Candace Parker: GOAT Women's Hoopers, Kobe Lessons, Maya Moore Wars

00:00:00
Speaker 1: Welcome back to All the Smoke Season six. Man. We started off with the banger and we got another one. I want to tell you, guys, this person that we're about to ending right now, I've probably been chasing the longest outside of Blake Griffin, her and Blake Griffin, who I've been bothering the fuck out of both of them. But I appreciate it. She finally found time in her busy schedule to come down and kicking with us.

00:00:21
Speaker 2: Man.

00:00:22
Speaker 1: So someone we're both a huge fan of, Welcome to the show, Kansas.

00:00:26
Speaker 2: Parker, the one and only appreciate you.

00:00:32
Speaker 1: When we were just talking about parenthood off camera, So you're a mother of four three? Excuse me, what's the age range?

00:00:40
Speaker 3: So we got sixteen, three and a half and seventeen months?

00:00:44
Speaker 2: Oh too little?

00:00:45
Speaker 3: Yeah, I just decided to start over, to start over again, you know a little bit about that.

00:00:52
Speaker 1: What's boy life like? I have four boys and their crash dummies?

00:00:56
Speaker 2: Like? What is he said? Crash? What it like?

00:00:59
Speaker 1: What are your talking about? Your hold son's hand walking down the stairs?

00:01:02
Speaker 2: He just wants to jump? Like?

00:01:03
Speaker 1: What is it like being a boy mom?

00:01:04
Speaker 2: Now too?

00:01:05
Speaker 3: Well, First, we went to Disney yesterday and I stuck him on Guardians of the Galaxy. He's three and a half, but he's like forty three forty four inches tall, so he's really tall and can go on all the rides. So it's from fun from that dynamic. But I don't know what they're thinkings. Ninety percent of the time.

00:01:24
Speaker 2: We're not Sometimes we're not thinking at all keeping boys alive. We're not thinking it all the boy.

00:01:29
Speaker 3: Mom.

00:01:29
Speaker 1: Yeah, I love it. Basketball Accolades. Your list is incredible. I'm gonna I'm gonna toot your horn a little bit. Two thousand and eight Rookie of the Year and regular Season MVP incredible, three time champs, sixteen, twenty one and twenty three only player to win it with three different teams, twenty sixteen Finals MVP, seven time All Star, two time NCAA Champ, two time goal medalists.

00:01:57
Speaker 2: I mean, you wonder why you're back, I'll tell you right.

00:02:05
Speaker 1: There, you kind of sit. I mean, obviously you just stepped away. So you know, in the process of athletes will always look forward. What's next? How can I continue to get better? You're finally in a place now where being a mom is first and foremost importance. Of importance in business, in life, But what do you ever kind of have you had the chance to kind of just reminisce on the run you've had, which is one of the greatest runs of all time.

00:02:28
Speaker 3: It's so crazy because you know, when you're a player is playing, you see these old heads, you know, the retired athletes that come back and they say like, these are the best days of your lives. And it's the bus rides and it's the dinners.

00:02:41
Speaker 2: And now you realize it.

00:02:43
Speaker 3: And I think the thing that I missed the most about the game of basketball, and yes, it was the bus rides. It was the teammates and camaraderie and winning and being in the locker room and all that stuff. It was like the moment before the ball was tipped, when you're like around the circle and it's like this opportunity that you have to dominate the game or to you know, And I miss that feeling most about the game of basketball. Watching where it's at now, it just makes my heart so happy because I feel like there are a lot of people that knew that the game could get to this point. But I also feel super grateful because there are those ones that were a part of the journey from the get go that watched me from you know, from Tennessee, really from high school. And I'm grateful for my career. I'm also grateful I don't have to run up and down the court anymore to us, you know what it is as you get older, I started associating the game with like pain, and I was activating to activate, to activate, to do walkthrough, to then deactivate to then cold plunge, and it was just my twenty four hour day was around trying to prepare for a game the next day, and it just became the price was too high. So being a mom is number one for me now, being able to be at my daughter's games, be able to take my crazy son to gymnastics and play soccer outside and show them that, you know, mommy, mommy can hoop a little bit still, just a little bit.

00:04:12
Speaker 1: What is I mean, You've only known this for so long and you're retired, So is what is your first you know, year or so of retirement been like.

00:04:22
Speaker 3: It was my first time traveling this past summer because the WBA is in the summer, so that's seventeen years gone. And then you rewind even further and it's like aau's in the summer. Plus we have nil, so I have money like that. So I was, I was in Knoxville in the summer. That's you know, that's what we did. And so this was my first summer traveling. Went to Greece, went to Mexico a couple of times, went to France, went to the south of France, and I get it now, like why people travel to Europe in the summer. And so it was just an experience to be able to go places and do things which I had never I had never had before.

00:05:03
Speaker 1: You were behind the plate the other night of a legendary performance by show. Hey Otani, give me the energy, b the excitement. Tell me what that night was about.

00:05:14
Speaker 3: Well, first, I was taking my family to the game. My son is into baseball because we'll watch were Cubs fans, so we forgive you. It was hard. Yeah, it was hard to watch the Brewers, you know, win in Game five, because a dream come true would have been them coming out here to play against the Dodgers. But anyway, I told my son it was okay for him to cheer for the Dodgers on this day. And when I tell you to witness just how epic that performance was. I mean, you talk about just ten strikeouts, switching to center field, hitting that third homer and not just like hitting it, like knocking it out the park. And just to witness that, my wife knows nothing about baseball, and she was like, he's pretty good. I'm like the understatement year, the understatement of the year. But to witness that from a home plate, I mean it was.

00:06:05
Speaker 1: You're right behind right there. Yes, I could only.

00:06:09
Speaker 4: Imagine that's was named on the NBA on Prime broadcasting crew.

00:06:15
Speaker 2: I know that's congratulations on that too.

00:06:17
Speaker 4: What did you did you pick up anything from the time of tant from Kenny and chucking those guys that you can carry for to your next next stop.

00:06:24
Speaker 3: I noticed you ain't say Shack Shack too, Okay, Like do you pick up any basketball analysis from Shack?

00:06:30
Speaker 1: Now?

00:06:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, I really picked up how important culture is, Like whenever you're a part of a special show or you know, championship team or whatever, it is, like it starts with like the people. And I think that that's something I'm really excited about building at Prime is just being able to like have a great relationship with Taylor from working at Bleacher Report for a number of years.

00:06:58
Speaker 2: You know.

00:06:59
Speaker 3: Obviously, d Wade and and I are calling some games together this season, and we've known each other like back to two thousand and five, two thousand and four, So I think it's just the camaraderie that we've established. Blake Griffin same thing. He's like an older brother to me, So I'm really excited about the people working with him talking about basketball. The studio is sick. It's crazy the technology you bring a tech company into sports, and I think the ability to be able to teach the audience is what I'm most excited about. Like in football, I'm a huge football fan, but you know, I don't know defense and coverages like that. And to be able to now recognize defenses because of the Blitz coverage and all those things that Amazon does on Thursday Night football, to be able to apply that, Like Shay likes to get to that spot on the court, he likes to go, you know, he likes to come back right, We'll be able to show fans the spot that the defense is trying to keep him from going and the spots that he wants to get to. I think is just it's going to be so much fun.

00:08:01
Speaker 2: You met your wife overseas. How did y'all meet?

00:08:05
Speaker 3: So, actually she was an olympian for the Russian national team, and so I officially met her there, but then you know, she's Russian. So she played overseas cross paths a bit and then met her my last couple of years playing overseas and stayed in touch. She uh, she had a boyfriend at the time, you know, and so then it was kind of like passing the ball. She passed it and yeah, that's that's all it was. So it was It's really cool because my kids, you know, my my ex husband played in the league for a number of years. She's Olympian. I'm Olympian, So like my kids are growing up with like that's the mindset that it takes. And so it's exciting for me to see, you know, how she is with my daughter and helping her, but also with my sons. To be able to have that as you know, somebody to look up to.

00:09:07
Speaker 1: I have a question, obviously, you know you had a husband before and you had a child with him. When did that kind of when did when did it start living in your truth become real? And yeah, I'm trying to lie.

00:09:25
Speaker 3: That was hilarious way. That was like the most corporate ask. So like, when I'm looking at you, get.

00:09:38
Speaker 2: You don't never try to do that.

00:09:41
Speaker 1: You know that's a lie. You gotta gotta walk down. Maybe not with her, but just in general. You gotta walk delicately on that lines.

00:09:48
Speaker 3: You could tell you got a sixteen year old because my daughter be telling me like, you can't say that, you have to say it, like I'm like, sorry, we're eight these babies.

00:09:55
Speaker 2: I just say yeah.

00:09:56
Speaker 1: So when when did that kind of swiss click on, flip on.

00:10:05
Speaker 3: No again? Like I said, I had always dated men before and was open and honest about that, and then I think I just I met my wife and it was crazy. I started looking at things differently interesting. She was my best friend genuinely, and then it became more. And from that, I'm grateful for the people around me because I think you have to first be okay with this yourself, with this lifestyle change, like anybody you bring around your family you have to be okay with. And so it took me a while. It was actually my brother was the first person that was like, you know, we all love you like no matter what. And you know, Anthony was was huge in that I think my nieces and nephews, like, you know, being okay with the process of what it is. And again, I think it's just talking about it. I think it's people being open and honest, like to sit and talk with two dudes on a show like this about this and it'd be cool. I think it's important because there's a lot of different places that aren't okay with it. My wife is from Russia. Trust me, it's not okay.

00:11:17
Speaker 1: Then it's yeah.

00:11:19
Speaker 3: It's illegal, it's considered extremists. And so with that being said, I realize like I am lucky the time period I live in, but I also feel like it's not for certain that it's going to be like that in the future, and so to be able to have your own choices the way you live your life is important, and so I think having conversations is. And I used to be like I shouldn't have to come out right, Like I don't come out and be like this is my husband I am you know, I am heterosexual. So I used to think like, I don't have to come out, but you do a little bit because you don't know the people that you're impacting that don't have that ability to have a free choice. And I say that, and I was financially set. I could take care of myself. I didn't depend on anybody else that could determine my lifestyle, right. And there are so many people through this process that I've met that have been like, my mom doesn't approve of it, and I can't because she, you know, I'm living with her or whatever. And it's like, I talk to the people that are supporting those that are trying to talk more openly about their lives and making decisions like that, because to just not talk to somebody or to cut somebody off or whatever because of the decisions they make, I think is just crazy.

00:12:34
Speaker 1: So well, I think you touched on it the people that you were helping through your experience, because I think as athletes, people look up to us, and you know, right or wrong, whatever we're doing, like we influence a lot of people. So for you to finally be comfortable enough to come out and speak on it, you don't know how much of a burden you're lifting off other people, Like Okay, shit, Kandas is doing it, let me, you know what I mean. So it's just like, I think it's a very important conversation, especially today. And I mean, just living in your truth with the world is so crazy. But to not be able to live in your truth on top of this crazy world would be maden.

00:13:04
Speaker 3: What's crazier in the WNBA to be other? And for so long I was the straight, light skin girl.

00:13:13
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, a lot of my friends have questions on you.

00:13:15
Speaker 3: So a lot of that was me fighting that as well, because the stigma of people would come up to me and be like, we're so happy that you date men, and I was with my wife at the time, Well I got a story to tell you, you know, like aha, you know type of things. So it was also battling that stigma of what is the world wants you to be? And what have you been and all of these things. And so for me, it was my daughter because she's the main one that I tell her, like, you live what you want, you make your choices, you don't regret, you go forward those type of things, be who you are, love who you love, whatever, And I'm like, I have to do that if I'm telling her that every single day. So that was kind of main conversations. And I'm super grateful for my family, my community, you know, and the people because obviously, like people are gonna make comments, they're gonna say things. But I think through this process I've gotten thicker skin. It doesn't get it doesn't bother me anymore because they're not going home with me every single day. They're not living my life. So I'm gonna let their opinions of me impact how I live. Like that's crazy.

00:14:25
Speaker 1: Some of the opinion on you ain't got nothing to do with you.

00:14:27
Speaker 4: Yeah, those same people have cut both their feet off for your life. They traded, I'm telling you app of them at home, still jacking off forty five years off the other way. They washed their face in three weeks and they got all kind of bumps, and we don't talk to y'all.

00:14:45
Speaker 2: I've seen them, you know, the day about I've seen them.

00:14:48
Speaker 3: That's the second one.

00:14:52
Speaker 4: Okay, yeah, that's what losers do. I've jacked off still still well, probably not too long ago.

00:15:02
Speaker 2: Oh wow, you still gripping the mic. That's crazy, my mic, that's crazy.

00:15:09
Speaker 3: I love how we started off politically correct and gradually we just keep Ah, I can't in the game.

00:15:19
Speaker 1: Come on now, you want to shake my hand.

00:15:20
Speaker 2: No, this guy is nuts, even on a roll.

00:15:25
Speaker 4: Lady though all right, you tried to bring the w Invade to Nashville. They announced Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia as the expansion cities in no Tennessee.

00:15:35
Speaker 2: How you felt about that?

00:15:37
Speaker 3: I mean, obviously, I think Tennessee deserves a team. Just in general, I think women's basketball is on the map because of Tennessee. Tennessee led the country in attendance from two thousand and four to twenty fourteen. I was there from four to eight and I saw like the road attendance, the home attendants. I mean, we had twenty four thousand people sold out to watch eticutte in Tennessee. It was the rivalry. I mean, I saw what Tennessee basketball from a college level has meant to basketball in general. And so I mean, I feel like what's delayed is not denied. I think it'll still happen. I understand, you know, there those are cities. Detroit has had a team before, Cleveland has had a team before, Philly has not had a team before. But they're all NBA owners and so we you know, I understand the process. I think Tennessee will will get a team eventually, and I hope to you know, be a part.

00:16:33
Speaker 1: Of that, as you should ye big bro ap we got a chance to play against your big brother. You guys are ten years apart. Eleven yep, eleven years apart. Growing up, who is your your idols? Who did you look up to? Obviously being a Midwest girl, who were some of the people he looked up to?

00:16:49
Speaker 3: Well, I grew up in the nineties in Chicago kind of hard like I grew up in Naperville, Illinois. Chicago sports are everything. The Bulls were every single thing. It was like, you know, as a kid, it was like high sea juice boxes. It was like, you know, what is it? The little lightning bugs. We got to catch him in a little length and it was Grant Park Bulls Celebration parade, like those are three things that we were going to do in June, you know, like that's what it was. And as a kid, that was like what you look forward to, Like the Bulls were winning every single thing. So I grew up idolizing Michael Jordan of course. But Ron Harper was like my favorite Bulls player every I love Ron Harper just because I feel like when he was with Cleveland, the reason why he became a bull is because he used to used to d up mica a little bit. People don't know how yeah, and he heard his knee then he heard his exactly, was exactly. Harp was tough, and so I have a picture with him. I used to have it on my wall of him when I was like eight or nine. But my brother got drafted in ninety seven when I was eleven years old, and Alan Iverson at the time was like, yep, ninety seven. It was my hero, Alan Iverson, and my brother got drafted to the Nets and traded on draft night to the Sixers. So Alan Iverson was everything to me. I wore number three for Alan Iverson. I had the little finger bands. I met him when I went to watch my brother.

00:18:27
Speaker 1: Play Slow Down. What was that experience like for you?

00:18:30
Speaker 3: When I tell you, I don't think people understand Alan Iverson at that time, like everyone was trying to dressed like him, be like him. You know, you talk about you know, being straight. I had the corals straight back. People were like, are you are you?

00:18:50
Speaker 2: Are you?

00:18:51
Speaker 3: I was like, I don't care. Ai waned a little box braids. I was wearing them. So I think just during that time, Alan Iversone was larger than life, you know, and his heart and him being undersized, and I love the way he played the game, the way he wanted to play the game, and being six foot four dribbling the ball. People at that time are like, go down to the basket and work on a right hook, and I was like, but I have a left hand. They're like, no, work on a right hook. So it's like being put in a box. And I just with Alan Iverson. He was doing all these things he shouldn't be doing, and so that's kind of, yeah, who idolized. But of course my brothers, I mean, on and off the court. Anthony is literally one of the best humans I've ever It's annoying because yeah, like he is just a good person top to bottom. I aspire to be like Anthony. I'm far from Anthony. We grew up eleven years apart, so kind of two different households, I would say, So that's maybe that's why we're different. I've never heard him say a cussword, and it's entire life I've never I've never heard it, and so he's just a good example. My middle brother, Marcus, was a doctor radiologist, went to Johns Hopkins, so our parents were just really big on us figuring out what our passions were. And I can still hear my dad say, Parkers don't go into things to be second, like we go in things to be the best. And so that was like our dinner table discussions of like, you're a Parker, like you suck it up, you work harder, you do things like that, and so it kind of became like a mantra of that, and so yeah, I'm grateful for my parents for that.

00:20:35
Speaker 1: What do you remember most about your outside of your brother playing with Alan Iverson, What do you remember both about just being a teenager or even pre teen watching your brother play in the NBA.

00:20:47
Speaker 3: It's wild just to think about through that lens, because I just remember watching him in strength shoes running up and down the court and then yeah, strengths shoe and me being like, I can't wait till it's my turn. I remember the car rides in the back where my dad was chewing my brother out about a game he played or something whatever, and me being like, I can't wait till it's my turn to be in the seat being chewed out, you know. So it was kind of like seeing something you knew you wanted to be. All the crazy stuff, the line drills, being exhausted, like I couldn't wait to do that, and just watching him be humble in those moments. I mean, he was not recruited out of high school really Iowa, which is my dad's alma mater. My dad played at the University of Iowa seventy two to seventy six. They didn't recruit my brother and he was pissed at it. So when it came time for them to recruit me, he was like, she's not going there because y'all didn't recruit my son. So it's just watching him at Bradley go from almost being underrecruited to then being the number one shooting guard his junior year, breaking his foot, going back to Bradley, which now everybody would tell him to go pro, but that time it was like school. Just to watch his journey. He went overseas. He played in the league for three years and went overseas, played from a copy, won three titles, came back, played for Toronto, then Cleveland. Like it was just he kept reinventing himself, and I think it just inspired me as a little sister. You won three titles, won three titles, your league.

00:22:18
Speaker 2: And your overseas experience.

00:22:21
Speaker 3: Oh man. Yes, But overseas, I was Anthony Parker's sister. Here he's my brother. Interesting, so it was it was wild, Like people would walk up to me and be like I remember the shot he hit against CESCA, and like I remember you know all this stuff, and so overseas it was like, no, that's Anthony Parker's sister, and you know you come to America.

00:22:41
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's my that's my brother. You dunked in a game at fifteen.

00:22:47
Speaker 2: I wasn't dunking at fifteen.

00:22:50
Speaker 3: You were dunking at fifteen. Stop it.

00:22:52
Speaker 2: I was badly dunking in the league. He got heavy calves.

00:22:55
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:22:55
Speaker 4: I wasn't a jump I'm telling you I probably I probably start dunking comfortably probably around eleventh grade, yes, like just with no effort.

00:23:04
Speaker 2: Yes, bro, I was score. I'm not a jumper.

00:23:07
Speaker 3: You'll score. Tell you that. I gotta pull up some clips. My favorite thing to do is like see old videos of my brother's Criocket hand contest and then we put it in the group chat. So it's like my favorite thing when they show old like clips of whatever and you see him like defending Kobe or d Way's little you know, and Anthony be over here and d Wade be shooting over there. That's our favorite thing to put in the group chat is yeah, like hold on number eighteen with the cricket contest because he was guarding all of y'all crazy.

00:23:42
Speaker 1: I mean, obviously duncan for women is is not new now, but it was. It was kind of like a real jaw dropping thing back when you I mean at fifteen you were doing it. I mean, least Leslie, there's a hand there's only a handful of people that were dunking. So as a woman or you know, you were a teenage girl at that time, what was that like?

00:23:59
Speaker 2: Yeah, swag with her?

00:24:00
Speaker 4: I think she the first one had swaged with everybody else was like getting it, like she was dunking it.

00:24:05
Speaker 2: She had swag with.

00:24:06
Speaker 3: I just wish that I wouldn't have mess up my knee because my bunnies before were like I was two hand easy, two hand before I blew out my knee. But what was crazy was in my household. It was like I dunked before my brothers dunked at that age, so I was more excited about dunking before my older brothers did, so I could brag at the dinner table because my brothers were you know, they were a little shorter than me. So we had all started high school at the same time. I was six to two my freshman year, Anthony was five to seven, and Marcus was five to five. So I was like, y'all lucky, y'all that much older than me. Do you imagine driving your freshman sister to high school right out the car? Exactly? But I think that was what I was most proud of. I just wish I would have worked a little harder on the lane, because I think that's what ultimately all gas no breaks. But I mean it was exciting to be able to go out there and do things that people hadn't been accustomed to seeing. You know, a teenage girl.

00:25:13
Speaker 1: Do I mean you told us off came when it blew me away? You're fourteen surgeries deep in an ACL, You're SEENI or of high school with coach Summit watching, and you know, tell us what you were telling. I mean, I thought it was incredibly mean, your your journey was almost over before it started.

00:25:31
Speaker 3: It's crazy. I've been bone on bone since I've been seventeen years old. I came back in five months from ACL because I wanted to play my senior year. So when you see the old McDonald's all American clips of me and the dunk contest and playing the game, I have a big, bulky knee brace. I was nine months from ACL surgery. So I had surgery.

00:25:53
Speaker 1: Normally kind of supposed to come back, but you came back.

00:25:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, And I think that's what ultimately caused the next year where I had to red shirt my freshman year at Tennessee. I had told me total mee reconstruction for more al kondal resurfacing, and yeah, I mean it definitely was difficult because basketball was my only love. I mean I would do anything to bounce the ball, and so to have that kind of taken away, it was really difficult. I think mentally moving away from home, going through surgeries and things like that. But then progressively through my career, I just realized I was pushing through pain too much, and it was it got unhealthy at a point where it was like you're hurting other things because you're pushing through knee pains. And you know, ultimately, like my foot was broken when I stopped playing, and so I have to stop associating like pushing through stuff as being tough in an athlete, it was it's crazy because now my back is jacked up. And so as you get to knocking on the door, I'm knocking on forty, you realize, like all the stuff you're doing, the mileage you put on your body, catch up playing all year round. Yeah, it catches up with you.

00:27:14
Speaker 1: I think you said something really interesting because our generation was taught to push through it might do it, tough it up, and then now you're seeing us. I mean you and Jack were comparing back war stories, you know, before we were on camera, and it's just like the one thing I will say, and I think it's starting to switch. But kind of the old school players in the old school man, they're soft, They're not they need they need to do they need to do. Now they're protecting the asset, the entire body, the body.

00:27:38
Speaker 3: I didn't understand when people were like, when you're forty, you will, you know, because you just I was taking the turtle shots in the butt to play in the playoff games, and I was doing the you know, the injections with a little bit of cortizone that became a little bit more of courtizone in my knees. And in my feet, in my hips and my shoulder. So I've done all of that stuff and I just really am a firm believer in like taking your time, and I'm even learning now, like pushing pushing past stuff on the peloton for what? But am I pushing past pin peloton?

00:28:17
Speaker 2: Like?

00:28:18
Speaker 3: But it's yeah, you can't turn it off. I'm like, I'm on the I'm this is a this is a hip hop ride? What am I doing?

00:28:30
Speaker 1: You touched on it? But but but getting shot up? I got shut up with the toor door. I had the the what was the other thing you were saying? It slept my mind? The quarter zone in my in my toe. How what was the most painful one you did? I had to go to the emergency room when I got my show my toe shot up in Phoenix with quarters on it was I felt like my foot was gonna explode, and.

00:28:48
Speaker 2: It swollen and it got all red.

00:28:49
Speaker 3: I thought it was going to die.

00:28:52
Speaker 2: That is.

00:28:54
Speaker 1: Die.

00:28:56
Speaker 3: It's it's like a happy medium because then you start getting faster in between the toughest one I think for me was I had a bone bruise and my it just started hurting me yes and my knees and we were playing Minnesota. I don't know what year it was, but we were playing Minnesota that year in the playoffs and it started hurting and then all of a sudden, one day I just couldn't practice, like I just couldn't again. We didn't sit out of practice. There was no like, oh, you played thirty seven minutes last night, maybe you shouldn't practice today. It was like the team is practicing, that's what we did, and so I, you know, practice whatever. And then it was like, okay, you have this bone bruise. It's on the MRI. So I was getting a turtle shot by the doctor for Minnesota, links one of the doctors before the game to try to play, and that was one of the most painful things because you think you get through those forty minutes, but then it's the whole evening after that horrible waking up and the throbbing pain and all that stuff.

00:30:05
Speaker 1: So it's the stuff that people don't talk about, but as athletes, you remember though some of those times were tough, painful as hell, but them shots or because that tourt all make you feel like Superman, Superwoman.

00:30:15
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, Like I was jumping out the gym.

00:30:17
Speaker 1: Forget anything is wrong with you. Yes, it made me. I had a separated my shoulder going in the playoffs one time a long with the Clippers, and I could it with my shooting army. I couldn't even shoot. I wasn't shooting. I wasn't going to do. You get that shot and you're like, holy shit, like what this can't.

00:30:30
Speaker 3: Be because what the pain is still there?

00:30:32
Speaker 1: You just don't feel like I feel so good that this shot. I know this shot is fucked up. Yeah, because I shouldn't not feel nothing.

00:30:40
Speaker 3: No, that's true.

00:30:41
Speaker 1: It's so strong, it's unbelievable.

00:30:43
Speaker 3: I feel you. And nowadays I look at all the things that I shouldn't have done, and I wish because as an athlete, you're just thinking about now we.

00:30:52
Speaker 1: Got to be a protected against ourselves.

00:30:54
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I needed that because there's no way like I I just located my shoulder in two thousand and eight in the game to go to the final four, and girl drove behind me. I reach, she came up with the ball. I went down. My shoulder came out like just hanging as I'm dribbled down the court. So I go to the RAF, I hand them the ball. I go in the back. I'm like, no, I'm going back in, Like this is to go to the final four, this could be my last game in my entire career. I'm going back in. So they're like, okay, okay, okay, they put my shoulder back in. I went back in, reached with my left hand like an idiot disocates again. Same game. So I go back and coach Summon is like, if you you can't come back in, da da da. I was like, okay, well, my teammate had had a shoulder injury. So they're like, we have a brace that you can wear, but if it disokates again, you're out. If it disokates again, this would be the third time.

00:31:43
Speaker 2: In sit my ass.

00:31:45
Speaker 3: Down, tell me I can't play. Came back in, played, we went to the final four. But like geez, it's just like I just wish they're in. No way if Leilah I sit down, no like as her mom, no, no way.

00:32:00
Speaker 2: Real quick, but before we move on what she said, Mom, you.

00:32:03
Speaker 3: Did it right, I'll be like, but I'm protecting you from which I'm serious.

00:32:09
Speaker 1: Real quick, before you move on, how many surgeries and where so?

00:32:14
Speaker 3: Ten knee surgeries, two foot surgeries, which Actually, one of the scariest things is during my foot surgery, the surgeon severed my nerves so I couldn't feel my foot, and I had like one of those like what is it called the nerve blocks, so I shouldn't have been able to feel my foot, but I felt my It was weird. So we went to the ear in the middle of the night. They had to cut off the cast. It was a whole thing.

00:32:36
Speaker 1: So I was, oh, you didn't even so the surgeon didn't know he did that.

00:32:40
Speaker 3: No wow, or he did but anyway, so yeah, so just got I had the reconstructive surgery again to follow that surgery up, and they did a condo and reconnected the nerve. So it's still a little weird, Like my toes are a little weird, but they were like you were so close to having drop foot, so like two foots are and then the shoulder, the shoulder surgery, so laboram so yeah, I'm a I'm bionic. I'm hoping science can grow cartilage and stuff. But I don't know if I can wait for the new replacement. Like I'm ready to get out and start playing beach volleyball, but I can't.

00:33:16
Speaker 1: So I'm like, slow your ass down, canvas, but I want to down.

00:33:19
Speaker 3: I got listen. I gotta stay right for these boys because I have run it right now is like do you played basketball?

00:33:24
Speaker 2: I'm like, whoa? Right? For real?

00:33:26
Speaker 3: Whoa?

00:33:27
Speaker 1: I no clue on what we did before? Run as through your college career quickly, I mean obviously very decorated. Uh the legendary coach past summit rest in peace?

00:33:36
Speaker 2: What was it like?

00:33:36
Speaker 1: I remember just quick story you were already gone or you weren't even there yet, but I remember when you guys become the UCLA and players, and she would walk around our campus. Oh yeah, and just chill and kind of is that bad?

00:33:46
Speaker 2: Something like?

00:33:46
Speaker 1: And she would just kind of be out in the open. Well what kind of coach was she? And and tell me some of the stuff you learned from her?

00:33:51
Speaker 3: Man coach Summit was different, and I think you talk about like the Phil Jackson zen mentality. Early Summit was like coaching us as athletes, like demanding the intensity, the mindset, and it was about building like the entire person on or off the court. It's like a mindset. You can't switch off whatever you're doing in life, that's what you do. And I feel like it was a great continuum of my parents. I think it was like a perfect changing of the guards because my parents, that's what they established, like the mindset, the work ethic, you know, putting the time in, letting the results speak for themselves. And that's coach summit. I mean, she was she did the little things, even when she was handing hanging banners. Yeah, like she was fierce competitive, all these things that we see today, but just before her time.

00:34:49
Speaker 4: One hundred and one and ten record in college, which is bananas. I mean, god damn ten losses that are two titles, went straight from college to the two thousand and eight Olympics.

00:34:59
Speaker 2: Pat with Gino.

00:35:01
Speaker 3: That's why I don't.

00:35:03
Speaker 2: That's why I don't. I love that you.

00:35:06
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's crazy though, because I'm covering some of their games this year, so it's gonna be really awkward in the coaches meeting. But I can separate work and liking somebody. But that some people can't, but I can.

00:35:16
Speaker 1: I can.

00:35:17
Speaker 3: I can separate if I don't like you, and I can still do my That's good beef, though, Paton Gino, No, I thought it was good beef too, until the beef became personal. And then I guess it in good beef.

00:35:28
Speaker 4: When when slugs being shot, Like damn, okay, this is crazy.

00:35:32
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:35:33
Speaker 4: October twenty twenty five, AP Press name these five players as the best in women's college history. You, of course Canaan Clark, Cheryl Miller, Danna Troisi, and Breonna Steyt as a start in five.

00:35:46
Speaker 2: You agree with that.

00:35:48
Speaker 3: I have said this and I will say this until I'm blue in the face. Amigo hold s class.

00:35:52
Speaker 2: Should be on the thank you, thank you.

00:35:55
Speaker 3: Hold Slash should be on the first team. She has three titles. She is the leading scorer at Tennessee. I give the nod. So if somebody got to give up a spot, you know, so we not debating. I'll give up my spot because Shimik was college basketball, Like she was doing stuff before, she was on slam covers, before they were handing out slam covers to anybody and everybody, Like.

00:36:16
Speaker 1: She was.

00:36:19
Speaker 3: Nike deal, million dollar Nike deals. And I think you can separate college from pro And if you're just not a recency bias, you understand the impact that Shamikh host Cal had on women's college basketball. And like I mean this, Dandia's are you freaking kidding me. Was she in il would need? So I just that is the only thing. So it's hard for me to look past that when I don't see her name on the first team.

00:36:49
Speaker 1: Don stay up there like drafted number one overall by the Sparks in two thousand and eight, get a chance to play alongside Lease so LESSI but what is your first impression of Obviously Chicago to Tennessee to.

00:37:04
Speaker 3: La this crazy. I went down South and was culture shocked a little bit. You know. That was when Obama was like running for president and everything. So we saw the good, the bad, and the ugly in the South off the court. But I think it was just culture. Like Midwest mentality. I still feel like is like the best the way that we take care of our neighbors, and it's very family oriented. It's very like blue collar work, hard normal, Like you didn't have people like going to movie premieres and like whose parents are taking them to Europe for the summer, Like it was just you go into Wisconsin for the summer to the dells? Are you driving to your grandparents' house? Like it was That was kind of the mindset in the Midwest basketball training. It was you know, working hard and all that. I think we had some of the best basketball during that time. You talk about I remember seeing Kevin Garnett when I was younger play Ronnie Fields. Yeah, I'm gonna take it back real quick. Yeah. So like I saw all those dudes in the summer play Cappy Pondexter. I gotta throw her in there. Was tough. Should not have been moving like that at that time. But then you go down South and you're playing for this historic university that has won titles and been there and done that and trying to bring them back to prominence. And then coming out here it was like the big lights. You know. My first year in two thousand and eight, we're at the Olympics and there's actually a video I posted on Instagram and I'm going around everybody. I'm asking where they're from. You know. The men's team was the Redeemed team, and oh wait, I get to Kobe and he's like, I'm global, Like you get them my nerves. So I think just coming out to LA you realize, like how many different mindsets are out here because a lot of people aren't from here. They just make it home. I've realized a lot raising my kids out here. It's a way different lifestyle than I ever lived. My daughter is eating more sushi than I've ever I had just tried sushi when I was twenty two when I got out here.

00:39:10
Speaker 2: That's a Thursday for y'all.

00:39:11
Speaker 3: Now yeah, Like now she like, yo, mom, you want to go to sushi by scratch. I'm like, you know how much that amakase is?

00:39:18
Speaker 2: Like this is just a.

00:39:19
Speaker 3: Normal day for you? Like this is crazy. So yeah, So it's just a different lifestyle, but I will tell you the expectations are the same, like you gotta win. It's just on a brighter stage out here. And so La has become home. It is where I hope to call home forever. And uh yeah, I love it out here.

00:39:38
Speaker 1: He mentioned Cole. You got any stories of Coke?

00:39:41
Speaker 3: Do I have stories?

00:39:43
Speaker 2: Yeah?

00:39:43
Speaker 3: Kobe was a different breed in terms of mentality.

00:39:48
Speaker 2: You know.

00:39:48
Speaker 3: I can remember when we were going through the twenty sixteen run to try to win a championship. It would have been my first championship, and it was crazy because everywhere I had been it was like a two years adjustment period and then we would win. So high school lost, freshman, sophomore year, got it done senior junior, senior college. It was like lost sophomore year, got it done junior senior year. And so when I got out here, I was just expecting to win. And in eight we lost on a last second buzzer beater to go to the finals. So it was kind of like, Okay, next year, we'll win it. Okay, next year we'll win it. Okay, next year, we'll win it. So I was out here in two thousand and nine twenty ten when he was trying to win without Shack, and so it was more so just watching him develop into like reinvent himself in that second phase without him and the mentality and the energy, And I think what's etched in my mind, and I've said this so many times, is like at the Olympics in O eight in twenty twelve, And you know, I joke with d Waight about this all the time, and the Redeemed team they're like, yeah, we were motivated to get up and lift weights with Kobe, Like not every day, y'all didn't do that. Other I was there, y'all, advertiser, Kobe was by himself on the court before our practice, but it was every single day, Yeah, And so to see, like a lot of times you see the hype and you see the conversation around this person's work ethic, but to see it, to see him when the men did not have practice every single day before our shoot around out there working out with his rebounder, doing spot shots, doing you know, footwork, it was crazy to me. And so I think that's what I take away is more so than like, you know, the stories and the funny jokes and things like that. One hundred percent but like that, yeah, you can hold on it. Yeah, like that one hundred percent.

00:41:40
Speaker 1: Became the first w NBA player to win both the Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. The only other two people to do it Wilt Chamberlain and what Wes Unsell. Again, we're in a little bit of reflection time. You came in the league and took it by storm, and when Rookie of the Year at MVP your first season, I think a lot is made of the knocks that Caitlin Clark took her first season. What kind of stuff were you going through as a young, hot shot, light skinned girl out here in LA now and really kicking people's ass.

00:42:10
Speaker 3: It was crazy. I remember the first time we played Detroit Shock. And you talk about like I inherit people that I don't like because if like there's sixteen year olds at school that I don't like because my daughter don't like them, You know.

00:42:21
Speaker 2: What I mean?

00:42:21
Speaker 3: Like, that's how ready to for I Just that's the family I come from. Like you don't have to explain it. I don't have to agree with it. But if you don't like them, I don't like them neither. You know, type of thing. That's how I am. And when I tell you what the Detroit Shock, my coach at the time, Michael Cooper, did not like Bill Lambier and he thought Bill Lambier's Detroit Shock played like the bad Boy Pistons, which they did, and they had a player on that team by the name of Plynette Pearson who throughout my career, I had taken hard foul after hard foul and it was my rookie year and I was playing well up until that point. It was before Olympic break had just been named to the Olympic team. So I was taking a couple of licks and I remember Coop all the time, he knew my personality. So you always try to hype me up. They're trying to punk you, Silk, that's what they call me. They're trying to punk you, silk, trying to punk you and gotten a little brawl. Yeah. So Lisa was smooth. I was silky, yeah, yeah, and Planette did some stuff at the free throw line and then all of a sudden, a brawl.

00:43:23
Speaker 1: Just it was crazy.

00:43:26
Speaker 2: Right here, I knew we got a lot in common. Yeah, it was crazy.

00:43:31
Speaker 3: It was crazy. And so she she's the one that grabbed my so so smooth right before this play, came up to me and was like, ben your knees because we were up at this time, we were probably gonna win. And so she's like, been your knees at the free throw line because yeah, she's gonna try to take me out. And so the game had got out. Yeah a little bit.

00:43:53
Speaker 2: That's dirty. That's dirty, that's dirty.

00:43:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, So she came out my knees. So I kind of bring her down a little bit and then he gets.

00:44:00
Speaker 1: Up and well they came camera catch up.

00:44:03
Speaker 3: I brought her down, started Michael Cooper. It was so funny to watch Coop. But yeah, it was a whole thing.

00:44:12
Speaker 1: So this who pushed this wing on?

00:44:15
Speaker 2: Right?

00:44:16
Speaker 3: Rick Mahorn, So you got to see this angle. So she does this, then I she comes down and I got brought her down, and you know, then the whole thing happens. So anyway, this was kind of during that era of you know.

00:44:31
Speaker 2: Na week as hell, Greg mahonn though.

00:44:35
Speaker 3: That ship was late and so yeah, this was kind of the welcome to the League moment for me. And uh yeah, y'all click with the video.

00:44:43
Speaker 4: That palace in Auburn Hills just did his ass and running pushed nobody down that night we was in there. Yeah, got your ass knocked out, straight up, straight up. That's my SI, Lisa, my sister. We were on a great relationship, like a real brother and such relationship over the last seven years within the Big Three.

00:45:06
Speaker 2: Yeah, like real close. So bottom on out and we'll see them today.

00:45:10
Speaker 1: I probably get what was that like again?

00:45:12
Speaker 2: Playing with her?

00:45:13
Speaker 1: Lisa was you know, she's one of the greatest of all time, and then you know she was in doing her thing, and then you're the new new kid on the block that's supposed to kind of be the next coming, obviously your own player, but built in the same mold.

00:45:24
Speaker 3: What's crazy is how life comes full circle because at twenty two years old, I'm looking at everything ahead of me. She retired the year. I gave birth to my daughter that season, and I came back and played from July till the end of that year, so I didn't get too full seasons with her, which is one of my biggest regrets. But I looked at it through a different lens until the end of my career because everything again goes full circle. So I'm looking at it as just playing the game at twenty two and I'm gonna show you and I'm gonna be the best and whatever, and and she's looking at it as a respect older built the league mentality. And it's crazy because I had that with Asia, because I came back and played with Asia at thirty six thirty seven years old, and you're looking at somebody that is one about to take over. She's gonna have the reins for a long time. But the mentality is crazy because you look at it differently. You know, it's hard to be older and kind of like know that your days are limited. There are more days that have happened than will happen.

00:46:37
Speaker 2: It's hard too.

00:46:38
Speaker 3: It's hard, and it's also hard to accept when you know like, because it's if you put the ball in the basket, if you dominating, if you're winning things like that, it doesn't matter what you did. And so it's an interesting dynamic for me. I have so much more respect and love for Lisa because it had to be difficult to have a you know, a player come in and have all this hype and I wasn't even supposed to be on the Sparks. She had her daughter the year before and they sucked. That's why I got They got the number one pig, she was out, and so it's just one of those things where I feel super grateful to be out here and wear the Sparks jersey. And it was because of a lot of legends like Dalisia, Milton Jones, you know, Lisa Leslie. I mean down the line, Nicki Teasley's. I didn't get to play with Nikki, but Nicki Teasley's, Michael Cooper's. So I just seem super grateful for Lisa. We still stand in touch. Our daughters are kind of similar ages, so it's really cool.

00:47:40
Speaker 1: I mean, you touched on something that on the men's professional side will never know, understand or really have. Obviously, I have an appreciation for it, but you had a child during or after one of years.

00:47:51
Speaker 2: Like what was that?

00:47:52
Speaker 1: Like, I mean, that's I mean, motherhood is so incredible. But then to lead up to it while you're playing and then drop a baby and then get back and shape real fast and try to get back.

00:48:01
Speaker 2: I'm like, what the hell is that?

00:48:02
Speaker 3: Like, it's crazy because I remember the moment. I was like, I think I'm pregnant. I was coming back from the Olympics and I was just thinking it was jetlag, tired, you know, I can't get right Beijing time. You know, it was exhausted. We'd played from October college season, two weeks break WNBA, then Olympic break. Then now we're at the end of the season. We lost on a heartbreaker. We go to the you know, I go to San Antonio where the finals were, to accept my MVP trophy and I got back to the room that night and I felt sick, threw up. I was like, that's weird. All right, get back to La start kind of like preparing for the off season. Just moved into a house. Sheldon was playing for the Kings at the time, so I had to get ready to go to Sacramento. And that's when I was like, I'm pregnant, you know, and I've always dreamed of being a mom, always dreamed of having a kid. And it was just sad at the time because my joy like you all have kids and can just go out and drop twenty twenty five the next game. For me, it was like everybody, who's gonna want to know when I when I'm coming back. So from the first doctor's appointment, I circled July fifth on the calendar. She was supposed to be born May nineteenth, but our doctor agreed that, you know, going past thirty nine weeks isn't great. I was cool because it was going to push up my week ahead of time. And from that point it was me waking up training. So my pregnancy was not like eating bond bonds on the couch. It was like, okay, as a passer, don't throw up my belly, throw over here, you know, so that if you know I missed. I was in the gym with coop shooting up until the Wednesday before I delivered my daughter on the elliptical. I had my diet and things like that, and at that time doctors were like, no, no, getting your heart rate above one ten and it's like, how am I going to work? Like come, so stretching the rules a little bit. But the hardest part for me was like once I had her, because I wanted to be a mom, I wanted to be all those things to her and not sacrifice that because of what I did. And I didn't want my mom motherhood to impact basketball, So it was me just fumbling through life at that point. I nursed her until she was too almost, you know, and she traveled with me everywhere until she was three years old. I'm talking Russia, China, Turkey, all that she rolled. And I'm just grateful that, like Layla was such a great kid, Like she would be like pregame nap. I'd be like, yup, pregame nap, baby, and we'd take our pregame nap And I mean we traveled the world together. So for that, I'm super grateful. But it was a lot like I look back on that and I'm like, I don't know how I woke up in every playoff game. She would act a fool, like that's just how it was. She would get sick or have a bad night or something before a playoff game. But basketball doesn't care if you got four hours of sleep, all four, you know, So.

00:51:10
Speaker 1: Thank you for sharing like I've never known. Like obviously we've heard women and some of them have been bad stories and and and you know, tough hurdles, but did to kind of walk through that journey with you.

00:51:20
Speaker 2: I've never heard that, So.

00:51:21
Speaker 3: I appreciate you sharing that with us.

00:51:24
Speaker 1: Battles with my Moore went toe to toe in the sixteen finals, came down to the wire. What was it like playing against her, someone who we feel obviously left the game a little too early.

00:51:36
Speaker 3: Yeah, this end of this game is crazy.

00:51:41
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:51:41
Speaker 3: I think Mayamour was one of those players that I don't know why she went to double, but Mayamore was one of those players I'm happy she did. I don't know why she went to double on that. I just got a straight basket cut. But Maya Moore was one of those players that had game like you could defend like this and she was still going to hit that turnaround jump shot. We didn't play against each other in college, but we balled against each other in the professional ranks. And I measure a player's ability to really change the opponents, Yeah, this game was crazy to I measure an opponent by if you are looking at that game on that calendar and you know you got to bring it, like where you're eyeing what their stats are whatever, and you're kind of measuring yourself and you're like, Okay, they drop twenty five or thirty in this game. I got to come out and do that. And I had always been the younger sister that was doing that to players ahead of me. She was behind me, she was two years behind me, and so to battle against her. I'm still salty about twenty seventeen because we should have beat them, and it would have been, you know, three championships for them and two for us, which would have looked a lot more even. But I think they showed all our playoff games and it was one point that separated all of those games combined. And so just to think about the battles, how you had to bring your game and we're forgetting about Simona Gusus, Sylvia fouls on that team, Lindsay Whalin. So you had to do everything right. And Cheryl Reeves is still running the same sets she ran. She's like a Popovich, She's running the same sets, just insert different players. And so somebody was talking to me about guarding Minnesota, and I was like, oh, no, shut up. You had Maya More coming off the stagger, then you had Simone coming off the curl. Then you had Sylvia's big ass duck ducking in and close. Then you had Lindsay Whalen coming off the handoff. I'm like, y'all will be fine. You didn't have any of that to guard because you could guard it perfectly and it would still Yeah, you still couldn't stop it. Yeah, still couldn't stop it.

00:53:53
Speaker 1: You dedicated your twenty sixteen championship to the late Great Pat Summit. How much did that? How much did that mean to you?

00:54:01
Speaker 3: Coach Summing has meant so much in my life, still continues to mean so much in my life. But it was so ironic that we want off of an offensive rebound, and that was all she would talk to me about, like, you could be one of the best offensive rebounders ever. And I'd be like, but I got the shimmy with the left over the right off the glass, I got that fade away into the corner. Coach like on, She's like, you could be one of the best offensive rebounders. And so it was almost like one of those Aha moments when that happened, like she's got me. I mean, it was difficult to watch somebody that is as strong and a hero of yours go through such and battle such an awful disease like Alzheimer's. But Pat was pat through and through, like the reason why I have this tat. I asked her how she got past the difficult days, because when she called to tell me, she was like, if you go and throw a pity party, you're the only one that's gonna be at it. Like, I'm not about to throw a pity party. I'm about to fight this disease and all that. And I was like, how do you find that in times of struggle and when you don't know what tomorrow is going to look like? And She's like, put one foot in front of the other, left foot, right foot, breathe repeat. So that's kind of become my mantra and what I will continue to carry with me. My kids know, my son's call her coach, they know her teachings, and my youngest son is named after her heart Summit is his name. And so she's somebody that will forever be a part of my daily doing and what I say and how I hope to present.

00:55:32
Speaker 1: Myself championship with your hometown team in twenty twenty one? What did it mean to go home after your you know, your legendary run in LA. You go home and you're able to win one in your first season.

00:55:44
Speaker 3: Nothing like it? Man, winning at home in front of people that first saw you pick up a basketball. They had the number one two picks. So it was between LA and Chicago to have the number one pick and eight. And I remember hoping Chicago didn't get it because I didn't want to go back home and deal with that, you know, like it takes a special someone like d Rose playing at home, getting drafted there.

00:56:05
Speaker 2: That was a lot.

00:56:06
Speaker 3: Yeah, like bron and Cleveland, like that's that's a lot, like tack your requests and just you never get to kind of spread your wings and grow up. But what I found was I wanted to go back home, and I feel like that's really true. Was jay Z like if you let it out as cage and it comes back and you know it's here to stay. Yeah, Like, and so I feel like Chicago has always been a part of like the fabric of who I am, but also man's super special to win there and with those people, My high school math teacher was there, you know, like it's just high school coach was there, Like it was just it was amazing.

00:56:42
Speaker 1: The ass you got a chance to win your final in twenty twenty three with Asia Kelsey in that group you spoke to the I guess you and Lisa and then you finally got to see it on the flip side with obviously Asia and what she's been able to accomplish, and we'll touch on her a little bit, but what was that one like and then seeing her kind of coming into her own as you know, arguably one of the greatest players as well.

00:57:08
Speaker 3: It's so crazy because there's this like arc of humility right Like when you're young and brash, your humble meter is low. Probably you think you can do anything. My son is in that era of three and a half year old that thinks he can live jumping off of a whole flight of stairs. That's how you are playing initially in your career. You're young, you think you can do whatever, and sometimes you surprise yourself and you can you surprise everybody else. Right middle of your career, you start figuring out the game, you understand who you are, You're like whatever, but you still think you can do whatever, and you still can be the best in whatever. The end of your career, I think that really determines what you're going to be, Like are you going to choose to be humble and honest and looking at yourself and what you're capable of, or are you going to continue to live in this facade of what was? And I think that the Aces made me real that I am so much more than basketball, but also made me realize that I'm not the Alan Iverson that can go play a role on the Detroit Pistons and it's okay, but I'm not also going to be the Paul Pierces that are saying he was better than Wesley Matts. Matthews at the time, y'all might have to edit this out, but like, do you know what I mean? Where Like you're sitting there and you're like, no, I'm better than him, and it's like, but you're missing the whole point. You may player to player be better, but for the team, he's better in that role, and a lot of old players I remember everybody else around them realizing that and them not realizing it. And so it's okay to be honest with yourself where it's like, it's not fun for basketball if I don't have the ball in my hands and if I'm not operating from this position. Because I've done that for so long. Do other players want to extend to play basketball and play another role, Yes, that's great for them. I don't know if I could do that and not make everybody miserable around me. And so it was like at that moment, was like and my foot was going on, so it was like, I'm better over here outside lines, I'm better, Like, hey, let's add this, let's do this, encouragement that type of thing, because that was the shift, Like that was the aha moment where I was like Asia getting busy, Like she's MVP, she's got years to come. I want to help her grow in that way and be a support system. So sitting on the sideline watching twenty twenty three championship, I was super happy because of the great people that I was a part of it with. But it's always an asterisk, like it really is. It's always like, is that a chance? Like I know people are going to question that championship because I was not on the court for that, but I think it taught me just as much as the other two championships. Like, I think it taught me, like I'm okay in this life, Like I'm okay with what I have done to move forward with that mindset and it's okay to leave that behind. And yeah, like I think just being a part of three completely different championships is wild. And I'm a little salty because the twenty twenty three ring is the nicest of the three. I'm like, y'all really just put all these diamonds in this ring, but like the other two, they're nice, but Vegas can't win it with that championship.

01:00:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, this is kind of This wasn't even on the list, but it got me thinking. As you're speaking, obviously you being one of the greatest female players of all time. We're watching Broun and although Bronz still has someone left in the tank, there's a little bit of passing of the guard for him. And again, I just like to hear from your mind, and you brought up Alan Iverson and how he kind of struggled with trying to fit in a role. What do you think, I again, just what do you think kind of is going through Bronze head at this timing? You're twenty three, He's starting the season on the sideline with some back issues, but understanding that the game is moving on. In his best days, you know, we've all watched them.

01:01:03
Speaker 3: I don't really know, because I think every player is different from whatever role you play. It's just you deciding what you want next, like how much you're gonna carve out for yourself next, because if winning is truly the goal, then you have to humble yourself and realize, like, maybe you're not going to play this role winning. And to me, I feel like that's the reckoning. Like when you I mean father time, it didn't matter how long it is delayed. It is not denied right, Like it's going to catch up with you. And what I realize quickly is I'm gonna play these two or three years and ain nobody. People are only gonna remember the bad stuff. They're not gonna remember any of the good stuff. They're gonna look at me and think I'm old and man. Cannics used to be able to get to that, you know whatever, And it's like the positive was outweighing or the negative was outweighing the positive. And so I think Bron obviously in the amount of years he's played is added to his legacy tremendously. I think a conversation that every player has to have, is this outweighing? Is this more positive than negative? He's never had to deal with injuries before, and so to see somebody as human, I mean, like Bron had never had any major injury before. And what was it that Christmas game he played at the Warriors years ago when he first got to the Lakers, that was the first time he had this significant time. And so with these injuries piling up, it's figuring out, you know, is it worth it? And sometimes as players, I mean, we grind way past when we should grind.

01:02:53
Speaker 1: You know, things are getting a little spicy out here in the streets. Was it was an officia who officia went in on the commissioner? The CBA is set to expire soon. People are thinking the lockout maybe looming. You know, stars like k and Clark only making seventy five K. What is your thought process because you were, you know, obviously least than them started it and you had a heavy influence on carrying it to where it is today. And now, you know, I feel lockouts only hurt us. Lockouts only hurt players. What do your thoughts on it?

01:03:26
Speaker 3: Your's the owners a little bit too.

01:03:27
Speaker 1: But sometimes it's gone right, but but you also got things. Sometimes this is just lockouts for y'all. Two or actually I was in one ninety eight and ten?

01:03:37
Speaker 2: Was it ten or nine? What year was it? No?

01:03:39
Speaker 3: Eleven?

01:03:40
Speaker 1: What are your thoughts on kind of what's moving forward for this league and where you hope it continues to grow.

01:03:45
Speaker 3: To well, obviously, like people respect people with zeros at the end of their checks. Like, let's just be honest, Like there's respect element of things when you walk into a room if you have zeros behind your check, and so I feel in order for the WNBA to be reputable and to be respected, you have to have zeros behind your check. And with that being said, a number of zeros behind your check. And that has crossed WBA off the list for a number of years. Just because of that, that's been the running joke in comments and things like that. Where the WNBA now is now it's undeniable. Where sports in general are now, it's undeniable. But for so long I think it's been that like wait wait, and as women, it's like in this country, it's always wait, wait, it's always okay, just uh. But now it's like with social media with nil. So if you're telling me you can't pay pay players over a million dollars, but you're giving coaches. I've never heard of a league where the coach has paid more than the best player. I have never and please correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know the best player on the team is going to make more than the head coach. So with all of these owners that are saying, or the WNBA in general that's saying we can't play players that, then how are you finding this for coaches? Is what would be my first question in the CBA negotiations. But I think there's got to be a tremendous amount of change because it's not only impacting on the court salary, it's it's public, so people understand what you're playing in the WNBA for. So these companies are then coming to you less than male counterparts, and women have more follows, sometimes at times with more followers, and you look at page backers, what she her followers in college were way more than Jalen thugs that got drafted. And so it's just one of those things where it's impacting from top to bottom. And I'm just grateful for social media because I think numbers don't lie transparency, and there's transparency and you see with nil how much somebody is worth. You know, coming out of school.

01:05:54
Speaker 1: Speaking of Unrivaled, you're doing some work for them this year. What are your thoughts on kind of what they're doing? And to me, I feel like they're pushing the bar and putting pressure in.

01:06:03
Speaker 3: That is exactly what it's about, is raising the bar because the money is there, just figuring out the business plan and maybe again what Afisa said, maybe it's the leadership that's impacting the business that that is the reason why they can't pay. But the WB is a capycat league. The NBA is a copycat league. It was one team that decided to fly charter and then all of them had to because of competitive advantage. Same thing with practice, facility, player experience. I mean, from top to bottom. So I think that we're in a great place, but just got to continue to push them.

01:06:43
Speaker 1: A lifelong Adidas girl just named or named president of Adidas Women's basketball last year, talked to usbut I mean, you got a fly ass Adidas. I had to really, I was like She's wearing Adidas from head to toe.

01:06:55
Speaker 3: They make it for men.

01:06:59
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, come on, now, come on we might Yeah, come on, we not.

01:07:03
Speaker 2: What is that? What is that? What has that been like?

01:07:05
Speaker 3: It has been amazing. I've been with Adidas since my sophomore year basically in high school, went to Tennessee, which was Adidas. We actually just got Tennessee back to Adidas, which I'm excited about. Then when I came out to go to the WNBA, it was like, I'm gonna be Adidas. It was just figuring out the logistics and everything within the contract. And then ever since then through the ebbs and flows, through pregnancy, through going overseas, had a signature shoe like all those things. And so to be able to achieve all of my dreams on the court, and then now transition to being able to help others hopefully impact the brand and achieve their dreams. I mean, it's it's been amazing.

01:07:44
Speaker 1: First thing to come to mind when I list these players.

01:07:46
Speaker 3: Asia Wilson, I think, just continuing to get better every single game, every single year, She's added something to her game.

01:07:54
Speaker 2: Cayven Clark.

01:07:57
Speaker 3: Unlimited range, I think, is y I know you said, oh, first thing. Okay, No, I think she has transcended. I mean, you think about that Midwest fall in love, whatever you think about what Iowa had, sellout crowds, things like that, it transcended to other areas as a result of her ability to connect with people, you know. And I think that that leads back to where the game is now in terms of shooting and her taking that and making it better. And Steph Curry talks about it all the time, like Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, those are the dudes. And Steph has taken that and has added to his craft. And I think, you know, I know Diana Tarassi's on this list. I think Caitlin Clark has done that because Diana was kind of that first one that had that range where when she walked in the parking lot you had to guard her.

01:08:48
Speaker 2: We'll speak to speak to Diana.

01:08:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, Dina just a competitor. I think is one of the deadliest shot makers, no matter who was in her face, no matter what country you're in. I played against her overseas. Some of the super birds of this on our podcast, like one of the some of the craziest games were actually games nobody saw similar to like the Redeemed Team and the Dream Team with the Select Team, like it was overseas. That were some of those games, and Dinah was just didn't matter what continent she was on, she was on, it was gonna be an off night for you.

01:09:24
Speaker 1: Angel Reese, Angel Reaes.

01:09:26
Speaker 3: I mean, I think just a tremendous competitor, athletic. I think has the versatility and movement at six' four to be able to dominate the game in a number of.

01:09:36
Speaker 2: Ways page.

01:09:38
Speaker 3: Silky smooth mid range. Master she kind of reminds me a little bit in her ability to get to her, spots almost Like shay a little. Bit whereas like everybody's going towards three point shooting and that's, great that's well, Whatever but what has been sustainable in basketball has been that mid. Range maya had, it you, know Obviously diana had, It sue had. It page is kind of like add into that as.

01:10:00
Speaker 1: Well Cheryl, Miller Cheryl.

01:10:02
Speaker 3: Miller, man she is my, goo the PERSON i looked up. TO i remember my dad showing me her and how she. Moved she just moved. Different it was athletic at six,' two had, that ATTITUDE and i grew up with. Older brothers She. Had reggie it's, so crazy like how much shit she TALKS and i. Love it and so to see her play that game in, the eighties. It's crazy so she was way ahead of.

01:10:30
Speaker 1: HER time i want to ask. ONE more i want to ask SOMETHING that i don't want to keep it too. Much longer you used to have and you kind of just touched. On it THE w nba wasn't necessarily your High your you had to go make your money in the off. Season overseas what was, THAT like, i mean that's basketball pretty much. Year round the one thing that everyone wanted to be is in the w In the states and have a. Strong league we're still trying to get. That there you had to really go make your.

01:10:56
Speaker 3: Money, overseas yeah my summer job WAS. THE wba I mean i PLAYED the wba HUNDRED because i loved the GAME and i wanted to play and the ball. WAS bouncing i wanted to play in front of people that, you Know, Spoke, ENGLISH yeah I, spoke english and all of those things made my Marketing endorsements Adidas and gatorade and you know that type. Of thing but it, was overseas WHERE like i take care of, my family, you KNOW and i, mean rolexes the black diamonds as gifts from our, you know our owners, Over there, russian, owners chefs drivers and. Beautiful apartments we. Flew charter we were treated like professional athletes. Over there and with that, being said it was. STILL overseas I mean i was still Playing, In. Katernberg russia my daughter's first school Was. In russia She. Spoke Russian and i'm grateful for the experience, and, honestly LIKE if i had it to do, over again those are. The OPTIONS do I wish i could have? Stayed STATESIDE do I wish i could have had an off season to work? On, stuff yes but that's how you that's how maade. My, money yeah, all right.

01:12:04
Speaker 1: Quick hitters first thing to come, to mind top five women hoopers of all time and don't be shy.

01:12:09
Speaker 3: WOMEN'S hoopers i love how you DIDN'T, say WBA because I Think cheryl miller gets left out because there was. No League But cheryl miller is definitely like my top. Women's hooper I'd Say. Cheryl Miller cappy pondecks are SOMEBODY that i looked, Up TO so i, would say just in terms of me modeling. My Game, Cappy Pondexter cheryl miller. Were Huge tina thompson is another one that was huge. For me she was a post player that was were her lipstick and was fly on. The court but knock it down was that transition knockdown for that wasn't that stereotypical, post player you KNOW what? I MEAN and i really loved watching. Her Play tisha penachero was one of the Best passers i've ever seen in. MY life i watched Her at odu. A lot my brother actually called us on the phone and he, was like there's This girl odu Going Around. Bradley brais, you know women's basketball team is crazy and she. Was Playing so i've known teach for a. Long time. She's UNBELIEVABLE and i would say, my fifth honestly would probably Be shamikhlholest claw of PEOPLE that i really looked up To playing Shamiko host claw was that. Mid range she moved DIFFERENT and i always would always be out doing the and, one mixtape trying to like not drobble like this or have a Shot where i'd step into IT like, i LIKED like i, like moving, you KNOW and i like not cone drills but like just reacting and things, like That and shamikel, was, like yeah.

01:13:31
Speaker 2: She Was That.

01:13:34
Speaker 3: Alan Iverson and i'm gonna tell, y'all something and y'all better not bring this back in my face because we talking about, Back then we're not talking about. Right Now, bow Wow bow wow was on. MY wall i was a Little. BOW wow i just don't know across the plan run through my mind like all, The TIME like i knew Every single. BOWE lyric i met him at a meet and greet and. LOOKED down i had my cango head On My fu. Bou, shirt YEAH bow i was like BOW and B two k Were my that was.

01:14:09
Speaker 2: ONE album i. Repeat.

01:14:12
Speaker 3: ANYTHING jay, I mean i'm A jay. Z fan i, Would say i'm like real heavy blueprint? Right now YEAH like thatnt.

01:14:22
Speaker 4: Yeah them Some big bok boys had a crush. ON themselves I, See, Mj kobe, BRON rank i gotta.

01:14:29
Speaker 3: Rank, Them. YEAH okay i believe that if you are, the blueprint then you are what everyone is trying. To COPY and i grew up In the chicago LAND and mj was like all of. Those THINGS so i WOULD say, Mj one, Kobe two, Bron THREE and I know i'm gonna get killed. Being out i'm.

01:14:53
Speaker 1: With you you said the blueprint and the, blueprint too were talking.

01:14:56
Speaker 3: About and then talk about and then we have, Somebody, listening like let's put in, perspective though Bron Is karl malone's size doing the things that, he DOES and i just am enamored by how he has continued to reinvent, his game continued dominance all of. Those things so hats off Respect. TO bron I just i idolized the little footwork and the like critique AND the i just all that and you could, just Tell like kobe was the blueprint two. OF blueprint i mean just from Working with kobe in, The gym like, he's like are you a? Toe spinner are you a? Heel spinner like nobody's ever asked me? That, Before yeah and so it's just like he's Like in jordan would rock are you? A rocker like what? Do you, i'm like nobody's ever asked me. That before So like i'm a student of, the GAME and I just i geek over.

01:15:53
Speaker 1: That, shit yeah he was trying to teach the twins. That shit at ten, Years old you've got to spin on your toe This so, i'm, like oh these motherfuckers just.

01:15:58
Speaker 3: Started, dribbling YEAH step.

01:16:03
Speaker 2: I have had none of that Was A?

01:16:04
Speaker 1: Fowler records did he do?

01:16:07
Speaker 3: The line got a?

01:16:08
Speaker 2: Nice? Spin yeah you.

01:16:09
Speaker 3: Do the line with the, twins though where you had to spin on the.

01:16:12
Speaker 1: Same up top and then step around the cone and with your.

01:16:16
Speaker 2: Fade away, YOU speaking i have a nice.

01:16:19
Speaker 3: Little spin, left shoulder, left shoulder.

01:16:22
Speaker 1: Left.

01:16:22
Speaker 4: Shoulder yep if it's one guest that you would like to see on, our show who would?

01:16:26
Speaker 2: It be but get?

01:16:29
Speaker 3: Your answer y'all had everybody so?

01:16:33
Speaker 1: Pretty close are real popular now that we got you where that that list has? Been checked all had?

01:16:38
Speaker 3: The PRESIDENT like, i mean y'all have had pretty much everybody on. Your show everybody had a. Nice run i'm a big believer in like people that don't see eye.

01:16:49
Speaker 2: TO eye i. Like, that yeah you got, to Know.

01:16:53
Speaker 3: BUT i'm i am a big believer. In THAT so i would like to see somebody that's like across the line.

01:16:58
Speaker 2: That's RIGHT and i Was. GONNA trump i.

01:17:01
Speaker 3: Was, gonna Say If donald trump came to all the smoke and he posted it On The white house IN an ai, GENERATED video i would be all for IT that i. Love that ye'd be all, for It, Oh rihanna I'll put rihanna.

01:17:15
Speaker 1: Out there'd be. A, Killer, well cannis thank you obviously, huge FAN glad i finally tracked you down after all, this time but an absolutely amazing career and and, to me what you've been able to transition to in the, MEDIA space i think the sky is just the sky is the limit with what. You're doing so good Luck of Amazon and unrivaled and all the other stuff you're. Doing motherhood it's. Been amazing, Thank You cannas parker BE.

01:17:40
Speaker 3: The, Gop Thanks'll.

01:17:44
Speaker 1: Cannas parker you can catch us On The Draft kings network and All the. Smoke productions, you too is