Rory & Mal Don't Know Ball | Elle Duncan

Summary

Podcast Summary: New Rory & MAL – Episode: "Rory & Mal Don't Know Ball | Elle Duncan"

Release Date: April 24, 2025
Hosts: Rory & Mal
Guest: Elle Duncan, ESPN Host/Anchor and Women's College Basketball Analyst

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1. Introduction and Guest Welcome

[02:55] Rory:
"All right, Rory, we're back for another episode of Don't Know Ball because we absolutely do not know ball."

Rory and Mal kick off the episode with their signature humor, emphasizing their limited knowledge of basketball. To bridge this gap, they welcome Elle Duncan, a seasoned ESPN host and women's college basketball analyst, praised as being "more knowledgeable than you and I both combined" ([03:15] Rory).

2. Women's College Basketball Powerhouses: UConn vs. South Carolina

[04:24] Rory:
"I saw during the Final Four and everything, or the lead-up to the Final Four in women's college basketball, I saw that you had South Carolina winning it all. You said that they had to be dethroned."

Elle delves into the dominance of South Carolina under Coach Dawn Staley, comparing it to the legendary UConn program. She remarks on the challenges UConn faces in maintaining their supremacy:

[04:46] Camila Ramon (Elle Duncan):
"There was not a single team on this planet, maybe not even the Lakers, that were going to beat that UConn team the way they were playing, period."

3. Building a Winning Culture: Coaching and NIL Impact

The discussion shifts to the culture Coach Staley has cultivated in South Carolina, highlighting the program's emphasis on contending for national championships over financial incentives:

[05:35] Camila Ramon:
"They come for money. They leave for more money. Now the Eagles beat them... they just have to choose to contend for national championship..."

Elle compares this to football's Chiefs and Eagles dynamics, illustrating how strong cultures retain top talent despite lucrative offers elsewhere.

4. The Surge in Women's Basketball Popularity

[07:29] Rory:
"Over the years, I've been a fan of women's basketball watching Sue Bird here in New York high school... The recent surge of women's players. It's a different thing now."

Elle attributes the increased excitement and viewership to several factors:

• Player Tenure: Unlike the NBA's "one-and-done" phenomenon, women's players often stay longer, fostering deeper connections with fans.

• Branding and Social Media: Enhanced marketing deals and robust social media presence have made stars more relatable and accessible.

• Improved Gameplay: The quality and competitiveness of the women's game have significantly elevated, drawing in broader audiences.

[08:11] Camila Ramon:
"You just watch them longer. Like, you watch them for years with Paige Beckers... they become household names."

5. Navigating NIL and the Transfer Portal in Women's College Basketball

The conversation delves into the complexities introduced by Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights and the transfer portal:

[10:49] Camila Ramon:
"Players can leave. If they get upset, they can transfer. It's like a professional league now."

Elle discusses how NIL has both empowered players and introduced challenges in maintaining team cohesion. She suggests that treating college basketball more like a professional league—with standardized facilities, better travel arrangements, and comprehensive support systems—could mitigate some issues.

[12:38] Rory:
"I hate the transfer portal... it has the potential to kill college."

Elle counters by highlighting that the transfer portal can also offer players opportunities to find better fits, much like in professional sports, and emphasizes the need for regulatory frameworks to manage it effectively.

6. Personal Anecdotes and Musical Interlude

Transitioning from sports, Rory, Mal, and Elle share personal stories about their musical backgrounds and experiences in Atlanta's vibrant music scene. Elle recounts her time in hip-hop radio and interactions with Atlanta artists like Outkast and Jermaine Dupri, blending her passion for music with her professional life in sports broadcasting.

[16:27] Camila Ramon:
"I'm Whitney Houston in the shower... but I just keep it to karaoke at this point."

These segments add a personal touch to the episode, showcasing Elle's diverse interests and her ability to balance multiple passions.

7. Trivia Segment: "Don't Know Ball"

In a playful twist, Rory and Mal engage Elle in a trivia game to test their "knowing of ball." The segment includes questions on both sports and music, highlighting the hosts' areas of expertise and their humorous gaps.

Example Questions and Answers:

• Music Trivia:
  Question: "Which Gucci Mane feature performed the best on the Billboard Hot 100?"
  Elle's Answer: "Wake Up in the Sky" (Correct Answer: "Black Beatles")

• Sports Trivia:
  Question: "In 2024, Caitlyn Clark became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women's basketball history. Whose record did she break?"
  Elle's Answer: "Kelsey Plum" (Correct Answer: "Kelsey Plum")

The trivia juxtaposes their knowledge gaps, reinforcing the episode's theme of Rory and Mal’s limited basketball expertise contrasted with Elle’s vast knowledge.

8. Closing Remarks and Final Stories

The episode wraps up with light-hearted interactions and Elle sharing memorable moments from her radio career, including humorous anecdotes involving Kanye West and the infamous "Gold Digger" radio drop mishap.

[53:05] Camila Ramon:
"Yo, what's up? This is Kanye West... you listening to bitch ass V103."

These stories underscore Elle's vibrant personality and her ability to navigate the unpredictable nature of live radio.

Key Takeaways and Insights

• Dominance of UConn and South Carolina: Both programs exemplify strong cultures focused on championship contention over immediate financial gains, fostering long-term success and player loyalty.

• Rise in Women's Basketball Popularity: Enhanced player longevity, strategic branding, and improved game quality have significantly boosted fan engagement and viewership.

• Challenges and Opportunities with NIL and Transfer Portal: While empowering for players, these elements require careful management to maintain team integrity and competitive balance.

• Intersection of Sports and Personal Interests: Elle Duncan showcases how diverse passions, such as music, can enrich a sports broadcasting career, highlighting the multifaceted nature of modern sports media personalities.

Notable Quotes

• Elle Duncan on UConn's Dominance:
  "There was not a single team on this planet, maybe not even the Lakers, that were going to beat that UConn team the way they were playing, period." ([04:46] Camila Ramon)

• Elle Duncan on NIL Impact:
  "Players can leave. If they get upset, they can transfer. It's like a professional league now." ([10:49] Camila Ramon)

• Elle Duncan on Women's Basketball Surge:
  "You just watch them longer. Like, you watch them for years with Paige Beckers... they become household names." ([08:11] Camila Ramon)

• Humorous Radio Drop Story:
  "Yo, what's up? This is Kanye West... you listening to bitch ass V103." ([53:05] Camila Ramon)

---

This episode of "Don't Know Ball" provides an engaging blend of insightful analysis on women's college basketball, thoughtful discussions on evolving sports dynamics, and entertaining personal anecdotes, all enriched by Elle Duncan's expertise and vibrant personality. Whether you're a seasoned sports enthusiast or new to the game, this episode offers valuable perspectives and plenty of laughs.

Transcript

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[Rory]

All right, Rory, we back for another episode of don't know Ball because we absolutely do not know ball.

[Mal]

Still don't.

[Rory]

Maybe little bit. Maybe a little bit. But this is why we. This is why we have this show so we can bring in some of our friends and that do know ball and they can help us out. Today we are joined by someone who is very knowledgeable. More knowledgeable than you and I both combined. Yes, combined.

[Mal]

Even with Google.

[Rory]

Right. Even with our smartphones in our hands. She knows more about ball than we do. ESPN host, anchor, women's college basketball sideline reporter, analyst. I mean, if it's women's basketball, she's there. Welcome, Elle Duncan. L. Thank you for joining us.

[Mal]

To the audience.

[Camila Ramon]

You can't hear the claps, by the way. You guys are doing it wrong. If you're still Googling, just pull up chat GPT.

[Mal]

Yeah, yeah. We could end this entire series just with Chat GPT.

[Rory]

We could pull up Chat GPT. Chat GPT and tell us things we don't want to know about. About basketball. But, El, how are you doing?

[Camila Ramon]

I'm doing good, man. I'm a little bit tired. We had the draft this week, and I'm, like, in my 40s now, so I need, like, three or four days to recover from one long night.

[Rory]

Is draft like. Is draft week like hell week for you?

[Camila Ramon]

Not really, because I was coming off like, it's a quick turnaround. I do college women's basketball. So we were at the Final Four, and then, you know, five days later, we're at the WNBA draft. Because I also covered the wnba. So it's just like a. It's like a really long two months. But then I get a bit of a break before the actual season starts.

[Rory]

I saw during the. The Final Four and everything, or the lead up to the Final Four in women's college basketball, I saw that You. You had South Carolina winning it all. You said that they had to be dethroned. I didn't know why. I mean, I get it. I understand what Coach Staley's been able to do in South Carolina is amazing. But Coach Oriema, I mean, I mean, UConn is just like, how do you go against that.

[Camila Ramon]

Well, here's the thing, okay, Mal, is that I've filled out my bracket, and then UConn just decided to start playing like UConn in the tournament, and I couldn't go back from there. The reason I'm sort of, like, in the same way with football, it's like you always choose the Chiefs until someone beats them. Now the Eagles beat them. So now we won't just assume that the Chiefs are going to win again, but dawn literally won a championship after losing 70% of her offense. She lost all of her starters and reloaded and won a championship and went undefeated in the process. So, you know, I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but there was not a single team on this planet, maybe not even the Lakers, that were going to beat that UConn team the way they were playing, period.

[Rory]

How important is it with Coach Staley, the culture that she's building in South Carolina? How important is that program for women's college basketball?

[Camila Ramon]

What's funny is that Gino and Don have very similar programs in terms of, like, in this new nil world where there's so much player empowerment, right? Like, they can leave. They can go. Do they. They come for money. They leave for more money. If you go to UConn in South Carolina, like, they're not really paying that much money. It's not that they can't. It's that they're just sort of like, listen, do you want to contend for national championship? Do you want to be in the W? And if you do, these two programs give you the best opportunity to do both of those things. So it's really interesting because Dawn, I mean, her leading scores came off the bench, like, yeah, it's. It's tough to convince young women who are becoming famous, who are getting, you know, nods from Steph Curry, who are getting a ton of money and brand and marketing deals that they still need to come off the bench because it's what's best for the program. Because it's what's best for the team. But I think talking to her team, the reason that they. They do that is because specifically with dawn, because she has literally walked that path, you know, like, she is a champion at it, right? Like, she's. She was a champion player. She didn't win in college, but she was a national player of the year.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Camila Ramon]

She then went on to the pros, and she then went on and was a Hall of Fame coach. She's won the Olympic gold medals. Like, so they. They really see her as, like, A titi, you know, like a proud auntie. And she really. She calls herself a dream merchant, but that's because she tries to prepare them for more than just basketball. So they just have such a respect for her. She speaks their language. She meets them where they're at, and I think that's why they. They buy in. But the culture is why she's so consistently in the conversation. Even with a team that did not have a bonafide superstar. Like, this is the first time Don tried to win a national championship without a lotto pick. She won her first one with Asia Wilson. The Asia Wilson. Right. She won her second one with Aaliyah Boston. She won her third one with Camila Cardoso. They didn't have that this year, and they still made the national championship.

[Rory]

Right. Now, over the years, I've been a fan of women's basketball for years, watching Sue Bird here in New York high school, Shamika Ho Claw, and a few other players. The recent surge of women's players. What is happening, though? Because it's a different thing that's happening now with women's. Like, they just. A couple years ago, they had a higher rated national championship game than the men's championship game, which was when I found that out. That was crazy to me.

[Mal]

It's a way better tournament in general.

[Rory]

Yeah. Like, it's just. It seems like it's more exciting to watch women's college basketball now than ever before. Like, what is the cause of that?

[Camila Ramon]

Well, I think part of it is because in the men's side, the really big players, the big names, they're one and done. Like, they bounce, right? Cooper Flag's done. He's out. Zion, like, all these big name sort of superstars, they leave in the women's game, you have to be 22 years old, the year of the draft to lead, which means that in most cases, we're getting them for four years because of COVID In some cases, like with Paige Beckers, we're getting them for five years. So I think you just. You just get to know them more. You root for them more. Like, you, they become household names. And Il has helped. Like, they've got incredible brand of marketing deals. They're better on social media, so they're social media stars on top of what they're doing on the court. And then I just think, like, in general, the game has gotten better. We talked to Gino about this. I asked him this last year, like, what. What do you think it is? Because he's, you know, a legacy. He's an og. And he was like, honestly, I also think there's an appreciation for people meeting the women where they're at. And he used the example of Diana Taurasi. Like, he was like, when D was coming through UConn, everybody's comp was always right. Like, she's like Kobe. She's like a female Kobe. Of course. That's why she's the white Mamba. He was like, now the comps are. She's like an Asia Wilson. She's like a Brianna Stewart. Right. And so they appreciate women's game for what it is, as opposed to saying, well, I'd be more interested if they dunked, or I'd be more interested if they did this. I think there's just an appreciation for how they play more. But I really do think it comes down to the fact that you just watch them longer. Like, you watch them for years with Paige Beckers. Like, you see, saw her journey. You know how hard it was for her to win that national championship. You were rooting for her. And the men's side, they just. They bounce. I mean, most of these big name superstars, we don't even remember where they went to college because they were only there for a calendar year.

[Rory]

I don't. I was talking to somebody a few weeks ago, I said, I don't. I don't even can't name the top five picks of the NBA draft. Like, I really can't. I can't. I can't name the top five picks. And that's probably the first time in years that I could actually say, I cannot name the top five picks in NBA draft.

[Camila Ramon]

I'm with you. I mean, I could name Cooper Flag, but, you know, I'm all like. I always joke whenever someone's like, and who's your pick on the men's side? I'm like, men play basketball. No shit.

[Mal]

I don't know how long.

[Rory]

How long do you think before or do you ever think that they would try that with men's basketball, where they would actually, you know, have the players stay and not do one and done? Do you think that will ever happen? Because, I mean, this is a business. And if they start to see the ratings and viewership slip more than it already has, I can see them getting to a point where they're like, all right, we have to do something to keep these players at these universities for more than a year.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah. I mean, I actually think, even though existentially, like, for me, you know, this big boogeyman of nil that everybody always bitches and complains about like, I get it. If you are a program, if you're a coach, it's tough. It is tough because like as soon as someone says something you don't like or plays you in a way you don't like, they can bounce. And I, I understand that there's a lot they, they didn't regulate it at all or they regulated it too much and then it turned into the wild, wild west. As a fan, I think it's great. Like, I love the fact it's so much drama. Right. We've never had like a real off season in college sports. So the idea that, you know, the, the kid in Tennessee is like, I want more money. And they're like, we'll call your bluff. You can off. Like, I think it's exciting. Yeah. I also think nil helps with some players because they don't, they don't want to leave. Right. Like they know that if they're going to be a late first round pick, they could probably make. Look at Drew Timmy. That dude spent like 25 years in, in, in college basketball. But it's because he knew there was a lot more opportunity for him staying in college. So I think that is going to help some of these dudes that you know, are maybe fringe like lotto picks decide to stay another year or take their talent somewhere else and get more money. But I mean, they've tried it now, right? Like I remember, you know, when it was you could come straight from high school and then they regulated that because they felt like it was making college irrelevant. And then they went into the one and done and now we're back to the. It's making college irrelevant. But ultimately it's just really hard to tell these players who are coming out, for the most part, the top players are coming out somewhat pro ready. It's hard to tell them, like to force them to stay in college when they know they can make so much bank in the NBA. So I don't know that there's a regulation that's coming. Adam Silver's talked about that, the NCAA's talked about that. And ultimately it's really up to the. If they think they've got a flat on their hands. No, they got one year. It's like make it or break it. This is, this is it now.

[Rory]

I'm not mad at the nil. I think that we should be paying these collegiate athletes, especially with all of the money that they bring these universities. I absolutely hate the transfer portal though. I think that is a problem. One I don't understand it. And so I was like, why do we have that? You know what I mean?

[Mal]

What do you dislike about it?

[Rory]

Because I think that it's almost like if I go to university, I commit to a university and I get there and say, I'm not playing well. I don't like the coaches. Somebody that, you know, has a scholarship or doesn't have a walk on plays, outplays me. He has more playing time than me. Now I can just decide that, oh, I'm going to transfer. I just don't agree with that. I just think that that's. I think that has the potential to kill college.

[Mal]

Not that there was a transfer portal, say, when Cam Newton was there, but we could have got a better Cam Newton if he could have left Florida immediately and went to Auburn rather than like one and a half years. Like, he could have really had four years of greatness instead of just sitting behind Tim Tebow stealing laptops.

[Rory]

Yeah, but. But I don't know. I just. I just think that it just gives players, I want to say, like, an out. Like, if they, if the. The first thing that they don't like, the coach does this, says, that doesn't like the offense, I'm out of here. I'm transferring. It's like, I just don't agree with the transfer portal. I think that that's like, you should have to sit out a full year, I believe.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah. Like how it used to be. I mean, here's what I would say to you about that, because I hear that a lot. And like I said, if you're a coach, I get it. The transfer portal has retired some coaches. They're like, I want to deal with it. This is. It's a. It's a new breed of player and, and whatnot. But I would also say that, like, you can apply that to literally anything in life, like, even go to the pros. Like, their player empowerment now is just saying, oh, okay, I'll set out. I just won't participate until you give me more money or until you trade me.

[Rory]

That's true. But some would say that that's ruined in the NBA as well, though, and that's fine.

[Camila Ramon]

I think it comes down to. I don't want to say it comes down to character, as if you have bad character if you choose to do it. I was raised that, like, when you start something, you finish it. You don't quit, period. You finish something and then if you don't want to do it at the end of it again, you don't have to Sign back up, but that you don't quit things. And so existentially, I will never be that person. That's just who I am. And that's sort of like my moral base. And I think there are plenty of players who feel the same way who say, okay, I'm still going to stay with this program because I made a commitment to them and they made a commitment to me. I just think people are motivated by different things. And, you know, frankly, like I said before, they. This is on the conference, this is on the conferences in the leagues because they went so long with punishing people for having, you know, a McDonald's meal paid for by a booster could cost you your eligibility. They went so long doing that crap that then Congress had to get involved. And Congress didn't know anything about sports. So they were like, cool wheels are off. Go at. They completely deregulated everything. When the NCAA could have got ahead of this years ago, and instead they waited and they waited and they waited and they waited and they put it in somebody else's hands and now they're upset and. But ultimately, like, this is the new reality. I'm with you. I mean, I think it was something like on the first day of eligibility, there was like 1200 people in the transfer portal. Like, that's, that's, that's, that's bananas. But we also have to stop looking at college as an amateur. Sp. It's not anymore. It's a professional league at this point. I think they need to make it that way. They need to have a commissioner. They need to allow these people to have like, you know, the agents that they have and treat it as a professional league. Because that's essentially where we are.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

In covering women's college basketball. You're there early for shoot around, you're in the locker rooms, etc. How bad is the music taste of these young people?

[Camila Ramon]

It's like I feel like I'm in a constant TikTok video.

[Rory]

You are. You are.

[Mal]

You're in the TikTok.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, constantly. It's just. And then sometimes you'll realize you are in a Tick Tock video. Like, you know, you'll see him synchronizing and doing the dance. I'm like, wow, we're here. It's not, it's not great. I mean, I, I like every kind of music. Like, music is very much my. I had a musical background. I started in hip hop radio in Atlanta. And if I wasn't doing sports, frankly, I would be doing something in the music world. Maybe music Supervisor or something. I love music, but I also feel like some of the music needs to, like, make you feel something. And, like the Mumble rap and the Tick Tock songs, I don't.

[Rory]

Some of these. Some of these artists. Some of these artists need to get in the transfer portal.

[Mal]

Transfer out of music?

[Rory]

Yeah, transfer out of music.

[Mal]

The music makes you feel something. It makes you feel stupid.

[Rory]

Yeah. Absolutely fair.

[Camila Ramon]

I will say the wildest shoot around I was ever at, though, because, like, for the most part. Right. For the most part, especially in the basketball world, they're listening to a lot of hip hop, you know, and even if it's not particularly my type of hip hop, it's like soundcloud hip hop. It's still hip hop. Like, it's still, you know, it's still got some thumb.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Camila Ramon]

I went to shoot around a couple years ago at Iowa. Caitlin Clark was there, and they were blasting Taylor Swift to shoot around. And I was like, this feels very apropos. Like, I've never really seen anybody lean all the way in the music for Paige, but for the most part, it's all the same consistent thing.

[Rory]

What.

[Mal]

What music did you listen to coming up in Atlanta?

[Camila Ramon]

Oh, man. Well, you know, I don't know how. I don't know how Atlanta I can go, but, like, I was raised on, like, Kilo and Raheem the Dream. And I mean, I don't know if you can see it, but I'm wearing an outcast shirt.

[Rory]

That's the right shirt.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, always. But my parents, like, were always really had, like, a really diverse sort of discography too, if you will, and their tastes were varied. So I also grew up on a lot of, like. Like, my favorite artist still to this day is Sam Cooke. I love Stevie Wonder, so all the classics. But I think what's cool about Atlanta is it's such a melting pot. And I was candidly raised in the suburbs of Atlanta, which, if you don't know, when you drive 30 miles outside of Atlanta, you drive 30 miles back into time. And so I also grew up on a lot of, like, alternative music and rock music. And, you know, I might have had a little bit of a metal moment for a time being. So I think that's where it came from is just this melting pot of, like, you know, whistle while you twerk. And then we would, like, hit you with a little Green Day, too.

[Rory]

Oh, no, we were just talking about Green Day a couple days ago.

[Mal]

Like, and oj, the Juice.

[Rory]

Love, love Green Day. Huge green day.

[Camila Ramon]

Yo, OJ's ad libs were just so great.

[Mal]

I mean, just the best, nicest person, too. What you were saying?

[Rory]

I'm sorry. So. So you had a time where you were. We could catch Elle at Hot Topic in the mall getting, like, some outfits, some. Some shirts, like heavy metal.

[Mal]

I swear. You got the Outcast shirt. Was that Hot topic?

[Camila Ramon]

This is 100 Spencer's gifts, for sure. Absolutely. I had a. I had a little moment with, like, System of a Down. Oh, yeah? Yeah. Where I just. You know, you're young and you're angry for no reason. I literally lived behind a farm. There was no reason to be angry, so I just had to manufacture anger. So metal music did that for me.

[Mal]

Do you remember, like, the exact time when outkast kind of popped and entered into the world? What was that like?

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, I mean, I. I was actually in middle school, and at the time we had just moved from Atlanta to Florida. Brief three year stint. Very forgettable. But we were living in Jacksonville and. And I had heard elevators, and I was like, what's this? And I. Then I started falling into the rabbit hole. Obviously it was more difficult back then. You couldn't just hop on Spotify, so I had to start buying CD singles. But that's when I, like, went back in time and, you know, picked him back up with. With Southern Playlistic. But I think what really made outkast pop was like the Source Awards, you know, with saying that the south had something to say was when it was like, yes. Because, you know, New York and LA had dominated hip hop at that point, and nobody took Southern rappers seriously. It was party music. It was Raheem the Dream. It was, you know, like Uncle Luke ish. Like, it was that kind of like, you know, splat pack. I was hoping I could get this black pack reference in. And I think for me. So for me, it was like middle school. But I really think the Source Awards is when people are like, these young fellers do have something to say. Interesting.

[Mal]

And at the same time, what was, I guess, the wave like with TLC happening around then? Jermaine Dupree starting out. What was the energy like? Them.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah. So fire. I love jd. I actually saw JD a couple years ago after a Super Bowl. I was like, damn, man, why'd you dress like CeeLo? He did a little. A little like CeeLo.

[Mal]

He looked exactly like CEO.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, right.

[Mal]

Everyone thought it was CeeLo.

[Camila Ramon]

Everybody did. They were like, they brought CeeLo out. Let's go. But, like, Goody Mob was very much my at the time, and it was it was great because we had tlc, who were like our R B queens. But then we had all of, you know, Jermaine Dupri was really starting to put us on the map, like Luda. I think people sort of gloss over Luda's contributions to hip hop. I get it. He's like, fun rap, but, like, Ludo was huge for us. You know, he was more mainstream than even outkast was at the time. And then just sort of like, his word play and his fun energy. I mean, they still play Move, Bitch, get out the Way at Falcons games every time they get a first down. And so it was. It was like, such a amazing time to be in Atlanta. I remember, like, having, you know, my cousins. My family's from Denver, and they would be like, can you. Can you, like, record on the radio? God, if you have young listeners or viewers, I'm sure they're like, what you used to press record and play at the same time.

[Rory]

Absolutely.

[Camila Ramon]

On your. On your tapes. And I would make them mixtapes, and I would send them to them because they were getting music. Eight, nine, ten months later that we were debuting in Atlanta. It was quite a time. Freaknick was popping at the time. Like, it was. I was too young for that.

[Rory]

Listen, L. You referenced Luke. You referenced Luke, and now you referencing the Freaknick. Is there anything you want to do in Jacksonville? JD JD Is doing a Freaknick documentary. Are we going to see L somewhere in the background walking past a camera? Like, just let us know now so we don't be as surprised when we see it.

[Camila Ramon]

No. I was. For. I am so fortunate that Freaknik was really pretty much waning out by the time I hit, like, college. But it was. It was definitely very prevalent in middle and high school for me. My first introduction to Freaknik, my dad had to take because anybody that was from there knew, like, you stay away from downtown Atlanta during Freaknik unless, of course, you're participating. But we had to go. I had theater camp downtown, and so my dad had to take me.

[Mal]

Scheduling problem.

[Camila Ramon]

And I just remember my dad being like, cover your eyes. Close your eyes. Because it was. I mean, it was. It was going down. And then in high school, this guy comes up to me in class. We were in Spanish class. His name was Shannon. I'll never forget this. He comes up to me. He's like, let me show you something. You know? And this is when we just had, like, digital cameras. We have, like, cell phones like that. Digital cameras. And he was like, take a look. And he. He shows me a video he had taken on his digital camera of some folks getting it popping while just, just driving down Peachtree in the back of a truck with everyone, like watching. And I was like, is this what's happening 30 miles from now from here downtown? Like, absolutely.

[Mal]

You were practicing Othello while you were doing that, right?

[Camila Ramon]

I'm over here doing Shakespeare and they're shaking that ass. Yeah. I love to remind young people, many of which are from Atlanta or from the surrounding areas, I'm like, some of you came about because. Freak. Next.

[Mal]

So you know for sure.

[Rory]

Absolutely, absolutely.

[Mal]

And they're carrying on the tradition just without the festival.

[Rory]

Exactly correct. El. So you being so close to women's college basketball and actually seeing these women up close and personal, who is the, the one player that people don't talk about a lot, that you feel like will be a star at the next level?

[Camila Ramon]

Ooh. Someone people don't talk about a lot. I mean, you know, the thing about women's college basketball is even though the parody has gone a lot better, there's still really only like six or seven teams that I think are really like contenders every year. And of those six or seven teams, there's probably like three or four that I think are, are, you know, next level or generational or transformational. So most people sort of know them. But I think someone that is, is really going to take, not just because of her play, but because of everything that she represents that's really going to take the next level by storm is Flage Johnson at lsu. Because we know that these young women have to navigate a lot and they're balancing being student athletes and now being brands because of Nil. But she's like a whole ass rapper and performer. Like, she'll go do a performance somewhere and then she'll find where their closest gym is and she'll work out for lsu. She's a champion. I think Flage is like, she's gonna be, you know, we see, you know, some dudes in the NBA and their careers fizzle out and they end up having hits that. I don't know why. I'm so sorry. I don't, I don't get it. Jello. I don't like, oh, I love you.

[Rory]

I love you already. L l I love you.

[Camila Ramon]

Guys. I think it's one of those songs that, like, it starts out, you're like, oh, this is fun. And then after about 30 seconds, it's.

[Rory]

Like, because that's all you need. That's all you need for Tick. All you need for tick tock is 20 seconds.

[Mal]

All you need for streaming is.

[Rory]

Yeah, that's all. That's all you need. So they're making these songs that just have this moment within the song, and people like, that's a hit. I'm like, no, it's not.

[Mal]

It's certified gold as of yesterday.

[Rory]

It's a terrible record. Terrible, terrible record.

[Camila Ramon]

It's not a good record. It's. It's just. It's one of those that, like. Yeah, like, if you're a DJ, it's fun. You play it for the crowd for 30 seconds and then you move on. Nobody wants to listen to that shit from beginning to end.

[Rory]

Nobody.

[Mal]

I'll agree with you there. I'm definitely not listening to that entire record. I do like it in the middle of a set for, you know, 30 seconds at most. But his followup with Glorilla was one of the worst songs I've ever heard, because Wasted Glow.

[Rory]

Because he's not a real artist. He's not a rapper. He's not a real artist. That's why. Yes.

[Camila Ramon]

And, like, the, like, actual. She's an actual artist. Like, I think that's why Flage is dope, is because, like, you know, a lot of these dudes rap and they're bored. You know, Damian Lillard will hop on a mic and, like, I think Dame's actually not bad.

[Rory]

Dame is nice.

[Mal]

Damon Jones, right?

[Rory]

Yeah. Dame can rap, he can act, he can rap.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, but it's. It's a. It's a hobby. Like, Flage really wants basketball and music to, like, sort of both be her careers, and she has the talent to do that. So I just think. I think at the next level, like, I just think she's going to be an absolute superstar.

[Rory]

No, she's a star already. I can't open X without seeing a Flage ad. I'm like, yo, she. Is she in school? Like, they just have her working, doing ads all day on X. Yeah.

[Mal]

You said you did theater as a kid. Atlanta radio. Did you ever try to rap? There's no way.

[Camila Ramon]

You didn't. Absolutely not. My. My rap style, I describe it as, like, a mix of, like, Fergie and Kesha. It's very white girl rap. Like, I need. It needs to be slow. You know, I woke up in the morning feeling like I won't say his name. It has to be, like, very slow and methodical, which is why when everybody was shitting on Snap Music, I was like, I love that shit.

[Mal]

The Easy Pocket.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, it's like abc. One, two, three. Raps. I never tried to rap, but I did Rory have a very brief encounter as a singer. I got a record deal when I was 19. And the deal was it. The deal put TLC's deal to shame. Just to tell you how bad that deal was. Like, they were worse than. They wanted to own my name in perpetuity for, like, my life. Like, it was.

[Mal]

They had to negotiate with ESPN just.

[Camila Ramon]

Now, 100%, they would still be making money off of me doing something that's not music related. And I. I released, like, I had, like, some songs. I put together, like, an ep and I went and I performed for the first time. I was into a live performance for the first time with original music at this club in Atlanta at the time called the Chili Pepper. And I had backup dancers and, like, all this stuff. And it was so bad that my own parents couldn't even lie me. Like, they. Like, when I came off stage, I was like, how did I do? And they were just like, you're so brave.

[Rory]

You're so brave. Such a brave soul.

[Camila Ramon]

What went wrong? You're what? It just was bad. Like, you know what I realized? I realized that having a decent voice and that I love. Because I loved music so much, I thought, well, because I love music, and people keep telling me I have a decent voice, like, I should do something in this space. And I think what I realized was that you can have, like, a passion and can, like, enjoy something. And that does not mean that you have what it takes to make it a profession. Like, just because you like making beats and that's a great creative outlet for you does not mean that, like, you're the next DJ Mustard. Like, I just. It just doesn't. Do you know what I'm saying? And, like, there's a whole lot more that goes into being a. A music artist than generally liking writing songs. And, like, there's just a lot more that goes into it. And I realized that at the time. But it was just. It was the dancing. It was the singing on key to a backup track.

[Rory]

On key is important. On key is important. Yeah. Because you can sing, but are you on key?

[Mal]

Let's throw some tune on it.

[Camila Ramon]

Exactly. And I discovered that, like, I am the queen of Shower Records. Like, in the Shower, like, with the acoustics. Yeah, right. Like, I'm Whitney Houston.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah.

[Camila Ramon]

But you. You put me with, like, ears in, and it doesn't go particularly well. So I just keep it to karaoke at this point.

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[Daniel Jeremiah]

The 40s and free agents Podcast with Daniel Jeremiah and Greg Rosenthal has prepared you for the 2025 NFL Draft.

[Greg Rosenthal]

We've told you what last year's playoff teams need to return to the postseason.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And how teams with new coaches should approach the draft.

[Greg Rosenthal]

So as draft season comes to a close, we've got you covered. Before your favorite team goes on the clock, we'll break it all down once all 257 picks have been made.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Listen to the 40s and free agents podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bom Han]

Yo, K Pop fans. It's your boy Bom Han, and I'm bringing you something epic.

[Camila Ramon]

Epic.

[Bom Han]

Introducing the K Factor, the podcast that takes you straight into the heart of K Pop. We're talking music reviews, exclusive interviews, and deep dives into the industry like never before. From producers and choreographers to idols and trainees, we're bringing you the real stories behind the music that you and yeah, we're keeping it 100, discussing everything from comebacks and concepts to the mental health side of the business. Because K Pop isn't just a genre, it's a whole world. And we're exploring every corner of it. And here's the best part. Fans get to call in, drop opinions, and even join us live at events. You never know where we might pop up next. So listen to the K factor on the iHeartRadio app at Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This isn't just a podcast. It's a Movement.

[Camila Ramon]

Are you ready?

[Bom Han]

Let's go. Let's go.

[Israel Gutierrez]

I'm Israel Gutierrez and I'm hosting a new podcast, Dub Dynasty. The story of how the Golden State warriors have dominated the NBA for over a decade.

[Rory]

The Golden State warriors once again are NBA championship.

[Israel Gutierrez]

From the building of the corps that included Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to one of the boldest coaching decisions in the history of the sport, I just.

[Camila Ramon]

Felt like the biggest thing was to earn the trust of the players and let the players know that we were here to try to help them take the next step, not tear anything down.

[Israel Gutierrez]

Today the warriors dynasty remains alive in large part because of a scrawny 6 foot 2 hooper who everyone seems to.

[Camila Ramon]

Love for what Steph has done for the game. He's certainly on that like Mount Rushmore for guys that have changed it.

[Israel Gutierrez]

Come revisit this magical warriors ride. This is Dub Dynasty.

[Camila Ramon]

The Dubs dynasty is still very much alive.

[Israel Gutierrez]

Listen to Dub Dynasty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Rory]

So Paige Beckers, she is the real deal. I, I like her game. Where do you have her her as far as what she will be able to do for the wnba, we saw what Caitlyn and Angel's rivalry and their back and forth kind of helped to elevate the the audience of the wnba. Do you think Paige comes in and adds to that?

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, she's definitely a ratings driver. I mean, listen, let's just be real. There's no one like Caitlin Clark. Like there's like there just isn't. There's no one, there's no rivalry. I think that's fresh on people's minds. That's bigger than Angel Reese versus Caitlin Clark. It's why their matchups always do so well. But Paige Becker's like the thing about Paige is that someone was asking me this the other day. They were like this idea that the space is being dominated by like a white woman. And it worked really well for Caitlyn because she's so freaking good and also help that like mainstream America, you know, could relate to her and see, you know, their daughters in her. Why didn't we have that same, you know, astronomical effect with Paige? And the thing is is that like Paige Beckers is the best way to describe her is a very unsexy word. And that is efficient. Like there is not a smarter basketball player in terms of Paige almost never takes the wrong shot. She is so incredibly efficient. Like she was like on the precipice of like a Season where she was shooting at least 50 from the field, at least 40 from three, and was shooting 90 from the free throw line. She's a great two way player. She's a hell of a defender. She's a facilitator. She can bring the ball up, she can create, but she's very deferential. Like, Paige is such a she. She doesn't love, like, she's a superstar. She's the queen of Riz. Like, she's just as charismatic in person as you see on like social media. But she's also very much about, like, if you ever hear her talk, all she does talk about her teammates, it's always about other people. Other people, other people. She doesn't love to sort of own and embrace this superstar thing.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Camila Ramon]

And I think that that's maybe why we didn't see the same. I also think that there was a lot of start to her career because of the injuries. Like, Paige was the original Caitlyn in terms of height. She was the Gatorade national player of the year in high school. COVID ruined her chance of winning a state championship. She's the first and still only freshman ever to win national player of the year. And there was just this groundswell of like, yo, this is the one. And then she got hurt, right? And then she got hurt again and then all of her teammates got her. And I think because of sort of the stop and start is why we didn't see those same sort of like bananas numbers that we saw with, with Caitlin CL but she is absolutely the real deal. Like, she is so incredible also at navigating the space, because the W space is, yes, about the basketball, but also about the conversation and narratives around it. And I think that Paige navigates that in such a smart way and it's incredibly authentic. Like, she understands and respects that this is a league that was born and bred on the backs of black women, queer women, and that they always have had the same attention and commercial appeal. And she uses every opportunity she can to thank them, to show them gratitude, to pay homage to them. So she's. She's going to be. She's going to be amazing. Am I do. I expect that we're going to see, you know, 7 million viewers every time she steps on the court? Maybe not. But in terms of just sheer talent, who she is as a person, and then her social media, you know, outreach, she's a superstar.

[Mal]

How do you feel the first takes and just morning debate shows have affected the legacy of sports so.

[Camila Ramon]

H. Well, I mean, I Think in general, there's been a lot of debate about, like, do we embrace debate? Are we tired of debate? SportsCenter is one of those, like, tried and true. When I first started working at ESPN, they were like, SportsCenter is such a recognized brand that some people don't even associate it with espn. Like, they think it's its own thing, right? And Sports center has also seen some, like, different machinations, right, where like, it was very. To start was very newsy. It was very, you know, you'd give the highlights, you give the facts. Like, there's no. And then like, people like Stuart Scott came in and they brought in cultural references and they made it more fun and interesting. And they used, you know, onliners to sort of tell the story of sports. And now I think that the sports center that I work at is cool because it allows for any type of personality to be who they want to be. Like, 15 years ago, probably a sports center was never going to let someone like me write a monologue where I just roast people like I do on taking the L right or allow the fandom. You know, I bark because I'm a Georgia Bulldog fan whenever I can. Like, I don't think it was embraced or appreciated in the same way. And I'd like to believe that the debate shows have helped in that way. I think that it allows, like, I get to do first take. There would have been a time where it would have been nonsensical to put a sports in her anchor on a debate show. Because the whole point is, it's not about you, it's not about your opinion. It doesn't matter what you think. And so I, I think that a place like espn, the first takes of the worlds and the get ups of the worlds, has just allowed people to sort of see us as a little bit more than just what the specific role is. And so I like to believe that I'm a Sports center anchor and then some. And so, you know, ultimately, like, we're sort of damned if we do and damned if we don't. Sometimes at ESPN you just go full highlights. And people go, well, I can get that on my phone. That's stupid. Why would I just come to you for highlights? That's stupid. You talk too much. And then they go, we want our highlights. It's like, you really, like, you really can't win. And so ultimately, um, it works. Like, people that bitch and complain about first take, like, tell that to the ratings, tell that to the interest, to the intrigue. Like, it's a. It's a formula that's working and so they're going to keep doing it and like that. It just is what it is. But ultimately like if you don't like a debate show, we also offer you other options as well.

[Mal]

What's something you want to add to Sports center that's not currently there?

[Camila Ramon]

Something I want to add to Sports Center.

[Mal]

More baseball. Ho. Pilots?

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Golf. Yeah, more golf. I think in general. Yeah. You know, I would say that like speaking for my Sports center because it's a one hour show and then when you account for commercials it's a 40 minute show. What I would love for SportsCenter to be able to have more of, but it's kind of impossible based on the formula is just more time to let breathe, you know, like more time to have a guest on and not dedicate three minutes to them. Like if the conversation is going really well, being able to have more opportunity to expound or to dig in a little deeper on things. But that's just not really what we're working with. Like we're trying to give you all of the news or table set, everything that's coming up amongst the four major sports, including women's basketball, including men's basketball. Like it's just, it's a lot. I wish that there was a little bit more space to just when called for, freestyle a bit.

[Rory]

How do you feel about some of the biggest stars in the WNBA being able to make more money and unrival than, than actual league?

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, I mean I think that it's fortunately short term. You know, the new CBA is coming up. This is the last year under this current CBA they will get an exponential raise. Of course it's unfortunate, you know, it's when you see that like Caitlyn Clark, Paige Beckers, Angel Reese making $72,000 a year in their, you know, first year. Like I'm pretty sure that's what like the team manager is making on an NBA team. Right. Like so that's, that's wild. I appreciate that. Unrivaled was started by WNBA players with Nafisa Collier and Brianna Stewart because they understand a, what their worth is and their value but they also understand that the money is in being an initial investor. And that was what I thought was the cool thing with Unrivaled. It wasn't just another league where they were promising to pay more people. It was a league where you could come in as an initial investor. So your profiting off of a direct profit off of the ratings. The Viewership, Jersey sales, ticket sales, like, you're getting a piece of all of that. And technically, you are in the CBA as well, but it's just such a. A small piece. So it gave these women an opportunity to have a business venture on top of being able to stay in this country, not have to play internationally. It was a breeding ground for free agents. Like, they got to play with people, they got to talk to people in Miami, from what I understand, like, that's how some of these deals came about, is someone, like, hollering at someone and. And like, yo, you need to join us in Connecticut. You need to join us in New York. And so from all the women that I've talked to, they absolutely love it. And the ratings were great, despite the fact they didn't have some of the bigger, bigger names like an Asia Wilson or a Caitlin Clark. Paige signed on to do three years of it. So that's amazing. But I mean, it's. It's great to have competition. Like, for so long in the women's space, it's basically been, you get what you get and you don't get upset. And that's because there is no competition. Right. Like, there's one media company that does your games, there's one league that does your games. And so, like, you just have. Have to get what you get because you really don't have any other options unless you want to go to Russia. And who wants to go to Russia. So anytime there's competition, it just drives the price up. Right, Exactly.

[Mal]

What's. What's something you would change if you were the commissioner?

[Camila Ramon]

Ooh. I mean, well, you know, that's a tough one, because the things that I think should change in the W are counter intuitive to what a commissioner would want. Right. Paying them. Yeah. But I think, you know, what I would do is I would level the playing field more in terms of. Of the facilities and. Because right now you still have the haves and have nots. Like, when you're a free agent and you're deciding and like, listen, it's with all sports, some facilities. Facilities are nicer than others, and we get it. But there, in general is a baseline, right? Like, there is a baseline of, like, you can't have these women in a rat infested gym, right? Like, there's the. Like. And I'm not saying that that's what's happening, but across men's sports, there's a baseline. You have to have certain nutrition, you have to have certain, you know, number of stats, staff. That's and that's not there right now. So it's kind of like, okay, if you go to the Aces and you're in. You're in great shape, right? Because Mark Davis really believes in the product, so he spends a ton of money. You're at Golden State. They're brand new, but, like, the lake of. Like, they care, so they're going to spend a bunch of money. But let's say you want to go play for a team because you think their roster is incredible, but you also know that your facilities are trash. Like, so I would start with making a baseline that is better in general for them in terms of facilities. They're asking for insurance after they retire, which is. Is like, something that you should be able to do. The last CBA was really historic in terms of, like, you know, women have babies. It's a thing. I hope I'm not sharing something new with you, Rory and Mal, but women have babies, right? So, like, what is it? Right? Like, protections during pregnancy, how long it takes for them to get back onto the court. Like, all of those things I would take into consideration, but I would definitely start with the facilities and how they travel. And the charters were new last year, year and again. It's kind of one of those things where it's like, okay, it's better than commercial, for sure. However, I've also heard that some of these planes are basically, like Southwest planes. Like, they're not. They're not necessarily like the lap of luxury planes that you would expect on, like, a chartered. You know, I've been on charters with the Red Sox, and, you know, they're lux. Like, they're. They're nice, nice, nice planes. Some of these planes don't even recline, you know, and these are tall women who are traveling across country, so just that kind of stuff.

[Mal]

We had Lexi Brown on the show, and she just got traded from LA to Seattle, and the first thing she said was, well, at least I'll have a practice gym. Now, she had no practice gym in Los Angeles, which is crazy. In Los Angeles.

[Rory]

Right? That's crazy, right?

[Camila Ramon]

So when you're thinking about where you want to go, like, do you want to go to the place that doesn't have a practice gym or the place that has a practice gym and, like, a cryogenic chamber, like, you know, a.

[Mal]

Shower and ice bath at least.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah. Can you imagine?

[Rory]

Now, we had. We also had one of your other calls, Andrea, on. And the other day, we were watching Rich Paul, and he said he didn't feel like Miami was the big Three. Cause he didn't feel like Chris Bosh was part of the Big Three. Now you, Andrea, and I don't want to butcher her name. Is it Shanae?

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah.

[Rory]

You nailed it, Shanae. Y'all have been dubbed the Big Three. How important do you think it is, what y'all are doing? Because I do think that y'all are building a type of culture and analyst. And over at espn, how important and how much fun do y'all have doing what y'all doing? Because I'm starting to see clips of y'all everywhere having fun in the studio and the way that y'all talk about the game and break it down and give it to somebody who is not really into women's sports, like myself, but have followed it. Y'all make it more, you know, palatable for somebody like me. How important is that for y'all and what y'all building?

[Camila Ramon]

We appreciate that. I mean, I think that's the point, Miles, that, like, you know, you've got two OGs, like Drea played in Tennessee. Janae is a Stanford hall of Famer and was a former number one overall pick. Like, so they've been in it. But then you have someone like me who came into the space four seasons ago. I mean, I've obviously always been a fan of women's sports in general. I was a softball player my whole life, but I wasn't in this space. And the beautiful part about growing and expanding a fan base is that there needs to be room, Room for the novices who are learning. And I think what Cheney and Andrea do incredibly well is that while they could talk over your head about basketball, they make it digestible. They show you all the joy that they have in talking about it and the joy that they had in playing it. They know these players so incredibly well. They either played with them or they mentor them. And I just think that, like, if you love the wnba, if you love women's college basketball and you've been around since its inception, then they're for. And we hope that we're for you. But if you're brand new and you're just trying to learn and you just want to know, like, who should I be watching? Okay, apart from, like, Paige Beckers, who else on the team is really important if you want to see why UConn went on that ridiculous run and won the national championship, like, if you just want. And then on top of that, if you just want to see three women who really enjoy each other's company and roast each other, and look at Each other like sisters. And, you know, I come up with my one liners because I'm certainly not going to match them in terms of basketball. Basketball acumen.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Camila Ramon]

Like, I just think that we try to bring as much fun as we can because this space is really fun. And the thing that's most important to me is that our relationship translates on air, because we are always like that. If the camera stops rolling, we don't stop acting that way. It's just that, you know, we have an opportunity to share our relationship with everybody, and it's been great. It's been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career because it's two women that I respect so much, and we all want each other to win, and that can be difficult. Like, I've worked with people before, and your job is to have chemistry, and sometimes you have to fake it. And, you know, my greatest, like, gift is when I've worked with someone who I can't stand, and people will come up to me and be like, are you guys best friends? Because you just seem like you love each other. I'm like. She smiles through her teeth. And in this case, I don't have to fake the chemistry, the joy, the love, the respect. Like, it's all been great.

[Rory]

It was a fun. A funny story. I was driving here in Manhattan one day, and I'm Turning on, like, 30 29th Street, I think. And I was texting, texting and turning at the same time. But I was trying to tell my friend that I was pulling up on in front of the building to come downstairs, and I look up, I had to slam on the brakes, almost hit somebody, and she yells, you idiot. And it was swing cash. And I wanted to say. I wanted to say I'm a big fan, but I didn't think that was the right. The right time to say, yo, you.

[Camila Ramon]

Got swind to cuss at you. Because she's so chill and like.

[Rory]

Yeah, I almost hit. Like, I'm turning slow, but, like, she had the right way to. To walk. And I looked up and it was swing cash. And she was just yelling like, what are you. I was like, I wanted to say I'm sorry, Swin. I'm a huge fan, but I. That wasn't the right time to do that.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, that probably was not the right.

[Rory]

That wasn't the right time to do.

[Camila Ramon]

That, considering you almost murdered her. But, yeah, I'm glad you didn't.

[Mal]

We did in Atlanta. Atlanta album versus with Pac man Jones, another Atlanta resident. And I figured we could bring that Segment. Back with you. Since you are a music person and from Atlanta, you have to pick an album between each of these artists. You can't say both. We'll start with outkast. Since you have the shirt on at Aliens or Equini Equimani.

[Rory]

Oh, you answered that quick.

[Camila Ramon]

Chunky Fire. Chunky Fire is my favorite outcast song of all time.

[Mal]

Okay, I'm with you. You. I'd probably still lean on at Aliens, but it is tough. You said that with the quickness. God damn.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah. I mean, aquim. And I just is. To me, it's like a no Skips album. Literally. I'll listen to it from beginning to end.

[Mal]

N. Ludicrous. Back for the first time versus chicken and beer.

[Camila Ramon]

Chicken and beer. Only because. Only because there was a personal story there. I was working at the time at Glattus and Ron's Chicken and Waffles. You remember that franchise? Okay. So I'm working there as a hostess, and they. Luda had his, like, album listening party at Gladys and Ron. It was the first time I ever met him. I'm. I'm cool with Luda. Like, we're homies now. Like, he's the best. I love Shaka, but at the time, I just was so starstruck, and I just remember hearing it for the first time while he was playing and watching him, like, rap along while he was having chicken and waffles. So I'm going chicken and waffles just for the nostalgia.

[Mal]

Yeah. And he was a radio host, too, so I see. I see the connection. Back for the first time is underrated, but I'm going chicken and beer as well.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

GZTM 101 versus the recession.

[Camila Ramon]

Oh, TM 101. Yeah.

[Mal]

That's kind of.

[Rory]

Yeah, that's not. That's. That's. You can't.

[Mal]

You can't go against it. The recession is there, though.

[Rory]

It was a good album, but it.

[Camila Ramon]

Was a good album.

[Rory]

Yeah. TM101 is the. Is the album, though.

[Mal]

This is one of the toughest to me. TI Trap music versus King.

[Rory]

Oh.

[Camila Ramon]

Okay. Again, at the time, I was doing Atlanta radio, so we were doing some events with TI at the time and, like, did his album release party for King. So I'm gonna go with King just because of the nostalgia. Like, I. I have a horrible memory, and I listen to music specifically when I'm in moments to help me remember those moments. And I just, like. I can distinctly remember, like, so much of my life at that time wrapped up with King, so I'm Gonna go king.

[Mal]

Do you have any crazy stories from when you were working at the radio station?

[Camila Ramon]

Oh, God.

[Mal]

Especially around that time in Atlanta. Was. It's a little while.

[Camila Ramon]

So many. Well, okay, so I have a funny Kanye story, which is.

[Rory]

Oh, my God, don't we all know.

[Mal]

If you're on Twitter, you have one.

[Camila Ramon]

Fair. Fair. Although what he's doing now isn't exactly funny. More so disgusting and deplorable.

[Rory]

But you're right, right?

[Camila Ramon]

So we were the last radio station at the time to add Gold Digger. Okay. The very last one. And I don't know why our PD just decided we weren't going to add the song. So we finally add Gold Digger. Of course. Gold Digger is a huge smash hit. Kanye, our radio show, and he has clearly been told or knows that we were the last hip hop. Major hip hop.

[Mal]

He probably researched himself.

[Camila Ramon]

Of course he did. So there's just this, like. There's just this contentious, like, attitude with everything that we're doing, you know? And the man was truly, like. At the time, I was like, man, this man is truly eccentric. Right? Like, now I would describe him in some other words, but at the time, eccentric kept coming to mind. You know, he just would. He was very add And I can relate. I'm ADD too. But, like, you could literally be like, kanye, do you want, like, a Coke or anything? And he'd be like, no, I don't want a Coke, but Coke is refreshing. It's refreshing like a Fanta. Although Fanta commercials are not that good because it was just like, what the are you talking about?

[Mal]

So he was the first chat GBT100.

[Camila Ramon]

Like, you just ramp and how they hallucinate the same thing.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Camila Ramon]

And so. So. So the interview's over. It's, like, all over the place. He's being. He's, like, jumping behind. He's just being Kanye. And so finally we get to a point where we're like, it's time to do the radio drops, right? And, like, for people that are listening that don't know, I know y'all know the radio drop is, you know, yo, you listening to Rory and Mal on B103, whatever it is. So it's time for him to do the drops. And this is where he decides he's going to bring up that we were the last. So. So every drop is like, yo, what's up? You listening to V103? Or he's like, yo, what's up, this Kanye west? You listening to V103Y? Yeah, I mean, I guess you should listen to them. Even though they didn't want to play my stuff, Even though they didn't want to play Gold Digger, even though they didn't see it. That's cool, though. It's fine. It's whatever. You're listening. We're like, all right. Can you try it again, Kanye?

[Rory]

No, that was it. All right, all right.

[Mal]

If I was P up, I would be like, nah, it's perfect.

[Camila Ramon]

Yo, what's up? This is Kanye West. I mean, you know, you listening to bitch ass V103. You like, oh, my God, bro.

[Rory]

Yeah, we're gonna go with that one. That's the one we go. You listening to Ass V103?

[Camila Ramon]

He was. But to be honest, if you have time for one more story, Rest in peace. To the greatest dmx.

[Rory]

Absolutely.

[Camila Ramon]

My favorite radio drop story of all time was X, because X comes up to our radio station, which, by the way, is located right on Peachtree street in Colony Square, which, if you've been to Atlanta, is a main thoroughfare. He shows up with every Rough Rider in the Southeast. They are blocking traffic. Like, it. There's people everywhere. It's just. It's madness and chaos everywhere. So he comes up to the radio station, and he's great. And we're. You know, we're doing our interview or whatever, and it comes time for him to do the drops. So my little intern comes in and hands him the sheet, right? With everything that he needs to say and his name on it, even though he could have figured out the name part, right? So he goes to start. Yo, was up. This is. And he stops, and he's like, yo, what the is this? And we were like, what? And he's like, what the is this? And he turns the paper, and he's like, you put little X. I look like a little X to you? It's a big X. That ain't no. I'm not a little X. You need to fix it. And we were like. Can you just. Can you just, like, say it, though? Because, like, no one's gonna see the paper. This is just a reference for you. I want you to change it. And he's like. He's pissed because. Because we. Somebody did a typo, and they did capital D, capital M, lowercase X. And he would not let it slide.

[Rory]

So we have never lowercase the X. You never lowercase the X ever, bro.

[Camila Ramon]

So we had to wait, reprint it. And then he was like, this is better. And then he did it.

[Mal]

Wait, that's even crazier, because when you were Saying it. I thought maybe someone confused him with the director. Little X or something.

[Rory]

It was just a lowercase X. Yeah, lowercase X. You never gonna.

[Camila Ramon]

It was just a typo. They were just typing it really quickly, and because he asked for it to be, like, written out, and he. And then they accidentally made a typo, and the intern was humiliated and embarrassed.

[Rory]

That is hilarious. All right, before.

[Mal]

Before we get to our don't know ball questions, just quickly have a few more. Future 56 knights versus Hendricks, Hendrix. Same young thug. Jeffrey or Barter 6.

[Camila Ramon]

Jeffrey, Usher.

[Mal]

Confessions or 8701.

[Camila Ramon]

Okay, confessions.

[Mal]

I'm lean at 8700.

[Rory]

I like. I like that you kind of hesitated with that one. You thought about 8701 a little bit.

[Camila Ramon]

I did. I mean, I love 8701, but again, confessions, radio nostalgia.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

Yeah. 8701 is still a no skip classic to me, though. But yes. Do we want to start our don't know trivia questions?

[Rory]

All right. Yeah. So L. We have some questions to see how much ball. We don't know, but we also have some questions for you to see how much music. Even though, I mean, L. She's. She's sharp all the way around. I don't know if we gonna be able to.

[Mal]

Yeah, she beat us in both categories.

[Rory]

This is gonna be pretty bad for us. But we have some questions for you. So we're gonna ask you a question, your answer, and then you'll ask us a question about ball to see exactly how much Rory and Maul do not know about Ball. So the first question L. Before the stage name. He has now Anderson Pac, released two albums under the alias of A, Breeze, Love Joy, B, Obe, C, Brandon Anderson, or D, Oasis.

[Camila Ramon]

Oh, wow. I don't know this one. I. I wouldn't got Anderson. No, I only know him as Anderson. What was it?

[Mal]

Answer is a breezy love joy.

[Camila Ramon]

Wow, that actually feels. Yeah. Appropriate.

[Mal]

That sounds like the name of the next album. What's Probably.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah.

[Mal]

What's your favorite Anderson Pack album?

[Camila Ramon]

Venice.

[Mal]

Okay, I'm with you there.

[Rory]

Great album.

[Mal]

What you think about the Silk Sonic project?

[Camila Ramon]

I loved it. I actually saw them live in Vegas, and I dropped several bags to go see it. I was a little pissed at first. Then I was pissed when they told me to put my phone away. And by the end of it, I was like, this was the. I've just never seen anybody sing and perform their heart out like that for two and a half straight hours. Like, it was. I was into it.

[Mal]

We can. We can cut this if your agent gets upset. Who do you think did more cocaine in the studio? Bruno Mars or Anderson pack during the making of that project?

[Camila Ramon]

Bruno for sure. I didn't.

[Mal]

I feel like you are selling Anderson pack short on his cocaine ability.

[Rory]

No, I think she knows Bruno's cocaine.

[Camila Ramon]

Does he have high about Bruno's?

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah. She know she. You could look at Bruno and just tell like n. He probably just, you.

[Mal]

Know, that project was not for the love of soul music. It was for the love of coke. That's how they met. They had the same coke dealer.

[Rory]

Yeah, but that's, you know, music and Coco hand in hand. Their A. Yeah, you know how that is.

[Mal]

All right, so you can ask us.

[Camila Ramon]

All right, here's your question. In 2024, Caitlyn Clark became the all time leading scorer in NCAA women's basketball history. Whose record did she break? Was it A, Don Staley, B, Kelsey Plum, C, Candice Parker or D, Maya Moore? This is a sneaky one.

[Mal]

I'm gonna go Seems too obvious.

[Rory]

I'm gonna go D, Maya Moore.

[Mal]

Okay, I'm gonna steal M's answer. I'm gonna go D as well. We'll be wrong together.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, the answer is actually Kelsey Plum.

[Rory]

Really?

[Mal]

Never guess.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, yeah. She was at Washington and she got a whole lot of points. Like she was. She was up there racking up points. Yep.

[Rory]

Wow. Go Kelsey. I didn't know that as well.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah.

[Mal]

All right, our second question. What Gucci man feature performed the best on the Billboard Hot 100? Was it a, party B, steady Mobin, C, black Beatles or D, wake up in the sky?

[Camila Ramon]

Oh, I love that song. By the way. Whenever people ask me what my walk up song would be if I was a baseball player, I say that even though it's about waking up stoned. I suppose if you know me is pretty appropriate. Cool. I don't know. I feel like it's probably some maybe because Gucci like Gucci is my guy, by the way. I love Gucci, but his music is not that mainstream. So I'll say because it was with Bruno Mars. Maybe wake up in the sky.

[Mal]

No, it was C, black Beatles.

[Camila Ramon]

Really?

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

That one actually shocked me as well. Did you watch the Jeezy and Gucci man versus during COVID Of course I did.

[Camila Ramon]

Again, like I. I love Jeezy. Like I dropped a Jeezy reference at the final four. I love Jeez Jeezy, but I am. I'm like a Gucci girl. Like I. Like I'm a dog is like one of My favorite songs of all time. I'm a Treat her like a dog.

[Rory]

I'm a.

[Camila Ramon]

Come on, man. And so I'm maybe the only person that thought he won.

[Mal]

Everyone.

[Camila Ramon]

I was like, hey, let's go, Gucci.

[Mal]

Come on, man.

[Camila Ramon]

Definitely won.

[Mal]

Ignorant New Yorkers. I was watching that. Like, why is this a matchup? Like, why would anyone even think that Gucci won?

[Rory]

I was, I was more so concerned at the security concerns in the building. Like, why would they have these two gentlemen so close on the stage to each other? Like, I just didn't think that was a safe thing to do.

[Mal]

But the matchup goes much deeper than music.

[Rory]

Yeah, it was much deeper than music.

[Camila Ramon]

Yeah, there's some, there's some real animosity there, but I'm always gonna ride with.

[Mal]

Do you, do you think in fact Gucci is a clone?

[Camila Ramon]

Is that a rumor that he's a clone?

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

When he got out of jail, he looked like a completely different human being. Like the before and after looked like some telemarketer.

[Rory]

Well, that's what happens when you're locked up and you have, you're on a strict diet of, you know, you.

[Camila Ramon]

Thank you. You got nothing to do.

[Mal]

All you do is let in federal prison.

[Rory]

No, but when you stop eating all the, your skin kind of, you know.

[Mal]

Jail is where you start eating healthy.

[Rory]

You know, it's little healthier.

[Camila Ramon]

A little healthier in jail, you're not drinking, you're not smoking, you're not late night snacking. I mean, you know, these artists are in the studio late, they're eating meals at 3am like, all he did was work out. I listen, I, I knew Gucci before and after. I remember when you would talk to Gucci and he would rub that big fat Santa belly. I believe that he's not a clone at all. Now the teeth, sometimes I'm like, bro, we need to scale that down a little bit. Like, that is not a natural shade of teeth.

[Mal]

He definitely got the XLs for sure. He should have got the mediums. It's on you, right?

[Camila Ramon]

All right, my question, which WNBA superstar holds the record with two other teammates for the most NCAA championships won by a player? Is it A, Sabrina Yanesu, B, Cheryl Miller, C, Asia Wilson, or D, Brianna Stewart?

[Mal]

What was B again?

[Camila Ramon]

B with Cheryl Miller. I'm going to give you a hint. This person literally won four national championships in a row. Four.

[Rory]

It has to be Beastu. No.

[Camila Ramon]

Is that your answer?

[Rory]

I'm going Briana Stewart.

[Mal]

I'm going Brianna too.

[Rory]

Yeah, got it.

[Mal]

I See in your face that Maul was right when he said it. So, yeah, that was not gonna be my answer.

[Rory]

But, you know, Fauna. Yeah, that's. That sounds like UConn. Even though Cheryl. What Cheryl was doing was absolutely just, you know, that was insane. I saw a clip of her talking about when she came home, and Reggie had had a good game. I think he had like 36 or 38. And so he was kind of hyped coming home. And that was the day that Cheryl had 100 something. And he was. He came in and she.

[Camila Ramon]

She was definitely the better Miller.

[Rory]

Yeah, she came and came in and he was hype. And Cheryl was already home sitting there and he's like, yo, so what's up? What did you do today? He. She was. He was like, at that point, I think she had a 60 point game, already had a 70. She was throwing out some numbers that I was like. She's casually saying, Yeah, I had 60 before. I had 70 before. And so Reggie was sitting there like, so what'd you do today? She was like, you know, 100. And he was like, what? He just. He just threw a fit, got mad, got upset, told his mom, I can't beat her. I'm not better than. I thought that. That was crazy to see. Like, first of all, the Millers are legendary, but you forget about exactly how dominant Cheryl Miller was when she played basketball. And obviously Reggie is a legend too, but by far, Cheryl Miller is. Is the better. Is the better of the siblings.

[Camila Ramon]

She got two titles, but not four.

[Mal]

Yeah, crazy. How many number one singles does Usher have? Is it A7, B9, C11 or D3? Thirteen.

[Camila Ramon]

Number one singles. I'll go nine.

[Mal]

You are correct. Correct answer is B9.

[Camila Ramon]

Nice.

[Mal]

One for three.

[Camila Ramon]

Ur, baby. All right, all right.

[Rory]

So we got one more.

[Camila Ramon]

Yep, you got one more. Which D? This is hard. This is.

[Rory]

I'm.

[Camila Ramon]

I'm not gonna lie.

[Rory]

I'm gonna get this right. Come on.

[Camila Ramon]

Guess which WNBA franchise has the most title appearance appearances? Is it A, the New York Liberty, B, the Los Angeles Sparks, C, the Minnesota Links, or D, the Phoenix Mercury?

[Rory]

I'm going.

[Mal]

B, Sparks.

[Rory]

Nah, it's not this. It's not the Sparks. I'm going.

[Mal]

If it's Phoenix, I quit.

[Rory]

I feel like Diana Tausi been there a lot. I'm going Phoenix.

[Camila Ramon]

Okay, let me get. You're. You're both wrong. Let me give you a hint. It's a team from the finals. Finals a season ago. So that. That's two of the. That's A and C on Here it's either the Liberty or the Links.

[Mal]

Well, the Liberty won last year.

[Rory]

Right? So it's the Links, then. Yeah, it's the Links. Maya Moore. Was that Maya that was getting all the time? Yeah. Okay.

[Camila Ramon]

Yep. Yeah.

[Rory]

All right.

[Mal]

We were one to three as well.

[Rory]

Look, El, we said we don't know ball like we told you that before. You called in. Like we said we don't know ball, so you did.

[Camila Ramon]

But I said I knew music and I got the same score as you, so there you go.

[Rory]

That's all right. We broke even. We broke even. Stevens. Just. All good. L. We want to thank you for joining us. Good luck with everything that you're doing. We appreciate everything you're doing. You, Andrea and Cheney, y'all are absolutely killing it. It's a pleasure watching you ladies, you know, talk about sports and have fun at the same time. And we appreciate you kicking with us.

[Mal]

Today and thank your husband for the support as well.

[Rory]

Yeah. Tell your husband we said peace. Thanks for the support, and we'll talk.

[Camila Ramon]

You just did. He's gonna listen.

[Rory]

We appreciate that. L. Thank you. That's L. Duncan Ferrari, Mall. Don't.

[Camila Ramon]

No ball, no worry. Now.

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[Mal]

The.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

40S and free agents podcast with Daniel, Jeremiah and Greg Rosenthal has prepared you for the 2025 NFL Draft.

[Greg Rosenthal]

We've told you what last year's playoff teams need to return to the postseason.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And how teams with new coaches should approach the draft.

[Greg Rosenthal]

So as draft season comes to a close. We've got you covered. Before your favorite team goes on the clock, we'll break it all down once all 257 picks have been made.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Listen to the 40s and free agents podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Israel Gutierrez]

I'm Israel Gutierrez and I'm hosting a new podcast, Dub Dynasty, the story of how the Golden State warriors have dominated the NBA for over a decade.

[Camila Ramon]

The Golden State warriors once again are NBA champions today.

[Israel Gutierrez]

The warriors dynasty remains alive in large part because of a scrawny 6 foot 2 hooper who everyone seems to love.

[Camila Ramon]

For what Steph has done for the game. He's certainly on that Mount Rushmore.

[Israel Gutierrez]

Come revisit this magical warriors ride. Listen to Dub Dynasty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Camila Ramon]

I'm Camila Ramon. And I'm Liz Ortiz and our podcast Hasta Bajo is where sports, music and fitness collide and we it all the Arriba Hasta. This season we sit down with history makers like the Sucar family who became the first Peruvians to win a Grammy.

[Bom Han]

It was a very special moment for us. It's been 15 years for me in this career. Finally, things are starting to shift into a different level.

[Camila Ramon]

Listen to Hasta ajo on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.