← Fudd Around And Find Out
Fudd Around And Find Out
You May Also Like: Full Circle - Andraya Carter Owning the Game On and Off the Court
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- [00:00]
Andrea Carter
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human save over $200 when you book weekly. Stays with VRBO this winter.
- [00:09]
Lexi Brown
If you need to work, why not.
- [00:10]
Andrea Carter
Work from a chalet? If you haven't seen your college besties since, well, college.
- [00:15]
Lexi Brown
You need a week to fully catch up in a snowy cabin.
- [00:18]
Andrea Carter
And if you have to stay in a remote place with your in laws.
- [00:21]
Lexi Brown
You should save over $200 a week. That's the least we can do.
- [00:25]
Andrea Carter
So you might as well start digging out the long johns because saving over.
- [00:29]
Lexi Brown
$200 on a week long snowcation rental.
- [00:31]
Andrea Carter
Is in the cards book now@vrbo.com this.
- [00:35]
Commercial Announcer
Sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One Quicksilver Card, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Did you know that in 2020, Sabrina Unescu became the first player in NCAA history of any gender to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds? The former Oregon standout, now in the WNBA, also holds the record for most collegiate triple doubles with 26. With the Capital One Quicksilver Card, you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase every day. Capital One what's in your wallet? Terms apply seecapitalone.com for details.
- [01:06]
Coca Cola Announcer
What a matchup we got, y'.
- [01:07]
Lexi Brown
All.
- [01:07]
Coca Cola Announcer
This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat. Everybody showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and in ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.
- [01:52]
Mariah Rose
Full circle is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:05]
Lexi Brown
Hey y'.
- [02:06]
Andrea Carter
All.
- [02:06]
Lexi Brown
Welcome back to Full Circle. I'm Lexi Brown. I'm here with Mariah Rose and we have a very special guest today. We are wrapping up season one and we promised y' all some guests. We have a very, very special one. As always, most of our gu do not need an introduction, but we will give her one anyway. We have Atlanta, Georgia's finest. A top 25 player out of the 2012 class played at the University of Tennessee under the great Pat Summit. And she now graces our screens almost every day on espn. One third of the big three. And my good sis, Andrea Carter.
- [02:42]
Mariah Rose
Yay.
- [02:45]
Andrea Carter
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Great intro. Other half.
- [02:49]
Lexi Brown
Thank you.
- [02:49]
Andrea Carter
You forgot to say other half, guys.
- [02:51]
Lexi Brown
Oh, yeah. I do call her other half, guys. I don't think everyone realizes how close we are.
- [02:57]
Mariah Rose
I didn't even realize that I've known.
- [02:59]
Lexi Brown
Draya since we've been, like, 13 years old.
- [03:02]
Andrea Carter
Yes.
- [03:02]
Lexi Brown
Like, our friendship is approaching 20 years. Wow.
- [03:08]
Andrea Carter
That's crazy.
- [03:10]
Lexi Brown
Our friendship is almost as old as you, Mariah.
- [03:14]
Mariah Rose
Wait, would you put it that way? That sounds crazy.
- [03:17]
Lexi Brown
Yeah, it is a little crazy. It is a little craz. Um, I was texting Dre yesterday, and she was like, what are we talking about? Like, any college hoops that I said, no, girl, this is all about you. So let's start from the beginning. And what made you pick up that beautiful basketball?
- [03:36]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, I was 100% ready to talk, like, you know, top teams, who I'm looking for, who I want to see bounce back.
- [03:42]
Lexi Brown
We'll get to that later. We'll get to that later. You can tell us all about you.
- [03:45]
Andrea Carter
It's okay. No, I appreciate. I appreciate that I picked up a basketball. I think I first started playing when I was four years. My stepdad, who was the man who raised me. So I call my dad. He was my coach. He coached me from a very young age, put me in a ton of rec leagues. And, yeah, my mom and my dad just saw a passion in it and saw how much I loved it. I was not very good, but I was, like, lanky, athletic, just was running around all the time, but I loved it. I was the kid that my dad actually used. I'm guessing it was Excel back then. I don't know if it was Excel, but would put basketball drills on the left side and then would put dates at the top, and I would have to write in, like, how many drills I did each day, how many right hand dribbles, left hand dribbles, circles. And I loved doing that. So I just think from a very young age, I loved it. I wanted to be good at it. And my parents did a really good job at just fostering that belief and that passion and pouring into it and then making sure I was with good coaches and in good places along the way.
- [04:52]
Lexi Brown
Perfect segue. Talking about good coaches. Draya, you won three state championships in high school.
- [04:57]
Andrea Carter
Yeah. Yeah.
- [04:58]
Lexi Brown
And if y' all are not hip to Atlanta women's basketball, Buford High School was, like, a basketball powerhouse, machine Like, I went. Remember? Do you remember when I almost went to school there?
- [05:13]
Andrea Carter
Yes, I went to Brown.
- [05:14]
Lexi Brown
I do remember. Wait, okay, so tell us a little about Beaufort. Tell them about Breakfast Club. Tell them all of the things.
- [05:22]
Andrea Carter
Yeah. Buford. It's now. I now call it. I now call it Buford University. But I do just want to let everyone know that I did not go to the current Buford High School. That is in place. The Buford High School that I went to is now Buford Middle School. Like, when I went to Beaufort, we were 2A. We did try to schedule all of the big schools, at least for, like, summer scrimmages, because we were a small school. But we were led by Gene Durden, who started at Dade county, came to Beaufort and had some success, but hadn't won a state championship yet. And my parents heard about him. They wanted to get me in Buford. I was. Actually. I went to. I would have went to Grayson High School had we not moved. And I ended up going to Buford. But what happened was Grayson split off into Archer and there was, like, a big divide. And so we ended up moving so I could get to Buford. But Coach Durden is. He's like a legend in Georgia in basketball. He has a ton of connections to college coaches. He is very fundamental. Play hard. By the book, do everything the right way. You don't walk, you sprint. Like, in our games, we all wore knee pads because we were expected to dive on the floor. We actually weren't even allowed to. You know how something happens? You can throw the basketball back to the ref. We weren't allowed to do that.
- [06:39]
Lexi Brown
Oh, yeah. You guys had to run up and give it to them.
- [06:42]
Andrea Carter
Yes, we had to run and hand the ball to the ref. Every dead ball. Like anything that happened, like if the ball went way out of bounds, I would have to go get it and take it to the referee and hand it to because it was, like, a sign of respect. That's just who Coach Jordan is. He still does that to this day. But he was tough. And he was tough on me, and he was hard on me. I had some emotional days as a kid. I was a very emotional kid. But I remember there was a summer scrimmage where he caught a timeout and told everyone to come to the sidelines and just met me at half court and just tore me apart in front of everyone. But that's just who he was. He knew what I was capable of and what he expected of me. And there were some practices where he wouldn't have Answer any of my questions. Like, I was trying to become a better leader, and I would just look at him like, what am I supposed to do? And he would just ignore me on purpose. But it made me better, and it worked. But it was. We just played hard. Like, we outplayed everyone a lot of the times. Yeah.
- [07:41]
Lexi Brown
I remember because I was supposed to go to school there, and for many of those reasons you just listed, that was not the place for Lexi. I was like, I'm gonna go to a regular public school with the coach that also coaches golf. Just chills all day. Which I love. Shout out to Coach Sellers. But, like, if you compare my high school coach to Coach Durden, Buford was.
- [08:05]
Mariah Rose
Like that in everything. I remember having a long day of all algebra 2, and I had to go play volleyball against Buford, and I was like, bruh, please. Like, come on, Bruh. Can we play Thursday?
- [08:18]
Andrea Carter
Right?
- [08:18]
Lexi Brown
No. Buford was nuts. So when you were playing high school basketball, you know, we have AAU as well. Talk a little bit about, like, your AAU team.
- [08:27]
Andrea Carter
Georgia Elite, Correct.
- [08:29]
Lexi Brown
Yep.
- [08:29]
Andrea Carter
Georgia Elite, Yeah.
- [08:30]
Lexi Brown
Another team that. I mean, I. Guys, I had to play against Draya.
- [08:34]
Andrea Carter
All the damn time. And it was.
- [08:35]
Lexi Brown
She was a freaking nightmare defensively. I mean, she just was one of the best defenders I've ever played against. But talk about, like, your AAU stuff and how that was so much different from being at Buford.
- [08:46]
Andrea Carter
Yeah. You know, it's crazy. Like, my AAU coach was very similar to Coach Durden. Coach Tim Ellis. He cussed a lot more than Coach Durden, but, like, was just as hard on us. And he would. He would be the first to tell you that. But he. Great guy, great leader, and that team. You know, it's crazy. Like, we weren't. There were, like, Nike teams, Adidas teams. There were all these, like, teams that were signed to a brand. And we weren't. Like, we were just. We were just Georgia Elite. And we had a bunch of players that ended up going, like, Erica went to Georgia. I ended up going to Tennessee. We had Lauren, who went to Florida State. We had some other teammates that went to smaller schools, but, like, kind of similar to Buford. We just had a system. Like, we had a system on offense. We had a system on defense. We had so many plays. We executed. We played hard. We rotated in and out, and we were just a very connected team. Like, I think at that time, people were flying in and out to get to their AAU teams. This is before there were any rules. So you had, like, people in California Playing for the Tennessee flight. But our team, like, we were almost like a high school team because we practiced and we hung out together and we spent a lot of time together. And so I think that affected when we would go to the gyms. But I don't think people understand. Maybe they're this lit now. I don't know. I haven't been to an AAU tournament in a while. But our AAU tournaments, Lexi, you know, this were so lit.
- [10:08]
Lexi Brown
They were popping.
- [10:10]
Andrea Carter
They were popping all to wall packed. People were standing along the baseline like you. You drag the ball out of the baseline and you'd have people watching, like, right next to you, or like college just sitting there. Especially our games against Lexi's team. So it was.
- [10:23]
Lexi Brown
It was a lot of fun that she later joined.
- [10:26]
Andrea Carter
I did later join that team because here's what. So what happened was I had a great experience too, because most of my teammates for the Georgia Elite were two years older than me. So it was sad once they graduated because then I didn't have anywhere to go. So I just joined the ice.
- [10:39]
Lexi Brown
She was a AAU free agent, and we stole her away. So, like, that. That. I mean, you talk about that relationship you built with aau. Do you think that, like, affected your decision to go to Tennessee or wherever you were deciding to go to college? Cause, you know, now everybody's like, kind of doing their own thing. Like, I'm gonna go here cause it's good for me and not. I feel like a lot of younger players are not picking the right colleges because they're not like, looking like, big picture, like, is this a good environment for me? Am I gonna. Like, my teammates are just like, how am I gonna do? So like, talk about, like, your decision to go to Tennessee and, like, what that process was like.
- [11:17]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, I think, you know, it was actually hard. My decision was because I was very close with a lot of my AAU teammates, but my best friend was Erica, who ended up committing to Georgia. And so I was very pulled. My three schools were Connecticut, they were Georgia, and they were Tennessee. And then my best friend goes to Georgia. Obviously, Connecticut is having incredible amounts of success because this was like that era for UConn. Yeah, UConn was having a ton of success. Erica went to Georgia. But Tennessee was where I always wanted to go. Like, that was just. It was my dream school. I read all of Pat Summitt's books. I loved her. I loved Tamika Catchings, my nana, who passed while I was in school, actually. But we used to watch Candace Parker play, like, Tennessee was where I wanted to go. And when I went on my first visit my freshman year in high school, it just felt different. And I knew I didn't want to go anywhere else. As soon as Pat offered me, I committed, like, six months later because my dad said I needed to win a state championship before I committed to college. So I did that. He was like, if you win, stay in. Yeah. If you win again, then commit.
- [12:23]
Lexi Brown
So.
- [12:24]
Andrea Carter
But no, I do think, I hope. And I know obviously nil is such a big factor now, and obviously getting paid is huge for your future. It can put you in positions that you couldn't possibly be in. So of course that is a factor. But I do hope that players today go to a place where they feel cared for and where they connect to the campus and the team and the staff, because there are situations like mine in particular, where the on the court doesn't go the way you want it to go. And I hope there are other factors there that contribute to their happiness, otherwise they're going to be miserable. Obviously, the checks are an entirely different factor in themselves. But that aside, like, if basketball's not going well, but money's still going in my bank account, okay, great. But I mean, we didn't have that. Right, right, right. But I do think as far as, like, connections go, where you go to school is important for if basketball doesn't work out, you want to have those connections. And my connections at Tennessee have gotten me so many places once basketball didn't work out for me, I was going.
- [13:27]
Mariah Rose
To ask if you could imagine what making that decision would look like in today's world, where you have this dream school, but that might not be the school writing the check. I could only imagine how different that would be.
- [13:40]
Andrea Carter
Yeah. Yeah. It's so crazy. And some schools literally just have more money to give. And so you have these athletes that are like, my family's connected to this school. It's close to my home or whatever, but you have this other school who's gonna put my family in a financial position that we never dreamed of. And you're torn a little bit between that. I can't imagine. The recruiting process was already too much for me. That's why I committed very early. So all of this being factored in, I think would be incredibly overwhelming for me. Foreign.
- [14:17]
Commercial Announcer
This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One Quicksilver Card, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Did you know that in 2020, Sabrinascu became the first player in NCAA history of any gender to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds. The former Oregon standout, now in the WNBA, also holds the record for most collegiate triple doubles with 26. With the Capital One Quicksilver Card, you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. Capital One, what's in your Wallet? Terms apply. SeeCapitalOne.com for details.
- [14:48]
Coca Cola Announcer
What a matchup we got, y'.
- [14:49]
Lexi Brown
All.
- [14:50]
Coca Cola Announcer
This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat. Everybody showing that school pride. Game like this, yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.
- [15:35]
Commercial Announcer
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- [15:40]
Andrea Carter
Because we never make you choose the quality you want, the styles you crave, and the prices you love. It's all at TJ Maxx, so you.
- [15:49]
Commercial Announcer
Can focus on just being you. With so many fines arriving daily, that.
- [15:55]
Andrea Carter
Means so many ways to show your unique style.
- [15:58]
Commercial Announcer
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- [16:02]
Andrea Carter
What makes you you?
- [16:08]
Lexi Brown
So you talked about like your on court stuff not going well? Talk a little bit about that. Also, I want to preface this by. I watched Drea hurt her knee when we were in high school during a pickup game.
- [16:21]
Andrea Carter
And she.
- [16:22]
Lexi Brown
Guys, she got up and kept playing. Her knee was torn. She was like, I'm good guys, and kept playing. Like, that's just. This is a tough girl right here. But I know, like, you know, dealing with that throughout college was tough. So like, talk a little bit like what that was like and when you made the decision to medically retire and you know how you just had to make a very extreme pivot, like in.
- [16:47]
Andrea Carter
The midst of your.
- [16:48]
Lexi Brown
Of your dreams.
- [16:50]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, that was crazy. I didn't know my ACL was torn. I actually, like, I remember tearing it. I remember exactly where we were in the game and playing and I remember like being. Going down and being like, oh, like that didn't feel good. I don't know what that was, but like just playing through it. I have a very high pain tolerance and. But then that night and the next morning, like at Buford, we had to wear khakis to school. And I remember my knee being too swollen to, like, put my khakis on. And that was when. So I ended up going into school. And they were like, yeah, this is not. This is not good. Like, you need to see a doctor. And I remember going to the doctor and not thinking that my aco. I wasn't even thinking about my ACL being torn. And then they came and told me, and they were like, it is partially torn. You cannot play basketball on it. You will completely tear it. We are going to have to have surgery. And that was. I was training for Team usa. It was the summer before my senior year of high school. And at that point, that was just a lot of change in general. One was not playing. Obviously, I didn't play that summer. I missed most of my senior year. But that fall was also when Pat Summitt made her announcement that what she was dealing with and the Alzheimer's and all of that. And so then that was another change. And I still helped, kept with my commitment to the University of Tennessee. I knew I didn't want to go anywhere else. And so that was a change. And long story. I'll try to make a long story short. So I tore my acl. I missed most of my senior year. I came back for the end of my senior year, and I played to end the year, region tournament, tried to win a state championship. We didn't. But in the state tournament, I end up, like, trying to tip a ball and going into the bleachers. And I dislocated my shoulder. Ended up playing through that. So fast forward, we lose state, I get to Tennessee, my knee is fine. Like, my knee feels great, no issues with my left knee, but my shoulder keeps dislocating. So I ended up having a torn labrum in my shoulder. So then I end up. I start as a freshman. I'm starting. I think I played seven games, went up in one game, got hit, fell on it. It dislocated. In the UNC game, I was just reaching to tip a ball and my shoulder dislocated. And at that point, they were like. They were like, your shoulder's not staying in place. We're gonna shut you down. We're gonna red shirt you. You're gonna have surgery. So I missed most of my senior year of high school with a knee, came back and played. Then I missed most of my freshman year of college with a shoulder. And then my sophomore year. I'm playing well. Like, shoulders fixed, knees fixed. I'm still, like, needing confidence offensively, but that wasn't my role on that team. So, like, defense, energy, chasing Lexi around everywhere. That was my role. And basically in practice, my. I go down on my knee, my left knee, same one as my acl, but it ended up being my meniscus. And they were like, your meniscus is slightly torn, but you can play on it. Like, if you want to play, you can play on it. And I was like, I'm playing. And through playing on that, that is what ended up being the injury that I never recovered from, because I ended up tearing it so much that I was bone on bone for that year. Tried to do a scoped surgery, tried to wear a brace, played another year, wasn't as effective. I wasn't practicing as much and ended up having a fifth year to play. But that summer, the doctors were like, you can play, but you probably will only practice once a week. You really shouldn't run on this. If you continue playing basketball, you're gonna be on crutches in your 30s. What we would do for your knee is a knee replacement, but you're too young for that. We don't wanna give you a knee replacement in your early 20s. Nobody would do that. They were like, you can play if you want, but you're not gonna have a very lengthy career. It was just one of those decisions where I already felt like I wasn't the player that I wanted to be anymore and to keep pushing it and keep trying. And I was in so much pain. Like, walking, sitting, standing. I was taking Toradol, which was a blood thinner, so I was bruising all the time. I didn't. I just felt awful. I loved my teammates. I loved the game. I missed it, but it was coming with so much pain. And so I made the decision, obviously, with my loved ones and the doctors and my coaches and teammates to medically retire. And that was how it ended.
- [21:21]
Mariah Rose
What's that like?
- [21:22]
Lexi Brown
It's a crazy thing that they were like. But the doctors were like, you're 19 years old, 20 years old. And they're like, well, you could play if you want. Like, of course a kid is gonna be like, yes, I'm playing. I just feel like trainers, training staffs and doctors, especially for athletes, they're just so irresponsible to me sometimes. And I've seen it happen so much. So I remember when all that was going on, and I was like. Cause knowing I know our listeners, we have a lot of new fans that are listeners, they have no idea what type of player you were. So even seeing you deal with that, with the type of player that you were. We were. Everybody was just like, it sucks and like, you hate seeing someone you care about deal with that. Right.
- [22:03]
Mariah Rose
That's what I was curious about. Because knowing we see this a lot, all of us working in media now in some form or capacity, with fans getting frustrated when a player has so much talent but just can't, quote, quote, unquote, seem to stay healthy. But I always wonder from a player perspective, what's that like? Because it's not like you want to be dealing with all of these issues, but mentally you want to get out there. You want to be the player that you know that you can be, but you just physically can't. Like, what is that like emotionally as a player?
- [22:33]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, I think it's hard. And I also think it's something that can end up spiraling really quickly because, like, everything in your body ends up being connected. Right. So if you sprain your ankle, but you want to be out there on the floor and you're pushing through on this ankle, it ends up putting pressure on your knee or puts pressure on your hip, or it ends up putting pressure on your other ankle. Like so many things, you try to push through one injury and you end up overcompensating in some. Some way and putting more pressure on another part of your body. But it's because you want to be out there on the floor, or do you miss time being out there on the floor and try to get healthy? And then sometimes things are just freak accidents, like you step on someone's foot and you roll your ankle or you. Like, there are just so many things that happen in sport. But I do think there are times where trying to push through one injury ends up leading to another. And so I do hope that players today, and this is why I know a lot of players get outside opinions when something happens to them just to make sure they're completely covered on all their bases on what they should do. But there is. There's a lot of pressure to perform and push through. Not just physical injuries, but a lot of these players now, they push through mental things that they're dealing with because mental health is so real and there are so many issues in that aspect.
- [23:50]
Lexi Brown
So.
- [23:51]
Andrea Carter
So there's a lot of pressure to be out there on the floor. And I don't. I do think that gets overlooked a lot.
- [23:57]
Mariah Rose
People definitely romanticize the pushing through. Oh, every back in the day, Michael Jordan played an all 82. You know, everybody romanticizes pushing through an injury, and it's like, okay, no, no, no.
- [24:11]
Lexi Brown
I used to be One of those people until I got sick. And I was like, no, ain't no push it through nothing. You're always going to be, like you said, overcompensating. I feel like the mental piece is so important. And I feel like out of all a lot of women's basketball players that have come and went, had a career that they wanted or didn't have, you have made one of the most graceful, amazing pivots that I've ever seen in my life. So tell us when. Cause I remember after school, you were not doing any of this media broadcasting. You were just figuring your shit out like all of us are usually doing. And then all of a sudd and like, you're on. You're on ESPN every freaking day.
- [24:56]
Andrea Carter
So I was going to say we're.
- [24:57]
Mariah Rose
Still seeing you on tv talking like, you might not be playing, but you might be on TV more than the players.
- [25:05]
Lexi Brown
Yeah, it's like football, basketball, this.
- [25:08]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, yeah. What's crazy is while it feels, I think the recent years and how these recent years have blown up have made it seem more graceful than it was because I was on TV in 2017. Like, and I don't think people know that or they don't remember it or they didn't. Like, they weren't following that closely. Like, it was SEC Network and I was doing SEC Network shows and I was also calling games online. So basically, like, again, long story short, I end up deciding not to play my fifth year, but I was still finishing my master's degree because I graduated in three years. So I started my master's my fourth year on the team, and I was gonna finish my master's on my fifth year on the team. I wasn't playing anymore, but Tennessee still basically gave me a grad assistantship to cover my scholarship. And I worked in our academic department for athletes. So, like, the Athletes Academic Building, that's where I worked every day and to finish grad school. But while I was playing, I became really good friends with Maria Taylor, who is like, one of the best and brightest and smartest, amazing, amazing people on TV or. And just in any single space. She is such a light. And I got connected with her and she. I went down to Charlotte to visit her. She was living there at the time. She took me to the SEC Network studio. I met some people there. Actually, the person I met there, this was in 2016. The person I met there is now my current boss at espn, which is just so crazy. Like, the full circle moments. There's so many of them. But basically Right. Tennessee. While I was finishing my master's degree at Tennessee, the university asked if I would be the color analyst for their SEC Network plus games. So, like, for the Tennessee games that were online, they wanted me to be the analyst. The schools booked those people. And so I did, like, a couple of run through sessions with Ball for Life Films, trying to learn tv. I didn't study tv. I did study communication. My master's was in kinesiology. I never thought this was. I never saw myself being on tv. I was like, friends with Maria, and she was like, you should think about doing tv. You speak well. You know the game. We've seen your interview.
- [27:24]
Lexi Brown
I remember Dre was like, no cameras.
- [27:27]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, never. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And basically calling the Tennessee games. So one of my assistants went to Kentucky, and one of my assistants went to South Carolina that coached me at Tennessee. And the one at Kentucky was like, hey, our analyst just backed out of the game. That's in a couple of days. We're playing Mississippi. This was the year Mississippi State went to the Final Four. She's like, we're playing Mississippi State. Can you come be the analyst for our game? So I missed class, drove to Lexington, called the game. The game went to overtime. It shouldn't have went to overtime. And I think it was an online game, but when it went to overtime, I think people started listening or watching, and they were like, who is calling this game? And it was me. And that is basically how ESPN got wind of me. The boss at the time was Pat Lowry, and everyone was like, you need to meet Pat Lowry. You need to meet Pat Lowry. Fast forwarding. I ended up meeting her at the SEC tournament. She said she had, like, 15 minutes of her time. We ended up talking for, like, an hour. But while we were talking, Nikki Fargas walks up to me and starts chatting. Nell Fortner walks up to me. These are coaches in the SEC at the time who I had relationships with, be it through recruiting or just from my time as a player. And Pat was like, all right, the championship game is tomorrow. I want you to sit in the truck with me and watch the game, and I'm just gonna pick your brain. So the championship game happens. South Carolina, Mississippi State is who I think it was. And she's like, you know, what are they going to run here? I'm like, victoria, Vivian's to the corner. She's like, what's Don want here? I'm like, elena, coach, short corner. Like, just. Just talking. And it was that in March. She was like, all right, next winter, which would be 2017. She's like, all right, next winter, I'll give you two games on tv, and if you do well, then you'll get more. And so that was basically my first unspoken TV opportunity. And December came around. I think it was November, actually. November, December came around, and I had a Mississippi State game, and I had a Florida game on tv, and I ended up doing more games that year.
- [29:31]
Lexi Brown
And it kind of went from there.
- [29:33]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, that's insane. Literally.
- [29:39]
Lexi Brown
Okay, so now we're pivoting. Few more years, Whatever. Now you're doing football, you're doing college game day. Like, you're doing everything. But I think your most notable thing as of now is the big Three. So how did that come together? Was it random? Did you guys plan that? Did y' all just all happen to be around each other at the same time? They're like, you know what? Y' all three do it. Y' all cover wnba. Cause you know how people used to be about the W, they kind of like, here. Damn.
- [30:11]
Andrea Carter
So, like, how did that.
- [30:14]
Lexi Brown
That come about?
- [30:15]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, it's. It's kind of crazy because. So when I. I did. Well, you know, Lexi, I was an Orange Theory coach, calling games, doing TV. Like, I didn't. I did that for four years. So my first TV game was 2017. I didn't go full time at ESPN until 2021. So, like, Orange Theory paid my salary while I was trying to get more and more on TV. But in 2021, I went full time. That's when they were like, you're gon softball and baseball and this, this, this. And I did everything and then finally worked to get to the point where I could say, hey, I just want to get back to doing basketball only. And that's been these last couple of years where I've really just focused on basketball, the Big Three. Honestly, it feels random because it really was the first year. So we did college game day. That was first year of college.
- [31:04]
Lexi Brown
For our listeners, who's the Big three? Oh, yeah.
- [31:07]
Andrea Carter
For those that don't know the big Three, it is me, Elle Duncan, and Cheney Ogumike. So that is now. That is the big Three. And honestly, it happened very organically. Like, we had a college game day crew that was. People rotated in and out. So sometimes it was like, me, Elle joined, and it was Rebecca Lobo and Carolyn Peck, or maybe it was Carolyn Peck and Cheney, or it was. It was just whoever it could be there that week. And then Cheney did join for a couple of shows and joined all of us. And the Decision makers. It was for the NCAA tournament. Yeah. They were like, yeah, that's what happened. So really, the whole crew, it was all of us throughout the season. And then for the tournament, I think Cheney and I. Yeah, like, Rebecca went to call games in the NCAA tournament. And so then it was just me, Ellen Cheney, in the studio, because Carolyn was calling games, too. And that tournament in the studio, we just vibed like we were in there for 16 hours straight, watching basketball, talking trash, enjoying each other, making jokes, getting to know each other. And that is really that stretch. And I think, too, like, fans who were really keeping up with the tournament were also spending time with us every day. So it was just this huge commitment to watching women's basketball with the three of us getting you from one game to the next, explaining what one game means, explaining another matchup, arguing about what's more important. And it was kind of like we were just hanging out with women's college basketball fans. That's how two weeks straight, and it blew up and exploded. And that's what led to us being the game day crew and us getting WNBA opportunities. And really, I think they just wanted to keep the three of us together because of the chemistry and the energy that we had in that tournament.
- [33:01]
Lexi Brown
I mean, that tournament wouldn't be that tournament without y'.
- [33:04]
Andrea Carter
All.
- [33:05]
Lexi Brown
Like, I don't care what anybody says. I don't care what anybody says. If y' all three were not together covering it, it would not have had the impact or the enjoyment that I think everybody, like, literally, I was on Twitter when I was still on Twitter, like, yes, people were talking about the games, but, like, everybody was talking about y'.
- [33:21]
Andrea Carter
All.
- [33:21]
Lexi Brown
Like, it was so hard to, like, watch.
- [33:24]
Mariah Rose
Oh, my God, it was insane. I remember my mom telling me, did you know that they got three black girls on ESPN talking about basketball? And I was like, I didn't even, like. And then I think, you know, coming up, because I always. I come from a different background from you because I always wanted to do media, and so I paid attention to things like that. And coming up, when I was younger, it was like, sage steel. Like, it was sage steel, stage steel. She was the only one. And then it was like, I went to Georgia, too. So Maria Taylor was like. And I was studying sports broadcasting. So Maria Taylor was like, God to us. And then coming up, and I got a little bit older, I look at the TV one day, and I'm like, oh, my God. It's just like. It's just. It's three black women up there talking. Everybody has their own perspective, their own personality, their own unique thing that they bring to the table. And it was so exciting, especially to see you guys give excellent coverage. But be yourselves. Like, it really felt like you were being yourselves. I think that's what carried with the audience.
- [34:24]
Andrea Carter
Yeah. Yeah, I think that too. Like, and we're all so different. Like, Elle is a mom, and she's the auntie, and she's gonna give references that Sinead and I don't even know. And then Cheney is just, like, this ball of energy that has so much energy. She's so bright. And then I can, like, overthink and overanalyze. And we have different voices, different energies, but it just worked so well. We were playing off of each other really well. I will also say, just because I do always try to make sure the players and the games are the focus. Like. Like, the games were also so good. Like, I think had. If we were. And I think we could have done it. Just because we get along so well, we can kind of make anything seem exciting. But the fact that we didn't have to fake excitement or fake interest or, like, pretend that something was impactful when really it wasn't impactful, we didn't have to make it up. There really was genuine performances and games and content and moments that we were excited about. And I think that genuine authenticity coming from what we were watching was what was showing. It was honestly, like, the perfect mix, because if the games weren't as good, we might not have been as good. And if we weren't as good, maybe people wouldn't have been as interested in the game. But we just had both. So it was this perfect meeting of, like, high quality on both ends. And I was. I'm honestly glad we were able to meet that moment because the games were so good. We just wanted to match that.
- [35:56]
Lexi Brown
Yeah, shit. Y' all surpassed it. I remember we were just talking our last episode. Remember when we used to have one channel for all of the tournament games?
- [36:04]
Andrea Carter
Yes.
- [36:05]
Lexi Brown
And, like, you just were lucky if you got 10 minutes of airtime, and you're the number one team in the country, and you're sharing a screen with everybody else, and now every game, like, has their own thing. So, yeah, like, y'. All. Y' all really rose to the occasion. And I do think. I mean, I'm gonna give. I mean, you're gonna give the players credit. Obviously, what they did on the court is important, but. But I'm definitely gonna contribute that tournament in particular, Yalls coverage to it to, you know, one of the driving forces of this, like, explosion of interest in women's basketball. From your perspective, like, what are some other things that you feel are driving that explosion? How has it felt on the media side of it? Cause, you know, I like dibble and dabble in the media. Mariah is, like, in a completely different media space than you are. So, like, what is it like on that side of it?
- [36:50]
Andrea Carter
I think that's all of it, though. Like, I think the collective investment. And so obviously, like, companies and brands investing in these players and who they are as people. And I think. And actually, we just had some research elements in this college basketball meeting that I was a part of, and they were saying how women's basketball fans are more connected to the individual player. This was based on, like, a survey that came out. But how women's basketball fans are more connected to the individual. And I think because of nil and brand deals and opportunities to see who these women are, that has helped fans, new fans, pick a player and ride for that player and follow that player's team. And wherever that player goes, they're following that player. So the investment from brands, for sure, and giving these women opportunities to show who they are through partnerships and through brands and through connections, that's huge. But also the investment, too. Like, I noticed a big shift that season. So this was two tournaments ago where, like, we were getting requests from Good Morning America, first Take get up, like these other sport channels. I mean, these other sports shows that ESPN has always had, showing this incredible interest in women's basketball. And these are. These are shows that they're going to talk about the hottest topic. That's the point of the show, right? Like, whatever is new. So we were getting these requests that we hadn't gotten before. So our workload and our assignments and the things we were being asked to do was increasing, but we were very willing to do it because that grows the game. So that from more people being invested. From content creators being more invested in creating fun and quick and entertaining ways to talk about these players and talk about these games and. And people's attention spans are so short, some people don't want to listen to me talk for 30 minutes about all the breakdowns in the X's and O's, they might just want to hear someone like Mariah get into it, get right into it, tell us the big things. And so it's the overall commitment to the sport and being able to see it and take it in from different angles in different ways that I think it's been able to grow and again, of course, the product being good always helps. Like, we can't sell something that's not good. So it's just a mix of all of that.
- [39:07]
Mariah Rose
My thing is, with that tournament in particular, there was a huge. That was a moment like, it was insane. Everybody was paying attention. Everybody loved it. And I always wondered from college, right. It seemed like with women's sports, basketball in particular, people were so willing to digest women's sports in the college format. Like, people were obsessed with it. People were very interested in it. And when that interest sort of carried over into the W on a larger scale was this like, of new fans. How do you view that transition from the interest being in college students and why people are so fascinated with those games in particular and how that transition happens into the W?
- [39:51]
Andrea Carter
I think people are interested in college athletics in particular because, you know, those players are, like, trying to collectively get themselves to the next level. Like, to me, the best thing about college athletics is that those players are playing like. Like, with a goal in mind for their career and their future and their family and their. Like, the rest of their lives are really determined by those four years with that team or the teams that they end up going to, or what they do in college determines what they're doing at the next level. And so I think that's particularly interesting also. I think people are just very connected to the universities. Like, people love their schools. There are very committed fans to the schools. We haven't always seen that at the pro level for women's basketball. We haven't seen, like, some. We have, but this is the first time, really, where I feel like players are being followed from college wherever they go in the W. Like, college fans who attach to these players, which I do give nil credit, social media credit. Like, fans can now, instead of just connecting to UConn or Tennessee or whatever's on the front of the jerseys, fans can get to connect to these players individually. And it has led to following those players into the W. And so now the fandom has just grown immensely from college basketball transitioning into the W. People are following that transition now where really, you weren't getting as much. Lexi, you could speak to this. You weren't getting that follow disappear from one stage to the next. Yeah, like, people would just obviously, for the superstars, and you would watch the absolute, you know, most incredible players on their team and these dynasty teams and the teams that won a lot of championships, they had a ton of fans. But now. And you see this in the NBA at times where, like, the Top player can go to a bad team and that team still has a lot of fans because people love that player. And we didn't always have that.
- [41:51]
Lexi Brown
I mean, you think about the Lynx, that Lynx team, you don't. As amazing as all of them were as individuals, you think of them as the unit. And I feel like that part of WNBA fandom is sometimes I miss that because now, like you said, everybody is like, just attaching themselves to one individual player. This is not an individual sport. I do understand that in the last few years of the W, people have been bouncing around a lot. I'm hoping that with this new cba, players will start locking in two, three, four year deals. So now there's a way to marry these individual fandoms and then these team fandoms, and then, like, it can just overall make the ecosystem better. Cause I feel like it's a little. It's a little spooky right now, not gonna lie. But again, now everyone is like, sitting around, wait, like, where's my favorite player gonna go? It's like the Basketball Hunger Games for fans right now. It's crazy.
- [42:49]
Andrea Carter
That's the next step.
- [42:50]
Mariah Rose
That's something that women's basketball has over men's basketball, in my opinion. Lexi and I have spoken about this before that when they're in college, they' for more than just a year. Even the best of the best players are there for more than just a year. So we're following this storyline of juju Watkins, we're following the storyline of Caitlin Clark, and then she has this rival, Angel Reese, and we get to see them play and somebody win, and then we get to see it again next year. Whereas it makes us like, fall in love with that story and then you follow it into the league. Like most Indiana Fever fans, most of those people are from Indiana, like, but I. To Lexi's point, that means that we have to keep these teams together so that people are watching what's happening around these players and falling in love with that too.
- [43:32]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, yeah. And that's where I think that's what I hope the W also gets back to. Like, these teams will stay together and whoever the superstar is, of course that's the superstar. But you also start to appreciate what the other. It's something the Aces have done really well.
- [43:47]
Lexi Brown
Obviously, they've been built to ass in us for four years. Three out of the last four. It's for a reason. Yes, it's a reason.
- [43:57]
Andrea Carter
But you see, obviously the superstar. But even just watching their finals run, you watch how that superstar in Asia just uplifts everyone, how everyone thrives around that player. And you can celebrate what Chelsea's able to do, what Jackie's able to do, what Dana, Jewel, and that team, obviously, you hope they stay together and you become Aces fans. Like, a fan of Asia Wilson is amazing. And they also turn into a fan of the Aces. And I hope what the Aces have been able to build in terms of just their organizational fandom, like, growing that at all of the leagues as players, stay there and build those teams around them. Because that's what you think about. Like, when you mentioned the Lynx or you mentioned the Sparks, we also got to see the Lynx and the Sparks go at it back and forth. And so you attach yourself to. Are you cheering for Candace? Are you cheering for Maya? Are you cheering for Candace's teammates? Are you cheering for Maya's teammates? Who are you rooting for? And you get to pick a side. And so getting back to some of those rivalries and back and forth, where you are feeling like you're following a storyline in the W, that's where it gets that the NBA has had it, too. You have these rivalries where these teams go back and forth. That's. That's the fun part to me that I think is the next step for the W or getting back to it. Like, we were there, and now we're here, and we're gonna get back there.
- [45:15]
Lexi Brown
Yeah. No, I agree. Trust me 100%. 100%. 100%.
- [45:20]
Mariah Rose
I definitely feel like that's a way that the WNBA could take a page out of college's book so that we can have that. I know it got a little bit toxic there for a minute with the rivalry thing, but people do love this team versus that team. And at the beginning, that rivalry was very much about basketball, at least for me. Like, it was like, okay, who's gonna win this year? Cause they were going at it as far as March Madness was concerned, as far as winning championships were won out of that rivalry, you know, and that's what made people so attached to it. Once we start seeing, you know, Asia and the Aces have a rival that's like, them and the team, it's the same people every year, and we see them talking trash and stuff like that. That will. It'll come back.
- [45:59]
Lexi Brown
But it's. Yeah. Like, we don't have, like, we literally don't have that. Like, they've been trying to, like, make Fetch happen. It's just not there. And I, like. I feel like that is literally, like, the piece that's missing in our league. Is like having like. Like team. Like real team rivalries, like real competition, real bad energy. Within the confines of the game, of course, because for some reason, everybody thinks that. That whatever that is, leaves when the game is over. No, it stays right where it is because that's where it belongs.
- [46:28]
Commercial Announcer
It's just.
- [46:28]
Lexi Brown
As for its work.
- [46:37]
Commercial Announcer
This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One Quicksilver Card, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Did you know that in 2020, Sabrina Unescu became the first player in NCAA history of any gender to reach 2000 points, 1000 assists, and 1000 rebounds. The former Oregon standout, now in the WNBA, also holds the record for most collegiate triple doubles with 26. With the Capital One Quicksilver Card, you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. Capital One, what's in your wallet? Term supply. See capitalone.com for details.
- [47:08]
Coca Cola Announcer
What a matchup we got, y'.
- [47:10]
Lexi Brown
All.
- [47:10]
Coca Cola Announcer
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- [47:30]
Andrea Carter
Mmm.
- [47:31]
Coca Cola Announcer
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- [47:56]
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- [48:03]
Andrea Carter
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- [48:08]
Andrea Carter
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Andrea Carter
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- [48:24]
Lexi Brown
You. Talking about the W? So we're going to pivot to the.
- [48:30]
Andrea Carter
W.
- [48:33]
Lexi Brown
When you look at all these new teams, you know, we have everybody free agent, blah, blah, blah. What franchise are you, like, looking at to, like, where this. This year is, like, y' all got it, like, figured out, like, now, like, what is, like, one. One franchise that you're, like, looking at, like, okay, girl, like, in terms of.
- [48:51]
Andrea Carter
Figuring it out, like, on the court, off the court.
- [48:54]
Lexi Brown
Yeah, like, you need to, like, this team is due for some success.
- [48:59]
Andrea Carter
Yes, they need to figure out both.
- [49:02]
Lexi Brown
They need. I mean, yeah, both but like now it's like basically everyone has like an open slate, like an empty roster to like make the right moves. I mean, I feel like there's a lot of answers here, but I'm interested to see.
- [49:13]
Andrea Carter
No, there are a lot of answers. I am particularly interested, and I'll tell you why, but I'm particularly interested in the Sparks because there was actually some research done. I don't know if it was last year or the year before. And the Spark Sparks had not been doing very well. Like the Sparks have, you know, they've struggled. They just have in recent years. And the Sparks were still, from research that we pulled, one of the top, like searched teams like the Sparks. You know, you can search websites and who's clicking on what. And like looking at the Sparks and what they were doing, like purple and gold is. Those colors are legendary in the basketball world. And that is an organization and a franchise that I feel like, like we've seen have such great success at such high levels, and then we have seen plummet to the depths from a variety of different things happening, from decisions and things like that at the top. Players leaving, players coming. And so that franchise in particular, like you have the Lakers and you have the Sparks, and those two organizations, they're supposed to thrive. That's LA basketball. And that's probably who I'm like, what are the Sparks? What are those Sparks going to do? What is their plan and how are they moving forward to get back on top?
- [50:33]
Mariah Rose
I'm curious who you think would be the first expansion team to win a championship? Me and Lexi have. Have gone back and forth about this one a couple of times.
- [50:42]
Andrea Carter
First expansion team.
- [50:44]
Lexi Brown
What did I say? I don't remember.
- [50:46]
Mariah Rose
The Valkyries.
- [50:47]
Lexi Brown
I said the Valkyries. Okay. Yeah, I said the Valkyries.
- [50:49]
Andrea Carter
They're. They're a year ahead. So that's that. That gives him a little bit of Lego.
- [50:53]
Lexi Brown
I'm still. I'm gonna still put them in this conversation. Okay.
- [50:58]
Andrea Carter
Who'd you say? Mariah.
- [51:00]
Mariah Rose
Okay, well, I, Lexi had to pull up the years after my answer because my original answer was going to be Toronto. And then I found out they weren't going to be a team till like 2030. So that's so mean to the other teams.
- [51:13]
Andrea Carter
Right. I do need to. I need to see who's going to. Who comes in when.
- [51:19]
Lexi Brown
But I just put the vibes. Yeah, but I've seen.
- [51:25]
Andrea Carter
I also want to go back to Lexi. Who. What team are you the most interested in? Like, in general? I said the Sparks. Who are you The Most interested in the sky. That's a good one.
- [51:37]
Lexi Brown
The sky. Only because they're. Whatever drama that happened at the end of the year, even though it was blown so out of proportion. Because this is not the first time a star in Chicago has wanted to.
- [51:50]
Andrea Carter
Be out of Chicago.
- [51:51]
Lexi Brown
This is like their MO So this is just the first time people actually care, I guess. Um, I mean, I think that there needs to be some type of conversation or change at the top, literally, that we won a championship in 2021. Like, we're not that far removed from winning a championship. So the fact that this has happened so quickly, they can't keep people on the team. It's not a destination. Chicago is a beautiful, great city in the summer. They have the Bulls, they have the football team. They have the. Like, Chicago should be one of those teams. Even when I'm on gills. They said New York, Chicago, L.A. are like the big basketball markets. Like, that's what should be. When basketball is good there, then the league is good. She didn't say stinks, right? She didn't even say, get me the hell out. She said, we need to make some changes.
- [52:37]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, we stink. Chicago is an excellent. Chicago is an excellent team. In terms of. What are you all about to do from here?
- [52:46]
Lexi Brown
What are y' all about to do?
- [52:47]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, that's a good one. Expansion team. Honestly, like, with the way that the Valkyries, I would hope that everyone starts to follow the Valkyries blueprint in terms of fan engagement and building a team and end up despite people having so much criticism about roster decisions having success because of the internal decisions that were made for that roster and putting a team together that clicked and that worked. I would say I. And I have a lot of belief in Natalie Nakase and her basketball mind and what she would be able to do. Not that I wouldn't have belief in any of the other coaches that end up taking jobs and things like that, but I think the Valkyries do have. And now you're giving them opportunities to get new players, get new pieces, put a team together from. Not an expansion draft. I think the Valkyries are. They have a head start, so my eyes would be on them for sure.
- [53:48]
Mariah Rose
Yeah, I would be interested.
- [53:50]
Lexi Brown
I don't.
- [53:51]
Mariah Rose
We keep running back to this question, but another team that I would like to throw in the fold is the Dallas Wings. I would love to see where they go with all. With this new era and so many free agents and everything with the sky. Funny point to both of you. I saw a tweet the other day and it was a sky slash Angel Reese fan. We were just talking about fans like that. That's so funny. But a sky slash Angel Reese fan. And they put a compilation of all the celebrities that came out to games and then like the score and them getting blown out. But nobody like the average casual isn't really paying attention to that. They're like, oh my God, look, it's Glorilla or Latto or whoever at the game.
- [54:31]
Lexi Brown
But it's like, why do you, like, people are so weird. Like, at the end of the day, I was watching something, we were always at a football game and they had like, in the middle of like a timeout, the players were still on the field. They had like fans like on the field doing some type of fan thing. And I'm like, sports is sports. Yes, obviously. But like, it's entertainment now. Like we sports is in a whole different stratosphere now. And the faster the WNBA picks up on that, the better off.
- [55:00]
Mariah Rose
That's why I bring that up. Because this guy have a unique opportunity with being Chicago, a big basketball market, a great city, having angel there, she's doing all these things on and off the court, and all these celebrities courtside at the game, whatever. Like, if they were able to match that with the energy they had in.
- [55:17]
Lexi Brown
2021, realistically, one team can win the championship. Just one.
- [55:22]
Andrea Carter
Yeah. Yeah.
- [55:23]
Lexi Brown
So you might as well use these opportunities and moments and these talented, amazing women you have on your rosters to at least not waste your season away. Cause you're not winning. Like, and.
- [55:34]
Andrea Carter
And maybe that's where obviously, like there was some drama at the end of last season. But there is like, part of me when I think about LA versus Chicago and LA was my first where my mind went first because I do feel like Chicago, they have the tools. Like, they have things they just won recently. They have Angel Reese, who literally anyone will come watch and see and watch on the court, who also improved tremendously from one season to the next and is playing a different position and can impact the floor in more ways than she could in just her first year. Like, I remember talking to Tyler Marsh about him wanting to use Andrew Reese Moore as a point forward and we saw her have a triple double that.
- [56:16]
Lexi Brown
So.
- [56:16]
Andrea Carter
So to me, like, there's more to work with. I know the drama is the drama that was there. Like, but to me, if they could just figure it out and figure out how to keep players and have fans get engaged and be there going crazy for Angel Reese because she's such a big name and such A big draw. They have a little bit more to work with, in my opinion, than some other teams who my eye is on. Like, how are you going to generate excitement for your organization? That's really my question for all of these teams. I'm not worried about Chicago generating excitement. Angel Reese walked in in the Victoria's Secret fashion show. Like, she is everywhere. People are excited to watch her and her teammates, period, no matter what the score is. People are going to want to watch that on the floor. What are other organizations going to do to get that level of engagement where people are bought in even if the team is struggling?
- [57:07]
Lexi Brown
Yeah, that's another. Another next step in the women's basketball room. And I feel like this explosion over the last two years was just so unexpected and out of left field. But again, I feel like. Just like in the season.
- [57:19]
Andrea Carter
What.
- [57:20]
Lexi Brown
What tournament was that? 2023 tournament when everything went crazy. I feel like this CBA, that's how the season ended. The Aces winning, everybody, a free agent. Like, this is another perfect storm opportunity. A lot of teams, you know, cleaning house, bringing new coaches in, bringing fresh faces in. A lot of European players coming over. Like, it's. This is just like a storm going on right now. And it's up to us, the players, front office, media, to make sure that we handle it correctly. Because it could go bad. It could go really bad if it's not handled how it's supposed to be handled. But for me, I'm excited.
- [57:59]
Andrea Carter
There's so many good things. There's so many superstars and players and moments. There's so much that it can't. Like, for me, I'm just like, please don't mess this up. Like, literally, please don't mess it up.
- [58:13]
Lexi Brown
I'm the same. I'm. You got Athletes Unlimited. You have unrivaled. You have all the things like.
- [58:19]
Mariah Rose
Well, for both of you, my last question. Rapid fire. Okay. You're building the ideal WNBA player to start a franchise with. Okay? You can have anybody you want. You're starting a franchise, and you can take three pieces of players that are available in the league right now, whether that. That's this person's t, this person's speed, this person's shooting, maybe this person's off the court for prowess or whatever. Three things from current WNBA players. Who are you building as your ideal player to start a franchise with?
- [58:51]
Lexi Brown
Oh, damn.
- [58:52]
Andrea Carter
Oh, my gosh.
- [58:54]
Lexi Brown
Okay, I got it. Okay? Because it has to make sense, because you can't have, like, attributes of a point guard and a center.
- [59:01]
Andrea Carter
Like, exactly.
- [59:02]
Lexi Brown
But in a little body or could you. Am I trying to make, like, the greatest shooting guard of all time or, like, the greatest power forward of all time?
- [59:11]
Mariah Rose
It depends who you'd want to start your franchise with.
- [59:15]
Lexi Brown
Okay, I'm making the greatest shooting guard. I'm making a great shooting guard right now. Okay? I'm going to give them. I'm going to give them Jackie Young's physicality.
- [59:28]
Andrea Carter
Okay?
- [59:29]
Lexi Brown
K max shooting. Kmax. See, now, do I want her to pat? No. I want her to rebound. And no passing, no scoring. Rebound, rebound. This is a bucket getter. She's okay. No, Jackie. Jackie's physicality. Kmax shooting and Gabby's defense and athleticism. That player might exist in the league. I just don't know which one it is.
- [60:05]
Andrea Carter
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Who am I?
- [60:07]
Lexi Brown
That player might actually be Jackie. I might have just described Jack like an elevated Jackie.
- [60:15]
Andrea Carter
I'm trying to think, like, I'm. I'm. I'm like, oh, like. Like, if I'm thinking about, like, the most dominant player in the game who could just, like, go crazy, like, I'm.
- [60:27]
Lexi Brown
Like, I would do Chelsea Gray and Angel rebounding. That don't make sense. Like. Cause if you passing like Chelsea, you not getting all them damn rebounds. So that doesn't make sense.
- [60:36]
Mariah Rose
You're thinking too hard about it. This is a dream.
- [60:40]
Lexi Brown
But, you know, you see, me and. Me and Dre are so type A. Like, this is not a good question because some people will be like, I want my player to be 8ft tall but can dribble. I mean, Wemby exists.
- [60:51]
Mariah Rose
Wemby.
- [60:52]
Andrea Carter
That's so Wemby's who went to my mind and I was like, what skills would I take from the women's game to basically make what we are seeing in Wimby? Like, the size with the skill with the mindset is just like, what?
- [61:08]
Lexi Brown
Like what? He's an alien. That one is an alien.
- [61:13]
Andrea Carter
Like, we would have to go with, like.
- [61:18]
Lexi Brown
I just described Jackie Young in, like, a year from now, we would build a Wimby.
- [61:22]
Andrea Carter
Whatever that takes.
- [61:23]
Lexi Brown
Cakes. It would be a D. It'll be dumb.
- [61:28]
Andrea Carter
I was just about to say that. I was going to say, like, maybe Dominique Malanga in however many years. Or like, if you took her body with Asia Wilson's mindset and skill set and, like, Asia Wilson's mindset, because I think her mentality is just, like, incredible.
- [61:47]
Lexi Brown
I'm not losing ever. Yeah.
- [61:49]
Andrea Carter
You know, like. Like her leaping ability. So Dom's, like, overall athleticism and physique with Asia Wilson's mindset. And.
- [62:03]
Lexi Brown
You got one more. Dang.
- [62:07]
Andrea Carter
So, Dom, with the mindset of Asia Wilson and the skill set and fluidity offensively of.
- [62:22]
Lexi Brown
Shit.
- [62:22]
Andrea Carter
Plum.
- [62:23]
Lexi Brown
Caitlyn. Kelsey Plum. Oh, Caitlin Clark or Plum. I was gonna say Kelsey Plum. Cause she real shifty.
- [62:28]
Andrea Carter
Like, just think about the offensive fluidity and vision in Dom's body with also the mindset and skillset of Asia Wilson.
- [62:36]
Lexi Brown
Okay, Dom, write this down. I don't know if she's listening, but we're gonna clip this. I'm gonna send it to her and be like, these are your expectations. Straight from espn, girl.
- [62:50]
Andrea Carter
That was the game that was played that I participated in. But I honestly.
- [62:56]
Lexi Brown
That's how narratives start. That's how narratives start.
- [62:59]
Andrea Carter
Yes, it is. And people clip, like, 30 seconds so they don't hear our entire debate on what we were just trying to do.
- [63:06]
Lexi Brown
I was like, this is not real life. You can say whatever you want. We're gonna act like that didn't happen. We just gonna act like Draya came on here and was like, this is the type of player I want.
- [63:14]
Andrea Carter
Want. Yeah.
- [63:15]
Lexi Brown
The end, right?
- [63:16]
Andrea Carter
Yep. I hate you both, actually.
- [63:20]
Mariah Rose
Well, you guys, before Twitter clips us and puts why the WNBA needs wimby up at the top, let's end this. All right, so thank you guys so much for listening to another episode of the Full Circle podcast with me, Lexi, and our special guest, Andrea. Thank you so much for your time, and y' all make sure to keep it locked.
- [63:40]
Andrea Carter
Thank y'. All.
- [63:41]
Mariah Rose
Thanks for listening to Full Circle. We'll be back next week with more basketball for the girls by the girls. We want to hear from you. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and tell us what you want us to talk about. Full Circle is hosted by Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Our supervising producer is Grace Fuze. Our producer is Zoe Dankla. Listen to Full Circle on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free Iheart app and search Full Circle with Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose, and start listening.
- [64:15]
Andrea Carter
The holidays are already in full swing. The lights are up. You got good people, good food, and good vibes. And there to help keep that energy going is sprite winter spice cranberry with that crisp cranberry flavor with a smooth winter spice twist. It's the drink that livens up game night nights, gift exchanges, or just catching up in the kitchen with a burst of holiday flavor.
- [64:37]
Coca Cola Announcer
It's a seasonal favorite, but it's only.
- [64:39]
Andrea Carter
Here for a limited time, so grab it while you can Sprite Winter Spice Cranberry Sprite obey your thirst.
- [64:47]
Commercial Announcer
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- [65:17]
Mariah Rose
Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.
- [65:36]
Lexi Brown
This is where mindset comes in.
- [65:38]
Mariah Rose
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
- [65:42]
Commercial Announcer
Trainer Games On Prime Video, January 8th.
- [65:44]
Andrea Carter
Watch the trailer on trainer games.com this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.