← The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Good Follow - UCLA HC Cori Close Joins the Show, Clark Injured, is Kiki ROTY? + Aces & Sky Rough Start & More
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- [00:01]
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- [00:28]
Roz Goldenwoode
Hey there travelers.
- [00:28]
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- [00:53]
Roz Goldenwoode
Go to your happy price, Priceline.
- [00:58]
Logan Hackett
You're listening to DraftKings Network.
- [01:20]
Roz Goldenwoode
Hey, what's up everyone and welcome to Goodfollow. Goodfollow is presented by DraftKings and my name is Roz Goldenwoode. And that is my girl, that's my co host, Logan Hackett. And guys, she's actually coming to us. She's so dedicated. She is coming to us from France in Paris. You're out there with, with your mom. What, what exactly are you doing, Logan?
- [01:41]
Logan Hackett
Yes. So we are both huge tennis fans and we're checking off the Grand Slam bucket list. So we're Australian. So the Australian Open is very easy. US Open is accessible. And so she wanted to do France and Wimbledon. So we're doing French now and then I think Wimbledon next year and then the next few days after that we're just going to go shopping. We have like mother daughter shopping trips and so we're going to use that.
- [02:03]
Roz Goldenwoode
Well, y' all, it's very clear that Logan is living her best life. But you know, for the rest of us, we're still living our best lives. We got a whole lot of women's sports and a whole lot of women's basketball. WNBA action is kicking off and it's heating up and it's been a big first week and a half here now. So let me tell you what's on the menu for our show today for good followers. We are talking about the fever, but they are without Caitlin Clark. What does that mean for them? We're talking about the Aces. Rough start to the season and we're talking about the Chicago skies, even rougher start to the season and what they can do to climb out. Shout out to my girl. Neca's top 10 baby. She's climbing the record books. And guys, does Kelsey Plum have an MVP case? We'll discuss. Does Kelsey Kiki Irafin have a Rookie of the Year case? We'll discuss. And don't leave because we have an amazing, illuminating sit down interview with Coach of the Year UCLA head coach Corey Close. We're going to reflect on last season's run to the Final Four for ucla, women's basketball, the transfer portal and more. You don't want to miss this conversation. We got a nice show, right Logan?
- [03:10]
Logan Hackett
We absolutely do. And as always, y' all, thank you so much for subscribing, commenting, liking clicking all the buttons, following our socials. And don't forget, new episodes drop every Wednesday at 7pm Eastern or maybe a little bit earlier if you check. But are you ready to get into it?
- [03:25]
Roz Goldenwoode
Okay, Logan. Okay. Take us through it.
- [03:27]
Logan Hackett
All right. So yesterday actually I was sitting right before my flight and my phone started blowing up. I thought something incredibly tragic happened, which it kind of did, but it just turned out to be Caitlin Clark suffering an injury and she is out for at least two weeks with a left quad strain. Now between Iowa and playing for the Fever, she has played in 185 consecutive games. According to Google, the last time she missed a game was in 2017, which was her sophomore year in high school. And I feel like this is just somebody who never rests and now she has to get put on rest. So how can Caitlin use this time while out dealing with this injury to kind of work on other things that she needs to.
- [04:06]
Roz Goldenwoode
Well, you know, it's interesting because she used this WNBA, the offseason coming into the season to take that time, you know, off from like full time basketball. She didn't play unrivaled. You know, she did the things she enjoyed. She went golfing, she went to Taylor Swift concerts. Like she did all the things. So, you know, it's unfortunate that she's hurt right now, but I also think it might be a good thing because the start to the season for Caitlyn, if we're going to be honest, has been a bit of a mixed bag, you know. So I think this is a useful moment for her to watch film, refocus, understand what is and isn't working because she's certainly, she's Caitlin Clark. She's, she's really that talented. So there's certainly been moments of brilliance like her knack for the moment of hitting a timely shot or an assist. She's still filling up the stat sheet. She's averaging 19 points, nine assists, six rebounds. But there's been some high inefficiency there. She's not shooting the three ball well. Overall. She's had a hard time putting it together from three and she's turning it over far too much. And coach Stephanie White is willing to be honest with her and hold her accountable there and I think Caitlin's willing to hold herself accountable there. So I think while it's certainly still great production from Caitlin, there's just a lot more efficiency and high level play that she could be working towards. So perhaps it could be maybe a blessing in disguise for her.
- [05:23]
Logan Hackett
I love that blessing in disguise. That was one of the first things I thought about. But as for the Fever, it comes at a pretty awkward time because they lost two of their last three games and we do have others stepping up like Aaliyah Boston. She had 27 points, 14 rebounds against Liberty and the last three game, three of four games, she's had a double double. But they're going to need more than just Aaliyah Boston. So how can they kind of regroup and pick up some wins while Caitlin is out?
- [05:46]
Roz Goldenwoode
Yeah, well, you mentioned Aaliyah Boston. You know, so much of her success, which has been great, very much comes from the work she's doing with Caitlin Clark in the pick and roll. The two of them are fantastic together. And, and, and Aaliyah does a great job of reading the defense's attention on Caitlyn and making the right read her versatility like it's not just a roll to the rim. She'll pick and pop, she'll hit a mid range jumper. She's been great. But now what happens when it's not Caitlyn creating that for you or working in that with you? And so I also look to Kelsey Mitchell like this is somebody who is fast, who can create her own shot. She may be leaned on as well to be someone who can also, you know, create for others even more than she already does. And, and I think with overall it's going to be a continued work in progress on the Fever's defense. They've got to continue to get serious about it. And especially if perhaps you lose some offensive power, then you've got to get even better on defense. And that's been the talking point since training camp from Stephanie White. And for me, I think a lot of this too comes from they need time to Mesh and gel, like, this is not normal. There are a lot of new faces, but one face that I've kind of got my attention on that's new to this team is Dejuana Bonner. Now, we celebrated that. She moved up in the record books the third all time and scoring and. But. But this season, you wouldn't know that looking at her season. This year, she's only taking four shots a game. This is somebody who averaged 15 points per game last season. She's now averaging two and a half. All right. On 12% shooting. 12 and a half percent shooting. Um, it's. This isn't. This is over a small sample size, but more what I'm seeing is just, like, discomfort and even being able to figure out where her. Where, where and when she can get shots up or fit into the offense. And so I'm looking at Stephanie White to kind of help identify what Duana Bonner's role is going to be with this team. Already Dana has started already. She has come off the bench. When you know where you are in the rotation, where. When you get in the game, you understand where your shots are coming from, who you're playing with, like how to. How to kind of move yourself over the course of a game, it's really important to establish, like, some kind of rhythm like that. And I think that's the. The what you can do that's fair. And I also want to point out I don't think it's a bad thing to come off the bench at all. I mean, you know, if Dana Bonner ends up being someone who comes off the bench, it might be better for her because sometimes in starting lineups, there's certain players that have a hard time getting the touches they need or finding their rhythm. And in the second unit, suddenly you can be featured more. And now it could even be a change of style or a change of pace. They could slow it down a little bit. You know, the Fever playing fast. They could, you know, isolate or just show different ways to feature Dejuana. And then on for the coach for Stephanie White, you get firepower off your bench, and you. You know what you're gonna get off your bench, which is a luxury for any coach. So I'm interested in seeing, like, how Duana Bonner's role solidifies on this Fever team.
- [08:51]
Logan Hackett
I'm also really keen to see Sophie Cunningham integrate with the team. And for some reason, I feel like this is kind of her time to shine, especially. The first thing that comes to mind is the spiciness. Caitlin's not there to bring the spiciness on the court. And so she's gonna step up, but she is definitely someone who can always bring the power. And when she is hot, she is on a roll. So I think this could really be a good time for her to get back into it. She's only played two games coming off of an injury, so I am very keen to see how they play without Caitlin. That I. That's not really in recent memory. But speaking of kind of things going down, on Sunday, the Aces lost to the storm 102 to 82, and they fell to 2 and 2 on the season. And while Asia leads the Aces in all stat categories, it is just not enough. And I mean, with all due respect, this is not final stretch fighting for mvp. We are going to win the championship. Asia, she is still playing amazing, but it's not anything crazy. We're not to that point of the season yet. But what do you think is going on with the Aces and how do they bounce back against the Sparks when they play on Friday?
- [09:55]
Roz Goldenwoode
It has to start with defense, Logan. Like, and I'm not even saying nothing that's like science or like some rocket. Rocket science research. This is coming out of coach Becky Hammond's mouth. Like, she called her team publicly. She said, we're undisciplined defensively. Against the storm, they allowed 34 points in the first quarter. The Storm shot 60% from the field, 50 from three, and more impressively or crazy, like 32 assists. I mean, that's crazy. I mean, the Storm are good, but they were out there looking like Magic Johnson himself. Like they were just doing whatever they wanted against the Aces, cutting in front of them, beating them to the spot. Jump. They couldn't jump to the ball. They just absolutely outplayed them. And. And the defense really didn't make Seattle feel anything. You. There's no discomfort you're seeing from the other team. So now they play the Sparks next, and there's potential for this to be emotionally charged. Right. It's the first time that they see Kelsey Plum again. And of course, Derick Hamby's on that team. So oftentimes, emotion and discipline are these words that often go together. Not usually, but. But it. It's a healthy test for them. And here's the good news for the Aces. Their last game to this. Now this game against the Sparks, four days in between. Four days for practice. And they need the practice. So that'll be really important for them. One player. And girl, you know, you and I went to unrivaled in Miami. Right. Like how good was Chelsea Gray? And unrivaled.
- [11:22]
Logan Hackett
So good. That was one of the things is her and Jackie Young. There are too many good names on this roster for Asia to be carrying.
- [11:28]
Roz Goldenwoode
This hard, you know, point blank period. Point blank period. And I'm shocked about Chelsea. I'm wondering what's going on because she's kind of had a slow start to the season and I'm not even just talking about points, I'm talking about the assists. Like Chelsea makes so many things happen for everyone else and it's all down. So oftentimes with Chelsea Gray, whatever team she's on, as she goes, they go. So I just, I've got my eyes on that and we'll see how the Aces try to respond.
- [11:57]
Logan Hackett
You talked about Seattle having a ton of space and just out there like Magic Johnson in that game. Neko Gomicay moved to a ninth in all time scoring, ninth in all time steals, became the seventh player in WNBA history to eclipse 606,500 points, 3,000 rebounds and 800 assists in her career. Roz, what stands out about the play of neca?
- [12:23]
Roz Goldenwoode
Because it's the body of work for me, baby. It's the, it's the body of work for me. Like, you know, and she's like 14 rebounds away at the time of taping this from being top 10 all time in rebounds as well. So we're talking about someone who this season at the early part of the season is topped in top 10 points rebounds in the record books. Right now she's averaging 20 and 10 again early in the season. But both of those are career highs for her and she does it on offense and defense. She's been dominant throughout her whole career. If you ever bored go to Basketball Reference and look up NECA stats. I mean it's literally like this. If you look at the word consistency in the dictionary, it should be a picture of NECA goomike next to her, like stat career stats because that's what she is. And I this is my friend and also my former teammate. You know, she's a very thoughtful person, intelligent, all the things dependable and that's how she plays. She plays very dependable and thoughtful and she just made it all the right reads. She's skill, highly skilled on top of, you know, the athleticism that she has, but making all the right reads and making teammates better too and crashing the glass and look, NECA plays at every range. She has touch from every range. It's a masterclass. So applause for NECA and another applause.
- [13:36]
Logan Hackett
For her social media activity recently. She is all over my for you page, and the videos are so interesting. I love to see it, but, oh, my gosh. On to the next. Actually sticking on the west coast, the Sparks took down the Sky 9178 on Sunday, and y' all will get to the sky in a second. But Kelsey plum dominated with 28 points, and she now leads the league in three pointers made and is second in points per game. Now, her name is coming up every single week at this point, which there hasn't been very many weeks, but she has been in every single week. And it begs the question, is she in the mix for MVP this year?
- [14:10]
Roz Goldenwoode
Yeah, absolutely, she is. You know, the only thing that could potentially hold Kelsey Plum back is her team's got to be there with her, right? She's got to just make sure that the Sparks continue to win because you're second in the league in scoring. She's also top 10 in the league and assists and steals. She's doing a whole lot of great things for her team on both ends. You know, you talk about the efficiency, too, above 40% from 3. You're talking about someone who's, you know, taking a lot of shots, who's averaging a lot of points. This isn't a role player that you're penetrating and kicking it out to. She's making things happen, and she. One thing I've always known about Kelsey Plum, she's a hard worker, and then she's highly skilled. That's a great combination. And she's a great creator for her own shot and her teammates. And probably what stands out most to me about the way Kelsey's playing right now is the assists that she has. In her last game, she had eight assists. She's just. And it's the way she does it off the dribble. Like, you know, she can catch and shoot. She can play at any range. But when she has the ball in her hand, it kind of reminds me of like, how Steve Nash used to play where, like, the dribble was always alive. And so, like, she's just slight. It's beautiful. She's, like, slicing through this defense. She. If you reach in, she's teaching. She's going to the lane and the cup. She finishes very nicely. She knows how to get her to the heart of the defense and then kick it out to a teammate. It's just, you know, I always am impressed at her size, what she can do off the bounce.
- [15:33]
Logan Hackett
But you mentioned her teammates, and it's going right for them, but they can also possibly be holding her back. What do you see is going right for the Sparks right now? Because they've been looking pretty good.
- [15:45]
Roz Goldenwoode
Yeah. And for me, it's the veterans for the Sparks. It's the veteran play. Um, you know, the only thing right now, they're, they're a little banged up to all of their youthful stars. You've seen injuries now to Ray Burrell. Rekia Jackson's been out, Cameron Brink's still out. So those are all the big young girls that, you know, players that we're excited about for the future. But it's been the vets holding it down. It's been Kelsey Plum, obviously, but it's been Dericka Hamby, it's been Azara Stevens. It's been Odyssey Sims. And remember last season when we were talking about the links and we said they were just the right combination of characters given their just career story arcs and sometimes that I like this mix of the veteran group for the Sparks because they're clearly very talented veteran. Um, they're very tough players. At some point in each of those careers, they've all been slept on a little bit. They've all got a little dog and chipping them, whether that's Kelsey, Derick, Azariah or Odyssey. And perhaps that's just the right formula, you know, for to make the Sparks a spicy team.
- [16:49]
Logan Hackett
And just little to add with Azariah because she's really been standing out to me. She is currently averaging, averaging eight points more than her average in the past eight seasons, maybe more. Four or five games in double digits with three and 20 points. And last year she had 10 games in double digits, but only one of them with over 20 points. And like Kelsey, she is shooting amazing from three 47% great numbers. But I actually want to kick it over to some something that's not going as good and that is the Chicago sky. My goodness. At the time of this recording, they're owing three to start the season after their loss to the. After their loss to the Sparks and they had 43 turnovers in two games, are in last place in free throw percentage. And to make it a little worse, their plus minus is minus 72 or 73 compared to the liberty and first who is plus 40.
- [17:39]
Corey Close
So.
- [17:40]
Logan Hackett
So it's just, it's not going great. And I have to say I had a lot of faith in Tyler Marsh. I thought he was going to do his big one off rip. Maybe, maybe that was me being a bit too keen. But what do you Think they need to improve to keep the season alive.
- [17:54]
Roz Goldenwoode
Logan, first of all, it's been three games.
- [17:58]
Logan Hackett
I know you already.
- [18:00]
Roz Goldenwoode
You already trying to get rid of Tyler Marsh day. No, no, but I, I feel you. And I know that, that the Chicago fan base is probably just as eager, you know, But I just think everything we said in this show so far, we must keep in mind. Every team's played three to five games like the season just started. Let's. A lot of these teams have completely new coaches, new rosters, but that being said, there's just some very simple things that stand out for the sky that they can do. It has to start with defense. In three games, teams are averaging 94 points per game against the sky. You come in there and it's like Oprah in there. You get a bucket, you get a bucket, bucket. And also they are struggling offensively. Right. So you really have to make every easier opportunity count. So they're giving up 19 turnovers a game. You've got to value the ball. Also, those turnovers often end up to be run outs. Momentum plays for the other team. And all of a sudden this, the score gets out of hand in a hurry. They're shooting in the first two games of the season. They did better in the third. First two games of the season, they were only shooting 51% from the free throw line. So you get in freebies and you guys are coming away with only half. You have to make that count. Let's address Angel. First of all, Angel Reese, we know she works hard and she's crashing that glass. It's not for lack of effort. She's averaging nine points, about 14 rebounds per game. But again, the efficiency, she's shooting even lower than she was last season and we wanted to see improvement there. She's shooting 30% from the field and it's only three games, but she's also averaging about five turnovers a game. So for me, it's even less about the shooting. And for me it's more like the decision making for Angel. There's opportunities for her to pass out. I'd like, I'd love to see an angel over the course of her career, and I'm sure we will, where she's, you know, better at anticipating and making the right play out and getting teammates involved, being a player that can get more assists for her teammates. But right now I just see a young player that could use more time and more film sessions and certainly is willing to be a student of the game. But like, it feels like a lot is riding on her. And I also think, hey, that veteran group of Kia nurse, Ariel Atkins, Courtney Vandersloot, they've come out slow and they were supposed to take more pressure off the shoulders of Camila Cardoso and Angel Reese. And right now no one's taking pressure off of anyone. So I think just also a little bit more time for Chicago to gel and maybe some rotation shift ups because one player that has been a bright spot is Rebecca Allen. And she's always been a very nice role player in this league and she's very nice vet when she's coming off the bench, she's gotten points. You know, she's played with a lot of energy. And in general, when I watch them play against the Liberty, I thought the second unit overall for Chicago brought a lot of energy and pace to the game in a good way.
- [20:50]
Logan Hackett
And last but certainly not least, we have to talk about Kiki Areafin. And I feel like her and angel, the beginning of their careers have kind of mirrored each other. But she became the youngest player to record three straight double doubles, joining Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Satya Sabley as the only rookies since 2020 to do so. But then on Sunday, she put up her fourth straight double double and has the most rebounds by a player in their first five games since 1999. So with that, is she the front runner for the Rookie of the year award?
- [21:22]
Roz Goldenwoode
You know what? She got a case. It's too early for me to say that somebody is the front runner. I mean, I think, I think, I think if, let me be honest, she might be what she's certainly done. And also Sonia Citron is prove that this was not a one trick pony draft class. This is not just only the Paige Becker show. And you know, some people might have read wrong the how good Kiki Eriefan is. You know, and I think maybe that her season at USC wasn't quite as sparkly as what. What we were seeing break out for her at Stanford. But what I'm seeing is a very versatile and mobile post. Young playing with a lot of confidence. And that double double she has. What stands out to me is the three offensive rebounds per game that she's averaging. Like, she's. She's got a motor. And I just want to shout out Sonya too, because she's got a rookie of the year case as well. For her, it's. It's about her efficiency. She's shooting 53% from the field, nearly 48% from three. She takes four threes a game. This is a player that's Putting it up there. So she's the team's second leading scorer. So, you know, both of them have been doing really great and they're a lot of fun to watch. I love the way the Mystics are playing here early.
- [22:28]
Logan Hackett
Absolutely love it. I wonder if they could do like a co Rookie of the Year award. I don't think that's ever been done, but maybe this could be the first year. But y' all, we have to cut to break. But coming right up, Ross sits down with UCLA women's basketball head coach and this season's women's college basketball National Coach of the Year, Corey Close. We'll be right back.
- [23:07]
Roz Goldenwoode
Hey, what's up? Good follow. It's your girl, Roz Golden Woode. And we are coming to you from our LA studios. We, we're in LA today because we are in the home of our guest who last college season won the National Coach of the Year award, the Naismith, the wbca, the AP after a historic season leading her UCLA Bruins to the first Final Four in program history and winning a Big Ten tournament title. So we have coach Corey Close here.
- [23:38]
Corey Close
Thank you so much for fall or for letting me come with your amazing show. And I'm just impressed that you, you know, where you are right now in the LA studio since you are everywhere. I see you all around. So thanks for having me.
- [23:51]
Roz Goldenwoode
I am on the move a lot. You are mostly just moving where this game is taking me. As I was getting ready for this interview, I was looking through all the different things about you and I'm like, oh, look at my girl Corey. She's an influencer. So I happened to notice on social media you have like a campaign car rides with Corey. Yes. And you actually asked your audience a really great question and I was like, what a great way to start our interview off. So how did you choose joy and gratitude today, Corey?
- [24:25]
Corey Close
You know, honestly, I was out in my backyard, which I am almost every morning at 6am and I just and literally just recounting all the things that I have to be thankful for and wrote them down in my journal. And I think gratitude and joy really are hand in hand. But if you don't choose them, usually negativity and comparison squelches it out. So it is truly a discipline. But when I think about, oh, I don't have time for this or I need to move on, I'm like, okay, what are the ramifications of that? If I don't choose joy and gratitude and set my mind there, am I really willing to live with the ramifications of having comparison, greed, entitlement, self absorption sneak in, because that's what will happen if you don't choose something else. And so it really is self preservation for me. And it's just the way I think you lead a life of contentment.
- [25:20]
Roz Goldenwoode
But a word you brought up was comparison, which I think is like so thick in our society with social media, all the things. What is that for you as a coach?
- [25:29]
Corey Close
Like, well, you know, what's interesting is, you know, as you listed all the special things that happened this year and on the basketball court in that journey, I am of course incredibly humbled and very grateful for all of the things. But you know what it really taught me is there it is shallow and short lived because what also ended up happening in the middle of our NCAA tournament run, we are literally on our way to the Final Four and I am having meetings with families about the next year's nil package, which we had to do during that time. There was no choice because if the rev share passed that Monday, which was the first day the judge could sign, it hasn't passed, still hasn't been signed.
- [26:12]
Roz Goldenwoode
Right.
- [26:13]
Corey Close
But we had to have these contracts in place. And so here we are in the midst of all of this. And I realized, you know, as soon as we were done with so, you know, first Final Four, all the championship, all the things. And of my 13 conversations with families about, I would say 11 of them were probably disappointed. And they got big raises, really big raises. And I just thought to myself, okay, and then I'm also going into a contract negotiation. Yourself, myself. And I thought to myself, oh my goodness, everybody's getting a big raise and they're still disappointed. Where does that come from? And that comes from comparison. That comparison is truly the thief of all joy. And so as soon as I start judging anything, Coach Wooden used to talk about it, never compare yourself to the person on your right or on your left. Only compare yourself to you giving your own best effort. And then I started holding myself accountable to go, like, well, I have to live by the same rules. I can't just judge my contract. Well, is it better than such and such or is it better than the next person? No. Is it what the market has brought and what is it what I've earned, period? And you know, and I just think we're all tempted to succumb to that if we're not careful. And so, but it really taught me this year is that, you know what, it was really fun. And it's obviously the cherry on Top. But I heard a great analogy the other day that championships are like roses. They are incredibly beautiful and you pursue them and they're amazing. You get the championship and it is, the rose is pretty and it smells good and two days later it's brown and it stinks. And you know what? That's true. I am just like, you know, I am thankful. But the final four and the awards are a byproduct of the work and the process.
- [28:14]
Roz Goldenwoode
Yeah.
- [28:15]
Corey Close
And that is truly where the value really still lies for me.
- [28:18]
Roz Goldenwoode
Yeah. It also probably is makes you think that there needs to be an evaluation of just the timeline because for coaches and teams that are still playing at that point in April, you need to be focused on the game well, not.
- [28:30]
Corey Close
Negotiating deals and contracts and, and you're dealing with agents. You're dealing with all of the things and the portals open.
- [28:39]
Roz Goldenwoode
So first of all, do you think this is where a GM would come in now? Is that something that you would.
- [28:44]
Corey Close
Yeah, a GM would be somebody who would be dealing, having those conversations moving forward. And we won't have these contract timing things ever again. This is a blip in history where we are absolutely shifting the entire landscape. And so hopefully that never happens again. But we need to change the date of the transfer portal.
- [29:02]
Roz Goldenwoode
So given that you had all these conversations, one what I read from that is you mentioned players were disappointed. Like, that's not the right energy you want to take into the final four. But also, did you get any inkling that, hey, there might be a number of players who are going to transfer out of my program as soon as we're done with this, no matter what happens?
- [29:21]
Corey Close
You know, I, I, I thought I, I'm a coach that has a pretty good pulse, but honestly, this year I didn't, it wasn't as good as I thought it was. You know, I think the reality was is that, you know, Nell Fortner, who recently retired at from Georgia Tech. She was, her team was at UCLA for the first and second rounds. And she said something to me that really hit me. She said, you know, Corey, there is such thing as too much talent. And at that time I was like, oh, whatever, Nell. You know, here we go. But you know what? In the end, when I look back, we had too much talent and there was just someone was disappointed every week and some, you know, a family or a player or whatever. And so honestly, I am thrilled to only have 10 next year. I think we have a really, really great 10. And so I think we're in a good spot. But the reality is Is I really am invested in these women, and I absolutely love them deeply. They're my kids. God hasn't brought me a husband yet. And so at this point, they're family and they're my kids. So even if I believe in the end, it was probably the right decision for some of them to leave or whatever, it still rips my heart out. And, you know, so it's hard. But I was actually talking to Lauren Betts on the way to the Wooden Awards, and she said, coach, you have no idea how distracted we were. And as a whole team, because these conversations are happening, their agents are.
- [30:57]
Roz Goldenwoode
And the team is aware in the moment.
- [30:58]
Corey Close
Yeah, the team is aware. She says, we were fighting like crazy to be like, hey, put that aside. We gotta focus on our. And honestly, I respect them because they did a pretty darn good job, given now what I know about what they were all dealing with. I think a really important thing is. So agents lost a lot of money with unrivaled.
- [31:17]
Roz Goldenwoode
How so?
- [31:18]
Corey Close
Because a lot of the money that they used to get from those same top players going overseas was a higher percentage to go to the agents than when they went back. So where do they go to make that up?
- [31:27]
Roz Goldenwoode
College.
- [31:28]
Corey Close
College. And the only way for them to make money is if they transfer. So you're talking about. It's not just, well, I'll help you if you want to leave. It's, I'm encouraging you to leave.
- [31:40]
Roz Goldenwoode
You had players entering the Final Four with you and they already knew they were out.
- [31:45]
Corey Close
Yeah, absolutely. Now, I don't blame the players. They don't know. They didn't know any different. They just know they're contacted by whoever. But, you know, there's always been something so like, you know, we've been in this a long time. There's always that call you get in January and February and says, hey, such and such is thinking about going in the portal. If she did, would you be interested? I mean, I don't expect anyone to not respond to that question and say, hey, yes, I would be interested. But then what needs to come next is, but I will not be having another conversation until they are actually in the portal. But obviously that's not happening. You look around and that's not the.
- [32:24]
Roz Goldenwoode
Way things are going from coaches now it's on the coaches, who may not be doing the right things in the programs.
- [32:29]
Corey Close
Well, I don't think. Yeah, I think the coaches are leveraging it for their own good. So we need to deal with the tampering in our game. It's pretty Bad.
- [32:36]
Roz Goldenwoode
Yeah. And so, you know, you guys lost the entire freshman class from last year. Also, Barker Jones, just as a coach, you know, what is it like navigating the transfer portal as it is as far as planning? Like, can you plan ahead or is it now literally season by season?
- [32:57]
Corey Close
Well, I do think I'm. I have to change my leadership. I mean, you know, on our staff, I have an incredible staff. But Shannon Perry LaBeouf is just spectacular. And she just called me in the middle of this craziness and is like, corey, we have to change. This is a new era. This is a new landscape. I don't think it's only one year at a time, but I do think that you have to plan. You cannot count on four years of development anymore. So I would say you should probably count on half your freshmen not working out. And then I think we're going to replace a really big class this year. And so I'm planning for probably, you know, half and half freshmen and transfers. I just think that between, you know, all the different eligibilities or waivers that are happening, there's just less people. And if I'm a coach and I'm really trying to reload, I'm not reloading with freshmen for two reasons. One is they're not ready most of the time, and then secondly, they don't all stay now.
- [33:58]
Roz Goldenwoode
Yeah.
- [33:58]
Corey Close
And so I need to have a blend of experience, proven players. And so, you know, I do think it's a different day and age, and it's just like running a company. Right. When a major shift happens in the business landscape. And if you're a leader of your company or CEO, which in essence I am now, is. Is. It's my responsibility to adjust and pivot and be the leader that our organization needs me to be. Yeah. And I think I've got to change.
- [34:25]
Roz Goldenwoode
Coach. It sounds to me like you got to delegate because you're also a therapist. You're also a second parent, your exes and O's, and now you got to be a CEO. That's crazy. And I don't know that that allows you to show up as the best version of yourself if you're going to do all of this.
- [34:40]
Corey Close
Yeah. And I think that's what you're seeing. A lot of college coaches, really good ones, retire. Tony Bennett, Jay Wright, you know, all these people that are stepping down. Tara Vandevere, I mean, you name it. So many really good coaches. And I'm not going to. I'm not going to lie. It's. It's. I'M I'm waiting for the next couple of years to see if this pendulum comes back to a better centering point. Because I want to show up as the best version of myself and I owe it to the women and the staff that I lead, that I do that. And if I can't do it in this new landscape, I will get out or I'll go coach in the wnba.
- [35:16]
Logan Hackett
Hey, good follow show. I hope you're all enjoying this interview as much as I am, but we need to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
- [35:32]
Roz Goldenwoode
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- [36:49]
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- [37:57]
Logan Hackett
Welcome back to Goodfellow. Today's episode is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours. Let's get back to the incredible interview with Roz and Coach Close.
- [38:08]
Roz Goldenwoode
So just to put kind of bow on the portal conversation. Hey, it's also been good to you.
- [38:15]
Corey Close
And I do want to say a shout out to. I didn't say is to London Jones and Janiah Barker.
- [38:20]
Roz Goldenwoode
Sure.
- [38:21]
Corey Close
We sometimes, you know, the transfer portal gets a bad name and the fact of, oh, they are always. They're jumping ship and whatever else. And I have a lot of respect for our freshman families. I get it. I understand why some of them wanted to do that, and I will always wish them well. But I think especially for the transfers that left in the fact of the returners like London Jones and Janaya, we had three hours of zooms. We had really significant conversations. And I said, you bring to me what you really need for this last year from me, and I'm gonna bring to you what I need from you. And if there's not alignment, it's okay. I love you and I wanna support you to go somewhere else. And that's exactly what happened. So I wanna give a shout out to their authenticity, their maturity, and we came to a point that there wasn't alignment anymore. And so if I really love them and they really love us, and then we part ways gracefully and I will be rooting for them every game except if we play them. And so I do want to say that because I think sometimes that gets misconstrued in the narrative of what the portal is, and sometimes there's just not alignment anymore and there needs to be change.
- [39:30]
Roz Goldenwoode
And I think that was a beautiful shout out just to let people know that there are healthy dialogues and two way streets happening. And it's not just individual actors on the coach's side and on the player side that are just like, I'm doing what's best for me. I'm glad to hear that y' all were able to discuss that.
- [39:47]
Corey Close
Yeah.
- [39:47]
Roz Goldenwoode
Did being in the final four put you behind the curtain? Totally in hitting the transfer portal?
- [39:52]
Corey Close
Totally put us behind. Absolutely. And, you know, part of it too is if we hadn't. So we couldn't promise anything to anybody because at that point we had 15 people accounted for. And so we ended up having plenty of space but when Neepkins went in, she called us, she wanted us to recruit her and we just honestly told her, look, I would be surprised if we didn't have spots open. We, we saw some of it coming and, and, but we couldn't go all in with Neepkins because at that point we had all our spots filled.
- [40:27]
Roz Goldenwoode
Interesting.
- [40:27]
Corey Close
So it was a really interesting dynamic.
- [40:30]
Roz Goldenwoode
So this is a big win though, getting Gianna Niepins and she, she's big time, big time out of Utah, transfers over. So what's your vision for her? And not only her, she now will join Kiki Rice and they're going to headline a really talented backcourt for your team.
- [40:46]
Corey Close
Yeah, you know, Neepkins is, you know, one of those few people that's a 50, 40, 90 player. You know, she's 50% from the floor, 40% plus from the three point line, 90% plus from the free throw line. There are very, that is rare air. And to add that and then that was a big piece for us. And the reason I bring that up is that it's not about just adding talent, it's about fitting together talent pieces for a greater whole. And when you have a Lauren Betts that's going to draw a double and triple team every time and force defenses into rotation, the more space you can create with great shooters, that just makes all the difference. So adding Neepkins and then adding Charlize Ledger Walker and her ability to stretch the floor, I mean people are going to be really surprised by what she, how well she's playing and shooting. It's pretty remarkable what the job she's gotten done this year. And so she's been really able to add to her toolbox. I mean, I just think that we have, we have all the pieces. We're not going to have a big team, but we go 10 deep, I'm.
- [41:47]
Roz Goldenwoode
Not going to get caught off guard by ucla. No, I think you not only are you talented, you're incredibly veteran and you've got some real experience coming back. I got one more player personnel question just about the Bet sisters, you know. So you have Sienna joining Lauren, who is the national defensive player of the year.
- [42:05]
Corey Close
All the things projected number one pick in the WNBA draft next year, all the things.
- [42:12]
Roz Goldenwoode
This is more just about like, okay, you got sisters coming in. Like, are they similar? What are their personalities like? Like, what do you anticipate in coaching big sis and little sis on your team? And do they play at the same time together?
- [42:24]
Corey Close
Yeah, I think they will, I think they will play at the same time at certain Points. I don't think it's, you know, I think that they will have lots of opportunities to do that. But I think the biggest thing is they actually are as different as night and day.
- [42:36]
Roz Goldenwoode
How so?
- [42:37]
Corey Close
You don't have enough time for all the ways they're different. They're more different than they are similar. Other than that they're from the same family. You know, on the court, Sienna is an elite passer. She's more of a stretch 4. She shoots it better than Lauren. She really loves to attack off the bounce. She's. She's much more of a stretch four. I mean, and who's versatile and can play different positions that way? Lauren is, you know, is a unicorn. She's a generational player, but she is a true center. Right. And so she's not only a back to the basket center, but very different in how they see their games. And, you know, Sienna plays facing the basket more and obviously Lauren's plays more with her back to the basket. But personality wise, you know, Lauren has always scratched and clawed to earn her confidence. It doesn't come easily for Sienna is. She is confident and she does not want to be compared to Lauren. She wants to blaze her own trail and do her own thing, and she has earned the right to do so. She is so good in her own right, but also she's her own person. She's an incredible artist. You know, she's got all these other passions that she has. Her fashion style's totally different. They just have very. Lauren is a very empathic, deep kind of person. You know, Sienna is a don't mess with me, you're gonna have to earn your way past my shell kind of thing. They're just different. And one of the things I'm most excited about is to prove to Sienna that we are not coaching Lauren's sister. We are coaching Sienna and her own journey and her own path. And she has earned that, and I'm excited to execute that.
- [44:19]
Roz Goldenwoode
Yeah, I'm sure she would appreciate that too. And, you know, she's a new face. But one of the things I said is your team also has a lot of veteran players and experience. Experience. And let's just dive into that experience real quick. The final four experience. You play UConn in the semifinal and the score, they win 85, 51. They were dominant. They were dominant throughout the whole final Four. That has to be. That has to be an eye opening moment, not just for you, but for the team, for the players. Like, what is it that you realize, okay, that's the gap that we have to close, that's where we have to grow. Like, what were those moments of realization after that game?
- [44:56]
Corey Close
I don't know if I would have changed this or not. One of the things, we were both in the Spokane Regional, okay? And when we beat lsu, you know, we did all the things. We cut the nets down, the confetti came, and we for sure weren't done. But this is a difference. They won on their side, and they, you know, they, they, they won the regional. No. They just said, no, no confetti. We're not getting on the ladder. There will be no nets. We have another net we're trying to cut down. I'm not sure that would have been wise for me because we haven't done it in program history. There's so many other people in that. But I do think it shows a level of expectation, maturity, preparation that they had that we haven't earned yet and we didn't. You know, I think the next time I've thought, okay, I'm gonna need to think that through. I also think, you know, just even deciding when you leave, like, we chose to practice here and then fly to Tampa and then just go to bed that night, if I had to do it all over again, I would not have done that. You know, just some little things that we had to do. I had no time to fit a practice in on the second day, you know, and I'm just, and I just think about, okay, they went to a secondary site and they practiced even in the midst. They had the same media things, they had the same dinner they had to do. There was just a businesslike approach that they just checked those boxes and said, we know exactly what we're doing, how we're preparing, and what it's going to take to get there. And so, and that's a, I mean, none of those kids on that team, credit to their staff because none of those kids had won a national championship for UConn. So it really, I think credit to their staff for leading in the way that they did. And, you know, that's part of my growth as a leader that I want to be ready for, for this particular year coming up. And I will be ready, absolutely.
- [46:45]
Roz Goldenwoode
I mean, it clearly sounds like those are kind of experience, like, hey, we've been here before. We know how to navigate this type things. I personally, this is just Roz's little opinion. If it's your first time getting to the Final Four, I think you cut the nets.
- [46:59]
Corey Close
I, I, I actually was glad I.
- [47:01]
Roz Goldenwoode
Was, you know, Maybe. Maybe on your next one. Maybe.
- [47:02]
Corey Close
But I'm like, yeah, but not the first one. So, no, I. I don't know. I actually think it would have been selfish for me not to. Because we had all these alums, families, they wanted to share donors, share that milestone with them. So I wouldn't have changed it.
- [47:16]
Roz Goldenwoode
You might have cut the nets. Still lost and regretted that you didn't properly agree. Shine in that moment.
- [47:21]
Corey Close
I remember Mike Neighbors told me, he said, corey, you never know whether or not you're gonna be back here again. And you need to make sure you create every memory you possibly can. And I was like, okay, I may get some things wrong, but I'm gonna make sure we get every memory.
- [47:36]
Roz Goldenwoode
The court, the game itself.
- [47:37]
Corey Close
Yeah.
- [47:38]
Roz Goldenwoode
What are the lessons or the takeaways you take from how the game kind of got away?
- [47:43]
Corey Close
Inches. I think you can say it. Every coach will say it, every player will intellectually understand it. But the inches at that level are so small. And UConn grabbed their inches better than we did. Every setting and using of screens, every time you have a mental error on the scouting report, when you're supposed to switch what your drop coverage needs to be when you need to, and they made less errors than we did. I always say that every time there's a one on one battle, there's a one on one battle. They're trying to not get hit by the screen. You're trying to run them through the screen. Who wins that battle. And bottom line is they won more of those one on one inches battles, whether it be a tip on an offensive rebound, an out of area rebound, there's just no margin to not win your set of inches. And I think our team was like, oh, that's what we mean. Like, you know, we had enough talent. And we said all year long is that our talent would be our floor, but our character and our habits would be our ceiling. And we had pretty good ones, but they weren't Final four good ones. And we got to go to another level if we want a different result. You know, I really am. I do believe that the only two things that stay with you for the rest of your life from these four years is not rings, is not banners, is not even wnba, you know, contracts. It is who you become and who you impact. And so my legacy is, I want to know that they feel wonderful about who they've become and who they're impacting with their lives. And so that is the most meaningful part to me.
- [49:17]
Roz Goldenwoode
Coach, I think that's a great way to Finish the interview. It's been an incredible conversation and I truly appreciate your transparency and just honesty through it. And you really are a great leader in this game. So thank you so much.
- [49:30]
Corey Close
It is a privilege. And thank you for our history. Thank you for your kindness to me and thank you for the stories that you're telling and the way that you're shining a light on our game. You're making a difference.
- [49:39]
Roz Goldenwoode
Thanks, coach.
- [50:01]
Logan Hackett
Welcome back to Goodfellow. This segment is presented by DraftKings. This weekend, New York is heading over to Washington to play the Mystics for the first time this season. The Liberty have been cooking. Currently sitting at3.0, tied for first and leading the league in points per game, blocks and field goal percentage. Natasha Cloud has been the X factor for this team, not only bringing the dog on both ends of the court, but also leading the way, averaging 18 points and close to eight assists per game. On the other hand, not many people expected Washington to look as good as they had have. And although they've lost their past three games, they've all been within four points and their play has been so fun to watch. It is hard to pick just one player. But I keep an eye on Kiki Earif in this game as she's been on a roll with four straight double doubles and is looking like rookie of the year. This game is going to be incredibly good and I'm excited to see how Washington shapes up against the Liberty, who I'm taking to get the win on the road. Make sure you follow along and tweet us your predictions. Oodfollowshow and this segment is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. And the Crown is yours.
- [51:01]
Roz Goldenwoode
The crown is yours. Logan, you are holding it down out there, trying to. Okay, Logan, I know you're in Paris right now, but we are at the point in our show worldwide where we have to get to the headlines and the quick hits. What do you got for me?
- [51:18]
Logan Hackett
All right. Well, the first one was pretty big in the nwsl. Barbara Banda delivered the first ever hat trick for the Orlando Pride. And this was crazy. It happened within 38 minutes and her last two goals were one minute apart. The score in the game was 3:1, so she absolutely carried that. And actually we had a whole text conversation about this in the group chat the other day. The New York Liberty sold their stake at $450 million, which is a pro women's sports franchise record. That is some big money, especially considering how much they bought the team for. Do you remember the number?
- [51:48]
Roz Goldenwoode
Like, but somewhere between 10 to 15 million dollars, reports say. And in a, in a turnaround, like a return on investment of six years, that's crazy. The Liberty are, as they say, where the money resides.
- [52:04]
Logan Hackett
And next up, we have the French Open. That's underway. And that is why I'm in Paris. I'm so incredibly excited. I'm going to go for two days for the day session. It's very beautiful here. Lastly, we have Arsenal winning the UWCL Champions League and they shocked Barcelona to get the title. It was their first European title in 18 years or something crazy. And their celebration was huge. So very exciting for them.
- [52:27]
Roz Goldenwoode
Very exciting. I'm so excited for you, Logan, out in Paris. I don't even want to keep you any longer. You're in France. You're, you're watching tennis. You're doing all the cool things. So we're going to end this episode of Good Follow show. I want to thank coach Corey Close, UCLA head coach, for joining us on this show and illuminating, just fascinating conversation with her. And I want to thank all of you guys for rocking out with us. We try to bring this show wherever I'm in New York, Logan's coming from France, but we breaking down women's sports and whatever the top topics coming out. Good Follow is presented by DraftKings and we drop every Wednesday at 7pm Eastern or sometimes a little bit earlier on DraftKings network and YouTube and or wherever else you get your podcasts. So keep rocking with us. We'll see you next week. And Logan, have so much fun.
- [53:14]
Logan Hackett
Merci beaucoup.