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The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Good Follow - Fighting in the WNBA, Mercury Move to 3rd + Skylar Diggins Praises Nneka Ogwumike & More
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- [00:02]
Logan Hackett
You're listening to DraftKings Network.
- [00:24]
Raz Goldenwoode
Hey, what's up, y' all? Welcome to GoodFallow, presented by DraftKings. I'm Raz Goldenwoode. That's my girl, Logan Hackett. And I think that we switched places, Logan, because I was just in France now I made it back to New York at our New York City is here and you're in France now, right? What's going on?
- [00:43]
Logan Hackett
Yes, I am actually here with Nike for something that is absolutely insane. Faith Kipagon, a an Olympic runner and world record holder. She is going for the four minute mile or under. The four minute mile. So she's trying to become the first woman to go under four minutes. I think 359 is what they're aiming for. I think she could go a little less. But she's doing it in the big stadium, the big track stadium that they had the Olympics at. And it is a huge deal.
- [01:10]
Raz Goldenwoode
What Logan and Nike invited you out there to be a part of covering it?
- [01:14]
Logan Hackett
Yes, they did. I'm so incredibly thankful.
- [01:17]
Raz Goldenwoode
And in the meantime, while Logan's doing historic things out in France, we gonna keep it local here. Cause we got a great show for you. Focusing on a lot of women's topics certainly around the wnba. Let's get to our show menu and topics. The girls they were fighting and Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham. Her popularity has soared since then. Is she a hero or a heel? And how are Alyssa Thomas and those Phoenix Mercury? How are they managing to be third in the standings? I've got some answers. Put some respect on Neca's name. Say it again. Skylar Diggins. That's enough. Enough is enough.
- [01:53]
Logan Hackett
Jeez.
- [01:53]
Raz Goldenwoode
And then the Liberty, they've hit an injury bug. And that depth that I spent so much time highlighting for you is certainly being tested.
- [02:01]
Logan Hackett
Also reminder, we are now dropping two new episodes a week, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. So make sure to tap in and subscribe. Comment like. And as always, thank you all so much for following us. But are you ready to get into it because we have a good show.
- [02:17]
Raz Goldenwoode
Let's do it.
- [02:19]
Logan Hackett
Let's do it. So Sophie Cunningham has been the talk of the wnba. Honestly, I was at the airport and they were swapping my bag. I got kind of like randomly tested and the guy brought her up. He was like, I saw a girl named Sophie with Caitlin Clark the other day. And I was like, wow. It's actually crazy how. Yeah, wide streaming. I never would have expected those words out of his mouth.
- [02:40]
Raz Goldenwoode
Actually. Actually hilarious because I was in Cannes during All of this, right? And so, like, this is a huge marketing advertising festival. Cannes lines. And, like, word was starting to buzz there. Like, I feel like I was talking with, like, Gary V or Draymond Green or, like, various people out there and, like, the CMO of such brand, and they was like, they fighting what's going on. And they were like, this is crazy. I was like, I literally went to France and the WNBA exploded. So it was crazy.
- [03:08]
Logan Hackett
So crazy. And actually, Sophie's social media has exploded. Her tik Tok went from 300k to 1 million followers, and her jersey is now sold out. Now, in this scuffle, no player, no players were suspended. But Sophie did have to pay a $400 fine for her flagrant foul against JC Sheldon in the last 46 second. But my question to you, Roz, is, was the fine worth the new popularity that she now has?
- [03:35]
Raz Goldenwoode
I have $400 for you right now. For anyone who can get my social media following up 700,000 subscribers or followers. I have $400 right now. Hell, yeah. It was worth it. It's it. First of all, it also comes with a little bit of lore and notoriety, and there's a toughness edge to it. There's. There's a lot of sports storytelling that goes into that that you can't manufacture that artificially. Like, this is one of those moments where, like, sometimes you just got to be in it, and it comes now. Regarding the foul itself, the Sophie Cunningham foul, as an athlete, I'm just. I've been an athlete the majority of my life. I'm gonna keep that hat on in this answer. And the way I came up is that you had your teammates back. You hit one of my teammates. You hit our star player. You were gonna feel that you weren't just gonna get away from it. Get away. You might catch an elbow or a hard foul at one point in the game. And look back in the day. For me, it was Stanford University. Whether it was Candace Wiggins, whether it was Neca McKay to my teammates. Look, people are crying over Neca McKay right now as we speak. Skyler Diggins, did you see her last interview? She was on the stage crying behind. And I felt that in my soul. I felt it in my soul. As someone who knows Neca, I'm a grown woman and an adult. I have. I don't even play on a basketball team anymore. I'm ready to fight right now for Neca. Like, don't play with her. So I feel like stepping up for your teammate. I feel the way I was raised is necessary, especially your star. And for the Indiana fever in the 2024 season and so far up until that moment, right now in the 2025 season, until Sophie Cunningham did that, there just have been no repercussions for hitting on Caitlyn. And I've always found that to be weird, whether you whose team you rock with or like, if you are rooting for this team or if you feel like, you know, Caitlin deserved or did, blah, blah, blah, if she's flopping, if she's in the mix either way, I've always found that this star player, this teammate that you do blood, sweat and tears with, and also a generational talent, you know, everyone's worthy of protecting. But certainly that, that, like, beyond just kind of like coming in and like separating, there's just been no, like, in tough person to be like, you're not doing that here. Right? And even there's been current athletes who have gone on their podcast to kind of echo that sentiment, which I feel is pretty widely understood. Like, even on stud buds, we love stud buds. Courtney Williams and the Tisha Heideman. I was chuckling watching them talk about it because they were like, would you have my back? And like, they obviously felt like, yeah, of course I would. But Courtney Williams had me laughing because Courtney was like, first of all, they wouldn't even do that to me. Courtney was like, they know who to play with. They wouldn't even try that with me. And that had me chuckling, you know. But ultimately, Sophie came into the season and publicly told us that she was going to have her teammates back. She. That wasn't, she wasn't going to allow that to happen. All of that tussling that happened to Caitlyn in 2024. And so when the moment came, Sophie stood on business, you know, so. And she's always had a certain level of toughness around her. Now, did Sophie's foul, like there's a difference between catching an elbow and or, you know, a hard foul in a half court set versus Sophie Cunningham grabbing a girl in an open court and dragging her down. It's. It's full stop, it's inappropriate. And whether it's dangerous is, you know, debatable. But there's a very different way in the way she did it. But I will say she stood on business, on what she said she was going to be there to do, and she had her teammates back. Here's where people are protective, Logan. It's in the consistency of coverage. This is where I see people being protective and I Get it? Okay, let's revisit Marina Mabry's foul. So Marina Mabry makes a foul on Caitlin Clark. It's a non basketball foul, like non basketball play. Possession's over and she pushes her. Now, whether Caitlin Clark flops or not, now that's debatable, but the imagery is dramatic. And she goes down. Okay. Not only were no suspensions handed out, Marina got to stay in the game. Like what a player was pushed to the grounds, you know, like, where are the refs, first of all, taking control afterwards in the aftermath of it? Let's talk about coverage of it, people. She was seen having fun, playful coverage of it on TikTok because she's over there, Millie rocking in her huddle and doing everything and she's even saying like, I don't give a F. And that was the kind of coverage that came out of it. Just for comparison, Kennedy Carter last season did a non basketball push of Caitlin Clark, a non basketball foul. And she was not afforded that level of grade. She did not get fun place fun, playful TikTok coverage afterwards. She was very much made a villain out of that. And both Kennedy and Marina were non remorseful about the foul afterwards. You know, both were both have histories of skirmishes on the court and talking trash and you know, being controversial at times. So the coverage of it was different. And that can be shown, that can be compared. And that's where people get protective. I'll give another example. Dijona Carrington has not been afforded that grace in the way that she's covered for her physical and aggressive and active defense. She accidentally hit somebody in the eye and it was not, she was not afforded grace there. So I say all that to say like I come from old school era where like, you know, you have your teammates back. But I do understand and stand with the protectiveness around the way that that's covered. And often the difference can be just around, are we covering if that happened to somebody who, who was a black player, are we covering it the same way? And have we in the past and it actually has been very different.
- [09:30]
Logan Hackett
Yeah, that was one of my first thoughts with it. And I mean, I completely agree with everything you say. It's like in the NHL you have your enforcers and the people, if your star player gets hit, then you know that next fourth line players coming on to hit the best player on the ice. So I absolutely love that. And Caitlin does need people to stick up for her. I mean, there were times where she was on the ground. Other teams were having to like Pull her back up. But yeah, that double standard is absolutely insane. But I want to move on to the Phoenix Mercury, who I actually watched play the sky on the weekend and it is very interesting to watch them play because though something will be going on and you're thinking to yourself what just happened? And then sky had the ball and the next thing you know, Phoenix had it again. It was like, how the heck what is going on? And that game was a crazy blowout. But last season they finished in seventh place and in the offseason they lost huge names like DT Brittney Griner, Natasha Cloud. However, they added their big three and that is Satya Savoy, Khalil Copper and Alyssa Thomas. And with that they're now third in the league. They look so good to me and they're also on a five game win streak. But do you think they're overachieving or are they exactly where they need to be?
- [10:39]
Raz Goldenwoode
You know, I think it is overachieving. Logan, you, you mentioned a big three. Kalia Clapper has barely played to start the season. She's played in three games so far. Like a casual to medium level fan might have even looked at that roster and said, okay, Kalia Copper has been out for a lot of this. Satu Sabali, okay, Alyssa Thomas, all right, and who, and look at that roster and been like, wait, who are the rest of these players? Because they got a bunch of foreign players and non traditional rookies that are really playing very well. And within a system you've got Monique Akoa Makani, right? Started playing ball at the age of 11. Like she's been playing over in France and Europe. Playing in the WNBA was a dream. Like her pro career was in Europe, but it worked out. You know, you look at Catherine west belt, okay, she's 29, she's, she's a rookie this year in the WNBA, but she's been playing pro overseas. So it worked out that, that she found her way in. Now, you know, you have Lexi Held a rookie. You also have other active, hustling, defensive, disruptive player like that Laksa or Mac, who's blocking shots. You know, they're all buying into what coach Nate Tibbets is selling, which is they've got this identity of being tough and physical and disruptive and, and just long and defensive. They are tied for number one in the league for steals. And guess what, guess what, who else's teams always have a reputation of being physical and tough and defensive? Alyssa Thomas's teams, no matter where she goes, that identity follows Her. And so now look at this Phoenix Mercury team. That. That's. They're all about that identity. They're physical and tough. Hello, Alyssa Thomas. If again, with Alyssa, you got to be watching because everything that, that they do, she's so integral to. She's quarterback in their offense, their defense. She's leading the league in assists again. She is nearing a triple double in, you know, averages. She. She's filling that stat sheet. She's doing a little bit of everything, and she continues to be great and playing at a high level. And then you got Satu Sabley, right? I spoke with Satu, who told me she likes playing for Nate Tibbets. She's really thankful to have the clean slate, you know, in a fresh start in Phoenix after all those years in Dallas. And honestly, she also told me she heard the disrespect, she heard the talking. And in Michael Jordan terms, she said, I took that personally, you know, and so she's healthy right now and she just wants to let her game do the talking and so thankful to have the chance to let her game do the talking. And I'll give one more shout out for that team to the veteran Sammy Whitcomb. She's been playing great, so, so good.
- [13:21]
Logan Hackett
And actually going back to 80. One thing that I've never noticed, even while watching on TV, is how much she talks during the game, A, to her teammates. But B, she is talking trash all game, not only to the other team, but people who are sitting courtside as well. The cast of the shy was sitting courtside. They were chirping throughout the whole entire game. And then afterwards she went and was like, take the L, take the L. But either chirping or a huge smile on her face, I absolutely love to see it. And I was really analyzing their interactions with their coach with Nate Tibbets, and it looked so good. Like, I love where this team is right now. But you also mentioned Neca a few times, and I know that she's your girl. And we had a little moment following the storm Sunday night. Win over the Liberty. Skylar Diggins had an emotional post game press conference and gave her flowers to Nneka Ogwemike. Let's hear what she had to say.
- [14:14]
Raz Goldenwoode
I came here to play with neca. What she does, you know, day in and day out is special. You shouldn't take it for granted. Like, I love her. She's a champion. She's the most disrespected MVP in the history of our league. And every night she's breaking records. It's amazing what she's done and we celebrate her every day. It's a blessing to be on his team with her. And, you know, she's the first ballot hall of Famer.
- [14:39]
Logan Hackett
First of all, I do have to call out how good Skylar Diggins arms look. They are absolutely gripped. That was the first thing I saw.
- [14:47]
Raz Goldenwoode
But oh my God, no. Sky being that weight room like crazy.
- [14:52]
Logan Hackett
They are so toned and defined. But Roz, do you agree with Skyler on this?
- [14:58]
Raz Goldenwoode
Wholeheartedly? Say it louder for the people in the back, Skyler. I mean, NECA is literally what excellence and consistency looks like combined over the course of a career. Go and check her stats. She has never shot below 50% in any of the 14 seasons that she's played. She has never averaged below 13 points per game. She's an excellent player at every range she, she scores from. She's brilliant, she's smart, she's highly skilled, she's athletic, she's dependable. NECA actually has been in the MVP conversation for the last three years consecutively. Okay, it's been. She been right there, it's been Asia, it's been Nafisa. But Neck is in the conversation. You know, she wasn't a front runner for mvp, but NECA has absolutely been in an MVP conversation for the last three seasons in a row. So from a legacy standpoint, like, just, she's one of the best leaders ever in sports and has led the WNBA and its players through some of the most critical, challenging, impactful times, literally to. To the existence, the existence and opportunity for the wnba. She led, she leads that. From a legacy standpoint, NECA is one of the great leaders of all sports. Like for the wnba, she has led its players, the league, through some of the most challenging and critical times in the history of the league for the survival of the league, some of the most impactful policymaking she has been a part of, and yet people still want to play in her face. You know, leaving Neca Guma off of the Olympic team in 2016 is one of the most regrettable decisions in the history of sports, in my opinion. It's absolutely shameful. Shame. Like shameful. NECA was the MVP that season. She was the 2016 MVP and left off the 2016 Olympic team. She's the only MVP that hasn't been on an Olympic team. So I think Skylar said it right. You know, NECA just comes in and does her job every game. Over the course of over a decade now, breaking records, climbing the history ladders and continuing to be a Graceful leader.
- [17:18]
Logan Hackett
With All Star voting coming up, do you fear for her place in the All Star Game this year?
- [17:24]
Raz Goldenwoode
No.
- [17:25]
Logan Hackett
Okay, good.
- [17:26]
Raz Goldenwoode
I think the only fear I might have is if she gets to be a starter or not. But Neck is an All Star.
- [17:31]
Logan Hackett
Yeah, I really think the players, because there's the players vote in the media vote, they can really carry that. And you know, we were just talking about Sophie Cunningham and I feel like it's kind of the same situation in a way. Like we've had saucy Sophie since way before this happened, but now because she's on the fever and all eyes are on them, a lot of people are seeing this for the first time. And with the new fans coming in, I feel like Neca is not getting as appreciated because not that many people might be watching her, but I really, really hope that she continues to thrive and the fact that she's been in the league since 2012 and she's done everything that she has. New fans really need to put some respect on her name. Everyone needs to put some more respect on her name.
- [18:12]
Raz Goldenwoode
I think not knowing who Neca Akuma Case has a lot more about you as a fan than it says anything about her. Hello.
- [18:19]
Logan Hackett
Absolutely. And the last topic we have has been a big topic of conversation in the past few weeks, which is New York Liberty's death. It has been absolutely insane. But it's being tested out right now. Sabrina's out indefinitely. Leonie Thebish is out until the end of the month. John Cal Jones is slated to miss four to six weeks and they're in the middle of a four game road trip. Do you think they're deep enough to withstand all the injuries right now?
- [18:46]
Raz Goldenwoode
I think so. However, I do think it's funny, like when it rains, it pours. Of course, when their depth is being tested, they are in the thick of a very challenging part of their schedule. They're seeing some very tough teams and of course they're right in the middle of a road trip. Of all the times that that could have happened. But any team that's going to be down three starters and two of those, I mean arguably I feel should be All Stars would need some time to adjust, you know, so you're not going to have Jonquil Jones probably through the, through the All Star break. Sabrina, we're not sure when she's coming back from that neck injury and then Leonie Fish will be back at the end of the month after Euro basket. But I think you certainly miss so much with those three. I mean with, with John Quell Jones, her, her double double that she's giving you of production. But defensively, you miss Jonquill, you miss Leonie Phoebus, you miss their size, Leone, 6 4, the versatility. You miss Sabrina's ability to, to, to handle pressure, put the ball on the floor against the defense to score points. You miss all of that. Even with those three out, the Liberty are still, they've had a couple of losses here. They're still right in these games. And probably the biggest takeaway for the Liberty is they've been shooting themselves in the foot and losing the possession battle. They're turning it over too much and they're giving up too many offensive rebounds. And so that's really been the issue. And the good thing is those things, those are things that can be worked on and, and improved. And it often comes with the territory when you got a bunch of players who are playing out of position, playing out a rotation and figuring it out. But in the long run, I actually think this is going to be good for the Liberty to have the shakeup, to get other players some playing time and experience, having media roles. And then, you know, when all those stars come back, keep it chucking.
- [20:26]
Logan Hackett
That's exactly what I was thinking. And honestly, if it gets to a bit, just tell them Marino hand us. It's like game five. A season is on the line and she should be able to keep it clutch. But y' all coming up and make my DK game pick of the week and we have some quick hits for you. We'll be right back.
- [20:53]
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- [21:39]
Raz Goldenwoode
Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler in New York. Call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 In Connecticut, help is available. For problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on Behal Hill Casino and resort in Kansas. 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void. In Ontario, bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG co Audio. When you hear Lululemon, you probably think of aligned yoga pants. Weightlessly soft, like you're wearing next to nothing. That's why you see them in class, at the grocery store and in the park. But did you know about skirts with built in liner shorts so you can still jump for the Frisbee and tanks and bodysuits? With Align's iconic stretch you won't want to take it off. And with endless style options, you don't have to shop in store or online@lululemon.com what is dadication? The thing that drives me every day as a dad is Dariona. We call him DAE Date for short. Every day he's hungry for something, whether it's attention, affection, knowledge, and there's this huge responsibility in making sure that when he's no longer under my win that he's a good person. I want him to be able to sit back one day and go, we worked together. We did a good job.
- [22:58]
Logan Hackett
That's dedication. Find out more@fatherhood.gov brought to you by the U.S. department of Health and Human.
- [23:03]
Raz Goldenwoode
Services and the Ad Council.
- [23:15]
Logan Hackett
Welcome back to Goodfellow. Today's episode is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings the Crown is yours. It is now time for the DraftKings Pick of the Week presented by DraftKings. This weekend we have the battle of the first overall picks, with Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever taking on Paige Beckers and the Dallas Wings on Friday night in Dallas. Despite making headlines week after week, Indiana has had a bit of a streaky season so far, picking up some interesting losses but also pulling off some great wins. Of course, the player to watch here is Caitlin Clark, who's currently averaging nearly 20 points and nine assists per game. Although she's been in a bit of a shooting slump, I feel like she can get back into a rhythm against a team like Dallas. With that said, the Wings are starting to pick things up after starting the Season 1 and 11. They picked up two great wins last week, and Lee Heru has already proven to be a great addition to this roster. All eyes will be on first overall pick Paige Beckers as she's looking to continue her hot streak. She continues to propel the wings, putting up 61 points, 15 rebounds and 16 assists over three games last week. And there's no doubt she'll want to put on a show for this game. This is going to be such a good one, but I'm going with Indiana to pull out the win here. This segment is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours.
- [24:23]
Raz Goldenwoode
The crown is yours. Logan, Great job. We've got. We've got a. We've got time left on the show. We need to hear the quick hits, the headlines. What do you have for me? Because it has been busy out there.
- [24:36]
Logan Hackett
Super busy. And the first one is actually pretty fun. Caused quite a stir on social media, but a fan posted on Reddit that there should be an NBA and WNBA counterpart jersey swap type of situation. So NBA players swap jerseys with WNBA teams and play in their games. What do you think about that?
- [24:56]
Raz Goldenwoode
I think it's pretty cool. I mean, I just want to make sure that every team has a sister team, but yeah. And also NBA players love showing love to. To the women's basketball.
- [25:05]
Logan Hackett
Oh, absolutely. I also saw someone say that they should do it on days where the counterparts play each other. So the NBA teams play against each other and then the WNBA game is right afterwards. I think that would be so smart.
- [25:19]
Raz Goldenwoode
It could be very cool.
- [25:21]
Logan Hackett
Right? And the next one. Cardi B mentioned Asia Wilson in her new song Outside. I love the mentions because all the men's players get all the rap mentions, but the women are coming in.
- [25:34]
Raz Goldenwoode
Asia Will. What's poppin Boo? I actually saw Cardi debut this song in Cannes when I was in France for the Spotify concert crowd. And at the time I did not know she shouted out Asia Wilson. But Cardi is very smart, has always been savvy, and whether it's her or her, you know, writers love to see it go. Asia.
- [25:54]
Logan Hackett
Absolutely. And something else we love to see is money and women's sports. And the Golden State Valkyries are the most valuable WNBA team and the first $500 million pro women's team. $500 million valuation at what, 13 games? We're not even halfway through the season. That is insane.
- [26:14]
Raz Goldenwoode
They bought that team for 50 million. It's so crazy. The WNBA is where the money resides.
- [26:21]
Logan Hackett
Absolutely. And lastly, I guess actually to go with that, the first woman sports bar in LA is officially open. It's called Untamed Spirits and it opened in early June to coincide with Pride Month, which we love.
- [26:33]
Raz Goldenwoode
Oh, cool. Yeah, cool. Very cool. Oh, man. Everybody making money right now in women's sports. Let's go. And that's why we're here covering women's sports for you. And you know, now we drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We're a two time a week drop show. Make sure you tap in with us because that's, that's gonna do it for this week's episode of good follow show, which is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings.
- [26:55]
Logan Hackett
Logan, the Crown is yours.
- [26:58]
Raz Goldenwoode
I'm Roz, she's Logan. We appreciate you being here. Subscribe, follow all the socials, comment, yell at us in the comments, all the things, bring it on. We love it. We'll see you next Thursday. Next Tuesday. Next Thursday. Next Tuesday. Just tap in. Take care.
- [27:14]
Logan Hackett
Bye, guys.