← Fudd Around And Find Out
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- [00:00]
Ashanti Plummer
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Capital One / Sarah Spain (Ad Spots)
Guaranteed Human this sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One offers no fees or minimums on checking accounts. Did you know that the largest crowd ever to witness a women's sporting event was in 2023 at the University of Nebraska 902003 Fans filled the home of Nebraska Football Memorial Stadium to watch Nebraska volleyball defeat Omaha. 3. Nothing Capital One what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com bankguy for details. Capital One NA member FDIC brought to you in part by Vital Farms. Let me tell you why Vital Farms Pasture raised eggs are the only eggs I have in my fridge. The hens? They're living the good life. Fresh air, sunshine and wide open pastures. I use my Vital Farms for my famous frittatas and you could trace your eggs back to the farm they came from. Check the carton for the farm name, pop it into vitalfarms.com farm and boom, you're looking at the pasture. So next time you're in the store, look for the black carton in the egg aisle and visit Vit to learn more. Vital Farms Good Eggs no shortcuts coming
- [01:02]
Ashanti Plummer
out of the draft it's been a special time for us here at futaround. I want to thank everyone from the fans to the sponsors, especially geico. Not just for supporting az, but for showing up where it matters, like the business of Women's Sports Summit. That kind of thing really moves the needle. And now that AZ is starting a new life in Dallas, we don't know what next season is going to bring. But we know that we're all on the same team and it's been amazing to feel the love and support. So keep showing up for our girl. Show up for each other. Thanks to GEICO and our listeners.
- [01:34]
Capital One / Sarah Spain (Ad Spots)
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- [01:53]
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- [02:37]
Ashanti Plummer
Welcome back guys to FUD around and find out it's your girl, Ashanti. And today we have a very special guest. I know we say that all the time, but I really mean it, okay? After a legendary career at Stanford, she was the 2014 number one draft pick, rookie of the year and two time WNBA all star. Now she's an ESPN analyst and trailblazer in sports media as the first black woman to host a national daily sports radio show and the first active professional athlete to hold a full time national sports broadcasting position while still playing in the league. She also has a new podcast and digital show that just launched in March. Cheney today. Welcome, Cheney. Ogumike.
- [03:23]
Chiney Ogwumike
What's up, girl? Oh, that's so cute. I was cheesing so hard when you were saying all that. And also legendary. Girl, you're doing a lot. You're doing a lot. I don't know about legendary.
- [03:31]
Ashanti Plummer
Listen, first of all, you're getting all the flowers on this show because, listen, there's no me without you. You are a trailblazer, okay? You are setting the standard. I know every time I tune into a show and I see you there, I see myself and I see other young girls who look like us. So it means so much for real to have you on like you are a dream guest.
- [03:52]
Chiney Ogwumike
Oh, my gosh. I can't even process that. I just got goosebumps. It doesn't feel real to me. I still feel like I'm out to prove so much and I want to represent us so well. And just for you to say that, it takes me back, girl, it takes me back because when I started, it was not like this. You know what I'm saying? I wasn't looking cute, girl. I was on the struggle bus. People. People didn't know how to say my name.
- [04:13]
Ashanti Plummer
Where were we? Hey, hey.
- [04:15]
Chiney Ogwumike
But you know what? Shout out to GLOW ups. Shout out to glow ups.
- [04:17]
Cosentyx Advertisement
Okay.
- [04:18]
Chiney Ogwumike
Okay.
- [04:18]
Ashanti Plummer
I know that's right. Oh, man.
- [04:21]
Chiney Ogwumike
Thanks for having me.
- [04:22]
Ashanti Plummer
Thanks for coming. On another thing, you know, I also want to mention you're Nigerian. I did my 23andMe. I'm also Nigerian from the Igbo tribe. Hello.
- [04:30]
Chiney Ogwumike
What's your percentage, girl? What's your percentage? You know it.
- [04:33]
Ashanti Plummer
60. 60. Oh, you.
- [04:36]
Chiney Ogwumike
You in there, in there. You in there. I'm in there.
- [04:39]
Ashanti Plummer
And at this Point. I need a new name. Yes.
- [04:42]
Chiney Ogwumike
Amaka. Amaka.
- [04:43]
Ashanti Plummer
Beautiful.
- [04:44]
Chiney Ogwumike
Come on. Amaka. It just came to me. Amaka. Do you like that? Ashanti Amaka.
- [04:49]
Ashanti Plummer
I love that.
- [04:50]
Chiney Ogwumike
Okay, you're forever Amaka to me from now on.
- [04:53]
Ashanti Plummer
Okay, I'm going to change my Instagram name after we get done with this. But speaking of that, there's a photo that we're going to have someone send you because, girl, why everyone and their mom been calling me Neca? I went to the WNBA draft. We actually saw each other there, and they took pictures of me on the orange carpet. And this, like, paper posted me as, like, one of the, you know, most fashionable looks. And my name is Neca Ogumike on there.
- [05:23]
Chiney Ogwumike
First of all, yes, you were most fashionable. I came up to you and I was like, I need that. I need that now. One, two. What we doing? There's too many times where we making this mistake. I just had to go on threads and correct somebody too. And I said, put them in jail. Like, what's going on here? It's not that hard. But three, three, I will say you do favor us to. To some degree. Heavy on that 60%. Okay? Heavy on that 60%. Even when you sent this picture, I looked, I was like, oh, I can sort of see it. But first of all, outfit, tee, hair, good, glam, amazing. Send me this shirt and you my sister from another Mr. Clearly. Okay, but, like, can we do better? Can we, like, proofread these photos? We used to proofread words. Can we proofread these photos?
- [06:10]
Ashanti Plummer
Mind you, they asked for my name. They're like, can you say your name into this mic? Like, wrote it out, everything just for them to call me Neca. But you know what? Shame. I ain't mad.
- [06:19]
Chiney Ogwumike
Shame you watch Game of Thrones. Shame.
- [06:21]
Ashanti Plummer
Yes, the walk of shame.
- [06:24]
Chiney Ogwumike
Hey, we'll take you though.
- [06:25]
Ashanti Plummer
Come on.
- [06:25]
Chiney Ogwumike
Come on, number five.
- [06:28]
Ashanti Plummer
You heard it here first, y'. All. Y' all heard it here first. But anyways, thank you so much. That definitely just made my day. I definitely want to hop into some things that you got going on and our girl AZ has going on. So there's a huge announcement. By the time this comes out. It's already out. I want to say congratulations to Az for signing with Project B. Yay. And this is, you know, Major. And you, you play a role in Project B. Tell us more. How are you involved in Project B?
- [07:03]
Chiney Ogwumike
First of all, congratulations to Az, But I'm also excited to share that I am an advisor to Project B because as you know, Shanti Or Amaka, as you know. Basketball, I love it. Basketball just means so much to me. And being able to share the game globally has been my mission. I know people see me all over the world. I was just in Rwanda in the middle of the Eastern and West Conference finals. I've traveled the world. I've played in Italy, I played in China. I visited my sister who played in Russia. She's played in Poland. She's played in China as well. And I feel like this is a great opportunity to fill the gap, you know, especially with women's hoops and to be able to bring the game to so many more fans. So you can add me to the list as an advisor with Candace Parker, Lauren Jackson, Cheryl Miller, Sloane Stevens, who I adore, Novak Djokovic. This is a squad that's really on the ground floor. And so I think it's also important to note because, you know, I'm someone that, like, is very heavy into research. Right?
- [08:05]
Ashanti Plummer
Yes.
- [08:05]
Chiney Ogwumike
My team, I'm sure az's team have done extensive research about Project B. We've done our homework. And, you know, I think it's important to say that when it comes to the investors and the partners, Project B has maintained because a lot of people have some, you know, conversation about, like, the league and have questions. Project B has maintained that every step of the way, there's no Saudi funding, no Saudi investment, no Saudi ownership, and they are not currently engaged with the seller group, and they haven't worked with them for a couple years now. And so this is something that we have researched. This is something that we see as a great opportunity for people to grow the game globally, to grow their brands. And if you think about, like, the standards that we're experiencing right now with the WNBA and so many other leagues, like, the investment is there and I feel like fans around the world should be able to partake in it. I will probably get into the, like, the nitty Gritty, the Weeds on my show Chinead today. I know this is your show, but, like, as you know, I'm very. I take this stuff very seriously. So does az, so does my sister. So do my former teammates, Alyssa Thomas, I know JJ that have all joined. We just, like, want to see the game continue to grow. And I'm just super grateful. I know that's my spiel. I'm done with my TED Talk, but I'm so excited to be an advisor. I'm excited to see AZ join and just help usher these girls as they make the next. These women as they make this next step and this big step in their career, that's like my mission. So there you go, girl. Period.
- [09:31]
Ashanti Plummer
Girl, you didn't answer 76 questions. I know. That's right. Okay. I just know. I'm super excited to know that you are involved, to see that AZ's involved, especially because I know she loves to travel. That's all she's talking about. Especially she took that trip with Stephen Curry to China to see her fans out there. I mean, the girl loves to travel and now she gets to travel and play the sport that she loves. So I think this is a great opportunity for her. And then also her dad played abroad and her mom also wanted to play abroad, but then she had her, so it's just like full circle for her. She gets to do all the things that she loves to do. Her family gets to be a part of it. I just, I love it for her.
- [10:12]
Chiney Ogwumike
Yeah. Also, like, I think that's a great point to note because I even remember when Stephen took AZ and I was like, first of all, shout out to Steph for making sure, you know, women are front and center. Also, because that's not a normal experience. People see Asia on her tours as well. Like, this is still very new for women's basketball. And to see the hype around, not just Steph, but also like the fans for AZY already, that to me was super cool. And then like you mentioned, there's so many people that have, you know, back. This is what I'm gonna call hoop OGs. Like back in my day, all the OGs, we, before the WNBA was putting out seven figure deals. You know, we were going overseas and I think a lot of times because we wanted to spend more time at home, people thought that we didn't like it being overseas. It was grueling. It was hard to play year round. But no one would trade those experience. One, because we're getting paid really well, but two, because we got to see the world. I'll never forget I played in Italy and I opened my back window, which was like terrorists. And I just saw what you would think was like, was it Chloe Bailey? No, Halle Bailey and reggae Jean Page, you, me in Tuscany. Like, that was. That was what I had. That's what I had. When I was playing in Italy. I went to China, the Hunan province, and we took a team that was relegated the year before that made it to the top league. I actually had my career high in China. Also, side note, ate some of the best fried chicken of my life playing in China. In China, girl. Yes. And some of it came from McDonald's.
- [11:44]
Ashanti Plummer
McDonald's girl.
- [11:46]
Chiney Ogwumike
I know I, I go on too many side quests, but my point is like, I ate pots, I traveled. I remember being in China and so many people were there. I mean, you had the experience where people. I knew I was the first black woman that they saw, you know, in these certain areas. But it also was like this awe for women's basketball and I got to experience that. I went to Russia and saw my sister playing Kursk and they were like a top team. And I remember seeing Neca when she was playing for Kursk and I'd go, you know, since you honorary Nigerian now they're Nigerians everywhere. And so when Neka joined, when Neca joined the team in Kursk, Russia, which by the way is very close to Ukraine, and at that time people were like, hey, there's this like, thing brewing. It was a little scary, but still there were, people were like so excited on the weekends. There was a Nigerian community in Russia that came to all of Neca's games just because Neca was playing for Kursk. Like, there's so many cool moments about the game globally that we don't want to miss. And I think like Project B is bringing an opportunity to support these women kind of like in that Grand Prix style, which is like super exciting right now where you go from city to city and you, you are treated really well. And you know, they understand the women that like they're signing up and that they're representing. And so I'm just, I'm just glad to like, you can tell the passion for the global game is here. For myself, I'm excited for AZ as well. But like it's. There are a lot of really good memories overseas as well.
- [13:09]
Ashanti Plummer
Absolutely. I had the opportunity to play basketball overseas and I was in Australia, Germany, Czech Republic and I really think, would I have had those opportunities to travel and see the world in that way? Like, it's just really different and I appreciate every moment of it and I would do it again if I had new knees. So where can we watch the games?
- [13:30]
Chiney Ogwumike
You can watch the games on YouTube. The entire tour of Project B is accessible via YouTube so that every fan everywhere can watch. There's no barriers. So I'm so excited that it'll be accessible for everybody.
- [13:44]
Ashanti Plummer
Congrats again to az. Shout out to her. You know, you said the og, she's one of the first young US based born players to sign with the league. So that's exciting.
- [13:54]
Chiney Ogwumike
Oh yeah, Let me tell you. Az, motion, Motion. I adore AZ Motion party. You cannot get in Don Julio.
- [14:03]
Ashanti Plummer
I don't drink.
- [14:03]
Chiney Ogwumike
Hey, you know what? I really don't drink. I really don't drink. You know what I mean? That's good. But no, I just, like, I didn't either. Girls, I listened to your show. I've been excited to join. And I just want to say for az, like, I am so proud of her. She handled. Because I cover the game going to UConn, the injuries, the highs, the lows, getting to the pinnacle, being a professional, the grace that she exudes as she's navigating her transition and also finding her game, which is found, by the way. It's there. She's doing her thing. I just am very. I met her mom, I met her brother during the tournament. I think she's just one of a kind. She. I love that she is, you know, one of the stars of the league because I think she brings it so much positivity, joy, class, and just represents, like, everything that's good in hoops. So she ain't here, but I gotta say it for her.
- [14:57]
Ashanti Plummer
People listen. Sinead, thank you so much. Thank you so much for saying that, because they love you back one. But also, I was gonna say, you always show support. Like, I watch you, the way you cover the game. I think your feedback is always fair and, like, positive and awesome. And my question was going to be, like, what about AZ resonates with you? Like, either as a player or as a person. And any advice for our girl that you got in her rookie season?
- [15:28]
Chiney Ogwumike
I got you. Okay, so, one, it's kind of ironic that I'm wearing this hoodie, the Stanford hoodie. Gino, close your ears. I know UConn's great, but, like, the reason why I love Azy is cause she reminds me of my teammates. She feels like a Stanford girly for me. She's a student of the game. She's a great teammate. She's a specialist. One thing that I knew playing for Tara Vanderbier, hall of Famer, was that she said, whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability. For me, I was athletic. I could finish, I could run, I could rebound, and I would just go at it maniacally. Right? AZ is a phenomenal shooter. She has some other. She has other skills that are, like, more underrated because her shooting is so great. And so I think as a. She's the type of player that I look at and I'm like, dang, I wish I could have played with her if these knees were different. You know, and that's what I admire, let me tell you so that for as a player and then also it is not easy to be a number one pick, to be thrown into the fire in a circumstance with a new coach, with a number of players and teammates that are veterans that, you know, have the ball and then to be able to go into that circumstance. Because when I was drafted, number one, I was in the gutter. My team, we were at the bottom of the league. I knew I was about to play 40 minutes a game. I knew I could shoot how many shots I wanted. Girl, we were going through it, you know what I mean? But I always tell people, you got to go through it to get to it, right? And so there are different circumstances as a. She has the like anomaly because she's a number one pick going to a good situation and that is so hard to navigate. And one thing I would advise her is like, don't let anyone. Don't make yourself small to make anybody else comfortable. Don't let anyone dim your shine because when she is great, she's the type of player that you win. Everyone else plays better because she's so smart. She doesn't turn over the ball. Like when she is aggressive, it's a better thing for the team. And so I learned this lesson in a big way when I left, and I say left, I traded, but I sort of forced my way out of Connecticut to Los Angeles. And when I was there, I was an all star already. I was so excited as a number one pick. But I was playing with Candace Parker, I was playing with Neca, I was playing with Chelsea Gray. And I sort of made myself small mentally because I didn't want to disturb what they had done. They won a championship in 2016. Like, I want to win a championship. Like, so I was cool coming off the bench, but I think I made myself small to make others comfortable instead of just being like, when I'm. I know I play the right way. Like, I know I hustle, I know I can lead. Like, let me take up space. And that's my advice to her. Don't be afraid to take up space. And because she's such a pure Hooper in all aspects of how she is coachable and how she approaches reads like. So that is my heart to heart sister advice to az. She already got it though. Like, she got it good, period. She got it good. It's just about, you know, taking it day by day, possession by possession and just submitting to the process. And, you know, NEC and I always talk about this because she's navigating her own journey as well. It's like when you do things the right way, that is what truly is sustainable, not only for you playing a game, but also for your entire career. And so everything ends up working itself out. And I'm sure everything will work out for her.
- [18:31]
Capital One / Sarah Spain (Ad Spots)
This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One Saver Card, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Did you know that Toni Stone is considered the female Jackie Robinson, the first woman to play big league pro baseball? Stone signed with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League in 1953 to play second base. Hank Aaron played second for the team before her. Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment and at grocery stores with the Saver card from Capital One. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com for details.
- [19:01]
Az Fudd
Thanks everyone for all the positivity coming out of the draft. I am so blessed to have so many people that believe in and support me. My listeners, my friends and family and the whole GEICO team who put my family in a commercial with me that was so cool to see. The Gecko even showed up wearing my jersey. Well, a smaller version of it. And my grandfather is a huge fan of the Gekko. During my injury rehab, I was a little nervous about the future, but I've had so much support and so many people believing in me and we came through it together. I know I'm leaving the bubble of college, headed to a new city, joining a new team. It's a lot of change all at once, but I don't feel like I'm alone. The way I feel about basketball is the way I feel about life. You help your team and your team helps you. So thank you again everyone, whether you're on the GEICO team or just a fan wearing my team's jersey. Thank you all so much for all the support.
- [19:50]
Chiney Ogwumike
I'm Cyndi Lauper with fellow Cosentyx advocate Chef Michelle Bernstein.
- [19:56]
Ashanti Plummer
We'll share our experiences with plaque psoriasis
- [19:58]
Chiney Ogwumike
with psoriatic arthritis and Dr. Panico will
- [20:02]
Ashanti Plummer
talk about the possible connection.
- [20:04]
Cosentyx Advertisement
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- [20:51]
Capital One / Sarah Spain (Ad Spots)
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- [21:52]
Az Fudd
Yes.
- [21:53]
Ashanti Plummer
Oh my goodness girl, I'm feeling motivated. Like that is really great advice for real. And yeah, like AZ plays the game the right way. Like AZ plays the game the right way. I love the advice about taking up space. Like full stop, full stop, be fully who you are and take up space. I love that. She's going to love that. Thank you.
- [22:16]
Chiney Ogwumike
Gotcha.
- [22:19]
Ashanti Plummer
So I do want to talk about more of what you got going on. Let tell us more about Shanae today.
- [22:26]
Chiney Ogwumike
Okay. Thank you so much Sinead. Today is a new digital show with Omaha and espn and I'm thrilled because as you know, I'm on like 50, 11 shows. Okay. And it is a lot, but it is a blessing and I don't take these opportunities for granted. My primary responsibility is being on NBA Today every day. Then I'll be on SportsCenter. I'll be debating First Take, right? Stephen A. I'll do WNBA Countdown. I used to do NBA Countdown, right? So I did a lot of shows and primarily I cover the NBA. But the last four years after, you know, I've been waiting for this opportunity but like finally they freed me a little bit and so I got to go back to covering the W and women's basketball. Lord you. I was just like, you know, but hey, it all worked out and I just started realizing that the same way that you could love what Asia Wilson is doing or what AZ is doing or what Paige is doing or what anybody in the W is doing is the same way that you could have just followed the New York Knicks and loved Jalen Brunson and O.J. anunoby and Victor Wembanyama. When you're a hoops fan, it all can exist in one conversation. And so that's what I'm trying to create with Shanae today, because that's my existence. One hour I'm talking, oh, my gosh, what does this mean for the future of the San Antonio Spurs? And the other hour, I'm saying, all right, we've got the New York Liberty taking on the Los Angeles Sparks, right? But hoop fans now understand both because, like, it's been a fight for so long for people to realize, like, the power, potential, reality of what women's basketball players are doing. Like you, right, Amaka. But now I think we're at a playing field where people, like, the divide has been bridged and you can be a fan of both. And I think more people are actually loving the W in women's basketball because, you know, we got. We got storylines, We've got people, like, playing the right way. Like, you can see all aspects of the game, and it's, like, on the rise. So you're getting in at a time where you're on the rise with these players. And so Chenay today is a digital show where we bring all of that together. If you're a hoop fan, we talk about all hoops. Everything gets covered. And then, of course, we, like, talk about, you know, some. Some tea, like, you know, some cultural things.
- [24:35]
Ashanti Plummer
Come on.
- [24:36]
Chiney Ogwumike
Just some fun stuff.
- [24:38]
Ashanti Plummer
You know, you have the audience who really want to hear about the stats and the hoops, and then the audience who want to hear about the little bit of the tea, like, yeah, like,
- [24:45]
Chiney Ogwumike
they want to be like, oh, did you see. Did you get to see Jordan. Jordan woods clutch at. I was like, yes, I saw that. And I was like, dang. Just when you're dropping these.
- [24:52]
Ashanti Plummer
Come on, come on. She. I'm surprised she didn't have them ready to go, like, selling them outside of the Ms.
- [24:57]
Chiney Ogwumike
I would have been. I would have been like this, like, to my distributors, like, can we expedite the shipping? No, no, no, no.
- [25:04]
Capital One / Sarah Spain (Ad Spots)
Hold on.
- [25:05]
Chiney Ogwumike
Know in New York, they already got that clutch on the streets. Like, hey, you see the clutch here?
- [25:08]
Ashanti Plummer
This is 100% this. We'll get into it. But this shirt, why? Right after the win, I go outside of the watch Party. And they're already selling it.
- [25:16]
Chiney Ogwumike
Championship.
- [25:17]
Ashanti Plummer
They were ready. They were ready. New York never plays. Never plays.
- [25:22]
Chiney Ogwumike
Doesn't miss an opportunity to get a dollar. I respect it.
- [25:25]
Ashanti Plummer
Okay? So I'm excited. And they can look forward to seeing that twice a week.
- [25:30]
Chiney Ogwumike
Yes, twice a week on ESPN, on YouTube, everywhere. So, yeah, check it out. Sinead today. Subscribe, Comment, like, review. I appreciate y'.
- [25:39]
Ashanti Plummer
All. Okay, babe, wait. I do want to know who is your dream guest? Like, who do you want to interview? Like, you have no. It could be dead or alive. It don't matter. Dream guest, number one guest.
- [25:52]
Chiney Ogwumike
What you say, girl? I have my intrus. I have my intrusive thoughts, but I probably should keep my intrusive thoughts away. The first person that came. I'll say the second thought. I'm gonna say my second thought. Okay, but everyone. Yeah, yeah. Okay. We'll do that for the sideshow. The sideshow. So my. I think, like, what came to my mind was Beyonce. I'm from Houston, you know, so, like, literally, when I blinked, closed my eyes, I saw Beyonce. I would love to learn from her. Her work ethic, her path, like, her decision making, all these things. Beyonce by far is probably number one. I'm trying to think of who else. But, yeah, Beyonce's the person I want to interview. Yeah, for sure.
- [26:31]
Ashanti Plummer
That's a good one, girl. That's pretty hard to top. Honestly, Beyonce, if you hear this, please come on this show, too.
- [26:37]
Chiney Ogwumike
Yeah, we can do a home at home.
- [26:39]
Ashanti Plummer
Please, please. We're manifesting, I pray, right now. Oh, my goodness. Okay, so we did tap on a little bit. You have a lot going on. You have your show coming out, doing the NBA finals. I mean, as someone who has watched you and supported your career for many years and also another woman in sport, I want to know more about, like, what life is like for you. Like, on the road, traveling, trying to make these different shows different. You know, you got to cover so much. You're in New York one day you're in la, another day you're in Africa the next day. So, like, tell us what that's like.
- [27:20]
Chiney Ogwumike
Thank you so much for this question because it feels like a wellness check. And people that ask this, I appreciate because it feels like they care about Chinea the person and not Cheney, like, who they see on air. And so I get to sort of share what my day to day is. Ooh. So should we. I'm gonna put it in the context of probably the past three weeks, to be honest, from February to now, I probably haven't Been at my place here in LA for more than two nights in a row. That's how crazy the grind is. Because February we have women's college game day, so we're leading into these big games. March we have the tournament. April we have the tournament that leads into the WNBA draft. May starts the NBA playoffs, and then we go on the road for the Eastern or Western Conference finals and the NBA finals. And then I'm also an ambassador for the basketball Africa League, which I love and adore. As you know, I'm a Niger girl, best of both worlds. I always tell people, you know, born and raised in Houston, Texas, but with Nigerian blood, American opportunities have helped transform me. But the Nigerian spirit of determination, African spirit, that essence has helped me like stay motivated and has changed my perspective on so much. But yeah, drop popped over to Rwanda for the basketball Africa League finals. Came back to work. The NBA finals, it's a lot. A day of my life is probably like on a slow day, I wake up, I go do hot yoga here in LA by around 8:30. So that's at 6:6 or 6:15 or like I stopped playing, girl, let me tell you, hot yoga gets me right. The sculpt class is it. And so I do that. I have a peloton treadmill over here. I'll like work on the treadmill. Then around by eight, I'm talking to my agent, disrupt the game. Just trying to make sure I have my businesses in order and like my meetings and my opportunities all in order. And then I have a show call every day at 9:30 in the morning to prepare for MBA today. I travel to MBA today downtown around 10, get there by 10:30. I do research, I sit down with the researchers. So everything that you see on air, you know, Jeremy Lin actually asked me this during because he's like stepping more into broadcast. He's like, how do you do what you're doing? Like, do you memorize? You do this? I think because, like, I'm a creature of habit. I have a system. And also, let's be real here, okay? As a woman, when I started where people didn't understand why a woman would be speaking on the NBA as a sports center analyst, I realized that people cannot deny facts and figures. And if I had an opinion, like all the guys that played in the NBA, they would be like, what does she know? Right? So I will always give you a format like saying, you know, Jalen Brunson is the best Knicks player in, you know, NBA history. He's the best person to wear a Knicks Jersey. Why? Because his usage was this. His blah, blah, blah was that like I will hit you with the numbers to support my theory. And that's largely because I realized that people would question my knowledge despite probably being like the highest quote unquote ranked like player, like two time all star compared to like perk or Richard or you know, but those guys are champions, so I can't even say that. Yeah. But I guess my point is that I'll sit down with a researcher and that's my process, like my sacred time. For at least 30 to 45 minutes, I'm like looking at the numbers and then go and do hair and makeup, do the show from 12 to 1. At times I'm doing first take or get up as early as 5 in the morning, 7 in the morning, doing sports in as late as 10pm so it's a lot of TV. But I will say this, that's high season. In other seasons it gets a little bit chill. But I feel bad because I'm not a good communicator despite what you see on air. So like for example, Ashanti, if you text me like, hey girl, what's up? How you doing? I'll be on air for a first take hit at 8 in the morning. I'll see that. I'm like, oh, what's up girl? Like, but I mentally respond, but I don't text you back. And then I'll go and do my job. And then I'm like, oh, I gotta get to Shanti. And then by the time I get home later that night around like four, I'm like, oh, I got late night sports centers. Like I'm like, dang, it's too late to hit a bet. So it ends up snowballing. And so everyone knows if you want to catch me sis, call me because like call me. And then my phone is ringing, I'm like, you know, it's just a different brain cell. So I'll be like, okay, you know, I'm a call girl, I'm not a text girl because text just gets snowballed. So like that's my life. Or like I was in almost a different city. So I flew. And I know this is getting super long, so please forgive me, but girl, I keep going. I was here in la, working in studio, just finished working wnba. Then I go to San Antonio for games one of the NBA finals. I'm there for two days and then I fly to Bristol to go do two WNBA countdowns in Bristol. So I miss game three of the finals. But then in the middle of that, I do Sports center for game three in Bristol, Connecticut. I make. Thank God, Lord Jesus, I was assigned for game four. I was there. Game four at the Garden. Made that.
- [32:16]
Ashanti Plummer
Wow.
- [32:17]
Chiney Ogwumike
Yes, girl. And then I went home to LA to do studio shows on standby, to travel back if it was going to be Nixon 6. So that was a ping pong. And then I'm back here and I'm doing studio work this week. But then I have to go do Bristol to do countdown for this weekend. You know what I mean? Oh, I forget that I'm like spilling so much tea because this is like early whatever, but girl, I'm eating it up.
- [32:39]
Az Fudd
It's.
- [32:40]
Chiney Ogwumike
It's a crazy life. But like, I, you know, and I'm not going to lie, like, I wish I had more control of like. Cause I'm a homebody. I don't get outside much. I just love watching these games at my house, eating food, watching TV shows. I wish I was able to be more intentional with the other aspects of my life. But I get fulfilled because Neca's back home in LA and so I get to see her a lot. I get to go to her games. So life is good, but it is a little chaotic. That's the super long answer. But that's a little bit of my life.
- [33:09]
Ashanti Plummer
Well, one, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Okay. In that very busy schedule. I do recognize this. And then two, how do you, like, take time to fill your cup, girl? Like, that's a lot. And I know your sister's back at home and you mentioned that. And I know you do a little bit of hot yoga, but it seems like you can't put two days together where you're not working. So how do you make sure you're not pouring from like an empty cup?
- [33:35]
Chiney Ogwumike
To be honest, I am. And it's actually interesting that I'm like playing with my necklace. I am not good at that. And I'm trying to be more intentional about that. I'm even like trying to get a therapist because I feel like I need someone to hold me accountable, to fill my cup. I just feel blessed because my name is Chinengya Joy. So Chinengya is Igbo and it means God gives. And my middle name is Joy. And so my mom always tells people, be careful what you name a child. That's what they become every day. I feel so grateful to live my life, to have this job, to have this platform, that it just energizes me. It's just natural, right? But I've realized that I need to fill my cup. So this is the small things that I do. I'm not a late person because clearly I do too much, but I'll go and have a solo lunch situation and I'll go to my favorite place because I don't live far from Rodeo. It's called Avra. I'll go have a lunch there, sit, bring a book, bring my computer. So I'm trying to get outside more because I feel like being in LA at some point in my life, I'm going to be like, I lived in la, but I'm not, like, seeing the ocean and I'm not feeling the breeze. So I'm trying to intentionally get myself outside, do things. I have, like, bucket lists of things. I want to go to one of those candlelight symphony kind of cool turnt up concerts. And so that's my goal. That's definitely my goal. But I need help. So if you got ideas to help me, like, please pass them along.
- [35:03]
Ashanti Plummer
Girl, that therapy, that's going to get you right. Start there. Start with that therapy that get you right.
- [35:11]
Chiney Ogwumike
They say, cheney, you don't have to be on standby for work every second of every day. And I'm like, but, okay. But to be honest, I get a lot of my joy from like, you know, and my peace from, like, my home being at home. Because I'm not there that much. Girl, let me tell you what makes me happy. I watch tv. I am. If I was not a broadcaster or basketball player, I would be a TV critic. I would have TV shows about TV shows. I watch everything. Everything. And I have takes. I do listen to the podcast. Like, I am a nerd for some good tv. Like, I was at the finals and I freaked out. Cause I saw John Turturro who's like, Severance. I was like, oh, my God, I love you on Severance. And everyone's running around to, like, French Montana and all these people. And I'm going to like, the acting nerds. And I'm like, I watched your show. That's how I became friends with Common. Because there was a whole long situation about that. Because someone that works for Lloyd works for Common. And so mutual friends. And I was like, common, yo. He was like, hey, Janae, wait. First of all, I said, hey, you cooked with your Amazon intro. Cause he made the music of Amazon on NBA. I was like, bro, you cooked? And he was like, oh, thank you so much. And then I said, by the way, I watched you on Silo and you are amazing. You Are amazing in that role. And so that's how we became friends. Because of me, he's like, oh, you really watch that show? It's kind of niche. I'm like, I'm all the way tapped in. I'm ready for the new season. It's out right now. He's like, you should come see us. Like, we. I'm, like, out here getting invited to London to go to the premiere because so, like, as you can tell, if there's a good show, hit me. I love it. So that's my life.
- [36:46]
Az Fudd
Yes.
- [36:46]
Ashanti Plummer
Yes. Wait, quick sidebar. Have you watched Paradise?
- [36:50]
Chiney Ogwumike
Have I watched Paradise And Sterling K. Brown, Chocolate Cardinal, of course.
- [36:54]
Ashanti Plummer
Oh, God.
- [36:55]
Chiney Ogwumike
What? So good. So good.
- [36:58]
Ashanti Plummer
Love that man.
- [36:59]
Chiney Ogwumike
I have so many theories. Love that man down. Same respect to his wife. His beautiful wife.
- [37:05]
Ashanti Plummer
Well, 100%. We not even talking like that. Like, he is a phenomenal actor who is also handsome. Girl, I have some theories as well as far as that's gonna go for the listeners. Paradise is a. Is a TV show. It's on, I believe, Hulu, and I think there's some, like, time travel that's been going on.
- [37:25]
Chiney Ogwumike
Oh, and speaking of time travel. Speaking of. Yes, girl. Speaking of time travel, I just finished Outlander, and I was in Outlander World for about a month afterwards. I've watched probably the same scene, like, I watched the whole show. The favorite seasons. What is it? Scenes like, over and over, girl. Jamie Fraser, James Frazier. James Malcolm Alexander Mackenzie Fraser. Do you watch the show?
- [37:46]
Ashanti Plummer
Not the Government?
- [37:47]
Chiney Ogwumike
Yes, I watched the show. Oh, my God. Hello. And Claire. Love Claire.
- [37:52]
Ashanti Plummer
But, like, I'm not fully caught up. Don't tell me anything.
- [37:56]
Chiney Ogwumike
I wouldn't spoil it.
- [37:57]
Ashanti Plummer
Okay.
- [37:57]
Chiney Ogwumike
But.
- [37:58]
Ashanti Plummer
Yeah, okay.
- [38:01]
Chiney Ogwumike
I'm not gonna do that Gilded Age down to you hit me, girl. PhD in TV over here. Okay, but you. I know. So the reason why it happened, actually, and this is probably, like, part of my coping mechanism, AKA therapy. When I was at Stanford, we were working so much. You know how it is. Like, we're in the gym, in class, like, we had time for nothing. And so I started watching tgit. Thank God it's Thursdays. How to Get Away with Murder, Grey's Anatomy, and Scandal. I used to have a blog, y', all, and it's still up there somewhere on, like, WordPress. I used to have a blog called TV Buffet with Cheney. I don't know why I made that name, like, endless tv, girl. I don't know. But I used to, like. It became appointment television for me to watch all those shows. And it was my life and that was like my escape. And we'd like have watch parties and so that's where my fandom or TV dom came from. So fun facts, guys.
- [38:58]
Ashanti Plummer
Ooh. Okay, we low key went off a little bit of a crazy tangent. I do want to ask a couple questions about these NBA and the NBA Finals.
- [39:07]
Capital One / Sarah Spain (Ad Spots)
Sure.
- [39:07]
Ashanti Plummer
Then we're going to get into some of our fun and games. Okay?
- [39:09]
Chiney Ogwumike
Okay. All right. You got so much to cut, girl.
- [39:12]
Ashanti Plummer
Sorry, guys. No, love it. It's amazing. Okay, so there aren't a lot of analysts who cover both the WNBA and the NBA at all equally, at least. So coming off the NBA Finals, how does it feel to cover the W versus the NBA? Do you see parallels in these leagues? Tell us about that, because not a lot of us have that experience.
- [39:35]
Chiney Ogwumike
So there are so many parallels between the timelines of the NBA and the WNBA. A lot of people talk about 30 years into the NBA, you know, like, where was it? Make those comps, all those types of things. I think currently, because of expansion, we are seeing those parallels in real time. And also because of the fouling and the refereeing and the points of emphasis with expansion, we're getting more international players into the wnba, which is awesome because there have been so many great players around the world that deserve to be able to make a name for themselves. More teams, more roster spots. And so now those top players that people have been playing with for years have the opportunity to come here and have more of a shot. And that's why we're seeing some of these most improved or rookie of the year conversations. Having a lot of these international players make a parallel to the NBA. The last eight NBA MVPs have been, I think, international players. A number of them in a row have been international players. Shay Gilchrith Alexander from Canada. Right. So the international game is actually like shows a healthy, viable league. People like, this is the destination. This is the top league in the world. And these top players are getting better because the NBA made a very concerted effort, I would say, decades ago, particularly under David Stern, to make it a global game. That's why we have the basketball Africa League. That's why we have conversations about NBA Europe potentially. That's why all these teams go and have these. They go to the Middle east or they go to Asia to do these promotionals because they're huge rabid fan bases. And so I think we're going to start seeing a very similar situation with the W. And so like, that to me is cool. And then just the parallels in coverage. Oh, Lord. I don't know where. Where I can get started, but, like, in the. I think what I've seen is, in the NBA, things tend to be, like, inbounds. Oh, he had a horrible game. You'll get some jokes off about him having a horrible, horrible game. But there's not so much of a social tie to those players that I see in the W. And I think it's largely because the W. Like, these women are advocates, they're leaders, they stand on causes, they have businesses. Women are multifaceted, multitasking, like bosses, right? And so when we show up, our existence literally opens the doors to so much. Whereas the guys just put, I'm a Hooper, you know, I have these passions, but, like, they kind of just, like, you know what I mean? And I think that was a survival necessity, right? Because, like, as we experienced in 2020 with social injustice and all those things, like, who is gonna advocate for us other than us? Like, we, you know, we know we have to. And so we put on so many hats. And I think because of that, when we see the coverage, it can cross boundaries in ways that are great to help elevate players, fans. We love to see it, right? Like, these women are walking in Victoria's Secret fashion shows. Love Angel. Like, love Asia. Like, all these things that are happening. But at the same time, I think the hard part is sometimes we blur the lines with, like, criticism, where things can get cruel at times, and it's more personal, whereas I don't see it being as such, you know, on the other side. And to me, that's, like, the part that has been hard to negotiate, but it's also part of the process. Like I always tell people, with rapid growth comes growing pains. And so we'll take the good and we'll take some of the, you know, improvement areas as we continue to grow. But, like. Like, it's been hard as a broadcaster because there's so many different sensitivities. But I always focus on the game. I focus on uplifting the players. I focus on being a resource to those that need to learn, that need access, that need information. While that may not be a hot take, to me, it's, like, much more sustainable. So I hope that answers your question.
- [43:23]
Ashanti Plummer
No, absolutely. So where the game is now, tons of improvement. Where do you want to see the game in the next three to five years?
- [43:34]
Chiney Ogwumike
I mean, we're already there. Like, we used to joke, Neca and I, when she was with Seattle at her own practice facility because the storm had their own Practice facility and they were flying charter jets. She's like, man, I didn't know I'd be around to see all the perks and to experience all the perks. But here we are and we laugh about that because that was never a guarantee. It was a dream that has now become a reality. And so where do I see the league? These women are freaking amazing. Every year it gets better and better. And not to circle back to the other conversation because I mentioned the fouls and the referees. What we're seeing in the W right now is what the NBA experienced probably about 10 or so years ago. They want free flowing games. This is a year where the highest, I think teams are averaging like 90 something points or maybe it's like high 80s, low 90s, the highest scoring average that we've ever experienced. Why? Because fans that want to come want to come and see good hoops, not good hoops, they want to come see points. The more buckets, the more butts in seats. That's like a, that's a statistic that clearly drives revenue at the league office. So the NBA made this auto correction a couple years ago and that's where we saw the point explosion, the three point explosion, like the analytics and all those types of things. The W is starting to turn that corner. And you can see there I was there at a game where there was 75 free throws being taken. I was there at the opening of the season between the Wings and the Fever where Both teams scored 100, the highest ever scoring opening day. And so I say that that's a parallel. That is the future of the WNBA that the players are going to have to adjust to. And so like those are the things that like swirl around in my head that I think are like really it's good for the game, but it just takes a little bit of a reset for these players. But like future. These women are dropping. Like haven't you seen the. We've seen 45, we've seen where the plum just have 43. We've seen 38, we've seen 36.
- [45:28]
Ashanti Plummer
Like you see 53. What age do you have?
- [45:32]
Chiney Ogwumike
Oh yeah, one more. Like there's nothing else. The women are doing their part now. I think it's now like the business and the infrastructure. We're seeing like freaking the Golden State you're going to be getting turned the Golden State Valkyries becoming the first potential billion dollar valuation team. Toronto, Temple going crazy, representing an entire country, right? Like the Detroit, you're on the clock. Cleveland, you're on the clock. Philly, you're on the clock. Like Houston, hello, you know, Houston, you know, like, you know, we. We kind of like where the money reside, you know what I mean? The future money, the investment, right? So. So the players are doing their part. I think it's now getting the businesses, the owners, the teams, all those teams that aren't investing in facilities, y' all gonna get left. All those owners that are not investing in their team, y' all not gonna have players. Like, that is where I see the growth coming, like the infrastructure, because the players are some badasses. They doing the thing.
- [46:21]
Capital One / Sarah Spain (Ad Spots)
Ugh.
- [46:22]
Ashanti Plummer
I'm so excited and I'm so glad we get to see it. And I believe we're gonna see this in our lifetime. So I can't wait. Thank you you so much.
- [46:34]
Capital One / Sarah Spain (Ad Spots)
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- [47:04]
Az Fudd
Thanks everyone for all the positivity coming out of the draft. I am so blessed to have so many people that believe in and support me. My listeners, my friends and family and the whole GEICO team who put my family in a commercial with me that was so cool to see. The Gecko even showed up wearing my jersey. Well, a smaller version of it. And my grandfather is a huge fan of the Gecko. During my injury rehab, I was a little nervous about the future, but I've had so much support and so many people believing in me and we came through it together. I know I'm leaving the bubble of college, headed to a new city, joining a new team. It's a lot of change all at once, but I don't feel like I'm alone. The way I feel about basketball is the way I feel about life. You help your team and your team helps you. So thank you again, everyone, whether you're on the GEICO team or just a fan wearing my team's jersey. Thank you all so much for all the support.
- [47:53]
Chiney Ogwumike
I'm Cyndi Lauper with fellow Cosentyx advocate Chef Michelle Bernstein.
- [47:59]
Ashanti Plummer
We'll share our experiences with plaque psoriasis,
- [48:02]
Chiney Ogwumike
with psoriatic arthritis and Dr. Panico will
- [48:05]
Ashanti Plummer
talk about the possible connection.
- [48:07]
Cosentyx Advertisement
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- [48:54]
Capital One / Sarah Spain (Ad Spots)
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- [49:55]
Chiney Ogwumike
Wait, I have a question for you. I have a question for you. Uh, oh, and I know this is fut around and find out, right? So like you can't say Dallas, all right? But if you like. Are you a season. Are you a season ticket holder?
- [50:09]
Ashanti Plummer
No.
- [50:10]
Chiney Ogwumike
What's your dream? Like you, you rich auntie. You rich boss lady. You get to like pick a team. What's your dream? I'm getting courtside season tickets scenario. Like what's your dream? Because mine, like when I'm done Houston, I'm gonna be there. Like Houston Comets support. Yeah, that's the hometown.
- [50:26]
Az Fudd
Oh.
- [50:27]
Chiney Ogwumike
What about you?
- [50:27]
Ashanti Plummer
That's easy. Liberty. I'm from New York.
- [50:30]
Chiney Ogwumike
Okay, okay. You're a Liberty girl.
- [50:33]
Ashanti Plummer
Liberty girl. Listen, I'm already at the games. I just, I need to get season tickets for the full season. But I'm already going to be at every game, every home game. I'M going to be there if I'm in town.
- [50:43]
Chiney Ogwumike
Oh, we heard that. Az. Az. You hear that?
- [50:45]
Az Fudd
Uh huh.
- [50:45]
Chiney Ogwumike
Yeah, they've already.
- [50:48]
Ashanti Plummer
They've already been eating me up about that. You know, when she came, she played Liberty and gave them major buckets and beat them. And I'm over here gagged. But honestly, I already told her I'm rooting for my girl no matter what. But I'm from New York. I've been a Liberty fan my whole entire life.
- [51:03]
Chiney Ogwumike
So wait, should I say congrats to you also for the Knicks then? Oh my goodness.
- [51:08]
Ashanti Plummer
Thank you for saying it. Yes.
- [51:14]
Chiney Ogwumike
Oh, you try to compose yourself. Okay.
- [51:16]
Ashanti Plummer
I am a Knick. I am so proud. I almost lost my voice and couldn't do this. I have been in the city streets all week, all weekend. I'm excited for the parade. By the time this comes out, listen, if you catch me on a float, listen, I'm manifesting it.
- [51:34]
Chiney Ogwumike
Do you know how many babies they're gonna be like, ooh, look, there's baby Brunson. Oh, here's baby Nikki. Here's baby OG. Like, here's baby Josh.
- [51:44]
Ashanti Plummer
My child's middle name is gonna be OG. Like, I don't know what to tell him.
- [51:49]
Chiney Ogwumike
Okay, well, you got that 60%, so you need a. It's not OG. It's gonna be Oguguwa. So baby Oguguwa.
- [51:55]
Ashanti Plummer
Oguguwa, yes. There we go. Baby Ogugwa.
- [51:57]
Chiney Ogwumike
Yep.
- [51:58]
Ashanti Plummer
But he. I think he's Igbo too, girl. I think he look too look. Yes, we out here.
- [52:04]
Chiney Ogwumike
We out here, period. And by the way, if you listen to this, you probably Igbo as well.
- [52:09]
Ashanti Plummer
You better look it up. You probably with us.
- [52:12]
Chiney Ogwumike
I put my money on it. You probably Igbo as well.
- [52:15]
Ashanti Plummer
It's a lot happening in the city. Like, so the Knicks just won. It was Puerto Rican Day parade. Juneteenth. When this comes out, Juneteenth will be this Friday. So, I mean, New York is Juneteenth.
- [52:28]
Chiney Ogwumike
I always love to celebrate if they give me a day off. So let me just tell you, I think I'm.
- [52:32]
Ashanti Plummer
I'll celebrate for you.
- [52:33]
Chiney Ogwumike
You know what's kind of funny? I am going. I think it's a travel day for me, so maybe I'll travel a day early. Cause Juneteenth, New York City Post Knicks parade, might be a movie. Might be a movie.
- [52:45]
Ashanti Plummer
Girl, if you not here, I don't know what you doing. Are you gonna be here for the parade?
- [52:50]
Chiney Ogwumike
No, I'm not. They got, you know, I know.
- [52:54]
Ashanti Plummer
It's okay. I'm gonna tell them I'm not.
- [52:56]
Chiney Ogwumike
You do it for me, though. Yeah, there you go. Wait, do you want to know something? This is too much tea. But, like, don't y'. All. If you listen, don't clock me, okay? Don't, like, spill the tea. I still carry one of Neca's old driver's license licenses from, like, when she was 18, because I. I don't know how I got it. Cause Neca and I used to do some things, like, funny like this. And so anytime I'd be going to a hotel and they're like, oh, like, I'm not home. You know, I'm not at the hotel on the road, I say, don't worry, I got it. So they're like, oh, let me see your id. They don't really look at the date like that. They just see the name. And so they'd be giving me keys. Also, when I was at Stanford, I remember I was sick and I couldn't make a class. I was like, neca, can you pull up for me? Neca pulled up for me. No one noticed except one person. One person was like, hold on a second. So, yeah, that's a little. So I'm a. Maybe I'll just ship you my little driver's license thing. And they'll be like, girl, I would
- [53:42]
Ashanti Plummer
cry tears if I got a driver's license mail. I'll be like, let me in.
- [53:47]
Chiney Ogwumike
I swear, I play in the league. Everyone thinks we're the same anyways.
- [53:51]
Ashanti Plummer
I mean, at this point, girl, okay, that's that on our wnba, our Juneteenth, our NBA, all the tea. I want to move into our fudding games. Now we are at, like, 50. So I think what we're going to do is our. What the fud of the week. Okay, so what? The fud of the week is something that happened this week that made you say, what the fuck? You are our guest. So you can go first if you'd like.
- [54:20]
Chiney Ogwumike
That's so easy. This week, coming off the NBA finals, what the fud. The Knicks come back from down 29, go crazy. I was there in the arena. It was bonkers running into celebrity here, celebrity there. And the thing is, I literally run into them because I'm wearing heels at, like, 6, 3. And so I almost need Spike because he was down there. Uh, what the fud? The New York Knicks make the biggest NBA playoff. NBA final comeback and just light the city on fire. Like, it just.
- [54:47]
Az Fudd
What?
- [54:47]
Chiney Ogwumike
How does this. I still can't Process.
- [54:50]
Ashanti Plummer
Come on.
- [54:51]
Chiney Ogwumike
What I experience on top of watching game five, I still can't process. 53 years. 53 years. So, yeah. What the fuck?
- [54:58]
Ashanti Plummer
53.
- [54:59]
Chiney Ogwumike
New York. New York, you. Different New York is. They always say, oh, we built different New York. No, no, no. Y' all really built different.
- [55:05]
Ashanti Plummer
Yes, we are. I am so proud. I am. And listen, New Yorkers right now, we are already insufferable. Now we are super insufferable. Okay?
- [55:15]
Chiney Ogwumike
Like, people are like, no, no, no. But it's been good. It's been good.
- [55:18]
Ashanti Plummer
Yes. Thank you. Thank you for saying that.
- [55:19]
Chiney Ogwumike
It's been good. I've been seeing it. Y' all been joyful.
- [55:21]
Ashanti Plummer
Thank you. Thank you so much for saying that.
- [55:23]
Chiney Ogwumike
But you gotta. We're gonna give you, like, two more weeks of this. All right? Two more weeks.
- [55:29]
Ashanti Plummer
Then what? I guess we can move on from that. But let me tell you something. I'm stuck on this one for the rest of my life. I'm telling my grandkids I was there. At this point, I'm gonna tell my grandkids I scored. I was in the game.
- [55:42]
Chiney Ogwumike
Oh, I can't rise the high until WNBA All Star, then WNBA All Star. We shift gears, okay?
- [55:48]
Ashanti Plummer
Oh, absolutely.
- [55:49]
Chiney Ogwumike
Okay.
- [55:50]
Ashanti Plummer
We are aligned on that. And then after All Star, I'm back.
- [55:53]
Chiney Ogwumike
Yeah, yeah, that's fine. That's fine. That's fine. Until the W playoffs. But I got you, girl.
- [55:57]
Ashanti Plummer
Well, thank you so much, Shanae, for joining us today. Ugh. It is an honor to have you be a part of our show.
- [56:02]
Chiney Ogwumike
What? This is a pleasure. And thank you for having a therapy session for me, doing a wellness check on me, because clearly your girl needs to take a break. But this has been a joy. You have been a delight. Ashanti, anything you need, anything you want. I'm here for same thing for az, so I'm a resource. I'm gonna throw you my cell when we done. Okay?
- [56:21]
Az Fudd
Thank you.
- [56:22]
Ashanti Plummer
Girl, don't make me cry on camera. No, for real. I really. I really, really appreciate. This was so fun. So thank you.
- [56:31]
Chiney Ogwumike
Anytime.
- [56:32]
Ashanti Plummer
All right, that's a wrap, listeners. Thank you guys so much for tuning in. And don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to FUT around and find out wherever you get your podcast.
- [56:42]
Az Fudd
Fut around and Find out is a production of I Heart Women's Sports and Unanimous Media. Executive producers are Jesse Katz, Eric Payton, Sharla Sumter, Brigitte and Stephen Curry. Co executive producer is Kalena Maria Kutney. Producers are Mike Coscarelli, Grace Fuze, and Mackenzie Fitzpatricher. And co producers are Kurt Redmond, Maya Howard and Jaclyn Shaw. This podcast is edited by Mike Coscarelli and hosted by me, Az Fudd and Ashanti Plummer.
- [57:09]
Ashanti Plummer
Coming out of the draft, it's been a special time for us here at fuddaround. I want to thank everyone from the fans to the sponsors, especially geico, not just for supporting az, but for showing up where it matters. Like the business of Women's Sports Summit. That kind of thing really moves the needle. And now that AZ is starting a new life in Dallas, we don't know what next season is going to bring. But we know that we're all on the same team and it's been amazing to feel the love and support. So keep showing up for our girl. Show up for each other. Thanks to Geico and our listeners.
- [57:40]
Capital One / Sarah Spain (Ad Spots)
This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One offers no fees or minimums on checking accounts. Did you know that Toni Stone is considered the female Jackie Robinson? The first woman to play big league pro baseball. Stone signed with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League in 1953 to play second base. Hank Aaron played second for the team before her. Capital One what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com bankguy for details. Capital One NA Member FDIC brought to you in part by Vital Farms. Let me tell you why Vital Farms Pasture raised eggs are the only eggs I have in my fridge. The hens, they're living the good life. Fresh air, sunshine and wide open pastures. I use my Vital Farms for my famous frittata and you could trace your eggs back to the farm they came from. Check the carton for the farm name, pop it into vitalfarms.com farm and boom. You're looking at the pasture. So next time you're in the store, look for the black carton in the egg aisle and visit vitalfarms.com to learn more. Vital Farms Good Eggs no Shortcuts this is Sarah Spain from Good Game with Sarah Spain. When I competed in track and field at the collegiate level, there were times I second guessed myself. That's why it's important for females athletes to have a space to build confidence and self esteem. Colgate supports female athletes of all levels through the Colgate Women's Games, the nation's longest running indoor track and field series for girls and women. By supporting female athletes, Colgate hopes to put more smiles out into the world. Colgate, your smile is your strength. This is an iHeart podcast.
- [59:11]
Chiney Ogwumike
Guaranteed Human.