← No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
Does Napheesa Collier's Injury Impact the WNBA MVP Race?
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- [00:01]
Zena Keda
As you've probably heard by now, we've teamed up with BetMGM this season. We'll be using BetMGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for our listeners each week. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using bonus code TheAthletic. Make your first deposit of at least ten dollars. Place bet on any game and claim your voucher for a one year subscription to the Athletic. See betmgm.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem call 1-800- gambler available in the U.S. call 877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY 467-369 In New York, call 1-800-next step in Arizona, 1-800-327-5050 Massachusetts 1-800-bets off in Iowa, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help in Michigan, 1-800-981-0023 in Puerto Rico for first bet offer for new customers only in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Don't forget if you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager.
- [01:14]
Ben Pickman
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Sabrina Merchant
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Chantelle Jennings
Throw out all your other clothes.
- [01:22]
Ben Pickman
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Sabrina Merchant
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Ben Pickman
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Chantelle Jennings
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Ben Pickman
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Chantelle Jennings
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Ben Pickman
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- [02:28]
Chantelle Jennings
I'm Sabrina Merchant.
- [02:29]
Sabrina Merchant
And I'm Ben Pickman.
- [02:31]
Ben Pickman
And today on the show, we are well past the halfway mark in the WNBA season. So we thought it'd be a good time to check in on our MVP conversation and ask those important questions. What makes someone a contender for this coveted title? And who makes the cut for our shortlist? Plus, Ben is going to bring us inside a super fun WNBA tradition, the post practice half court shot contest. But first gotta go around the association, of course. And the most important, we gotta give congratulations for Asia Wilson and her making history with the first ever WNBA 3020 double. Double. Yes. Asia Wilson is on top, top, top. If you've heard that commercial, it's accurate. 32 points, 20 rebounds in Sunday night's matchup against the Connecticut Sun. Unbelievable performance. I am so sorry to Tina Charles, who will go down in the history books as, yes, a Hall of Famer, but also the person that was frantically trying to find Asia Wilson as she put those numbers up.
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Chantelle Jennings
And Tina Charles wears Asia Wilson's while she plays, right?
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Ben Pickman
Oh, right. She does wear the A1s. Oh, the support is there, but, man.
- [03:43]
Chantelle Jennings
That'S a lot of support.
- [03:44]
Ben Pickman
Really a lot of support. A lot of support. Helping her make history and rocking the shoes. Man, that. That's a crazy correlation. I did not even think about that. All right, moving on. We got some tough news for Indiana already still having Caitlin Clark out, upon which we don't know. Any updates to her condition? They're now out two more point guards. They suffered a blow. Sidney Coulson, Arie McDonald will both miss the remainder of the season after suffering injuries in last Thursday's game when they lost to the mercury. 95 60. Sabrina, tell me more about what happened with these two injuries and let's talk about what impact it will have on the fever.
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Chantelle Jennings
Yeah, so Sidney Coulson's injury was pretty evident from the moment you saw it. She had her knee buckle in front of the Indiana bench. You can see Sophie Cunningham's reaction in real time because she's literally right in front of Sydney. It's one of those things, non contact. You just know when it happens that it's going to be bad for your knee. And Sydney Colson, you know, she's one of the older players in the league, part of that 2011 draft class. So you hate to speculate, but at this point in her career, like, what does an ACL tear mean for her future going forward in the wnba. At the very least, she is out for the remainder of the season. And then to top that off later in that game, which as you mentioned was a 35 point loss for the Indiana Fever. Ari McDonald suffers a broken bone in her foot and now she will be out for the remainder of the season. And Ari McDonald has dealt with injuries throughout her WNBA career. It's just been one of the reasons why it's been tough for her to latch on, whether that was in Atlanta or Los Angeles. She's also out for the remainder of the season has been such a bright spot for the Fever. You know, coming in when Caitlin suffered that first injury, really making a mark, implanting that like defensive identity, helping Indiana win the Commissioner's cup title this year. But that's two point cards that the Fever will not be with for the remainder of the regular season. We don't know, as you said, Caitlin Clark's timeline. And since those injuries, they have signed Odyssey Sims to a hardship contract. Odyssey Sims, the owner of the most hardship contracts in the WNBA since 2020, famously caught on with Dallas and Los Angeles over the last couple years on hardship deals, finishing out the season with both those teams. So she is accustomed to this situation, you know, knows what it's like to come in at this point of the season and have to just figure things out right away. But really, really tough blow for the Fever, especially when they had been playing so well. That five game winning streak heading into this week and then to end on that stretch is just, just a real bummer for everyone.
- [06:06]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, I mean it was kind of crazy to hear. Literally, I think it was the day before or that morning that post moves came out with Leah Boston and Candace Parker and Aaliyah talking about how much Eric McDonald especially had been like a jewel for them in the way that she came in and immediately became a pinch hitter. There was kind of like a redemption arc aspect to both Sidney and Aries journeys with Indiana. So it is tough. But yes, Odyssey Sims, the ultimate pinch hitter, this is definitely what she knows how to do and so hopefully, you know, she'll be able to get the Fever back on track. But let's talk a little bit about these injuries because of course, Erin McDonald, Sidney Coulson, Caitlin Clark, those are just some of the names. We also have some big stars out. Nafisa Collier, still out from that ankle injury she suffered on August 2nd. Angel Reese out, Brianna Stewart, I mean these are some big names in the w not contributing towards games in the very, you know, crucial part of the season that are impacting positioning, home court advantage in the playoffs, et cetera. Ben, what are your thoughts on, you know, how this impacts the game, the vibes of the wnba, the competition, especially as some of these games are going on like Minnesota Links, New York Liberty, and we're not seeing Fee and Stewie go up against each other.
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Sabrina Merchant
I mean, it's obviously pretty unfortunate that so many stars, some of the names you mentioned, Xena, have missed time. I mean, you look up at the WNBA standings, the top five teams in the standings, basically one of their best players has missed significant time or is missing significant time this year. Nafeesa Collier with the Minnesota Links New York. Seen both Stewie and Jonquil Jones miss time. Ryan Howard's missed time for the Dream, et, SATU and ka, They've all missed time for Phoenix at different points in the year. Caitlin Clark, as we mentioned, she's still out for significant time. Like, it's just unfortunate that so often throughout this season, some of the biggest names that people want to see have not been active. And, you know, it has set a damper for this important time or this notable week. I should say in the WNBA calendar, it is technically rivalry weekly in the WMA calendar. I know we mentioned this at the start of the season. We got into a little bit of a heated discussion. I was not really a fan of rivalry week.
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Chantelle Jennings
I'm so glad you brought this season.
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Sabrina Merchant
Yeah, Sabrina was a little bit of.
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Chantelle Jennings
A rivalry week presented by Ally. Let's point out. It's a great story.
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Sabrina Merchant
Sorry for the. Thank you. Thank you for the clarification. Guess what? It's been a little bit of a damper to the start of rivalry week because Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark did not play in the kickoff game. You mentioned it. V. And Stewie did not play in Sunday's Liberty Links game. Up and down, we did see Ryan Howe return, but it doesn't seem to have the same juice. Of course, the league could not have predicted what is going on, but it is certainly unfortunate. And I think it's just a testament to, you know, a lot of players are talking about the schedule, the spacing of games, the season footprint. You know, there's different perspectives on all this. And I also just think, you know, kind of the middle of the season and. And the wear and tear. But yeah, it's definitely been a damper for this moment in time right now. Gearing to the stretch run.
- [09:06]
Ben Pickman
For what it's worth, I do wanna make sure we say it properly. It's Rivals Week presented by Ally and I did not realize the Oxmoor on there until Sabrina just said it. But, you know, Sabrina, I'm happy that we're talking about Rivals week and we're talking about the Sabrina scale because the Sabrina scale has historically been incredibly impacted by any up and down, any win, et cetera. But you mentioned this on your social media accounts, of course, saw Courtney Williams chopping it up after taking down the Liberty, and it's kind of like, all right, well, there's not much there on the Liberty right now to be really getting excited about it, but it's Rivals week, so maybe that's why she's excited. Maybe that's why she's hyped. It's finally August 11th, and these two teams are coming together to battle. Looking at the Sabrina scale, I'm seeing that there was a little bit of volatility, but towards the end, towards those playoff positions, saw the Valkyries jump up a little bit. The Aces moved up a little bit. I mean, it couldn't have been after that Connecticut sun rivalry game. So give me a little rivalry.
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Chantelle Jennings
Is that 2002 WNBA finalists Las Vegas and Connecticut, Tina Charles and Asia Wilson, two of the greatest frontcourt players of all time in the wnba.
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Ben Pickman
Who knows, as Tina Charles wears her rival's shoes on the. But anywho, talk to me a little bit about what stood out to you as some things changed in your rankings this week.
- [10:36]
Chantelle Jennings
I mean, as you said, not. Not a ton of motion I should point out. Big potential rivalry game in the future. Golden State and Los Angeles part of this week. You know, maybe that turns into a California rivalry as we go forward. I saw some Valkyries mention, if you want to call it a rivalry. Sure, I guess we're not there yet, but it could be. That was obviously very important game for playoff positioning. You know, the Valkyries win, make it 3:1 in the season series. Now they have the tiebreaker over the Sparks. Just an incredible defensive performance by the Valkyries taking, you know, basically all the paint touches away from the Los Angeles Sparks preventing that driving kick offense that they've done so well to get implemented during this really hot stretch post All Star. I think the Sparks came into that game having scored 100 points in five of their previous six games and they ended with 59 against the Valkyries. So just a little, you know, understanding of how good Valerie's defense was in that particular matchup. But, you know, that's why you see Golden State, even after losing a couple of games to the Aces, move up because of how pivotal that was for playoff positioning. And The Sparks, again, four games this week. They go 3 and 1. They still move down a little bit just because of how important that tiebreaker is going to be as we go down the line.
- [11:44]
Ben Pickman
Okay, we just talked a little bit about the fever going from three to five. We know that they're kind of rocky in that situation. But one of the teams that also moved down, and I don't think insignificantly, the Seattle Storm. And the Seattle Storm, though, had an acquisition, and Brittany Sykes, slim, she showed up against the LA Sparks. Okay. You could see they were still trying to fit her in against the Aces earlier in the weekend, but by. By the time things got comfortable on Sunday, she got real comfortable within that offense. But we also got to see Dijonay Carrington over the weekend with her team in Minnesota. Minnesota. And it's interesting because these two women have now been put into teams that are vying for playoff contention. Minnesota's really, like, trying to lock things up. Seattle's trying to ensure that they have a position to get into the playoffs and compete. And both were brought for different reasons. I'm looking at Brittany, and I'm like, seattle wanted an extra scoring opportunity. They want us to shore up the defense. Dijonay gets added to Minnesota, and it's like, all right, defense. And you shift people into the roles that they would prefer to play, right? Kayla McBride doesn't have to take on the most difficult opponent opposite side the ball. She can now focus on her offense and being able to score different ways in which they've immediately impacted their teams. But what do you think about how these two players showed up? And I want to talk a little bit about who you think might have the best impact.
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Chantelle Jennings
Well, first things first, I'm going to take it as my duty on this podcast to continue to hype Rivals week and the fact that we got Dominique Malanga and Cambrink again against one another. So good. I love that matchup so very much.
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Ben Pickman
20 and 10.
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Chantelle Jennings
I'm not going to talk about this every week, but I could. Dominic Belonga game by game. Just an insane growth trajectory. But, yeah, Sykes versus Carrington. A really interesting juxtaposition, I guess, in how those two players have sort of fit in their new teams. You know, you look at Sykes, and she has this phenomenally successful offensive game for the Storm against the Sparks, comes off the bench against the Aces, then they put her in the starting lineup against Los Angeles. I was kind of stunned at how much of the offense turned towards Brittney Sykes down the stretch. It became the Brittney Sykes show and again, six of seven in the fourth quarter. It's not like you can quibble with the results there. They do end up losing, blowing a seven point lead in the final two and a half minutes. I don't know that you can actually blame the offense for that. It was defensive miscues over and over again. But you have a team that has three all Stars. Aneko Gulmike, Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams and again Dominique Malanga, who maybe has been playing better than anybody else on the Storm over the past couple of weeks. And to have so much run through Sykes two games into her Seattle tenure was shocking to me. Like I could not believe a team that was just trying to get a little deadline help had its offense look dramatically different, you know, again in her second game, her first game in the starting lineup. So that was, that was pretty surprising to me and very different from what we saw with Dijonay Carrington on the Minnesota side of things.
- [14:42]
Sabrina Merchant
On Carrington, we've just seen it be a pretty seamless fit and she's coming off the bench, but we have seen her play a pretty significant role as well. Much like Brittany Sykes ever since she arrived in Minnesota. And you mentioned it, Zena, when you kind of teed up this topic, because not only is Dijonay's defense impactful because of just how good of a defender that she is, but Charl Reef talked about this postgame, you know, after the win over New York. She also takes so much defensive pressure off of Kayla McBride who no longer just has to chase around, you know, an opponent's best big guard night after night, possession after possession. McBride is then kind of able to switch into matchups that might not be as defensively taxing. And as a result, she can flourish on the offensive end. And we saw her score A team high 18 points in their double digit win over New York on the weekend. On the offensive end. I mean, Dijonay Carrington, she talked about it pregame too. Like her ability to get downhill and drive to the rim is, you know, a facet that might have been missing some from Minnesota's backcourt. And she does that and has the ability to drive and kick. So that is definitely a big boost. But overall, just what she means for Minnesota's benchmark is so significant. I mean, a big reason why they beat New York on the weekend was because of the bench. It wasn't just Dijonay carrington who scores 15 points. I think we should give a shout out to, you know, Maria Clindikova And I should correct the record here. Last week when we did the game about numbers, we said she wore 88, she wears 77, 11 off but still.
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Chantelle Jennings
In over 50 homage, which I think is correct.
- [16:10]
Sabrina Merchant
That is correct. But I think I did say 88 in the end. So want to correct the record there. But Maria Klinikova, it's the third most minute she has ever played in her WNBA career. And yes, she only finishes six points, five rebounds. But like her length was a problem for John Quill Jones and New York's front court. You saw just her physical presence. Disrupted passing lanes, disrupted shot opportunities. Again, it's the third most minutes she has ever played. And Cheryl Reeve I thought made a really, really good comment or really insightful comment post game that Clinton Cova is Russian, has been a star in the Russian League really since she was 18. And so she is used to playing against Jonquil Jones. She has played against and with Emma Miesiman and John Quell and with Brianna Stewart. And so there is a familiarity there that I think is pretty rare for an international player who has to now suddenly guard, you know, some of these big centers or, you know, star frontcourt players. And she did look very much as comfortable as Cheryl was talking about. So credit to Minnesota's D and Carrington really, you know, is the biggest boost they have off the bench right now and certainly looks like a very smart trade from Sha Reeve in the front office now and going forward.
- [17:15]
Ben Pickman
I'm very excited to see how this continues to play out in terms of looking at how Brittany Sykes, Dijonay Carrington. Let's also add Emma Meesiman into that conversation of how they impact their teams. I think the immediate instinct was Emma Meesiman will easily be the person that's going to change their offense. Their look there and just add to New York. But you're seeing as Sabrina mentioned, Brittany Sykes has the ultimate green light in Seattle, pun intended. I just realized storm green light in Seattle and then Dijonay Carrington again, that defensive powerhouse that she's bringing and also pressuring the rim as you mentioned. And then you know, Emma Meesiman just being MVP caliber Emma Meesiman, but perfectly at the time that Brianna Stewart is out and I think that that's a really important measure there to see how they continue to impact their team. So we shall see. Before the break, I do want to mention shout out to the Women's Premier Basketball Association. I got the chance to call their championship game. This is a really cool league that is happening in Oakland, started by a former player, Fatima of the WPBA thought about having basically almost like a secondary league under the G League. And this league features some of your top NCAA players, including Brooke Dimitri out of Stanford, whose team Bay City Blaze won the championship, but also players that have been in the wnba. Brooke Demetri was actually going up against her Stanford coach Erica McCall, who we've seen play in the WNBA. I know she played for the Mystics at one point, found some short stints throughout the W, but it was an unbelievable game. This is a really, really cool league and I'm very curious as to how it's going to continue to grow. Hopefully the WNBA has taken note because as we've seen there are so many NCAA players, WNBA players, players overseas that don't have a because the roster spots are so limited. So this was a really cool opportunity for them and I hope it continues to grow. This was year two that I know of for sure of the wbpa. So definitely go check them out. They were awesome. Let's go talk about some MVPs right after this break. Dungeons and Dads is brought to you.
- [19:27]
Zena Keda
This week by King of the hill. We've waited 15 long years for King of the Hill to return to our screens and now the wait is over and the series is coming to Hulu. Newly retired Hank Hill and his wife Peggy return to their Texas home from the Middle east and things look a little different. Bobby's all grown up running a German Japanese fusion restaurant in Dallas and still fumbling through his feelings for Connie. Boomhauer continues to be a hit with the ladies as he takes his business online. Bill's really let the ears get to him and Dale is, well, he's just Dale. Marlin sure has change as Hank and Peggy try to find their bearings again. But one thing's for sure, the Alley guys are right where Hank left them, beers in hand and Alamo's on ice. Same hill. New day only season of King of the Hill is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.
- [20:23]
Sabrina Merchant
Comcast Business High Five Hotline I signed my business up for the five year Price Lock Guarantee and I can't stop high fiving people. That's perfectly natural when you sign up for gig speed, Internet and advanced security.
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Ben Pickman
Locked in at a great rate for five years.
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Zena Keda
Really?
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Ben Pickman
That's great news.
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Sabrina Merchant
High five everybody. The Comcast business 5 year price lock.
- [20:41]
Ben Pickman
Guarantee is back, but only for a limited time.
- [20:43]
Sabrina Merchant
Sign up today ends 92125 for new.
- [20:46]
Chantelle Jennings
Customers with qualifying bundle. Current customer eligibility varies by service and area.
- [20:49]
Ben Pickman
Guaranteed rate applies to monthly service charge, excluding taxes and fees.
- [20:52]
Chantelle Jennings
Other restrictions apply.
- [20:53]
Ben Pickman
My name is Madison McGee from LA Times Studios comes its latest series, LA Crimes. From deep dives into the Menendez brothers.
- [21:00]
Chantelle Jennings
To conversations about why Bravo TV seems to be a hotbed of white collar.
- [21:04]
Ben Pickman
Criminals, we'll cover it all. We'll speak with LA Times reporters and.
- [21:07]
Chantelle Jennings
Others in the true crime industry to.
- [21:09]
Ben Pickman
Put a lens not just on these cases, but on our own culture's fascination with them and what that says about us. Tune in every Wednesday wherever you stream your podcast. Okay, so up until a few weeks ago, I think most W fans would have agreed that the obvious contender for MVP was Nafeesa Collier. She was putting up stupid numbers, both offensively and defensively. Her team was winning, averaging 23 and a half points, seven and a half rebounds, three and a half assists. She was dominant in all ways. And then she went down with an ankle injury against the Vegas Aces on August 2nd and that kind of opened things up because her play went to a pause. She has not been back on the court yet, and it might seem like MVP is not as locked up as we once thought it was, especially with the Asia Wilson game we just saw the other night. So I want to talk a little bit about aja because we know the numbers with fee. Asia's on the court. She's doing things. But before we get into that, what does recent history, Ben, tell us around this title about the type of players that typically wear this crown?
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Sabrina Merchant
Well, it starts with you have to basically be a forward. That is the simplest thing that recent history would tell us because a true guard has not won this award since Diana Taurasi in 2009. Think about that for a second. Maya Moore.
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Chantelle Jennings
Switch Maya Moore back and forth between guard and forward.
- [22:49]
Sabrina Merchant
We go back and forth on Maya Moore. Yeah, you know, it depends on the stat. Maya Moore did obviously win some awards. A lot of people classify her as a forward. If you want to throw her in, it's 2014. You know, do that what you will. But still, at least a decade since a guard has won mvp. So that is one thing to consider right off the top in recent years. Also, if you want to win mvp, probably should be named Brianna Stewart or Asia Wilson. They have won five of the last seven MVP awards, so we shall see if that happens this year. And another stat that I think is pretty important for the conversation we're about to have is games played. Because in the WNBA there is not a rule in terms of award eligibility like there is in the NBA currently. And this was put in in recent years. You know, to be eligible and to win an award in the NBA, you have to play 65 of the 82 games. The WNBA does not have that award. But for the MVP, specifically, Jonquol Jones, actually, in her MVP winning season in 2021, she missed five games. That year, she played in 27 of 32 games. That is the most games missed of any MVP in WNBA history. So that is a piece of history that could very much be up for grabs this year, depending on how many games that Nafisa Collier misses. So durability, obviously important. We'll see how important it is, though, in this year's conversation, and we shall see if, you know, she obviously satisfies the front court player rule, but obviously she does not satisfy the Brianna Stewart, Asia Wilson name caveat rule. So we'll see what happens in terms of history there, too.
- [24:18]
Ben Pickman
There are some parents right now that just had some newborns that are like, damn it, I need to go change that birth certificate if I want my kid to be an mvp. All right, Serena, what would you say are some of the key aspects that get factored into determining mvp? Obviously, forwards. That's just history. The names. That's just history. But there is a way in which the people with the names and the position have played and the way that their teams have played. So what are some of the aspects that you've seen be a pattern?
- [24:48]
Chantelle Jennings
Well, it really helps to be on the number one seed at the WNBA to win the mvp. You look at that stretch that Ben was pointing out. Five of the last seven being Stewie in Asia. Stewie on the number one seed in 2018, Elena Delledin, number one seed in 2019, Asia Wilson, number one seed in 2020, Jonquil Jones, number one seed in 2021. Asia Wilson, number one seed in 2022. Asia Wilson being on the four seed last year was a real surprise, right? Like, she had this historic season where she sets a single season points record for single season points record and single season rebounds record, you know, for total, again, number of games increased. So that changes things. But like, that was an anomaly historically to be on the fourth seed out of 12 and still win MVP. Normally you have to be in the top seed or a top two seed to really be considered for this award. So team success does factor into how voters think about MVP and how this award ends up being decided in most years.
- [25:42]
Ben Pickman
And from a perspective of an individual player, though, and I'll ask both of you here, Ben, I'll start with, like, we've heard this concept of the best player on the best team. So Sabrina's pretty much laid out. If you're on the number one seed, there probably are the best teams, especially in the regular season, of course. But in terms of being the best player, that is debatable on how that shows up. Right. Whether it's efficiency perspective, is it a points per game perspective, is it defense and offense? You know, these type of things typically lean towards offense and production in that way. But if you're an amazing player that scores 30 points per game, but you're getting tons of turnovers, or you're an amazing player that scores 30 points per game but you can't guard a cone, you know, how do these things kind of get laid out in terms of individual performance, Ben?
- [26:31]
Sabrina Merchant
Well, I mean, I think this year we're probably going to see is something very different than, say, what our anonymous poll that Sabrina and I did earlier this season revealed. Because when we did that poll, if you remember, we polled who was the best player in the WNBA right now, in the eyes of the WNBA players themselves, the players that we Sam example and the differential there, it was Nufisa Collier by, I think, right. One or two votes. Right. Sabrina. That was it. Like, when we look at MVP voting down the line here and we should say voting is done by media members like Sabrina and, you know, and I both have official ballots, I would expect that the official results are not going to be separated by one or two votes. Maybe they will be and we can play this clip back. And Asia Wilson goes on a total tear and, you know, the whole conversation flips and we get an MVP race like we saw a couple years back with, with, you know, Stewie and AT and Asia. But like, that tells you that it's not just a reflection of who is the best player in the league right now, that some of the things that Sabrina just talked about, how good is the team, how do they look when a player is on the court, off the court, their situation? I do think, you know, admittedly for some voters, I think voter fatigue or just having a fresh name for some people does make an impact. So, you know, Asia Wilson still puts up the kind of dominant performances that very much makes her feel like the best player in the league on any given night. But I don't think the voting is going to be as close as maybe the kind of player poll results show.
- [27:59]
Ben Pickman
Got you. Casual flex. Yes. Sabrina and Ben get votes. I'm working my way up, y'.
- [28:06]
Sabrina Merchant
All.
- [28:06]
Ben Pickman
I'm Working my way up. Okay, break this down. Let's actually make some cases here for mvp. And we talked a little bit about the numbers, but I'll allow both of you to make a case for Asia and for Fee because I think those are the top two. And then let's open it up. So, Sabrina, you take fee. Ben, you take Asia. Sabrina, I'll start with you. Make a case for why Nafisa Collier, even with her absence right now on the court, should or could be the MVP this season.
- [28:32]
Chantelle Jennings
I mean, I think this is the easiest case to make, right? She's the best player on the best team. I think she's been having the best season in the WNBA this year. You know, her team is 27 5. That's six losses clear of anybody else in the WNBA. She's averaging, as you mentioned earlier, 23.5 points, seven and a half rebounds, 1.8 steals. Her efficiency is off the charts. You think about where Asia Wilson gets a lot of her shots from V's effective field goal percentage is about 80 points higher than or 8 percentage points higher than Asia Wilson. So just an effective season on both ends of the court, leading the best team on both ends of the court. I think playing winning basketball, being in games where teams constantly are trying to beat you, where you have the target on your back is a harder task than like playing for a team that's just trying to make the playoffs. So this has been like a long coronation for Fee, basically ever since they lost in the finals in 2024. What she's done in her off season and now coming into the WNBA has just been consistently excellent on a night to night basis.
- [29:33]
Ben Pickman
I like it. Yeah, that pretty much lays it out. So, Ben, this'll be difficult for you, but hopefully, you know, if there's any evidence from the game we saw on Sunday, there is a lot there to support the idea that Asia Wilson could also win mvp.
- [29:48]
Sabrina Merchant
Yeah, I mean, I think there's actually two games on Sunday that provide some evidence about Asia Wilson's case. The first is the Aces game and the second is the Lynx game because the Minnesota Lynx went into New York, albeit without Brianna Stewart, and look pretty, pretty good, beating the defending champions by double digits on their home court. And you know, Nafisa Collier, obviously integral, as Sabrina would say, to everything that the Minnesota Lynx would do and do. I'm not going to dispute that. She's obviously had a tremendous season, but Minnesota is still a very, very good basketball team. Even if you take fee off of it, the same cannot be Said for the Las Vegas Aces, The Aces are 28.4 points better. That is, I guess, Asia Wilson's on off split this season with Asia on the court. That's her net rating. So 28.4 points better per 100 possessions with Asia on the court. And that is the most of any player in the league who has played at least 100 minutes this season. And we should say 100 minutes, not that many minutes. Like, I didn't really. There's a lot of players, I guess, who have played. Yeah, I left the door open. Emma Mieseman is pretty close. She has just played just over 100 minutes, if you want a little point of comparison here. And Asia, obviously, like, you take her off the Las Vegas Aces, we tape this, you know, they're 18 and 14. Like, what are the Aces? If you remove Asia, that is really the question. She very well still could be the best player in the league. I do think, if I'm gonna counter my own argument here, because I think that is a fair thing to do. The thing that holds Asia's case back is just that difference in team performance. And frankly, I think some of the bad losses that the Aces have had this year, if we're going to kind of use the college basketball parlance, like Asia against Minnesota, they lost by 53 points very recently, and that was not a game she played very well in. And then, you know, a week before that, what they lost by 30 plus points. What was the final 31 points? Right. And those are the two worst losses for the Aces this season. And more generally, the aces have lost four games this year by 25 or more points. Anyone want to take a guess how many times that has happened in the prior seasons in Asia Wilson's career? Anybody have a guess on that one?
- [31:58]
Ben Pickman
I'm going to go with a zero.
- [31:59]
Sabrina Merchant
It has happened five total times throughout Asia's career and four times this season. And of those five times, two of those times happened in her first four games as a pro. Which is all to say that once Asia Wilson got the hang of it, the Aces very rarely lost by 25 or more points. That's just how good she is. And this year, things have obviously not been the same. So, you know, you take Asia off the Aces, they are not a very good team. But it's hard to overlook. You know, it's hard to overlook those losses to Minnesota, especially when you're comparing these two players apples to apples and this eventual conversation, too.
- [32:36]
Chantelle Jennings
And I think that's why it comes back down to what you're trying to evaluate for most valuable player, you know, like, is it just the most appreciative, outstanding, who has the most individual statistical impact or is it somebody who is providing value in the sense of making their team a championship contender or vaulting their team higher up in the standings? You know, like, this is sort of how I distinguish between MVP and all wnba. For example, like, I don't really have a problem including players who are on losing teams on all wnba because I think of that as a more outstanding situation. Whereas mvp, the winning kind of matters, you know, and when you lose to your head to head rival and MVP consideration by 50 plus points, by 30 plus points, and you look at their individual stats in those games, right? Like Asia Wilson averages 12 and a half points in those two games against Minnesota. Fee's got 21 and a half, like rebounds in Fee's favor, assists in Fee's favor. You know, I think that the fact that the Aces are not as good, you know, is not going to hurt Asia Wilson's all WNBA candidacy, I can tell you that. But in terms of mvp, it just matters when you're in games that have more stakes to them than what the Aces have been doing for the majority of this regular season.
- [33:36]
Ben Pickman
So it does sound like there's more merit to the concept of the best player on the best team. And for what it's worth, Ben, just for clarity, I thought you meant the amount of times in a season that the Aces have lost by 25 points or more. Four times. So technically that's not happened. Got it. Okay.
- [33:55]
Sabrina Merchant
That's true. That is fair.
- [33:56]
Ben Pickman
Only five times.
- [33:57]
Sabrina Merchant
It's only five times throughout your whole career.
- [33:59]
Ben Pickman
Got it.
- [34:00]
Sabrina Merchant
They had never once before.
- [34:01]
Ben Pickman
That's actually an insane number. That's unreal. Okay, well, let's talk about some other MVP candidates because I think Thea and Asia are kind of like the glaring ones. But of course, I mean, if we want to go to Vegas, there are definitely others to talk about, whether it's Alyssa Thomas, Caitlin Clark, et cetera. Let's throw some names out there. Sabrina, I'll let you start first. Any other dark horses you're looking at in the MVP conversation? Let's stick to five, thinking that Fee and Asia have taken two.
- [34:34]
Chantelle Jennings
I got so confused. When you said go to Vegas, you didn't mean like the Aces. You meant like go to Vegas to gamble on this sort of thing that you refer to.
- [34:41]
Sabrina Merchant
Which we cannot do. Which we cannot do.
- [34:43]
Chantelle Jennings
Just for clarity's sake, we point that out. We are not gambling on this Exactly.
- [34:48]
Ben Pickman
We are not gambling, but Vegas, as in the betters, have thoughts on other folks in this conversation. And, well, to be clear, Vegas, I.
- [34:57]
Chantelle Jennings
Only think this is a conversation if Nafeesa Collier continues to miss significant time going forward because I think I stand with you. I stand even if she's like, I'll say, 150 minutes shy of whoever else is on the MVP ballot. Her season has just been so dominant that I'm willing to forgive a few missed games because of how much better the Links have been and how much better Collier's been. But if we're talking about a situation where Fee is out for a month, let's say then two names that I would have to keep an eye on are Alyssa Thomas and Aleisha Gray. I mentioned that winning matters a great deal in terms of, of this MVP conversation. And you look at the teams that are atop the standings. There is Atlanta and a tie for second place and Phoenix one game behind them. And those on off ratings, right? Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix is 12 and a half points per 100 sessions, better with her on the court. Alicia Gray, 12.1 possessions, better with her on the court. I'm actually more interested in just how good they are with, you know, they're both like +9 or better with those players on the court. Alicia Gray sort of been like the most consistent player for the Atlanta Dream, as Ryan Howard's been out as Brittney Griner's, you know, been through her injuries. Nas Hillman in the bench in the starting lineup. Like Gray, best perimeter defender, best scorer. She's the one. You put the ball in her hands at the end of games when you're trying to win. And then Alyssa Thomas sort of just like I feel like the engine really captures a lot of what Alyssa Thomas does, right? Just the motor of everything that's happening in Phoenix. She's running the offense, emotionally lifting the team. As Ben mentioned earlier, a lot of absences for Kalia Kopra, Sathu Sable has been in and out of the lineup ever since that initial stretch where Alyssa Thomas was unable to play. She's just been the one who's consistently been there night in and night out, helping Phoenix win games. So those are the two names that I, I think the only two names that really belong in this conversation as we're talking about people who could win MVP other than Fisa Fowler and Asia Wilson. But yeah, just how good of seasons they've had for their teams and individually.
- [36:47]
Ben Pickman
Especially with Alicia Gray having a career season in terms of just improvements all across, all of the stats that she's putting up for Atlanta and it's translating into wins. Ben, Alicia, Aleesha and AT feel like the only two to seriously discuss about this, but there are some players that I'm thinking are making a very quiet push and that includes Sabrina Unescu in your corner of the Woods. Do you have her in that conversation yet?
- [37:20]
Sabrina Merchant
I mean she might be in like the deep conversation on an all W team conversation, but I think Sabrina lays it out pretty well here that AT and LEASH are kind of the next two on my ballot and I want to just say about 80. I think the thing that's been so impressive for me this year is she's actually scoring the ball more than she ever has before. You know, it's a career high in points. She has six games this year with 20 plus more scoring. She had just two last year. And if you look at it like that has been one of the things that she no longer, you know, obviously she can pass and she can rebound but the offense has been so important, literally like what she can do, creating and finishing plays, like I think that has been so impressive. And then of course you have like all these crazy numbers that just reflect her well rounded games. I think over the weekend she tied Courtney Vander Sloot for the most assists, you know, in WNBA a single season for me on made three pointers. Like that's crazy when you think about it. Like she is a power forward who's assisting players for threes at a historic level. She's going to set that record this week. And then there's this great cross league stat that you know is all over the Phoenix Mercury game note. So credit to the Mercury staff for digging this one up. But at is on pace to finish this season with 15 plus points, eight plus rebounds, nine plus assists, one steal, at least one steal and 50 plus percent shooting. The only NBA players to have ever done that are LeBron, Magic Johnson and Nikola Jokic.
- [38:53]
Chantelle Jennings
Those are in 48 minute games. Whereas ATC.
- [38:57]
Sabrina Merchant
And like that is a crazy stat. When you put, you know, her season this year in the conversation with those three all time greats, it just reflects how versatile and effective she has been. But going back to what Sabrina was saying, like it's hard to then overlook the the team side of it and also just some of the individual numbers that V has put up to as it relates to AT's performance overall.
- [39:21]
Chantelle Jennings
Just one more thing about AT. She has a higher effective field goal percentage than Asia this year and you don't think about AT being A more efficient scorer than Asia Wilson. But for, like you said, career high end points, just the way she's doing it, it's not like she just has a higher volume of usage. You know, she's actually scoring the ball at a good rate too, which is not something that we've historically associated with Alyssa Thomas.
- [39:42]
Ben Pickman
The one thing that stands out to me about at, though, and I just this, in this conversation around the mvp, Ben, you mentioned it a few years ago. It was this really tight race between Brianna Stewart, Asia Wilson and at and AT in that year, in this, and she's doing the same thing in this year, was putting up more triple doubles than anyone else in the entire association. And yet that efficiency of being a playmaker, being a scorer, being someone that is, you know, providing opportunities for your team to get up and down the floor by getting rebounds, offensive or defensive, isn't enough. Even though it is technically a more balanced approach, it's a more balanced impact on winning. Why is it that at's ability to get triple doubles and her ability to do so many different things on both sides of the ball isn't enough? Even if Phoenix was winning all of their games, I still feel like she might not get the same level of admiration for her game as we see some of these other forwards get.
- [40:45]
Sabrina Merchant
Well, Zena, I should say, and you didn't know this probably, but you're asking the wrong person that question because I was actually an AT first place voter in that MVP conversation. So I think the better person to spin that question to is our good friend Sabrina on the other end of this podcast.
- [40:59]
Chantelle Jennings
I just think, you know, when you use the word versatility, like the other candidates have versatility in their game, right? Like Nafisa Collier can shoot the ball from distance, like Alyssa Thomas can't do that. You know, she is a more versatile defender, I think, than Alyssa Thomas is. The rim protection that Ifeesa Collier provides is, you know, a different element in her tool bag. Being a high level volume scorer, like seven more points per game is a big deal. Right. So I think, you know, this isn't to discount Alyssa Thomas's game. She obviously is capable of doing a lot of different things on a basketball court. I have her probably second in my voting right now. Yeah, behind the fist of Collier. So it's not to say that, like she's not having an excellent season. It's just you're looking at a player who's leading a 27, 5 team and it's been really, really good all year.
- [41:41]
Ben Pickman
Yeah. Okay. Well, we we know that these forwards are always going to dominate the conversation a little bit. We mentioned Alicia Gray. I tried to get Ben to talk a little bit about Sabrina. Um, I don't know if there's any other guards though that you guys are thinking about. Ben, help me out.
- [41:57]
Sabrina Merchant
Yeah, I mean, you know, one name to watch certainly down the stretch run here. I think more for all WNBA team consideration is Kelsey Mitchell.
- [42:05]
Ben Pickman
And that's another one I wanted to mention.
- [42:06]
Sabrina Merchant
Yes, she's had a great season already. She actually just scored the most points in the league right now as we tape this podcast. And she's had a great year again, another all star year, third straight. And the ball is going to be in her hands even more going forward with Colson and McDonald going out for season ending injury. So Kelsey Mitchell is another player to watch especially if Indiana continues to kind of stay afloat and then some during this stretch run. Like we shall see, could they end up as a four seed or a three seed? Like those things are not, not out of the question with just how close the standings are. I mean Sabrina Nescu has had, you know, another great season as well and she very much is going to make first team or second team. All WNBA to me. Like I think there have been some lulls in her season overall and that, you know, even that on a game to game level. And that is not just her, that is New York as a whole as they have dealt with so many injuries. Like there has been a ton of inconsistency from the New York Liberty there. When they are healthy again, they're 9 and O start. They had a plus 23.4 net rating and I know that's a pretty important number for them as they look forward but throughout the course of the year since then they're a.500 team. And so you know, when you think about that being the majority of the season, like it's hard to separate those two segments when you're thinking about this conversation and her candidacy and to leash Overall I think she's been the most consistent and most effective guard in the league this year. I mean she leads the league in minutes played. Like she is six in scoring. She's fourth in field goal percentage among guards. Basically like on offense she does everything for the Atlanta dream. She's had to carry the load with Jordan Canada, missing time with Ryan Howard, missing time with Atlanta figuring out its front court rotation with BG and Nas Hillman and Bree Jones. Like she has been this kind of stabilizing force and this kind of opener of Sorts, like, she is this player who has kind of taken advantage of the freedom that Carl Smesco has provided and been this stabilizing, kind of distributor freeing force throughout the season. And so, I mean, yeah, it's a career year for her, and I think she'll end up getting rewarded accordingly.
- [44:17]
Ben Pickman
Okay, now I might have to throw it back to the fours, but maybe even just like the big girls in general, you want to throw.
- [44:24]
Chantelle Jennings
I mean, you want.
- [44:25]
Sabrina Merchant
You want to throw Leah Boston's name. That's another name.
- [44:27]
Ben Pickman
I want to throw two names out there. And yes, yes, Aaliyah Boston's one of them. And this is gonna be a stretch, but I genuinely. I think that this person definitely needs more shine. I don't know if they're in that top five MVP conversation, but if the Sparks continue to play incredibly well.
- [44:45]
Chantelle Jennings
Saw that coming.
- [44:46]
Ben Pickman
DE Erica Hamby has to answer this conversation. De' Erica Hamby is doing crazy things, but I think that it kind of gets outshined by the fact that Kelsey Plum's putting up numbers or Kia Jackson's putting up numbers, but even the way that she closed the game out, you know, this past weekend, like, Kelsey Plum needs a Dericka Hamby to be able to set those screens and finish out those plays, and they can go to her to get a tough bucket at any moment. And I feel the same way about Aaliyah Boston. Aaliyah Boston's been more of a playmaker this year as well, which is really fun. So I don't know. Those two are the last two I want to throw out there. Any thoughts on either one?
- [45:22]
Chantelle Jennings
I think we've hit the point of where Ben laments how deep the conversation has gotten.
- [45:27]
Ben Pickman
Yep.
- [45:27]
Sabrina Merchant
I know I did it.
- [45:28]
Ben Pickman
I know, I know, I know. We literally said this before we reported. He's like, I don't want to have a conversation where there's 12 MVPs. You're right. Absolutely.
- [45:35]
Chantelle Jennings
I think Aaliyah Boston is a good name to have on this list. Whether she or Kelsey Mitchell has been more valuable to the Indian people, I think is an open question. And honestly, like, one that I could probably see. Both sides of a. Leah Boston has been remarkably consistent all year long and, you know, has had a lot of big fourth quarters. You know, she just had one against Seattle last week that sort of helped them take that game home against the Storm on the road. As far as Derek Hamby, I mean, who are you talking to here? But this feels more of an old W case than an MVP case. Again, just because of where the Sparks stand in the standings. But like you said, you know, if the Sparks keep winning. Derick Hamby, also game winner against the Storm. That's twice that's happened in the last 10 days or so for her. So definitely a lot of big moments for la. But you know, the first, first part of the season when they went 5 and 13 still counts.
- [46:20]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, that's true. That's true. And dear Hamby, continuing to be the mother of the league, giving Dominique Malanga a very key lesson and not fouling at the end of the game. Ben, any last thoughts there as we close up this MVP conversation?
- [46:34]
Sabrina Merchant
No, I, I think we covered the big names and let's just, you know, let's keep the conversation narrow. I guess we can extend the all W conversation conversation. But as Sabrina said, mvp, you know, let's, let's, let's keep it a little tighter than be a little more discerning.
- [46:50]
Ben Pickman
I got you. I got you. Well, it's been a lot of fun Talking about the MVPs at this point in the season. We still have a lot more basketball to play. Let us know, what do y' all think about this MVP conversation? I thought it might have been wrapped up early, but then of course injuries happen, different things progress and we'll see what happens when it comes to who gets to be at the top, gets the crown. This is going to be a tough year again. I can feel it. I can feel it.
- [47:22]
Zena Keda
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- [48:36]
Ben Pickman
Like, you know what? I'm just gonna disconnect from the world and disassociate and just open up my phone and start scrolling and it's like a way of escaping. But then once you're done scrolling, your problems are still there.
- [48:48]
Sabrina Merchant
Doom scrolling is something we all struggle.
- [48:50]
Chantelle Jennings
With on the latest episode of Mind.
- [48:52]
Sabrina Merchant
If We Talk, host and licensed therapist Jesu Jo talks with singer songwriter David.
- [48:58]
Ben Pickman
Archuleta as he opens up about the.
- [49:00]
Sabrina Merchant
Emotional toll of doomscrolling and how he's working to break free from this cycle.
- [49:04]
Chantelle Jennings
When the world feels like too much.
- [49:06]
Sabrina Merchant
It'S okay to take a step back.
- [49:08]
Ben Pickman
Join us for this episode of Mind.
- [49:10]
Sabrina Merchant
If We Talk to hear real conversations.
- [49:12]
Ben Pickman
And gain practical tools to help you.
- [49:14]
Sabrina Merchant
Cope with the things we all struggle with. Listen and subscribe to Mind if We.
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Ben Pickman
Talk wherever you get your podcasts.
- [49:22]
Sabrina Merchant
If you're a lineman in charge of keeping the lights on, Grainger understands that.
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Zena Keda
You go to great lengths and sometimes heights to ensure the power is always flowing.
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Ben Pickman
Which is why you can count on Grainger for professional grade products and next day delivery. So you have everything you need to get the job done.
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Sabrina Merchant
Call 1-800-granger.
- [49:42]
Zena Keda
Click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.
- [49:57]
Ben Pickman
Let's close it out before we leave you guys today. Ben, you have a really fun piece live on the site right now about something I used to dread and be awful at when we had our competitions after shoot arounds and this is the half court shot contest and let's just be real, in the wnba, the stakes are a little bit higher. You talk about that throughout the piece. Um, I love that there's this connection with the NBA. So first and foremost tell me where did you even get this idea for this story? Like how did it come about?
- [50:28]
Sabrina Merchant
Just came about because I think I go to enough practices and enough shoot arounds that all end the same way. Xena and all shoot arounds. Basically around the league there's one team that is an exception and with a half court shootout. After all the work is done, after all the walkthrough and all the drills have been completed. Like teams all gather at mid court and they have a contest. And different teams have different rules. As I write in the piece, some teams have it as a one round only competition and the money, $100 usually rolls over. Other teams say you have to hit rim or else you're eliminated. Other teams go three rounds. The orders are all entirely different. Some teams go by, you know, alphabetical order, some teams go by age, some teams go totally random. And it is just something that, you know, we just see it day after day, practice after practice, shoot around after shoot around these competitions being held. And players love them. Like it was very fun to report out this story and I shall say it was definitely a palate cleanser for me considering the last big story that I worked on.
- [51:30]
Ben Pickman
Right.
- [51:30]
Sabrina Merchant
Very different topic that this one is. Like. It was just very fun throughout the last couple weeks to just ask players about their favorite traditions because it is one of those things. And I think everyone, if you're a fan of the W has seen these videos online. Like there's so much laughter, there's so much trash talk, there's dancing, there's just all these stories that come out of it. And I just wanted to find a way to, to document this thing that, that we see. You know, Sabrina and I certainly see like day after day, year after year.
- [51:57]
Ben Pickman
Well, I actually got to see how the half court competition may impact actual real game schemes. Literally I think it was at the end of the third quarter Sparks versus Valkyries in the Sparks is post game shoot around half court competitions. Cambrink is like really, really good at half court shots to the point that. But there is a play set up with seconds left on the clock for Cam Brink to catch the ball out of out of bounds play and go up and put a half court shot on. She missed poorly but still it was like, oh, this is actually set up for her to go get a screen and go get a ball. So what have you heard from these stories? Is it all just fun? Does it translate into actual real game, like in game kind of stuff? Like talk a little bit about how some of these teams have kind of evolved in the way that they use the half court competition.
- [52:50]
Sabrina Merchant
I would say it is mostly just for fun. Like I think teams know who is the best half court shooter on their respective team. So in the case of the New York Liberty, for instance, that's Sabrina Unescu. In the course of the Seattle Storm, you know, that's Skyler Diggins. But more than anything else it is just like this fun, light hearted competition that brings out camaraderie and trash talk and you know, has a little bit of money at stake. Now I will say there is one exception to this half court tradition this year and that is down with the Atlanta Dream. And you want to talk about game preparation, they also have a competition that they close shoot arounds with. It is called Cash out or Crash Out. And their first year head coach Carl Smesko put it in this year and in the simplest terms is that players shoot from all five spots around the three point arc and you miss one shot and you're eliminated and you make all five and you win and you keep playing until there is a winner. And Nas Hillman for the piece told me that like it's great because those shots actually translate to the game. Now I will say Xena, like I talked to Ryan Howard about Cash out or Crash out and Ryan had been or is the best half court shooter on the Atlanta Dream or so she says. And so she has been pretty pissed about the Cash out or Crash out competition because she was cleaning up, just beating her teammates in half court shooting for years making 100 and 100 and 100. And now in Cash Road or Crash out she has not had the same level of success. So she light heartedly said she hasn't liked that change. But the Atlanta Dream at least putting something in for game prep purposes. But for most teams as I think Sabrina has seen, certainly it's just a fun way to joke around and close out a workout.
- [54:28]
Chantelle Jennings
Yeah, the Mystics used to have this shooting game when the Tebows were there that nobody really knew the rules to. It would just like the coaches would even play in it and, and it sort of evolved as the shots kept going in. It was all around the three point arc. You know their PR person Katzie Coleman has been there for like can't even tell you how long and she doesn't know the rules of it. It just sort of evolved like as Eric and Mike wanted it to work that day. So I think there is like a precedent I would say for teams getting a little creative with how this works. You know, whether that's a half court shot, whether that's Cash out or Crouch out, which is a great name, honestly.
- [54:58]
Ben Pickman
I love that name, love that name. And that makes so much sense for someone from Florida Gulf coast to bring that to Atlanta. Now question for both of you to close this out. Has either of you ever hit a half court shot?
- [55:12]
Sabrina Merchant
Yes, I have.
- [55:14]
Ben Pickman
Oh, okay, look, it depends on what was it like?
- [55:17]
Sabrina Merchant
It depends on the court length. Like, I don't think I've ever done it on a, I guess a full length, NBA, WNBA sized court. I don't know if I've ever even attempted one on a full size court. But if you go to my Instagram, I think there was a video a couple weeks back and I've actually showed you guys it, of me throwing it over my head. I once made a half court shot in the pickup run that I play in after just like practicing some trick shots, not even looking at the basket if I can toot my own horn there. So that was definitely a highlight. I did not make any money from that shot. Zena. That is a big difference with this tradition because so many players, you know, they make a hundred dollars and that becomes meal money or that becomes take home money or just like an extra boost on a trip. Can I just say, too, being a good basketball player does not mean you are a good half court shooter.
- [56:05]
Ben Pickman
Absolutely.
- [56:05]
Sabrina Merchant
That is another thing that I learned over the course of reporting this piece. Yes, Sabrina and Skylar Diggins are great, but Neca Gumike, great player. She does not participate in the Storm's half court shootout because she doesn't trust her form. Asia Wilson told me point blank that she sucks. That was her word.
- [56:24]
Chantelle Jennings
Probably the worst shooter on the team, actually.
- [56:25]
Sabrina Merchant
Yeah. Becky Hammond literally was like, asia is the worst half court shooter we have. So if you want to find something that Asia is not good at, it is half court shooting. And she will own up to that fact. And I think that's one of the kind of delightful parts of like, this tradition that just being Asia Wilson, being as good as she is, doesn't mean you're, you know, good at this. This challenge too.
- [56:46]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, no, I. I love the games. It's fun. I've definitely put up a half court shot. Did it take me 25 attempts? Absolutely. I mean, whatever. You have to shoot or shoot, right? That's what they say. Ben, you just flexing all over this pot today. I love it. Half court shot, no looks. This is the energy you have to bring when you report a story like this. Respect. It's mutual respect between half court shooters and yourself. Thank you for that little breakdown, guys. Go check out this article. It's really fun. I love Aaliyah Boston's term when she hits hers. Carry on because it makes me think of Beyonce. But go read so you'll get that reference.
- [57:26]
Sabrina Merchant
Can I Give you one other note on Aaliyah, do you know what she calls herself? Yeah, this didn't make the piece, but she has a nickname for herself. She calls herself the banker because not because she banks in half court shots, because she likes to verify that the money that she thinks she is about to receive is real. So she, you know, she goes over, she holds the bill up, you know, does that little light test, whatever you know, you see.
- [57:51]
Ben Pickman
Now, Ali.
- [57:55]
Sabrina Merchant
Cannot confirm if she has the correct pen or not or if she makes a staffer bring it out. But Aaliyah Boston, yes, she calls herself the Banker. Cause she's, you know, she's verifying if it's real. And as the story says she did, she recently called her shot and made one.
- [58:08]
Ben Pickman
I would have definitely assumed bank shot. And let's be real. You can never put anything past WNBA players. We're gonna find out that Leah Bosson had like a finance background or working at the Mint and knows exactly what should be shown up when you put in the light. Because let's just be real. That will never, I will never be able to tell when people are checking for real bills, what they're actually looking for. So the banker let us know, Aaliyah, if you hear this ever, I would love to know what you're looking at when you check those bills. Thank you, Ben for that story. And that's all we've got for you guys today. So we will be back on Friday with more WNBA content. Please, if you haven't already like and subscribe, leave us a five star rating wherever you're listening. Spotify, YouTube, Apple, we love to hear it. And tell your friends to check us out and write us a comment. We love to hear from you guys. We wanna hear what your thoughts are on the MVP conversation and have you guys ever hit a half court shot. And of course head on over to our partner Yahoo Sports Hub for more content@sports.yahoo.com womens sports on behalf of the Athletic, Sabrina and Ben, I'm Zena Keda thanking you for listening. We will see you next time. No off season is hosted by Zena Cato with Chantelle Jennings, Sabrina Merchant and Ben Pickman. It's produced by Tanika Burrell. Our executive producers are Andrea B. Scott and Cassius Fleming. Our theme music is by Marcus Bagala. Monica Compton is our video editor. Shannon Ryan is managing editor of women's basketball at the Athletic. Jesse Burton is our head of audio and Tim McMaster is director of audio operations.
- [59:58]
Sabrina Merchant
Listen up.
- [59:59]
Chantelle Jennings
You can get the new iPhone 16e with Apple Intelligence for just $49.99 when.
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Sabrina Merchant
You switch to Boost Mobile. We pulled so many all nighters to.
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Chantelle Jennings
Give you the steal and hey, stop messing with the mic.
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Ben Pickman
I'm just helping us catch people's attention. This is a great deal.
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Chantelle Jennings
Exactly, so it doesn't need all that.
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Ben Pickman
Fine.
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Chantelle Jennings
Get the new iPhone 16e available at Apple Store locations and the Apple Store online.
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Sabrina Merchant
Visit your nearest Boost Mobile store for full offer details. Apple Intelligence requires iOS 18.1 or later. Restrictions apply.
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Chantelle Jennings
If you work as a manufacturing facilities engineer, installing a new piece of equipment can be as complex as the machinery itself. From prep work to alignment and test.
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Ben Pickman
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Chantelle Jennings
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Ben Pickman
Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.
- [60:58]
Sabrina Merchant
Carol, you're in remission. I think what gets me most about this whole journey that I've been through is just how many jigsaw pieces come.
- [61:07]
Ben Pickman
Together to help someone like me.
- [61:09]
Sabrina Merchant
I've met people who have just packaged the drugs, just this white box saying World Courier on it.
- [61:14]
Chantelle Jennings
But I want to better say thank.
- [61:16]
Sabrina Merchant
You to every single person that works on these things because they've saved my life. Every single one of them.
- [61:22]
Zena Keda
Every minute World Courier makes another life changing delivery. Learn More Search World Courier.