← No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
What will Candace Parker's legacy be? And is there a new transfer portal winner?
00:54:41
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- [00:01]
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- [01:20]
Ben
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- [03:22]
Candace
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- [03:42]
Zena
There to watch them.
- [03:43]
Candace
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- [04:56]
Zena
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. Whether you're a die hard fan that eats, sleeps and breathes the game or you're just a casual fan looking to learn for more, make sure to subscribe to this pod wherever you get your pods to stay up to date with us. Also, subscribe to the Athletic. You do not want to miss out on this year round in depth coverage of the game you love. I'm joined today by our athletic women's basketball writer Sabrina Merchant and Ben Pickman. Again, I'm Xena. Let's go through what we're going to cover today or what we call our scout. First up, big news from the transfer portal. Big names have signed since we last did our show. We're going to quickly talk about that and the impact on where some schools or one particular school will now end up in the potential natty championship team, obviously having to beat South Carolina. We're going to talk about that. Two, we also have to talk about the big news coming out of the WNBA CP3. No, remember, this is the women's basketball podcast. We're not talking about Chris Paul, we're talking about Candace Parker. Guys, I had a terrible Sunday because she announced some news. We're going to talk about that and her impact. And then, you know, of course, Friday, last Friday, WNBA training camp started. Competition is hot. And we're going to talk about what that's going to look like for some of these teams around the league. Let's get into it. First up, the transfer portal. Last time we talked, there were some big names still floating around. Hayley Van Lith, she's officially signed. She is going to Texas Christian University. And then there was also Keke Riffin. Obviously the Stanford standout lost her post buddy to the WNBA Cameron Brink. And she was trying to figure out what she was going to do, especially now that her coach, Tara Vandiver also was leaving. Well, she signed to USC and she wasn't the only one. Oregon State, remember that team that wanted to be America's Sweethearts? Yeah, they broke up a little bit. They broke up a little bit. And one of them, Talia Van Ohofen, is joining Kiki Oriafan at usc. Not South Carolina, y'all, Southern California alongside juju Watkins and then her teammate at Oregon State, former Reagan Beers just announced with a movie, by the way. You should go check it out on Twitter. Reagan Beers is going back home to Oklahoma to be a sooner. Now, all of that being said, amazing signs, amazing moves for these schools. I'm particularly thinking about sc Sabrina, being that you are in la, you're in the space, you've been to some of these games, you've seen just the celebrity around the USC team, particularly with juju Watkins, we saw what they were able to do the run that they were able to make into the tournament this year. And now they get Kiki and Talia, who by the way, are already making TikTok videos together. So the chemistry is building already. What does this mean for Scott to be able to add Akiki and Taliyah to their roster?
- [08:36]
Sabrina
Well, let's, you know, start with this. I think South Carolina is still the prohibitive favorite to win the national title. They return everybody but Camila Cardoso from last year's title winning undefeated team. And although Camilo Cardoso was the most outstanding player, the best player on that team, I think, you know, internal improvement from Ashlyn Watkins, Nia Fagan, the introduction of Joyce Edwards should all, you know, help mask that absence in Colombia. But you know, in terms of Final Four contenders, I think usc, Southern Cal is right atop that list at the moment. You know, they lost a good chunk of the rotation of the eight players they were playing during the tournament. Five of them are gone, you know, due to graduation or transfer. So they had a lot of missing pieces to fill. Obviously they are returning Juju Watkins, all time freshman, leading score, women's college basketball history. All of the accolades you want to throw at Juju's way, like she deserves all of them, but a lot of missing pieces to fill in between Juju and Ram Marshall. So they got their power forward with Kiki Yurioff and you know, the best power forward in the country, winner of the Katrina McLean Award this past season. I find it kind of interesting that Stanford's one two punches, both in LA this year. You know, one's playing at the Staples Hunter, one's playing at the Galen Center. But tough, tough cookies for Northern California fans there. And then you bring in a little bit of wing guard help with Talia Von Olhofen, who played, you know, a good chunk of point guard at Oregon State, kind of split those duties with Donovan Hunter as the freshman got more acclimated to college basketball over the course this past season. But just a really good ball handler, good size for the guard position. Another just excellent big game tested player. You know, we think about her game winning three against UCLA in that ridiculous back and forth game on a Friday night on Pac12 Network. RIP Pac12 Network. But you know, Oregon State has the big run in the NCAA tournament, getting to the Elite Eight where they eventually lose to South Carolina. So, you know, big game experience from Kiki Ariafin, big game experience from Talia Von Olhoffen, obviously familiar with Lindsey Gottlieb's style because they played against USC multiple times. Over the course of this regular season. So I think, you know, the, the PAC 12's demise, which USC essentially initiated by choosing to go to the Big Ten, they're profiting off it yet again, which makes me feel a little icky, but also good for the basketball that we're going to be seeing in Los Angeles.
- [10:47]
Zena
I know, I feel a little icky about it, too, but that's okay. That's okay. It's going to be a lot of fun, for sure, in Los Angeles, and I'm sure the sidelines are going to be even more packed with more people trying to see this team come together and get further in the tournament. But here's the thing. When transfers come into teams, last year, Lindsey Gottlieb did a great job of getting those Ivy League transfers to come into the mix. You know, thinking about Mackenzie Forbes got drafted, and you're thinking about how do you integrate transfers into new systems. Now both Kiki and Talia are coming from the PAC 12, so they've seen this system, they've seen how USC moves, but it's still not easy to bring new players into a mix. Ben, what is the biggest challenge about integrating these players, particularly transfers, into teams? When you look at sc, I mean.
- [11:37]
Ben
I think it's chemistry. It's learning how to react off of each other when plays and motions break down. Right. You know, learning to read and react to each other on offense. You know, who likes the ball where. Just those kind of little intangible things with looks and back cutting and again, switching on defense. Some of those things that only come with reps, frankly. And so we'll have to see, you know, how they adjust this year, though. You know, I have a lot of faith in Lindsey Gottlieb, the head coach of usc. She is someone who has proven success at pretty much every level she's coached at, whether that's UC Santa Barbara, whether that's taking Cal to the Final Four, whether that's being on the staff of the Cleveland Cavaliers, USC taking them to be a one seed this past season, you know, on the precipice of the Final Four with juju Watkins leading the way as just a true freshman. So if there's any coach who can kind of get the most out of her talent, I think Lindsey Gottlieb is right there at the top of the list. And I do appreciate Zena, I have to mention, like, I appreciate you getting the. We'll call it the overworked Twitter joke, an homage to the. The folks who listen to the press box Media podcast on the Ringer. It's an excellent show, but, you know, saying that USC is going to go undefeated and win the national championship. Let's get those tweets out of the way right now in April and May, because that will be a joke. I guarantee people will make. Today it will be a joke. Tomorrow it will be a joke when both of those teams go one and. Oh, and we'll just be talking about it all year, having to clarify which USC is which.
- [12:58]
Zena
Mm. I already know. If you're not from either coast, people in the Midwest be like, which one are you talking about? I just. I'm not sure. Is it South Carolina? Is this in Southern California? It's going to be a real battle of the scs, and I'm excited for it. When you think about Keke Oriafin, particularly making this move in her senior year, wanting to get to the W just like her counterpart Cameron Brink, playing with a juju Watkins that can be a playmaker but also can be, you know, a significant shot taker. You look at what they averaged, the both of them last year, there's going to have to be a balancing of sorts, right, in terms of shots being put up and being able to find offense for the both of them, especially as Kiki looks to make a mark as she's trying to go to the W. What are your thoughts on what this move can do on her WNBA outlook?
- [13:50]
Ben
I mean, I have a hard time believing she would go to USC if she didn't believe that Lindsey Gottlieb could put her in the best position to succeed at the next level and, you know, maximize the ceiling and where she wants to, you know, be selected. You know, she'll be playing first and foremost in front of a larger audience at usc. They'll be switching to the Big Ten. A lot of people will watch USC that maybe didn't in the past. Now, of course, WNBA executives and GM should be watching them whether they're on the PAC12 network or the Big Ten network. But for the casual fan, they'll be able to see a lot more usc. One thing that, you know, talking to some executives before Kiki made this decision that a lot of them talked about wanting to see next year, she does have legitimate chance to, I think, be in the lottery. I know some people have mentioned her potentially being a number one pick, and I don't think that either is so, so crazy because of what she showed this past season at Stanford and really a breakout year, you know, some people said reminds her of neca. I mean, but one of the things that executives raised is just wanting to see her expand her game a little bit and taking on the lead role as a focal point of an offense. And that was some feedback we received when she was still playing at Stanford. The question is now, you know, going to usc, she obviously, you know, she might be the front court focal point of that team, but they have a guard in Juju Watkins who's going to demand a lot of attention. Now Juju herself is a future WNBA prospect, a likely number one pick. So it's a good match for both if you're doing some scouting. But it will be interesting just to see how, you know, she adjusts and what role she takes on offensively. If it is the same, if she's expanding her game, if she's playing more out on the perimeter than she has in the past, develops a three point shot, I think I'm assuming that's something that executives want to see too from her going forward. So there are definitely some questions and you know, we talk about the fit, but this is a pretty good fit with Lindsey Gottlieb, who I think will bring the most out of her. Chris Kluklanis is another assistant on the USC staff, someone who has a long line of WNBA experience working with Kurt Miller. So you got to believe they're going to put her in a position and Talia Van Olhoffen too to try and succeed at the next level.
- [15:42]
Zena
Oh, it's going to be fun to watch the three of them go up against each other. I mean I remember watching Kiki Orifan drop 36 against Talia Van Olhoffen when Tar Vandever beat the most winningest college coach record and and I'm sure Talia is very happy now be on the same team of Akiki. But okay, LA is going up. I see that. But there is a little bit of sadness in LA if you are a Sparks fan. There's a little bit of sadness in the air if you're an Aces fan. You're a little sadness in the air if you're a W fan in general because Candace Parker is retiring from the game folks. And I'm going to tell you right now, Ben, your reaction that you got out of Breanna Stewart at camp felt the same way. When Brianna was like effective immediately. I was like same. Does she mean like after the season she going to play a few games, give us the farewell? She was like nope, you got that. What was the vibe like you getting to break that news? Not only of course to Brianna. But pretty much everyone in that room got to hear that news. And you think about the fact that you were at a Liberty training camp practice, and this is the team that was trying to go up against the Aces that wanted that rematch. What was it like to be in that space?
- [16:58]
Ben
Well, I think the first thing, and I think this speaks to Candace Parker's greatness and her impact on the sport of basketball, not just women's basketball, is that, frankly, when I told some people and you mentioned it, I broke the news to Brianna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot, a former teammate of Candace Parker. No one's mind went to, like, what does this mean for the finals? What does this mean for our chances? Like, everyone really was able to step back and reflect on Candace Parker's career, her legacy, what she means to the sport, big picture. No one went to that, like, super competitive mode. Both Brianna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot, to me, reflected on just, like, how this is kind of sad. Like, it's sad to kind of see a legend retire and just like, a little bittersweet for a player who has meant so much to both of their career. So that was really the first reaction that both of them had. It wasn't any of the, like, wow, our rivals just lost a star player who could make a big impact. It was the other things. And I think that more than anything, speaks to Candace Parker's greatness. I will say, breaking the news, you know, that was a really interesting experience. Like, I credit to Sabrina, she was the one who first alerted me to the fact that Candace Parker was retiring. Right as Brianna Stewart walked over to a scrum of reporters that I was involved in. And then I saw it, and I just waited for the opportunity. And I knew that Stewie hadn't seen it because she had literally started to speak as Sabrina and as Candace Parker had published her post, and Sabrina flagged it to us in our news channel. And so then it was just a matter of seeing her reaction. And if you watch the video back, I didn't even, like, get a question out. You know, I just kind of told her the news, and, you know, it was just like, I could have said, you know, how are you reacting? Or what will her legacy be? But in that moment, she just had so much instant reaction, emotion, feelings to hearing the news, the effective immediately, and then kind of collected herself and just started to reflect and process it all. It was pretty cool to be there. And obviously, that clip has gotten around a long time. I asked Brianna Stewart about that on Monday, just kind of her viral reaction. And she said, kind of, you got me. And it was not a prank by any means, but I did have to make sure that the news was correct, that we were not going to prank Brianna Stewart like that, because that would be a crazy thing to do to fake Candace Barker's retirement.
- [18:56]
Zena
You could hear it in your voice even. I feel like you were still almost, like, incredulous. Like, oh, by the way, I don't know if you know, but, you know.
- [19:03]
Ben
I did a double take having to read the post twice to make sure that I. That she actually said I am retiring. That that was very clear.
- [19:10]
Zena
I was standing my kitchen. I was scrolling through. I was like, getting ready to make some breakfast or whatever, scrolling through my phone and I see it and I just drop my phone to the counter. I'm like, no way. No, no, no, that's not right. This is like, I had to double check to see, you know, now that there's on X, everyone gets a verified sign and all these different things. I was just like, I don't even know what outlet I saw, but I just saw it and I was like, there's no way. Had to go check her Instagram. And I was like, gosh darn. I didn't say gosh darn it. I said a much better word. But, Sab, when you think about both you and Chantel's piece, and I know, Ben, you helped contribute Sabrina's piece on cp, I teared up. I'm not gonna lie at Chantel's last line saying that she fell in love with a basketball at the age of 13, and what she's done for the game has allowed that ball to bounce a little bit easier for the next generation. And I literally teared up. Because I think about me, myself, watching Candace Parker growing up and being like, oh, basketball is cool. That girl makes basketball look cool. And I think about all the little girls and boys and whomever that were obsessed with her and thought she was so cool, particularly because she was 64 and handled the ball like a guard. I still remember her going baseline and dunking in a game when she played at Tennessee. I mean, this is what made her so special. When you look at her game and you analyze what she was able to do, not only in her pro career, not even only at Tennessee, you know, her being a McDonald's All American in high school, like, what made CP's game so unique and in the face of all these injuries, still had the longevity that it had.
- [20:51]
Sabrina
You know, she did just a little bit of everything. And I think that's part of what made her so special.
- [20:55]
Zena
Right?
- [20:55]
Sabrina
You think about her high school career, winning the slam dunk contest at the McDonald's all American game ahead of like real life NBA dunkers, you know, going forward. I think. I think Josh Smith was in her graduating class too, in high school. So just think about the, the level of athlete she was competing against at that particular time. And, you know, she comes to the Sparks, she's Rookie of the Year MVP in her first season. No one's ever won MVP in their rookie season before Candace, not since Candace. And she just sort of made it different, like the way you think about a power forward. Like, you look at the WNBA now, and basically every great team, their best player is a power forward. And they're so versatile and they can do a little bit of everything, right? They can post up, they can play on the perimeter, they can bring the ball up, run some offense. And Candace was sort of the first to be able to do that, right? She was a point guard in a power forward's body. She's throwing the outlet passes after getting rebounds. She's, you know, doing a little bit of like, behind the back and no looks and fancy showtime things when she has the ball in her hands. And that just wasn't associated with the power forward position before Candice started doing it. And now it's everywhere, right? Like, every single power forward wants to be as versatile as possible, and they're emboldened to do so because there is the example of Candice Parker doing it and succeeding while doing it. Right? It's not like she was just this uber talented player who didn't elevate her teams.
- [22:08]
Zena
No.
- [22:09]
Sabrina
Like, her teams always won. They were always great. And it was because of Candace's brilliance and versatility and able to impact all facets of the game that they succeeded in that way. So I think, you know, she just kind of set the groundwork for like what this position looks like in the wnba. I mean, Brianna Stewart, Asia Wilson, like even Neko Gumike has some of Candace in her game, having played with her for so long in Los Angeles. Alyssa Thomas has a lot of Candace in her game. Just all of these little pieces. Like, nobody has all of Candace because she is one of one. But you just see these different elements of the power forward position, they just all coalesced in Candace's game. And I think she deserves the bulk of the credit for making that position what it is, which I think is the most important position in the WNBA right now.
- [22:51]
Zena
You make a really great point. And I like the way that you said it, because the DNA of Candace's game is so ingrained within the stars of today's game. And when you think about someone having impact on the game, to me it's you either change the geometry of how the game is played, which she did, or you change the way that players train and the skills that they develop, which she also did. And I mean, you just listing off those names really just resonated with me just how much what Candace was doing was unnatural. I mean, I still remember when I was trying to learn how to dribble in high school, I'm like, how is she so tall and keeps the ball so tight to her legs, right? Even when she crosses over, goes between the legs, she's not dribbling high. These small guards aren't able to just rip it away from her. She just had such talent in being able to be concise. And you could also tell she trained with Kobe. And you can always tell the Kobe type players that have a move and a counter move, a move and a counter move. And that's what was so beautiful about her game is she was efficient, I think, with what she did. And that's a really great way to put it. And you can see that within these other players as well. But what was so cool, too, is that as she announced, you know, she talked about all the things she wants to do. She said she wants to own a WNBA team and an NBA team. She already is partner with a soccer team and she has all these off court endeavors that are really cool and also lean into the DNA, right? When you think about the fact that she's a broadcaster, you look at what Aaliyah Boston is now doing, right? Like these generational talents that she's passing off. Ben, when you think about some of the things that she's done off the court, you know, what stands out to you of what you're excited to see her dive into even more?
- [24:41]
Ben
I mean, I think you have to be excited to continue to see her on Turner and CBS for the men's NCAA tournament coverage and NBA tv. I mean, the way she's balanced, you know, her career with her personal life, you know, raising her daughter and, you know, her family. And she's soon to be a mother of, of three children. And, you know, I still remember the 2021 finals of the first thing she did was grab that last defensive rebound and sprint right towards her family. Just this outpouring of emotion for, you know, all that she had poured into that Season. Like, that is a moment that sticks out in my mind, being in that arena going crazy in front of those fans who, you know, she poured so much into, and they poured so much into her. And just to see her embrace her family in that moment is something that will just always stick with me. But you mentioned it like, she is someone who has led the way in so many different ways, both on the court and off the court. And I think that was one of the things you saw in so many of these tributes, right? That, like, there was a generation of player in Tamika Catchings and Rebecca Lobo who are sending tweets out, you know, who she played with or against or watched her play who are older. And then you saw rookies and you saw a Tennessee alum and like, truly someone whose basketball impact spans generations, whether that is from an encore perspective or an off court perspective. And it's something that you said, Xena, too, at the top of your comments, just about her training. And that was something that, you know, in talking to Vandersuit yesterday, like, that was one of the things I asked her. What surprised you or what did you learn about being Candace Parker from being her teammate at, you know, the stage of the career that both of you guys were in? And she told me that, you know, from the moment that Candace wakes up to the second she goes to bed, she's doing something to better herself or her teammates. And that was the kind of quote she gave. And that was something I think she was still doing even last season, at the end of last year in the Finals. I know Sabrina and I would talk a lot about it during the final, seeing her kind of coach from the bench or being a presence at practices during the final series, giving her advice to Asia, to Plum, to Jackie Young and the reserves. Like, she was very much still a part of the fabric of that team, even though she couldn't play last season. And that's just a reflection to, you know, her commitment to excellence, her commitment to her teammates and wanting to both better herself. And though she was around, it was.
- [26:44]
Zena
Cool to hear on the point of the training and just how hard she goes. Mark Schindler, that contributed to our NCAA Tournament coverage, has a show called They've Got now. And he did an interview with Natalie Nikasi, the assistant coach of the Las Vegas Aces. And she has a really great portion of that interview where she talks about Candace Parker every practice, pretty much like practice would be over and Candace wanting to go one on one. She loved to play once and she wanted to go Hard. Even when she was hurt, even when she was supposed to be resting, she still wanted to play once. And coach Nikasi having to be like, no, ma'am, like, you need to chill, you need to relax. We need you healthy. But that's just like the competitive spirit within her. And I love that memory, too, Ben, of her grabbing that rebound, going to her family, and just outpouring. I mentioned, of course, you know, her having won with the Sparks, having won with the Aces, of course she won with Chicago. She brought it back to the sky and got a championship, too. Sabrina, any memories that pop out for you over the course of her career as well?
- [27:43]
Sabrina
I think about a lot of her off court memories, honestly, because it's weird. I think of Candace Parker so much with Turner Sports at this point in her career, which is probably not the way she wants to be thought of, considering all of the basketball greatness that she's still achieved. But, you know, I think about her going back and forth with Shaq and like, you know, when she's doing NCAA tournament coverage and wearing those, like, bright orange blazers in support of her Tennessee Vols, whether it's the men's teams or the women's teams and just like, breaking down when Tennessee has terrible losses in the tournament or, you know, inside the NBA did a whole segment on Candace Parker's legacy last night during the NBA playoffs because she is a member of their family and, like, it was important to contextualize Candace Parker's place within the basketball, like, history as much as it was like, the Timberwolves or the Suns or whoever was playing last night. So, you know, I just, I think about her, like, telling Shaq to, like, take the surprise out of his voice, like, you know, all of those things, or like, when she called the, you know, USC Ohio State game at the start of the year or the LSU Colorado game, like those opening day games in Vegas and going to the locker rooms and just everybody, like, from the players to the coaches were just like, oh, my God, Candace Parker is in the room with us. Like, if you were the coaches of a major college basketball team, you shouldn't be, like, stunned by somebody coming in and talking to your team. And there is JRP and just like, flummoxed that Candace Parker is delivering these words of wisdom to her people. So I just think about the impact that she has on everybody when they see her, like, Asia Wilson talking about how, you know, she went to Tennessee for her recruiting visit and they brought Candace Parker out to try to, you know, seal the deal. And she, like, Nearly lost it, but, like, knew that she wasn't going anywhere but South Carolina. But, you know, when you bring out Candace Parker, I make you reconsider. So she's just been this ray of light for all these young black girls who want to see themselves playing basketball and just this person to look at and emulate. And even though there's only one Candace Parker, just take whatever you can from her game. And I mean, I think about Chelsea Gray talking about people mimicking Candace Parker's baby hairs and trying to get them done the way she does and just it's all of it, right? She has so many different things. And it's not just one thing that you can take from Candice Parker. Like, her whole personality, her whole being, like, has just created imitators and adulators all around the world.
- [29:50]
Ben
Sabrina, can I ask though, like, you're an LA native and so as an Angelino, like, what stories come to mind or how do you put her in the context of LA sports greats and just like the fabric of that city and maybe Xena too, it being a West Coasty, but how does she fit into that city and the ethos of the franchise and you know, what she meant to Staples and the purple and gold, the different shade, like, all of.
- [30:09]
Sabrina
That, it's hard to, like, put her above Lisa Leslie in terms of the echelon of great Los Angeles Sparks. I mean, just numbers, unfortunately. Like, Lisa has two, Candace only has one. Like, that counts. And unfortunately, they never really got to play together all that much because, you know, they had Candace's rookie season, but then Candace gives birth and then Lisa, you know, retires. And so they really didn't get to overlap and form that dynamic post duo that I'm sure, like every LA sports fan would have just fallen in absolute love with. But I mean, she was the Sparks for like the 2010s, right? Obviously they draft Neko Gumuke in 2012 and. And she does win an MVP in 2016, but like, the Finals MVP that year was Candace. And like, you think about just the legacy of Magic Johnson and Showtime in Los Angeles. Like, Candace Parker was the, like, fulfilling that legacy on the Los Angeles Sparks, like, with the way she played. And it's just an overwhelming bummer that she didn't get to finish her career in Los Angeles and the way it finished, you know, her last game in la, I don't even want to think about it anymore. But it's very cool that, like, she got to be, you know, one of the, one of the greats that passed through that building that housed so many other greats on like the Lakers side. And I mean, she's got to be like statue worthy at Staples center, assuming the Sparks are still playing there. But by the time like those decisions come into play, oh, I feel like.
- [31:23]
Zena
Magic Johnson's going to make sure she gets her statue. He adored her for, you know, what she did for the franchise when they came in and bought it and wanted to transform it around after 13 seasons she played with LA and unbelievable. I would say for me, the most impactful thing, I mean, it's, it's several things, of course. Her game for sure was the biggest thing. But even as a woman, we saw Candace go through a lot. We saw Candace come in as a rookie of the year and have a baby and everybody having opinions about that, about her ability to be the best player in the W and go have a baby. And everyone was like, oh, you ruined your career. It's done, it's over. I don't know why you would do that. And then we saw Layla grow up around her, right all around the world in the W, her be still a top caliber player and be a mom. We saw her go through a breakup. We saw her find a new love of her life. We saw her find new endeavors, investments and ventures. Like, we saw the full breadth of what it would mean to be a multi hyphenate businesswoman and athlete. And we saw it all laid out. There was none of it that was hidden. There was none of it that was behind the scenes. Like, she was so transparent and honest in everything that happened to her over the course of her career. And I think that that also adds to the adulation because I don't know if some of the things that she went through publicly, other players, other people, myself, I definitely know I couldn't do it, but could go through it and still come out on top. And in the midst of this, people played in her face. Okay? People did not give her the love and the respect that she deserved over the course of her career. And I'm happy she's getting her flowers now, Ben, I'm happy you brought up all the tributes because it wasn't just from the W, it was across basketball, across basketball. I mean, I forget the Lakers posted even before the Sparks did. So it's cool to see her finally get her flowers. But I get why Candace was like, I'm doing this on my own terms. I understand why she wanted to do this on her own terms because she went through a lot and it was all On a public stage, and she did it with grace. And I think that that's why I'm obsessed with her. I think she's an amazing person. I fangirled three times over people in sports. First time, Dorisburg, how to take a picture. Okay, that's one person I had to ask for a picture. She came to the Warriors. I was like, ma'am, I'm obsessed with you. I love you. Second person, Candace Parker, absolutely adored her. Had to take a picture. She was amazing. She was gracious. She was awesome. Third person recently was Lindsey Harding. Saw Lindsey Harding at a game, and I was just like, couldn't talk. But there's very few people I will fangirl over. But CP3 is, like, up there. She is definitely on my route. Mount Rushmore. She is my goat. And congratulations on her amazing, amazing career. Now her leaving Aces. What's up, Sabrina? As the person that was covering this team all last season and of course, coming into this season, I mean, the announcement that she was coming back was huge. Now she's gone Aces. Let's just be real. They're still stacked, and you obviously got to see a little bit of what they're bringing in. You got to go to Kelsey Plum's dog camp. But talk a little bit about what Candace Parker leaving the Aces, how this impacts their roster. What does the outlook look like for this team being in training camp?
- [35:04]
Sabrina
And overall, it's funny, when Ben said that none of the reaction from the Liberty was about their title chances, I was like, yeah, because Candace Parker didn't even play in the finals, and they still got waxed by Las Vegas. Like, why would it be related to that? You know, Candace didn't play 22 games last season. She didn't play during the postseason. And Las Vegas, like, they would have been better with Candice. They were absolutely world beaters with Candace at the start of the season. But this is still the bones of a title team that has won two in a row despite suffering front court injuries like that were affected their postseason rosters in both 2022 and 2023. So you still have the starting lineup from last year's team. You know, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Asia Wilson, Kia Stokes. They brought in Megan Gustafson, who's fresh off of a Euro cup winning season with the London Lions. You know, national player of the year when she was at Iowa in 2019. She's really expanded her game. More of a perimeter player now. But you can see her playing next to Asia Wilson. You can see her anchoring some Reserve units, really quality bench, big signing for them, who's going to get a lot more minutes now that Candace is not on the roster just for like a bit of salary cap, you know, minutia. Candace was signed to a non guaranteed deal. So this doesn't even affect the Aces salary cap at all. Now you have just another $100,000 to play with. There's obviously not a ton of available free agents on the market that they would want to give that money to right now, but it just, you know, gives them options in terms of what they want to do with the rest of the roster. They could maybe even like have 12 players. I don't know. Like there's more flexibility for camp in terms of the players who are assigned to training camp contracts in terms of making the final 11 or 12 for Las Vegas. So you think about last year's team. They had essentially dead money in the form of Requana Williams contract and then Candace being unable to play. You bring back the same team plus all of that salary cap space to sign more pieces and you know, the internal improvement of their core four and Kia Stokes, like what's a terrifying prospect in Las Vegas with or without Candice Parker? Obviously I don't think they're going to get better with the removal of one of the greatest players of all time. But you just think about what they could do in terms of bringing in young players. Like they signed Brie Bill to a training camp contract. Think about what she was able to do at South Carolina as that 3 and D player for the Gamecocks, you know, when they won a national title in 2022. You mentioned Kelsey Plum's dog class. Like they just drafted Deja Farre and Kate Martin in the second round of the 2024 draft. Both were with Kelsey Plum at that camp. Got a lot of insight onto what Becky Hammond likes, what to expect at training camp. A little bit of a tricks of the trade in terms of making themselves invaluable when it comes to preseason here in Las Vegas. And I mean, Deja Fair is the number three scorer in college basketball history. Like, can you imagine bringing those buckets off the bench? Kate Martin, just a consummate glue player. You know, who better for Kate Martin to learn from honestly than Alicia Clark in terms of, of how to fill in the gaps on a roster. There's just a lot of options for Vegas here. And as much fun as it would have been to watch Candace Parker play again, especially alongside Asia Wilson and what that pairing could have been like, it's A hypothetical at this point. And what we do know is that they have a ton of talent still, a ton of options to fill out the back of their roster, and this just gives them more flexibility and choices for what's to come for the 2024 season.
- [37:59]
Zena
I want to talk a little bit more about that dog camp because I really think it's a cool thing that Kelsey puts this on to prepare the next generation for the league. And I'm wondering, I mean, God, imagine if Candace had her own, like, version of that, how many more Asia Wilson esque players and Candace Parker esque players could be developed. But, like, you were there on site. What is that camp really about? Like, I don't even know where the inspiration came from, but I love that Kelsey Plum puts it on. Can you tell us a little bit more about, like, what the goal of it was and like what they walked through and did for those players?
- [38:33]
Ben
Yeah.
- [38:34]
Sabrina
So Kelsey Plum has been really open about the fact that when she came from the college ranks to the wnba, it was a really hard transition for her. Just like mentally, physically adapting to the wnba, trying to figure out what it meant to be a pro, like, you know, acclimating to a new role in San Antonio and then Las Vegas. She just felt like there was all these resources that men's players get that NBA players get in terms of, you know, the rookie orientation and all of the training that they do over the summer and summer league and working with their agents. Like, she just felt that her male counterparts were so much better prepared for what was to come than she was. And this camp, which, you know, was kind of part of the deal when she resigned with Under Armour, that she wanted to make sure that she was doing something to impact the next generation. It's basically just, let me, let me fill in the gaps here. Let me be that resource that younger players need when they're trying to figure out what it takes to make it, you know, even if you're a college star. Like, again, Kelsey Palm graduated as the number one all time scorer in college basketball. No longer the case. But this is not like some random Joe Schmoe in college who's trying to make in wnba like, this is Kelsey Paulman number. And she still struggled. So she just wanted to insert herself into that transition and be like, hey, I don't want anybody else to have to go through this. And so, you know, she has this dog class for guards because that's her particular area of expertise. And I'm sure, like, as you mentioned, if Candice Parker or You know, Biggs wanted to enter in on the other side. Like, that's something that they'd be capable of. But, like, they do basketball drills. Like, they get to learn Kelsey's training and workouts and her footwork and, like, the way she positions the ball and all these sorts of things in terms of how she's made herself a capable player. But then they also get these mental performance sessions with Kelsey's coach from Washington, and they get these physical performance sessions with Susan Orchard King, who has worked with a lot of WMA players, women's basketball players. She helped Sue Bird, you know, extend her career. She's working with Cameron Brink right now. She's helped Neko Guma just, like, huge roster of women's basketball players who have benefited from the physical side of things with Susan. You know, they get to be at this camp with oodles of Under Armour gear and, like all of these resources from Under Armour. They get to, you know, meet up with these agents who work with Under Armour and ask questions about, like, nil and branding. And there was a session where Andrea Carter came and like, talked to them about how to have, like a positive working relationship with media, which I definitely appreciated that they were, you know, privy to this type of conversation. So just a lot of different things about not just excelling in the basketball portion of it, but all of the other business and marketing and mental, you know, performance things that go into being a high level professional athlete. So, you know, kelsey invites like 10 to 12 guards. This is the second time that she's done it. And they had an open spot this year after the draft. And so she thought, let's bring Kate Martin because who else is going to benefit from me, you know, more than somebody who's coming to Las Vegas ASUS training camp?
- [41:12]
Zena
And is it just pros or is it a mix of undergrad?
- [41:16]
Sabrina
So it's just a bunch of college players. Like they had freshmen through seniors. So like KK Arnold, Mylasia, full Wiley on the list and then you're all the way up until, like, Nika Mule, Deja and Kate, who have already been drafted.
- [41:27]
Zena
Yeah, got you. No, I think I saw a crazy block from Malaysia for Wiley.
- [41:33]
Sabrina
Every time I watch that girl in person, I think, is Juju going to be the number one pick in 2027 or is it going to be my leisure for Wiley? But a discussion for a later time.
- [41:41]
Zena
Discussion for a later time. But, man, that camp is super cool and I'm shocked that the concept hadn't been thought of already because that Transition from college to the league for the W is insanely fast. Insanely fast. I saw Isabel Harrison also post, like, a list of everything that she would have wanted to know going into the W. Just, like, little tips and tricks I even saved. I'm not going to the W, but I just thought it was cool to see just a. Just a compilation of everything that she didn't know to pack to get ready for on game day, for traveling, on, being in the hotels. Like, these are the types of things that a lot of rookies need to know. And I'm shocked that, you know, there's not more resources. So shout out to Kelsey Plumb for creating that environment for them. And the whole concept of it is getting ready for the W, but also for Deja Fair. And Kate Martin is getting ready for training camp, which of course, just recently launched. And we've been seeing the clips. Ooh, the teams are getting the fire out. They're making sure people know this is what we're working on. And seeing Indiana Fever keep coming with the Caitlin Clark and the Aaliyah Boston Clips, it's been fun to watch these teams kind of get prepared. Ben, I know you've been at NYL New York Liberty camp. Tell me a little bit about how people prepare for training camp and what that looks like and then what you've been seeing at training camp for New York Liberty.
- [43:04]
Ben
Yeah, I mean, the thing that I just want to stress is, like, so many of these veterans have to learn their own processes of how to, like, best prepare to come into a training camp because the transition is so quick. Like some of these players, you know, we're literally playing in other competitions a week ago, 10 days ago. Some are still not even in camp for some young players who are unaffected by the prioritization rules. So that is like the first thing that we can't stress enough that just the transition is so quick for a lot of college players. Obviously, like, less than a month ago, you know, players in the national championship in the Final Four were still playing college basketball, and now they're playing in the pro game. But even for a lot of seasoned pros like John Quality, Jones was just playing in China in the finals, you know, playing in that league's domestic championship series, a five game series. And like, you have to kind of mentally make the switch to go from one to the next. I asked her, you know, on Monday afternoon, just five, less than five days after losing the WNBA championship, she was already off in China preparing for another season. And so you could, like, ask that of how do you prepare for that season. It's like, you know, a different setting and you start to reflect and immediately kind of turn the page. That's something that, you know, they're very good at a lot of these top WNBA players, but it is something that there's no science to and it is just a reality of what is going on right now. It was one of the funny things is transitioning into New York Liberty Camp that was very different. Or one of the first impressions that people were reflecting on on Sunday when it opened was like Brianna Stewart very rarely, she said, actually takes part in the first day of training camp because she is one of these players who plays overseas traditionally and like, has all these other commitments. And so like she did not participate in the first day of New York Liberty camp last year. She watched because she had just gotten back from Turkey where they had won the euroleague championship. And so, you know, last year in New York Liberty Camp to open it, she didn't participate in the first day. Courtney Vandersloot early on, I want to say, was the first or second day, got a concussion and so she missed a bunch of camp. John Qual Jones was dealing with a foot injury, so she was limited. So it was a very different kind of camp on Sunday and on Monday, of course they have an extra full season of familiarity. But just from a training camp perspective, like these are three vets who last year in camp didn't even spend time playing together. So they developed a lot of the chemistry that they ended up developing during the regular season. So it's been a very different kind of camp so far here in Barclays Center. But you know, all those players are seasoned pros and making kind of quick transitions from whatever they did in the offseason, playing or training to getting underway in the W. You know, speaking of.
- [45:27]
Zena
The vets and speaking of the older players that come in a little bit later or for whatever reasons, how much do you see the coaching of those players trying to coach up the new additions, whether they're the younger, the new recruits that came in from college game, their transfers or, you know, people that were traded onto the team? What does that look like?
- [45:47]
Ben
I think it depends, frankly on the life cycle of a team. And maybe that's a little bit of a cop out answer, but I think it's just the reality. Right. I can tell you, you know, from New York right now, just coming from practice, like Sandy Brondello talked a lot about there's things that she is teaching and impressing upon the younger players that she isn't on some of the vets because they both have the repetitions under their belt, but also familiarity with the system. Last year there was a lot more teaching, and she kind of made the joke that, like, it's good that they're hearing my voice a little less right now and the voices of each other a little more. And I assume, you know, in Las Vegas, it's probably a very similar tenor. Right. These are players who know each other, have been together for years, have achieved huge successes. Like, there's probably not as much basics that need to be taught. I also think it depends about, like, a coach and is there a new coach coming in? Right. So, you know, think about a situation like Phoenix, Nate Tibbets coming in from the NBA. That's a roster, obviously, it has Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner kind of leading the way and Sophie Cunningham as returners, but the rest of it is very new. And I think they're going to play a little bit of a different style of basketball than they've played in past years. And the rest of the people in that camp, you know, they have five or six spots that are open. So I imagine there's going to be a lot of teaching that is going on at that camp right now, even with having someone like Taurasi and Griner who have years and years and years of veteran experience. So I think in that question, Xena, it just kind of depends on is the coach new, how many players are new, what does the roster look like, and just who's coming in to camp. That being said, things happen really quickly. Like by Friday of this week, there's already going to be preseason games going beginning, and the season is exactly two weeks away. Actually, as you are listening to this podcast, May 14th, it begins. So, you know, for all that, the quick transition, the teaching, the different things that teams are doing in their respective camps, it's a collision course for everybody because on Friday, preseason games begin and on May 14, regular season games begin. So everything is coming very fast, whether you're experienced or not.
- [47:40]
Zena
It's a really great point, especially when you think about Phoenix, because no matter how long Diane Taurosi's been in the league, which has been a very long time, that still is a brand new coach with a brand new system that has a brand new philosophy on how he wants to approach the W. Oh, this is going to be fascinating. So I'm happy you brought up Phoenix because I know last time we spoke on this pod, Ben, you mentioned of all the Training camps that you're particularly interested in. And what you just described makes even more of a case as to why. In terms of hard training camps, what team is going to be difficult to make? Phoenix having all those open spots. Phoenix also having a new coach. Right. You don't know what he likes, what he wants on his roster. It is going to be melee out there trying to figure out, trying to make a spot. Rena, we didn't ask you. When you think about training camps across this country right now, you know, per the new rules, teams can keep up to 18 people on their roster for the training camp, but they gotta go down to 12. 12. That's a lot of people to cut. We will have a conversation about roster spots and an expansion on another day. We know it's a problem. But for now, training camp starts, 18 people got to get down to 12. What teams are you looking out for in terms of how hard the competition.
- [48:55]
Sabrina
Is going to be? I mean, I'm sure we're going to talk a lot about Indiana this year, but I am very interested in that training camp roster. You know, there's a lot of different directions they could go in terms of carrying five bigs. Like, do you keep Victoria Saxton after she didn't get to play much last year, but clearly was really positive for us in that locker room. And Kristi Sides could not have had enough possibilities, positive things to say about her and, you know, just her help on the scout team, you know, which is usually not a thing that players do on a WNBA roster because frankly, there just aren't enough of them that are healthy at any one time to be on the scout team. But I'm looking at her. I'm looking at, like, Grace Berger, Maya Caldwell, Lexi hall, like, who gets into that guard room, Celeste Taylor, beyond, you know, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. So that's one that I think, you know, like you mentioned, you're allowed to keep 18 players in training camp. Indiana decided to only take 15.
- [49:36]
Ben
Right.
- [49:36]
Sabrina
Because it's a lot to have 18 players, especially when you know you're just not gonna be able to hold on to six of them. So I do think it's interesting to watch how the WNBA teams are approaching this new rule. Like, some of them are still keeping smaller camps, you know, you know, generally which players are gonna be there. You don't want to overwhelm too many new players in a new system. So Indiana's on the smaller side of things, only keeping 15. But that does still mean that they have to make three pretty significant Cuts. Because you look at that training camp roster and you think, oh, any of these players could easily be in the WNBA this upcoming season. And yet to. As we know, some will not be. And then we already mentioned Vegas, but I'm looking at Seattle, too. This is a team that I think could contend. And when I say contend, I mean face the aces in the finals right away. So it's really important, like, who fills out the back end of that team because you have your big four, you know, All Stars in Ezzy Maggor and Akaguma K, and then that Notre Dame backcourt of Skyler, Dagan Smith and Jewel Lloyd. So, like, who gets to be that fifth player in crunch time? Is it going to be Sammy Wickham? Is it going to be Jordan Horston? Like, is Nick and Mule gonna make this right Roster, like Victoria Vivian's, like, what? What are these, you know, wing backup big questions going to look like in Seattle? So that's one that I definitely have my eye on. And Seattle's going to be playing in Edmonton, which is kind of cool for the WNBA Canada efforts and their, you know, fun exhibition games coming up.
- [50:46]
Zena
Oh, yeah, we love the Toronto game last year. And Aaliyah Edwards, come on, girl, make your case. All right? Get a team up in Canada. That would be super, super cool. Now, I'm going to throw this out here. Okay? We're right now in the midst of everything that's going on. I know this is the women's basketball podcast, but we do know that the NBA playoffs are happening right now. And when you look at the teams that are succeeding and playing well, and you look at the ways that those rosters are constructed, you can see a little bit of the passing of the torches happening in that league in terms of. I look at the OKC Thunder, a team full of young new blood that didn't have a lot of experience in the playoffs, but right now they're having fun. They're gelling together. They got good chemistry and they're rolling right now. And then you look at some teams, like a team that went home, first team eliminated Phoenix, right? KD Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, some veterans that have significant playoff and also just experience in the league overall mixed in with some new blood, not being able to get it done. Now take that. You look at what's going on in the NBA and the different ways that rosters are being constructed, and you think about what's better. Trying to balance a roster with some veterans and some younger players, balancing it out, allowing the veteran players to kind of mentor the younger players being the experiential standard on the team that can help bring up the younger players. Or do you get new blood? And I think about Indiana and you think about the focal point of their team and the Indiana Fever and I don't know what the answer is. I don't. I'm not asking for the answer from you all. But do you see these philosophies playing out throughout these teams and from conversations you've had with GMs, what do you think they think about those two philosophies balancing it out with veterans or going young?
- [52:48]
Ben
Well, I mean, I think the best case is what Las Vegas has, right, where you have a core of three stars. Chelsea Gray is obviously a little bit older, but in Jackie Young, Asia Wilson and Kelsey Plum, who are all under 30 years old, you know, who have come into the game pretty recently and are still pretty early on in their careers, all things considered, maybe, you know, close to their primes or hitting their primes, but also have a ton of experience. Experience. So they are both, you know, they are veterans of the WNBA, but they have not played, you know, 10, 15 years in the league just yet. Those three in particular. And yet they have been through all the possible fires that you can throw out, you know, for a team. They've lost in the playoffs, they've won in the playoffs, obviously back to back championships. They've, you know, added players like Candace Parker to their roster and had to adjust. They've had players like Candace Parker get injured and miss the second half of a season. They've added role players, they've seen role players go away. So like that I think is kind of the ideal. I thought Xena, you were going to make the case. And maybe Sabrina has a point of like comparing some of these NBA teams to the W because I think there's a really interesting case right now in Phoenix, right? And we just watched the Phoenix Suns get swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Obviously that is a core in the NBA that went all in trading pretty much all of its future draft capital other than this year to try and build a core around Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. And they obviously get swept. Mattis Bea, the owner, we should say, is an owner of both the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury. If you look at the Mercury, the roster construction is kind of similar, right? You have some stars, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner. They've made big swing trades this offseason for Kalia Copper. They've picked Up Natasha Cloud in a big offseason signing and the bench, really they have six players who are signed to, you know, expensive contracts who are basically locked in and who knows what you're getting out of the bench. And that is a lot like the Phoenix Suns in the NBA. And so we will have to see how all of it plays out. And if there's any similarities between the ending of the sun season and the Mercury season, obviously we don't know how that team will gel. But it is interesting when you kind of compare the two. And of course again the same owner, you know, some of the same people working, you know, on the business end or in the back end of the organization as well. So. So we'll see how that one shakes out. It's definitely one of the biggest questions that people have entering this year.
- [54:59]
Zena
Well, that was going to be my next question after this was going to be the philosophy around big threes or big cores because you also right now, of course Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers are tied up, but you look at what LA Clippers did in bringing in all of this talent. If they don't make it out of the first round, is it worth it? The team that makes that comes to mind is Seattle Storm getting Jewel Lloyd, Neko Gwynke. I mean these are big time names all coming together and Skylar digging Smith. I mean you want to see what's going to happen with that team having gone all in with some big time star power and then having to see in the midst of training camp. We will be watching this. How does this come together? How do these big time names come together and play together? Sabrina, I'll let you chime in as well.
- [55:46]
Sabrina
I mean I don't really see Seattle going as all in as you know, some other teams on their men's side. They still do have their 2025 pick. They got a 2026 swap. Like there's, you know, some assets in the pipeline. They got Jordan Horston who's the draft pick in the first round last year. I think other than Phoenix, I wouldn't say we have any like terribly all in situations happening on the WNBA side which is, you know, it does shine some light on the organizational philosophies down in Phoenix with what they're doing with the Mercury and the Suns. But hey, you know, you got to do what you got to do. But yeah, I, I feel like Ben is usually the one that brings us up. But like I'm looking at these training camps and like Vegas is still just better than everybody else. Like this is what I'm looking at when I watch everybody. And yeah, it'll be fun to see, like, whether, you know, Deja Farah, Brie Beal or Bria Hartley, like makes the final spot on Las Vegas roster be like, ultimately, who are the four that are challenging Asia, Jackie, Chelsea and Kelsey. Like, that's what I want to know. And maybe that's going to come now, maybe that's going to come later, you know, as these younger players turn into things.
- [56:46]
Ben
One other team building thing, and this does not answer Sabrina's point and it does not overshadow it by any means because I think that is the overriding thing. But it's a really interesting time for executives, GMs around the league that I don't think gets talked about enough because, you know, so many of these players, especially this year when a lot of camps have 18 or 20 players in it right now, like a lot of these players are going to get cut. And so one of the things that happens is like some of these players might land on other teams. A lot, you know, are brought into camp because the team that brings them in wants to teach them their system or, you know, get eyes on them firsthand or, you know, maybe it's situational that like this is the fit that a player has deemed their best. But that doesn't always mean that mid season, like, this is the team that a player is going to actually play for during the year. And so, you know, creates an interesting predicament for a lot of executives of like, trying to communicate with others around the league about, like, how does this player look in camp? How does that player look in camp? You rely on some of your old collegiate scouting, right? For some of these rookies, like, what did you think of a second round pick that you maybe didn't have the opportunity to draft and bring in who now gets cut from the roster that has drafted them, but maybe you want them, but is it worth it? Compared to the players I saw firsthand as an executive, that's like one of the really interesting wrinkles when you think about team building is like trying to find some of these diamonds who may not make the team right away. All that to say it doesn't usurp what Sabrina just said about, you know, these are, you know, we're talking about end of roster spots and players who are more developmental. You look at the core of the aces like they are the clear favorite entering this year. And I think everyone around the league would, would unquestionably say that overall, okay.
- [58:21]
Zena
Well then that means, folks, when you're watching training camp games, ask yourself the question, can these four or these five go up against the Aces five? That will let you know what you think about that team. There you go. Well, this has been a wonderful, wonderful conversation. I am very excited for training camp and just getting everything going. Of course, season starts. Tell me again.
- [58:43]
Ben
Ben May 14. Xena May 14.
- [58:45]
Zena
May 14, folks, mark your calendars. And of course, once again, we just want to say congratulations to Candace Parker on an amazing, amazing career. Looking forward to see what she does next and see what teams she might get involved with. We'll see. We'll see. All right, folks, appreciate you all tuning in today. Again, hit that subscribe button on our show. Leave us comments if you have any topics that you'd like for us to cover or any questions for our writers or even debates for our writers. You know they love that in the comments. For now, for Ben, for Sabrina, I'm Xena K. Thanking you for your ear and encouraging you to keep listening, keep learning and keep loving the game because that's the only way we're going to keep growing it until next time.
- [59:37]
Sabrina
As we head into the playoffs, it's safe to assume there will be a.
- [59:40]
Ben
Few calls made by the refs that will be hard to accept.
- [59:43]
Sabrina
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. You heard that right, 99%. So make a good call for your.
- [59:56]
Ben
Wallet and get discovered.
- [59:57]
Sabrina
Based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. Learn more at discover.com creditcard this podcast.
- [60:03]
G
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- [60:56]
Sabrina
Acast Powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.
- [61:04]
Zena
Hey guys. Welcome to Giggly Squad, a place where.
- [61:06]
Sabrina
We make fun of everything, but most importantly ourselves.
- [61:09]
Zena
I'm Paige Desorbo.
- [61:10]
Sabrina
I'm Hannah Berner.
- [61:11]
Zena
Welcome to the squad.
- [61:13]
Sabrina
Giggly Squad started on Summer House when we were giggling during an inappropriate time.
- [61:16]
Ben
But of course, we can't be managed.
- [61:19]
Sabrina
So we decided to start this podcast to continue giggling.
- [61:22]
Ben
We will make fun of pop culture news.
- [61:24]
Sabrina
We're watching fashion trends pep talks where we give advice, mental health moments, and games. And guests. Listen to Giggly Squad on Acast or wherever you get your podcasts. ACAST helps creators launch, grow, and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.