← No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
Longhorns' Madison Booker and Rori Harmon Join the Show!
00:29:56
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- [00:01]
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- [01:20]
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- [04:49]
Zena Kada
Foreign for the Athletic I'm Zena Kaeda and this is the Athletic Women's Basketball show presented by Michelob Ultra. Welcome back to the Athletic Women's Basketball Show. We got a special treat for you all today. Chantel Jennings and Sabrina Merchant here together at the same time and they have some special guests with them so I will not take up any more time. I'll let them go ahead and introduce our special guest, Sabrina Shantel. Welcome.
- [05:36]
Chantel Jennings
All right, we're really excited to be joined by two players on the undefeated Texas Longhorns. Chantel and I are really happy to be talking to Rory Harmon and Madison Booker. Rory, Madison, thanks so much for taking the time for us today.
- [05:50]
Rory Harmon
Thank you guys for having us.
- [05:51]
Madison Booker
Thank you. Thank you.
- [05:52]
Chantel Jennings
So, obviously undefeated start to the season. I'm sure things are going about as well as you could have hoped for so far. And Rory, I just wanted to kick it off with one thing that you're proud of this season so far and one thing that you still think that you or the team would like to improve on.
- [06:08]
Rory Harmon
Like you said, one thing I'm proud of is just being undefeated right now in the preseason. It's, it's pretty rare right now to be undefeated, and so we're one of the teams to do so. And then one thing that we can work on, obviously it's a little bit noticeable, but you can probably work on our defense. Every aspect of it. Aspect of it. I'm not saying we're terrible or anything, but. No, you want to be one of those top teams that can play both ends offensively and defensively.
- [06:32]
Chantel Jennings
Defensively, Madison, same question for you. One thing you're proud of, one thing you still want to improve on going.
- [06:38]
Madison Booker
Forward, Proud of just how our team just grows every game. I think every game we, we learn from our. We learn from our mistakes and we kind of like capitalize on it like next game, and it just looks so much better. We're growing as a team. One thing we need to work on, I think just still improving. Like Rory said, like on defensive end, we still got things to work on and, you know, when we just, you know, like a pro bone, it's going to be a real scary sight.
- [07:03]
Sabrina Merchant
Madison, I ask you this question as you're wearing the McDonald's All American sweatshirt. You've, you know, between Team USA, McDonald's All American, you've played in high school at such a high level. I'm curious sort of how your expectations for college basketball have fit what the reality of this has been your freshman year for your experience.
- [07:20]
Madison Booker
I mean, I spectate a lot just because I was coming to a program with plenty of stars on the team. And I mean, I came in and it was just as, just as I expected. Every day is competition. Every day we're fighting for minutes. We're fighting just to get better. So, I mean, it's been a. It's, it's been fun, but it's what I Expected, definitely.
- [07:39]
Sabrina Merchant
And, Rory, I'm curious. You know, I don't. I know players don't look too far ahead, but I'm going to ask you really quick. Big 12 kicks off pretty soon. You guys have two games when we're talking to you right now, before that. But I'm curious, the Longhorns, what changes, if anything, Moving into Big 12 play, either, you know, mindset or preparation. And how do you convey that to younger players who haven't been through a conference season before?
- [08:04]
Rory Harmon
Just to know that every game is very competitive and any. Any given night, any team can win. That's pretty much the difference between, you know, preseason and the Big 12 Conference is just so competitive. There's so many good basketball teams and our conference, and we're luckily luck, lucky to be able to play those great teams to get better. But I wouldn't say, like, honestly, there's not much of a mindset to change, but because we've had a really good mindset to start off with and just keeping that winning, that killer instinct, winning mentality, and just be able to, like Madison said, just improve every day in practice. And like you said, players do like to go game by game, but just taking game by game and understanding what it's going to take to hopefully, you know, go undefeated in Big 12, too.
- [08:48]
Chantel Jennings
You mentioned, Rory, that it's pretty special to be undefeated at this point of the year. And what's interesting about the Big 12 is there are six teams that are still undefeated at this point. When we're recording this being your third year in the conference, how does the quality of teams sort of compare to, like, when you got here as a freshman? Does it seem deeper, more competitive? Like, what are your thoughts on the conference heading in to league play?
- [09:08]
Rory Harmon
I mean, honestly, it's been. It's gotten better, like, progressively better. And just seeing that those same players that are. That were there my freshman year are, like, most of them are still here. And so it's just really competitive. A very, like, veteran league that's going on. And it's really good to see that our league is up there right now, especially in the undefeated world.
- [09:31]
Sabrina Merchant
So, yeah, Madison, this is a question I ask a lot of freshmen because I feel like everyone always has a really good story. I'm curious for you, and maybe, Rory, you can think back to your freshman year as well. But, like, what was your welcome to college basketball moment either in, like, fall camp preseason? Has it happened in a game where you're like, oh, okay, this is. This is what college basketball is.
- [09:52]
Madison Booker
Welcome to college basketball moment. I don't know. I feel like it's practice, honestly, like, on defense is especially like on this team. It's taken very seriously and just get cooked on defense. It's like, dang, this how it's actually going to be like every game. So I think those are my welcome to, like my welcome to college moment.
- [10:17]
Sabrina Merchant
Rory, if you have one, you were kind of laughing.
- [10:20]
Rory Harmon
Yeah, because I'll never forget, like, I will always answer the same when this question comes around, but it was the first summer workout of my freshman year, so it was the first of anything. So it didn't take long for it to be my welcome call. It was the first workout and I remember it was only an hour. And you know, you don't want to waste time in the summer because you only have limited time in the summer. And it was. It was terrible. I felt terrible. I felt absolutely terrible. I remember calling my mom was like, I don't. I was like, I feel bad right now. Like, I've never felt that bad. You think you work so hard in high school and training for two hours walking around everywhere. But no, that was an intense workout. No walking there. I don't think I even got a water break. It was just. It was a very great work wake, like wake up call. And what I knew was I was going to be expecting for the next like three years.
- [11:11]
Chantel Jennings
So, Madison, when you say you're getting cooked on defense, like we're talking blow bys, people are posting up on you, like, what's happening?
- [11:17]
Zena Kada
Practice.
- [11:17]
Madison Booker
I'm like, dang. I just can't hold them right now. But I mean, it's not like they just cooking. This is like they make just like a little tough shot over me. I'm like, dang, Daniel, actually good.
- [11:28]
Rory Harmon
A lot of people can make really tough shots now, and everyone's bigger, stronger, faster. I had, I had that issue too. I was so fast in high school, but it's a different type of fast in college. And so Madison, like, she probably. She don't even look that bad. It's just everyone is just really good, you know, and there's always room for improvement. She's still a freshman, like I was. I couldn't even stop. Brett, which is one of our practice players that I've guarded for the past few years, I couldn't stop in my freshman year, but now I'm like, I'm really catching up and I'm giving him a hard time now. So it's just going to take time.
- [11:59]
Sabrina Merchant
Rory, you mentioned that first workout I mean, I think I wrote a story about you earlier this year, kind of about your development physically, mentally, emotionally over the last three years, but especially focused on the small things like sleeping and drinking water. But, I mean, it's interesting, I think, for me and Sabrina to both hear that there was a workout that you thought was, like, more than you could almost handle, because I think watching you play like you're picking up players baseline to baseline, and I'm, like, getting exhausted just watching you, like, one repetition of it, and it's, like, your reality. So I'm curious for you, like, in the off season, if you have a hard conditioning workout, like, where you're trying to sort of push yourself, what does that look like? Like, how. How intense is it and what are you doing?
- [12:45]
Rory Harmon
So, basically, we have our track workouts kind of right for around where school starts. So during the summer, we don't do two too much. This past summer, we didn't do too much conditioning. You know, you only have limited time. You're just trying to, like, work on your craft and work on some fundamentals. But once school starts, we have our track workouts, and that's really where you want to start taking your conditioning serious. That's where you want to push yourself, kind of get uncomfortable, do things that you probably don't, aren't used to doing. And that's something I try to focus on, knowing that I do have to pick up people baseline to baseline, like you said, knowing that I still have to run my team and also guard 94ft. And so that's kind of what offseason looks like, running that track and just getting with Zach for sure. And he's going to get us, right? And he definitely. He definitely did, because I definitely feel like, great. I probably could get a little bit more into some more shape when I have longer minutes. But, I mean, I think Coach Shaffer has done a really good job with limiting my minutes this year and just playing that really smart. And so I think this is, like, my second game, which is Arizona. Like, Bry played like, 39, close to 40 minutes, and I could tell I was a little winded. But I also play really hard, so I can't say I'm just out of shape. You know, it's just some. Sometimes it's okay to get tired.
- [13:59]
Sabrina Merchant
I don't think anyone is going to say that you're out of shape, Rory. But so for those track workouts, so like, to get specific, are you doing, like, 400 repeats? Are you doing, like, longer distances, shorter sprints?
- [14:11]
Rory Harmon
Honestly, we changed it up this past workout time and that time we did a lot of like just learning how to turn. Basically be efficient with your cuts and turning and running. Worst thing you can do in basketball is to waste your energy because you're wasting movements. And so we did a lot of like short sprints. Yes, he wanted, we did mile. We did the mile twice at the beginning and at the end to see, you know, our improvement. But other than that it was like really focused on like short sprints, like cutting, turning, he would blow the whistle and we would turn a certain way. And also a lot of the track workouts is attention to detail. So. And of course it being at 6am in the morning also just is a mental part of the game. And so it just kind of touched a different aspects of just like basketball in general.
- [14:57]
Chantel Jennings
So Madison, has that conditioning been like a, a step up for you from high school too? What's that been like that change A.
- [15:04]
Madison Booker
Step up for sure from high school. I mean the first week of the conditioning I was like there's no way this real, this is not real life. But I mean like I started getting used to it. I started taking it like every r up just going hard as I can. And I mean it's actually. It worked out great, you know, even though it was the probably one of the longest five weeks of my life, honestly. But I mean now I think like I'm not blowed like a lot in games. I played a 40 minute game against Yukon and I actually wasn't that blow until like the last quarter, honestly. So I mean it worked out well. Is is all for the good. That's all I keep thinking in my head. So when I do it next year again, I'm just think the same thing. It's all reasons.
- [15:50]
Sabrina Merchant
Rory, you mentioned that, you know, defense you guys want to improve. I'm sure with coach Schaefer like you're always he's all you guys can be like perfect and he'll find 20 things where he's like no, this can be even better because that's your guys's calling card. I'm curious both what it's like playing in a defense for him and also sort of what film sessions are like and what he's pointing out to you guys and sort of how deep into the intricacies you guys get.
- [16:17]
Rory Harmon
Honestly, he was just talking about today while we were watching film, like he's either coaching it or allowing it. And so when it comes to defense, like he knows we are a really good team on offense, like probably he's said one of the best teams he's had in a while on offense. And so, I mean, he can, you know, nitpick about little offense things, but we'll figure it out. But on defense, it's just like that is the part that's really important in film. And, you know, he does mention, like, he will blow the whistle, make sure that everyone's in line, make sure we understand why we're in this position. And so it starts to click. So we have like half our practice, like, does, like, designed for defense. And one of the things that we take pride in is our shell defense because we're not really good at guarding the ball right now. And so we're allowing our help line and then help has to help the helper. And now we're leaving out shooters. So as far as we're just guarding the ball and I mean, we're going to continue to work on it every day. Like, we're like Madison said, you can see that we're getting better and better. It's not going to be perfect. It's never going to be perfect, but we're getting better and better. And that's just something that I like about this team.
- [17:24]
Madison Booker
Well, I was going to just add on like, the way coach everyone wants to play defense is just like, attention, detail. Everything is attention detail. You have to be in the right spot, your body have to be in the right position. Especially for usa. Usa, you know, you go overseas, they want to hold teams to limited points. So, I mean, like, we work on defense during usa, but with coach Schaefer is just. It's way different than like any other coach that I play for, for a defensive end. So he really just harps on that. Just like attention, detail, addition detail.
- [17:54]
Chantel Jennings
Is it different in terms of, like the scheme you guys are playing or just how much emphasis you guys put on defense?
- [18:00]
Rory Harmon
At Texas, I think it's like, yeah, we put a whole bunch of emphasis on obviously, like, he's a defensive coach. Everybody in the world knows that. But it's like we're playing 94ft getting underneath people. But he also wants to deny, but he also doesn't want to see it backdoored. But then he's like, if you get backdoored, you should have help, but we shouldn't have to get back to work. So, like, you know, there's a lot of things. And I think that's what I like him. That's why I like him as a coach. It's like he's challenging us to do Things better. I mean, if. If he thinks he. There's no way. He's like, all right, okay, since we can't do this, we have to do this. He will not change it. He's like, I know you can do it, so do it. So it's that type of thing where it's like, even though he. He can go and play his own if he wanted to, like, there's a lot of things that he could change to, but he knows that we could do. He knows we're capable. He can see our improvement every day.
- [18:56]
Sabrina Merchant
So, yeah, I'm curious for both of you, maybe we can, like, take a trip down memory lane. Coach Schaefer, you know, we don't know him like you guys do, but, like, what was it like being recruited by him and what were sort of the moments that stood out for you and leading up to getting you to Texas?
- [19:14]
Rory Harmon
One of the things that I always respond with when I get that question, that was very important to me, and that is true to this day, is his transparency. It's really hard to find that nowadays in general. And he was just really straightforward, honest, and respectful. He made sure that. I think the other important thing was he made sure that my family and my parents were on every call to ensure that they heard exactly what he was telling me. And he made sure that he told my parents that I'm going to protect her. I'm going to make her a better basketball player, but also a better human. And, you know, it's just all that stuff that sometimes it doesn't have to do anything with basketball. Yes, of course. I came here because he is a great coach and he's very successful, but, like, I just think he's a family man and that he's taught me a lot. You know, he's taught me a lot with just. Just being accountable, being a great person, being a great teammate, staying in school. It's just a lot of things that can go down the line that he's been truthful to to this day.
- [20:18]
Madison Booker
I mean, I've known Coach Schaefer for, like, all my life. Pretty much everybody knows that. He recruited me when I was in eighth grade, when he was in Mississippi State. I mean, he's been the same way since I met him. I, like Rory said, family man to the T. Like, he's always checking them up, like, on your family. Just everybody there's a very honest man. Tough love. That's really what stuck out with him. He was just very tough, and I could just tell, like, he loved his players and he just wants you to be better. A better person. Not really a basketball player, but if anything, a better person. So, yeah, I mean, he's been the same way ever since I met him. I mean, like, I know him all my life.
- [21:00]
Chantel Jennings
So do either of you have a good impression of what coach sounds like.
- [21:04]
Sabrina Merchant
A shafferism, like something he's always saying.
- [21:06]
Chantel Jennings
Just something that he says all the time.
- [21:08]
Rory Harmon
That ain't it. That's one of them. He'd be like, that ain't it.
- [21:12]
Madison Booker
You know, we have like. Like practice. We kind of had like, a little turnover, like a day, and he was like, God almighty.
- [21:19]
Rory Harmon
Yeah, that one, too. One that I hear. Or like Madison said, which is, you know, he likes taking care of the ball a lot. And we have to run up the stadium, steps in moody. If we turn the ball or if we turn the ball over, he's like, just go, go, go, go. It's like just one word, but it's his word now, so that's his phrase.
- [21:40]
Sabrina Merchant
He always ends his media stuff, I believe, with God bless and hook him horns.
- [21:44]
Rory Harmon
Praise the Lord. And hook them horns.
- [21:47]
Sabrina Merchant
Oh, right. Praise the Lord. I mix that up.
- [21:49]
Rory Harmon
Well. I'm in. I'm in the press conference, like, every single game, so can't really. If the fire interviews or my answers sound the exact same as his, it's because I'm literally in the press conference every single game.
- [22:02]
Chantel Jennings
So this is a little off base. But Texas, you know, the athletic department had a really big weekend, you know, with volleyball, winning the national championship in Tampa. Did you guys have a chance to watch as a team? Like, what is that like for you guys? Just supporting other Texas athletes?
- [22:17]
Rory Harmon
Oh, my God, I was so happy, like, for. For them to be able to do that two times in a row, it's. To just do it one time is a big deal, but two times in a row, it's crazy. And I was watching, like, listening to the commentators, and I know they started the season off really rough, but to be able to come back and punch back and be the only two seed in the final four to get it done is incredible. And I really give props to the freshmen swindle number one. I think the. The setter, I post her on my Instagram story, and I just loved how she. She basically controlled the game, in my opinion. That's like a quarterback. That's like a point guard to me. And so to see that another sport is just incredible. And I thought she did really good and handled everything really well as a freshman.
- [23:02]
Madison Booker
So, yeah, I. I definitely Enjoyed watching like just like from beginning of season to the end. I kind of said something to Roy the other day, like when they won, I said, I kind of see us like them kind of compared teams. Like they started off kind of rough, but they got better. Like they never just like they never had a mindset was like, oh, we're just. We're not gonna make it that far because we had this. This bad start. They kept their head down, kept working. They got better. And I kind of like compared them to us really, because we're getting better like every game, like, just like little things like this is getting better. So I feel like we keep our head down, keep working. We could be just like them.
- [23:44]
Chantel Jennings
All right, I think it's time to bring in Xena because we're going to have some.
- [23:47]
Zena Kada
Some fun.
- [23:48]
Chantel Jennings
Just a couple rapid fire questions for you guys. All right?
- [23:50]
Zena Kada
First, I also just want to say about the welcome to basketball moment. Mine was when I couldn't sit down on my toilet to go like, yeah, because of the weights. Like, yeah, I thought I had lifted. There was nothing like the first week of my body's lactic acid being like, oh, this is cute.
- [24:13]
Rory Harmon
It's really. Those RDLs. RDLs are the ones that are killer. Hang cleans are killer. What, you've never done those before?
- [24:20]
Zena Kada
Then we weren't allowed to do pain cleans. They told us it was like bad for our backs. But we did rdls. And that was when I was like, yeah, I can't sit down anywhere. I genuinely have to hold on to the walls to sit down. That was my, okay, this is college cool. And we were nowhere near Yalls level, so I'm not even trying to say that, but okay. So basically I've got a few questions and you've got three seconds to answer them. First thing that comes to mind. Okay, three seconds. Three seconds. I'll give you five if you really need it. But it's supposed to be very quick. First thing comes to mind and I'm going to go out of order because I've got two of you. Usually I do this with like one person, but I'm going to go out of order and it's just going to be rapid fire, back and forth. Okay? So Madison, since you're the freshman, you can go first and we'll go back and forth. But just be mindful, if I've asked it to one person, I might ask it to you. So start thinking about your question. Okay? All right, ready? It's quick hitters, quick shots. Madison, you got A quick release, so you better be on it.
- [25:21]
Chantel Jennings
Okay.
- [25:23]
Zena Kada
All right, Madison, favorite word or phrase in the sport of basketball.
- [25:29]
Madison Booker
What the world? I say that all the time.
- [25:31]
Zena Kada
What the world?
- [25:32]
Madison Booker
Yes. Like, when I miss, I'd be like, what the world? Like, even they know.
- [25:36]
Zena Kada
That is a world. That's a word in the sport of basketball, of your world of basketball. Never heard that one before. Okay, got you. Rory, what is something that gets you excited, creatively, spiritually, or emotionally?
- [25:51]
Rory Harmon
Food. Success. Food. And success.
- [25:55]
Zena Kada
And success. Okay, Madison, a sound or noise that you love on game day.
- [26:01]
Madison Booker
Coach April's whistling. That's all I hear every day is just him whistling, y'all. And especially on this, he's whistling.
- [26:13]
Zena Kada
That's different. Okay, I like that. That's so unique. That is very unique. Okay, Rory, if you weren't playing basketball, what would be a sport that you'd be playing?
- [26:23]
Rory Harmon
Soccer.
- [26:24]
Zena Kada
Soccer. There's that endurance that we keep seeing in the defensive end for you.
- [26:30]
Rory Harmon
Let's read that.
- [26:32]
Zena Kada
There it goes. Okay, Madison, what gets you excited, creatively, spiritually, or emotionally? Come on, Madison, you are. Now you get excited. Yeah. What gets you excited? What makes you go. I want to wake up in the morning and go, do this or think about this or whatever it is. That's okay. You are still a baby in life. You got things coming. It's okay. It'll come to you eventually. It's okay. Rory, what's the sound and noise that you love on game day?
- [27:06]
Rory Harmon
I like the bounce of the basketballs on Heartland. Yeah, Yeah.
- [27:14]
Zena Kada
I like that, too. Especially in an empty gym, like when you're doing the. The pregame warm ups or whatever, and there's no. No one there just yet. Like, I really like that noise as well. Madison, favorite basketball move.
- [27:28]
Madison Booker
Crossover is my favorite. I just could. I know, first.
- [27:34]
Zena Kada
So wait, is it the jab step or the crossover?
- [27:35]
Rory Harmon
Jab step.
- [27:36]
Zena Kada
You know, to Rory, knowing you better than you know yourself.
- [27:42]
Sabrina Merchant
That's a point guard. That's a point guard.
- [27:44]
Rory Harmon
That's a point.
- [27:45]
Zena Kada
That's so true. That's so, so true. Okay, Rory, your favorite word or phrase in the sport of basketball.
- [27:53]
Rory Harmon
Championship.
- [27:57]
Zena Kada
I like that. I like that. Let's end on that. That's a good one. That's a really good one. Okay. I appreciate you guys playing quick hitters for me. Madison, you. I mean, girl, Rory beat you on that one because you had that one. That one miss.
- [28:11]
Rory Harmon
No way.
- [28:11]
Madison Booker
You. Right.
- [28:12]
Zena Kada
And she knew your move better than you, but that's, you know. There you go, Rory. You got it. You got Time to, you know, coach her up for the season. It's all good. I appreciate you guys entertaining me there. There on that. And one thing I do want to ask, that's not part of quick hitters, but I'm very curious. What is your least favorite drill?
- [28:30]
Rory Harmon
As much as I love playing defense, I'm just going to be honest because Charity knows I really don't like our defense on the floor drill. It's basically. It's basically like zigzags. Like back in the day when you were young, but kind of like really high intensity. And you're not sliding your feet because we don't teach that over here. We're turning and running. So you turn around and cut them off. And some of our guys are just really good. And we do that. It's literally the least amount of. It's like three minutes. But it just feels. I don't feel good sometimes.
- [29:02]
Zena Kada
I complete. I know exactly what you mean. I think they did stop doing defensive slides. Like, I think that that's like a thing they did away with from. I remember in AAU and like, younger days, they definitely were like, you know, handout. They don't do that anymore. It is the turn your hips, sprint, recover, sprint recovery.
- [29:19]
Rory Harmon
You definitely would get beat.
- [29:22]
Madison Booker
I would say most of the drills often Start naming drills. No, definitely four. That's. Yeah, that's kind of top. I'm gonna say some different. It's not really no other drills. I don't like.
- [29:34]
Rory Harmon
I don't like four corner.
- [29:36]
Madison Booker
I don't like when we go up down the court, honestly.
- [29:39]
Zena Kada
Well, let's switch it up and end on a positive. What's your favorite drill?
- [29:43]
Madison Booker
Oh, my gosh. When we just do half court, Half court.
- [29:47]
Rory Harmon
Okay. Honestly, I like USA or three second drill. So USA is when we stand in line, you throw the ball off the backboard and you're standing each. It's like every other person. So you're standing in between two other people that aren't on your team. And he'll blow the whistle. And whoever hits it off the backboard and grabs it, they're on offense. And so the other team.
- [30:10]
Zena Kada
I remember this drill.
- [30:11]
Rory Harmon
So we work. I like. I do like transition drills. I like transition offense. I like transition defense. It's just a way to open up the floor. So that's like one of my favorite ones. And then I get a break after the first two runs because it's a lot of running sometimes. But.
- [30:29]
Madison Booker
Nah, mine's three seconds. The three seconds.
- [30:32]
Rory Harmon
Yeah, I was gonna say that was my Other one, too. I like that one. So we score, we're on the half court on offense, and then make or miss the. They're the guys, they bring the ball, and you have three seconds to get across the half court line, which most of the time we do. Yeah, you try to. It's transition defense. Working on transition defense.
- [30:54]
Zena Kada
So, okay, we had a drill that was kind of the USA meets half court. So basically it was three offensive players would go up against four defenders, and the four would be facing away. Three, we facing the basketball goes up, go get, crash the boards, score against that team. So whoever got the ball would immediately become offense. They would have to score against that team. Then that defending team had to take the ball out of bounds and then go transition against another team that was waiting for them on offense or defense. And that was fun because it was like, you got the half court aspect of it. Get the rebound real quick, play half court, and then you do, you know, your transition break. But if you took the ball scored, you got a break, and you got to wait on the baseline right until they came back. So. Oh, I feel like all the coaches. All the coaches are just passing around the same playbook. All right. I would just throw it back to Chantelle. Appreciate you guys. Entertain me on quick Hitters. We're gonna do more of that on the pod, y'all, whenever we have more guests. So, Chantel, last question and wrap it up.
- [31:57]
Sabrina Merchant
Yeah, I feel like I just want to throw this one out to you because I've been watching holiday romcoms on Netflix for, like, three weeks now. I like a good movie where you know the ending, like, five seconds in. I'm curious for your guys's favorite holiday movie.
- [32:13]
Rory Harmon
I'll go first right now. The Grinch was really cute. Not the old Grinch, like the cartoon one. The ones that look like the who people. I like that one. And then also really like Home Alone, so I don't know.
- [32:29]
Madison Booker
I'm not really a Christmas. Like a holiday.
- [32:32]
Rory Harmon
That's crazy.
- [32:33]
Madison Booker
Yeah, it's crazy, ain't it? I mean, but Home Alone is top tier. I think so.
- [32:38]
Rory Harmon
Yeah.
- [32:39]
Madison Booker
Watch that. Not even, like, on holidays.
- [32:41]
Zena Kada
Thank you so much to Madison and Rory for joining us today. Such a fun conversation. Shout out to Chantelle and Sabrina for walking us through it. It's just really cool to be able to see some of these players in a different light than what we see on the court. Of course, I think the marketing aspect from a professional level versus the college level is a little different when you're not on the campus every single day with these players. So it's really cool to be able to just get to know them a little bit more. I know I was having some flashbacks as they were talking about some of their welcome to basketball moments and things of that sort. So anywho, appreciate them joining. I know that they have a busy season ahead. Of course they're undefeated right now and there are some teams salivating, salivating to try and take them down. I know there's one game I've got circled on my calendar and you should too, against Baylor. Baylor is also undefeated right now, so see what happens between now and then. But definitely an exciting one to look out for. Now that's gonna be right before the new year comes. And speaking of new year, speaking of holiday, we are actually going to be having only one show for the next two weeks and making sure that everyone has an opportunity to celebrate their holiday and focus on the things that matter as we close out the year. So we'll have a show on Friday of next week and then the next the following week after that we'll have a show on Friday as well. So no Tuesday episodes for the next two weeks. We hope you guys all have a wonderful holiday season. Whatever you're celebrating, just hopefully it is with people you love, it is in a safe space and it is in a good place to welcome in the new year. We thank you so much for all the support that you've shown us this year already. As you know, we've gone through WNBA season, going through college basketball season so far and yeah, it's just been a lot of fun. So happy to continue and keep it rolling as we close out this year and go into the next. All right, well, for the athletic, I'm Zena Kada encouraging you to keep listening, keep learning and keep loving the game because that is the only way we're going to continue to grow. Have a wonderful holiday.
- [34:51]
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- [36:10]
Zena Kada
ACAST powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.
- [36:18]
Liquid IV Host
Hey folks, it's Marc Maron from WTF. It's been more than 15 years now, and I'm still talking to all kinds of people in my garage every week. Sometimes it's Bill Burr, sometimes it's Ariana Grande. She just looks at me because she's always going like, dad, it's not that big a deal.
- [36:33]
Rory Harmon
Yeah.
- [36:34]
Liquid IV Host
I go, sorry, I lost my temper. I go, I still love you. You know, Daddy has issues.
- [36:39]
Zena Kada
Are you afraid of.
- [36:41]
Liquid IV Host
Of death?
- [36:41]
Sabrina Merchant
Well, I don't know.
- [36:42]
Liquid IV Host
I think about it all the time.
- [36:43]
Zena Kada
How are we here already?
- [36:45]
Liquid IV Host
Listen to WTF with Marc Maron twice a week on your favorite podcast app. Or get more WTF with a WTF plus subscription. Just go to wtfpod.com and click on WTF Plus.
- [37:00]
Zena Kada
Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere.
- [37:06]
Rory Harmon
Acast.com.