A new story from The Her Hoop Stats Podcast
Automatic TRANSCRIPT
Thanks for having me. So cool to be a part of your awesome show. Oh, you know, we have some fun. And I think we have some, it's great when we have two people who call games or do color and I'm just amazed by the similarities in your experiences and like you talking before the show about getting reps. It's like, I've heard I used to talk about that all the time. Yeah. It matters. For me, every rep is a step. So every time I get an opportunity to call a game, I know I'm getting better. And I can tell you going into this second season with the Phoenix mercury, I am a thousand times better than I was. Game one last year, because I've had so many games in between, in addition to that full first WNBA season. Did doing athletes unlimited help as far as just kind of a 100%. It got me into the pro women's basketball space, right? I'm knocking on the door forever. I've lived out in Phoenix, Arizona, galley, since 2013. Amber Cox, the former COO of the team, gave me a couple of nipples, and then of course she moved on to do a zillion other things. And now she's back running the Dallas wings. But so yeah, it was hard. I mean, there were so few opportunities here in the valley. There were so many people who want to do them. They're lined up like planes on a runway. It's ridiculous. To just continue to beat that drum and fight that fight was a lot, but athletes unlimited gave me an opportunity and I'm so grateful for it. They paired me with the Hall of Famer Cheryl swoopes so incomparable, so knowledgeable. And so we just had fun. And we heard that. And they heard it sounding like we were just sitting on the couch with a red cell minus the swear words talking to who? And then Phoenix decided, you know what? We went in on that too. So yeah, I owe everything to AU pro hoops. Oh. I love that, Cindy. I love that you first start off just talking about growth. You know, just where you are in your career, where you've been in your career. It just says a lot. That's still at this point in your career, you're still looking to grow, especially in the women's basketball space and calling games. In this last year that you've been in the W athletes unlimited, where do you see the most growth that you've had personally and professionally working with the W and then some of those athletes and AU? Just that close connectivity with the players and their stories, right? It's one thing to watch at home from your couch and there's another thing about being in the arena and having the access to the athletes and the coaches. The facilitators and athletes unlimited. And everybody that has a hand and growing the game, when you can have those one on one conversations, it just enhances your ability to do your job. And then the reps themselves. Just looking at the docket, we've got a 40 game season this season in the WNBA. And I can go, all right. I know national TV is going to take a few of those away. The ion road games will go away as well. But still, I'm going to end up doing more games in total than I did a season ago. So that means I'm going to be that much better at the end of this season. When there were fury, make the playoffs for an 11th straight time. Just putting that out there. Yeah, I mean, I know I talked to you about odds before because you got on to me for not betting Washington state during the back 12 tournament. Hello. Cut down the net. Right? But yeah, I mean, I was like, there's no way Phoenix does not not make the playoffs, you know? It just happens. BG's never missed. And I guess what Diana's maybe mister once. I don't know how Diana's been a league forever. She was there before playoffs started. So I did bring it, am I saying it right? I mean, I'm from Texas and now I live in the east coast. I don't know too much about the West Coast life, but wazoo. Washington state. I read a story that you actually bought a car because of the color. And it made you think of Washington state. Is that real? That is real. When I was at ESPN, I needed a snow car, right? Connecticut, feet of snow during the wintertime. And this is before we had carvana or anything. None of that. You just literally would go to the dealership and pick out a car. And I had no idea about snow cars. I kind of had a vibe as to, all right, I mean, it's got to be bigger and heavier or whatever. So I pull into the little Nissan lot, and I see a murano, bigger car, and it's crimson. I didn't even take it for a test drive. I said that one. That's what I want. So yes, that is true. I love that vibe. I just want to be that sure about every decision I make. I love that car. I'm not a car guy. I would much rather see my money hanging in my closet. Handbags, whatever. So yeah, absolutely. How about that? Every decade or so. Yeah, that's the only joy about living in New York. You don't need one. There you go. Yeah, yeah. But the ties to the West Coast, do you ever see yourself, I mean, I guess Arizona consider West Coast. It's on its own time zone. Yes. It's on to someone time zone. Half the year, we're Pacific, and the other half were mountain time zone. But yeah, I think just both big Arizona school as being in the PAC 12. I think it's just all considered West Coast. It's very chill. You rarely see a businessman wearing a suit. I mean, it's very relaxed. Yeah, then I have bachelor party time or two in Scottsdale. I bet you have. And I think there's a reason why James Harden still has his home in Tempe. Oh, 1000%. Facility at ASU has his face all over. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I will say calling a game out there last year working for the Connecticut sun. Phoenix is one of my favorite places to go. And just the 40 hour I felt like gaff that we were there. The exploring the actual city, like the nightlife, was really cool. But also just the Phoenix mercury and event presentation. Just the game and how it makes you feel like that atmosphere. I loved it. I had felt like, okay, obviously I've been to a number of W games 'cause I'm sitting here calling games about this season. But this made me feel almost like, I wish I was a fan right now. I wish I was a game, like getting the t-shirts, like yelling out different things, like what do you like most about, just the mercury and the atmosphere that they provide for you guys? Especially at home.