Stew York City
59:52 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. First of all, before she even said anything, I'm looking at her facial expression. And her facial expression is that, like, if you and I are in a conversation and you're talking, I'm giving you this facial expression like, girl, say that because you are so right. Yes. Approval. That's what she cares. Right? Yes.

What's up everybody? Welcome to another episode of Queens of the Court, an Odyssey Original Podcast produced in partnership with the WNBA. I'm your girl, Cheryl Swift. And I'm Jordan Robinson. Oh, gotta get the gavel. And court is in session. God, I look forward to that every single week. My dogs are like, what? What did we do?

Oh man. Okay. I am on cloud nine because the WNBA season is officially, officially back. And what an opening weekend. I honestly felt like I couldn't have asked for a better opening weekend for the W for new fans, for returning fans. It was a lot of fun. What are some of your initial reactions?

So I agree with you. Like so exciting to actually have W basketball back. And I'm going to throw this out there because NBA basketball right now is not very good. Oh, it's not good. So we'll skip over that. But the W is back. Yeah. So I'm going to keep it short and sweet for you. Here are my takeaways. There are a few really good teams. And there are some.

Not very good teams. That was my takeaway. I mean, there's a lot in between, but if I'm going to keep it short and sweet, after watching every team play opening weekend, I was like, really, really good. And then I was like, oh my goodness, they're going to have a long season. And then I was like, okay, these teams could sneak up on some people.

Okay, well, I want to get into really all of that really quick. I think Chicago going 2-0 on the weekend was surprising. Not surprising because I didn't think they could do it, but I don't think I was expecting them to have such a great start and kind of already know, like, this is Kalia's, Copper's team. And they are...

are going off of her leadership. Izzy Harrison isn't even on the floor for them right now because she's injured and they are still being able to put up a lot of points. They are scoring and they are getting defensively some great stops against teams. So Chicago was a big surprise and Connecticut Sun also 2-0.

I feel like I didn't even mention the words Connecticut Sun. We mentioned it. We mentioned it. But we didn't talk about them. We really didn't talk about them a lot. No, no. So, you know, when you mention those two teams, because I totally agree with you, right? Is he not playing? I think a lot of people, including myself, was like, okay, how is this really going to affect Chicago? But to your point, Khalia Copper is like, I got your back. Don't worry. But I think...

Those are two teams that not only you and I, but that a lot of people aren't really talking about that I do think is going to sneak up on some people, surprise some people. And you know what? At the end of the day, it's about pride and feeling disrespected. And I think both of those teams are like, oh, OK, y'all go ahead. Talk about everybody else. Don't worry about us. But we still here and we still come.

And both of those teams have post-season experience. So they're just knowing like, okay, we're playing the long game. Like, don't talk about us right now. But when it comes post-season, we know what to do. You know, Connecticut, majority of that core has been to the finals. Chicago, majority of that core, you know, is part of the championship team. So yeah, what we are talking about is the...

Maybe not those two teams, but Brittany Griner is what everybody was talking about. And this was her homecoming weekend. I feel like all eyes were on BG. I think she played very well against the Sparks. She had 18 points on Sunday at home against the Sky. She had 27 points.

I was there in LA, 10,000 fans cheering her on. The vice president Kamala Harris was there. So many former Laker greats, celebrities, LA was popping. And I was at the opening last year and it was very different vibes. So to have 10,000 fans there, the, um,

when Brittany Griner's name was announced. Everybody was just so proud. So then Sunday, 14,000 fans in Phoenix. And I think the overall thing is she played well too amongst all of that, which I know we talked about, we were a little bit worried about. So gosh, cause you, you just put a lot out there. No, but it's good. Like, first of all, I can just hear you.

And feel the excitement in your voice talking about it and being there. So, yeah, I watched on television. I didn't get the invite to attend in person. Oh, sorry. But anyway, I'll get you next time. You know what? You know what I think stood out to me the most? One, she's an athlete, right? Regardless of everything she's been through, she's an athlete. She's a competitor. Right.

So, you know, at some, she's going to show up. I think for me, what really stood out was the way she has handled everything coming back, playing on the road, her first game on the road, then the home opener. And with so much attention on her and the spotlight on her, like she's used to having that spotlight from, from a player, right?

And, and I mean, let's just be real. A lot of people showed up in LA and probably some in Phoenix, right. And everywhere. A lot of people are showing up just to see like from a political standpoint, just to see like, Oh my gosh, how is she? Is she okay? What's she going to do? You know, because there was even a conversation about will Brittany stand for the national anthem? Will she not? Like, so I think a lot of people are politicizing it and bringing politics in. But for me, I,

Just the way she's carried herself and handled herself and she's just playing basketball. And I can only imagine how gratifying and refreshing that is to be able to be back on American soil, doing what you love in front of the people you love. And Sherelle, her wife just had the biggest smile on her face. Like my wife is back.

I don't know. Like I was feeling all of that through the screen. And and then I started watching her basketball. Right. So then I was like, OK, let me see how she's going to handle this. But to your point, a great opening weekend. And it was it was just so good to see her playing with such grace and just happy, just being happy. So I was happy for her.

I was too. And we actually have some sound from that Brittany Griner intro that she got in Phoenix in front of 14,000 fans. So let's take a listen. Oh my gosh. I got tears in my eyes watching that all over again. Oh my gosh.

BG clearly was emotional, had some tears in her eyes. I just what I was thinking about in that moment, just rewatching that is like that had to be on her heart, on her mind, a dream of hers of like, I'm going to get back home and I'm going to be able to play basketball again in front of my family and my friends. She she talked about what that intro meant to her. We have some sound of that, too.

You know, it may have been a little dust in my eye. It was a little dusty. But no, it was, yeah, no, it was emotional in the back. Just hearing, seeing some of the clips and then coming out. Man, she set me up with that song. Oh my God. Oh my God. But no, it was really good. It was really good. You know, part of the process of healing was, you know, just kind of letting it, letting it out. So, yeah.

Yeah, I got choked up a little bit, but tried to hide it, but I see you caught it. Yeah, she couldn't hide it. That was emotional. My eyes are dusty right now, too. It was also the first time she played in front of her parents in more than a decade, and having her entire family there, like she mentioned, and

It was emotional. And I know I mentioned, you know, being in L.A., but that was an away game for them. This was her first home game, being able to come home and play. And you heard the song playing. What were some of your thoughts just seeing her get that round of applause introduction? You know, when I saw the schedule and I saw her first game was going to be in L.A., girl, I am, like, emotional right now.

My first thought though was like,

well, why would they have her play her first game on the road? That was my first thought. But then I was like, you know what? But maybe that's good for her knowing how everybody was going to turn out in Phoenix. So at least she was able to get one game under her belt before. Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah. You know, but watching her come out and put her little X factor up and run out and the fans, the noise, it's crazy because like I heard the song, but

But until just now, I didn't like I've heard the song before, too. But the part where I was like, where she says, I'm coming home, tell the world. I mean, I was like, oh, my gosh. I know. How perfect was that? Like the song was perfect. I don't know. Just everything about that moment was. And I'll say this because I have to. The only bad part about her home opener was.

They lost. They took an L. That's all they have left. They took two L's on the weekend. But...

To your point, what you're saying, Griner played great. Like, in the opener, 27 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks. She had that emotional, like, she yelled, I'm back after she hit a three. Her only seventh three in her career. Like, it's not like she's a three-point shooter. So she was...

on top of the moon, these like these stats by ESPN, she was eight for 11 on contested field goals, seven for 10 off the dribble. And she scored 14 points in the post. So like she's back, like she said, she is back. And that was cool to see because like you said, the basketball part is very good. And I hope all of the new fans that have come because of what Brittany's very powerful story has brought, uh,

The basketball is good, and she has worked so hard from getting back in December from deciding that she was going to play. Kathy Engelbert did say that the schedule was decided before they knew Brittany Griner was going to play, before anything. So this was kind of how the schedule was set up for her to get that game on the road in the Sparks. The Sparks won, but she had a game-high 18 points in that.

come back home, have 27 points. That was exciting. And for the fans, 14,000 in attendance, largest Mercury crowd since 1998. So crazy. Crazy. Wait a minute. Since when? 1998. That's what it was recorded in ESPN. Wow.

So they, I believe I read they, they sold out in the lower deck and then they had to start selling tickets in the upper deck too, because everybody wanted to come see BG play, but Mercury as a team, uh,

They may need some help. They may need some more help, but we can talk about that later. Cheryl's face says it all. Oh, I forget. You can't see my face. Yeah. Listen, there's no mic to that. If you watched opening weekend, right? Anybody out there, if you watched it, you can look at the teams and

Who showed up and you can look at those teams and say, okay, they have the pieces. They're going to be good. They're going to make some noise. You can also look at the teams and say they don't have the pieces. They need some help. And Phoenix isn't the only team that I felt that way about on opening weekend. It's great to have BG back at home playing and

It's great to have Diana still doing what Diana does. But at the end of the day, Diana Taurasi is not the Diana Taurasi of old. Like she can't do the things that she was doing where she could carry a team. And Brittany is going to need some help. And my question to you, where does that help come from?

Brianna Turner is going to do what Brianna Turner does. She defends, she rebounds, which is great. You need those things. But offensively, where are you getting more scoring from? I don't know. Yeah, that will be something to watch as the season gets on. I would be curious to see if they pick up

some other players, because there are some scorers that are not attached to a roster right now that they could potentially add to make them more competitive against some other, because they haven't even went against the big guns yet of the league. So that's a rude awakening. But you know what a team who did exactly what

I expected them to do and had a great opening game. The Washington Mystics, they defeated the New York Liberty 80 to 64. We have been talking up the Mystics on how they are kind of our sleeper team. How did you like, I didn't, I actually didn't see their loss against the sun on Sunday. It was a close game. Yeah. They lost 80 to 74, but kind of a statement game against the Liberty team.

On Friday, what did you see? What did you like? So to your point, I didn't see the loss against the Sun either, but I did watch the Liberty game. To your point, my first thought was, oh, okay, this is a statement game. Like their first game was against one of the, quote, um,

Super teams, right? And so this is an opportunity for the Mystics to show who they are, what they got,

I love that squad. Not only do I like the players that started, like they have a bench. I'm a huge Tiana Hawkins fan. Tiana Hawkins can just stroke the basketball. I mean, Shakira Austin started and she's so different from year one to year two. Such a great compliment to Elena, Natasha Cloud.

Brittany side. Like I love that squad defensively. They are going to guard you. They are going to cause havoc. They are going to be up in your grill the whole game. And then offensively, they got some people that can score the basketball. I just sat and I watched the game and like, I don't have a dog in the fight.

I watched the game and I just had this big smile on my face. And I think the reason why I did is like, they're, they're definitely not the underdog, but they're not the team that everybody's talking about. It is the Liberty, the aces. And so for me, like I loved being in a position when I played where people either counted me out or they were just like, Oh, okay. We'll deal with them when it's time. And the mystics came out like, Oh no,

You are going to know we're here. We're going to make some noise and it starts today. And they're fun to watch. Fun to watch. So in that first game against Liberty, it was a little bit of a

Evened attack like Elena Deladon had 13 Ariel Atkins had 14 Natasha cloud had 14 and then Christy Tolliver. I don't think we've mentioned Christy Tolliver coming back to the mystics. And the last time she was there, they won the championship. So Christy Tolliver, I'm not expecting her to drop.

you know, a 30 piece every game, but just her veteran leadership and her being a assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks. She is a future head coach in the WNBA. I believe that. So her coming as a point guard and her experience of,

of saying the last time I was here, we won a championship. So that's my standard. And I think everybody else is just going to fall in line for that. And then my girl Shakira Austin on Sunday, she had a game high or a team high 21 points. She has made already. This is only the second game, but I love saying these huge statements, just a massive jump from rookie to sophomore. And sometimes I want to keep my eye on her.

you know, middle of the season because the sophomore slump could, could hit at any time. But right now I think what she did overseas to prepare her, uh, to come in and be such a force. We know what she's going to be a rim protector, but to score and have 11 rebounds to, to boot in there. I mean, that's just fun because you, you knew what EDD is going to bring Natasha cloud, all these big names, but if you're youth, you,

can rise to the occasion on top of that, man, y'all better watch out for the mystics. Y'all better watch out.

Natasha cloud basically after that game was just like, y'all keep sleeping on us if you want to, but that's Tosh, right? Like Tasha's going to speak her mind. She's going to say what she feels, what she thinks in that moment. But she's like, y'all keep sleeping on us. If you want to, we're confident in who we are, what we have in that locker room. And they believe like they believe in themselves. They believe in each other as they should. I will also say this. I believe.

And it's not her numbers with Elena, but just watching her movement on the floor, she looks healthy.

Like just running and cutting and shooting, pulling up in transition, knocking down threes and moving defensively. She looks really good. She does. And she, you know, that Connecticut game, which anytime you play Connecticut, you know, it's going to be physical. But she, she has something to say after those foul calls after the Connecticut game. Let's listen in. I'm just going to say, I'm so sick of,

being treated like a rookie with falls if I get fined whatever it's unbelievable I've been through too many back surgeries to whatever but anyways I just keep attacking um in the end I hope that because I can elevate and jump over people you can see

that my arm is getting hit. I just keep attacking and hoping that it'll change and hopefully it'll change next game. But there's really nothing you can do in those moments. You just, when you see something, you got to still attack it. And then thank goodness for Kira, who stepped up and took over and was able to finish through some stuff. But you just got to keep playing through it.

You see Shakira Austin there just helping her out. She's like, I got you. Yeah, she's like, I got you. Because, you know, some players, like Alayna's not that type of player that's going to really come out and say stuff about the refs or anybody. But Tasha Clark.

Shaquille O'Neal and Shakira was like, I got you. Don't worry about it. But so here's two things I'll say. One's kind of funny. When she's like, I don't know, I guess it's because I could just elevate and jump over people. Now she can't jump like that. You know, I love you some Elena, but you ain't got a hop sign.

But you know what she has? But her shot is so high. Like her release, her release is so high. And she does a really nice job of using her body and getting her shot off. So, you know, when she's like, I'm just going to say it. I'm tired of being treated like a rookie. So people listen to that and they're like, well, what does she mean? Like, I don't know.

Felt her in that moment because Elena is in year, gosh, help me out. I don't know. What year is this for her? I think it's seven. Seven, eight. I can double check. She's not a rookie, right? She's not a rookie. Far from that. Yeah. And it's true. There are, there are certain players, especially vets that you just get those calls. There's no, there's no question about it. When, even if it's close, the call typically is going to go,

to that vet versus a rookie. Right? So Elena is, I didn't see the game, but obviously she's highly upset about not getting calls that vets typically get. So she's like, I'm just hoping they will stop treating me like I'm a rookie and not give me those calls versus treating me like a vet and making sure I get those calls. Like I felt her in that moment. And Shakira is just, listen, Shakira was like a typical black woman.

in that moment. Yeah. First of all, before, before she even said anything, I'm looking at her facial expression and her facial expression is that like, if you and I are in a conversation and you're talking, I'm giving you this facial expression. Like girls say that. Cause you are so right. Yeah. Right.

And we got to put some respect on Edie. This is her 10th season. She has definitely earned the vet calls and everything that she's been through. She hinted at it. She's like, I've been through so many back surgeries. Like, help me out a little bit, refs. And on the flip side of that, Aaliyah Boston was on record saying, she's like, you know, I don't really feel like...

Like a rookie, but I'm getting those rookie calls. She's already fouled out once in regular season, once in preseason. But it's like, okay, Rook, that's what you got to go through. Everybody has gone through it. Welcome to the pros. Yeah. Elena Deladon is like, no, don't play me like that. Right? I've been here. I've put in my work. I'm in year 10. I'm an MVP. I am a champion. Put some respect on my name, refs. And I love...

also know you have to be a certain status to say I don't care if they find me you know like that just says I have money you know what I mean just take me I have money so find me I don't care

I love that. I love that we were able to point that out. But we know Connecticut is a very aggressive team. That's how they get down. That's their identity, which I don't fault them for that because it's gotten them really far prior. Alyssa Thomas and Dewana Bonner and all of them. And you know what? And I want to say this because there is a difference. And I know Alyssa Thomas gets a bad rap at times because people say she's a dirty player.

I don't think Alyssa Thomas is a dirty player at all. I think Alyssa Thomas knows her strengths. And so she placed her strengths. Alyssa Thomas is a very physical player. Yeah, she's not the only one. Right? Like there are lots of teams, lots of players, but you know, when you go in to play Connecticut, that it's going to be a battle. Yeah. Well, you you you got to mentally not just physically, but you have to mentally prepare yourself to go to battle because that's what it's going to be. Yep.

Well, we got more to come up. This is the first half. We have more. When we come back, we're going to talk about the LA Sparks and Zia. Oh my goodness. And on fire, Stewie dropped 45 points in the home opener. So we're also going to talk about that. We'll be right back. 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. All right, welcome back to Queens of the Court. And we have to talk about the Los Angeles Sparks.

Getting their first win over the Mercury 94 to 71 on Friday. I mentioned just the atmosphere, what it was like in LA, 10,000 people,

Vice President Kamala Harris getting a jersey presented to her by Nneka Ogumike. It was wild. Magic was there. I got to say, hi, actually speak words to Billie Jean King. Like, it was a wild night. I'm still on cloud nine thinking about it. Nneka led the team with 17 points. Chanae came in with 15 points. She started. I really liked how she played. Really, really good. 15 points. But...

The player of the game to me was Zia Cook, who had 14 points. She couldn't miss Cheryl. She was feeling herself so much. She was having so much fun. It was beautiful to witness, honestly. Zia, Zia, Zia.

I was a fan of hers at South Carolina, but like I kept watching the game and don't get me wrong. Cause I thought everyone on that team for the Sparks opening night played really well. They did. But I was like, okay, Kurt, I need a little Zaya. I need a little Zaya because she played so well in preseason. And so, you know, what I loved is when she got in the game, like she didn't have, or

it was like, I belong. Yes. And she played that way. She looked like it. And I loved when I think Holly, uh,

Holly Rowe was talking to her, ask her a question, whatever, about Dawn being there. She said, I really want to cry right now, she said, but I got to stay focused. I was like, yeah, you do. She said, I got to stay focused in this game. It was just such a delight. I was so happy to see her get in the game, so happy to see her play well. Zia Cook is going to be a hell of a pro. Mm-hmm.

She's good. She's good. And to what you were saying, it was the timing of when she came in because the sparks...

Came out flat. Like they, they did not have a great start. You know, the first five minutes I have here, they went two for 12 from the field. So it seemed like more of the vets had some jitters or it was like a lid on the basket. They just couldn't get anything down. Then Lexi started making some shots. Carly Samuelson started making some shots and then Zaya came in and it turned the momentum of the game. And like, that's,

when you know, even if she would have had six, the 14 points are wonderful. Even if she would have had six points, the points were timely and they really helped, you know, the sparks build. And then she just kept getting more and more time. Nobody wanted her off the court because she couldn't miss. It was and ones, it was kind of a three level score. It

It was everything. And when you are a rookie, I can't imagine you just having a better showing to show that you belong, to show that you are prepared. You know, that was a lot of the talk going into this first game of, oh, are you ready for it? Some of your other teammates got waived. Are you going to, you know, and she silenced all of that. Everybody. Of how she fit in. Let's not forget.

the Sparks, like LA, they're a tough crowd. So for her to, it wasn't just any team, it's the LA Sparks. Like there's history there. You're supposed to be good. You're supposed to win championships. Like all of that. And Zaya was like, I am exactly where I'm supposed to be. And as a player, like a collegiate player, right, there's no better feeling than to play well, right, as a rookie, but then to do it in front of your coach who

who has been there for you from day one, who's believed in you through the ups, the downs, the goods, the bads. Because Zaya and Dawn had moments where it was like, this ain't gonna work. But for Dawn to show up and was like,

I'm here. And every time Zaya did something or whenever they would flash the camera, cause you were there, but when they flashed the camera to Dawn, you've probably seen it on social media. Dawn was just, she looked like a proud mom. She did. She was like, I know that's right. I know that's right. That's my baby. It was so good to see her in that moment doing what she was doing. I loved everything about it.

But we were talking about the sky. I mean, yeah, the sky and the sun. I don't know how many people talking about the Sparks either. But after I left saying, okay, there's some really good pieces on this Sparks team. So no, they're

I'm going to make a little bit of noise too, but it was. Zia cooked for me all day. All day. And you talked about having that respect from the crowd, but also having that respect from the vet on the team and Nneka Gumike. This is what Nneka had to say about Zia after the game. I think like, so like generally, not even just like on the court, like she's so green so much. And so, I mean, I think that it's a combination of how she was raised and

The school she went to, the coach that coached her, and the person that she is, and the player that she is. And that was the intention of who we brought into camp

And it started with her as our first draft pick out of this draft. And so it's just really fun, like, seeing, like, her eyes light up in certain situations. I'm like, oh, girl, you just got here. But what I love about her is really her innocence. She's so surprised by things that don't go well. But I love it. You know, she's kind of just...

a ball of positive energy. She wants to do well. She wants to be ready. And for her to come in here and just be herself is amazing. And that's really the types of people that we have on this team. I know Carly's not going to expound on what she feels and stuff, but people are out here working hard without any guarantees. That goes unnoticed every day. And we have a group of people, especially tonight,

no matter how they made it here that have earned their spot in this win tonight. Oh, I love that so much. Especially, I was going to say,

Cheryl, you and I were sitting next to Nneka at the WNBA draft. And when Zaya's name got called to go to the Sparks, she was elated. She kept yelling, that's my PG. That's my PG. She ran up to her and gave her a hug right after she got drafted. So to kind of see it,

you know, a month later, because it was just last month, and to see Zyia have this game and Nneka just beaming about her, I love how all of that has transpired. This is who Nneka wanted as her rookie on this team. I just loved everything Nneka said in that interview, like Zyia being so innocent. And as a rookie, like, that's what you want, you know? But also...

You know, she's like, it's the way she was raised, the school she went to, the coach that coached her. Like Zaya is exactly who we as an organization had in mind that we wanted to draft. But also they wanted a winner. Like Zaya Cook went to a program

And play for a coach that's a winner. And so, you know, no, they didn't win the championship this year. That just lit a fire under her, made her even hungrier to come in this year and say, I'm going to earn my spot and we're going to win.

Right. And to be able, like NECA is talking about Zaya and the great things that Zaya brings, but to be able to play as a rookie, to be able to play with and under a vet, like a NECA who's been there, done that. She's a great leader. She's a teacher. She knows what it takes to win. She's a competitor. Like,

Vets don't get any better than that. And when you start talking about wanting to be great and wanting to be successful and wanting to have longevity in a league, playing under a vet like that can absolutely help and teach you how to be a good pro. I loved everything about that. Well, it's a...

It's pretty fun to be a Sparks fan right now. Hoping that that transpires to the winning regular season. We need to get back to that winning column. Speaking of winning, though, someone who is winning on the court and they finally won their home opener is the New York Liberty and Breanna Stewart. A 45-piece.

Let me just put this more into context because 45 is insane. It is. But in three quarters, in three quarters to do it, gets the Cheryl stank face. That has not come back since episode one. Stewie got the Cheryl stank face because she was 15 for 21 from the field. Six

three pointers. She said a personal career high and then a new franchise record. She broke Cappy Pondexter's 40 point record for the Liberty. And it's just the fifth 45 point double double in league history. This was the first home game for the New York Liberty and Stu York City. I mean, I don't even know what to say. Like it was a clinic.

It was a clinic, three-level score. Anywhere you want it, she was cash. So, yeah, that's pretty good. That's pretty good. Listen, that's what I don't think people realize is three quarters. Not four, only three quarters. I think Stewie came out and said, listen, we lost our first game on the road.

Weren't they on the road? Yeah. Yeah. So then you come back home and she's like, oh no, that's not the team we are. That's definitely not the player I am. And Stewie came home playing in front of her home crowd, playing in New York City and said, let me show y'all exactly why y'all wanted me to come here and play. Yeah. And she did just that. At the end of the first quarter, she

Indiana fever had 14 points. Brianna Stewart had 19 points. She was beating the fever by herself after that first quarter. It was incredible. And I mean, again, great showing from the crowd in New York. This is what she said in front of the crowd after that game.

Stewie, you told me during pregame that tonight was going to be special. Well, did you know it was going to be career high night special? And you broke the franchise record for 45 points, the most points in a single game special. No, I didn't know it was going to be special.

I know it's going to be like this but with this crowd I wanted to make sure that I came out and we got the win. We wanted to we want to protect home court now and all season long but appreciate you guys really showing love and I hope you're here all season. Speaker 1: Here these fans cheering you on and you told me that you had a lot of family in the building. What did it feel like to take this court in the state of New York in front of your family and friends and in front of the Liberty fans. Speaker 2: It feels like I made the right decision.

You definitely did. And for this group, you guys bounced back from Friday and you show showcase the balance and the threats that this team has. What was the key and what was the main point of emphasis as you guys now move forward?

The main point was just for us to continue to play through it, play together. You know, we know that we have a lot of room to grow, and we're really looking forward to kind of just continuing on one day at a time. I can't hear you over the MVP chant. I can't hear you there. Brianna, congratulations. Good luck. We'll see you in a couple of days. Thank you. Oh, she's loving this. She's eating it. Oh, my goodness. You need to get her a bib. That's how much she's eating this. Like.

wide to the crowd. She might as well have just thrown air kisses to the crowd. I love this for her though. I'm not mad at it. You're going from Seattle, which, and I'm not talking about the organization, right? Because they were really good. But when you start talking about media attention and just other opportunities, there's no better place than New York. No better place. It's

game two, the first home game. And they're already chanting MVP. Like she is loving all of this. Loving it. And, and I think it's important too, because after, after the game, um,

I saw this quote and she said, it was really important to play like this in my debut because I want people to be here. I want people to come back and I want more. I want more of everything. I know it sounds selfish, but as a women's basketball player, as a female athlete, we need to continue to get recognized for more in media coverage and fans and eyes and viewership. So hopefully I made a few good first impressions on some people. I hope they come back and I hope they,

they keep coming back. And that is also a part of it. That was a part of her decision to coming to New York. She knew that this is one of the biggest challenges

cities for the WNBA, what's a better way to grow the league and grow the game by having a 45 piece in your debut to a nearly sold out crowd chanting MVP. Like that is only going to grow not only Stewie's name and fame, but the league at large. Absolutely. And you know, lots of times players make decisions as they should. They make the best decision for themselves and their family, right. As they should. And,

But I think in addition to that for Stewie, because Stewie's always been about the league, right? Like the bigger picture and making it better for every player. Like there's no better place to go and do that than to go to New York. And I'm sitting here watching her and I'm like, damn, like Stewie is feeling herself. Yes. And not in a bad way, right? No, as she should. But she is like...

Yeah, I did that. I'm here. Stewie to save the day. Well, it was good. It was good. It was good.

I will say Twitter was ablaze after game one because we talked about and gave credit to the Mystics. And I think it was partially their defense, but the shot chart and who was taking the shots, this quote unquote, you know, super team after game one, Stewie only had 10 shots. JJ had six. Vantage slew had 10. Sabrina UNESCO had 20 shots and she had 18 points. And Twitter was kind of like, wait, wait, wait.

You brought JJ and Stewie so Sabrina can have 20 shots? Like, that was a lot.

And I was like, oh no, this is going to blow up in our faces. If not, everybody is getting the same type of love or they got to figure that out. And they figured it out very quickly that Brianna Stewart should be getting 21 shots. I wasn't on Twitter putting that out there because I knew you and I would have this conversation. Yeah. Right. So here's my thing. When I watch game one,

You really, at least you think you know what you're going to get from Stewie, Slu, JJ, Sabrina. But I found myself looking at Benajalaini and I was like, she looks lost. Yes. Like, damn, where do I fit? Like, what is my role? That's what I saw in game one. So I didn't get to see game two. So I don't know how different it was. But I also said, something's got to change. Something's got to give. This is not going to work.

Right. Like just my opinion. Sabrina is not the first option for the Liberty. No. Or I mean, if she is, she shouldn't be. Not when you not when you have. I'm just saying not when you have 45 new MVPs. Yeah. You have a 45 piece by Brianna Stewart and you have JJ who I feel still hasn't gotten goat. She hasn't found her way yet. No. Sabrina cannot be option one.

It has to go. I would run everything through Brianna Stewart. Let Stewie figure out what's going on. And then we haven't even talked about Sloot and what she can do because Sloot is going to distribute. She's going to get the rock where it needs to be. So if you, if you continue to play the way you did in game one, it's going to be a long season. Yeah, I agree. If you do a better job of playing the way you did in game two, it's, it could be a really good season for you.

And it's like, okay, Stewie gets 45 this game. Like, JJ is capable of getting 45 next game. And, like, Slew is the person who, like, you quickly realize, okay, this is a Stewie out-of-body experience game when she's shooting like she was in that, even in the first quarter. So then it's like, okay, this is Stewie's game. Everybody get the ball to Stewie. Like, then it's going to be JJ. And then Sabrina could have one of those games. But I think in game one, it was a little bit of, like,

wait, wait, wait, you were doing this before Sabrina. You didn't, you don't have to do that. Now you do not have to shoot 20 shots because you have help and you have the best kind of help in MVPs and these caliber type of players. So I'm glad that they figured that out is again, only the second game of the season.

We're going to take a quick break. And with that being said, we're going to have some way too early predictions, which is my favorite thing to do, to jump to conclusions. We'll be right back. Overnight, Dunkin'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. Mmm.

The home with Duncan is where you want to be. 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. All right, we're back.

And it's time for way too early on the record predictions. My favorite thing about this is that when the season ends, we're going to roll these back and we are either going to sound like geniuses or that we have no idea what we're talking about. Either way, it's going to be pretty fun. And we also have some, yes, some standard awards in here, but also some fun ones. So let's get started.

Who do you think this season is going to have the best pregame fit? Like player or team? Ooh, let's go team. Let's go team because if you have one player, but a team, there's some teams that brought it opening weekend, I will say. So player, I'm going to roll with Asia Wilson. Okay. I loved her outfit she had on the other day. It was like this long. Did you see it? It was pink.

Yes. I don't know. That was like a long jacket. Yeah. Asia. Asia. I'm going to go Asia for player and team. I'm going to go with the Chicago sky. Okay.

I'm going to go Dallas Wings for a team because did you see Arike's bell-bottom leather moment? She had like a matching It was a moment too. It was a moment. It was a moment. And then when Diamond DeShields gets back, she always brings it. She's one of my favorites. So I'm going to go Dallas, but it's hard to go against the Aces when you have Asia, Kelsey Plum. She looks great.

And Candace can, she can throw some fits sometimes when she wants to. But the Sky, did you see Kalia Copper's outfit, her tunnel fit for the preseason game in Canada? Oh, yeah. I mean, Ka is on another level. And Courtney Williams. Oh, yeah. And Izzy. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

I like Dallas too, though. That's a good pick. That's a good pick. Okay. What about best sneakers? Who do you think is going to have the best kick game throughout the season? I mean, I don't know if this is a hot take or not, but like Stewie's colorways on her own sneaker. Like she just came out with the Ruby all red. Her daughter's name is Ruby. Like.

I mean, I also just love Pumas. They are great shoes to hoop in. So I think I'm a little biased there. But who do you got? You are. I am. Well, I love Nike. So I'm rolling with someone who's wearing Nikes, not Pumas. Oh, no.

I'm going to go with Asia on the kicks games too. Okay. That's a good one. Asia has some good ones. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And we got a shout out. Sabrina just had debuted her very own shoes. The Sabrina ones. Those are actually pretty fire low top. I like those as well. So we'll be keeping our eyes on the kick game. We'll be able to see that after. Okay. Best team social content. I think we both agree on this.

A lot of teams have stepped up their social content. Yeah, but the Aces are far and above everybody else right now. They're top tier. I mean, just this past weekend, they won their game very easily. We didn't even talk about it because they just blew out the Seattle storm. But they had like a water bottle celebration for their assistant coach who was filling in for Becky Hammond.

Sydney Colson slips so hard on the water. I watched it like 10 times. It was hilarious. But that was me. Oh my gosh. And that wasn't even like planned content. They just have Sydney Colson on their team. So they're going to win this category. No doubt. We already know. But if there's another team, I hope you surprise us because they're all chasing the aces in this category. For sure. For sure.

Okay. Season MVP, way too early prediction. Who's your pick? My way too early prediction. Can I go with three? No. If I got to pick one, I'm going back with my girl Asia.

Back to back? Her third MVP in four years? Jordan, you asked me for my pick. You asked me for my pick. I have three in the bucket, but you wouldn't let me give you my three, so I'm going with Asia. I'm not letting you give me three. I'm going, and this may, I don't know if this is a way too early prediction. I'm going EDD.

I'm going to Elena Deladon comes back. She's healthy. The mystics have a really great season. She just has an incredible year. She was one of my, she was one of my three. I know, but I gave you one. Okay. I like it though. I like it. Rookie of the year. This was easy for me. Aliyah Boston. Same. The same. I think she's, she's going to come into her own. We were already getting a peak of what she's doing against single coverage. Like,

No. It's almost too easy. No. Single coverages. No, nobody's going to touch her. She's going to be great. Coach of the year. Who you got? So again, in my way too early prediction, I am going to go with Eric Thibault. Okay. Alright.

Okay. I like this. I'm going to go with Tanisha Wright because I want her to get coach of the year. I couldn't decide, but then I was like, to me, most of the time, coach of the year depends on your record. And I think Connecticut will have a better record. I don't know.

I agree. I'm not going to get Washington. Yeah, excuse me. I agree. But I'm hoping that because Atlanta, you know, we're just out of the playoffs. Yeah. If they get even not. I mean, Coach of the Year isn't about the postseason, but if they just have a better record to solidify a playoff spot, then she I hope she would get it. But OK. All right. So we're talking about finals now. Who is the runner up?

to the champions. So we have who's going to win the title and who is the runner up? Say your two picks, please. Title, I'm giving it back to the Aces. Runner up, I'm going with the Mystics. Hey! This is nothing against the Aces because they are so good and so dominant. I feel like I have the opposite. I have the Mystics

winning it all which I'm going to sound I love so great or so bad if they just have a bad season but I have the aces as a runner up we're both gonna be not the smartest if the liberty take it all but I think it's gonna be too much hype in their first year together the liberty don't make it to the finals it's gonna be the aces versus the mystics mystics win gavel drop

It's going to be the Aces versus the Mystics. Aces win. Well, if that finals happens, it's going to be...

It's going to be a very interesting podcast episode with Ron those finals time, but it's going to be good. It's going to be good. I mean, and if neither of those two make it, you and I will look like we don't know anything about basketball. I know. So please make it mystics and aces. We can keep sounding like we know a little bit about what we talking about, but, uh, and that's granted that everybody stays healthy.

Yeah, of course. That's my hope anyway. Time plays a huge part. For everybody. It does. It does. Two games in, this is going to be a great year of hoops. We have more games. There's going to be so many more games by the time the next time we record throughout the week. But that's it for our opening weekend recap.

Thanks so much for listening. And if you're loving Queens of the Court, make sure that you follow, rate, and review the show. It's available on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah. Y'all know y'all love us. Show us some love. Show us some love. And if there's something, anything you want to hear us discuss, let us know.

and maybe do a little differently, let us know on social media. You can find me at Aeroshoots22 and Jordan is at underscore Jordan Ligon. 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 Mosklaser. Social media assistance from Isabella Apple. Imaging from T-Storm Battle. And court is adjourned.

Boom. My gavel was behind me. Yours sounds so much more powerful. So I'm just going to let you have the gavel. It's because I hit it hard. You do?