaustive highlight, shall we. We're going to give you a team by team look at player movement now. First, what started out last week as a two team deal with the big headline of Alyssa Thomas heading to Phoenix turned into a four team trade between the Sun, the Wings, the Fever, and the Mercury we'll start with the Mercury, already newsmakers for the departure of Brittany Griner.

Then they end up adding two of the biggest.

Fish in the free agency pond, the aforementioned Alissa Thomas, and as we learned on Saturday, they also get the Unicorn Satu SABII. Now you'll hear plenty more on how that four team deal affects other teams coming up. Heading to Indiana a shocker in the Hoosier State, as Dewana Bonner is not following her fiance Alisa Thomas to Phoenix. Multiple outlets reported on Sunday that Bonner is headed to the Indiana Fever to play for her former Connecticut Sun

Pick in the upcoming draft.

You put all that together, and all of a sudden Indy's looking like a squad, so no more.

Alyssa, Thomas and dB together.

But there is good news on the hoops and gay shit front because in Texas, the Dallas Wings got Djna Carrington and Melissa Smith in that four team deal, a win for love and for the gays. The Wings also get Ty Harrison the trade who was originally reported as heading to Phoenix before that deal expanded to four teams.

The Dream weren't done.

After signing nine time All Star Britney Grinder last week. They also signed three time All Star Brianna Jones, who spent the first eight seasons of her w career in Connecticut. The Dream also added Shatory Walker Kimbro, who spent the last four years with the Washington Mystics.

Speaking of Washington, the Mystics are real quiet. Not much to report. Out West.

We know the La Sparks picked up two time champ Kelsey Plum and now they've re signed Odyssey Simms, who originally joined the team last year on a hardship contract. Upstate from the Sparks, the Valkyries well in the Midwest. First, my Chicago Sky brought back two time champ and five time All Star Courtney Vanderslut. Then over the weekend it was reported that they've also nabbed Rebecca Allen and Keia Nurse.

You can check them out more WNBA news.

Last week we reported that the Indiana Fever will play a preseason exhibition game against the Brazilian national team at Caitlin Clark's alma mater, Iowa. Well, now we know my Chicago Sky will also take on Brazil, but at LSU Skystar Angel Reese's.

Old stomping grounds.

That game will be May second, inside the Pete Marovitch Assembly Center and we're sure to see plenty of fans pop in Reese's pieces at that one. And while we're on the topic of Angel responsorships, did you guys see her McDonald's deal. You can now order the Angel Ree Special.

In league history.

Wilson let the game Cocks for their first Final four and first national championship, and upon graduating in twenty eighteen, became the program's first number one overall WNBA draft pick. Asia's Boo bam Adebio, fresh off a game winner for the mnba's Miami Heat Saturday night, was in attendance, and she gave him a little sly acknowledgment.

I wouldn't be who I am today without the love, support and sacrifices of so many people. And what a blessing to have those most special to me courtside today, especially my favorite Olympian from out of town, Wink.

Long live Apostre bam And speaking of twenty two is being honored on two to two, Kaitlyn Clark's number twenty two Jersey was retired at Carver Hawky Arena at the University of Iowa on Sunday, as Well, the all time leading scorer in NCAA Division One history, led the Hawkeyes to back to back trips to the National Championship, going on to be the number one pick in the twenty twenty four WNBA Draft and earning All Star and Rookie

Moment would come for Kaitlin Clark. Take a listen, just a couple of short years ago, I came into the arena. You were in here getting your shots off before the practice like you always are. And now you tell you pause for a second, and you looked up there and you looked at those jerseys. I went over to you with my m around your shoulder and said, Kaitlyn, someday your name is.

Going to be up there.

Your jerseys can.

By the way, shout out to Lucy Olson, who went nuts in that game against the Trojans, dropping twenty eight points the hard way. She didn't hit a single three pointer. All her buckets came at the free throw liner from the floor. She also posted four assists and four boards in the win. Olson transferred from Villanova to Iowa, and head coach Jan Jensen hoped she'd be able to make up some of the scoring that left when Clark was drafted to the WNBA. I'd say she's doing a pretty

Starting in two thousand and six, she dedicated one of the.

Wolfpack's home games each year to raising awareness and money for the fight against women's cancers. In the almost twenty years, sense more than a thousand schools have held Play for K games, with funds going to the k Yo Cancer Fund, started by Yoo before her death. It's truly an incredible example of community action. Oh and the action between these two acc fos should be really good too.

Catch it Live on ESPN. Two unrivaled games.

Tonight give you a couple more reasons to kick it on the couch, with Phantom BC playing Miss BC at seven thirty Eastern, followed by Vinyl BC against the undefeated Lunar Owls. The myst were the last team in the l League to get a W. They finally got off the schneid with a victory on Saturday over the Vinyl. Both of tonight's games will be available live on tnt oh when in case you missed it. Rose BC ford Asrey Stevens, was at the center of a very cute

We caught up with her at the tail end of last week Justice.

WNBA Free Agency t was eaten up, stick around.

Joining us now.

She's a four time WNBA All Star, former WNBA Rookie of the Year, last year's Defensive Player of the Year, and runner up for WNBA MVP, a two time Olympic Champ, Ncuba Champ.

You're a league, Turkish Super League, FIBA, Europe.

Super cup Champ Unrivaled co founder Mama to Mela, lover of mystery novels and one of the baddest hoopers in the world.

It's DEFEASA call your fee. Thanks so much for joining.

Us, Thanks for having me. That was a great introduction.

Thank you. I had to keep it real short.

You have a lot of accolades, and we have only so much time, but I just have to tell you personally, like in the last couple of years, you become one of my favorite players to watch. So I'm so excited to get the chance to actually talk to especially about Unrivaled, because we've been fan growing over here ever since a lot of the information started to come out about who was playing and everything else. What's been the biggest surprise now that the season's actually up been running.

Thank you. I think just how fast like the momentum has like it caught on and how fast like people kind of embraced it, you know, obviously, like we think it's a good idea. We started it, we we knew how successful like it could be if everyone bought in. But to see like the fans and the girls and just ever like the women here, just everyone buying into it. I wouldn't say it's surprising, but it's really like heartwarming and kind of just validates everything that we've put into this for the bests.

Yeah, just two years, that's wild.

I mean, so we had your husband Alex on the show, and I know you guys ran a lot of practice basketball runs to test for you know, points and how to do the cameras and everything else. What's been surprising basketball wise?

If anything, I would say how fast it is. So of course, you know, like we're gonna have shorter quarters and the fourth quarter is like so exciting. But I think that's a little bit surprising is how much fun like I'm having in the fourth quarter because you know, something I've never done before. And then also just how good you have to get at your skills, Like you have to improve in your ball handling, you have to improve in your skill sets in your defense. It forces

You couldn't have known that the league's first season would tip off shortly after you and co founder Breonna Stewart were going to head in the w finals.

Makes for a great story.

But was it a frosty couple first days or weeks of planning right after the finals?

No, not at all. I mean during the finals, for sure, like we weren't talking. We were like we were just so locked into we both wanted to win, of course, But after that, like is totally cool. I mean I feel like I would. I have no hard feelings, she has no hard feelings. It's basketball at the end of the day, and you do whatever you can to win. And so I think we both understand that we played the game for a long time and so it wasn't weird at all when we came back together.

What's your dynamic as co founders, Like, who brings what strengths to the table?

That's a good question. I've never gotten that one before. I think we bring honestly a lot of similar strength, just because I feel like we're on like pretty parallel paths, you know, going to the same college and we're both mothers and the game. We're both elite players in our game, so I think we just kind of validate each other's perspective.

Did you talk to a handful of players and just test out, like would you guys be willing to do this?

Like if we do this league, would you play? How many?

Did you feel like you needed to kind of get a taskit approval from before you felt comfortable going forward.

We didn't do it in that way where we're like, if we did this, you know, do you want to do it? We had already started the ball rolling and then it was just getting those first dominoes to fall, Like we are doing this and if we have you behind it, it's going to make it that much more successful, and then you know, you will get the ball rolling where we can get other players. And so getting that buy in from the initial players was really crucial. So

How are you balancing playing and the co founder role.

I think I compartmentalized, Like when I'm at the gym and I'm with my team, I'm strictly a player. It is like kind of murky sometimes when players will come up to me and be like, can we do this

Does it make you more empathetic to your w team, presidents, commission everything else, or does it make you feel like, now I've figured out how to get this done and now I want to go back and tell them how to do it.

I'm not definitely not cocky enough to think that I can tell them how to run the league. It is very different. You know, they are handicapped by a lot of things just with the NBA that we don't have to deal with. But at the same time, I do think that we have things here that can be implemented in the WNBA. I really like our business plan a lot, and I like the way that, you know, how we're able to treat the players. So we built this because we think there are things that can be improved upon

Yeah.

I was briefly co owner of the Chicago Red Stars, and I came in being like, screw the man, and then I was like, oh, no, I'm the man, and I'm like, how do I figure out how to bring the things that I want to see changed? But also now respect and understand that it's a little trickier than just like giving everybody what they want all the time.

Like it's there's more things that stand in the way.

So you're starting to learn some of that business side of like running things while you're.

Also a part of it.

But what we've seen clearly from Unrivaled is putting the players first, prioritizing what you need from preseason athlete MRIs to childcare all that stuff. Are there things that you are going to push to bring back to the w NBA, especially as part of the new CBA negotiations.

Yeah, I mean I think there definitely should just be a standard level of facilities in care and like accessibility that players have. You know, you have you still have teams where they're practicing rec centers like with the general public. That's like a safety concern, not even just better facilities. That's a safety issue, and especially as our league gets more popular and we have superstars, it's just it's not safe.

Yeah, I mean, it makes you feel special to have things that you know are just not utilitarian, but are also just to make you feel like, oh, we're pro athletes, so we get.

Estheticians and we get so nice. Oh yeah, yeah.

You mentioned that you have players coming up to you with suggestions or questions. What's the wildest thing that someone has said, like, ooh can we get this?

It's not even stuff like that I've actually gotten. We try to think of everything, honestly, and before we build this, the team you know, came to me and Stewie and they're like, Okay, let's make a list of everything. If money wasn't an option, what would it be? And we honestly hit all those all those things. And so I haven't really heard anybody ask for something that we don't have. It's more like, you know, I had like sweatshirts that hadn't been released yet, like where can we get those?

Yeah, no outlandish demands nighttime warm chocolate cookie deliveries or things like that. On One of the things we've noticed in watching the first couple of weeks is these miked up moments that seem to be everywhere. We can hear play clalls, we can hear coaches being like she's not hurt, she's alright, you know, we can hear all that stuff. What's the response from the player so far do they like that?

Inside? Look where are they like, Man, I'm gonna get caught.

I haven't heard anything bad about it. I think people realize that, Like, I mean, one of the pillars of it unrivaled is the content piece. Because brand building is so important to our game. A lot of people don't realize we make most of our money off the court, and so building your brain is essential to like our livelihoods in this career, and so I think they really embrace that. And I think people realize, like we literally all have a vested interest. We are all have equity

It is interesting when you have equity in the league, which all the players do, how much you want to work toward making it successful in a way that's a little bit harder to do, Like if you're a w social manager and you're like, can you do all this content for me?

The players like, yeah, but who's money am I making? Right? And how am I helping it?

There's a little bit of that balance, which like, I love that y'all made everybody be a part of wanting this to succeed. You mentioned players requesting merch people want jerseys, and I you know, when Alex came on our show, he talked about how players need to make money off their own name. Where are those jerseys and when are we gonna start getting y'all some cash based on us by buying your gear.

I don't know. I need to ask him because I'm wondering the same thing people are asking me about jerseys. I think it's like this happens so fast, like our deal with under Armour and them getting like our jerseys was such a quick turnaround. So I'm sure it's in the works, Like we want to get that out there and get you know the people what they want, the jerseys get the athletes paid, so I'm sure that they're working over time to make it happen.

Yeah, there's so much conversation about roughly a quarter of the WNBA's players in one place during free agency. So I need you to take us behind the scenes because in my head, I'm picturing like these big wine Feld dinners.

It's like a table for thirty six.

Everyone's you know, talking about their playing experiences, talking up or talking down their organizations, maybe pitching each other to join.

Like what's it really like?

Honestly, there's way more touch points than that. Like we are all in the same space. So I'm like I leave even how I see a player right there, like, hey, let me come talk to you for a second. Let me talk to you about Minnesota. You know it's we are. So I mean I pass them every day. All of our areas are communal except for like, you know, your your locker room, and so I'm seeing you in the weight room, I'm seeing you in treatment, I'm seeing you you know, in the sauna or whatever, in the makeup

Yeah, you're free to leave.

So it really facilitates those conversations where you can build those relationships. It's not like an awkward phone call to someone that you don't have that much of a relationship with. So I think this has actually been pretty instrumental in like the freegency stuff.

How do you make sure you're not tampering because we tried to look up the tampering rules and we cannot find them in black and white in like the CBA or the.

Rule book, but we know they exist.

So how do you know when a conversation goes from like let me tell you some things I love about the great state of Minnesota to like a full on pitch or something you're not supposed to do.

I mean, I don't know the tampering rules either, but I don't really know how nobody does. Yeah, I don't know how they can facilitate or put a rule on you just talking to someone. You know, I'm not like whining and dining, like I said, I'm just talking to you in the hallway.

Like, I mean, you kind of are whining and dining everyone because you gave them a whole last league in Miami.

With a budget, cool shit and some money.

If there was ever a good pitch, you and Brie are doing it right now by giving people a whole second income. Have you been surprised just walking around either with people that you didn't know that well that you're like, oh, man, like I really get along with this person, or people that you see like hanging out and forming clicks that you're like, I would not have paired those folks to be friends.

Honestly, not really. It's been so like fun just getting to know everyone. It's not like we have our separate teams. You do obviously like your locker room you're practicing with your team, but again, there's so many like communal areas where you talk to everyone like you're like they're your teammate. So just getting to know everyone a lot more has been really cool and you get to I don't know, it's just like this camaraderie. I guess that it's building, which has been really fun to see.

Yeah, for me, it feels like I'm so competitive, that it'd be so fun to meet everyone. But then when you get back to like the w and you're all in your separate little silos again, are you interested to see how these relationships it'll probably make it more fun to go see friends and compete and travel, but also to know them well enough when you're you know, staring them down trying to get to the hoop.

Yeah. I think the good thing that I've noticed about the WNBA, we've always, like the DUBBA has always been really small, and so you know, obviously it's even smaller group here at Unrivaled. But I think like we're just so good at being professionals. Like when we're on the court, my team is my team. I'm riding and dying with them, like I'm gonna do whatever I need to do to

A lot of people needed to figure that out with the W last year, a lot of new viewers that didn't quite understand that y'all were professional athletes doing your thing.

Or there's a big cash bonus. So trash talk has already commenced, right, two hundred racks. I'm I'm doing what I need to do to win that.

Right.

We even have enter teams trash talk. Courtny is already trying to trash talk me.

Amazing. Who's got the biggest mouth?

Is it?

Courtney?

Oh?

Courney Williams around here somewhere.

Yes, yeah, Oh my gosh, I can't even imagine, Like it's gonna be fascinating to see, Like is it a fast moving big is it a guard with sick handles who can avoid getting blocked?

Like how much mobility come into play?

Like this is like the stuff of dreams for bar arguments, to actually get to see all the best players play against each other.

Yeah, we get to settle the conversation that people are having hypothetically, you know, every day.

Yeah. Fun, you mentioned Courtney Williams.

Your lunar Owls roster is crushing it, Skyler digg and Smith, Alicia Gray, Shakira Austin, Cameron Brink of course the cheerleader for the squad.

What's making you guys?

Go?

Why are you so good?

I think we just have a lot of competitors and people who gel well, we have taken this like, I mean, we just take it really seriously, Like we are in the weight room together every day, We're doing treatment every day, taking care of our bodies when we show up to practice, like we're there to get better. So I just think we have really competitive people on our team who want to win and it's been really fun. We jell really well together. Our chemistry has been great. From the beginning.

Yeah, it's cool.

You and Courtney have the Links connection, You and Skyler have the Olympic connection. How did you get the other folks to feel as connected?

I played with Alisha too, just through USA. I think the only person I hadn't was Shakira. But I think we just don't have any egos on our team either, Like everyone is there to learn from each other.

You just said that about Courtney Williams. I want you to hear what you just She doesn't know.

Courtney's really good. She talks her talk, but she's like, yeah, she's pretty good with it, and she knows that she's in the wrong or whatever it is. Yeah, but yeah, we just don't have egos in that way where everyone is equally there to teach each other and to learn from each other, which you don't get all the time. So I think that's what has also allowed us to joe really well. Is there's no person who's trying to be big dog that's you know, saying I need to

That's awesome. Okay, last question for you.

Because we had your husband Alex on the show to give us an unrivaled one oh one get us all prep for the league, we were thinking about you guys working together. I mean, obviously you work together on skills and everything else. He's a great trainer, but now you're creating this league. What did you butt heads about? Was there anything that you really disagreed on or that you had to convince him or he had to convince you.

Not really, I feel like we're pretty in sync with everything. I feel like we see the game the same way, and I definitely concede to him a lot on the business side, like the way that he sees business like. He's really great at that part. So if anything, I feel like it would be something on the player side where I feel like I know more. But I don't think we've butted heads on anything yet. That's pretty good in the future, but that's pretty good.

What about me, La? Are you allowing her to give her insight and two cents on everything?

If I did that, there would be everywhere, no bedtimes and fruit around every corner.

Okay, well, expansion next year, Team Blue.

Yeah, yeah, you will sell a lot.

Of merch if you can get that trademark. We would thank you so much for taking the time. I know you're so busy. We're such big fans over here, so thanks for coming on.

Yeah, I appreciate it. Thank you.

Thanks again to Fee for joining us. We got to take another break when we come back. Want to you Slices went above and beyond. You even made producer Alex a little emotional stick around. Welcome back Slices. Hey, you want to see producer Alex tear up while? You could send her a video of lost pets reuniting with their owners. Or you could watch or listen to an episode of Anderson Cooper's podcast All There Is About grief, or for a different kind of tears. You could make a spreadsheet,

Chef's Kiss Aaron standing ovation over here. This is incredible. This is just unbelievable.

Yeah, like honestly, literal tears. Literal tears, and folks, you know what she wasn't done. She also made a spreadsheet for the major North American women's sports leagues, including the season in which they play, links to the team site, social accounts, where to watch, and even some unique rules for each league. She's an organized queen, you know, and wouldn't love it more. And of course we'll put the links to both of those docs in the show notes.

And who are the losers?

I mean, who's organizing the flower delivery for Marina Maybrey. She just learned how to season food and she's got no one to cook for. All our friends have left town. We want to hear your biggest takeaways to all the w Free Agency news, so send them in. Also, we told you about those annual play for k games. Well, if you want to help, you can donate at kyou dot com.

We'll put the link in our show notes. We always love to hear from you.

To hit us up on email, good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two oh four fifty seventy And y'all, I'm not saying this for my health, it really helps us.

If you subscribe, rate and review, go five stars, write a review, tell us you love us. It's super easy watch.

Women athletes making enough green to treat their parents. Rating five out of five. Big Old Bag is a dope review on last week's episode of Unapologetically Angel skystar Angel Rees surprised her mom with the birthday cake and so much more.

Take a lesson.

What's your birthday today?

Yes?

And for your birthday today? Oh wow, well this is your cake.

You said that if your mortgage was paid off that you will retire or you can pick if you want to work still. So your mortgage today has been paid. See you drop in a cake today. Your mortgage has been paid. You ain't gonna worry about your mortgage no more. And if you want to still work and keep yourself, if you want to keep yourself busy, you can keep yourself busy. But Jammel has a handle. Shout out to Jamel to making it happen Anda, of course. But your

We are so used to seeing videos of dudes buying their folks cars and houses and taking care of all the people that help them reach the top. It is incredible and incredibly overdue getting to see the world's best women athletes make enough money playing their sport to do the same. Shout out Angel and shout out to her mama. Also Angel aka Big Angel, who's in the University of Maryland at Baltimore County Hall of Fame and played pro ball in Luxembourg. Those hoops genes clearly do and work.

Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez and Grace Lynch.

Our associate producer is Lucy Jones and I'm Your host Sarah Spain