The Las Vegas Aces? They're Hella Good
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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 have to talk about the Aces. We got to talk about them. Last Thursday, they beat the Liberty, which this was their first match of the season. No, no, no, no, no, no. Sorry. They stomped them. They didn't beat them. Stomped.

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. 17 point win. This is Queens of the Court. What's up, everybody? What's up, what's up? Welcome to another episode of Queens of the Court, an Odyssey original podcast produced in partnership with the WNBA. I'm your girl, Cheryl Swoops. And I'm Jordan Robinson. And court is in session. Okay, I think we have to do that again.

We're so off on that. It was a little bit of delay. I know. We were off on that one. Can we do that again? Yeah, let's do it again. Okay, let's do it again. Because that wasn't us. And court is in session. Is in session. That was better. It was better. I don't know why we struggled with that today. I don't know. What up, Jordan? What up? What's good? What's good, boo? What's good?

We got some twists going on because I gave up on the fro. If you guys are keeping score. Listen, because you know I'll change mine up in a heartbeat. But I like the fro. I love the fro. But I like this look on you too. You look like you're 12. It does. It does make me look so young.

Here's a big show. Black don't crack. So I'm going to be looking youthful forever. Thank you to my parents for wonderful jeans. Yes. Yes. Because you got it. You got it. You got it. All right. Let's do this. We are. We have.

A weekend full of basketball and another beautiful weekend where Cheryl Swoops was on my TV screen doing WNBA countdown. And those are my favorite moments.

because you kill it every time. I know we're doing the flower segment later, but I got to give you those flowers. Oh my gosh. Thank you. I am like, that's, that's, that's where I want to be, you know? So I appreciate Latina looking out saying, let's do this. So I really enjoyed it. And let me,

It means a lot to me coming from you. Thank you. I appreciate that. Oh, yeah. You're meant to be there. Like, we need to hear your thoughts. And also, during the games this weekend, we learned the All-Star Reserves. So I'm eager to hear your thoughts on those. And I think my biggest takeaway, I'm about to list them right now. A lot of first-time All-Stars, which is exciting. So here they are.

The WNBA announced 12 reserves. Who will compete? Again, this was picked by coaches. We have Dawana Bonner, Nafisa Collier, Kalia Copper, Edie, Elena Deladon, Alicia Gray, Sabrina Inescu, Ezzie Magna Gore, Kelsey Mitchell, Cheyenne Parker, Kelsey Plum, Alyssa Thomas, which we've been waiting on and Courtney Vander Sloot. Yeah.

That's what we got. What was your initial first reactions to that? You know, you can't please everybody, right? Somebody's always going to feel slighted and they're going to be upset. The only way you get everybody that you think should be on there, you have to have more spots for the All-Star game, right? Which we know is not going to happen. My initial thought, I was like, I thought the coaches got it right.

So to your point, when I look at the first time all stars like Cheyenne Parker is having one hell of a season for Atlanta. And I am so glad that she didn't get overlooked. They knew what they were doing. They got it right. So happy for her. So I'm just going to do the first timers, right? Alicia Gray.

Like she's balling her and Cheyenne together. Kelsey Mitchell is a walking bucket. I absolutely think they got that right. And as he met the gore. Yeah, I am so happy for her, you know, because we talk a lot about jewel Lloyd and what she's doing for Seattle, but as he's a big part of that team as well. So as he and jewel together, they're a nice little one, two combo. So yeah,

I was happy with it. Very pleased. Me too. I agree that the coaches got it right. And my thought was, especially for these first-time All-Stars, it was cool that...

Two teammates were able to elevate each other. Like, because we talked a lot about Aaliyah Boston and the Indiana fever. And then I feel like Kelsey Mitchell got more shine in there because it was more eyes on Indiana because Kelsey Mitchell has been balling for many, many seasons, but this

season in particular, more eyes were on her. So she was able to rise to that occasion. And I feel like Alicia Gray was balling with Atlanta dream that brought in Cheyenne Parker and everyone's like, okay, wait a second, what's going on in Atlanta? So the, it was teammates helping other teammates be able to get more shine. And that got me really excited when I look at these reserves. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, you talk about teammates, then you go down to the aces and they have not one, not two, not three, but four all-stars. Like, oh, okay. That's what we're doing. Yeah. I think every player from starters to reserves, I think they're all deserving. Absolutely. Yes.

All right. Well, refresher on the starters. We got frontcourt Asia Wilson, Brianna Stewart, Brittany Greiner, Satu Sabali, Aaliyah Boston, Nneka Agumike, and then starting guards, we have Jackie Young, Jewel Lloyd, Arike Gumbwale, and Chelsea Gray, who was a big snub last year. So for her to be an all-star this year, and it's in Vegas, I mean, it's going to be all the way up. She, Chelsea...

Chelsea is going to show out. She's going to show out. And I am so here for it. Yeah. So deserving. The WNBL star will be played at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 15th with the game airing on ABC at 530 p.m. Pacific, 830 p.m. Eastern. We'll be there. Make sure to come say hi if you see us there, too, because it's going to be fun.

It's going to be a good time. That's coming up quick. Speaking of us being there, I posted something on Twitter and somebody responded and said, is your gavel going to travel? I thought it was you. So yes, my gavel will travel. This go round. I was like, oh, oops. Yep, it will travel. Oops.

I love that so much. Yes, both of our gavels will travel and we'll be there. Okay, another thing that happened this week since the last time we recorded that we have to talk about, the Chicago Sky announced that general manager and head coach James Wade is leaving the WNBA and taking an assistant coaching job with the NBA's Toronto Raptors.

of mixed feelings about this. I wonder if you do too. Okay. Okay, so Annie...

Constable. I hope I got her last name correctly. She's a wonderful Skybeat reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. She wrote a story that was released on Sunday that gave more details about this James Wade decision. But the title and the subtitle was James Wade says decision to leave Sky was opportunity to quote further myself as a coach end quote and

And then the subtitle, Wade affirmed that his decision was in no way shaped by a concern that he could potentially lose his job at the end of the season. Which I didn't even think about until that subtitle appeared. But I think it's a little bit of a mixed bag because I am happy. James Wade has done incredible things for the WNBA and the Chicago Sky by winning a championship.

And it said that it was his lifelong dream to become an NBA coach. So yes, kudos there. But I'm also...

Heartbroken for Kalia Copper, who I just feel like everyone just left her there because she is kind of the only one left after free agency. She's in her last year of this deal. So it's more of just a big question mark what's going to go on with Chicago Sky after this. But those are my initial thoughts. Cheryl, what are your initial thoughts?

Oh, I got a lot of them. So first of all, I'm just confused by the timing of it. Right. NBA season doesn't start until October. So you, you could still finish out the season. These are just my thoughts now. I don't know what else is going on there. If you know, they were just like, no, like just go now. Right. So that was the first thing I was like, Hmm, just the timing of it. Right.

Um, I, I hate feeling like coaches, assistant coaches, but more so coaches. I hate feeling like people use the W as a stepping stone, right? Like, like our league isn't good enough. Um, like, like I, I feel some type of way about that, but the other side of that is, but I'm also for everybody getting their bag, right? Right.

So in James Wade situation, I have no idea what he was making as a coach and GM. Let's just say 300,000 to be an assistant coach in the NBA. You're already going to be at a million. Yeah. Right. And then he has a, he has a family. So he even said like, I got to do what's best for me and my family. Like, like all of us would do. So from that standpoint, I'm like, go do you get your bag? Good luck. Best wishes. All of that. So I'm not mad about it. Um,

I just, I don't know. It just, all of it was just the timing of everything because I had not heard a word about he might be leaving. Right. Same. So when I see stuff like that, then I go to, okay, well, here's an opportunity for, I said this on television, um,

I think Teresa Weatherspoon would be a great candidate. I would love to see a former player in that position. Don't know if it'll happen, but there's opportunity there. Last thing I'll say from a player's perspective, I hear what you're saying about copper, but listen, it's the business. It happens. So as a player, you got to be like, damn, coach is out, but I still got a job to do.

And so whoever comes in, whoever sits in that seat, you, it doesn't change who you are as a player. Right. So you still got to go out there and perform and do your job and, you know, and see what happens. Like, I wish nothing but the best for James. Wait. Yeah. I just, I said this too. I was like, I don't understand it, but it's not for me to understand. You know what I mean? Yeah. That's a really great way to put it. So good luck to him. Good luck to him. Yeah.

But here's the thing, Jordan. I said this was my last thing. What Mark Davis is doing or has done in Vegas with Becky Hammond, like the bag that he's paying her, he's putting pressure on other teams to pay coaches. Right? So when I bring that up like a spoon, and I haven't had a conversation with her, none of that. But if I'm spoon, in my mind, I'm saying,

I deserve to be paid just like Becky Hammond deserved to be paid. So is the sky willing to do that? I don't know. Do they have the fun? I don't, I don't know any of that, but I do think, and again, I am so happy for Becky. I'm happy for Mark Davis. Like, yeah, they deserve to be paid. So I think it's going to be really interesting to see where the sky goes moving forward from here.

And James Wade was the last like head coach general manager title. So do the sky keep that or do they separate that and, you know, just,

Right. Pay a head coach to be a head coach or is it going to come with that double title? But you're absolutely right. I don't love this idea that the WNBA is a stepping stone. And I also don't like it the other way, too, where you feel like you are being demoted if you come from the NBA and have to coach the WNBA. Agreed.

I use the example of Derek Fisher all the time. He was a terrible NBA coach and then somehow gets a WNBA job. No, these are professional basketball players, still the same. You have to come with a resume to be able to make sure that you can do the job well. So it's a positive in the sense that James Wade is

Handled his business, won a WNBA championship, had a winning record as a head coach and an NBA team says, OK, you're doing that. And the highest level in the WNBA come help us in the NBA because I think you can be an asset. I love that for him. But what you said about the current players, they still have a job to do in a press conference. Courtney Williams and Elizabeth Williams were asked about this and asked about their role in WNBA.

The new coaching search during a press conference. This is how it went. How much do you hope or expect to be able to kind of be in conversation with the front office as they do kind of start that coaching search, that general manager search? Do you guys want to be involved in those conversations or is that something you just kind of are going to be hands off with us?

Nah, that sounds like a Candace Parker type of question. I ain't that big of a bet yet. I can't sit up in that front office and make decisions like that. We rock out, man. We find jobs. Stay out of the way. We'll let them handle that. They got it.

One, Courtney Williams will always be a soundbite forever and ever. And she's going to keep it real all the time. She is all she's going to keep it real. Wow. She said, I ain't that big of a vet yet. I got a job to do. We gonna rock out.

I'm going to sit back and let them handle that. Perfectly to your point, Cheryl, of they're going to keep playing basketball and the Chicago Skyfront office are going to figure that out. And hopefully they put the right person in charge. But incredible. So,

Listen, I have one other thing I want to say on this because it makes you think, right? Because a lot of people are up in arms with James Wade just leaving in the middle of the season and going to the NBA. So someone asked me this question. If Becky Hammond gets an opportunity to go coach in the NBA, right?

Do we still view that as she used the WNBA as a stepping stone or is it a different narrative? Is it a different story? Right. With Becky. Oh my goodness. First female to coach in the NBA. Yay. We're excited. We're happy. So my, you know, my thing is if that's how we're feeling about James Wade or any other coach who's in the W who leaves to go coach in the NBA, it shouldn't be any different for Becky if it happens.

Right. But, but it would be great point. It would be very different. This would be a completely different conversation. Still both want a championship, both, you know, newer in the head coaching role, but is it different because Becky was at the NBA? Then she came to the WNBA. And now if she goes back when the Raptors head coach, you know, she wasn't talks for the head coaching position. Um,

they were given permission to interview her for that. And she was shooting down those questions left and right. Yeah. It was just news that she got told that she may be interviewed. So, yeah, that's a really good point. You know, because when that conversation was happening about interviewing Becky Hammond for the head coaching position, everybody was like, oh, my goodness, this is so great for our game. This would be so good. And I'm like, hmm.

Question mark. And I will say the last thing I'll say about this, James Wade did say he's still going to be a fierce advocate for the women's game, even in that position in the NBA. I don't doubt that. He has been this entire time. So we're going to see how it all shakes out. We're going to talk more aces when we come back after this quick break because we have to talk about them. It's time.

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We have to talk about the aces. We got to talk about them. I think they've just kind of been this untouchable thing sitting at the top of the standings. And I'm even surprised how great they are. I knew that they would be this good, but they are very, very good. Last Thursday, they beat the Liberty, which this was their first match of the season. No, no, no, no, no, no.

Sorry, they stomped him. They didn't beat him. Stomped.

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. 17 point win. I was like, Oh, this is going to be a buzzer beater. And you know, we meant, we talked about Becky Hammond. She had a really great quote. She was like, this should have been on national TV. It was on Amazon prime. Agreed. But it was really just to show the aces dominance. I think that's why she wanted it on national television because they are, there's something different about them. Um,

that, you know, we talked about the super teams, blah, blah, blah. They're just a really good team. And we know that they have the pieces. But in your opinion, besides the individual players that they've kind of pieced together, what makes them so dominant? Because it's on another level. Yeah. Damn. So just like you.

Off season, they're putting the pieces together. First of all, we knew they were good last year that they won a championship. You gotta be, you gotta be lucky. You gotta be good. And they were both right. So then you go and you add Candace Parker, Alicia Clark, who we don't talk about a lot, but Alicia Clark is a great piece for them. She, to me, she's kind of like the glue. She's that vet. But when you win a championship, you,

you go into the next season with a different mindset because now you've done it. You have a taste of it. You know what it feels like and you know, everybody's coming for you. Right? So just your mindset going in to the next season or even the off season is very different. Then you add those other pieces and those pieces that they added, they're winners. Alicia Clark is a winner. Candace Parker is a winner. Right? So again,

When I watched them play the other night against the Liberty, the ball movement that they had was so beautiful. And I said, if they play this way every single game, not just against the top teams or the Liberty, but if they play this way every single game and they move the ball and share the ball the way they do, and they don't care about who's scoring, they don't care about who's on SportsCenter, they don't care about who's on the field,

Nobody's going to beat them. And I'm saying that because at every freaking position, you got Chelsea Gray, who's the head of the snake, who can just do craziness with the basketball. And I'm talking about passing. But not only does she do that, Kelsey can score. I mean, Chelsea can score. Right. So then you have Kelsey Plum at the two.

Kelsey Plum can score right Kelsey gets a little does little funky stuff with the basketball she can create she can get to the hole she can shoot the three deadly Jackie Young at the three who has taken her game to a whole nother level and Jackie Young defends listen Jackie Young she has this like this extra pep in her step she's playing with confidence she comes down in transition spot up three she wasn't doing that last year

Like her confidence level is at a whole nother level. Then you got Candace and you got Asia. Like, I don't even want to talk about them because we know Candace and Asia. Right. But I will say this Asia Wilson, every single game when I watch her Asia gets better every single game. Then you bring in players off the bench who contributes. So yes, talent is great. Talent wins games, but it's, it's like the chemistry.

I talked about Alicia Clark, Candace Parker. Let's not forget Sid Coulson, right? So huge part of this team. People look at the team and they look at Sid and they're like, well, like why is she on the team? She doesn't play. You know why she's on the team? Because she is that piece. She's a leader. She don't cause problems in the locker room. She knows what her role is. She accepts that role. But if and when her number is called, she's going to get in the game. She's going to give you exactly what you need from her.

And it's just, it's such a beautiful thing to watch their chemistry on the floor, on the bench, how well they just, I'm not saying they're best of friends because I'm not there. But when it's time to lace them up.

Every single player is going to show up and every single player is going to have each other's back. Like it's really, really tough to beat a team when they're clicking on all cylinders just from a talent standpoint. And then when you see the relationship and the bomb they have off the court. Yeah, nothing's coming in between that. They're good. They're hella good.

Hella capital H like, and it's, you mentioned the chemistry part because it's the chemistry moving towards a common goal. That is so forceful that like you're talking about, no one can come between that. Candace Parker is,

is not even in double-digit scoring. This is by far the lowest average that she's had in her career. It doesn't matter. It's a common goal. And she's a part of this team for her role as a vet, as a leader, and them moving as one unit. Connecticut was the only other team that beat them. They steamrolled past them on Sunday as well. Well, because you know what? That common goal is championships.

I want a championship. Like when you win that championship, people aren't going to say, well, Candace, you only average nine points a game. You know what I mean? It's going to be damn Candace. You want another championship. And that's, that's what Candace, that's what she's trying to do. She's like, give me another one, another one, another one. And the way they're going is,

And let's not forget about the staff, the coaching staff. Oh, yeah. Like Becky is because she played, I believe she's a player's coach. And Becky like gives them the freedom to just go play basketball. Like, yeah, we got plays here and plays there. But at the end of the day, I'm going to put my five players on the floor and say, go play basketball against the other five that's on the floor. And that five, that starting five that she puts on the floor.

Yeah, that's a good look. That's pretty good. It's working out. On Friday, it was announced that Las Vegas was only the third team ever to start 14 and one to a season. The two other teams, you may ask. One is the 2016 L.A. Sparks, which also had Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray on it.

And the second team was your 1998 Houston comments. Sure. We were pretty good. Pretty good. Both of those teams went on to win WBA championships that season and

So that's a pretty good side of history you want to be on. Listen, that's tough to do though. Yeah, tell us about it. And it's tough to do because they're like, I know we're talking about the aces and their talent, but from top to bottom, the W has talent like on every single team. So to be able to go into an arena, whether that's at home or on the road and walk out with a win,

especially on the road. Like that's hard to do. So they're what? 14 and one? Now they're 15 and one. 15 and one. 14 game win streak at home. Yeah. That's like, it's unheard of. You know? But the other side I will say is,

You know, everybody, they hear the talk, everybody talking about aces super team and New York Liberty super team. And so I felt like that particular game on Thursday wasn't just a message for the Liberty. That was a message for the league. Right. Like, don't get it twisted.

We good. Yeah. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yes. And it was like, we're the reigning champs. Like you got to talk about us first. Like we just won the championship. So we already have the chemistry, but I will say, you know, when we think about things of beyond just top to bottom or just the roster, individual players and chemistry, Kelsey plum recently said in an interview that she,

It's also their training facility, their dedicated training facility that has made a huge difference in why they got this start. Listen to this. It's just been such a blessing. It's a big part, I think, because, you know, you get to, in the past...

we're moving around different places, high schools, UNLV, different places. And maybe there's a weight room there, maybe there's not. Maybe there's a cold tub there, maybe there's not. And so now it's just like, it's all in one place and you get to really be on your P's and Q's of like, okay, this is what I need to recover. This is what I need to, maybe I need to do a little bit extra cardio, but it's all there. And I really do feel like it's allowed us to kind of take a step

as professionals and you see the product on the court like I think that's a big reason and I think that like we've been able to hire a strength coach we never had that in the past you kind of were on your own and so I think it's a big part and I think that's why you see people just elevating their game because you're able to like fine-tune things and everyone knows at this level it's all about like the little details and the fine-tuning it makes the biggest difference okay yes

They weren't able to hire a strength coach until this season. That blows my mind. But this goes back, Cheryl, to what I was talking about with the charter flights, right? Yeah. If you put the money in and then the result comes on the court, other teams have to raise the bar. Just like what you said about Becky Hammond getting the bag. If Mark Davis is making this

All of this money, all of this investment, this is what I'm putting into it. And if you don't catch up, we're going to go, you know, 40 and 0. Then teams are going to be like, okay, we got to figure it out. No doubt. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, no doubt. It's clearly there. It's a professional league, not a semi-professional league. So the whole thought of not having a strength coach,

I didn't know that. Me neither. Yeah. But to her point, it makes so much a bigger difference if you have all of those things in one location. Right. So to say we have to go practice at a high school, they might have stuff they might not. We go practice at UNLV, which none of that stuff should ever happen. So to be able to have their own practice facility where they're

You can be in there all day if you need to, right? Come in early, stay late, but you know that everything you need to recover is right there. And that does make a big difference because like if just say we play a game and or practice and I'm, and I'm tired, but I know I need a cold tub or I need, I just need something extra, something different. Um,

I'm probably not going to drive out of my way to do it because I'm just tired. I just want to go home, you know, and, and to have all of that, everything right there in one place, one area where we have access to it makes a big difference. It does. And it's pretty too. It's a pretty place to spend your time. I know we give flowers to players, but I'm giving flowers to Mark Davis right now because listen, he,

He gets it like the investment he has made in his organization from the head coach to the facility. That's all for the aces. Like, like that's, that's all we want. That's all we ask for as a professional athlete. And, and he gets it. And it goes back to what we said about James Wade. It's not a stepping stone. It's not a charity. It's not a semi pro league. Like you just said, it's,

Treating these players like professional athletes that they are. Huh? Who would have thought that it's actually paying off and they're winning a lot of games and winning a championship and MVP and one plus one equals two people like, come on.

I love that it's so blatantly on the wall now that nobody can ignore it anymore. And that's the fun part because once people start investing and getting more money to try to compete, then it's like, okay, now we're getting somewhere. This is what we want. This is what we want. Well, Aces...

Keep doing your thing. I don't see this train slowing down anytime soon. But we had to talk about them because we... I mean, how do we not? We have to. 15-1, eight-game winning streak, 14-game winning streak at home. We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, we're going to talk about some 40 pieces. We're not talking about chicken nuggets. Ooh. Ooh.

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All right. We are back with Queens of the Court and we're going to talk about Ryan Howard's 40 piece that she had over the weekend. But first things first, let's let's start with this. My opening statement is that Ryan Howard is an all star. Questions. That was head coach Denise Arreola.

Right when she sat down after Ryan Howard scored 43 points in a blowout win over the Sparks. Questions, Cheryl. Questions for you or for Coach T? Both. We talked a little bit about...

One 40-point game, which we're going to talk about how it's the most 40-point games in WNBA history this season, which is my favorite thing ever. Yes, these ladies are buckets. But one 43-point game doesn't always deserve an all-star slot. Maybe, maybe not. Listen, I'm a huge Ryan Howard fan. Like, I love her game. Love everything about her game.

So if I was her coach, I would go in the press conference and say the exact same thing after she just gave the Sparks 43. Right? Yeah. Okay. But let's come back for a minute. What has she done the entire season? This is a question. I think lots of times people tend to forget that if you say Ryan Howard's an all-star, and I'm not saying she's not, you then have to say, who is it?

Yeah. Right. Like who, who on that list shouldn't be. And going back to our conversation earlier, I think the coaches got it right. Because I could, I could sit here and think of some other players who the last game or last two games, they played really well. Does that make them an all-star? No, not that one game. Right. No doubt. Ryan Howard is a hell of a player. She is an all-star.

But I don't know who she's replacing this year on this all-star team. Right. Right. We all know if there are players who are injured or hurt, who may not play in the all-star game. Well then, yeah, there are replacement players. So Ryan Howard could possibly be one of those replacement players. I don't vote. I don't have a say. So,

But we know that that happens. We know that that happens. And I just looked this up. If a player is not able to play, and you're specifically talking about Elena Deledon, right? If she's injured and if she can't play, then that's a spot that is potentially coming up. I just looked this up. ESPN reported and said this. Kathy Engelbert, the WNBA commissioner, chooses the reserve player.

Didn't know that right now. I didn't know that either.

I thought the coaches did it. I thought the coaches did it. Or like if they're with all the algorithm with the voting, if there was someone that was next in line and the voting, maybe that's where she's pulling it from. But if she just like picking a random player seems wild to me. I did not know that that happened. So you said.

you saying that the players need to go get on her good side? Yeah. If you're not on her good side, go get on her good side. I would be sending some muffin baskets, some edible arrangements, maybe a card. Like, hey, remember me? Remember? Look, I really did not know that. I didn't know she picked the replacement player.

Yeah. That's interesting. But if you're Ryan Howard, you are top of mind. You just had a 43 point game. Yeah. At the most perfect time for people to be saying, hey, maybe Ryan Howard should be an all-star. And to the point of...

you know, not everybody having a great game becomes an all-star when we talk about the other players that had 40 point games this season, they are all on the all-star team. So I know, I know Brianna Stewart had a 45 piece. DeJuan O'Connor had 41. Arike had 41. Jewel had 41 and Ryan Howard had 43. So

So she is the only one that would have a point this season to not be an all-star. Okay, so now I'm going to like, I'm going to stir something up. Ooh, stir it. You want me to get the gavel? We're going to stir it with the gavel. Because here's my question. So we know that the commissioner picks the replacement player. So question is, is that replacement player...

Does she have to play the same position as Elena or whoever? I'm just saying Elena because we know she hurt her ankle so she didn't play yesterday. Maybe she plays an all-star. I don't know. Hypothetical. So does Commissioner go and get a Diana Taurasi or Candace Parker? And I say that

Because these are your vets. They've been in every All-Star game, pretty much. This, I think, maybe this is the first All-Star game that neither of them have been in. While they were in the league? That's a really good point. I'm sure we can fact check that. But, I mean, I think Twitter would burst into flames if she just passed.

If she just went and grabbed Diana Taurasi or Candice Parker because they're then. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. There's also a case for an Alyssa Smith. No doubt. Yeah. There's also a case. You know what I mean? Players who are right on the bubble. I do. Right on the bubble that.

could have, you know, one more fan vote, one more team vote they would have been in. I would hope that the commissioner picks from that and isn't just like, I'm not afraid she would. I told y'all I was going to stir something up. You stirred it up. I just, my mind just kind of went there. I was like, hmm. But here's the funny thing. Like the reserves got announced yesterday and

Yeah. Yeah. No, Saturday. It was Saturday. Yes. We're recording this on Monday. Yeah. Reserves got announced on Saturday, but Ryan Howard, who was not named a reserve comes out and plays lights out, has a 40 piece. I thought Candace Parker played really well yesterday. I felt like it was one of those things like, let me, let me reintroduce myself. My name is Candace. Hey, Candace.

I do. I think I felt like she was like, oh, okay. So I'm not even good enough to be a reserve. Yeah. Yeah. Let me just remind y'all. So these are the perfect times to fight when you're like, okay, anyone not want to play? Let me, what's your favorite type of chocolate? I'm going to mail it to you.

And then like, there's so many places you could go because here's another one. If Shakira Austin doesn't get hurt. Oh yes. I think Shakira Austin's an all-star. Oh, that's a great one. Yeah. That's a really good one. I just want to say, um,

That this is a wonderful place to be in with talking about the WNBA, that there's the most 40 point games in history, that everyone deserves to be an all-star, right? Everyone's beating everybody else. Like this,

is the type of discourse and conversation that we want in this league because it happens in the NBA all the time. Every single NBA all-star roster that comes out, who got snubbed, who's this? And it's a, it's a,

it's in the news cycle for weeks. And that's what I am seeing here. And it's incredible. Like this is the type of conversations that I'm excited to keep having in the W. It's good for our game. It is. It's really good for the game.

So our producer, Alex, she came with the fact check for Diana Taurasi. Every year that she has played, she's only missed the all-star game three times. And most recently, 2019 and last year, because Cheryl, if you remember, we should all remember. We should all remember Vanessa Nygaard in her press conference saying that Diana Taurasi should be an all-star, right?

but did not congratulate Skylar Diggins-Smith for being an all-star. Therefore, that led to the famous clown emoji tweet. Oh my gosh. I don't know how we forgot that. I don't know. I don't know. That's wild. That's wild. Oh, now you started up. You did the gavel stir. Oh man. Here's what I do know.

whoever the replacement player is it's gonna be a great all-star game it is oh it is it really is and we're we're gonna be keep talking about all-star because again we're gonna be there and our gavels are gonna travel so we can keep stirring things up even while we're there but um i think that's that's kind of where we're gonna end it oh i'm yeah that's just

That's just some crazy basketball. There's been crazy basketball. Crazy. Good crazy basketball. Good crazy. Is there a game that you kind of have circled? Again, I also want to say there's no games...

on July 4th, but we're going to pick back up on Wednesday, July 5th. I do kind of wish there were games on July 4th because sometimes, you know, sports are played on holidays. Everybody's off. Everyone could kind of enjoy it. That could have been a time for a key marquee matchup, but that's okay. We're still in the holiday week and we've got some, we've got some good games coming up. Yeah.

I want to see that rematch. Dream sparks. My sparks. For that reason, if Ryan Howard comes back out and has another 40 piece, or even close, she has the confidence to. And she has the ability to. Oh, man. I don't know what's going on. She can score. She can just score. She can. Yeah.

And I was going to say the wings aces. There is still something about this wings team that excites me. Right? Like, how does Arike go 0-4?

The whole first half yesterday on Sunday and finishes with 17 all of the second half. That's because she's a bucket. Yes. Satu love her. Natasha Howard. I love that they brought Odyssey Sims back. They still got Kalani. Like this is a young team that I feel is just missing that one piece. Mm hmm.

And I think they're going to, they're going to stir up some stuff. Yeah. Yeah, they are. Also, just shout out the Minnesota Lynx. We talked about Nafisa last week. They had that overtime thriller win this week. And they're trending in the right direction. I don't feel like they are panicking. And

They're on the up and up. Diamond Miller had a 25-point game. Been playing really well since she came back from injury. Since she came back, like, so good. So this is the time. We're creeping up. It's about to be all-star break, so everyone gets a little bit of a rest. But you definitely want to peak or start trending in the right direction right before that break so you can run off when the all-star break is done.

And we were talking about, well, Shakira being hurt. The other player I want to mention is Breonna Jones. Yes. I don't know what Connecticut is going to do to replace her, but they need some help in the paint. Yes.

Like Brianna just, she took up space. She defended, she rebound, she scored. Like she was that presence for them in the paint that they are missing right now. And they've got to find a way to fix that. Like watching them against the aces of the day, they just did whatever they wanted to do in the paint because that presence isn't there. But I still think they're a team that will make some noise in the playoffs. Yeah.

But they need a big, they need a true center. Yeah, you can definitely see how much she's missed. Like Bree Jones is a key part of that team and how well they're doing. Last thing I'll say too,

The storm, it was announced that Gabby Williams is going to come back for the Seattle storm. We talk about that missing piece or that one thing that they may be away. Maybe it's a couple pieces for the storm, but Gabby Williams is definitely going to help. Like, Jewel is probably like,

I'm going to have some, just a little more help. Yeah. Is going to have help, especially on the defensive end. That's what Gabby Williams brings. So I love Gabby Williams. So I'm excited to see her come back for the storm as well. That's going to be fun. That was a little rapid fire around, around the league. This was fun as always. Oh my gosh. This is the best part of my week. Um,

Thanks, Cheryl, for being here. Back at you. Right back at you. You're the best. You're the best. Well, I hope you guys are listening. Ooh. Can we go to Essence Fest next year together? Yeah, let's do.

Like, first of all, I love New Orleans. And then all of those icons that we're singing, we need to be there. For real, for real, for real. We'll make that happen. Oh, wait, listen. I have to say this because I'm super excited for my brunch at All Star. Oh, my swoop soiree.

And you're in the house. I'm so excited. I'm so excited. I'm so excited. It's going to be like a brunch like no other. Like no other. Like no other. A swoop soiree. I'm going to get the fit. I'm going to get the hair right. Yeah. I might even put some press-on nails for you, Cheryl. It's a soiree. Oh my gosh. We're going to get fancy. Yes, we are.

I'm excited. Okay. Okay. Okay. That was it. That was it. We'll tell you how that goes. We'll tell you how that goes. But make sure to please continue to follow, rate, review the show. It's available on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also send us questions or feedback at our listener email address, queensofthecourtatodyssey.com. Yes.

Plus, you can always find me and Jordan on social media. I'm at airsweeps22 and Jordan is at ajordinar. Better every time. 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. And courts!

Is a jerk. Is a jerk. Oh, yeah. Boom!