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$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. We should do, Jordan. You should say, or we should say, court is in session. You have no idea. When this came in the mail and I opened it, I was like, what in the world is this? And then I saw the label. It said Gavel did a lap around the house. I was like, I'm so cool just owning this.

You were probably like, oh, what did I order? I ordered so much crap online. I was like, which one is this? When I read gavel, couldn't be more excited. For all the listeners, the gavel is a real part because we are the queens of the court. Yes, the basketball court, but also we have some opinions and court is in session. We're doing a double meaning on court because we can't.

Because it's our show and we can do whatever we want to do. We can do whatever we want. And that's what we're doing. So we have props and I'm a big fan of props, but court is in session. There we go.

Welcome to Queens of the Court, an Odyssey original podcast produced in partnership with the WNBA. I'm Cheryl Swoops. And I'm Jordan Robinson. We have so much to discuss today in our first show, which, first of all, thank you for everyone who listens. Thank you for everyone who retweeted, commented, shared. It has been so much fun to do. So this is our second episode, and we talked about the WNBA drafts.

for about an hour because we were in New York and we had a lot to discuss, but still we didn't even get to everything. Like it's so crazy to think about and believe it or not, there's still

way more to talk about or to say about the incoming class of the WNBA rookies. Yes. So we're going to get to that a little bit later because like we said, we still have other teams that we want to talk about. We talked a lot about Atlanta and Indiana last time, but Cheryl and I were talking about the W the first WNBA draft, which is an air quotes draft.

in 1997 and I realized that there is a misconception around the draft I think a lot of people think it's like a normal draft and there was a first pick second pick third pick but it was kind of two separate drafts like an elite draft then a college draft so you were part of the elite draft and

Just overall, like what was that like? Because it was very different than the draft we witnessed in New York. Listen, Jordan, so I had to go write notes. Yes, I love this. I had to write notes. First of all, because you're taking me way back, right? We're going back to 1997 when it all started. The first two Houston selections are Cheryl Swoops, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist,

and Cynthia Cooper, a two-time Olympian. Joining us now, Cheryl Swoops. Cheryl, your thoughts about playing in the WNBA and in Houston?

First of all, just having an opportunity to play professional basketball in this country with the help and support of the WNBA is very exciting for all of us. And the fact that I'll have a chance to play in Houston, I'm very excited about that, having an opportunity to play in my home state. And I consider, I might be a little biased, but I consider the fans in Texas to be some of the best anywhere. So I'm definitely looking forward to having an opportunity to play in the Summit.

Okay. Okay, first of all, I am wearing a little lime green today. Turns out it's an homage to the lime linens.

I mean, it was a, I don't know. I was just, I was just saying the matching tank top, the black slacks, the everything ready for the moment. You looked adorable, just ready to take on the league by storm. I didn't realize how many times I said opportunity. I'm looking forward to this opportunity. I'm like, Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh,

Do you know how many people and especially players have probably never seen that video? Never seen. I think we're telling them. I think that's all a history lesson. You are a part of history. But here's the interesting thing. So, yes, there was an elite draft. Then there was the college draft. But.

So I guess I was a part of the elite draft, but I was a part of the allocation. Right. So there was. All right. So 1997, when the league first started, it was only eight teams. It was. So, of course, you had your Eastern Conference and Western Conference. And Houston was a part of the Eastern Conference back then. Right. But so there were 16 players that were allocated to those eight teams.

And so I was the first player that was allocated to Houston. And so I think what the league tried to do was place players in cities and

that they kind of sort of had either a connection or a following. So the league placed me in Houston and then the coaches, so like coach Chancellor then came in and said, all right, so for that second player that we're allocating, I want Cynthia Cooper. Hmm.

Okay, so you were that first person and then they're basically we're going to build our team around this first person. Yeah, who fits well with this person that we're kind of saying is our franchise player basically. Yeah, you know and it's crazy when you when you yes, that's the way it was but it's crazy when you think about it because like like a player like who who had been playing pretty much her entire professional career over in Europe.

So a lot of people had no idea the type of player she was, right? Played at USC. So people knew the name, but from a professional standpoint, they had never really seen her play because she was playing overseas. But coach Chancellor, obviously doing his homework and, you know, knowing who hoop is and paying attention to overseas was like, well, so he called her Cooper.

We're taking Cooper. You know, I told someone the other day when I was thinking about this and I said, you know, Coach Chisler was like, he was just a genius. Like he was a genius. Not for having me. He was just a genius for being able to put together a team that not very many people really knew the players. A Janeth Arcane from Brazil. Right? I knew who she was because I played against her in the Olympics, but he...

I don't know, just the brain and the mindset that he had to draft the players or to take the players that he took. Pretty good. It just seems like it was putting together a puzzle because this is a new league in 1997. Yeah.

I'm curious of when you look on that stage, because you had your outfit, your hair was laid, you were getting drafted. You got joked. You got joked. It was a great fit. The lime green was lime greening. But I'm just curious. And you couldn't tell me anything. Oh, I know it. I know it. I know it.

Everyone who was on the stage and this is a new league. What was, what was the feeling? Like it's 97. You guys are coming off the Olympics and all of the excitement around women's basketball. What was the feeling around the WNBA? Even, even in that moment, it was so surreal. Like, is this really happening? And even for me, I didn't,

I didn't believe it until I saw the first game, right? The first game between the Sparks and the Liberty, the jump ball. And that's when I finally said, this is really happening. So even talking about it and getting allocated or getting drafted, there was still a part of me that was like, what, like, what are we really doing? Like, are we really getting ready to have a professional league here? Like,

still chills to this day to think about where it started. And now, mind you, I was actually in the hospital bed having my son when that first. Well, I just had him, but I was in the hospital bed watching the tip off between the Sparks and the Liberty. Wow.

That's crazy to think about. Oh my goodness. So when you're bananas, just wow. So I'm trying to go, go back. Even when you're at the draft, what were some of the differences between that draft and the draft that we just witnessed or the drafts of recent past years?

And also was the college draft, like, was that that same day or was that a little later? Okay. College draft was later. God, there's so many things. Where do I start? Since you said my hair was laid, we'll start there. How about that? Hairstyles very different back then than they are today. Outfits. Like, seriously. Yes. Outfits.

I thought I was like, nobody could tell me anything in my little lime green ugly jacket because now that I look at it, it was so ugly. But back then I was like, you got to come correct. So I thought I was going to be correct with the hair and the outfit. Anyway, so those are two things that are totally different. Just the way, okay, so I didn't experience that.

the draft per se, like these players did. So I wasn't sitting at a table with my coaches, my mom, right? My friends. I wasn't sitting at a table waiting on them to call my name.

because I had already been allocated. So it was like, Cheryl, you're going to Houston point blank period, whether I want it or not, that's what it was. So I didn't, I didn't get to experience that side of it. And to be very honest with you, I am very grateful for every opportunity I had, but as a professional, well, as a collegiate athlete who's getting ready to go pro I,

That's a part of your journey. You know, like that's what you, you live for that moment to sit there and not knowing when your name's going to get called, feeling like, yeah, I'm going to get called, but when, like, where am I going to go? So I actually miss that part of becoming a professional athlete. Well, we can, we can reenact it with the first pick, the Houston Comet Select.

Cheryl Swoop, Texas Tech. Jordan, you're funny. I think everyone deserves that moment. And like you said, it's a part of the dream. And I did want to say, because we've talked about when we were at the final four that

All of these players who decided to stay in college and, you know, take their COVID year is wonderful. But somehow in that conversation, the W, excuse me, the W took an L in that conversation. And as WNBA fans, it was really surprising of why that happened. But when you're at the draft and you are seeing players

the tears and the hugs and the kids, their dreams are coming true. It's a reminder that the WNBA is still the dream. It is still the goal. It is what as a little girl and as you're in college, what you're working for. And I think the doubt, right? The draft is just that reminder of like, yes, this is this. All my hard work is paying off everything that I've went through. And I'm sure it was the same for you.

Listen, I'm so glad you brought that up because I've seen the tweets and the posts and just hearing people talk about it, right? Like how many players are saying, no, I'm not entering the WNBA. First of all, you can't enter the WNBA early. So let's get that straight. So even if you wanted to, you can't, okay? I think it's, you have to be 20...

I'll get this wrong. 22, 20, 22, right? To enter the WNBA. But here's my thing. I am all for players, whether that's in college now with the NIL deals, whether that's in the pros overseas, wherever you are, I am all for you getting your bag, right? Like get it. But at the same time,

You can talk about your NIL deals and the amount of money you're making and all of that stuff. You can do that and be happy about that and proud of that without dissing the W. Right. Like it's no secret. Everybody understands the pay gap and everybody understands players aren't making what they deserve, what they should be making. We all understand that. But for players who came in,

Even before me, right? The Ann Myers, the Nancy Lee, the Lynette Woodards, Carol Blazdowski, like for all of those players that came before me who opened up doors, right, for us to walk through.

So now I take that and we all take that, those of us who started the league and say, OK, what can we do? What should we do to make it better for players coming after us? Because we want to leave things better than we found it. Yeah, there is a sense of pride there. Right. So then when you hear and see these younger players today talking about and I ain't going to the league.

Like, be careful what you say, because that's the ultimate dream. It is to play professional basketball here in the States because players have been doing it overseas for many, many, many, many, many years. So to have the opportunity to play in the W here in the States in front of your friends and family is,

Like we we wanted that we live for that. So that's the part that really like it hits me to my core when I hear and see people dissing the WNBA and the lack of what we don't have. Because just like the NBA, the NBA didn't get to where it is today in 20 years. Right. Twenty five years. It took time. It took time. Yeah. Yeah.

I just had to say that because that was a topic of conversation, especially just coming off of the Final Four. And I feel like we're still talking about the Final Four, which is amazing because it is propelling us towards the WNBA season. But draft night was a reminder that the W is the dream. But just talking about NIL real quick, what NIL deals do you think you would have had at Texas Tech?

Well, seeing how my pregame meal was a Snickers and Dr. Pepper, I would hope a Snickers and Dr. Pepper. Oh, yeah. Listen, I can tell all my secrets now. I wouldn't tell my secrets when I was playing. That was my pregame meal. I needed my sugar. I needed my chocolate. I didn't want chicken breast and pasta. I was like, no, I'm good. I'm good. I don't need that. I don't need that. I can see it now.

Dr. Pepper, I'm Cheryl. You can play like Cheryl Swoops if you drink Dr. Pepper before the game. Oh my God. So I can't even, I can't, besides that, Jordan, I can't even, like that just never really entered my mind, you know? Yeah. When I look at all the different opportunities and endorsements that these players have today, it's like,

It's crazy. It's just crazy. And rightfully so. Everything from, I don't even know, from fast food restaurants. I saw someone the other day at Texas Tech. She had a Cash App endorsement. So it was like, when I go get my nails done, I use my Cash App card. When I go eat, I use my Cash App card. I'm like, wow. Genius. Wow.

It is. But but also who's better to market your product and get people excited about your product or your brand than athletes? Mm hmm.

And women. I was going to say female athletes. Because we spend money. Yes. We spend money. They have the followers. And I'm just so excited to see that kind of carry over into the WNBA. I feel like this class, this draft class, was really the start of the NIL momentum and everything. I think of someone like Hayley Jones, who we talked about,

in the first episode, but all of the NIL deals that she has, I'm so excited to see how that carries over to her as a WNBA player and in Atlanta and how that can just continue to grow. I'm betting her, her crochet braids. That's going to be an NIL deal.

or pro deal because we're past NIL. But yeah. Yeah. Opportunities are endless. Yeah. Oh my God. There's so many opportunities. And as females, as women, as athletes, like everything from lashes to when I look at like all the black girls, the black women playing ball, like their edges are laid. Like I'm like, well, what gel are you using? Because I need it. I mean,

I need that in my life. You played a full game and the edges are still. How about that? Still late. How about that? Now that's an advertisement before I've seen one. But I think that's going to be a theme that we're going to have throughout the whole season. We have some other things to get to. But first, we're going to take a quick break. When we come back, we're going to talk about Dallas and Melanastata. And now a word from our sponsors at Betterment. Betterment.

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All right, welcome back to Queens of the Court. In episode one, we spent a lot of time talking about how Atlanta and Indiana fared in this year's WNBA draft. Cheryl gave us the stank face thinking about the tall lineup for Indiana, which I haven't stopped thinking about, I hope.

Indiana coaching staff has listened to that first episode. But if not, you can too. Go back and listen to that in case you missed that conversation. But we didn't talk too much about Dallas and Minnesota, which is two teams that really had a lot of activity in the draft. Let's start with Minnesota. How do you think Minnesota did in the draft, Cheryl? I'll just start with the softball questions.

So how do I think they did in the draft? I think they did phenomenal. I think we talked in episode one, we talked about, I think we both felt like Atlanta won the draft. Right. Right. But when I went back and looked, Minnesota's not too far behind. Okay. Okay. And here's why I say this. And, and I'm only, I'm only speaking on the players that I know.

Watch play. So Brie Beal, regardless of when she got drafted, Brie Beal will make that Minnesota Lynx team and Brie Beal will make that Minnesota Lynx team a much better squad, especially defensively. And to me, Brie Beal, I thought this year she actually became more of a scorer, but that wasn't really what her focus was when she came into South Carolina.

Bree was a defender. Like that's what she was known as. And I think over the years, obviously she became a better defender, but she also became better offensively. And I think playing under Cheryl Reeve, being a defensive minded coach, Bree Beal will absolutely fit right in with that squad. Diamond Miller. Yeah.

Diamond is... Yeah, yeah. Diamond is... Like, she's an athlete. Yes. Long, active, runs the floor very well, can defend, can score, can...

I don't know if I really wouldn't let in episode one when we talked about Atlanta, right? And no doubt, I still think Atlanta won the draft. But when I look at Minnesota and Brie Beal and Diamond Miller and even Dorka, Dorka Uriah, they're not too far behind. I don't know that much about Maya Hirsch. Yep. She was the number 12 pick from France. Yeah. But

I'm only talking about the draftees, right? And then when you throw in who they currently have on the roster, Minnesota's going to make some noise. They are. And I talked to Cheryl Reeve briefly in Dallas for the Final Four and just asking, you know, how do you feel about this upcoming season? This was a couple days before the draft, but she said we are –

we're in a new era of Minnesota links basketball. When you think about Minnesota links, you think about the dynasty. You think about those incredible players that they had. And with Sylvia fouls retiring last season, it's a new era. And she said, we are trying to build around a feast of Collier. She is our player. She is our franchise player. So when you think about the roster, um,

when you think about these draft picks, how do they fit around Nafisa? I think pretty well. I think if that was their goal to say, Nafisa is going to be in the post. She's going to be able to pop out. Who's going to be able to do a high low with her. Dorca you has could do that. They could do some high low action and diamond Miller. Like you said, athlete, that's what I wrote down their athleticism.

sparked with these draft picks, just being able to run the floor and run with other teams. And let's also look at the, the, the schools that they come from, right? Like,

Dawn Staley is a competitor. Dawn is going to make sure her players are right and her players are ready for the next level. Right. Diamond Miller playing at Maryland. Brenda Freeze is, I think, my opinion, is a really good coach who will do that same thing. Make sure Diamond's prepared for that next level. And obviously, Dorka Ugon is.

They they they're known to have players in the league. Right. Gino gets his players ready. So Natalie, a channel being out. Right. Being out. Here's the thing I want to add, because I was there. Nafisa Collier coming back after having a baby.

I've seen her, I think I saw her at the Final Four. So I've seen her around. She looks amazing. Yes. Like her body looks phenomenal. Wouldn't even know she had a baby. But there's still something that, from a mental standpoint, right? When you have a baby and you come back, just mentally, you still have to wrap your mind around

Like I'm, I'm, I'm a new mom. Where's my baby? How's my baby? Like, those are just things you think about, but I do think Nafisa will absolutely come back. She'll be ready. Um,

So when I look at the players they drafted and the other players around them, Tiffany Mitchell going to Minnesota. Kayla McBride, right? They still have Kayla. Ariel Powers. I'm an Ariel Powers fan. Me too. I want her to hopefully to stay healthy an entire season because Ariel Powers is...

She's an athlete. She's a scorer. Ariel is a baller. And I just don't think she's been able to be healthy an entire season to really show what she's capable of doing. So those are the players for me when I think about Minnesota and building around Nafisa Collier. Now, I did not mention a point guard because I'm not really sure who that point guard is. Yeah, that's a good point.

They, you know, Rachel Bannum, she, she is one of their veteran players, which is, you know, kind of wild. They have Lindsay Allen. I think that's going to be a spot that Cheryl Reeve is going to look at, because if you think about, I believe that was last year, you know, she had a plethora of point guards and if it wasn't working out,

She is going to switch up the rotation. Cheryl Reeve is not afraid to do that. I agree with you. Because I think what they need, when I look at the roster from almost every other position, the two, three, four, and five, they have scoring at every position. So to me...

They need a point guard who is a facilitator, can get the ball where it needs to get to, but can also score if left wide open and things like that. So Keanu Williams, right? Stanford? Yeah. I don't know. Is she a true point guard? Could she run the team? Because I look at Rachel Bantam. I think Rachel Bantam is more of a two than a one. She's more of a shooter. I don't know. It's going to be interesting. It is going to be. I mean,

We've said it. We said it last episode. And just looking at all these names on the roster again, we are a week away from training camp. And that is going to be a spot that, you know, and I was blanking on her name. Crystal Dangerfield was running this team last year and thought it was a perfect, I thought from the outside, it was a perfect fit for

But their season started off a little rocky and Cheryl Reeve was like, OK, we are switching some things up. I think that point guard position is going to be huge. You have all this athleticism. You have a lot of scoring, a lot of shooting. Who's the best PG to kind of get all them open? I think you're right on that being a spot that is going to be really sought after in training camp.

I forgot about Crystal Dangerfield also. I know. But the thing about Cheryl Reeve is she's not afraid of change, right? Not at all. Not afraid to shake some you-know-what up and say, if it ain't working, let's do something different. Here's a crazy thought that I just had come across my mind. Okay. Let's convert Brie Beal to a point guard. Oh.

Okay. It didn't happen the first year, I'm just saying. Overtime? A big body point guard that can handle the rock, can set up the offense, can defend. I got to just put something different out there like Indiana Beavers, Big Three, or their big lineup. Now Brie Beal's going to be the big PG at Minnesota. Not this year, but... Overtime, if that is...

I like that I like this I like all of your ideas that's a that's a good one I think we're going to be looking out for Minnesota because I agree with you I think they did great in the draft um Dallas though moving on to the other team that I wanted to talk about I don't know how they did I'm I'm

on the fence. I'm not too sure. Last season, they were 18 and 18. They were 500. The first time finishing 500 in eight years. Last time they were 500, they were the total shock. They were on the up and up, but the athletic, I read an article, they gave every team a grade. They gave Dallas a D+. Oh, that's failing.

The plus just seems rude. You gave a D. The plus seems rude. A plus doesn't go with a D. It just doesn't. But I'll tell you why. And their reason was because of

the trade for Stephanie Suarez. So to kind of go through their first round, they had Maddie Segrist at third. They traded for Stephanie Suarez from the Mystics at fourth. And then they have Lou Lopez from UConn at fifth. Abby Myers, Ashley Jones, Paige Robinson later in the rounds. But they gave up a 2025 first rounder

Which, as a reminder, that draft could have Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Olivia Miles, AZ Fudd. Makes no sense. It's what you're saying. Doesn't make a lot of sense. Jordan sat down, even when they, after the draft, and even this morning, I was like, well, let me see if I can figure some stuff out. And the math still ain't mathin' to me. It's not mathin', Cheryl. Right.

I don't know. So when you talk about them trading for Stephanie Suarez, like I watched her play at Iowa State before she got hurt. I think she will be a great pro. Yeah. A great pro. But I don't think Dallas needed her. Right? Right now. Kalani Brown. Kalani Brown has been balling overseas. I think she finally...

is ready, right? Like, I think she's like, I belong in this league. Yeah. Let me go take care of my business, come back and show people what I can do. I think Kalani Brown fits with Dallas. But then when I go down that list, I'm just going to go down the list. Charlie Collier.

are listen Dallas are you gonna play her are you not gonna play her right I know they have new coaches I know all of that if you're not gonna play her let her go somewhere where she will be used because Charlie needs to be playing in the league yeah former number one pick yes but they have some you got Kalani Brown Charlie Collier Tiara McCowan Tiara is a beast

You just got Natasha Howard. Yep. Right. Natasha's more of a, I think she's a three. She's a four. You got Satu Sabali. Like help me understand why do you need Stephanie Suarez? And it's not to take anything away from her because I think Stephanie will be a hell of a player. I'm confused. Me too. That's the thing. It's like the urgency of it.

I'm not understanding why that needed to happen now when you have the roster as you have it. Especially when we're all looking towards the future of these future drafts where they are star-studded. And you don't know when players are going to come out and they still have their COVID year and all that. But...

that's a big draft to have a first round pick in. And now you've just coughed that up. Like that is no longer a vision for you, which is, well, maybe, you know, maybe, maybe they're all about now. Right. But even now I don't, I don't think Stephanie is what you needed. When I look at their roster, I'm trying to figure out who, yes, crystal danger feels now at Dallas. Right. Yep. But I'm like, who's your point guard.

Yeah, they had Veronica Burton playing a little bit of the point guard. And we talked about it, too. We were sitting there during the draft as all this was happening, trying to figure out this wings roster. And we were sitting next to Nneka. And we were like, is Arike your one? Like, you just want the ball in her hands at all times? No.

No. And I'm going to put that out there. No, Arike is not your one. No. She needs to be coming off the screens. Yeah. She needs to be spotting up. And then they have Diamond DeShields on the other wing. On the other wing. I don't know who their point guard is. Huh. They got some shooters, though. Well, maybe it is Crystal Dangerfield. Maybe she's their point guard with Veronica Burton coming off the bench. I don't know. That's why I'm doing this podcast and not...

coaching, I guess. Cause I don't know. You know, you mentioned it. It's a new coach in LT. Is it a new identity? I think Dallas is just such a head scratcher to me because like I said, they are, they're on the up. You have one of your best seasons in eight years. You go to the playoffs, then you fire the coach and you bring in a new coach hoping that that momentum continues and

What is the identity of this team? Is it, you know, LT is typically defensive minded, but then you got a lot of shooters and a lot of scores. So are you going to shoot the lights out? I'm very curious to see how their identity kind of evolves over training camp and over those first couple of weeks of the season. Because right now I'm, I'm scratching my head. The D plus what I know. Right. Yeah.

Right. See if you watched that first, but it's accurate. Athletic got it right. You have 18 players on your roster right now. That's all I can say. I don't know how you have so many bigs on your squad. Yeah. Are you keeping all of them? But then you have...

Arike, Diamond. And I watched Veronica Burton play in AU. And I love that kid's game. She's tough. No, she defends. She gets after you and she can score the basketball. Yes. So she's a player for me that I'm keeping on my squad. Then when I keep going down the roster, the one Ashley Jones, who's a shooter, a scorer from Iowa state, right? Lou Lopez, right?

Shooter. You got to keep her. Maddie Segrist. She's a shooter. I don't know.

I mean, if you kept all of them, that's a really solid second unit. Like if all of them are coming off the bench, they're going to figure it out. But we've also talked about the AU sports boost of confidence. And I think Veronica Burton is going to be a completely different player than last year. And I think she surprised people last year. She came out of Northwestern. She got drafted very high.

And a lot of people were like, wait, Northwestern, who is this player? She was locking people up. She was shooting the open three. And I think she wasn't really comfortable in that point guard position, but she was kind of pushed into that because she was doing so well everywhere else on the court. But...

I would, I want her now to really be like, this is the player I am. I am a three and D player, or I am, you know, coming off the bench. I'm like, she was kind of everywhere last year coming off of a U sports. I think she has that boost of confidence. She should be on this team. Definitely. But I,

But I think that when you talk about last year, you know, it's a matter of trying to figure out where do I fit, right? Like what's my role? So because you don't know that you're trying to do everything. But from what I saw for five weeks straight,

Veronica Burton belongs in the league. And if it's not with Dallas, I hope some team picks her up because not only is she a good defender, she's tough-nosed, she's

can score the basketball, she's a good teammate, right? Like she brings positive energy on the bench. And, and to me, that stuff that don't get talked, that doesn't get talked about enough is what type of a teammate are you? And when you're, when you're playing in the W on a roster of 11 players and not everybody's going to play, you got to have good teammates on the bench and in the locker room. And Veronica Burton is one of those players. Oh, that's a ringing endorsement. I, I,

Okay. I love this. This is another training camp that I would love to be a fly on the wall and see how this is all going to shake out. Again, training camps start in a week. A lot of these players are coming back from overseas.

I'm hoping just one last note, Satu Sabli. I want to see her on the floor. I want to see her healthy. I want to see her be able to contribute all season long. Cause I think this is a different team when she's on the floor and when she's off. So I'm hoping sending good vibes for her health this season too. Yeah. Let's put that out there. Cause she's really, really good. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay, we're going to take a quick break and then we have a tweet that we want to talk about before we wrap up.

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Duncan's pumpkin spice coffee has sent folks into a cozy craze. I'm Lauren Latulip reporting live from home in my hand-knit turtleneck that my Nana made me. Mmm, cinnamony. The home with Duncan is where you want to be. Okay, we're back with the gavel. I need to find the right time to... Court is in session. Court is in session. We're always going to have a different final segment, but...

in the show, but today it's the news of the week and the tweet of the week. Um, I want to give a shout out to at pretty can for, cause she said about ion didn't watch the WNBA in the beginning when they were on oxygen, you didn't live through a time when most of the games weren't even on TV and Cheryl responded and said, and lifetime, um,

So if you haven't heard the WNBA signed a major TV deal with ion and they

I think this is wonderful for the league. And there were tweets about, you know, watch your little NCIS and then a little Liberty versus aces game. Like this is going to be in every single household, but Cheryl, you remember the days when lifetime, what I'm curious what the programming was before the games on lifetime. Yeah.

I don't even know. Like, I don't even, I don't even know what it was, but here's my thing. The fact that we have someone else saying we want to cover the WNBA. Yeah. Like that's great for the league. And to your point, I know we're laughing about it. I'm a criminal minds type of girl. Give me my criminal minds and then hoops right after I'm not getting off of my couch.

That's a perfect day. It's like, it doesn't get any better than that. But I will say this. I do remember back in the day we were on Lifetime and none of us cared. What we cared about was visibility, right? We're somewhere, we were, let's see, ESPN, ESPN2, NBC, not many games on NBC and Lifetime, Lifetime and Oxygen.

And so we were like, yes, where else can we be? So when I saw that tweet, I was just like, oh, this is huge for the league. So kudos to the league. Thank you to Eye on Television. And it's going to be a good season. It's going to be a good season.

It's going to be a good season. I will be too. And that's, I think that's just it. We are as WNBA fans and as WNBA ambassadors, we want to get as many eyeballs on these games as possible. Signing a major network deal does that. And I'm,

was the uh this is on variety they were the 11th ranked top network they beat out tlc tnt tbs so this is huge and i think any movement forward that we can have with media deals and more visibility is in the right direction so this was great news

Great news for all of us, for fans. I'll be tuning in. Maybe I turn into a Criminal Minds fan or whatever comes on after the games. I love it. Do you not watch Criminal Minds? I don't watch Criminal Minds. I'm not even a Law & Order SUV person. Sometimes I watch it, but I don't. Does that make me weird? I know. It's Shamar Moore. I know. Is it Shamar Moore as a detective? Detective?

Yeah. Oh, interesting. Not a detective. He's a, I don't know what his title is on there. You don't care. No, I don't. But now you can watch. Okay. I'll watch. I on television is good TV. Okay, great. Well, I'm hooked because I'll be watching my WNBA games there. And Shamar Moore, I'll be, I'll be watching you. Criminal Minds. Okay. Well,

This was great. Great to talk to you. Court adjourned with the gavel. You see, I have to hold it. Oh, I'm probably not holding it up. It's fine. That's fine. That's good. Okay. Well, thanks for listening. All season long, Queens of the Court will be the podcast home for the WNBA. From post-game analysis to interviews,

with coaches and athletes, we'll keep you up to date on the biggest news across the W. So make sure you hit subscribe right now. Please follow, rate, and review the show available on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. And if there's anything you want to hear us discuss, let us know on social media. You can find me at airsweeps22 and Jordan is at underscore Jordan Liggins.

Queens of the Court is an Odyssey original created in partnership with the WNBA. The show is produced by Alex Ozzie. The executive producer is Lena Moss Glazer. Social media assistance from Isabella Apple. Imaging from T-Storm Battle.