← No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
Trust Scale: Which Teams Should You Believe In?
00:56:50
Loading summary
Transcript124 lines
- [00:00]
Zena Kaeda
As a salesperson, the search for the right buyer or buying groups can feel like you're endlessly sifting through leads and hoping they're ready to buy. Thankfully, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is more than just a tool, it's your strategic sales partner. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a sales intelligence platform that helps professionals effectively prospect and engage high value customers, drive higher revenue and increase sales performance. Sales Navigator helps you target the right buyers, surface key signals such as job changes or which accounts you should prioritize, and shows you hidden allies so that you can find those buyers that are most likely to convert. Whether you're looking for new clients or strengthening relationships of current accounts, LinkedIn Sales Navigator has new AI features designed to help sellers find the right people and get right to the right conversations, all at scale. Fueled by LinkedIn's 1 billion-member platform, Sales Navigator gives you the most up to date first party data, enabling you to unlock conversations with the people that matter. Ready to get right to the right conversations? Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator now with a 60 day free trial at LinkedIn.com NBashow23 that's LinkedIn.com NBashow23 for a 60 day free trial. Terms and conditions apply.
- [01:22]
Chantel Jennings
Love looks different for everyone, especially when it comes to all the ways you treat and celebrate yourself. I'm a big hammock head, sunshine a hammock, a paperback western. That's my kind of everyday indulgence. And you can gift yourself the everyday indulgence of extraordinary hydration with Liquid IV powered by Liv Hydro Science. Visit LiquidIV.com to fall in love with flavors like the zesty new Hydration Multiplier, Sugar free Raspberry Lemonade and use code no dunks to save 20% off your first order. Liquid IV is easy and convenient. You just tear, pour and enjoy. It's my go to when I'm getting a pump in or handing out buckets, but it's great for staying hydrated during long days, enjoying the outdoors or any other time you need some hydration in your body. Liquid IV offers so many true to fruit flavors, whether they be hydration multipliers like acai berry, lemon, lime and pina colada, or sugar free like raspberry lemonade, white peach and rainbow sherbet. The flavors are always true to fruit, break the mold and your own ritual. Just one stick and 16 ounces of water hydrates better than water alone because Liquid IV is powered by LIV Hydroscience, an optimized ratio of electrolytes, essential vitamins and clinically tested nutrients that turn ordinary water into extraordinary hydration. You're getting three times the electrolytes of the leading sports drink. Plus plus eight essential vitamins and nutrients. And Liquid IV is always non gmo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and soy free. So treat yourself to extraordinary hydration from Liquid IV. Get 20% off your first order at Liquid IV when you go to Liquid IV.com and use code no Dunks at checkout. That's 20% off your first order with code no Dunks@liquidiv.com Summer is almost here.
- [03:23]
Ben Pickman
And there's no better place to go for outside furniture than Wayfair. Wayfair's huge selection of outdoor essentials will help you make your outdoor space more comfortable, functional and most importantly, more you. Get your outdoor space rated today so you can enjoy it all season long. When you have kids, they love to be outside so you gotta be out there to watch them. From Wayfair, you can have outdoor sofas, maybe a set of chairs, a gazebo, some umbrellas because it's really hot down here in the no matter the need. Wayfair's huge selection of home items makes it easy to find exactly what's right for you. There's something for every style and every home, no matter your space or budget. Wayfair makes it easy to tackle your summer home goals with endless inspiration for every space and budget, including the outdoors. Free and easy delivery even on the big stuff. No more huge delivery fees for patio furniture. Get big stuff like patio sets, gazebos, hot tubs, outdoor dining sets and more shipped free. Find all your outdoor must haves from seating to pool lounges to trampolines all in one convenient place. Shop a huge selection of outdoor furniture online this summer. Get outside with wayfair. Head to wayfair.com right now. That's W A Y F A I R.com Wayfair Every style, every home.
- [04:51]
E
Foreign for the Athletic I'm Zena Kaeda and this is the Athletic Women's Basketball Show. Welcome back to the Athletic Women's Basketball show where we are here to talk all things women's hoops. Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break being able to be merry and fill up on food and also saw some of these crazy college games that happened in places much warmer than most of us are. Very fun, fun basketball being played right now, especially as we head towards the winter arc season. Lots of big matchups happening and a lot of games and scores and outcomes that have you wondering who do you trust? And that's a big question Right. Because you gotta think about it. Is it. Who do I trust in general to win a game? Who do I trust to win their conference? Who do I trust to perform in March? Well, I gotta give credit to Ben Pickman for setting up this little game that we're playing today, because I love putting it in this perspective. When there's so many games and so much fun being had across the association, sometimes it does come down to who do you trust? Now, before we dive into this riveting conversation, I must tell you, go subscribe to this pod wherever you get your podcasts, and, of course, subscribe to the Athletic. There's so much going on, not only in the world of college women's basketball, but also in the wnba, for example. The schedule for this upcoming season just broke. Ben Pickman's been running around behind the scenes to get you all that information. It will be on the site very soon, probably by the time that this is live. So things like that. Chantelle Jennings breakdowns, Sabrina Merchant's power rankings, like, these are the types of things that you don't want to miss out on. So please go subscribe. All right, I got Ben Pickman and Chantelle Jennings with me. We're going to break this down. Who do we trust? Ben, I'm going to start with you. Since you had this wonderful, cool idea. When you're looking around the association and you're thinking about putting a team in a matchup, whether it's now, whether it's conference, whether it's March, who knows, what team do you trust to get it done?
- [07:27]
F
So the thought behind this, Zena, was, I think early on in this college basketball season, like, chaos has just been the word or the theme that sticks out over anything else. And Chantel and I were talking about this, that maybe South Carolina losing, like, opened a portal to just, like, madness in a way. This past week where Notre Dame suddenly goes down twice, where, you know, all these teams are playing close games, Texas nearly squanders a lead against West Virginia, like, in a crazy comeback. We just see, like, you see, like.
- [08:00]
G
Hawaii's close at halftime, like, right.
- [08:02]
F
Like, there's just more madness right now. And maybe it's because South Carolina lost. And so, you know, going through the other teams around college basketball, I tried to think about different tiers of trust. And really, there's one team right now that I trust more than anyone else, and they've only played six games, so fewer than pretty much everyone else will talk about on this podcast, I imagine. And most of the other really relevant teams in the country. But Those are the UConn Huskies. They are the team that right now I trust more than anyone else. And there's a few reasons for that. It's both a in the present, but also long term play of why I trust UConn. So I'm kind of couching it as both. I mean it starts with having potentially the best player in the country and Paige Beckers. Right. And we know both in the present and also in March, the importance of veteran guards and veteran leadership. Caitlin Chen was always someone who impressed me at Princeton. I wrote about her a little bit last March. And you know, again, veteran leadership, veteran guard play, I like that as well. Obviously they have, you know, plenty of coaches and players like someone like Ashton Shade, Az Fudd, who's working her way back from injury still. Like they have players who have been in big games and big moments before. The two things though that I like and UConn, we should say their top 15 offense, top 15 defense. Right now though, again, six games and some relative softballs. All things considered in that opening slate is that this Yukon team averages currently just 11 and a half turnovers per game. And I went back through as far back as her hoop stats goes, which is 2009. Apologies that I didn't go back through. I guess all of Basketball reference. And the 11 1/2 turnovers are the fewest of a UConn team since at least 2009. Like this is a team so far that is not turning the basketball over. And so the combination of not turning the basketball over and also averaging right now 23 and a half, 23 and a half threes per game, which is their most in a few years. To me, it's like a good recipe for a team both in the present and also in March. You have vets, they don't turn the basketball over. They're shooting more threes. You know, they get more than 50% of their points in the paint. And the one thing that is still TBD is obviously their front court still is a little bit inexperienced. But I do think the positional versatility of Paige Becker's being able to slide to the fore and having some experience doing that means they really only have potentially like one gap to fill. And I do think Sarah Strong in the end will be capable enough to doing that. So that is why I trust UConn. That is my opening statement here. Chantel, Xena, do you agree or are you going to tear down and tell me that I should have some trust problems, that I am just not Thinking about right now.
- [10:45]
E
Now, listen, you guys are the experts, so I'm going to first turn my attention to Chantel. But I will say, Ben, you've laid out a wonderful argument. And when you think about these UConn Huskies and the growth from just in one year, getting Az Fudd back as a senior, adding Caitlin Chen into the mix as a senior, KK Arnold, Ashlyn Shay, like, being one year older, that was a big problem in the tournament last year, them being a little bit younger. And Paige Becker is basically having to hold it down as the oldest person on that team alongside Nico Mule. So this is a good argument you've made in terms of being able to take care of the ball and that maturity being necessary now and in the tournament. All right, Chantelle, it's been laid out. Are you on the same page?
- [11:34]
G
So I want to start by saying that within this exercise, when Ben came up with it, I was like, this is a great plan. And then I realized all it did was expose truths about me, which is that I trust no one. I can unpack this with my therapist later. But, Ben, I think you make a really good argument. However, this is where I'll step back. I don't put a ton of stock into stats at this point in the season like UConn, averaging 11 and a half turnovers against Fairly Dickinson, USF, BU. Like, you shouldn't turn the ball over against those teams. Like, so I think what's hard for me is when we're looking at stats at this point in the season, and we can take a team and say, oh, they're the top 10 in offense, the top 10 in defense, the top 20 in offense, the top 20 in defense. Like, is that weighted against the strength of schedule? Because if it's not, then you kind of look at it and go, well, if you're a team like UConn, I don't really care what your numbers look like against Fairleigh Dickinson. I care what you look like against good teams. And I think I look at UConn, and I'll go back and say why There are reasons why I want to trust UConn. But I'll just sort of poke holes in your argument first and foremost, because I'm that kind of a friend. I think the two things that worry me a bit about UConn at this point, one is that if you look at their two games against power conference opponents, North Carolina and Ole Miss, they had leads that kind of shrank. UConn played a really poor third quarter against Ole Miss. I think they got outscored 2815 in the Bahamas or wherever. Warm destination. They were at something like that. Coming out of halftime, when you're not able to respond like that, that just sort of raises, you know, my. Heightens my anxiety a little bit about teams. And I think the second thing that you touched on was the front court depth. Um, we don't know Aubrey Griffin's return date at this point. I don't think. I don't think that's been publicized yet. Ice Brady's been really solid for them this season. Janet lfie has the size at 6 5, but I think she's still a little raw. She needs to develop more in that system. Foul a little less and, and get more minutes on the floor ultimately. And so. And I think as I was going through this whole process, I was like, man, it just feels like the lesson coming out of last year and the lesson so far this year is like, you need a dominant interior presence. Like, you look at that South Carolina team last year, the reason why they could separate, especially from a team like Iowa where you have this generational guard talent, is because they had a 6, 7 center and Camilla Cardoso. And we saw how different that makes a team this year when you don't have that. And, you know, it's not apples to apples exactly, but you return everyone except Camilla. It's about as close as we can get to apples to apples. When you're looking at the value of a player like that and you look at the teams around the country that have that kind of a presence and how well they've played so far this season. The UCLA is of the world, the TCUs of the world, and it's like, oh, damn. Like, this is. This is really, really important. And I just have this sort of pit in my stomach of like, what does a Yukon look like when they have to defend a 6, 7 plus center? And I think that's where, you know, my trust issues stem from. Please therapize me now.
- [14:49]
F
Well, I guess that's not where your trust you stem from. That's just where they are applied here in this context. Chantel. But that's not a conversation for this podcast. I guess your point on stats is super, super fair. And I think, you know, taking everything with a grain of salt is. Is important at this time. I will say I think it is like a good sign for things to come. That 11 and a half number, you know, maybe it goes up a little bit and obviously, like, that could change. And to the front court, like, look, I Think more than anything, I think your argument there, again, also makes sense. I just think, like, Becker's versatility and maybe them playing a different style than some of the other teams they might face could be the difference. I also think, like, more than anything, that the person who's producing content in me is also saying, oh, maybe we should do that as a podcast episode down the road. That's the other takeaway I have of lessons from last year's tournament that feels like a podcast for February, March, that we should apply. So I'm going to make a note of that as well. Among other notes that I just jotted down based on the things you said.
- [15:45]
E
Absolutely. And, you know, thinking about the stats, I am a little bit hesitant as well. Um, especially considering, you know, against Ole Miss, a really good defense. UConn had 15 turnovers, so it wasn't.
- [15:59]
G
As clean, which still isn't.
- [16:00]
E
This is not terrible, right? It's not terrible, I guess. Just not as clean as they've been. Exactly. Exactly. I struggle to put UConn at the top of my list because I agree. I don't know if they're fully balanced. I think their guards are unbelievable. Um, that front court seems a little young and a little smaller than what we've seen in other teams that I've been dominant. I think about a UCLA now. Do I trust a ucla?
- [16:28]
G
Mm.
- [16:29]
E
I think I still have some trauma from last year's tournament. I think I'm still a little bit. I don't know. Um, but I do think that when you think about their front corp depth in Lauren Betts, Anna, Jania Barker being added in, they've been looking crazily good as a full product out on the floor. I still don't know if they know how to get bets the ball well enough for me to trust them. So it feels like, Ben, you've got Yukon, you trust. Chantel, you've got no one you trust. And I'm teetering. I think I might be on your page, Chantelle, right now. Of, like, I don't know if I have a team just yet that I fully trust. UConn, though, give me the next two big matchups. They play Louisville on Dec. 7, and they play Notre Dame on Dec. 12. Give me those two wins. Ben. I'm with you, bro. We're in the same boat. Okay. Definitely trust them. After those two teams. Two amazing defenses and also some size in Notre Dame. Kate Covel has been a really good freshman for them. All right. That all being the teams that we trust, let's Talk about the teams that they pull at our heartstrings. They keep us up at night, they get us excited, but then they go and make us anxious. And these are the teams we want to trust. Chantelle was someone that is struggling with trust issues. I feel like you're the best person to start with here. What team or teams has you going? Not quite. You can't put a ring on it just yet. I'm not there yet. What teams are you wanting to trust but not there yet?
- [18:15]
G
Well, I feel like we can stick with where you started, Zena, like UCLA is a team that is currently number one in my AP vote. I think they have the best resume out there. They have a great win over South Carolina. They've won all of the matchups on their schedule, which is the only thing you can ask for. They have a win over Louisville and I think when I look at them, they have the size inside. They also, like you mentioned with Lauren Betts, Janiyah Barker, they have the versatility where, you know, I don't think there's sort of a more versatile player than 63 Tamia Gardner at this point where it's like, you know, she can bang inside a little bit, she can bring the ball up the floor. She sinks threes at a ridiculous percentage. Like, there's not that many players in the country with that kind of versatility. Their guard depth is really good. I mean, Arnisalo, like, yes. Finnish point guard. Like, as a Finn, I just love it. You know, Finland isn't exactly known for a ton of basketball talent. Excuse me, Laurie Markkanen.
- [19:13]
E
I queer. I would queer Laurie Markkanen from A W. You know, hopefully I'll come back into the league, but yes, let's not sleep on Finland, folks.
- [19:22]
G
Yes, a lot queer. Like, there is some Finnish basketball talent, but I think it's a country more known for, like, Nordic skiing and SaaS. I can say this as a Finn, but, you know, I think they have all of the pieces there. I think my question is, like, can they get the ball into Lauren Betts? Like, I think again, like you said, dealing with sitting courtside in Albany, watching them against Oregon State, I believe it was. And just going, why? Why isn't she getting more touches? Why isn't she getting more touches? And knowing that that's what Corey Close wants and that there's some sort of a disconnect between what I think is is being said in practice and what we're seeing on the floor. And so I think there's that this is also a Program that's never been deeper than the Elite Eight. History isn't present, like, let's say that for sure. But when you talk about a team like UConn, where it's like, this is a. This is a staff that knows how to win national championships. It's a staff that knows how to get their teams to play their best in March, if we're talking about, you know, trusting a team come March and April, I really like Corey Close. I think she's really good coach. I think this is the best team she's ever had. But they've never been past the Elite Eight. And so I think there's that level of, like, can they get over that hump? And so that's obviously something that, you know, they can't do it till they do it.
- [20:35]
E
Right.
- [20:35]
G
And so they can't assuage my trust issues in them until they do it. And so, you know, check back with me in. In April on that one. But I really want to trust ucla. I really want to trust the Bruins.
- [20:45]
E
Yeah, I'm in. I'm in the same boat. Ben, where are you at? Who's on your mind is like, I'm almost there, but I'm not quite there.
- [20:53]
F
Yeah, I mean, look, I picked UCLA to win the title last year heading into March Madness. So you're a Bloom's truther. I was fully on the bandwagon, and I guess we're gonna see if I was just early on that prediction or if it was never gonna happen at all. And so I think a lot of the same, like, seeds that I really liked about the UCLA team last year apply this year. And someone like Lauren Betts, for instance, she is even better right now, you know, averaging 19 and 12, 64 and a half percent shooting from the field. Like, all career highs. Like, she has gone up another level from even what she was last year, and she is such a force. But everything you said, Chantelle, I think, hits the nail on the head. Like, you know, they're not going to do it until they do it, if they are going to do it. And then we're going to wake up and say, oh, my God, like, UCLA is in a Final Four. But you're right. Like, I thought last year they had the recipe, the pieces to make the Final Four, right, And win a title. Like, because I thought they had the size, they had a ton of vets, like, and they still do have a ton of vets in the backcourt, a ton of experience, and I really like that combination, right. To go on a Deep run. And then they play LSU in the regional semis and they lose, and they get outscored by nine points in the fourth quarter and they lose by nine, right? And like, I thought they would have matched up really well against Iowa and against South Carolina down the road, and we just don't see that because, like, UCLA just has 19 turnovers in the biggest game of their season, right? And Chris Mosborne has six of them and Kiki Rice has five. And as we're talking about, like, that is not a recipe for winning in March. The thing that I would add just to further the point, like, I really like the experience level on this team, right, that, you know, they only have really one freshman, you know, of note who is playing significant minutes. They have eight players right now who are averaging almost 19 minutes per game, and pretty much all of them have been either in big games or someone like Janiyah Barker is, you know, an upperclassman who is, you know, a really, really talented player. So, you know, it is all there for ucla. But I have the same hesitations that you do. I think we're all aligned on the wanting to trust UCLA front, but haven't yet. So I guess we'll have to see what happens.
- [23:07]
G
I have one more thing I want to add on ucla and I feel like this is something we'll probably hit with other teams, because when we're talking about teams, especially in, like, the transfer portal era and you're bringing new players together, like, there's this element of growing together and how much, you know, we can really judge about a team through six games in the season. But UCLA is particularly intriguing to me because at some point this season, I think they'll get Charlie Sledger Walker back. She's a player who played for Washington State the last few years. Tore her acl. Last January was added. You know, we thought her career was over. I think she was on different draft big boards, decided to come back for her Covid season, transfer to ucla. I don't think Close would have added her to the roster if they didn't think she'd be back at some point in the Big Ten season. And for anyone who hasn't seen Charlie's play, like, she's just a really dynamic, physical guard who can get to the rim. She has a good outside shot. But you talk to Pac 12 coaches over the last few years, even as early as her freshman season, and they were like, we have no idea how to stop her. You can watch as much film as you want on her, but she's just so physical and she's so disciplined and she has a really high basketball IQ that like, you can't really stop her. And so I think as we're talking about the growth of a team through the season and especially UCLA's backcourt, which I think is already pretty dynamic and fun, like, at some point I think they're going to get another piece back that should make them even better. That, that part alone makes me want to trust them even more because I think Charlize adding into this backcourt rotation and what that could mean for the team and their assist total and their assist percentage, it'll. It'll go up. Their three point shooting could go up. Like, it's just another element that makes me want to trust them more. That makes me think come March they could be that much better.
- [24:51]
E
That is a great point. I loved seeing Ledger Walker's game. She's kind of like a mix between the physicality going into the paint of a Cody McMahon out of Ohio State with the guard and creativity of a Georgia Amore out of Kentucky.
- [25:07]
G
Like, very physical and somewhere in the middle size.
- [25:10]
E
Somewhere in the middle size, right? Exactly. Literally. She's like not too hot, not too cold, just right, like right in the middle of the two of those two players and just bring those skill sets.
- [25:18]
G
Together and another veteran presence, right? Another like senior, fifth year senior mind on the floor for them where, like, she's not going to get rattled. Like just sort of that level of seniority and veteran play.
- [25:28]
E
Now, interestingly, as you guys were talking, I realize I do have a team I trust. I do trust South Carolina and I trust South Carolina because of what we're talking about. The veteran presence, Bri Hall, Raven Johnson, Tahina Powpow being able to understand what it takes to get to a championship level, understanding that the only loss that they have this season is, you know, Tahina Powpow's first loss in a South Carolina jersey. Like, these people are not accustomed to losing. They are accustomed to winning and figuring out what it takes to get it done. And when you saw what South Carolina did coming out of their loss against UCLA to number 15, Iowa State. Now don't get me wrong, Iowa State's still young, still has some things to clean up, but they came out on a mission. And I feel like that level of focus and bounce back and resilience I can trust in a team early. That also brings me to a team I want to trust. That being seniority and just veteranship. Tcu. I want to trust TCU so badly, but I don't know if I can. And the reason why I want to trust them again, I have not dug deep into the stats for this team, but just looking at the eye test got a chance to see their Notre Dame game. I got to see first half of their Utah game. There's some gamers on those teams. Sedona Prince is a gamer, Hayley Van Lith is a gamer. These and they're older and they want to win and they figure out ways to win. But they also have really good role players. Everyone else around them plays well, allows that Haley Van Lith and Sedona Prince pick and roll to work and then they spot up in the on the wings and the corners, they go in for offensive rebounds when the shot goes up. Like I want to trust them, but there's not enough. If Haley Van Lif gets into foul trouble, which he often does, I don't know who's coming in and becoming an offensive creator for them. If Sedona Prince's shot isn't going well, like it wasn't against Kate Covel in that Notre Dame game. Kate Covel had her doing turnaround jumpers that I had never seen work for Prince. Uh, it wasn't until she found her mid range that things went. Started going a little bit well and started working in the pick and roll. But if Sedona Prince is matched up against a Lauren Betts or matched up against a really big physical big and she's not going off, I don't know what other tools they have. So they're my other. I want to trust you, but I'm just not sold yet. Outside of ucla, do you guys have any other teams that you want to trust?
- [28:20]
G
I feel like both of the teams you just mentioned are teams that I want to trust. TCU and South Carolina both fall into this category for me. Ben, I don't know where you stand on both of these teams, but certainly for the reasons you mentioned, I think tc, TCU and South Carolina are worth conversation here in terms of teams we want to trust.
- [28:38]
F
Yeah, I mean TCU for me, like they've now I want to say they've climbed into the top 10 of the latest AP bowl that just came out on Monday. And I also really want to trust them. And I think it stems back from kind of the story from last year, right. That they had to take on walk ons and like keep the program and the season alive by just picking up students who were, you know, normal college students who then are participating on a Division 1 basketball program. And there's something that like is still so charming about, like the carryover from having to go through what they went through last year to then getting off to this really hot start this year. One of the first though principal things that gives me some pause is if you look at last year, do you know what TCU started last year record wise?
- [29:22]
E
I do and I hate you for bringing it up, but they were undefeated. I know.
- [29:26]
F
They started the season 14 0.
- [29:29]
Zena Kaeda
Right.
- [29:29]
E
I know.
- [29:31]
F
So this year as we tape this podcast on Monday afternoon, they are eight now and we should say that like their strength is scheduled this year compared to last year. Very different. Right? Like they have two really, really good wins against Notre Dame and NC State last year when they got off to that hot start, I would say that their biggest win was probably against Nebraska. So you know, Notre Dame or NC State, like a Final Four team. So the kind of relevance and legitimacy that comes with an early season non conference win like the two they have this year I think is a big reason why they've searched up the rankings. Plus someone like Haley Van Lith who's gotten off to a really, really good start averaging, you know, almost 20 and 7, looks really good with Sedona Prince, Madison Connor, you know, she's shooting 45% from three on like nine attempts. And I know we've said like you have to take every stat with a grain of salt, but something like that where a player you know has shown some improvement on her three point percentage, I think that is a really good sign of things to come.
- [30:30]
E
Taylor Bigby too, right?
- [30:32]
F
They do have some depth. Like Donovan Hunter was a highly touted freshman in Oregon State last year, played very well in the NCAA tournament, comes to tcu, has provided them and will continue to provide them with a lift. Like the pieces are there and so I think there is a want to. And yet like they also fall in the Are we really thinking TCU is like a top 10 team? Are they going to be a 2 seed or a 3 seed come March? And like we've seen them get off to this fast start before. Can they sustain it again? It like would make for a great cap to this two year run, Mark Campbell's first two years with the program for them. But there's still just a little bit of wait and see in what I want to see from them.
- [31:17]
G
I think what I like about TCU is that and I was a doubter, they were not in my preseason top 25. Sabrina can stake claim to that, that she saw them before anyone else did, for sure. But I think the more I've watched them, what I realize is what I think is really good about them is that defensively they're pretty sound. And I think that comes back to the idea of sort of this veteran presence. And you look up and down that roster and you see players who've been in different defense heavy systems and different defense heavy systems that I think makes their ability to play sort of their, you know, mostly man defense pressure system that they have. And whether they're picking up like three quarter court or just applying like loose pressure, three quarter court thinks it makes them really well. You have someone like Haley Van Lith, who's been in both like a Louisville defensive system and an LSU defensive system. You have Madison Connor, who's been in the fast pressing, aggressive, Edea Barnes Arizona system. You have someone like Donovan Hunter who's been in the Oregon State bleed the shot clock dry and have them take a crap shot with two seconds to go system. Sedona Prince, who's played for Oregon. So you have all of these players who've been in really different systems that have different defensive backgrounds that are coming together and playing a mostly man system. But I think it makes them really disciplined and sort of have a different, you know, I don't know, perspective on how to play and how they come together to play defensively. And I think that's sort of what gives me more confidence in them, that if offensively they're struggling, they can hold a, you know, explosive offense like Notre dame to under 70. Like, this is not a team that is going to need to score 100 points in order to win a game. This is a team that might be able to hit 70 to win a game. And so, you know, is it better obviously if Sedona can go out and have a 25 and 20 night? Sure. Does it make life easier if Haley can go out and have like a triple double? Absolutely. But I don't think that has to happen because I do think their defense is good and versatile. And I think the other thing I'll note is that watching the Notre Dame game specifically, like they had like five different defenders rotating through Olivia Miles, which shows a real confidence from Mark Campbell and his perimeter guard play to have different players guard differently. And so I think that also makes me feel like, you know, they don't have one player that sort of needs to be the go to so that if there's an injury or someone has to miss a game or whatever it might be that like, they're absolutely screwed because Player X can't be the shutdown defender on the opposing team's lead ball handler because we saw, you know, like, I'm trying to think who it was. Like, Bigby, Haley Van Lith, Madison Connor, I think, you know, maybe even Emma Agnes. No poo. Like Hunter. Like, all of these players were, like, guarding Hannah and Olivia on the perimeter. And I think that shows a lot of confidence in Mark Campbell of his perimeter guard defense.
- [34:07]
E
Yeah, they have such versatility on their perimeter.
- [34:11]
F
Right. And then on the rim. Around the rim, rather. I think they're holding opponents right now to around 40, 41% shooting around the rim, which is well above the national average overall. And, you know, we've kind of mentioned Kate Colville a few times throughout this podcast. But, like, she was 0 of 9 against TCU, right? Like, and I think she went. She went field goal less in their loss against Utah as well. Like, for all the. For as good as she looked against USC a week earlier, she had some freshman moments.
- [34:43]
Zena Kaeda
Right.
- [34:43]
F
And Sedona Prince is the kind of player, you know, who has been in college seemingly forever.
- [34:49]
G
She's 24. Let's make this really clear to our listeners who don't know Sedona Prince. She's. She's literally 24 years old.
- [34:55]
E
Yeah.
- [34:55]
F
Right.
- [34:55]
E
And so she's a pro at this point.
- [34:57]
F
Right. And in that game, you know, Prince has 20 and 20 and eight blocks, like, in 40 minutes. Like, that is a, you know, just imposing of your will on the inside. And having a presence like that, you know, makes a difference. Clearly.
- [35:11]
E
I watched that game and it is still crazy of a stat line to hear, especially with how slow things started for Sedona Prince. 20 and 20 and eight blocks, not to mention four assists. Like, very impressive stat line for. For Prince. Now, before we move on to the teams that we. Or team or teams, however we want to put it, that we don't trust, there are a few teams that I'm curious to get your opinions on because they're doing well, but I don't know if they're. They're really breaking through the mold of, like, hey, this is a team that might fare well in the post season. First one on my mind, I am from North Carolina. I can't help but ask. The Duke Blue Devils. They are now 71 on the season. Recently had a big win over OU. They went deep into their bench and just showing the creativity that Carol Lawson has had with this roster, mainly focusing on Reagan Richardson, just being phenomenal overall for them. Ashland Jackson as well. But I Don't know if I trust their bigs, and I don't know if I really trust their depth. Toby Fournier has been that freshman coming off the bench. Everyone, if you don't know who Toby Fournier is, go look up freshman Duke player dunks. That's been the name behind. That's been the fanfare behind her since she's entered the league. But she actually can play a little bit of defense. She's just not been consistent on the offensive end, I think, for Duke. And so I'm just kind of looking at them like they're winning their games. They've gotten some good wins. Um, I just don't know if it's enough. You guys have any thoughts on Duke?
- [37:01]
G
Yeah, I think the size thing is maybe what gives me some pause with them. Like, you look, their two leading rebounders are, as you mentioned, Jaden Donovan and Toby Fournier, who are 6 foot and 6 two, respectively. Like, I guess I just wonder when they go up against, you know, 6 5, 6, 7, 6 8, like, what does that look like? How do they stop those players? I think the only player taller than 6:3 on their roster who gets any sort of significant minutes is Jordan Wood, who's 6 4. Again, going back to sort of the lessons learned from last year and knowing how a dominant interior presence can elevate a team, I think that sort of catches me a little bit. And all of these players that I've mentioned are all freshmen and sophomores, so it also all of the reasons why, like, I want to trust the TCUs of the world or, you know, the. The South Carolinas of the world or the UCLA's of the world, sort of those veteran presence, those interior presences. Same with UConn. Like, Duke kind of flies in the face of that because they're a little bit smaller on the inside and they're less experienced on the inside. And so I think that makes me a little bit worried. But then to play devil's advocate, you have a player like Reagan Richardson, who goes off for almost 40 against a team that I really, really think is quite good in Oklahoma, right. To force Oklahoma into only taking six shots in overtime, five of which were threes. Like, that's a fantastic defensive performance or a terrible offensive performance, however you want to look at it from Oklahoma. Two sides of the same coin, I suppose. But, yeah, I think Duke is probably a year or two off from being a team that I really want to trust. I'm excited for Sabrina to come onto this podcast and tell all of us we're wrong about everything, but particularly when it comes to Duke.
- [38:45]
F
And if I was just going to look at both sides of the coin, I would say their offense is significantly better than what it has been in the past three or four years under Kara Lawson. And that is the fact that they can sustain their defense being as steady as it is. But also having, you know, their offense go way up in terms of just being more efficient and just offensive rating, I think is a really good sign for what this team could be if I'm pouring cold water on the Duke case. And this is something I think also applies to ucla and I probably should have mentioned it there. If we're looking at early numbers to just kind of circle and highlight. Duke right now shooting just 66.5% at the free throw line. That's in the 32nd percentile nationally, according to CBB Analytics. So, you know, again, we look at little data points that we might want to keep an eye out on. And free throws, in theory, that is an independent of schedule, independent of opponent. That is just you at the Cherry.
- [39:44]
G
That is a stat you can look at through six games in.
- [39:47]
F
I think it is fair to look at and say, okay, that is an area of some concern. If we're looking at teams we want to trust in the long term, you have to make your free throws, kids. Xena knows that certainly from her time playing college basketball. So poor little Colby.
- [40:03]
E
Yeah, And I didn't make many of those. But I will say this, I am so happy you brought that up because I still vividly remember last year doing a show during the tournament with Sabrina and Chantel and they were talking about when you are choosing your picks in the tournament.
- [40:20]
F
Right.
- [40:20]
E
We're talking about trusting people, teams to play well now and in the tourney. They said two things and I still vividly remember this. This is how you learn from your greats folks. They said you look at guard play, who can handle defensive pressure, who can be able to play through that. And you look at free throws because a lot of these games come down to that. How many free points can you take advantage of? And I. That's a very, very good point. Do you know where UCLA is in their free throw percentage?
- [40:49]
F
Yeah, UCLA shoots it around 68%, which is, I want to say, like around. It's below the national average, but it's not okay, you know, I guess it's not horrible, horrible. It's pretty close to Duke, but I think nationally they're like outside the top 200 in terms of free throw percentage right now.
- [41:10]
E
So, yeah, that matters. That matters. Conference tourney time. That matters. Real tourney time, folks. Okay. All right, let's, let's, let's get to the teams that we've seen. We've seen them in action, and maybe we haven't seen them in action against enough top contenders. Maybe we've seen them in action against top contenders and we're not too impressed just yet. This is a team that we do not trust. We just don't trust them yet or just don't trust them at all right now. Ben, I'm going to go to you. Since you started with the team you trusted and you were so confident in that, who is a team you don't trust right now?
- [41:51]
F
Yeah, I mean, the team I'm going to say is one that I think our colleague Sabrina here was probably in mourning because of what I'm about to say. They were a team that we were, as a podcast, I would say, very high on last year, and that is Iowa State. And they were a team that, you know, you kind of came for Sabrina's team. You teased them earlier, Zena, as maybe, you know, a team that has gotten off to a slow start. The loss to South Carolina, the base, the 40 point loss. Like, you know, I think at a certain point you can kind of throw it out. Like, you know, 40 points.
- [42:25]
G
Absolutely throw that one out. Whoever South Carolina played after they lost the first time in that streak was gonna lose by 40. Like, throw it out.
- [42:32]
F
Yeah, I guess, though, like, I thought they were going to be a team that really would make an early season jump. And it felt like they had so much positive momentum coming out of last year's tournament. They were this incredible story. Like a team with freshmen, like, so many freshmen leading the way, and Audi Crooks just, like, in the middle, being a star. And like, so far she's been basically as good as she was last year. Like, you look at her numbers, they're pretty consistent, if not slightly down from what they were last year. And I thought, like, she could be, you know, right up there and they're. Her numbers are impressive, don't get me wrong. But, like, they were a team I entered, I thought was gonna really make the leap. And right now, like, they just haven't and they haven't, like, shown me a lot that makes me want to say they are going to, I guess.
- [43:27]
G
And I think to add to players that we thought, you know, it's not just Audi Crooks, it's Addie Brown too. I thought, you know, Addie Brown's a Player that gets, you know, not just because she's at Iowa State, though I think partially because she's at Iowa State. Bridget Carlton is kind of the player comp we get for her from a lot of coaches. But, like, you look at her numbers. Efficient. She's more efficient this season. She's shooting better from three, she's shooting better from two, but, like, her turnovers are the same. And that's particularly something that when you go from a freshman to sophomore season, you really want to see go down because you. You can kind of chalk up three turnovers a game as, you know, not the primary ball handler to, like, freshman moments, freshman mistakes, catching up to the speed of the game, whatever it might be. As a sophomore, you kind of hope that you've. You've gotten that out of your system. And Addie Brown is still averaging about three turnovers a game, which I think is not great. Obviously, she is a very good free throw shooter, so we'll give her that. She's shooting 90% of the line. But, yeah, I think Iowa State as a team, you know, I think I had them top 10 in my preseason poll. I don't know if they're quite there yet. I think I want to see more from their depth, which is also a piece that you need for March. And so they're not a team that I currently want to trust even moving into March.
- [44:42]
E
Okay, is that your choice or are you just kind of.
- [44:45]
G
I'm just adding on to Ben. I'm just. I'm agreeing with Ben. It's a nice moment to agree with him, so I will.
- [44:50]
E
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [44:51]
F
I appreciate the consensus there, or at least the agreement. I mean, it's just like, I know we've talked about being cautious about numbers, and the South Carolina game throws you an outlier, but defensively they're above average. But, like, when we're talking about some of these other programs that we had high expectations for, like South Carolina, Iowa state right now, 70th percentile. Overall, their offense is again, above average. Like, I think 80, 85 percentile. But, like, has not been extraordinary. Right. Like, even some of these teams who have beaten up on lesser compass competition, so to speak, we can say, like, there are some metrics and numbers that are outliers. And Iowa State right now, like, they just haven't popped. They haven't popped itest, and they haven't popped in terms of looking at their shot profile or a number of their metrics. And so, you know, I think it's wait and see. And if you're an Iowa State fan, hope that they can build on the momentum and the foundation that they put out last year.
- [45:51]
E
Mid December is going to be the test for Iowa State because if you're looking at their schedule, the only competitor they've really played up against so far is that South Carolina game and they just happen to get them on the back end of a vengeance tour. So it wasn't a great matchup for them just coming out the gates. But the next matchup against a top 25 team right now ranked 17th is Iowa. That's on December 11th. And then on December 17th they've got currently ranked number two UConn. So those two two games will be really interesting to see just where their level of maturity is in terms of being able to go up against a high octane offense in Iowa and then also a very two way balanced team in UConn. We'll see what happens there. All right, Chantel, who's a team that you go, I don't trust you. You're not, you're not doing what you need to be doing for me to trust you.
- [46:51]
G
I think this is a team that they're still in my top 10 because you can only play the schedule that's in front of you. And they technically have a win over a top 25 North Carolina State team. Though I think North Carolina State's lack of an interior presence and LSU's inability to sort of totally dominate that game when, when you're playing against an NC State that doesn't have an established inside presence yet, it's lsu. You have the Big Three still with Anissa Morrow, Flage Johnson and Mikayla Williams. All of them are averaging at least 14 points a game. But beyond that, you know, Samaya Smith's at 9.2, Kaitlyn Gilbert's at 9.6, kind of rounding out the scoring around them in a really consistent manner. I don't think we've seen that yet. And again, when you're looking at you can kind of play it both ways when you're playing a lesser schedule, a cupcake schedule as LSU has, you know, called it themselves. You know, maybe some of those stats are deflated because you're playing through more players. You're not getting as many minutes for your primary people. But in those times you sort of want to see those players that you expect to be primary players like a Cheyenne Day Wilson, like a Jersey Wolfenbacher like last year, POA coming off the bench like you want to see those players getting those kind of larger stats. And I Just don't think we've seen the consistency from them. You know, they could turn around and make me look like a total idiot who knows nothing about basketball two months from now as they, like, tear through the SEC schedule. But I just. Again, they're a team that I don't trust right now because I don't put a lot of stock into bad games, and they haven't played the kind of schedule that I think warrants any of us to feel like we should trust them a lot at this point. And I don't think Kim Mulkey would really care about that. She'd probably use it happily as locker room material in terms of, like, motivating her team. But, yeah, I just. I think lsu, for me, is a team that I'm not. I'm not sold on yet.
- [48:49]
E
All understandable. And the basis of your argument is actually the reason why I've got two teams I do not trust, one of which I'm in consensus with you. I don't trust LSU. Just hear some of these scores, y'all. 9544, 95, 36, 117, 44. What are you. The last game they played, 131 to 44. What are you learning? What are you learning other than how well can the bench celebrate what's going on on the court? Because usually you got a bench crew, right? They got their own little celebrations, everything. But when you're up 131 to 44, your starters start getting back into that bench crew, and so do they know the cheers as well as everyone else typically does. Like, that's about the. The extent of what you're practicing at that point. Yes, I completely understand getting the fundamentals right, making sure that you've got everything that you're working on in practice translating to the game. But when you've got no one truly testing you, what. What are we doing right now? LSU has the second highest scoring margin in the NCAA, 39 points. They beat their teams by an average of 39 points. The other team I don't trust is the third highest scoring margin in the ncaa, and that's Texas. And you want to talk about a cupcake schedule? What's happening, folks, between these two teams? I have not seen anything that makes me go, oh, they can withstand some tough defense. Oh, they can withstand a big inside. They can do the hard things when things get difficult to do them. And right now, I don't trust either one of them. And that's crazy, because I really, really have a lot of faith in both of These teams, especially Texas, with Madison Booker, who was one of my favorite freshmen last year, coming back into the game and having her homie, Rory Harmon back in the game with her. I won a lot out of these two programs, but I'm looking at them and I'm like, I need some competition to get on this schedule.
- [50:58]
F
I guess with lsu, my only, my biggest counter is just look at what happened two years ago. And we had this conversation and we had this conversation in December and January and February and March and April came around and they were holding up the national championship trophy at the end of the day, and like, they didn't play anyone. And they gave, you know, everyone pause and reason to think, are they really good? And then they won the title. And obviously, like, you can't take that away from them. So if I'm an LSU fan, like, that is the number one calendar is what is different between how they scheduled two years ago to now. They're very similar in terms of early season tests. And look at where it got them now. You know, rosters have changed. The program is not, you know, certainly you have angel reese 2 years ago kind of leading the way. Like, you lose a star player like that and you're having to retool. Things are different. But if I'm lsu, like, that is what I'm holding on to first and foremost.
- [52:04]
E
And you do have two of the big three still there, Flaje Johnson and Issa Morrow. That's a good point. And yes, I try not to put too much weight on that season. I'm trying not to put too much weight on the past in general when I'm talking about these trust issues, but you're absolutely right. And that was a big, you know, middle finger in your face, like. Yeah. For anyone that had a problem with how they scheduled early on. Chantel, what are your thoughts on my two schools that I don't trust to.
- [52:31]
G
Follow up on what Ben was saying? I think that's true. And I think one of the pieces, I guess, of LSU that gives me reason to think that there could be something cooking there is that both Flage Johnson and Mikayla Williams are shooting really well from outside right now. And I think that, you know, we're not super accustomed to seeing a Kim Wlki team shoot a bunch of threes. And I'm not saying they've become like Oklahoma by any stretch of the imagination, but both Johnson and Williams are shooting. Johnson shooting 43%, Williams is shooting 37, and they're both taking at least four a game. Like that's pretty good. That stretches the floor, that allows you to do some stuff inside. And I think both of those players are dynamic enough that if they, you know, can sort of be that three level scorer for lsu, it bodes well for them and it makes them hard to play against. So I think that's, that's really fair. I think Texas is another one that's really interesting for me. You know, again, a team that hasn't played a good enough schedule to really know who they are and what they are, I think that changes moving forward. Their first SEC game is Oklahoma, which is kind of fun that you've got this like Big 12 to SEC rematch coming into the SEC. Like, welcome to the SEC. Just kidding. It's still just the Big 12. But then they quickly move on to some SEC opponents. Arkansas and Alabama. Alabama is a top 20 team at the moment and then South Carolina by January 12th. And so I think we'll know a lot more about this team soon. They also have Notre Dame coming up.
- [53:59]
E
I was just going to say this Thursday, this week.
- [54:01]
G
Yeah, yeah. Between. Between Notre Dame and Oklahoma, though, not a ton, except maybe South Dakota State. We'll see. But yeah, I think they're tough. I really believe in the backcourt of Booker and Harmon. I think their front court, Kyla Oldacre is not, you know, she's played really well for them. I think sort of a, a question mark here for me is they have a player on their bench who's 6, 9, Abby Bootleer. She didn't play for them last year. They don't know if she's going to be back for them this year, but like to have a 6, 9 presence. She's the tallest player in college basketball this year. Like, you know, we've talked a lot about the importance of having that interior presence on the floor. Part of that comes with experience and having a veteran player. How a player who hasn't played a possession of college basketball would look against Sedona Prince, who's 24 and has played a million possessions of college basketball. I don't know. But to sort of have that in your back pocket as Vic Schaefer, if ever, whenever Abby is, is good to go. I think that makes Texas a little more interesting. But yeah, I think Texas, like maybe Texas and LSU for me aren't actually like teams I don't trust, but like teams that I'm not even allowing myself to like, consider trusting yet because of their schedules. Like play at least two, like good power conference teams and then, and then we can Talk.
- [55:21]
E
Okay.
- [55:22]
F
I think I'm way more of a Texas believer. Even though they don't shoot a lot of threes, they're still really good defensively and they're really efficient offensively. And if I was just going to add some notes on to what you mentioned, they have a freshman forward, Justice Carlton, against Butler, she had 30 points. Not even Madison Booker did that last year. It was their, you know, their first freshman since RORY HARMON In 2022 to, you know, score 30, which I think is notable for a freshman at any level. She did it in 23 minutes. Like, if you have a player who can get 30 in 23 minutes and can go to her bag like that, like, that's really impressive. And someone like Layla Philia again, you know, for a while was thought to be, again, a foundational piece at Michigan this year, and she transfers to Texas and, you know, that is definitely the kind of player you want as the season progresses and you get into conference play. So I like the ingredients of this Texas team. You know, am I a full believer right now? Not yet, but we've talked about why you should probably not be full believers in anybody, though. I'm saying you can believe in UConn, but I'm definitely in the. I think Texas has still legit Final Four, you know, legit top team in the country potential. And as you guys both said, we'll learn a lot more, though, when they play Notre Dame in the cross conference challenges later this week.
- [56:41]
G
I agree between those two teams, I don't want to trust either yet. I refuse to trust either yet. However, if I had to trust one of them right now or want to trust one of them right now, I think it would be Texas just because for all the reasons you just pointed out and that defense and Rory Harmon as like, God, I love Rory.
- [56:58]
E
Yeah, she is that notary.
- [57:00]
G
We give a lot fun.
- [57:01]
E
I know. Hannah Hidalgo and Rory Harmon.
- [57:04]
G
Just when you talk about the way South Carolina responded, like, you kind of expect, like, Notre Dame loses that first game to tcu, they come back, they lose to Utah, like, man, like Neil Ivy is going to light a fire under them. And I think how they come out and respond against Texas is really going to say something about sort of the will and the want of that team. And Texas, you know, has an opportunity, like we've said, their schedule hasn't been great to have a big win. Yeah, I think it's going to be fireworks.
- [57:39]
E
I'm excited to see that matchup, and I'm happy you brought up Justice Carlton, because that was one of the games that I did watch over the weekend in all of these, like, Bahamian Gulf coast showcases, et cetera. Just a Note on those 30 points that Justice Carlton made. None of them were threes. Okay? This is a big girl working inside, getting offensive, put backs, just being able to, you know, put in work. She had some free throws, you know, got herself fouled, but no threes. 30 points, buckets only. Yes. Love that from a forward.
- [58:16]
F
Zena, can I just throw in one more thing as we close out the show about things I'd like to trust or believe in?
- [58:21]
E
Yeah, I'm just gonna ask you guys, like, wrap up. I'm sure we talked a lot about a lot of teams, but I'd love to get your final thoughts on trusting teams and things you're looking out for, et cetera.
- [58:31]
F
I mean, this is not a team. We are coming out of Thanksgiving feast week, and there are a lot of games on a lot of different streaming services and a lot of different.
- [58:39]
G
I love the roll up to this.
- [58:41]
F
I love TV channels.
- [58:42]
G
Where are we going?
- [58:44]
F
You know, I just like it to be a little easier to watch some of these games.
- [58:47]
E
Say it again.
- [58:48]
F
If it is hard for me to find some of them and to. Do I have a subscription? Do I not have a subscription? Where even is this channel? Like, you know, I know it's a running joke around March Madness time on the men's side to be like, what channel is TruTV?
- [59:04]
E
Right. Right.
- [59:04]
F
Well, the women's feast week. Like, you have that times 100. Right. Like TruTV seems like it's CBS.
- [59:12]
E
Exactly.
- [59:13]
F
When you're thinking about how to find out where to watch games. And I'm not gonna slander any platforms or anyone in particular here. That's why I've omitted their names. But let's just make it easier going forward as the sport continues to grow to watch some of these highly anticipated games. That way, you know, people can really believe in the system and growth that is women's college basketball right now.
- [59:37]
G
I second that.
- [59:38]
E
Yeah, I second that, too. And this is a conversation for all media execs. Like, this is getting out of hand. Okay? Whether it's women's basketball, whether it's the NBA, whether it's NFL, whether it's college football. It's ridiculous that you need five or more subscriptions to be able to watch this stuff. It's crazy. I have never in my life felt like I wanted cable back more than I feel right now. I'm like, man, I don't know if.
- [60:03]
G
All these stations are on cable, though.
- [60:04]
F
You can always trust cable. That's the thing. It is reliable. You know, it's always there.
- [60:08]
E
We're closing this show out. You can always trust cable. Bring it back, people. Bring it back. Well, what a wonderful show. I appreciate you.
- [60:17]
G
I cut the cord.
- [60:18]
E
Yeah, uncut the. There's too many cords, y'all. There's too many. Well, this has been a really educational show. Just things to look out for. Things that make you wonder, like, do I trust you? Do I not? Am I looking at schedule? Am I looking at free throw percentages? Am I looking at size in the back court or in the front court? Am I looking at, can a team get their player that is six, seven, the ball? I don't know. There's a lot of things that we're considering when it comes to who do we trust and what. I think the biggest consensus is overall, it's still a little early, y'all. There's still a lot of good games coming up, and December is gonna be chock full of them. So keep it locked into this podcast because we're gonna be covering them all as we always do. As I said, subscribe to TheAthletic.com you'll get all the content on the games on the background. And of course, we'll keep you up to date with everything else going on in the world of women's basketball. But as always, thanks, guys. Appreciate you guys listening. On behalf of Ben and Chantel, I'm Zena Kaeda. Always appreciating your ear and encouraging you to keep listening. Keep trying to find these channels to watch. Damn. Keep learning and keep loving the game, folks. That's the only way we're gonna keep growing it until next time.
- [61:46]
Zena Kaeda
As we head into the playoffs.
- [61:48]
F
It's safe to assume there will be.
- [61:50]
Chantel Jennings
A few calls made by the refs.
- [61:51]
Zena Kaeda
That will be hard to accept. But you know what isn't hard to accept? Discover. Believe it or not, Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide.
- [62:01]
F
You heard that right, 99%.
- [62:04]
Zena Kaeda
So make a good call for your.
- [62:06]
Chantel Jennings
Wallet and get discovered. Based on the February 2024 Nielsen report.
- [62:09]
F
Learn more at discover.com creditcard this podcast.
- [62:12]
G
Is brought to you by Aura. By the time you hear about a data breach, your information has already been exposed for months. On average, companies take 277 days to report a breach. That's nine months where hackers have access to your personal data. That's why we're thrilled to partner with Aura. Aura is an all in one digital safety solution that monitors the dark web for your phone number, email and Social Security number, sending real time alerts if your info is found. It includes a vpn, password manager and data broker removal. To help keep you safe for a limited time, Aura is offering a 14 day free trial plus a dark web scan to check if your personal information has been leaked. All for free@aura.com safety that's aura.com safety to sign up and protect your loved ones. That's aura.com safety terms apply. Check the site for details.
- [63:06]
Zena Kaeda
ACAST powers the world's best podcasts.
- [63:10]
G
Here's a show that we recommend.
- [63:14]
E
Remember blowing into a video game cartridge.
- [63:16]
Ben Pickman
Or taping songs off the radio?
- [63:19]
Chantel Jennings
How about Saturday morning cartoons?
- [63:21]
Ben Pickman
Hey, AOL chat rooms.
- [63:23]
E
Did we just age ourselves?
- [63:24]
Chantel Jennings
Yep, we're Mike Foya and Charles McBee.
- [63:27]
Ben Pickman
Two comedians getting nostalgic and asking that nagging question.
- [63:31]
E
Are we old?
- [63:32]
Chantel Jennings
Relive the laughs, the cringes and the nostalgia.
- [63:36]
E
Are we old?
- [63:36]
Ben Pickman
Podcast Acast right here on acast. Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere.
- [63:55]
G
Acast.com.