Are You Serious?! (WNBA Finals Game 3 Recap)
36:20 Share

An Everything Shower is a shower where you pull out all the stops to pamper yourself from head to toe. And an Everything Shower isn't complete without Osea's new Andaria Algae Body Wash. Osea will turn your shower routine into a tropical paradise with its iconic, all-natural, and uplifting citrusy scent. Andaria Algae Body Wash infuses your shower with the healing power of the sea.

formulated with nourishing nutrient-rich and Darya seaweed, glycerin and an oil blend. It's pH balanced hydrating formula doesn't strip skin,

leaving it feeling soft and renewed. Osea has been a major upgrade to my everything shower, from its gel-like texture to its luxuriously rich lather. And of course, its super fresh scent. The Andaria Algae Body Wash has totally upped my skincare game. Its natural, plant-based ingredients creates a gentler cleansing experience than traditional body washes. It's the same...

iconic and uplifting citrusy scent as the best-selling Undaria Algae Body Oil with uplifting notes of grapefruit, lime, and cypress blended with sweet notes of mango mandarin. If you want to experience the scent of summer all year around, you'll want to make it a staple in your everything shower too. With Osea, you never have to choose between your values and your best skin.

Their skincare is clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and climate-neutral certified. Osea is mother-daughter and women-founded and has been making clean, clinically tested, seaweed-infused skincare for over 28 years.

Upgrade your shower with clean vegan face and body care from Osea. Get 10% off your first order site-wide with code Queens at OseaMalibu.com. You'll get free samples with every order and free shipping on orders over $60. Head to OseaMalibu.com and use code Queens for 10% off.

For

$45 upfront payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three-month plan only. Taxes and fees extra. Speeds lower above 40 gigabytes. See details. So I'm looking and it goes in and I just stand there like, you gotta be freaking kidding me. Oh, incredible. This is Queens of the Court. Hello everybody. Welcome to another episode of Queens of the Court, an Odyssey original podcast produced in partnership with the WNBA.

I am so excited about this episode. I'm your girl, Cheryl Swoops. And I'm Jordan Robinson. And Court is in session. Oh, Monica is not going to be happy about that one. It's all right. It's all right. We can fix it in post. We can fix it in post. Editing magic. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Listen, before we even get into this, Monica McNutt.

You have my personal cell. Matter of fact, I think you have both of my numbers. Do not come for me on Twitter.

text me text me if you got something to say listen that was so funny when she was like oh that was the most in sync you guys have been on the gavel all season your response it took us all season to get it to make it happen we gotta stay humble Cheryl we can't be great at everything I think that's the biggest takeaway from this

And Monica, she put us in a group text and in that group text, because we're going to start talking about game four, game three, sorry. Game three. But game two, I was at in Vegas. And can I just tell a quick story? Yes, please do. I like stories. I like your stories. Tank, the R&B singer, Tank, was singing the national anthem at the Aces game.

And I am taking the elevator up to the media seats up on level four. And then the security comes, they're like, "Hold the elevator, hold the elevator. Talent is coming." And I was like, "Oh my gosh, is this gonna be too short?"

No, I didn't know who it was. So I thought it was going to be Too Short because Too Short did the halftime. And I was like, whoa, this is going to be crazy. But it was Tank who walked in the elevator and it was just me. And I said, hey. Hey. Like I knew him from years back. And then he gives me a hug like we're old pals. Yes.

wow i'm also the same height as tank which says a lot because he's not the tallest person ever but the voice yeah listen i'm a huge tank fan like when he first came out and all of that

I know we're going to get into hoops, but can we talk about like all the celebrities that have been performing in Vegas, New York? I don't even remember if we talked about Jordan Sparks singing the national anthem at game one. What was it? Jordan Sparks. But she killed it. Jordan Sparks, Ashanti at halftime, Too Short, Tank. Now in New York, we got Lil' Kim.

I can't wait to see who they bring out for the next game. I don't know who performed the national anthem.

in New York I don't I don't know either okay but little Kim and Ellie did a great show how about that so they need to take it on the road take it on the road but also just all the celebrities former players everybody that's been showing up to support like I am loving it let's go me too no this has been incredible so let's get to the basketball part because

We just got to dive right in. So we were worried for a second there that by time we would get back in front of the microphones, this would be a wrap. The Aces would sweep, but they put their brooms away and New York managed to force a game four. They won 87 to 73 on Sunday. Standout for me is definitely John Quo Jones putting up 27 on 10 for 15.

for 15 shooting. She went four for seven from the three, which tied the most that she has made in a game this season. Like she was just on another level, which I feel like this is a carry over from game two, where she was the only reason that they were even remotely still in it, um, in game two with the aces. But what, what stuck out to you from this Liberty win? Who, um,

First of all, and I'm hoping that the Liberty fans will like me because they've been saying I've been going in on New York and I don't like them. So let me say this. It's not personal, but the rivalry that the Comets and the Liberty had back in the day, like, no, I'm not a Liberty fan. You know what I mean? I love Spoonie to pieces, but I'm not a Liberty fan. So I will say this, J.J.,

was JJ and I saw people tweeted listen she ain't new to this she true to this this is what JJ does right she just had not been able to put it all together she on both ends of the floor was last night she was my MVP because she performed like the MVP that she was in the 2021 I believe yeah

Listen, she owned the paint. She had her way offensively. She just did whatever. And some of those, can we just talk about some of the blocks that she had? Oh yeah. I was like, hold on a second. Okay. JJ come through. She, to me, like you said, was the reason the Liberty came.

held on and was able to pull away and get game three yeah that was game three and get the win last night the other player that I thought played well for them who I didn't think she two players actually I didn't think they played very well game one and two that was Stewie and Sloot yeah Sloot to me is a lot like I know we're gonna get to it but she's a lot like Chelsea Gray for me Sloot

runs that team, right? To me, the team kind of goes as Sloot goes, meaning she's going to run the floor. She's going to run the set. She's going to get the ball where it needs to be. And I thought Sloot was the Sloot that we're used to seeing last night, knocking down

threes when she needed to getting in the paint creating finding shooters finding players I just thought this Liberty team last night or yesterday in game three was the Liberty team that we had seen regular season and the Liberty team that everybody was like oh my goodness these finals are about to be lit because we have the Aces and the Liberty and the Liberty was that team yesterday

Absolutely. I think the comment about slew is that when you aren't knocking down those open shots, you're a liability. And when when the aces cannot play defense on you, then it's harder for everybody else on your team. So she just made them have to guard her. And that was a huge step for for the Liberties offense. I'm sorry, Jordan. We talked about how the aces guards games one and two.

were head and shoulders above the Liberty guards. And I thought yesterday was different, but here's my flower segment early. This flower segment is to Sandy Brandello. Yes. For the adjustments that she made on defense. I never thought about putting Stewie on Chelsea Gray, but I will say that made a big difference. Stewie's length and being able to disrupt passes was,

Getting a hand up, just her length on Chelsea made every shot that Chelsea take made it tough. And Chelsea being able to see the floor and distribute the ball where it needed to get to was just tough. But here's the crazy part. If you're going to put Stewie on Chelsea...

which left jj on asia and i thought jj was phenomenal defending asia yesterday a great job she shut down four for 16 asia was from the floor and i think it was it was also the hesitation a little

bit. I saw that in Asia, which you don't normally see. She was going to her pump fakes a little too much. Sometimes she could have just went straight up. She was trying to go around JJ and JJ was like, I'm still here. Where are you going? I'm here. Then Stewie was able to come help

It was brilliant. It was a brilliant defensive scheme. So Kia Stokes, if this is what New York is going to do on Wednesday, that means, I think at one point Sloot was on Kia Stokes. Yeah. That's not okay. You have to destroy her, whoever it is, right? You have to get in the paint. You have to destroy whatever little guard is going to be defending you.

Whether that's Sloot, Sabrina, they should not be able to guard you on the block. But shout out to Sandy Brandello for making the adjustments. I loved it. I thought the defensive scheme, the defensive game plan, New York executed it to the T and the Aces just, they, they,

the Aces played well and it was still a really close game. They didn't play well at all and they almost tied it at halftime. They played just not in rhythm. I think they went to a little bit of their one-on-one. I think that is their...

Excuse me. When they start doing that, it's like, ah, it's when you're passing, it's when you're cutting, it's when you're moving and you're able to find your teammates. I think the key part of what you said about Sandy Brondell's defensive scheme is she put Benai Jelani on Jackie Young.

And that was the key. That was the first piece that moved. And Jackie Young, you know, Benaja put up 12 points, but way more important that Jackie Young only had eight. Yeah. And I think they just wanted to, it's hard to pick your battles with the aces because they can all go off and they've been doing that the first two games, but to just be like, okay,

Jackie Young has been on fire. She's building her confidence. Like we got to shut her down a little bit. And, and yeah, Jackie Young has eight points. And to your point, Kia Stokes has zero. Like those little corner threes that she was making in game two were huge. Just to add a little something to the offense. And so she doesn't have anything. I need her to get a little bit more and exploit those mismatches. So yeah.

Yeah, shout out to Sandy. She's going to make those adjustments game to game. But one thing I think we have to definitely talk about is Chelsea Gray's status for the next game. Really heartbreaking to see her get injured. To me, it seemed like it was a non-contact injury a little bit.

We don't know what it is. She limped to the back of the locker room. We both don't agree with how ESPN- - Be better. - Covered that. - Sorry, be better. Be better. - Gotta be better. She was still mic'd up. You didn't have to cut to that camera. - No. - We did not need to hear her yelling in pain. We just didn't need that. We don't. So I- - No.

She was finals MVP last year. She is the head of the snake. It was also at a very pivotal point in the fourth quarter where the Aces could have, they could have had one more run in them to potentially win that game. And then I feel like when that injury happened, they were a little deflated. Oh, no doubt. What happens if Chelsea can't go next game, Cheryl?

Well, first of all, to your point, anytime it's a non-contact injury, you worry about that, right? I remember many years ago when I tore my ACL, like I was in the gym just working out, went down, lay up all by myself. I just, I went up off my left foot and...

Like I just, I felt it like no contact, no one around me. And I knew immediately that it was something serious. I didn't know exactly what it was, but I knew it was serious. So man, just sending, just sending positive vibes and thoughts to Chelsea. And like, you just hate to see any player go down anytime, but especially right now. And to your point, I'm watching. And I was like, you could, you could, you could feel like,

you could feel the players when she went down because she tried to stay in the game, right? And then I think Becky called a timeout or something and you could just see the look on the players' faces like, one, is she okay? And two, like, let's try to pull it together so we can win this game. But I thought Becky said it best in the press conference when she just said, listen, there's not one player

that can replace Chelsea Gray. It's going to take a committee. It's going to take every single player stepping up. You know, if Chelsea can't go, does it change? Does it change the aces? No doubt. No doubt. The aces aren't the aces without Chelsea Gray. There's no secret. I think it's a great opportunity. Like, I don't want to speculate, but I think if she can't go...

yeah, you got to rely on Kirsten Bell. She's going to have to get some minutes. Sid, she's going to have to get some minutes, right? Because I know she talked about Kelsey playing some point and Jackie taking some turns at it. But in doing that, you take away what they're really good at, right? Because Chelsea has the rock in her hands all the time just creating. I just don't even want to think about what that means, but

here's what I know. Becky as a player was a competitor, right? When her number was called, she was ready. And now as a coach, I feel like she will do everything in her power to make sure her players are ready and prepared for that moment. Well, we are sending positive healing vibes to Chelsea Gray. I know that

The Aces need one more. I feel like the Liberty came out strong this game. I even said it. I said if the Liberty were going to win one, this is the one they were going to win coming back on their home court. I think this is a little bit of a different story for the Aces if it was the first game or if it was tied 1-1. But the Aces need one more, and I agree with you. Becky Hammond is going to try to put a game plan together to make sure that from the bench to –

the starters, everybody feels good about the game plan of how we're going to attack that. Because I will say after Chelsea Gray went out, they fumbled an inbound pass. Like Jackie Young couldn't get the inbound pass to bring it up court. And I'm like, this is when having the point guard, they haven't had to think about that and be in that position of being the point guard and the leader to bring it up

the court. So it's just a different mindset to know that I got to go get the ball. I got to run the break. It puts you in a different mind frame. So we'll be interested to see how that goes. Well, because Chelsea also brings a sense of calm, right? Like that's who she is. That's what she does. And let's be honest.

Does this lessen the aces chances to repeat if she can't play? Yes, it does. Yeah, it does. Do they still have enough to win and repeat? Yeah, they do. Because to your point, they only need one more. And if New York wins game four, they're going back home for game five and we'll see what happens. But man, it's so hard to just as a player and as a fan of the game to

to to watch someone have such an incredible season and get to pretty much the end of the season and then you have some type of an injury it's devastating this is this is devastating and and we don't know what the injury is just to see her you know hobble off like that it just it just it's devastating

Right. Yeah. Last we saw her when she was in crutches said that she's going for x-rays. We're recording this Monday morning. So maybe there'll be an update when this comes out. But yeah, sending good vibes. We're going to take a quick break and we're going to come on the other side. Talk some news. And now a word from our sponsors at Betterment.

Do you want your money to be motivated? Do you want your money to rise and grind? Do you think your money should get up and work? Don't worry. Betterment is here to help. Betterment is the automated investing and savings app that makes your money hustle. Their automated technology is built to help maximize returns, meaning when you invest with Betterment, your money can

auto-adjust as you get closer to your goal, rebalance if your portfolio gets too far out of line, and your dividends are automatically reinvested. That can increase the potential for compound returns. In other words, your money is working like a dog while you can be sleeping like one and snoring like one too. You'll never picture your money the same way again. Betterment, the automated investing and savings app that makes your money hustle.

Visit Betterment.com to get started. Investing involves risk. Performance is not guaranteed. This episode is brought to you by Honda. When you test drive the all-new Prologue EV, there's a lot that can impress you about it. There's the class-leading passenger space, the clean, thoughtful design, and the intuitive technology. But out of everything, what you'll really love most is that it's a Honda. Visit Honda.com slash EV to see offers.

At BlueNile.com, you can find endless ways to make your moments sparkle. From classic and timeless jewelry gifts to creating the custom engagement ring of her dreams. All at prices you won't find at a traditional jeweler. And right now, you can save up to 40% on fine jewelry and 25% on engagement ring settings during the Blue Nile Anniversary Sale. Going on now. Go to BlueNile.com to shop the Blue Nile Anniversary Sale and save up to 40%.

That's BlueNile.com. Think you know the Brooks Ghost? Think again. Introducing the all-new, better-than-ever Ghost 16. Now with nitrogen-infused cushioning for lightweight, supreme softness that feels good every step, every street, every single day. So go ahead, take your daily joyride in the all-new nitrogen-infused Ghost 16. It'll turn your everyday miles into everyday endorphins. Let's run there. Head to BrooksRunning.com to learn more.

All right, welcome back to Queens of the Court. And some really exciting news that I couldn't wait to talk to you about, Cheryl, is Teresa Weatherspoon is Chicago Sky's new head coach. Let's go, Spoonie! I am ecstatic. I am just ecstatic for her. Man, I am so, so excited. I love this fit.

I feel like it's way overdue because I think she should have been a head coach years ago, but that's neither here nor there because we are in this moment. It's happening. And I said to her, it's all about God's timing. And she is exactly where she's supposed to be when she's supposed to be there. I think what she's going to bring to the Chicago Sky organization is exactly what they've been missing and needing to get over the hump, being a former player, being

with so much energy and she just knows the freak. She was a point guard herself. And then having spent, I don't know how many years with the Pelicans, like this is just what she does. She was built for this. Sky fans, if you're not thrilled and excited,

don't really know what you're thinking. - Better start. - Yeah, this is it. - No, this is so good. So good. Just to give a little backstory, she is the new head coach because James Wade departed in July and they kind of had an interim head coach situation. So the search was out

And her name kept coming up. And I'm so glad that she is the woman for the job. She played eight seasons in the WNBA. We're going to talk about one of those seasons real quick when they went up against the Houston Comets. But I love, well, let's talk about it now because I love that you love Spoon.

even though they played the highlight during the game, the last time the Liberty won a finals game was in 2000. And what happened in that game? Do you remember? Well, here's the thing. I hate that they showed that highlight because they ended up not winning the championship. So it was a highlight for that day. Yeah.

Oh, man. I don't know. So let's hope for the liberty's sake, things are different. I don't know. Listen, I've always had a lot of love and respect for Spoon. Just the competitor that she was when we played against each other and now...

as retirees from the game, us just being really cool friends. And we have great moments. So let's just talk about that moment for one second. Please. Back then it was the best out of three. Yeah. So they won one and you guys already came into it winning the first game.

you had a chance to clinch Teresa Weatherspoon half court beyond half court shot. It goes in. But Jordan, here's the thing, which I'm like, how does that happen? So we had the best record, but we had to play that game one on the road. So game one was at New York. So we won game one at New York. We come home.

for two games. And I think in their minds, it was, you know, to try and make it a series, let's play that one game on the road. So if New York does win, we have two games to tie and try to win at home. Right. Okay. Dumb, but whatever. So we won game one on the road. We come home. We have two, well, two games left. That second game where Spoon hit that shot, like,

We were up and I don't think I ever honestly, I don't think I ever thought like, oh, we did it again. Right. So I don't even know how many, not many seconds on the clock. But Tina Thompson, she hit the bucket that put us up by two, I think one or two.

So not much time on the clock. I was guarding either Vicki Johnson or Crystal Robinson. So I'm going to them. Spoon, I mean, Coop, I believe, was supposed to pick up Spoon, either Coop or Janeth. I don't know. Anyway, Tina scored.

And Kim Hampton gets the ball. She throws it in the spoon. And I remember Tina is running towards spoon because spoon gets it not much time left. And she just lets it fly. I'm standing at half court. And so I watch the shot. It wasn't a shot. I watched the throw because that's what it was. Right. And so I'm watching, watching, watching, watching. I'm following. And before I went in, I said in my head, y'all forgive me, but I said,

That shit might go in. So I'm looking and it goes in and I just stand there like, you gotta be freaking kidding me. Like that did not just happen. And I read Tina's lips. So if you go back and watch this video, Tina says, are you serious? The Liberty, they all run.

court. So, you know, that didn't sit well. That didn't sit well. The confetti was already coming down. They were ready to celebrate your next championship. We had stuff covered in the locker room, pop bottles. Oh, yeah. And so they're on the floor. They tackle Spoon. They're celebrating. And I remember just walking by, going back to the bench. But here's the crazy thing. Like, we weren't, like, nervous about it, right? And so I say this to Spoon to this day. I was like, all you did was prolong the inevitable.

So like there was no way in hell we were going to let them win game three. It was absolutely not. I will tell you this. The fact that that was over 20 years ago.

And they're still showing the shot. We're still talking about it. Like, it's just to me, it's just so good for the game. And that's why Spoon is such a competitor. And I just feel like that's what this Chicago Sky franchise has been missing. Just that leadership of somebody who's a dog. Like, Courtney Williams talks about being a dog. Well, you got a coach who is just as big a dog as you. So let's go.

Oh, that's incredible. I'm excited. I am so excited. And it just, I mean, yes, a dog on the court, incredible player, but the person, Spoon as a person, when you talk to her, you just walk away proud.

floating. Like you just feel better about life and about yourself after you, you talked to spoon. So I I'm more excited for her to transform these players lives as young women, because I know that's what she can do. That's what Zion talked about at the Pelicans that she made him a better person. Um, then not only a better basketball player and got him in better shape, but a better person. So that's also what I'm excited about.

about. But the shot slash the throw, maybe we'll rewrite history that way. Because she didn't shoot it. She didn't shoot it. She got it and said, I was like, oh. I just, I followed it the whole way. Yeah. I love that. If you guys, I hope we can put this out. The video of just her eyes following the pause. Oh yeah. Incredible. Okay. One more thing we want to talk about before we

we get out of here is the all WNBA teams were announced yesterday ahead of game three. And these teams were determined by a panel of 60 national sports writers, broadcasters, Stuart Wilson, Alyssa Thomas, all unanimous picks, but please step on your, your soapbox for another time today. How do you, how do you feel? I,

I'll say one thing. - Please say it. - No guards in first team is wild. That is wild, wild to me. I'll list out the teams real quick so we can get that. First team, Brianna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, Asia Wilson, Nafisa Collier, Satu Sabli. Second team, Nneka Ogumbike, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Jewel Lloyd, Sabrina Ionescu.

I'm just gonna sit back, let that marinate for a second. - I'm gonna use Tina's line. Are you? - Perfect. - Listen, I don't know.

Let me start off by saying congrats to both teams, right? Yes, of course. First team, second team, congratulations. Because when you start having this conversation, people always say, well, if you put her, then who are you taking on? It ain't even about that because I don't get a vote. Because if I would have gotten a vote, it absolutely would have been at least one guard on the first team. And that one guard on the first team would have been Jewel Lloyd.

Yeah, she's on second team. But Jewel Lloyd, I don't care what Seattle's record was because is this an individual or is it a team award? Yes, it's very much individual. Jewel Lloyd so deserved to be on the first team. But with all the amazing, incredible guards in this league, how is there not one on the first team? I will say this.

Totally agree. Stewie, AT, and Asia should all be unanimous. Yes. Got those three right. I'm not saying you didn't get Nafisa and Satu right because I thought they had amazing seasons. Congrats to them. They're deserving. I just don't understand how Jewel Lloyd is not on first team. Okay? We can talk about a lot of other players. I thought Arike had an incredible season. Arike could have been on first or second team. But let's just talk about what? That's so

should be on this list. I'm going to say should be on first team, but if you're not going to put her on first team, at least put her on second team. Where in the world is Dewana Bonner? I'm searching. Yeah. I don't see her. I don't see her, Cheryl. No, she's still not there. Dang, I know. This reminds me of whoever this person was that gave Asia Wilson a fourth place vote for MVP. I still don't know who that person is, but anyway.

To me, here's part of the problem. A lot of these people who are voting, you just don't understand the game. You don't understand the sport. You don't understand what it takes day in and day out. And to me, it's not just about being listed on one of these teams. Like,

most of these players if not all like there's money attached to this yeah like you're taking money out of somebody's pocket that deserves it and Dewana Bonner deserves to be on one of these teams without a doubt be better than this yeah I am annoyed I'm I'm frustrated because we got to be better than this DB listen and and somebody because I posted that on Twitter like

i'm asking for a friend where's the one of honor like which team does she make and somebody responded and said she's on the um on team mother right not in a smart way i agree because she's a hell of a mom too to twins but but she needs to be on one of these teams db sorry

i ain't gonna say i let you down because i don't get a vote because you know where i stay but but jordan come on now this is a joke come on just the incredible season that she had but again we can go through so many players i feel like just voting this season has been a hot topic but i i will say because i am so positive to a fault the silver lining to this

is that we're having this conversation, right? I feel like years before it was like, oh, we got to put a couple people on there because it's really only three, four players in the league that are really scoring all the points. It is so many people having incredible years and seasons that we are arguing about this. This is a normal, very normal NBA conversation. And I love that this is coming to the W that we are saying that

Who got snubbed? Who shouldn't be on here? Who should be on here? That is such a... We can have a conversation about who should be on here. I just... Listen. Listen. I feel like it's still one of those things where it's like there are just certain players, these voters...

what is it 60 voters i don't know yeah yeah there are just certain players that these voters are like i don't this person should just be on there so right i'm gonna put this person on there yeah meanwhile players who again a jewel lloyd yes jewel is on second team congrats she should be on first team but y'all just help me understand why db isn't on a team that's it that's all i gotta say help me help me help you i understand

Well, we are in for a great game four. Yes. Can't wait. That's coming up on Wednesday. It'll be in New York again. I'm so excited. The finals have been fun. I know that some of the scores have been lopsided. Yeah, but they've been fun. It's still been so much fun. It's just been exciting to watch. So game four will be Wednesday. And if there is a game five, that's on Friday.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's just one day in between. It's been Sunday, Wednesday. Oh, that's right. One day in between. That's the most spicy. Charter flight. Charter flight.

Oh my God, it's going to be so good. It's going to be so good. That's it for us. Keep sending us your comments, your questions to our listener email address, queensofthecourtatodyssey.com. Continue to follow, rate, review the show. This has been so much fun to do all season long. And remember that the show is available on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Yeah, last thing. I'm doing this for both of us. Chelsea Gray, we're sending you positive thoughts, vibes. Hope you're okay. And like always, you guys know where you can find us on social media. I'm at airsweep22. And she, her, Jordan is at JordanR. We both did the gap. I had a little bit for you. I had a little bit for you.

And court is adjourned. Oh, that was good. Yeah, that was good.