1
00:00:38,415 --> 00:00:40,583
This league has
always been able to stand

2
00:00:40,583 --> 00:00:42,919
on what we thought was right.

3
00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,299
We had to stand, first of
all, to be able to play.

4
00:00:47,299 --> 00:00:50,760
As women, in America, to have
a league, we had to stand

5
00:00:52,012 --> 00:00:53,763
so people know that we belong.

6
00:00:55,015 --> 00:00:56,349
Don't waste the day.

7
00:00:56,349 --> 00:00:57,809
Play it like this
was our last game,

8
00:00:57,809 --> 00:00:59,436
how hard will we play, y'all?

9
00:00:59,436 --> 00:01:01,604
So let's go out there,
let's play our ass off

10
00:01:01,604 --> 00:01:03,773
and let's go win this
fucking game for each other.

11
00:01:03,773 --> 00:01:06,109
We're all we got,
right here, y'all.

12
00:01:06,109 --> 00:01:07,193
Liberty 3 on three.

13
00:01:07,193 --> 00:01:08,528
- 1, 2, 3.
- Liberty!

14
00:01:12,532 --> 00:01:14,200
This is where we belong.

15
00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,291
♪ All I really know is that
there's nothing to lose ♪

16
00:01:21,291 --> 00:01:24,210
♪ Come 5th five times
in a bottle of booze ♪

17
00:01:24,210 --> 00:01:26,629
♪ I bet my goose
if I bet a deuce ♪

18
00:01:26,629 --> 00:01:29,132
♪ Still made it through
life, can't be helped ♪

19
00:01:29,132 --> 00:01:31,718
♪ So keepin' all the
Ritalin that's in my mail ♪

20
00:01:31,718 --> 00:01:34,554
♪ I'm waitin' on permission
so said to fail ♪

21
00:01:34,554 --> 00:01:37,015
The top 144
athletes in the world

22
00:01:37,015 --> 00:01:40,143
are playing in the most
elite country of basketball.

23
00:01:40,143 --> 00:01:42,270
That's undeniably an
excellent product.

24
00:01:42,270 --> 00:01:45,106
♪ When I fall I
get back up again ♪

25
00:01:45,106 --> 00:01:46,816
♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪

26
00:01:46,816 --> 00:01:48,401
These women have
a lot to lose,

27
00:01:48,401 --> 00:01:50,403
and they're standing
up for what is right.

28
00:01:50,403 --> 00:01:51,946
♪ All I really know ♪

29
00:01:51,946 --> 00:01:55,700
♪ All I really know ♪

30
00:01:55,700 --> 00:01:58,912
But you have to have a
respect for women's sports.

31
00:01:58,912 --> 00:02:01,915
They don't know that
that respect as equals,

32
00:02:02,832 --> 00:02:04,334
it's never been there.

33
00:02:04,334 --> 00:02:06,044
♪ I'm living proof I
don't fit in your shoes ♪

34
00:02:06,044 --> 00:02:07,504
Why do you think
you should have a league?

35
00:02:07,504 --> 00:02:09,339
Why would
anyone invest in the WNBA?

36
00:02:09,339 --> 00:02:11,424
How are we
going to promote this team?

37
00:02:11,424 --> 00:02:14,260
Who's gonna buy the corn flakes
that we're trying to sell?

38
00:02:14,260 --> 00:02:15,720
♪ All I really know ♪

39
00:02:15,929 --> 00:02:18,473
♪ All I really know ♪

40
00:02:18,681 --> 00:02:20,183
♪ All I really know ♪

41
00:02:20,183 --> 00:02:24,354
I am an athlete, male or
female, I am an athlete,

42
00:02:24,354 --> 00:02:27,565
elite athlete, and you're
gonna ask me that question?

43
00:02:27,565 --> 00:02:30,026
If you don't believe in
us, why are you here?

44
00:02:30,026 --> 00:02:32,195
That might be the question.

45
00:02:32,195 --> 00:02:34,030
♪ All I really know ♪

46
00:02:34,864 --> 00:02:36,282
♪ All I really know ♪

47
00:02:36,282 --> 00:02:37,951
We're not out here
to sell the body,

48
00:02:37,951 --> 00:02:39,869
I'm not out here
to sell my beauty,

49
00:02:39,869 --> 00:02:42,622
I'm out here to
freaking sell my talent.

50
00:02:42,622 --> 00:02:45,542
♪ When I fall I
get back up again ♪

51
00:02:45,542 --> 00:02:48,044
♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪

52
00:02:48,044 --> 00:02:52,006
♪ That's all, I'm on top of it ♪

53
00:02:55,301 --> 00:02:59,764
When I was a girl, there
was no women to be seen

54
00:02:59,764 --> 00:03:02,642
on television playing
sports, except tennis,

55
00:03:02,642 --> 00:03:04,894
and I remember roller derby.

56
00:03:04,894 --> 00:03:08,148
And I couldn't get my
hands on a tennis racket,

57
00:03:08,148 --> 00:03:11,234
roller derby just seemed
like it was out of reach,

58
00:03:11,234 --> 00:03:14,237
so then I got fixated
on the New York Knicks.

59
00:03:14,237 --> 00:03:15,572
And I watched them
and I was like,

60
00:03:15,572 --> 00:03:17,907
if maybe I could play
for the Knicks someday,

61
00:03:17,907 --> 00:03:19,075
I could be the first woman.

62
00:03:19,075 --> 00:03:20,827
Like, that was the opportunity

63
00:03:20,827 --> 00:03:23,830
to do what I loved,
was that small.

64
00:03:23,830 --> 00:03:25,582
The only aspiration
you could have

65
00:03:25,582 --> 00:03:27,417
was to want to play in the NBA.

66
00:03:27,417 --> 00:03:29,252
You wanna be like
Michael Jordan,

67
00:03:29,252 --> 00:03:31,421
or you wanna be like Larry Bird.

68
00:03:31,421 --> 00:03:34,757
Playing professionally, it
was not even in my mind.

69
00:03:34,757 --> 00:03:38,470
I got an opportunity to
be an Olympian in 1988.

70
00:03:38,470 --> 00:03:41,473
Putting on a USA uniform
was the ultimate,

71
00:03:41,473 --> 00:03:45,435
the most precious moment
that I could ever imagine.

72
00:03:45,435 --> 00:03:47,479
And now your
thoughts, after that,

73
00:03:47,479 --> 00:03:49,522
have to be, what's next?

74
00:03:49,522 --> 00:03:52,233
And it was to go overseas,
playing in Italy.

75
00:03:52,233 --> 00:03:54,777
I had a team from
Japan come and visit me

76
00:03:54,777 --> 00:03:59,782
and a contract offer, written
on a napkin, to go to Italy.

77
00:04:00,950 --> 00:04:03,703
I played my first
six years in Spain.

78
00:04:03,703 --> 00:04:05,079
If I told someone that I was

79
00:04:05,079 --> 00:04:06,664
playing professional basketball,

80
00:04:06,664 --> 00:04:08,625
it was just kinda, it
was like, "Oh really,

81
00:04:08,625 --> 00:04:09,542
and you play where?"

82
00:04:09,542 --> 00:04:12,045
Like, "Oh, you, you, you, wow,

83
00:04:12,045 --> 00:04:13,671
I didn't even know that
that was possible."

84
00:04:13,671 --> 00:04:16,508
If I said I was a professional
basketball player back

85
00:04:16,508 --> 00:04:18,718
in 88, 89, 90, they were like,

86
00:04:18,718 --> 00:04:21,054
"What are you talking
about, it does not exist?"

87
00:04:21,054 --> 00:04:25,141
The absolute peak was to
play for an Olympic team,

88
00:04:25,141 --> 00:04:26,809
and that was that.

89
00:04:26,809 --> 00:04:28,311
USA all the way!

90
00:04:31,147 --> 00:04:33,149
It's
official, the United States

91
00:04:33,149 --> 00:04:36,110
has the best women's
basketball team in the world.

92
00:04:36,110 --> 00:04:38,488
Then, 1996,
was the year of the female

93
00:04:38,488 --> 00:04:39,989
at those Olympic games.

94
00:04:39,989 --> 00:04:42,825
Softball, soccer, basketball,

95
00:04:42,825 --> 00:04:46,371
women were just capturing
people's imaginations.

96
00:04:47,455 --> 00:04:49,666
Our '96 Olympic
team, they showed the world

97
00:04:49,666 --> 00:04:52,252
that we're capable of playing
the game of basketball

98
00:04:53,586 --> 00:04:56,839
at a tremendously high level,
and exciting basketball.

99
00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:58,091
Yeah!

100
00:04:58,091 --> 00:05:00,260
There's a possibility
that we don't

101
00:05:00,260 --> 00:05:01,886
have to go overseas to play.

102
00:05:01,886 --> 00:05:05,265
We started
hearing some rumblings,

103
00:05:05,265 --> 00:05:07,684
maybe they were
thinking about starting

104
00:05:07,684 --> 00:05:09,769
a professional league.

105
00:05:09,769 --> 00:05:12,188
They win the gold
medal in Atlanta,

106
00:05:12,188 --> 00:05:14,524
and then we start
revealing our plans.

107
00:05:14,524 --> 00:05:16,651
We started announcing
network deals.

108
00:05:16,651 --> 00:05:19,946
NBC, Lifetime, ESPN were
our three launch partners.

109
00:05:19,946 --> 00:05:22,782
We started making
sponsor announcements.

110
00:05:22,782 --> 00:05:24,951
And I remember being at
an NBA owners meeting

111
00:05:24,951 --> 00:05:27,287
in October of '96, terrified,

112
00:05:27,287 --> 00:05:30,623
it was just so dramatic
and so exciting.

113
00:05:32,500 --> 00:05:35,128
And I am pleased
to announce that

114
00:05:35,128 --> 00:05:37,630
the Board of Governors
approved the concept

115
00:05:37,630 --> 00:05:40,466
of the NBA establishing

116
00:05:40,466 --> 00:05:43,469
the Women's National
Basketball Association.

117
00:05:45,346 --> 00:05:47,724
The league at the
highest levels understood

118
00:05:47,724 --> 00:05:49,475
that there was a lane

119
00:05:49,475 --> 00:05:52,228
for a professional
women's basketball league.

120
00:05:52,228 --> 00:05:55,607
It's the NBA, anything
that they put their hands on,

121
00:05:55,607 --> 00:05:56,983
they weren't gonna
allow it to fail.

122
00:05:58,735 --> 00:05:59,736
Ball, ball, ball.

123
00:05:59,736 --> 00:06:00,737
Double it.

124
00:06:00,737 --> 00:06:02,322
Now that's your shot.

125
00:06:02,322 --> 00:06:03,573
Yeah.

126
00:06:03,573 --> 00:06:05,074
Good job, way the
go, I like that.

127
00:06:05,074 --> 00:06:07,076
Rebecca Lobo and Sheryl
Swoopes have become

128
00:06:07,076 --> 00:06:11,164
the first players to sign
contracts to play in the WNBA.

129
00:06:11,164 --> 00:06:12,248
Nice, yeah, nice.

130
00:06:12,248 --> 00:06:13,916
In those early days,

131
00:06:13,916 --> 00:06:16,544
it was me and Cheryl
and Lisa everywhere.

132
00:06:16,544 --> 00:06:18,588
♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪

133
00:06:18,588 --> 00:06:21,007
You see us and wearing
these like blue shorts

134
00:06:21,007 --> 00:06:23,843
and blue pinnies that say WNBA,

135
00:06:23,843 --> 00:06:25,928
because we hadn't been
assigned to a team yet.

136
00:06:30,433 --> 00:06:32,727
When NBA Entertainment
brought to us

137
00:06:32,727 --> 00:06:34,103
that first spot, launch spot,

138
00:06:34,103 --> 00:06:35,605
with Lisa and Cheryl and Rebecca

139
00:06:35,605 --> 00:06:38,399
were coming out of that
smoke-filled tunnel,

140
00:06:39,567 --> 00:06:41,694
and strategic camera
shots of the names

141
00:06:41,694 --> 00:06:44,113
that were embroidered
on their duffle bags,

142
00:06:44,113 --> 00:06:45,198
made sure that the viewer knew

143
00:06:45,198 --> 00:06:46,699
who we were talking about here.

144
00:06:48,117 --> 00:06:49,369
We were the faces
of the league,

145
00:06:49,369 --> 00:06:50,703
because we're the
only three players

146
00:06:50,703 --> 00:06:53,122
who had signed to
play for the league.

147
00:06:53,122 --> 00:06:54,874
We started to
announce our plans

148
00:06:54,874 --> 00:06:56,334
with respect to our teams.

149
00:06:56,334 --> 00:06:57,710
Welcome to the player selection

150
00:06:57,710 --> 00:06:59,837
for the WNBA's inaugural season.

151
00:06:59,837 --> 00:07:01,839
We announced our
first eight locations,

152
00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:03,508
of course including the Liberty.

153
00:07:03,508 --> 00:07:06,344
Now it's important for us to
continue to carry that torch

154
00:07:06,344 --> 00:07:09,138
and light other people's
imagination about the game.

155
00:07:09,138 --> 00:07:10,973
It's great for
the younger girls

156
00:07:10,973 --> 00:07:13,142
who can dream and know
that they have a vehicle

157
00:07:13,142 --> 00:07:15,728
to make those dreams come
true now with the women's NBA,

158
00:07:15,728 --> 00:07:19,232
and that they can one day
play professional here.

159
00:07:21,651 --> 00:07:25,571
I was in France and
I get a phone call

160
00:07:25,571 --> 00:07:27,740
and said that I had
been allocated to play

161
00:07:27,740 --> 00:07:28,991
with the New York Liberty.

162
00:07:28,991 --> 00:07:30,827
It took me about
two, three seconds

163
00:07:30,827 --> 00:07:33,913
and then changed, New York City.

164
00:07:33,913 --> 00:07:35,998
Holy heck.

165
00:07:35,998 --> 00:07:37,834
I come from a town of 400 people

166
00:07:37,834 --> 00:07:39,585
and now I'm going
to New York City.

167
00:07:39,585 --> 00:07:42,004
I'd already played 10
years, my dream is to play

168
00:07:42,004 --> 00:07:44,590
in New York City,
my dream is to play

169
00:07:44,590 --> 00:07:46,175
for the New York Liberty.

170
00:07:46,175 --> 00:07:49,595
Either I'm gonna play in New
York, or I'm not gonna play.

171
00:07:49,595 --> 00:07:51,681
The first thing I'd learned
when I came to Liberty

172
00:07:51,681 --> 00:07:54,684
is that you better be tough
and you better have thick skin.

173
00:07:54,684 --> 00:07:56,352
You know what you gotta bring,

174
00:07:56,352 --> 00:07:58,688
you know the excitement
that you better play with,

175
00:07:58,688 --> 00:08:01,190
because if not, if you
don't have thick skin,

176
00:08:01,190 --> 00:08:03,901
strong shoulders,
you can't play here.

177
00:08:04,736 --> 00:08:07,572
Our identity was pretty
quickly following one

178
00:08:07,572 --> 00:08:10,616
of our biggest leaders, and
that was Teresa Weatherspoon.

179
00:08:10,616 --> 00:08:12,744
She was perfect for New York.

180
00:08:12,744 --> 00:08:15,204
I was a captain
alongside Rebecca Lobo.

181
00:08:15,204 --> 00:08:17,874
She said, "I want you to know,

182
00:08:17,874 --> 00:08:21,419
everyone always talking about
it's Rebecca Lobo's team,

183
00:08:22,545 --> 00:08:23,379
it's your team."

184
00:08:24,672 --> 00:08:26,174
No, B, it's our team!

185
00:08:28,718 --> 00:08:30,178
Welcome
to the Great Western Forum

186
00:08:30,178 --> 00:08:33,306
in Los Angeles, the
debut of the Woman's NBA,

187
00:08:33,306 --> 00:08:36,726
between the New York Liberty
and the Los Angeles Sparks.

188
00:08:37,310 --> 00:08:40,646
So we are moments away and
from this historic occasion.

189
00:08:43,232 --> 00:08:45,485
It's
time to now compete.

190
00:08:45,485 --> 00:08:48,654
Us and LA, you couldn't
have had it any other way.

191
00:08:48,654 --> 00:08:50,573
East Coast versus West Coast.

192
00:08:50,573 --> 00:08:51,741
There
is so much excitement,

193
00:08:51,741 --> 00:08:52,992
you almost feel
like you're playing.

194
00:08:52,992 --> 00:08:55,495
Everybody is so fired
up about this game.

195
00:08:59,874 --> 00:09:01,084
Do or die moment.

196
00:09:01,084 --> 00:09:02,543
Let's show 'em
what we're made of.

197
00:09:04,086 --> 00:09:06,756
It's time to step
in that jumper circle

198
00:09:06,756 --> 00:09:09,842
and I was like,
"Here we go,

199
00:09:09,842 --> 00:09:11,010
we're get ready to make history,

200
00:09:11,010 --> 00:09:13,805
we're getting ready to make
history." And then...

201
00:09:14,597 --> 00:09:16,265
Here's the tip.

202
00:09:16,265 --> 00:09:17,433
And the Sparks control.

203
00:09:17,433 --> 00:09:19,310
Opportunity's inside.

204
00:09:19,310 --> 00:09:21,145
So they made these
shots, but Penny Toler

205
00:09:21,145 --> 00:09:22,271
doesn't get one at the other end

206
00:09:22,271 --> 00:09:24,524
and now it's back to the
Liberty.

207
00:09:24,524 --> 00:09:26,692
Teresa Weatherspoon.

208
00:09:26,692 --> 00:09:29,362
Blocked by Lisa Leslie.

209
00:09:29,362 --> 00:09:31,697
And that woke up the
crowd here at the Forum.

210
00:09:34,033 --> 00:09:36,035
Lisa Leslie has been promoting

211
00:09:36,035 --> 00:09:37,787
the Sparks getting
ready for the season.

212
00:09:37,787 --> 00:09:40,373
Teresa Weatherspoon
just turned the jets on.

213
00:09:42,375 --> 00:09:44,502
And Lobo, from the corner.

214
00:09:44,502 --> 00:09:47,004
It's good. A three-pointer
for Rebecca Lobo.

215
00:09:51,884 --> 00:09:54,095
Lisa Leslie bank's one in.

216
00:09:57,473 --> 00:09:58,808
Weatherspoon pushes it ahead.

217
00:09:58,808 --> 00:10:00,476
To Johnson.

218
00:10:00,476 --> 00:10:02,478
Vickie Johnson lays it in.

219
00:10:05,815 --> 00:10:06,899
And who won?

220
00:10:06,899 --> 00:10:08,985
We did. East Coast.

221
00:10:08,985 --> 00:10:10,236
It wasn't an easy game.

222
00:10:10,236 --> 00:10:11,404
And
that would do it,

223
00:10:11,404 --> 00:10:12,905
here at the Great Western Forum.

224
00:10:12,905 --> 00:10:15,825
It's the New York Liberty
over the LA Sparks,

225
00:10:15,825 --> 00:10:19,245
and the first game
for the Woman's NBA.

226
00:10:26,002 --> 00:10:28,045
This game had great meaning,

227
00:10:28,045 --> 00:10:30,840
not just the Liberty or the
sparks, but for our league.

228
00:10:32,008 --> 00:10:34,844
All of us, because
we lived most

229
00:10:34,844 --> 00:10:37,680
of our lives without a WNBA.

230
00:10:37,680 --> 00:10:39,932
Really, it took
great responsibility,

231
00:10:39,932 --> 00:10:43,019
that we needed to do
everything we could

232
00:10:43,019 --> 00:10:46,689
to make sure it wasn't
gonna be one year and done,

233
00:10:46,689 --> 00:10:48,608
or two years and done,
or five years and done,

234
00:10:48,608 --> 00:10:51,694
like we have to ensure that
this league is around

235
00:10:51,694 --> 00:10:52,987
for the long haul.

236
00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:09,462
It's just 26%.

237
00:11:09,462 --> 00:11:11,881
Does anybody have any
idea what that number?

238
00:11:11,881 --> 00:11:16,177
26% is what 538 gave us chances

239
00:11:16,177 --> 00:11:18,220
to even make the playoffs.

240
00:11:18,220 --> 00:11:21,974
26%, and we have a
less than 1% chance

241
00:11:21,974 --> 00:11:24,393
of going to the
finals and winning.

242
00:11:24,393 --> 00:11:26,145
And this is what
people think of us.

243
00:11:30,566 --> 00:11:31,984
Everyone's probably
looking at the Liberty.

244
00:11:31,984 --> 00:11:35,988
You know, last year, New York
Liberty was in last place,

245
00:11:35,988 --> 00:11:38,908
having only won two
games out of 22.

246
00:11:40,076 --> 00:11:42,411
But this isn't the same
New York Liberty team.

247
00:11:43,663 --> 00:11:45,164
When we first got
here it was like...

248
00:11:45,164 --> 00:11:48,084
I dunno how to explain it,
it was definitely weird.

249
00:11:48,084 --> 00:11:50,211
The team was new.

250
00:11:50,211 --> 00:11:52,254
Most teams, they
bring in everybody

251
00:11:52,254 --> 00:11:53,798
and just bring in one rookie,

252
00:11:53,798 --> 00:11:55,925
but with us, everybody was new.

253
00:11:55,925 --> 00:11:58,844
It's particularly tough if
you have a really new team,

254
00:11:58,844 --> 00:12:00,846
a team that's still young,
a team that's coming off

255
00:12:00,846 --> 00:12:02,515
of a not great season.

256
00:12:02,515 --> 00:12:04,600
There's lots of
expectations that we have,

257
00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,644
there's lots of
anticipation for it.

258
00:12:06,644 --> 00:12:10,022
We know what we look
like, nobody else does.

259
00:12:10,022 --> 00:12:12,858
And we were all trying to
figure out who each other were,

260
00:12:12,858 --> 00:12:15,611
what they did, who
was the leader.

261
00:12:15,611 --> 00:12:18,030
B walked in, and
she made it known

262
00:12:18,030 --> 00:12:19,156
that she was the leader, though.

263
00:12:19,156 --> 00:12:20,366
I just wanna make that clear.

264
00:12:20,366 --> 00:12:22,868
It was never a question
if B was the leader,

265
00:12:22,868 --> 00:12:26,038
it was a question of who
else was goin' lead with her?

266
00:12:29,709 --> 00:12:32,378
The last year, I
went from being waived,

267
00:12:32,378 --> 00:12:36,007
right before the season,
to actually becoming

268
00:12:36,007 --> 00:12:38,092
the most improved
player in the WNBA.

269
00:12:38,092 --> 00:12:39,301
Pursenal gives it back

270
00:12:39,301 --> 00:12:40,553
to Laney and the Dream.

271
00:12:42,138 --> 00:12:45,850
And inside the arc,
nails another jumper.

272
00:12:48,853 --> 00:12:51,731
Laney powers it in.

273
00:12:52,398 --> 00:12:55,067
Before the season started,
I was in different interviews

274
00:12:55,067 --> 00:12:57,486
and one of the things
that continuously came up

275
00:12:57,486 --> 00:12:59,655
was, "Was last year a fluke?

276
00:12:59,655 --> 00:13:02,491
The year before and
above, was it just luck?

277
00:13:03,868 --> 00:13:05,995
It was a little insulting.

278
00:13:05,995 --> 00:13:09,707
No, this is who I am, this
is what I'm capable of.

279
00:13:09,707 --> 00:13:11,917
Her talent can
speak for itself.

280
00:13:11,917 --> 00:13:14,879
She's just getting started
and she's coming to her own.

281
00:13:14,879 --> 00:13:16,422
Betnijah is New York gospel.

282
00:13:16,422 --> 00:13:17,506
This is something.

283
00:13:17,506 --> 00:13:19,008
Lift your chin up,
slight bend down.

284
00:13:19,008 --> 00:13:20,468
Hold on.

285
00:13:20,468 --> 00:13:22,428
Perfect.
I do bring that better

286
00:13:22,428 --> 00:13:25,264
in experience, so
to just continue

287
00:13:25,264 --> 00:13:27,683
to push myself,
push everyone else,

288
00:13:27,683 --> 00:13:30,269
just be a voice,
lead by example,

289
00:13:30,269 --> 00:13:33,689
and just be whatever it is
that the team needs me to be.

290
00:13:40,196 --> 00:13:41,447
I know I'm happy.

291
00:13:41,447 --> 00:13:44,116
For the first time
in franchise history,

292
00:13:44,116 --> 00:13:46,077
we had the number
one draft pick.

293
00:13:46,077 --> 00:13:50,206
Everyone knew who the,
supposed, number one pick

294
00:13:50,206 --> 00:13:51,540
was going to be.

295
00:13:52,666 --> 00:13:54,627
Oh, you got her in it.

296
00:13:54,627 --> 00:13:57,630
Sabrina Ionescu, she
was so anticipated.

297
00:13:59,006 --> 00:13:59,965
Number
one play of the week,

298
00:13:59,965 --> 00:14:02,718
who else, Sabrina Ionescu.

299
00:14:02,718 --> 00:14:05,387
Ionescu
with four, step-back three.

300
00:14:05,387 --> 00:14:06,847
Swishes the throw!

301
00:14:06,847 --> 00:14:09,558
Sabrina Ionescu, NCAA

302
00:14:09,558 --> 00:14:12,103
all-time leader
in points, assist

303
00:14:12,103 --> 00:14:13,896
and three-point field goals.

304
00:14:15,272 --> 00:14:16,565
26
triple-doubles' the record

305
00:14:16,565 --> 00:14:19,985
for female or male
in NCAA history.

306
00:14:19,985 --> 00:14:24,240
The New York Liberty
select Sabrina Ionescu.

307
00:14:26,158 --> 00:14:27,660
You played for
the New York Liberty.

308
00:14:27,660 --> 00:14:29,161
You're playing in New York City,

309
00:14:29,161 --> 00:14:31,372
do you feel a lotta
pressure coming to New York,

310
00:14:31,372 --> 00:14:32,832
especially being
a number one pick?

311
00:14:32,832 --> 00:14:35,960
I get asked it in absolutely
every single interview.

312
00:14:36,710 --> 00:14:38,671
The more people are talking
about how we're playing

313
00:14:38,671 --> 00:14:42,424
in games, it's just bringing
awareness to our sport.

314
00:14:42,424 --> 00:14:45,136
Last year, in her second
game ever as a WNBA player,

315
00:14:45,136 --> 00:14:46,971
she kinda flipped a switch.

316
00:14:46,971 --> 00:14:49,431
And I think she had 33 points,

317
00:14:49,431 --> 00:14:51,183
seven rebounds, seven assists.

318
00:14:52,351 --> 00:14:53,853
Whoa, she just
took over the game.

319
00:14:53,853 --> 00:14:55,437
Wan back in it.

320
00:14:57,356 --> 00:14:59,066
And she got
hurt in the very next game.

321
00:14:59,066 --> 00:15:00,985
Ionescu has gone down.

322
00:15:00,985 --> 00:15:02,736
I think it was
Betnijah that hurt her.

323
00:15:02,736 --> 00:15:04,029
Sabrina
Ionescu suffered

324
00:15:04,029 --> 00:15:06,782
a brutal-looking ankle injury.

325
00:15:06,782 --> 00:15:10,703
LeBron James tweeted, "Get
healthy as soon as possible."

326
00:15:13,789 --> 00:15:16,959
A lot of people talk
about, "Oh, she's struggling,

327
00:15:16,959 --> 00:15:18,794
she's not living up
to the expectation.",

328
00:15:18,794 --> 00:15:21,213
or, "She's a bust."

329
00:15:21,213 --> 00:15:23,632
No one really talks about
what athletes actually

330
00:15:23,632 --> 00:15:26,302
have to go through
coming back from injury

331
00:15:26,302 --> 00:15:28,345
and playing in the best
league in the world.

332
00:15:28,345 --> 00:15:29,847
Oh, big shot!

333
00:15:29,847 --> 00:15:31,098
That's all I needed,

334
00:15:31,098 --> 00:15:33,893
I need the garbage
push down.

335
00:15:35,978 --> 00:15:38,272
It's really exciting
to be a part of a team

336
00:15:38,272 --> 00:15:41,066
that's really gonna change
New York basketball.

337
00:15:42,484 --> 00:15:45,446
Once the Liberty made the
selection of Sabrina Ionescu,

338
00:15:45,446 --> 00:15:48,073
it was clear this was
a franchise building

339
00:15:48,073 --> 00:15:49,992
around Sabrina, and rightly so.

340
00:15:49,992 --> 00:15:52,828
But the question comes
as you head into 2021,

341
00:15:52,828 --> 00:15:56,540
who is the right player to
pick to build around her?

342
00:15:56,540 --> 00:16:00,502
Scene Michaela
Onyenwere, take one, mark.

343
00:16:03,047 --> 00:16:04,340
That was pretty good.

344
00:16:04,340 --> 00:16:05,591
You hear her say the
last name?

345
00:16:05,591 --> 00:16:08,177
This is how you say my
last name; Onyenwere.

346
00:16:09,011 --> 00:16:10,429
These people were at
me with stuff like,

347
00:16:10,429 --> 00:16:11,931
"They said your name
wrong the whole time."

348
00:16:11,931 --> 00:16:15,601
And I'm like, it's okay,
it happens.

349
00:16:19,313 --> 00:16:20,522
I am Nigerian.

350
00:16:22,107 --> 00:16:25,194
My dad was an athlete, he
competed in the Olympics.

351
00:16:26,362 --> 00:16:27,404
Education was really
important in my house,

352
00:16:27,404 --> 00:16:28,614
but it was also like,

353
00:16:28,614 --> 00:16:30,783
"We understand you have
this other passion."

354
00:16:30,783 --> 00:16:34,703
With the six pick,
in the 2021 WNBA draft,

355
00:16:34,703 --> 00:16:39,708
the New York Liberty select
Michaela Onyenwere from UCLA.

356
00:16:43,128 --> 00:16:44,797
There was a moment with
my grandma, she went viral.

357
00:16:44,797 --> 00:16:46,048
So that was cool too.

358
00:16:46,048 --> 00:16:49,051
Hi grandma.
Grandma's got it.

359
00:16:49,051 --> 00:16:50,302
Go grandma.

360
00:16:50,302 --> 00:16:52,263
Everybody loves her,
and everybody's always asking,

361
00:16:52,263 --> 00:16:53,806
"How's your grandma,
where's grandma?"

362
00:16:53,806 --> 00:16:55,224
I love that fire of hers.

363
00:16:55,224 --> 00:16:57,810
She' just been somebody
who's supported me.

364
00:16:57,810 --> 00:16:59,895
I'm just grateful
that she's my grandma.

365
00:16:59,895 --> 00:17:02,815
She everybody grandma
at this point.

366
00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,945
I got drafted, and then three
days later I was in New York.

367
00:17:11,407 --> 00:17:13,367
I remember I was so nervous.

368
00:17:13,367 --> 00:17:16,495
We play in Barclays,
where the NBA guys play.

369
00:17:19,665 --> 00:17:22,334
The
25th season of the WNBA,

370
00:17:22,334 --> 00:17:25,421
and one of its cornerstone
franchises begins tonight

371
00:17:25,421 --> 00:17:27,756
in Brooklyn at Barclays Center.

372
00:17:27,756 --> 00:17:30,676
It's the Liberty, in
their season opener

373
00:17:30,676 --> 00:17:33,304
against the Indiana Fever.

374
00:17:33,304 --> 00:17:35,347
Ladies
and gentlemen,

375
00:17:35,347 --> 00:17:41,061
please welcome the
New York Liberty!

376
00:17:43,355 --> 00:17:44,940
It's
palpable the excitement

377
00:17:44,940 --> 00:17:46,108
here in the arena, Jules.

378
00:17:46,108 --> 00:17:48,193
Not only for the start
of the 25th season

379
00:17:48,193 --> 00:17:51,905
of the W, but also the
future of this franchise.

380
00:17:51,905 --> 00:17:53,866
New York!

381
00:17:53,866 --> 00:17:55,993
But I didn't really think
I was gonna be starting,

382
00:17:55,993 --> 00:17:58,370
and so that was crazy for me.

383
00:17:58,370 --> 00:18:01,623
And
now, let's play ball

384
00:18:02,624 --> 00:18:04,793
♪ Bam, I'm coning in fast ♪

385
00:18:04,793 --> 00:18:06,045
♪ First place, you're
coming in last ♪

386
00:18:06,045 --> 00:18:07,463
Inside,
tries to get it inside

387
00:18:07,463 --> 00:18:09,381
to Michaela, but it's broken up.

388
00:18:09,381 --> 00:18:11,467
Game one, we
just need to be in this game,

389
00:18:11,467 --> 00:18:13,093
we need to be battling,
we need to be competing.

390
00:18:13,093 --> 00:18:14,970
♪ First place, you're
coming in last ♪

391
00:18:14,970 --> 00:18:17,348
♪ I'm hittin' that,
hittin' that gas ♪

392
00:18:17,348 --> 00:18:19,475
Sami, throw me the ball.

393
00:18:21,101 --> 00:18:23,103
This is the first
offensive possession.

394
00:18:23,103 --> 00:18:24,897
Michaela Onyenwere pulls

395
00:18:24,897 --> 00:18:26,690
from three and connects.

396
00:18:29,735 --> 00:18:32,946
And it went in, and I
was like, okay.

397
00:18:32,946 --> 00:18:35,032
♪ We causing a commotion ♪

398
00:18:35,032 --> 00:18:37,743
♪ Iciest bitch in the
whole damm land ♪

399
00:18:37,743 --> 00:18:38,660
Oh,
great look inside

400
00:18:38,660 --> 00:18:41,538
to Onyenwere, from Whitcomb.

401
00:18:41,538 --> 00:18:43,624
♪ You don't like me,
but you on my 'Gram ♪

402
00:18:43,624 --> 00:18:44,083
♪ How you look? How you look? ♪

403
00:18:44,083 --> 00:18:46,251
We started off really strong.

404
00:18:46,251 --> 00:18:48,837
Nijah
Laney, from downtown.

405
00:18:48,837 --> 00:18:49,755
Hey, Laney!

406
00:18:50,923 --> 00:18:52,424
The game
was back and forth.

407
00:18:52,424 --> 00:18:54,259
It was actually a
really good first game.

408
00:18:54,259 --> 00:18:56,595
That's going to
Laney, she's goes baseline

409
00:18:56,595 --> 00:18:58,764
three lane and lays it in.

410
00:18:58,764 --> 00:19:00,182
♪ I'm hittin' that,
hittin' that ass ♪

411
00:19:00,182 --> 00:19:02,684
♪ I'm fine, I'm coming in fast ♪

412
00:19:02,684 --> 00:19:04,853
♪ First place, coming in last ♪

413
00:19:04,853 --> 00:19:06,021
♪ I'm hittin' that,
hittin' that gas ♪

414
00:19:06,021 --> 00:19:08,774
They made
big play after big play.

415
00:19:08,774 --> 00:19:11,026
Ionescu
connects on her first game

416
00:19:11,026 --> 00:19:12,236
of the season.

417
00:19:12,236 --> 00:19:13,696
She's back from
her ankle injury.

418
00:19:13,696 --> 00:19:14,863
She is back.

419
00:19:14,863 --> 00:19:15,948
And a lotta
people didn't think

420
00:19:15,948 --> 00:19:17,616
that we'd be able to do that.

421
00:19:17,616 --> 00:19:19,701
They thought that we
looked the same way

422
00:19:19,701 --> 00:19:21,954
that we did last year,
with the two wins.

423
00:19:21,954 --> 00:19:24,289
As
Betnijah Laney connects.

424
00:19:24,289 --> 00:19:26,875
We're not the same team,
we're not the same group.

425
00:19:28,335 --> 00:19:30,879
We're going back and forth and
we're taking their best hit

426
00:19:30,879 --> 00:19:33,006
and we're coming back and
we're giving them our best.

427
00:19:33,006 --> 00:19:35,467
Nice hook
inside by Windy to Shook.

428
00:19:35,467 --> 00:19:37,803
The Liberty seesaw
back in front by two.

429
00:19:38,137 --> 00:19:41,723
♪ Locomotion
We causing a commotion ♪

430
00:19:48,897 --> 00:19:51,942
21 Points, 11
assists for Sabrina right now.

431
00:19:55,737 --> 00:19:58,490
And I remember looking
up and it being tied,

432
00:19:58,490 --> 00:20:03,495
and I'm like, I do not feel
like going into overtime.

433
00:20:04,246 --> 00:20:06,665
87-87.

434
00:20:06,665 --> 00:20:09,585
Who will blink first,
Jaz Jones to Robinson.

435
00:20:09,585 --> 00:20:10,836
Kelsey Mitchell.

436
00:20:10,836 --> 00:20:13,881
It's a wide, it's
a walk on Mitchell.

437
00:20:13,881 --> 00:20:16,508
The liberty will have a
chance to win this game.

438
00:20:20,596 --> 00:20:22,431
Dustin was drawing
up a play and was like,

439
00:20:22,431 --> 00:20:23,515
"Do you wanna shoot?",
and I was like,

440
00:20:23,515 --> 00:20:24,975
yeah, I wanna shoot it.

441
00:20:29,354 --> 00:20:30,814
Ball
inbound to Kylee Shook.

442
00:20:30,814 --> 00:20:32,065
Four seconds left.

443
00:20:32,065 --> 00:20:34,026
Ionescu, a long
three for the win,

444
00:20:34,026 --> 00:20:35,777
and she gets it!

445
00:20:35,777 --> 00:20:38,614
Sabrina Ionescu at the buzzer.

446
00:20:40,616 --> 00:20:42,284
With four seconds left.

447
00:20:44,286 --> 00:20:47,289
Sabrina Ionescu from downtown,

448
00:20:47,289 --> 00:20:50,793
and the Liberty have
a three-point lead.

449
00:20:50,793 --> 00:20:52,503
My goodness.

450
00:20:54,463 --> 00:20:57,382
She came up
and I just threw it.

451
00:20:57,382 --> 00:21:01,220
I was like, oh my God.

452
00:21:01,220 --> 00:21:03,222
I'm literally on
the bench like this.

453
00:21:06,308 --> 00:21:08,101
So when it went in like
literally out.

454
00:21:08,101 --> 00:21:09,811
We all went to run
out on the court

455
00:21:09,811 --> 00:21:11,563
but there was still time left.

456
00:21:11,563 --> 00:21:13,315
you have
to run back to defense,

457
00:21:13,315 --> 00:21:15,400
I was cheering but
I was running back.

458
00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,111
We are so good.

459
00:21:18,111 --> 00:21:20,155
Tiffany
Mitchell for three for the tie.

460
00:21:20,155 --> 00:21:20,989
No good.

461
00:21:22,241 --> 00:21:23,367
We couldn't have
scripted that better,

462
00:21:23,367 --> 00:21:24,743
that was perfect.

463
00:21:24,743 --> 00:21:26,245
It's an epic way
to start a season,

464
00:21:26,245 --> 00:21:28,914
to set the tone for
what we're trying to do.

465
00:21:28,914 --> 00:21:30,582
It worked out perfectly.

466
00:21:30,582 --> 00:21:33,418
That won us the game, and
won me our first WNBA game.

467
00:21:33,418 --> 00:21:35,546
What's
going through your mind

468
00:21:35,546 --> 00:21:37,673
when you take that
last shot there?

469
00:21:37,673 --> 00:21:38,507
I wanted it.

470
00:21:39,967 --> 00:21:41,927
I haven't played in a while,
I wanted it for this team,

471
00:21:41,927 --> 00:21:43,178
we grinded out a huge win here.

472
00:21:43,178 --> 00:21:44,805
And just so happy to have fans,

473
00:21:44,805 --> 00:21:46,098
family here in attendance.

474
00:21:46,098 --> 00:21:48,308
And it's just the
beginning for us.

475
00:21:58,610 --> 00:22:00,279
Let's go, Liberty!

476
00:22:01,530 --> 00:22:02,948
Bang, bang, bang, bang.

477
00:22:04,533 --> 00:22:05,951
That
was a great game.

478
00:22:05,951 --> 00:22:09,454
I'm the grandma that
danced on the ESPN.

479
00:22:13,709 --> 00:22:15,460
We're an original team.

480
00:22:15,460 --> 00:22:17,546
If you look at our
roster, a good majority

481
00:22:17,546 --> 00:22:19,673
of our players weren't even born

482
00:22:19,673 --> 00:22:23,176
when the WNBA was
incepted in 1997.

483
00:22:23,176 --> 00:22:26,805
I was born in 1997, I
think, did it start in 19...

484
00:22:26,805 --> 00:22:27,723
I don't know.

485
00:22:27,723 --> 00:22:29,224
Either, I wasn't born yet,

486
00:22:29,224 --> 00:22:32,144
or it was the exact year
that I was born.

487
00:22:32,144 --> 00:22:33,895
I was not aware of the WNBA

488
00:22:33,895 --> 00:22:35,397
when I first started
playing basketball.

489
00:22:35,397 --> 00:22:38,317
And then when I did
start playing basketball,

490
00:22:38,317 --> 00:22:41,153
when I actually tried to
take it a little seriously,

491
00:22:41,153 --> 00:22:43,822
or you start going to
camp, then it's like,

492
00:22:43,822 --> 00:22:45,657
"This is a professional
woman's basketball player."

493
00:22:45,657 --> 00:22:47,576
And I'm like, oh,
they have those.

494
00:22:47,576 --> 00:22:49,494
Good, so I can do this.

495
00:22:52,331 --> 00:22:55,417
The WNBA debuted
in New York City today,

496
00:22:55,417 --> 00:22:58,920
and it was a box office smash.

497
00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:03,842
A record
breaking crowd of 17,780,

498
00:23:03,842 --> 00:23:07,846
the largest to ever witness
a women's professional game.

499
00:23:07,846 --> 00:23:09,765
I love it. I love it.

500
00:23:09,765 --> 00:23:11,933
They were gonna
mask half the seats,

501
00:23:11,933 --> 00:23:14,770
but they're gonna sell
it out, they said.

502
00:23:14,770 --> 00:23:15,937
You go big!

503
00:23:15,937 --> 00:23:17,522
Everybody gonna be what?

504
00:23:17,522 --> 00:23:18,607
All right!

505
00:23:18,607 --> 00:23:20,108
Come on, baby!

506
00:23:20,108 --> 00:23:23,528
The first game at
MSG was incredible.

507
00:23:25,572 --> 00:23:28,367
Now we walking
into our own arena.

508
00:23:28,367 --> 00:23:31,495
Now we walking into our place,
our home, where we play,

509
00:23:31,495 --> 00:23:32,746
MSG.

510
00:23:35,207 --> 00:23:37,959
This is where everyone
wants to play, the mecca.

511
00:23:37,959 --> 00:23:40,295
Game, halftime.

512
00:23:41,213 --> 00:23:43,632
I mean, we were instant rock
stars.

513
00:23:43,632 --> 00:23:45,050
That's it, baby.

514
00:23:45,050 --> 00:23:46,510
Give it everything you have,
leave it all right here.

515
00:23:46,510 --> 00:23:47,719
All right here, this time.

516
00:23:47,719 --> 00:23:48,970
On three.

517
00:23:48,970 --> 00:23:51,014
Liberty, 1, 2, 3.
Liberty!

518
00:23:51,014 --> 00:23:53,433
Weatherspoon to Lobo!

519
00:23:53,433 --> 00:23:55,602
And Lobo with the left hand.

520
00:23:55,602 --> 00:23:58,397
And a great pass by
Teresa Weatherspoon.

521
00:23:58,397 --> 00:24:00,232
My strongest
memory of that game

522
00:24:00,232 --> 00:24:02,984
was how loud it was.

523
00:24:02,984 --> 00:24:04,319
And
the crowd on its feet.

524
00:24:04,319 --> 00:24:05,570
It's a give and go.

525
00:24:05,570 --> 00:24:07,989
From hip through to Lobo.

526
00:24:07,989 --> 00:24:10,992
It was so loud we could
not hear each other,

527
00:24:10,992 --> 00:24:13,078
we could not hear our
names being announced.

528
00:24:13,078 --> 00:24:15,372
Teresa
Weatherspoon drives.

529
00:24:15,372 --> 00:24:18,333
Is she a crowd
favorite here or what?

530
00:24:18,333 --> 00:24:20,252
This is about us.

531
00:24:20,252 --> 00:24:23,046
These people are
out here about us.

532
00:24:23,046 --> 00:24:25,632
You guys, this is us.

533
00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:30,303
All these fans, from
50 and 60-years-olds

534
00:24:30,303 --> 00:24:33,432
down to little kids, screaming
at the top of their lungs.

535
00:24:33,432 --> 00:24:36,351
I love you, Lobo! Win us gold!

536
00:24:36,351 --> 00:24:39,604
We had this pent
inside for the last 40 years,

537
00:24:39,604 --> 00:24:41,523
and then finally getting
a chance to let it out

538
00:24:41,523 --> 00:24:44,776
and cheer for professional
women playing basketball.

539
00:24:45,861 --> 00:24:48,530
It was the first
time I felt that people

540
00:24:48,530 --> 00:24:52,701
actually saw me for who
I was, as an athlete.

541
00:24:52,701 --> 00:24:55,454
For the first time
they could actually see

542
00:24:55,454 --> 00:24:56,621
what it is that I do.

543
00:24:57,873 --> 00:24:59,958
That was the greatest
crowd that I've played

544
00:24:59,958 --> 00:25:01,960
before in my whole life.

545
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:02,753
So
you'll remember this

546
00:25:02,753 --> 00:25:03,503
one for a long time?

547
00:25:03,503 --> 00:25:05,297
I'll remember this forever.

548
00:25:05,297 --> 00:25:06,715
I'll cherish this
moment forever.

549
00:25:06,715 --> 00:25:08,508
And they're
loving it in the Garden.

550
00:25:13,221 --> 00:25:15,140
When I first heard
about the WNBA,

551
00:25:15,140 --> 00:25:17,267
it was one of those things where

552
00:25:17,267 --> 00:25:18,894
if you're thinking
about going to college

553
00:25:18,894 --> 00:25:22,147
and possibly going overseas,
or what kinda career you were

554
00:25:22,147 --> 00:25:24,441
gonna have after college.

555
00:25:24,441 --> 00:25:27,486
And then it just switched,
whenever the WNBA

556
00:25:27,486 --> 00:25:29,070
was gonna be there, because
now you have something

557
00:25:29,070 --> 00:25:30,071
to aspire to.

558
00:25:31,448 --> 00:25:33,742
I wanted to get there.

559
00:25:33,742 --> 00:25:36,995
Those teams with
Spoon and Child,

560
00:25:36,995 --> 00:25:38,580
they had the Garden rocking

561
00:25:38,580 --> 00:25:41,166
in how engaged they
were with the fans.

562
00:25:41,166 --> 00:25:42,751
Teresa, you're so fab, oh
my God, I love you.

563
00:25:42,751 --> 00:25:45,170
It was just so dope back then.

564
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,425
And
the school is out.

565
00:25:50,425 --> 00:25:52,260
Tyra
Banks would be there.

566
00:25:52,260 --> 00:25:53,345
Go, Liberty!

567
00:25:53,345 --> 00:25:54,763
Gregory
Hines would be there.

568
00:25:54,763 --> 00:25:55,764
The Baldwin brothers.

569
00:25:55,764 --> 00:25:58,266
It was just an unbelievable
celebrity role.

570
00:25:59,768 --> 00:26:02,479
Spike Lee used
to come for a lotta games.

571
00:26:02,479 --> 00:26:03,313
Joan Jett.

572
00:26:04,439 --> 00:26:07,359
Joan Jett is my baby,
she was the league.

573
00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:08,193
♪ Love is all around ♪

574
00:26:08,193 --> 00:26:09,361
♪ No need to fake it ♪

575
00:26:09,361 --> 00:26:11,696
I was a very loud,
passionate fan.

576
00:26:13,114 --> 00:26:16,868
But I wasn't yelling fuck
off, I just yelling, miss it.

577
00:26:18,954 --> 00:26:21,206
Every game she came
to she had a voodoo doll

578
00:26:21,206 --> 00:26:23,124
with the other
team Jersey on it,

579
00:26:23,124 --> 00:26:26,002
and she sat right courtside.

580
00:26:26,002 --> 00:26:28,380
I had been given
a voodoo doll.

581
00:26:28,380 --> 00:26:29,673
That's serious shit.

582
00:26:29,673 --> 00:26:31,466
She doesn't stop
pokin' that thing.

583
00:26:31,466 --> 00:26:32,467
♪ Love is all around ♪

584
00:26:32,467 --> 00:26:34,010
♪ No need to fake it ♪

585
00:26:34,010 --> 00:26:34,970
♪ You can have the town ♪

586
00:26:34,970 --> 00:26:36,555
♪ Why don't you take it ♪

587
00:26:36,555 --> 00:26:40,475
♪ You're gonna make it
after all ♪

588
00:26:40,475 --> 00:26:41,643
♪ You're gonna make it
after all ♪

589
00:26:41,643 --> 00:26:43,478
I couldn't ask
for a better job,

590
00:26:43,478 --> 00:26:45,564
I get to play a
game for a living

591
00:26:45,564 --> 00:26:48,608
and I get to meet people
like you everyday.

592
00:26:48,608 --> 00:26:51,069
We had crazy fans,
some of the Lib fans,

593
00:26:51,069 --> 00:26:54,573
they got Lib tattoos, they
got numbers tattooed on 'em.

594
00:26:59,828 --> 00:27:03,331
It was almost like a dream
state, is this for real?

595
00:27:03,331 --> 00:27:05,000
And it was real.

596
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,420
♪ You're gonna make
it after all ♪

597
00:27:08,420 --> 00:27:11,840
♪ You're gonna make
it after all ♪

598
00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:13,008
♪ Ow ♪

599
00:27:16,428 --> 00:27:18,430
To come to Madison
Square Garden,

600
00:27:18,430 --> 00:27:21,099
and the number of
fans who had come up,

601
00:27:21,099 --> 00:27:23,184
women who may have been
in their 50s or 60s,

602
00:27:23,184 --> 00:27:26,104
and they would often grab your
hand or grab you by the arm

603
00:27:26,104 --> 00:27:29,357
and just say, "I've been
waiting for this moment,

604
00:27:29,357 --> 00:27:32,569
my whole life, I am so happy
to be here to support you.

605
00:27:32,569 --> 00:27:34,112
You women have an opportunity

606
00:27:34,112 --> 00:27:36,531
that I wish I had when
I was a young girl."

607
00:27:37,949 --> 00:27:40,076
So many of these women,
of a different generation,

608
00:27:40,076 --> 00:27:42,537
in some ways were
living their dreams

609
00:27:42,537 --> 00:27:44,873
through the opportunities
that we were given,

610
00:27:44,873 --> 00:27:47,959
and it was really, really
powerful.

611
00:27:47,959 --> 00:27:49,794
It was a cross section,

612
00:27:49,794 --> 00:27:51,630
there was a lot of
dads and daughters

613
00:27:51,630 --> 00:27:53,548
and there was a lotta LGBT.

614
00:27:54,716 --> 00:27:56,718
When you go somewhere
and you're accepted

615
00:27:56,718 --> 00:28:00,889
and you're loved and you don't
have to always worry about

616
00:28:00,889 --> 00:28:02,390
are they gonna like
me for who I am,

617
00:28:02,390 --> 00:28:05,310
are they gonna talk about
me, you feel accepted.

618
00:28:05,310 --> 00:28:06,645
And we're all in this league

619
00:28:06,645 --> 00:28:09,314
because we found
acceptance in a place.

620
00:28:13,068 --> 00:28:15,487
Lesbian women, feminist women,

621
00:28:16,321 --> 00:28:18,990
frustrated old sports women,

622
00:28:18,990 --> 00:28:23,078
Liberty fans, just being
themselves at the games,

623
00:28:23,078 --> 00:28:27,082
and they loved us, supported
us, bought the tickets,

624
00:28:27,082 --> 00:28:30,919
bought the jerseys and talked
about Liberty basketball

625
00:28:30,919 --> 00:28:33,004
as if it was their
firstborn child.

626
00:28:35,924 --> 00:28:38,009
And the thanks they
got was the camera

627
00:28:38,009 --> 00:28:39,970
would quickly pan away from them

628
00:28:39,970 --> 00:28:44,015
that they would never
show this is our fan.

629
00:28:45,433 --> 00:28:49,187
The way that they looked, cut
their hair, lack of makeup.

630
00:28:49,187 --> 00:28:52,857
The camera was like, "Ooh,
that's not what we wanna see."

631
00:28:52,857 --> 00:28:54,359
There were a number of
teams at the beginning

632
00:28:54,359 --> 00:28:56,236
who were concerned that they had

633
00:28:56,236 --> 00:28:59,072
so many gay fans coming
in to watch games.

634
00:28:59,072 --> 00:29:02,951
There was a fear that it was
gonna drive off the families,

635
00:29:02,951 --> 00:29:06,287
and that was what they were
banking on going forward,

636
00:29:06,287 --> 00:29:10,041
was that families were gonna
come watch these games.

637
00:29:10,041 --> 00:29:11,292
And families meant?

638
00:29:11,292 --> 00:29:13,044
The heteronormative families,

639
00:29:13,044 --> 00:29:15,797
as opposed to just families.

640
00:29:15,797 --> 00:29:18,883
If your aim, from the
start, if your input is

641
00:29:18,883 --> 00:29:21,886
to pursue the NBA kind of fan,

642
00:29:21,886 --> 00:29:25,223
and to be thinking in
terms of the male gays,

643
00:29:25,223 --> 00:29:28,393
the outcomes are exactly
what you would expect

644
00:29:28,393 --> 00:29:31,479
in terms of style, in terms
of who is pushed to the front.

645
00:29:31,479 --> 00:29:34,315
Welcome to the
ball, Cinderella.

646
00:29:34,315 --> 00:29:37,152
The league didn't know
how to market these women.

647
00:29:37,152 --> 00:29:39,404
The league is
predominantly black women,

648
00:29:39,404 --> 00:29:41,948
and then looking at gay people.

649
00:29:44,075 --> 00:29:45,827
They didn't know how to market

650
00:29:45,827 --> 00:29:48,830
these players,
authentically, as they are.

651
00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:51,583
Let's sell this
to Middle America.

652
00:29:51,583 --> 00:29:54,169
What's palatable,
what's acceptable,

653
00:29:54,169 --> 00:29:57,422
and that, historically,
has been putting on

654
00:29:57,422 --> 00:30:02,427
the lipstick and the dress,
putting forth our most feminine,

655
00:30:02,927 --> 00:30:08,141
our most, "family value"
players.

656
00:30:11,269 --> 00:30:13,521
The
bravest person I know,

657
00:30:13,521 --> 00:30:16,232
during that time, is Sue Wicks.

658
00:30:17,776 --> 00:30:19,736
No reporter, no beat reporter

659
00:30:19,736 --> 00:30:22,530
has ever asked me
if I am a lesbian.

660
00:30:22,530 --> 00:30:23,907
The question has never come up.

661
00:30:23,907 --> 00:30:26,868
So I'm doing an
interview and he's like,

662
00:30:28,369 --> 00:30:31,122
"My editors is really pushing
me to ask this question,

663
00:30:31,122 --> 00:30:33,041
I'm so sorry.

664
00:30:33,041 --> 00:30:34,709
Are you a lesbian?"

665
00:30:34,709 --> 00:30:36,711
And I was like, yes.

666
00:30:38,338 --> 00:30:41,091
She said it. This is who I am.

667
00:30:42,217 --> 00:30:45,887
You love me, or you
don't, no in between.

668
00:30:46,721 --> 00:30:48,389
There was a
backlash from that.

669
00:30:48,389 --> 00:30:51,643
And being so used
to people loving you

670
00:30:51,643 --> 00:30:55,814
and being so proud of you,
to they don't talk to you

671
00:30:55,814 --> 00:31:00,318
or walk away, it
was sad, very sad.

672
00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:06,074
It was a tightly
structured script

673
00:31:06,074 --> 00:31:09,911
that those women had to walk
that first couple of years.

674
00:31:11,538 --> 00:31:12,413
It changed.

675
00:31:13,665 --> 00:31:17,252
The first pick in
the 2013 WNBA draft,

676
00:31:17,252 --> 00:31:19,838
the Phoenix Mercury
select Brittney Griner.

677
00:31:21,047 --> 00:31:22,841
When Britney Griner
came into the league,

678
00:31:22,841 --> 00:31:26,094
her very existence, at 6'9",

679
00:31:26,094 --> 00:31:28,346
she came out during
her draft week,

680
00:31:28,346 --> 00:31:30,014
before she'd even
signed her contract,

681
00:31:30,014 --> 00:31:31,683
and that was considered huge.

682
00:31:31,683 --> 00:31:33,601
Because, in the past,
people would be afraid

683
00:31:33,601 --> 00:31:35,770
that, "Oh, I'm gonna
ruin my chance."

684
00:31:35,770 --> 00:31:38,773
With sports I have a
lot of media attention

685
00:31:38,773 --> 00:31:41,776
and a lot of spotlight on me,

686
00:31:41,776 --> 00:31:43,778
and I'm able to use
that for something

687
00:31:43,778 --> 00:31:46,364
that's close to my heart,
that's close to me.

688
00:31:47,448 --> 00:31:49,617
Just recently, I came
out to the public,

689
00:31:49,617 --> 00:31:51,536
I've been out since
about the 9th grade.

690
00:31:51,536 --> 00:31:52,954
Came out to my mom first.

691
00:31:54,289 --> 00:31:57,458
When she came out,
my father called me

692
00:31:57,458 --> 00:32:00,378
'cause basketball's our
thing and he loves her.

693
00:32:00,378 --> 00:32:05,884
And he said, "She didn't ask
to be born how she's born,

694
00:32:06,176 --> 00:32:07,677
she was just born."

695
00:32:07,677 --> 00:32:10,805
And, in my mind, I was
like, if he can love her,

696
00:32:10,805 --> 00:32:13,308
maybe he can love his
actual daughter, you know?

697
00:32:13,308 --> 00:32:15,560
And so, tattooed on
my arm is the date

698
00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:17,145
that I came out to my family.

699
00:32:18,646 --> 00:32:21,149
That's beautiful, they're
able to just be who they are.

700
00:32:21,149 --> 00:32:23,318
Be who you are, that's that's
all you know how to do,

701
00:32:23,318 --> 00:32:24,944
is to just be who you are.

702
00:32:24,944 --> 00:32:27,572
And so it took a little
bit of time to get there

703
00:32:27,572 --> 00:32:29,157
It took time for the league to,

704
00:32:29,157 --> 00:32:31,910
instead of being afraid
of what that might mean

705
00:32:31,910 --> 00:32:34,704
for marketing or
for ticket sales,

706
00:32:34,704 --> 00:32:36,581
to embrace that community.

707
00:32:36,581 --> 00:32:39,375
But I think the WNBA
got there a lot sooner

708
00:32:39,375 --> 00:32:40,919
than a lot of other people did.

709
00:32:46,841 --> 00:32:48,134
Hey, Jordan.

710
00:32:50,428 --> 00:32:53,765
Oh my God, you have
gotta look at this onesie.

711
00:32:53,765 --> 00:32:56,017
Baby Jordan.

712
00:32:56,017 --> 00:32:58,937
Kate, my wife, and I,
decided to want to have a baby.

713
00:32:58,937 --> 00:33:02,440
Hey, Nashie. Hey, baba.

714
00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:03,942
Everyone's been really
great, honestly,

715
00:33:03,942 --> 00:33:06,361
and I think part of that is
I have a really cute baby,

716
00:33:06,361 --> 00:33:08,780
so that's the
icebreaker, you know?

717
00:33:10,198 --> 00:33:12,617
Nothing else, we just talk
about Nash and I just show Nash.

718
00:33:13,952 --> 00:33:16,246
Oh yes. Oh, don't be shy.

719
00:33:17,747 --> 00:33:20,375
Let's go get our
little Liberty onesie on.

720
00:33:20,375 --> 00:33:23,336
Being a mom, it gives you
new perspective on life,

721
00:33:23,336 --> 00:33:25,838
on everything,
why you do things.

722
00:33:27,298 --> 00:33:30,051
Nash is my why, in terms of I
wanna be a role model for him,

723
00:33:30,051 --> 00:33:32,220
I want to be someone
that he can look up to,

724
00:33:32,220 --> 00:33:34,806
someone that he can
draw inspiration from.

725
00:33:34,806 --> 00:33:36,891
Let him play with
his little DJ deck.

726
00:33:36,891 --> 00:33:38,393
There you go. All right.

727
00:33:40,144 --> 00:33:42,272
Liberty fans, please
bring your attention

728
00:33:42,272 --> 00:33:43,815
to the end wall video boards,

729
00:33:43,815 --> 00:33:46,067
to wish the following
fans a happy birthday.

730
00:33:47,402 --> 00:33:50,571
I've never been the most
talented at anything,

731
00:33:50,571 --> 00:33:52,573
but I've always sought
to be the hardest worker

732
00:33:52,573 --> 00:33:53,866
in the room, though,
because I think

733
00:33:53,866 --> 00:33:55,660
that a team always
needs that person,

734
00:33:55,660 --> 00:33:57,078
there's always a
spot for someone

735
00:33:57,078 --> 00:33:58,913
that's willing to
outwork someone,

736
00:33:58,913 --> 00:34:00,748
put in the work,
put in the time.

737
00:34:00,748 --> 00:34:01,916
Whitcomb saves it.

738
00:34:01,916 --> 00:34:03,209
I don't
think I'm good enough,

739
00:34:03,209 --> 00:34:04,502
I've never thought
I was good enough,

740
00:34:04,502 --> 00:34:05,753
so I'm always trying
to prove that I am.

741
00:34:05,753 --> 00:34:07,839
Eyes
up, finds Whitcomb.

742
00:34:07,839 --> 00:34:09,966
You bet! Down on three.

743
00:34:09,966 --> 00:34:12,135
And part of that
means, show up every day

744
00:34:12,135 --> 00:34:14,429
and you work harder
than everybody else.

745
00:34:22,312 --> 00:34:24,605
You guys see the
blue in my hair?

746
00:34:24,605 --> 00:34:25,815
Y'all see that?

747
00:34:25,815 --> 00:34:27,275
Ooh, they weren't
ready for that.

748
00:34:28,568 --> 00:34:30,862
This is the part none of
them understand, though.

749
00:34:30,862 --> 00:34:34,198
Why do you have to do
your face for a game?

750
00:34:34,198 --> 00:34:35,074
Don't question me.

751
00:34:38,286 --> 00:34:40,538
This is the biggest
decision, you guys,

752
00:34:40,538 --> 00:34:43,041
This one's are
longer and thicker.

753
00:34:43,041 --> 00:34:46,836
These, I feel like are
too thin at the end.

754
00:34:46,836 --> 00:34:48,796
It's okay, we're
gonna just pick these.

755
00:34:50,506 --> 00:34:52,300
Go big or go home.

756
00:34:52,300 --> 00:34:53,968
This makes me laugh,

757
00:34:53,968 --> 00:34:55,845
'cause this is not
something you think

758
00:34:55,845 --> 00:34:58,431
you would see getting
ready for a game.

759
00:34:59,724 --> 00:35:00,892
I'm gonna start wearing
my lashes like this,

760
00:35:00,892 --> 00:35:03,311
just one on one eye.

761
00:35:03,311 --> 00:35:05,063
The difference
between the people

762
00:35:05,063 --> 00:35:06,481
that have been in the league,

763
00:35:06,481 --> 00:35:08,775
and the newer ones coming in,

764
00:35:08,775 --> 00:35:13,404
is that, I think,
they're not focused,

765
00:35:13,404 --> 00:35:16,491
they're just worried about
social media, they're on TikTok.

766
00:35:16,491 --> 00:35:19,744
But at the same time, how do
you think people are seeing us?

767
00:35:19,744 --> 00:35:21,746
And it's like, we're
females out there,

768
00:35:21,746 --> 00:35:24,415
so use your, and I'm
sorry, sex appeal.

769
00:35:24,415 --> 00:35:25,708
You have to use that,

770
00:35:25,708 --> 00:35:27,919
it's bringing people
to the TV screen,

771
00:35:27,919 --> 00:35:30,588
it's paying tickets, it's
doing all the stuff.

772
00:35:30,588 --> 00:35:34,258
I also wanna put out there
the shoes on sale for $12,

773
00:35:34,258 --> 00:35:36,177
Who would put these
on sale, ever?

774
00:35:36,177 --> 00:35:39,138
Nobody.

775
00:35:39,138 --> 00:35:42,517
Yeah!

776
00:35:42,517 --> 00:35:43,935
Take a picture.

777
00:35:43,935 --> 00:35:46,187
I'm a huge fan of
social media, clearly,

778
00:35:46,187 --> 00:35:48,856
but not because I
was just taking pictures,

779
00:35:48,856 --> 00:35:53,903
but because it does bring a
different kind of audience.

780
00:35:54,278 --> 00:35:55,947
It'll be people under
my pictures like,

781
00:35:55,947 --> 00:35:57,448
"Oh, they're play in WNBA.", or,

782
00:35:57,448 --> 00:36:00,743
"Oh, they play basketball.",
but they saw you first.

783
00:36:00,743 --> 00:36:02,912
And I feel like you have
to be able to sell yourself

784
00:36:02,912 --> 00:36:05,873
before someone can just
sit and watch your games.

785
00:36:07,792 --> 00:36:10,545
It's so different now, we
didn't have social media,

786
00:36:10,545 --> 00:36:12,380
we didn't have the things
that these young players

787
00:36:12,380 --> 00:36:14,424
have now to grow their brand.

788
00:36:15,633 --> 00:36:18,302
The beauty of
social media is that

789
00:36:18,302 --> 00:36:20,972
all of these women
have a direct voice

790
00:36:20,972 --> 00:36:24,142
and a direct platform
to their fans.

791
00:36:24,142 --> 00:36:25,643
Hey!

792
00:36:25,643 --> 00:36:27,228
You've got a
ton of WNBA players who

793
00:36:27,228 --> 00:36:28,896
have a huge platform now,

794
00:36:28,896 --> 00:36:31,566
when they can put out
whatever they want.

795
00:36:32,900 --> 00:36:34,986
Now you can have a
generation that's like...

796
00:36:34,986 --> 00:36:37,905
I see Sabrina, who can be
the next face of the league,

797
00:36:37,905 --> 00:36:40,241
or Michaela, with
her African roots,

798
00:36:40,241 --> 00:36:41,659
I identify with her.

799
00:36:41,659 --> 00:36:44,537
Or Didi, even her hair
and her personality,

800
00:36:44,537 --> 00:36:45,830
I can identify with that.

801
00:36:47,248 --> 00:36:49,167
So I can aspire to be them.

802
00:36:49,167 --> 00:36:50,751
Hey, you guys, it's
Didi Richards here,

803
00:36:50,751 --> 00:36:54,172
former Lady Bear, today I'm
entering the WNBA draft.

804
00:36:54,172 --> 00:36:56,716
So now I'm eating, trying not to
mess up my lipstick, and

805
00:36:56,716 --> 00:37:00,178
after that, I have to be there
in 30 minutes, right there.

806
00:37:05,099 --> 00:37:08,019
New York Liberty
have selected Didi Richards

807
00:37:08,019 --> 00:37:09,187
out of Dallas.

808
00:37:10,771 --> 00:37:12,190
Didi, Shaq here.

809
00:37:12,190 --> 00:37:13,774
I had some
interview with Shaq.

810
00:37:13,774 --> 00:37:15,276
You can come say hi.

811
00:37:16,194 --> 00:37:18,779
And my mom held the camera.

812
00:37:20,781 --> 00:37:22,116
- What's up?
- Hey, mom.

813
00:37:22,116 --> 00:37:23,576
Shaq went crazy.

814
00:37:23,576 --> 00:37:26,537
I got a new website
called damnyourmamafine.com.

815
00:37:28,581 --> 00:37:34,212
It literally stirred up the
sports world for a month or so.

816
00:37:35,171 --> 00:37:39,050
It's Shaq, I feel like
it's something he does.

817
00:37:39,050 --> 00:37:43,387
It fit him, so I was
just like, okay.

818
00:37:43,387 --> 00:37:45,806
Didi Richards, number
2, Baylor University.

819
00:37:46,140 --> 00:37:47,600
Alright.

820
00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:49,477
I played basketball at Baylor.

821
00:37:59,779 --> 00:38:01,989
And I was going in to
go get an interception,

822
00:38:01,989 --> 00:38:03,074
I was knocked out.

823
00:38:04,867 --> 00:38:08,496
I don't remember anything,
until I see the paramedic.

824
00:38:09,747 --> 00:38:12,500
He's just like, "Didi,
Didi, can you hear me?"

825
00:38:12,500 --> 00:38:13,334
Can you hear me?

826
00:38:13,334 --> 00:38:14,835
He was like, "Can you respond,
can you shake your head?"

827
00:38:14,835 --> 00:38:16,170
I'm shaking my head.

828
00:38:16,170 --> 00:38:17,838
And he was like,
"Can you get up?"

829
00:38:19,006 --> 00:38:20,258
And I immediately
started crying,

830
00:38:20,258 --> 00:38:22,260
because I really
cannot feel my legs.

831
00:38:22,260 --> 00:38:24,804
I'm like, Alex, I can't,
I can't feel my legs.

832
00:38:26,264 --> 00:38:28,432
The doctor came in
there, asking me,

833
00:38:28,432 --> 00:38:29,433
"Do you feel this?"

834
00:38:29,433 --> 00:38:31,811
It was a safety pin, he
was poking me so hard

835
00:38:31,811 --> 00:38:33,104
that I started bleeding.

836
00:38:33,104 --> 00:38:35,690
He was like, "You can't,
you can't feel that?"

837
00:38:35,690 --> 00:38:37,942
And I'm like, no,
I cannot feel that.

838
00:38:39,110 --> 00:38:41,612
It was a moment of
shock for everybody.

839
00:38:41,612 --> 00:38:43,948
You're basically
paralyzed with no answers

840
00:38:43,948 --> 00:38:44,949
as to why you are.

841
00:38:44,949 --> 00:38:46,784
What's your goal?

842
00:38:46,784 --> 00:38:48,452
To touch the
wall and come back.

843
00:38:49,579 --> 00:38:52,373
That feeling scared me.

844
00:38:55,126 --> 00:38:56,836
Move your feet. Move.

845
00:38:56,836 --> 00:38:59,672
It was a lot of anger
towards basketball.

846
00:38:59,672 --> 00:39:02,049
Yay, she
touched the wall!

847
00:39:03,467 --> 00:39:05,136
But also a lot of
regret that I didn't

848
00:39:05,136 --> 00:39:06,554
take advantage of basketball.

849
00:39:09,140 --> 00:39:11,642
So it was like, I'm going
get back on the court.

850
00:39:14,604 --> 00:39:17,732
That's four-ply.

851
00:39:18,816 --> 00:39:21,819
It took a huge toll
on me mentally.

852
00:39:21,819 --> 00:39:23,321
That time you
realize that anything

853
00:39:23,321 --> 00:39:25,323
that you were doing can be
taken from you, literally,

854
00:39:25,323 --> 00:39:26,407
in a blink of an eye.

855
00:39:27,867 --> 00:39:29,660
This is somebody
that was paralyzed,

856
00:39:29,660 --> 00:39:32,872
then somebody that comes
back from that injury.

857
00:39:32,872 --> 00:39:35,583
So you know that
she loves this game.

858
00:39:35,583 --> 00:39:38,044
She's had so many
opportunities to just stop,

859
00:39:38,044 --> 00:39:39,086
and she doesn't stop.

860
00:39:42,173 --> 00:39:43,966
You look nice.

861
00:39:43,966 --> 00:39:46,302
Come on, stop playin'.

862
00:39:46,302 --> 00:39:48,804
No way, she came this hard?

863
00:39:48,804 --> 00:39:50,973
I've never been a part of a team

864
00:39:50,973 --> 00:39:53,643
that all genuinely
likes each other.

865
00:39:54,810 --> 00:39:56,604
The whole team, we
all gel together.

866
00:39:58,022 --> 00:40:00,691
We click like we sisters, we
argue like we sisters too.

867
00:40:03,277 --> 00:40:04,612
Know why you're
walking, like you got

868
00:40:04,612 --> 00:40:05,738
monies.

869
00:40:07,114 --> 00:40:08,074
Let me get
two bacon, egg and cheese

870
00:40:08,074 --> 00:40:09,951
on the bagel with jelly on it.

871
00:40:09,951 --> 00:40:12,036
Regardless if we
were winning or losing,

872
00:40:12,036 --> 00:40:13,704
we just started to
figure each other out

873
00:40:13,704 --> 00:40:16,207
a little bit more because we
were able to play together.

874
00:40:16,207 --> 00:40:17,375
And
that's the way it ends,

875
00:40:17,375 --> 00:40:20,670
Sabrina Ionescu
grabs another board.

876
00:40:20,670 --> 00:40:24,382
Victory for the
now 4 in 1 New York Liberty.

877
00:40:24,382 --> 00:40:28,177
Liberty win this 88-81.

878
00:40:28,177 --> 00:40:32,056
A 5 in 1 start with their
best start since 2007.

879
00:40:34,475 --> 00:40:37,478
We needed this group
to be really, really tight.

880
00:40:37,478 --> 00:40:40,064
Every game is gonna be a battle.

881
00:40:40,064 --> 00:40:41,982
Whoo-hoo-hoo.

882
00:40:41,982 --> 00:40:44,235
Wait.

883
00:40:44,235 --> 00:40:46,487
Garage. Smart crew.

884
00:40:46,487 --> 00:40:49,323
Go ahead and get the
princess, the drama queen.

885
00:40:49,323 --> 00:40:50,866
Okay.

886
00:40:50,866 --> 00:40:53,077
Yes! Yes!

887
00:40:53,077 --> 00:40:55,329
In working. Yes!

888
00:40:55,329 --> 00:40:57,748
Aah, you are a lot, Jazmine.

889
00:40:57,748 --> 00:41:00,167
And we started
off incredibly well,

890
00:41:00,167 --> 00:41:02,503
right out of the gates,
there's a lotta success.

891
00:41:02,503 --> 00:41:04,505
And then, as the season went on,

892
00:41:04,505 --> 00:41:07,508
there's a regression to
the mean, if you will,

893
00:41:07,508 --> 00:41:10,678
and the season evened out
in terms of our record.

894
00:41:10,678 --> 00:41:12,847
This is
the picture time.

895
00:41:12,847 --> 00:41:15,683
We've come down from
the high of a win streak,

896
00:41:15,683 --> 00:41:19,603
and now it's like every game
is just a real dog fight.

897
00:41:20,479 --> 00:41:24,859
How you gel, you know, how
do you change a young team

898
00:41:24,859 --> 00:41:27,737
into a championship team
and have that mentality

899
00:41:27,737 --> 00:41:29,363
to go far in the playoffs.

900
00:41:44,003 --> 00:41:47,173
Number
44, Betnijah Laney!

901
00:41:48,716 --> 00:41:52,470
Number 12, Michaela Onyenwere!

902
00:41:53,179 --> 00:41:57,475
Number 32, Sami Whitcomb!

903
00:41:58,058 --> 00:42:04,648
And at guard number
20, Sabrina Ionescu!

904
00:42:06,233 --> 00:42:08,486
Today it's
the Washington Mystics taking

905
00:42:08,486 --> 00:42:09,945
on the New York Liberty.

906
00:42:09,945 --> 00:42:13,574
These teams are only
separated by a half a game.

907
00:42:18,496 --> 00:42:19,830
And we are underway.

908
00:42:27,922 --> 00:42:31,425
Ms. Mitchell cans a three,
her second bucket of the day.

909
00:42:35,012 --> 00:42:37,264
Corner jumper for three.

910
00:42:39,683 --> 00:42:40,768
Layin by Wiese.

911
00:42:42,102 --> 00:42:45,105
Charles, up top,
great ball movement.

912
00:42:45,105 --> 00:42:48,108
That's Zellous, from the
corner, she sticks the three.

913
00:42:50,694 --> 00:42:52,404
Can Gray can't get it off.

914
00:42:52,404 --> 00:42:54,198
She does, but it won't fall.

915
00:42:55,366 --> 00:42:57,618
So we have completed
one half of play

916
00:42:57,618 --> 00:42:59,578
here at the Barclay Center,

917
00:42:59,578 --> 00:43:04,041
where the Washington
Mystics have a 51-33 lead.

918
00:43:05,626 --> 00:43:08,504
We get in here at halftime,
we're losing about 20,

919
00:43:08,504 --> 00:43:09,839
it's like, what?

920
00:43:13,300 --> 00:43:15,719
Walt asks, "What the
hell do we need to do

921
00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:17,805
to make y'all play better?"

922
00:43:19,223 --> 00:43:22,560
And I tell you, it was dead
silent in this locker room.

923
00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:25,229
No cameras in the locker room.

924
00:43:26,105 --> 00:43:28,315
So Walt got pissed.

925
00:43:28,315 --> 00:43:30,150
He was like, "All right,
good fucking talk.",

926
00:43:30,150 --> 00:43:31,318
and just walked out.

927
00:43:35,114 --> 00:43:37,283
Next thing I know we
get out on that court.

928
00:43:43,247 --> 00:43:45,499
Richards
hit the floor hard.

929
00:43:47,001 --> 00:43:48,252
I'm looking at
Didi and thinking,

930
00:43:48,252 --> 00:43:50,212
she's tough, but she's down.

931
00:43:51,547 --> 00:43:53,507
Knowing her story,
her comeback story,

932
00:43:53,507 --> 00:43:55,259
and she wasn't moving at first.

933
00:43:55,259 --> 00:43:58,429
So I was like,
fuck, this is scary.

934
00:43:59,638 --> 00:44:01,181
So I'm standing there,
and there like,

935
00:44:01,181 --> 00:44:03,100
"All right, you all
go, you all go."

936
00:44:03,100 --> 00:44:05,686
I wasn't moving, I was
standing next to my dog,

937
00:44:05,686 --> 00:44:07,354
making sure she was straight.

938
00:44:16,030 --> 00:44:18,449
She got up and then
she went back down,

939
00:44:18,449 --> 00:44:19,700
and I was like, oh, shit.

940
00:44:24,622 --> 00:44:26,206
And then she got up
again and she was able

941
00:44:26,206 --> 00:44:28,834
to walk off a little
bit on her own.

942
00:44:31,712 --> 00:44:32,963
That feeling scared me,

943
00:44:32,963 --> 00:44:35,633
and I knew I just
never wanted to go back

944
00:44:35,633 --> 00:44:38,135
to where I was in October.

945
00:44:38,135 --> 00:44:41,388
I'm not going back to that
walker or that wheelchair.

946
00:44:45,059 --> 00:44:46,602
So knowing she
had just went down,

947
00:44:46,602 --> 00:44:49,396
now I gotta bring the
energy that she would bring,

948
00:44:49,396 --> 00:44:50,481
now I gotta double that.

949
00:44:55,611 --> 00:44:58,447
Laney for
Shook, and she can't convert

950
00:44:58,447 --> 00:45:01,742
the easy layup, and then
straight into the crowd

951
00:45:01,742 --> 00:45:06,246
is Jazmine Jones as she does
a 360 dive into the front row.

952
00:45:07,748 --> 00:45:10,584
And she's okay, getting
a great ovation.

953
00:45:13,087 --> 00:45:14,421
♪ It was the best of times ♪

954
00:45:14,421 --> 00:45:16,340
♪ It was the worst of times ♪

955
00:45:16,340 --> 00:45:17,591
That also set the tone.

956
00:45:17,591 --> 00:45:19,093
It's like, "Okay, if
Jaz is gonna do that,

957
00:45:19,093 --> 00:45:20,761
and you play with
that intensity.

958
00:45:20,761 --> 00:45:22,429
Jones for three.

959
00:45:22,429 --> 00:45:24,098
I knew
that was going in.

960
00:45:24,098 --> 00:45:25,599
We all have to.

961
00:45:25,599 --> 00:45:28,352
There's not gonna be a ball
that we're not gonna dive on.

962
00:45:28,352 --> 00:45:30,521
The
deflection by Onyenwere.

963
00:45:30,521 --> 00:45:32,523
There's not
gonna be a defensive effort

964
00:45:32,523 --> 00:45:34,191
that we're not
gonna capitalize on.

965
00:45:34,191 --> 00:45:36,944
♪ Heart so dark
they turn to clean ♪

966
00:45:36,944 --> 00:45:39,530
♪ So clean, so clean ♪

967
00:45:39,530 --> 00:45:42,783
foul.

968
00:45:42,783 --> 00:45:46,745
That as New York
continues to surge back,

969
00:45:46,745 --> 00:45:49,123
and Jazmine Jones, my goodness,

970
00:45:49,123 --> 00:45:51,375
has she taken a beating today.

971
00:45:51,375 --> 00:45:53,377
We're all in this, we're
trying to win this game.

972
00:45:53,377 --> 00:45:57,172
♪ You were my bitter rival
but I need your full survival ♪

973
00:45:57,172 --> 00:45:58,215
We needed to win that game.

974
00:45:58,215 --> 00:45:59,633
♪ It was the best of times ♪

975
00:45:59,633 --> 00:46:01,343
Off
the dribble drive.

976
00:46:01,343 --> 00:46:03,679
Ionescu gets hers.

977
00:46:03,679 --> 00:46:04,638
She's got 12.

978
00:46:04,638 --> 00:46:06,390
And it's a two-point game.

979
00:46:07,891 --> 00:46:11,770
We're in 4th quarter,
and we just turned it up.

980
00:46:11,770 --> 00:46:14,273
♪ Somehow, somehow ♪

981
00:46:14,273 --> 00:46:15,566
♪ Lay a hand on me ♪

982
00:46:15,566 --> 00:46:16,942
♪ Lay a hand on you ♪

983
00:46:16,942 --> 00:46:19,820
♪ Lay a hand on me
Lay a hand ♪

984
00:46:19,820 --> 00:46:21,321
Ionescu shoots it.

985
00:46:32,499 --> 00:46:35,210
We flipped a switch
and we finally woke up

986
00:46:35,210 --> 00:46:36,003
and decide to play basketball.

987
00:46:36,003 --> 00:46:38,505
♪ You are my bitter rival ♪

988
00:46:38,505 --> 00:46:41,467
♪ But I need your
full survival ♪

989
00:46:41,467 --> 00:46:42,468
♪ You are my bitter rival ♪

990
00:46:42,468 --> 00:46:43,927
Ionescu, needs help,

991
00:46:43,927 --> 00:46:45,846
gets it to Gray. Down low.
And brings it home!

992
00:46:47,264 --> 00:46:49,516
The Liberty jump on top by one.

993
00:46:50,601 --> 00:46:51,643
First of two.

994
00:46:51,643 --> 00:46:52,478
It's good.

995
00:46:53,812 --> 00:46:56,690
♪ But I need your
full survival ♪

996
00:46:58,400 --> 00:47:01,236
And Laney
makes it a three-point game.

997
00:47:01,236 --> 00:47:04,031
And the Mystics will use
their final time-out.

998
00:47:04,031 --> 00:47:06,450
We've gotta guard
the three-point line.

999
00:47:06,450 --> 00:47:07,618
That's the most important part,

1000
00:47:07,618 --> 00:47:09,703
no threes and no fouls.

1001
00:47:09,703 --> 00:47:11,580
If they get to the rim,
they get to the rim.

1002
00:47:11,580 --> 00:47:12,790
Stay with your man.

1003
00:47:12,790 --> 00:47:14,541
Oh my
God, what's that?

1004
00:47:14,541 --> 00:47:17,669
- Liberty, 1, 2, 3.
- Liberty!

1005
00:47:17,669 --> 00:47:19,546
Looking for
help, they have no time-outs,

1006
00:47:19,546 --> 00:47:20,798
they gotta get it in.

1007
00:47:20,798 --> 00:47:22,382
They do, and there's the heat,

1008
00:47:22,382 --> 00:47:25,219
and Mitchell is
way off the mark.

1009
00:47:25,219 --> 00:47:27,721
As the Liberty play
some terrific defense

1010
00:47:27,721 --> 00:47:30,724
in the closing moments,
and they come back

1011
00:47:30,724 --> 00:47:34,770
and rally from being 19
down in the 2nd quarter,

1012
00:47:34,770 --> 00:47:40,067
to knock off the Mystics 82-79.

1013
00:47:40,067 --> 00:47:41,652
They're the team
that we need to beat,

1014
00:47:41,652 --> 00:47:43,737
and when we finish like that
we're fighting to the end,

1015
00:47:43,737 --> 00:47:45,405
and we figure that shit out.

1016
00:47:45,405 --> 00:47:46,615
No matter how much we're dealt,

1017
00:47:46,615 --> 00:47:48,492
we're in the perfect spot!

1018
00:47:48,492 --> 00:47:49,326
Here we go!

1019
00:47:55,916 --> 00:47:57,876
And we had a rebounding
margin of plus five.

1020
00:48:00,420 --> 00:48:01,588
I don't even know
how we did that.

1021
00:48:01,588 --> 00:48:03,006
Do I have to be PG?

1022
00:48:03,006 --> 00:48:04,758
- No, absolutely not.
- okay.

1023
00:48:04,758 --> 00:48:06,343
There was some fucking
terrible calls.

1024
00:48:08,262 --> 00:48:09,429
Jaz Jones.

1025
00:48:15,477 --> 00:48:18,480
Jaz, in 21 minutes, most
of them in the 2nd half,

1026
00:48:18,480 --> 00:48:19,815
because we couldn't
take you off the floor

1027
00:48:19,815 --> 00:48:21,191
'cause you were
playing so damn well.

1028
00:48:21,191 --> 00:48:22,401
Four of nine from the field,

1029
00:48:22,401 --> 00:48:24,611
two of three from three.

1030
00:48:24,611 --> 00:48:28,866
Why can't y'all play 1st
half like we did the 2nd half?

1031
00:48:28,866 --> 00:48:30,200
Then there wouldn't
have been a blow out.

1032
00:48:30,200 --> 00:48:33,370
Certain players really
propel us some games,

1033
00:48:33,370 --> 00:48:34,872
tonight, for me, it was Jaz.

1034
00:48:36,540 --> 00:48:38,333
The way you came in,
how aggressive you were

1035
00:48:38,333 --> 00:48:40,711
and the energy you brought and
everything that you brought,

1036
00:48:40,711 --> 00:48:42,880
I really think
that's why we won.

1037
00:48:42,880 --> 00:48:44,131
'Cause
you got on your feet!

1038
00:48:44,131 --> 00:48:45,382
'Cause you
got onto your feet.

1039
00:48:45,382 --> 00:48:47,509
Jazmine Jones was great.

1040
00:48:47,509 --> 00:48:51,305
And Sabrina Ionescu was amazing.

1041
00:48:51,305 --> 00:48:52,806
Yeah, I loved it.

1042
00:48:52,806 --> 00:48:54,641
Jones is already
my favorite player.

1043
00:48:54,641 --> 00:48:55,893
Yeah.

1044
00:48:56,977 --> 00:48:58,145
I'm Jones, until I die now.

1045
00:48:58,145 --> 00:48:59,396
- Yeah?
- Number 4.

1046
00:48:59,396 --> 00:49:02,065
I'm gonna get a number
4 tattoo on my back.

1047
00:49:04,193 --> 00:49:05,319
Nice meeting ya'll.
You want to sign the jersey?

1048
00:49:05,319 --> 00:49:06,695
You want me to sigh the
jersey?

1049
00:49:06,695 --> 00:49:08,155
Thank you.

1050
00:49:09,406 --> 00:49:11,116
He's so cute.

1051
00:49:11,116 --> 00:49:13,410
Say thank you.

1052
00:49:13,410 --> 00:49:14,661
Give it back now.

1053
00:49:22,252 --> 00:49:26,006
The fans in the early years
were beyond expectation.

1054
00:49:26,006 --> 00:49:27,507
My first two or three years

1055
00:49:27,507 --> 00:49:31,637
we were averaging 18,000
and lots of sellouts.

1056
00:49:31,637 --> 00:49:33,138
Then it went to 15.

1057
00:49:34,014 --> 00:49:35,849
It was like the new shiny toy,

1058
00:49:35,849 --> 00:49:40,854
but pop culture didn't
wanna keep holding on,

1059
00:49:41,980 --> 00:49:43,357
and then it wasn't
new and shiny anymore.

1060
00:49:44,524 --> 00:49:47,110
We saw attendance
dropping significantly,

1061
00:49:47,110 --> 00:49:50,239
all the way down to its
low point in the mid 2010s.

1062
00:49:51,406 --> 00:49:54,284
Every decline is
treated as a proof

1063
00:49:54,284 --> 00:49:55,869
that the concept doesn't work.

1064
00:49:55,869 --> 00:49:57,913
The WNBA attendance, not good.

1065
00:49:57,913 --> 00:49:59,957
The WNBA ratings, not good.

1066
00:49:59,957 --> 00:50:02,709
The WNBA salaries, not good.

1067
00:50:02,709 --> 00:50:05,128
It's not working, because you,
the consumer, don't want it.

1068
00:50:05,128 --> 00:50:06,213
The WNBA is not a thing.

1069
00:50:06,213 --> 00:50:07,381
I'm sorry, it's never
going to be a thing,

1070
00:50:07,381 --> 00:50:08,548
you can't make fetch happen,

1071
00:50:08,548 --> 00:50:10,467
it's just never
going to be a thing.

1072
00:50:10,467 --> 00:50:12,552
I think it was an easy
thing for misogynists

1073
00:50:12,552 --> 00:50:17,140
to jump on early on, because
even before they saw a game

1074
00:50:17,140 --> 00:50:19,810
there were headlines
like, "Oh, women's league,

1075
00:50:19,810 --> 00:50:23,146
it's no slam dunk."

1076
00:50:23,146 --> 00:50:25,983
And at the top of
the 2nd half it's 16-9.

1077
00:50:25,983 --> 00:50:28,235
These gals sure do
make it look difficult.

1078
00:50:28,235 --> 00:50:29,820
But is
having this minor skill

1079
00:50:29,820 --> 00:50:31,655
worth being so unattractive?

1080
00:50:31,655 --> 00:50:33,657
That's for the fan to decide.

1081
00:50:33,657 --> 00:50:34,491
Yay.

1082
00:50:35,701 --> 00:50:38,829
The league was
seen as failing.

1083
00:50:38,829 --> 00:50:42,416
The owners of the time
were not willing to invest

1084
00:50:42,416 --> 00:50:44,251
to keep things going.

1085
00:50:44,251 --> 00:50:49,256
Maybe the kindest
version of how owners

1086
00:50:49,256 --> 00:50:50,716
might have been
feeling at that time

1087
00:50:50,716 --> 00:50:53,176
was simply to say that
there was no model,

1088
00:50:53,176 --> 00:50:54,678
that we did not have

1089
00:50:54,678 --> 00:50:56,805
a successful professional
women's sports league

1090
00:50:56,805 --> 00:50:58,098
in this country.

1091
00:50:58,098 --> 00:50:59,516
But another way of
thinking about it is

1092
00:50:59,516 --> 00:51:02,436
that while in men's
sports, again and again,

1093
00:51:02,436 --> 00:51:04,938
investment comes with the idea

1094
00:51:04,938 --> 00:51:06,857
that this is a
long-term proposition.

1095
00:51:06,857 --> 00:51:10,235
So many owners,
especially early owners

1096
00:51:10,235 --> 00:51:14,114
in the WNBA, treated it
as dollar in dollar out

1097
00:51:14,114 --> 00:51:15,949
from the get go.

1098
00:51:25,125 --> 00:51:27,544
Mr. Dolan had owned
a WNBA team longer

1099
00:51:27,544 --> 00:51:32,883
than any NBA owner had,
but after the 2017 season

1100
00:51:32,883 --> 00:51:34,718
it was decided
that the team would

1101
00:51:34,718 --> 00:51:37,554
be relocated to a new venue.

1102
00:51:37,554 --> 00:51:38,805
The
Liberty will be coming

1103
00:51:38,805 --> 00:51:40,349
to the Westchester
County Center.

1104
00:51:40,349 --> 00:51:41,892
The 2000-seat center is used

1105
00:51:41,892 --> 00:51:44,394
to hosting high school
sports competitions,

1106
00:51:44,394 --> 00:51:46,480
but now the New York
Liberty will be here.

1107
00:51:47,898 --> 00:51:51,401
When you take a team that
played in Madison Square Garden

1108
00:51:51,401 --> 00:51:53,570
and you put it in the
Westchester County Center,

1109
00:51:53,570 --> 00:51:56,656
you are saying to the
fan base we don't care.

1110
00:51:57,741 --> 00:51:59,368
It's a huge message.

1111
00:52:00,702 --> 00:52:02,329
I remember Tina
Charles picking up a mop

1112
00:52:02,329 --> 00:52:03,538
and doing the floor.

1113
00:52:03,538 --> 00:52:05,207
It was wild.

1114
00:52:05,207 --> 00:52:07,918
Teams were coming
in unimpressed.

1115
00:52:10,087 --> 00:52:12,422
There was a drippy roof
whenever it rained,

1116
00:52:12,422 --> 00:52:15,634
it was misty in the
court, it was small,

1117
00:52:15,634 --> 00:52:17,427
it was like an auditorium.

1118
00:52:17,427 --> 00:52:19,679
It wasn't acceptable,
not for elite athletes.

1119
00:52:19,679 --> 00:52:21,181
These are Olympians
stepping on the floor,

1120
00:52:21,181 --> 00:52:23,600
these are the best of the
best stepping on the floor.

1121
00:52:23,600 --> 00:52:25,435
And that venue that
wasn't really primed

1122
00:52:25,435 --> 00:52:28,105
for professional
sports, quite frankly.

1123
00:52:28,105 --> 00:52:29,481
We lost a significant amount

1124
00:52:29,481 --> 00:52:31,483
of fans due to geography.

1125
00:52:33,443 --> 00:52:36,196
If you are putting
the games in a closet

1126
00:52:36,196 --> 00:52:39,699
that nobody can get
to, you're conveying

1127
00:52:39,699 --> 00:52:43,370
to potential fans that this
is not a valuable property

1128
00:52:43,370 --> 00:52:45,080
and that you don't
care about it.

1129
00:52:45,080 --> 00:52:46,123
And people hear that.

1130
00:52:53,213 --> 00:52:55,549
Up, out,
heel up, down.

1131
00:52:56,550 --> 00:52:58,009
How are we feeling?

1132
00:52:58,009 --> 00:52:59,970
It's just the
age catching up to me,

1133
00:52:59,970 --> 00:53:00,595
I came before a girl-

1134
00:53:00,595 --> 00:53:01,388
Don't say that.
Don't say that.

1135
00:53:01,388 --> 00:53:02,889
You're calling the
old girl here Michaela.

1136
00:53:02,889 --> 00:53:05,350
I know, I'm talking about
oh you close to retirement.

1137
00:53:05,350 --> 00:53:06,601
Exactly.

1138
00:53:06,601 --> 00:53:10,147
Something we wanted
to bring in was young veterans,

1139
00:53:10,147 --> 00:53:11,773
players with winning experience,

1140
00:53:11,773 --> 00:53:13,567
players whose skillsets fit us,

1141
00:53:13,567 --> 00:53:15,110
and then players
whose personalities

1142
00:53:15,110 --> 00:53:18,321
would fit our culture and
would fit who else we had here.

1143
00:53:18,321 --> 00:53:19,573
I changed
it, this is my logo.

1144
00:53:19,573 --> 00:53:20,782
Oh, is this your logo?

1145
00:53:20,782 --> 00:53:22,659
Yeah, this.
That's my logo now.

1146
00:53:22,659 --> 00:53:24,828
I love the
lightning bolt.

1147
00:53:24,828 --> 00:53:26,913
I know, that's why
they call me Flash,

1148
00:53:26,913 --> 00:53:28,165
for a reason, girl.

1149
00:53:29,207 --> 00:53:31,585
So bringing in
Tash was essential.

1150
00:53:31,585 --> 00:53:33,753
I got a camera grew following
me, you might see 'em.

1151
00:53:33,753 --> 00:53:34,880
It's like, okay, now we can be

1152
00:53:34,880 --> 00:53:36,339
in competitive basketball games

1153
00:53:36,339 --> 00:53:39,759
and we can teach our young
players how to win those games.

1154
00:53:39,759 --> 00:53:41,011
It's nice outside, though.

1155
00:53:41,011 --> 00:53:43,680
I might literally sit on the
rooftop probably today.

1156
00:53:43,680 --> 00:53:45,515
We have
a defensive anchor.

1157
00:53:45,515 --> 00:53:48,435
We have somebody that is
incredibly switchable.

1158
00:53:48,435 --> 00:53:51,980
She's capable of being a
defensive player of the year.

1159
00:53:51,980 --> 00:53:54,524
Natasha
Howard, this time a three.

1160
00:53:55,609 --> 00:53:57,611
She's
capable of being an MVP.

1161
00:53:57,611 --> 00:53:59,905
Howard, what a feat!

1162
00:53:59,905 --> 00:54:02,115
Unfortunately, due
to the overseas season,

1163
00:54:02,115 --> 00:54:05,202
she had to report to us late.

1164
00:54:05,202 --> 00:54:08,121
And then when we got her,
it was really exciting.

1165
00:54:08,121 --> 00:54:09,372
Seven minutes to go.

1166
00:54:09,372 --> 00:54:12,542
Uh-oh, and we see
Howard on the floor,

1167
00:54:12,542 --> 00:54:14,461
that does not look good.

1168
00:54:14,461 --> 00:54:15,962
And we had
her for a couple of games,

1169
00:54:15,962 --> 00:54:18,465
and then we lost her
to an MCL injury.

1170
00:54:20,217 --> 00:54:22,135
I feel like it
was a sign from God.

1171
00:54:23,178 --> 00:54:24,679
Time for you to
actually relax your body

1172
00:54:24,679 --> 00:54:26,890
'cause it was back-to-back.

1173
00:54:26,890 --> 00:54:30,644
Coming on a 16, 12-hour
flight and then playing.

1174
00:54:30,644 --> 00:54:32,479
It was just a lot
on my body too,

1175
00:54:32,479 --> 00:54:34,272
'cause I played a lot overseas,
so.

1176
00:54:36,107 --> 00:54:39,027
We haven't had Tash, really
for any of the season.

1177
00:54:39,861 --> 00:54:42,781
And so, now that she's back,
this next 11 games,

1178
00:54:42,781 --> 00:54:45,283
we have a really good
chance to make the playoffs.

1179
00:54:46,493 --> 00:54:47,744
Everybody doubted us, like,

1180
00:54:47,744 --> 00:54:49,579
"Oh, is New York gonna
be good this year"?

1181
00:54:50,705 --> 00:54:52,249
Even though I wasn't playin',

1182
00:54:52,249 --> 00:54:56,294
we still did a good job for
the 1st half of the season.

1183
00:54:56,294 --> 00:54:58,880
So and I think we're
gonna do a great job

1184
00:54:58,880 --> 00:55:00,173
in the 2nd half of the season,

1185
00:55:00,173 --> 00:55:02,092
they include the 11
games that we have.

1186
00:55:05,303 --> 00:55:08,431
82-69, a 13-point win

1187
00:55:08,431 --> 00:55:10,976
for the Fever tonight.

1188
00:55:16,398 --> 00:55:18,149
Connecticut
getting the victory here,

1189
00:55:18,149 --> 00:55:21,278
71-54, the final.

1190
00:55:21,736 --> 00:55:24,030
Our nerves, our
youth, our inexperience

1191
00:55:24,030 --> 00:55:26,032
really showed up
in those moments.

1192
00:55:26,032 --> 00:55:27,284
As
we take a look to

1193
00:55:27,284 --> 00:55:29,077
the Liberty bench there,
not happy over there.

1194
00:55:30,078 --> 00:55:32,581
The final score will be 99-83.

1195
00:55:34,040 --> 00:55:35,709
You do learn a lot more
sometimes from your losses.

1196
00:55:35,709 --> 00:55:39,462
You do learn a lot more
from the adversity.

1197
00:55:39,462 --> 00:55:41,047
Liberty
are out of timeouts.

1198
00:55:41,047 --> 00:55:42,465
To Sabrina Ionescu.

1199
00:55:42,465 --> 00:55:44,968
Blocked by
Brittney Sykes.

1200
00:55:44,968 --> 00:55:45,969
At the horn.

1201
00:55:47,137 --> 00:55:49,180
So for me,
it's not for nothing,

1202
00:55:49,180 --> 00:55:50,807
but we have to learn from it.

1203
00:55:52,392 --> 00:55:54,311
Everything's on the
line for your season.

1204
00:55:54,311 --> 00:55:55,729
Liberty
caught sleeping,

1205
00:55:55,729 --> 00:55:58,773
and a top from Brittney Griner.

1206
00:56:00,650 --> 00:56:02,819
Taurasi, left hand.

1207
00:56:02,819 --> 00:56:03,653
Yeah.

1208
00:56:04,904 --> 00:56:06,740
Phoenix, certainly been
the aggressive team

1209
00:56:06,740 --> 00:56:07,907
in the early going.

1210
00:56:07,907 --> 00:56:09,200
Liberty gotta find
their way and dig in.

1211
00:56:09,200 --> 00:56:10,994
Smith not slowing down at all.

1212
00:56:12,746 --> 00:56:17,334
Mercury went on a 17-0
run to end the game.

1213
00:56:19,586 --> 00:56:24,424
Final score, the Mercury
106, the Liberty 79.

1214
00:56:25,550 --> 00:56:27,510
Everything
is slipping away,

1215
00:56:27,510 --> 00:56:30,513
and the Liberty
has the opportunity

1216
00:56:30,513 --> 00:56:32,474
to control their own destiny.

1217
00:56:32,474 --> 00:56:34,434
So they still have a chance

1218
00:56:34,434 --> 00:56:36,936
to remain in the
playoff contention.

1219
00:56:36,936 --> 00:56:39,814
But we're gonna
have to win a couple games.

1220
00:56:43,860 --> 00:56:44,861
I love you guys...

1221
00:56:46,029 --> 00:56:47,197
That was disappointing.

1222
00:56:48,531 --> 00:56:50,367
Our effort was
really disappointing.

1223
00:56:52,369 --> 00:56:55,038
I feel like we just
live comfortable.

1224
00:56:55,038 --> 00:56:59,626
Even in practice,
shoot around, games.

1225
00:56:59,626 --> 00:57:02,379
It's like, we gotta go take
this, play fucking hard,

1226
00:57:02,379 --> 00:57:03,797
play your ass off every game.

1227
00:57:03,797 --> 00:57:05,340
When you leave this locker room,

1228
00:57:05,340 --> 00:57:06,675
you have to look at
yourself in the mirror

1229
00:57:06,675 --> 00:57:09,969
and be like, "Did I give
everything that I had?"

1230
00:57:09,969 --> 00:57:11,846
They whooped our ass!

1231
00:57:12,514 --> 00:57:14,891
They made it tough as fuck
for us to do anything.

1232
00:57:16,393 --> 00:57:20,313
We can beat that, but we had
to make that our identity.

1233
00:57:20,313 --> 00:57:22,649
And everybody has to be there.

1234
00:57:22,649 --> 00:57:25,110
We all gotta come out and say,
"You know what, fuck them.

1235
00:57:25,110 --> 00:57:27,612
I'm gonna fight, it's just us."

1236
00:57:27,612 --> 00:57:29,656
And the thing
that's so frustrating

1237
00:57:29,656 --> 00:57:34,077
is we should have learned
this lesson games ago.

1238
00:57:34,077 --> 00:57:36,496
But then we just got
fucking pumped again by LA.

1239
00:57:37,580 --> 00:57:40,834
Last game, and we
didn't learn the lesson.

1240
00:57:40,834 --> 00:57:42,877
At what point do we
learn the lesson?

1241
00:57:44,421 --> 00:57:48,508
Individually, and
collectively, we have to decide

1242
00:57:48,508 --> 00:57:50,135
how bad do you want it?

1243
00:57:53,096 --> 00:57:54,848
Guys, I'm sick of
talking, just bring it in.

1244
00:57:54,848 --> 00:57:56,683
I'm I'm sick of it.

1245
00:57:56,683 --> 00:57:57,517
I'm sick of it.

1246
00:57:58,435 --> 00:57:59,602
Sick of saying the same shit.

1247
00:57:59,602 --> 00:58:01,688
Liberty, 1, 2, 3.
Liberty.

1248
00:58:06,025 --> 00:58:08,737
The wear and tear on
the body of year-round,

1249
00:58:08,737 --> 00:58:12,949
high elite level women's
basketball, it's a grind.

1250
00:58:14,117 --> 00:58:15,785
You're gonna be in
a training camp,

1251
00:58:15,785 --> 00:58:18,455
fast forward two weeks,
you're in a regular season.

1252
00:58:18,455 --> 00:58:20,957
And then that thing
ends and you go overseas

1253
00:58:20,957 --> 00:58:24,627
and you play that cycle forever,

1254
00:58:24,627 --> 00:58:28,214
until you decide that
you no longer want

1255
00:58:28,214 --> 00:58:31,801
to go overseas, or what have,
you wanna stay stateside.

1256
00:58:31,801 --> 00:58:33,219
But that is the cycle of life

1257
00:58:33,219 --> 00:58:35,805
for a pro basketball
player in America.

1258
00:58:39,893 --> 00:58:43,396
People don't
often know that WNBA players

1259
00:58:43,396 --> 00:58:45,732
made the bulk of
their money overseas.

1260
00:58:45,732 --> 00:58:48,151
But, by and large,
that has been the case

1261
00:58:48,151 --> 00:58:51,279
for much of the WNBA's history.

1262
00:58:55,158 --> 00:58:57,035
To play for Kursk in Russia,

1263
00:58:57,035 --> 00:58:59,162
I'm on my second
time playing with them.

1264
00:58:59,162 --> 00:59:00,997
I played in China
for three years.

1265
00:59:00,997 --> 00:59:02,749
I played in Israel.

1266
00:59:02,749 --> 00:59:04,209
I played in Turkey.

1267
00:59:04,209 --> 00:59:05,668
As a women basketball player,

1268
00:59:05,668 --> 00:59:07,045
you're literally
playing year-round

1269
00:59:07,045 --> 00:59:09,714
and you're moving everywhere,

1270
00:59:09,714 --> 00:59:12,217
'cause you gotta go kick,
you gotta chase the bag.

1271
00:59:13,510 --> 00:59:15,136
Most players will go overseas,

1272
00:59:15,136 --> 00:59:17,931
and that's where the money is.

1273
00:59:17,931 --> 00:59:20,725
The WNBA players
have to sacrifice

1274
00:59:20,725 --> 00:59:21,851
their bodies year round

1275
00:59:21,851 --> 00:59:25,021
to make a living that's
comfortable for them.

1276
00:59:25,021 --> 00:59:26,981
That's why,
women's basketball,

1277
00:59:26,981 --> 00:59:28,858
why we have a lot of the
injuries that we do have,

1278
00:59:28,858 --> 00:59:31,361
it's just like the lack of rest,

1279
00:59:31,903 --> 00:59:35,031
the constant pounding from
season to season to season.

1280
00:59:35,031 --> 00:59:37,367
Season in the WNBA,
season overseas.

1281
00:59:38,785 --> 00:59:40,787
I played in France for
a season, it happened.

1282
00:59:40,787 --> 00:59:42,205
I came, and I got
here the day before

1283
00:59:42,205 --> 00:59:43,456
the first game and played.

1284
00:59:43,456 --> 00:59:46,459
Have the salaries
be sustainable enough

1285
00:59:46,459 --> 00:59:48,211
so that they don't
have to go overseas

1286
00:59:48,211 --> 00:59:49,879
and sacrifice their body.

1287
00:59:49,879 --> 00:59:52,841
It's hard, it's
sad, it's lonely.

1288
00:59:52,841 --> 00:59:55,885
I'll definitely not go
overseas if we get paid more.

1289
00:59:55,885 --> 00:59:58,054
After the season is over,

1290
00:59:59,389 --> 01:00:01,891
some who didn't get
contracts will go overseas.

1291
01:00:01,891 --> 01:00:03,434
You might see 'em
working in a McDonald's,

1292
01:00:03,434 --> 01:00:07,063
in the Burger King, but you
play in a professional league.

1293
01:00:09,315 --> 01:00:10,775
Some people don't understand

1294
01:00:11,901 --> 01:00:13,903
the humiliation
that's behind that.

1295
01:00:14,904 --> 01:00:15,738
We did.

1296
01:00:17,323 --> 01:00:20,368
But we did it for a
freaking sacrifice,

1297
01:00:20,368 --> 01:00:24,163
a huge sacrifice for
the next woman to come.

1298
01:00:30,003 --> 01:00:32,338
My mom played basketball.

1299
01:00:32,338 --> 01:00:35,341
She had a great career
at Cheyney University,

1300
01:00:35,341 --> 01:00:39,345
they went on to play for
the first NCAA Tournament.

1301
01:00:39,345 --> 01:00:41,472
She's played in the final four.

1302
01:00:41,472 --> 01:00:44,434
But, for her, they didn't have
the WNBA when she came out,

1303
01:00:44,434 --> 01:00:48,187
so her professional
career started overseas.

1304
01:00:48,187 --> 01:00:50,857
That's where her career ended.

1305
01:00:50,857 --> 01:00:53,610
So I think, for her,
it's just a proud moment

1306
01:00:53,610 --> 01:00:57,405
to have me be able to do the
things that she couldn't do.

1307
01:00:57,405 --> 01:01:00,074
The reason that I wear
44 is because of her.

1308
01:01:00,074 --> 01:01:02,869
This isn't my
number, this is hers.

1309
01:01:02,869 --> 01:01:06,122
This is me paying homage to her.

1310
01:01:06,122 --> 01:01:08,374
That's why I do the
things that I do,

1311
01:01:08,374 --> 01:01:11,961
is because of my mother,
because of what she's done.

1312
01:01:11,961 --> 01:01:13,963
So it's a good feeling
to just be able

1313
01:01:13,963 --> 01:01:15,965
to represent her in that way.

1314
01:01:18,635 --> 01:01:22,805
The players, I feel, have,
especially in recent time,

1315
01:01:22,805 --> 01:01:25,725
been outspoken
advocates of the changes

1316
01:01:25,725 --> 01:01:27,977
they want to see in the world.

1317
01:01:27,977 --> 01:01:29,228
Women lead.

1318
01:01:29,228 --> 01:01:30,939
If you look at Civil
Rights Movement,

1319
01:01:30,939 --> 01:01:33,066
even back in the day,
look at the women's movement,

1320
01:01:33,066 --> 01:01:36,235
we lead, we activate, we engage,

1321
01:01:36,235 --> 01:01:37,904
because we understand
what the level

1322
01:01:37,904 --> 01:01:40,615
of suppression means for us.

1323
01:01:46,663 --> 01:01:48,081
We really feel
like there's still

1324
01:01:48,081 --> 01:01:49,916
an issue here in America,
and we wanna be able

1325
01:01:49,916 --> 01:01:52,669
to use our platforms, we wanna
be able to use our voices,

1326
01:01:52,669 --> 01:01:54,504
we don't wanna let
anybody silence us

1327
01:01:54,504 --> 01:01:55,922
in what we want to talk about,

1328
01:01:55,922 --> 01:01:58,675
so you guys can ask
away about anything

1329
01:01:58,675 --> 01:02:00,259
that's happened in the society.

1330
01:02:01,761 --> 01:02:04,806
2016 Was a very
unique time, I think,

1331
01:02:04,806 --> 01:02:08,142
for the W, I think it was a
unique time for our country.

1332
01:02:08,142 --> 01:02:10,520
We were at a point,
I think, as a team,

1333
01:02:10,520 --> 01:02:13,147
as a collective
that we felt we had

1334
01:02:13,147 --> 01:02:17,235
to use our voices to
try to bring awareness

1335
01:02:17,235 --> 01:02:18,945
and to help create change.

1336
01:02:22,281 --> 01:02:23,783
I remember how
I felt,

1337
01:02:23,783 --> 01:02:26,119
I remember how
multiple players felt

1338
01:02:26,119 --> 01:02:30,873
watching the death of Philando
Castile, Alton Sterling,

1339
01:02:30,873 --> 01:02:32,625
and countless others that came.

1340
01:02:32,625 --> 01:02:35,628
It is time that we take
a deep look at our ability

1341
01:02:35,628 --> 01:02:37,797
to become compassionate
and empathetic

1342
01:02:37,797 --> 01:02:39,549
to those suffering
from the problems

1343
01:02:39,549 --> 01:02:41,217
that are deep
within our society.

1344
01:02:41,217 --> 01:02:44,053
The Lynx started the
trend wearing T-shirts

1345
01:02:44,053 --> 01:02:46,389
and demanding that
press conferences talk

1346
01:02:46,389 --> 01:02:49,308
about these crucial
life or death issues

1347
01:02:49,308 --> 01:02:51,978
facing black people
in this society.

1348
01:02:51,978 --> 01:02:54,981
Other teams got on board
and did the same thing,

1349
01:02:54,981 --> 01:02:56,816
the Liberty, the Fever.

1350
01:02:56,816 --> 01:02:57,775
What I've learned,
as an athlete,

1351
01:02:57,775 --> 01:02:59,736
of this rising generation is

1352
01:02:59,736 --> 01:03:01,446
that we're no longer comfortable

1353
01:03:01,446 --> 01:03:03,322
simply staying on the sidelines.

1354
01:03:03,322 --> 01:03:08,369
We had the ability to
bring 144 women together

1355
01:03:08,369 --> 01:03:10,830
to basically say, "This is
how we're gonna message,

1356
01:03:10,830 --> 01:03:12,665
and this is what
we're gonna do."

1357
01:03:12,665 --> 01:03:14,667
If players are sitting
here with these shirts on

1358
01:03:14,667 --> 01:03:16,753
and you're asking them, "How
do you feel about missing

1359
01:03:16,753 --> 01:03:18,755
that layup, and
you lost the game?"

1360
01:03:18,755 --> 01:03:20,381
And the person's like,
"I'm wearing this

1361
01:03:20,381 --> 01:03:22,842
because somebody's dead and
their family's grieving,

1362
01:03:22,842 --> 01:03:24,260
and this has to end."

1363
01:03:24,260 --> 01:03:26,012
Who has the guts to ask that?

1364
01:03:26,012 --> 01:03:28,765
And for them to demand
that the narrative change,

1365
01:03:28,765 --> 01:03:32,268
and them using their platforms
to force it to change.

1366
01:03:32,268 --> 01:03:35,646
It's unfortunate that
the WNBA has fined us

1367
01:03:35,646 --> 01:03:38,107
and not supported its players.

1368
01:03:38,107 --> 01:03:41,277
The league's
reaction was to fine us

1369
01:03:41,277 --> 01:03:44,572
for not listening, I
guess, to protocols.

1370
01:03:44,572 --> 01:03:47,575
The league was
afraid of what putting

1371
01:03:47,575 --> 01:03:49,952
a progressive foot
forward would mean

1372
01:03:49,952 --> 01:03:53,581
for the existential
life of the league.

1373
01:03:53,581 --> 01:03:55,792
It made us more united.

1374
01:03:55,792 --> 01:03:58,211
We had conversations
in our locker room

1375
01:03:58,211 --> 01:04:00,797
because the reality of it
is some players were saying,

1376
01:04:00,797 --> 01:04:04,801
"Look, I can't afford a fine,
I can't afford a $500 fine."

1377
01:04:04,801 --> 01:04:06,552
They're not getting paid enough.

1378
01:04:06,552 --> 01:04:08,012
But you have veterans
sitting in a room,

1379
01:04:08,012 --> 01:04:10,556
like me, like Tanisha
Wright, like Tina Charles,

1380
01:04:10,556 --> 01:04:12,642
like Epiphanny
Prince, other veterans

1381
01:04:12,642 --> 01:04:13,976
that are in the room saying,

1382
01:04:13,976 --> 01:04:15,937
"I'll pay your fine."

1383
01:04:15,937 --> 01:04:18,064
Because, in order for
a movement to happen,

1384
01:04:18,064 --> 01:04:20,650
you have to have
everybody 10 toes down,

1385
01:04:20,650 --> 01:04:23,111
facing forward and going as one.

1386
01:04:23,111 --> 01:04:24,654
The Liberty were
front and center,

1387
01:04:24,654 --> 01:04:26,781
and the Minnesota Lynx
were front and center.

1388
01:04:26,781 --> 01:04:28,407
Swim is such a great leader.

1389
01:04:28,407 --> 01:04:31,744
She really taught
me a lot about how

1390
01:04:31,744 --> 01:04:34,413
the front office could
really best support

1391
01:04:34,413 --> 01:04:36,249
what the player
initiatives were.

1392
01:04:37,708 --> 01:04:41,587
It is a lovely idea to
think that the league decided

1393
01:04:41,587 --> 01:04:43,506
to be progressive
about this on its own,

1394
01:04:43,506 --> 01:04:46,175
but I honestly believe
it came down to

1395
01:04:46,175 --> 01:04:49,929
as whatever the leadgue had
to fear from Nike or Adidas

1396
01:04:49,929 --> 01:04:52,515
or some other company
held in comparison

1397
01:04:52,515 --> 01:04:55,601
to knowing without
the buy-in of players

1398
01:04:55,601 --> 01:04:56,936
they did not have a league.

1399
01:04:59,438 --> 01:05:01,607
In 2016 the
league wasn't ready,

1400
01:05:01,607 --> 01:05:05,027
the world wasn't ready,
sports viewers were not ready.

1401
01:05:05,027 --> 01:05:07,864
Move on to 2020, things
are very different.

1402
01:05:07,864 --> 01:05:09,949
Some of the players said,

1403
01:05:09,949 --> 01:05:12,618
"I'm not gonna play
unless you let us dedicate

1404
01:05:12,618 --> 01:05:14,412
the season to social justice."

1405
01:05:14,412 --> 01:05:17,748
We're gonna go into this wobble
in COVID-hotspot, Florida,

1406
01:05:17,748 --> 01:05:21,210
but we're also going to demand
justice for Breonna Taylor,

1407
01:05:21,210 --> 01:05:26,215
and we're going to advocate for
the end to police brutality.

1408
01:05:27,633 --> 01:05:29,468
You have those oblivious
people out there in the world

1409
01:05:29,468 --> 01:05:31,804
who thinks the WNBA is a joke.

1410
01:05:31,804 --> 01:05:35,474
And we have 144 people, women,

1411
01:05:35,474 --> 01:05:37,894
who's gonna tell
you to your face

1412
01:05:37,894 --> 01:05:39,770
that we're not a fucking joke.

1413
01:05:39,770 --> 01:05:41,230
We mean everything we say,

1414
01:05:41,230 --> 01:05:43,566
we stand behind
everything we believe in,

1415
01:05:43,566 --> 01:05:46,319
and we're gonna keep
fighting for what's right.

1416
01:05:46,319 --> 01:05:50,489
That, for me, is the
magic of 25 years later.

1417
01:05:50,489 --> 01:05:53,826
This is a new woman that I'm
seeing playing basketball,

1418
01:05:53,826 --> 01:05:56,329
this is a new league,
a new platform.

1419
01:05:58,247 --> 01:05:59,665
Last month, we announced

1420
01:05:59,665 --> 01:06:02,001
our groundbreaking Collective
Bargaining Agreement.

1421
01:06:02,001 --> 01:06:03,336
We can pay our players more,

1422
01:06:03,336 --> 01:06:04,837
give them a better
travel experience,

1423
01:06:04,837 --> 01:06:07,215
give them better benefits,
whether it's maternity

1424
01:06:07,215 --> 01:06:10,676
or childcare stipend
or fertility benefits.

1425
01:06:11,844 --> 01:06:13,930
The ladies, with
this last past CBA,

1426
01:06:13,930 --> 01:06:17,850
they understood the assignment
and they got it done.

1427
01:06:17,850 --> 01:06:20,436
The Collective Bargaining
Agreement, or CBA,

1428
01:06:20,436 --> 01:06:22,021
lays out the rules of the road.

1429
01:06:22,021 --> 01:06:25,316
Everything from how
players move between teams

1430
01:06:25,316 --> 01:06:27,026
to how much money
they're going to make

1431
01:06:27,026 --> 01:06:28,778
to the way in which
they're treated,

1432
01:06:28,778 --> 01:06:31,113
day to day, by their teams.

1433
01:06:31,113 --> 01:06:33,616
That's where onsite childcare

1434
01:06:33,616 --> 01:06:35,743
during game days and
practices came in.

1435
01:06:35,743 --> 01:06:38,204
That's where apartments
with two bedrooms

1436
01:06:38,204 --> 01:06:39,413
rather than one came in.

1437
01:06:39,413 --> 01:06:41,707
It turns out that
the people who play

1438
01:06:41,707 --> 01:06:44,710
in the WNBA understand that
when you have a small child

1439
01:06:44,710 --> 01:06:47,213
you might need a separate
space for that child.

1440
01:06:47,213 --> 01:06:50,132
The WNBA wants to make sure

1441
01:06:50,132 --> 01:06:53,052
that its players do not
have to play abroad.

1442
01:06:53,052 --> 01:06:56,013
Things like increasing
the maximum salary

1443
01:06:56,013 --> 01:07:01,060
from 119,500 to
215,000, overnight,

1444
01:07:01,060 --> 01:07:02,270
helps to get you there.

1445
01:07:02,270 --> 01:07:04,063
Women have been
asked to be grateful

1446
01:07:04,063 --> 01:07:05,564
to be able to play sports.

1447
01:07:05,564 --> 01:07:06,899
Today's generation is like,

1448
01:07:06,899 --> 01:07:08,943
"I'm sorry, we have
to be what again?"

1449
01:07:08,943 --> 01:07:11,279
"Why do I have to deal with
the legacy of the stuff

1450
01:07:11,279 --> 01:07:13,572
that you guys should
have fixed 30 years ago?"

1451
01:07:13,572 --> 01:07:15,491
I am glad they feel that way

1452
01:07:15,491 --> 01:07:17,743
and I hope they're gonna
use all of that energy

1453
01:07:17,743 --> 01:07:20,913
to push for the
recognition and the respect

1454
01:07:20,913 --> 01:07:23,332
that they deserve as athletes.

1455
01:07:23,332 --> 01:07:24,166
Are you ready?

1456
01:07:27,545 --> 01:07:30,923
God wants you to
take full access

1457
01:07:30,923 --> 01:07:34,010
of all that he has for you.

1458
01:07:34,010 --> 01:07:37,680
Take advantage of the
power he gives you,

1459
01:07:37,680 --> 01:07:41,017
take advantage of the
healing he gives you.

1460
01:07:41,017 --> 01:07:44,854
If you don't, you
only limit yourself.

1461
01:07:45,521 --> 01:07:48,649
He wants you to
be all you can be.

1462
01:07:50,234 --> 01:07:52,570
Yes, B.
Yes, B.

1463
01:07:54,905 --> 01:07:56,866
Lord, we pray
that they would play

1464
01:07:56,866 --> 01:07:57,783
with excellence, oh God.

1465
01:07:57,783 --> 01:07:59,452
Even through all
the ups and downs,

1466
01:07:59,452 --> 01:08:02,580
all the inconsistencies,
all the close losses

1467
01:08:02,580 --> 01:08:04,540
and crazy win,
we're still not out.

1468
01:08:04,540 --> 01:08:05,916
We
thank you for them.

1469
01:08:05,916 --> 01:08:07,710
In order for us
to have a chance

1470
01:08:07,710 --> 01:08:10,004
to be in the playoffs
we had to win this game.

1471
01:08:10,004 --> 01:08:12,340
In Jesus name, amen.

1472
01:08:12,340 --> 01:08:13,841
Amen.
Thank you.

1473
01:08:14,467 --> 01:08:16,552
We need to
solidify a playoff spot.

1474
01:08:16,552 --> 01:08:19,513
So everybody came
in with that mindset

1475
01:08:19,513 --> 01:08:21,515
and that focus of
we don't want this

1476
01:08:21,515 --> 01:08:23,142
to potentially be our last game.

1477
01:08:24,894 --> 01:08:26,937
My grandma, she's paying
attention to sports now.

1478
01:08:26,937 --> 01:08:28,898
She was like, "You know you
have to win the game, right?"

1479
01:08:28,898 --> 01:08:30,316
And I was like, yes, grandma,

1480
01:08:30,316 --> 01:08:31,317
that's what we're
trying to do,

1481
01:08:31,317 --> 01:08:32,818
and we wanna make
the playoffs.

1482
01:08:32,818 --> 01:08:35,154
New York Liberty!

1483
01:08:35,154 --> 01:08:37,114
This is not over yet,
we still have this game,

1484
01:08:37,114 --> 01:08:39,408
we can still make
it to the playoffs.

1485
01:08:41,744 --> 01:08:43,245
And we're off.

1486
01:08:43,245 --> 01:08:44,372
This is do or die.

1487
01:08:49,377 --> 01:08:51,337
Natasha
Howard breaks the ice,

1488
01:08:51,337 --> 01:08:53,422
she gets the Liberty
on the board.

1489
01:08:53,422 --> 01:08:58,135
♪ Take 'em back
with my enemies ♪

1490
01:08:58,135 --> 01:09:01,430
Sabrina hits the three.

1491
01:09:03,140 --> 01:09:05,684
♪ I can run this whole
thing with me eyes closed ♪

1492
01:09:05,684 --> 01:09:07,853
♪ We'd already gamin' ♪

1493
01:09:07,853 --> 01:09:10,981
Sami
Whitcomb will try for three

1494
01:09:10,981 --> 01:09:12,525
the old-fashioned way.

1495
01:09:12,525 --> 01:09:14,026
♪ Get a mic, need a medic ♪

1496
01:09:14,026 --> 01:09:15,444
♪ You might talk so slick ♪

1497
01:09:15,444 --> 01:09:16,862
♪ If I say it then I mean it ♪

1498
01:09:16,862 --> 01:09:19,281
Sami
Whitcomb doesn't hesitate.

1499
01:09:19,281 --> 01:09:20,574
♪ I'm a boss ♪

1500
01:09:20,574 --> 01:09:22,034
♪ That's how the
coins was tossed ♪

1501
01:09:22,034 --> 01:09:23,077
♪ Hopin' that I lose ♪

1502
01:09:23,077 --> 01:09:26,330
♪ Well I'm sorry for your loss ♪

1503
01:09:26,330 --> 01:09:28,416
Natasha
Howard's on fire,

1504
01:09:28,416 --> 01:09:30,709
she's got 13 all by herself.

1505
01:09:30,709 --> 01:09:31,961
♪ Win by any means ♪

1506
01:09:31,961 --> 01:09:33,671
They
cut off Sabrina.

1507
01:09:33,671 --> 01:09:34,713
♪ Win by any means ♪

1508
01:09:34,713 --> 01:09:36,340
♪ Say, win now, win now ♪

1509
01:09:36,340 --> 01:09:38,008
Hold back the baby.

1510
01:09:38,008 --> 01:09:39,510
Hits from deep,

1511
01:09:40,469 --> 01:09:42,847
The 1st half will
come to a close.

1512
01:09:42,847 --> 01:09:46,851
The New York Liberty
with a 17-point advantage

1513
01:09:46,851 --> 01:09:49,728
led by Natasha
Howard's 14 points.

1514
01:09:49,728 --> 01:09:51,647
♪ Right up to the game,
right up to the game ♪

1515
01:09:51,647 --> 01:09:53,941
♪ This is my show ♪

1516
01:09:53,941 --> 01:09:55,651
We did start
to get lazy defensively,

1517
01:09:55,651 --> 01:09:57,736
and they bailed us,
they missed some shots.

1518
01:09:57,736 --> 01:09:59,738
We got lazy and got lucky.

1519
01:09:59,738 --> 01:10:01,740
They've gotta tighten that up.

1520
01:10:01,740 --> 01:10:04,243
You know what? They in the
cause go to the aggressor.

1521
01:10:04,243 --> 01:10:06,579
We started out that way
punching, we can't let up.

1522
01:10:06,579 --> 01:10:08,080
We can not.

1523
01:10:12,334 --> 01:10:13,836
I would like to
see more of this.

1524
01:10:13,836 --> 01:10:15,921
This driving kick, gets
you two in the paint.

1525
01:10:15,921 --> 01:10:18,716
Great drive, great drive, I love
it, keep it up.

1526
01:10:18,716 --> 01:10:20,342
Offensively, you guys
have done a hell of a job

1527
01:10:20,342 --> 01:10:22,470
and you guys cannot
let up one bit.

1528
01:10:22,470 --> 01:10:24,305
Mm hmm.
Okay, not one bit.

1529
01:10:24,305 --> 01:10:26,265
Those doubles have to stay
aggressive as shit, okay?

1530
01:10:26,265 --> 01:10:27,975
We're not gonna let 'em
get back into this game.

1531
01:10:27,975 --> 01:10:29,435
Liberty, 1, 2, 3.
Liberty!

1532
01:10:29,435 --> 01:10:31,437
Come on, ya'll.

1533
01:10:33,272 --> 01:10:35,024
Okay, we up 20.

1534
01:10:35,024 --> 01:10:37,902
No way we about to give
away a 20-point lead.

1535
01:10:39,778 --> 01:10:40,905
Okay, here we go.

1536
01:10:45,451 --> 01:10:47,536
Cloud voice up
the three and knocks it down.

1537
01:10:47,536 --> 01:10:49,705
Mitchell hits the three.

1538
01:10:49,705 --> 01:10:52,124
And by the time you know it.

1539
01:10:53,375 --> 01:10:55,794
Ariel
Atkins then hits the three.

1540
01:10:55,794 --> 01:10:57,838
In just a matter of seconds.

1541
01:10:57,838 --> 01:10:59,965
Atkins
again. Feeling it!

1542
01:10:59,965 --> 01:11:02,051
Ariel Atkins knocks it down

1543
01:11:02,051 --> 01:11:03,969
and the lead is down to 10.

1544
01:11:05,179 --> 01:11:06,263
- We're leading.
- B!

1545
01:11:06,263 --> 01:11:07,765
Get it, get it, get it, get it
get it!

1546
01:11:08,224 --> 01:11:10,726
Tom! Hold them
done there, Mich.

1547
01:11:12,269 --> 01:11:14,230
Walker-Kimbrough.

1548
01:11:14,230 --> 01:11:15,648
And they cut it
to single digits,

1549
01:11:15,648 --> 01:11:18,150
and I was like, what the fuck?

1550
01:11:19,151 --> 01:11:20,736
God damn it, they can't score.

1551
01:11:20,736 --> 01:11:22,738
Pick up!

1552
01:11:22,738 --> 01:11:26,158
Walker-Kimbrough hits the three.

1553
01:11:26,158 --> 01:11:28,244
And the lead is down to five.

1554
01:11:28,244 --> 01:11:30,704
Playoff implications
on the line.

1555
01:11:32,498 --> 01:11:34,333
Up, up, up!

1556
01:11:35,501 --> 01:11:38,837
She's just running
into us and knocking us.

1557
01:11:38,837 --> 01:11:39,755
Jesus Christ!

1558
01:11:39,755 --> 01:11:41,257
Time is on our side, y'all!

1559
01:11:41,257 --> 01:11:43,008
Come on, time is on our side!

1560
01:11:43,008 --> 01:11:44,343
Dig in! Dig in!

1561
01:11:46,095 --> 01:11:49,014
- Go, go, go!
- Come on! Come on!

1562
01:11:49,014 --> 01:11:50,140
Time-out!

1563
01:11:53,644 --> 01:11:55,437
You got 'em, Dus.
We know it.

1564
01:11:55,437 --> 01:11:57,314
B, you're gonna
handle

1565
01:11:57,314 --> 01:11:59,024
we've
done this screen,

1566
01:11:59,024 --> 01:12:00,901
we're comin' up high, stay high.
Yeah.

1567
01:12:00,901 --> 01:12:01,610
That's it.

1568
01:12:01,610 --> 01:12:03,070
Everything we've learned
from other fucking game,

1569
01:12:03,070 --> 01:12:04,572
right here, so come on, come on!

1570
01:12:04,572 --> 01:12:06,699
- Liberty, 1, 2, 3!
- Liberty!

1571
01:12:06,699 --> 01:12:09,118
We had to play to
win, we had to go back

1572
01:12:09,118 --> 01:12:11,704
to what was working for
us in the 1st quarter.

1573
01:12:14,957 --> 01:12:20,004
Playing to win instead
of playing not to lose.

1574
01:12:20,004 --> 01:12:23,215
Forward! Three!

1575
01:12:23,966 --> 01:12:25,301
♪ Got 'em to the game ♪

1576
01:12:26,802 --> 01:12:28,637
♪ Right until the 28 ♪

1577
01:12:28,637 --> 01:12:30,639
♪ Bad out, bad out
Win by any means ♪

1578
01:12:30,639 --> 01:12:32,975
Sabrina Ionescu!

1579
01:12:34,643 --> 01:12:36,895
Hey, we
need

1580
01:12:36,895 --> 01:12:38,731
I know.

1581
01:12:38,731 --> 01:12:40,399
Nice bin!

1582
01:12:41,567 --> 01:12:42,818
They're not gonna
steal this game from us

1583
01:12:42,818 --> 01:12:44,945
like we've had done
to us plenty of times.

1584
01:12:47,156 --> 01:12:48,574
Howard!

1585
01:12:52,328 --> 01:12:54,496
Sabrina Ionescu,
and that's the quick shot

1586
01:12:54,496 --> 01:12:57,416
off there and Ionescu
hits it again!

1587
01:12:57,416 --> 01:12:59,877
Another huge bucket!

1588
01:12:59,877 --> 01:13:01,503
♪ Welcome to the game,
this is my show ♪

1589
01:13:01,503 --> 01:13:05,883
They
win this game tonight.

1590
01:13:05,883 --> 01:13:08,177
The New York Liberty will
be in the post-season

1591
01:13:08,177 --> 01:13:11,847
for the first time since 2017.

1592
01:13:11,847 --> 01:13:15,017
♪ Bow down to the queen ♪

1593
01:13:15,017 --> 01:13:16,268
It's fuckin' great.

1594
01:13:16,268 --> 01:13:18,020
♪ To the queen right now ♪

1595
01:13:21,315 --> 01:13:23,317
The one thing you need
to win a championship,

1596
01:13:23,317 --> 01:13:25,110
you have to obviously
have the players,

1597
01:13:25,110 --> 01:13:28,197
you have to have the staff
that supports the players,

1598
01:13:28,197 --> 01:13:29,406
you have to have the resources.

1599
01:13:29,406 --> 01:13:31,533
It's a grind throughout
the WNBA season,

1600
01:13:31,533 --> 01:13:34,036
you need a little bit of
luck with some health.

1601
01:13:34,036 --> 01:13:36,372
But at the end of the
day, you have to have

1602
01:13:36,372 --> 01:13:40,709
that persona of we are here
to win day in and day out.

1603
01:13:40,709 --> 01:13:45,047
This team is young, but
you see that they want it,

1604
01:13:45,047 --> 01:13:47,299
it's now just about
learning what it looks like.

1605
01:13:49,176 --> 01:13:51,804
It's a desire to
want it that bad.

1606
01:13:51,804 --> 01:13:53,305
You gotta want it that bad

1607
01:13:53,305 --> 01:13:58,102
that nothing freaking else
matters but to win it.

1608
01:13:58,102 --> 01:14:00,604
It's worth remembering
that the New York Liberty

1609
01:14:00,604 --> 01:14:03,982
were a contender,
year in and year out,

1610
01:14:03,982 --> 01:14:06,985
early on in the
history of the WNBA.

1611
01:14:08,404 --> 01:14:12,616
With Houston, we quickly
developed that type of rivalry.

1612
01:14:14,076 --> 01:14:17,830
The Houston Comets were, they
won four championships in a row.

1613
01:14:17,830 --> 01:14:19,748
And New York came up
against Houston Comets

1614
01:14:19,748 --> 01:14:21,500
in the finals for
three of the four years

1615
01:14:21,500 --> 01:14:23,168
that they won those
championships.

1616
01:14:23,168 --> 01:14:25,087
Can't believe it,
it's time to play, baby.

1617
01:14:25,087 --> 01:14:27,172
It's that time again!

1618
01:14:27,172 --> 01:14:29,174
Van Chancellor
has one time-out left,

1619
01:14:29,174 --> 01:14:30,676
but he's not gonna call it.

1620
01:14:32,469 --> 01:14:34,972
We'll put it in the
hands of Cynthia Cooper.

1621
01:14:34,972 --> 01:14:36,181
Cooper to Thompson.

1622
01:14:37,349 --> 01:14:38,600
Tina Thompson puts it up

1623
01:14:38,600 --> 01:14:41,520
score
with 2.4 remaining.

1624
01:14:41,520 --> 01:14:43,313
The Comets, up by 2.

1625
01:14:45,107 --> 01:14:47,276
Liberty out of time-outs.

1626
01:14:47,276 --> 01:14:49,611
The Houston Comets
appeared to everyone

1627
01:14:49,611 --> 01:14:52,197
as if they had done
what they normally do,

1628
01:14:52,197 --> 01:14:53,782
which is won again.

1629
01:14:53,782 --> 01:14:55,743
There's ticker
tape on the ground,

1630
01:14:55,743 --> 01:14:58,537
and it would take
an absolute miracle

1631
01:14:58,537 --> 01:15:01,290
for the New York Liberty
to pull this out.

1632
01:15:02,708 --> 01:15:04,626
I just remember grabbing
the ball out of the net

1633
01:15:04,626 --> 01:15:09,047
and just like, damn we lose
another one to these guys.

1634
01:15:09,047 --> 01:15:12,801
Kim is slowly walking
to get the ball.

1635
01:15:12,801 --> 01:15:14,386
No one's around me,
so I'm screaming,

1636
01:15:14,386 --> 01:15:17,806
Kim, throw the ball,
throw the ball.

1637
01:15:17,806 --> 01:15:19,975
So Spoon had ran to
the half-court line

1638
01:15:19,975 --> 01:15:23,312
and I had wanted to
roll the ball to her

1639
01:15:23,312 --> 01:15:24,480
just to maximize the clock

1640
01:15:24,480 --> 01:15:26,315
and not use any
time off the clock,

1641
01:15:26,315 --> 01:15:27,816
but when Tina Thompson saw that,

1642
01:15:27,816 --> 01:15:29,818
she started running
back towards her.

1643
01:15:29,818 --> 01:15:33,155
And so I just had
to pass it into her.

1644
01:15:33,155 --> 01:15:34,740
They've gotta
go the length of the floor.

1645
01:15:34,740 --> 01:15:37,910
Teresa Weatherspoon, at
the buzzer, for three!

1646
01:15:37,910 --> 01:15:39,578
Oh, she put it in!

1647
01:15:39,578 --> 01:15:40,829
She put it in!

1648
01:15:40,829 --> 01:15:43,207
And the Liberty win game two!

1649
01:15:43,207 --> 01:15:44,374
What a finish!

1650
01:15:45,501 --> 01:15:46,960
Unbelievable!

1651
01:15:49,004 --> 01:15:51,048
Time happens for
me to throw it up there.

1652
01:15:51,048 --> 01:15:54,593
I heed and it goes up and
it took forever to drop.

1653
01:15:56,762 --> 01:15:58,597
I stopped and I was
watching it thinking,

1654
01:15:58,597 --> 01:16:00,015
that has a chance.

1655
01:16:00,015 --> 01:16:02,768
This crowd
is absolutely stunned.

1656
01:16:02,768 --> 01:16:06,355
One of the most amazing
finishes in the WNBA.

1657
01:16:06,355 --> 01:16:09,775
And there'll be a game
played tomorrow afternoon.

1658
01:16:09,775 --> 01:16:11,610
Everyone was on the
floor on Teresa,

1659
01:16:11,610 --> 01:16:14,196
and I remember just leaning,
falling on the pile

1660
01:16:14,196 --> 01:16:15,614
and all I could think
of was, get up, get up,

1661
01:16:15,614 --> 01:16:17,074
'cause I don't hurt
anyone, get up,

1662
01:16:17,074 --> 01:16:18,617
and we have to play tomorrow.

1663
01:16:19,868 --> 01:16:21,036
And I felt like we
were gonna win it,

1664
01:16:21,036 --> 01:16:23,122
because then I felt
like that was our omen.

1665
01:16:25,624 --> 01:16:28,293
That was our sign,
but.

1666
01:16:29,628 --> 01:16:31,004
Hanging in there with
us, baby. Hold on.

1667
01:16:31,004 --> 01:16:33,006
- All right, good job, Teresa.
- Thanks, baby.

1668
01:16:33,006 --> 01:16:34,925
And to know we worked so hard.

1669
01:16:35,509 --> 01:16:39,304
And we got there and it
never happened for us.

1670
01:16:40,222 --> 01:16:41,640
It still bothers me.

1671
01:16:44,059 --> 01:16:45,853
It still bothers me because

1672
01:16:49,648 --> 01:16:52,109
those ladies chose
me as their leader.

1673
01:16:53,193 --> 01:16:58,323
That I didn't come through
for them bothers me.

1674
01:16:58,657 --> 01:17:02,411
It's official,
there's a dynasty in the WNBA,

1675
01:17:02,411 --> 01:17:06,915
the Houston Comets have won
their 3rd straight championship.

1676
01:17:06,915 --> 01:17:09,918
But to know that I didn't see

1677
01:17:09,918 --> 01:17:14,423
them celebrate a
championship bothers me.

1678
01:17:16,508 --> 01:17:19,177
When they started
winning those championships,

1679
01:17:19,177 --> 01:17:21,263
I believe Spoon
took that personal,

1680
01:17:21,263 --> 01:17:22,764
and we all took it personal.

1681
01:17:22,764 --> 01:17:27,185
We were like, "Uh-uh,
this isn't gonna happen," so...

1682
01:17:27,185 --> 01:17:31,690
Spoon's last shot, it
was the epitome of Spoon.

1683
01:17:31,690 --> 01:17:35,068
I will never ever stop,
I'm only gonna lose

1684
01:17:35,068 --> 01:17:36,862
because we ran outta time.

1685
01:17:36,862 --> 01:17:40,782
And that's how it always
felt with New York Liberty.

1686
01:17:40,782 --> 01:17:44,828
You never ever, ever give
up on an opportunity.

1687
01:17:47,456 --> 01:17:48,790
It's crushing.

1688
01:17:48,790 --> 01:17:53,295
To go to the championship
a few times

1689
01:17:53,295 --> 01:17:58,050
and get so close to winning
it, it's devastating.

1690
01:17:58,050 --> 01:18:01,511
And everybody's always thinking
what could I have done?

1691
01:18:02,846 --> 01:18:05,015
Here to perform
"Unfinished Business",

1692
01:18:05,015 --> 01:18:08,810
please welcome Joan Jeff
and The Blackhearts.

1693
01:18:12,147 --> 01:18:13,982
♪ Unfinished business ♪

1694
01:18:13,982 --> 01:18:15,943
♪ Risin' to the top ♪

1695
01:18:15,943 --> 01:18:17,986
♪ Unfinished business ♪

1696
01:18:17,986 --> 01:18:19,988
♪ Never gonna stop ♪

1697
01:18:19,988 --> 01:18:25,827
So we recorded the song and
we played it at the halftime

1698
01:18:25,827 --> 01:18:27,746
at Madison Square Garden.

1699
01:18:27,746 --> 01:18:31,083
You gotta know I love
the Liberty to do that.

1700
01:18:31,083 --> 01:18:35,087
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1701
01:18:35,087 --> 01:18:39,174
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1702
01:18:39,174 --> 01:18:43,136
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1703
01:18:43,136 --> 01:18:46,265
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1704
01:18:46,265 --> 01:18:48,100
♪ Unfinished business ♪

1705
01:18:48,100 --> 01:18:52,354
The business isn't
done, you still gotta win.

1706
01:18:53,188 --> 01:18:54,356
Women,
Heck yeah.

1707
01:18:54,356 --> 01:18:57,943
we gotta win, New York.
Right.

1708
01:18:57,943 --> 01:18:59,903
♪ Gonna break through ♪

1709
01:18:59,903 --> 01:19:00,946
♪ Ow ♪

1710
01:19:37,065 --> 01:19:39,151
Yes, Nina is here.

1711
01:19:44,656 --> 01:19:46,908
It's really unfortunate
that we can't play

1712
01:19:46,908 --> 01:19:50,078
in our arena tonight,
it's booked out.

1713
01:19:50,078 --> 01:19:51,538
A concert, I believe.

1714
01:19:51,538 --> 01:19:53,749
And that's not fair really.

1715
01:19:53,749 --> 01:19:55,584
That's pretty
disrespectful for our team

1716
01:19:55,584 --> 01:19:58,170
that there's really no home
court advantage.

1717
01:19:58,170 --> 01:20:00,213
We're just playing on
a neutral site now.

1718
01:20:02,674 --> 01:20:04,426
Does that
happen to the Phoenix Suns

1719
01:20:04,426 --> 01:20:06,178
when they make the playoffs?

1720
01:20:06,178 --> 01:20:08,096
No. No, it doesn't.

1721
01:20:09,681 --> 01:20:10,515
Let's get it.

1722
01:20:11,641 --> 01:20:12,476
Here he is.

1723
01:20:12,476 --> 01:20:13,602
Yo, where do I go?

1724
01:20:13,602 --> 01:20:14,811
Just out?

1725
01:20:14,811 --> 01:20:16,021
Out to the right. Out to the
right.

1726
01:20:16,021 --> 01:20:16,855
Okay.

1727
01:20:25,238 --> 01:20:27,365
I'm curious
as to what you think

1728
01:20:27,365 --> 01:20:31,078
this playoff appearance
represents for this team?

1729
01:20:31,078 --> 01:20:32,621
Moving forward we
wanna be a playoff team

1730
01:20:32,621 --> 01:20:34,790
every single year, but
this is where it starts,

1731
01:20:34,790 --> 01:20:36,249
it starts making playoffs first,

1732
01:20:36,249 --> 01:20:37,584
it starts getting
that experience

1733
01:20:37,584 --> 01:20:39,503
and learning what
it takes to win

1734
01:20:39,503 --> 01:20:42,506
in a single game elimination
when your season's on the line.

1735
01:20:43,673 --> 01:20:45,675
Welcome
to ESPN's coverage

1736
01:20:45,675 --> 01:20:47,969
of the WNBA playoffs.

1737
01:20:47,969 --> 01:20:50,138
Welcome back the
New York Liberty,

1738
01:20:50,138 --> 01:20:52,307
who have missed the playoffs
the last three seasons,

1739
01:20:52,307 --> 01:20:54,643
won only two games last year.

1740
01:20:54,643 --> 01:20:56,228
Thank God they get
to the playoffs

1741
01:20:56,228 --> 01:20:59,064
on the final day of
the regular season.

1742
01:20:59,064 --> 01:20:59,940
Let's go!

1743
01:21:02,234 --> 01:21:03,902
Facing the New York Liberty,

1744
01:21:03,902 --> 01:21:05,237
I knew they could
be a dangerous team

1745
01:21:05,237 --> 01:21:07,656
if we allow them
to be dangerous.

1746
01:21:07,656 --> 01:21:10,617
So it's more about making sure
we come out really strong.

1747
01:21:10,617 --> 01:21:12,285
The
winner will advance on,

1748
01:21:12,285 --> 01:21:13,578
the loser goes home.

1749
01:21:13,578 --> 01:21:15,580
Let
the playoff go on.

1750
01:21:15,580 --> 01:21:17,874
And
we are underway.

1751
01:21:20,335 --> 01:21:22,337
Sabrina Ionescu with
the first bucket.

1752
01:21:25,173 --> 01:21:28,343
waiting
for Ionescu to come by.

1753
01:21:32,806 --> 01:21:36,351
Sabrina in her playoff
day debut looks ready.

1754
01:21:36,852 --> 01:21:39,187
Howard hit the deck
trying to draw the charge.

1755
01:21:39,187 --> 01:21:41,857
And she scores!

1756
01:21:50,448 --> 01:21:53,076
They're being the aggressors,
and they're getting calls.

1757
01:21:53,076 --> 01:21:55,203
They're gonna foul
you guys, okay?

1758
01:21:55,203 --> 01:21:56,371
But we're going
away from contact

1759
01:21:56,371 --> 01:21:57,622
instead of going into it.

1760
01:21:57,622 --> 01:21:59,624
Find an arm, rip up through it

1761
01:21:59,624 --> 01:22:01,209
and go get an hand on one, okay?

1762
01:22:01,209 --> 01:22:02,961
That's how we inch our
way back into the stadium,

1763
01:22:02,961 --> 01:22:05,005
that's how they get frustrated.

1764
01:22:09,009 --> 01:22:11,052
Whitcomb hanging
out at the three point line,

1765
01:22:11,052 --> 01:22:12,220
where she lives.

1766
01:22:13,471 --> 01:22:16,057
9-0, Liberty run.

1767
01:22:16,057 --> 01:22:19,394
They're working very well now.

1768
01:22:19,394 --> 01:22:20,562
Betnijah Laney.

1769
01:22:22,397 --> 01:22:26,818
Laney, creating and then
finishing with her off hand.

1770
01:22:29,821 --> 01:22:33,992
Richards thanks
Whitcomb for the pass.

1771
01:22:33,992 --> 01:22:35,118
Look what we have here

1772
01:22:35,118 --> 01:22:38,246
with New York
catapulting back on top.

1773
01:22:38,246 --> 01:22:39,664
Laney gets it.

1774
01:22:41,166 --> 01:22:43,168
I don't know
Betnijah Laney in this game.

1775
01:22:43,168 --> 01:22:46,713
Laney
follows her own miss.

1776
01:22:46,713 --> 01:22:49,341
Biggest lead for New York.

1777
01:22:49,341 --> 01:22:51,218
Laney
bringing that New York state

1778
01:22:51,218 --> 01:22:53,094
of mind to the desert.

1779
01:22:55,972 --> 01:23:00,810
Griner, with
Whitcomb whose a lot shorter.

1780
01:23:03,104 --> 01:23:04,189
Can they hit 'em again?

1781
01:23:04,189 --> 01:23:07,359
And she does,
and then she screams.

1782
01:23:07,359 --> 01:23:09,110
Now, and can she counter?

1783
01:23:09,110 --> 01:23:09,945
Yes!

1784
01:23:11,613 --> 01:23:14,449
Cunningham with a new
career play off high.

1785
01:23:15,784 --> 01:23:17,077
Oh my God!

1786
01:23:23,375 --> 01:23:24,376
That's
Sabrina returning

1787
01:23:24,376 --> 01:23:26,503
the favor and gets it in.

1788
01:23:27,504 --> 01:23:30,799
Takes the fight to the screen.

1789
01:23:30,799 --> 01:23:33,385
Eight ties and 12 lead changes.

1790
01:23:33,385 --> 01:23:36,721
Ionescu to Howard
with the perfect pass.

1791
01:23:42,894 --> 01:23:44,229
Laney, a nice fake.

1792
01:23:44,229 --> 01:23:45,355
Beautiful.

1793
01:23:45,355 --> 01:23:47,983
That was a nice fake and
a better pass to Howard.

1794
01:23:47,983 --> 01:23:50,610
So well executed
by the New York Liberty.

1795
01:24:01,329 --> 01:24:03,707
Sophie cross court to Skylar.

1796
01:24:05,834 --> 01:24:06,751
It goes in!

1797
01:24:09,754 --> 01:24:10,588
The game is tied.

1798
01:24:12,882 --> 01:24:15,719
Ionescu gets New
York back on top.

1799
01:24:17,971 --> 01:24:19,139
Sophie.

1800
01:24:19,139 --> 01:24:21,433
Are you kidding me?

1801
01:24:21,433 --> 01:24:23,268
Everyone on their feet.

1802
01:24:26,771 --> 01:24:27,939
Skylar!

1803
01:24:32,861 --> 01:24:36,072
New York does have a time-out,

1804
01:24:36,072 --> 01:24:38,033
but they're not gonna take it.

1805
01:24:38,033 --> 01:24:39,284
Played it.

1806
01:24:41,202 --> 01:24:42,245
What a game.

1807
01:24:42,245 --> 01:24:45,874
Betnijah Laney with the three.

1808
01:24:45,874 --> 01:24:48,626
Betnijah Laney, I
mean, what an inspiring story,

1809
01:24:48,626 --> 01:24:50,962
the growth of her as a player.

1810
01:24:50,962 --> 01:24:54,007
She could win a game on her own.

1811
01:24:54,007 --> 01:24:56,343
What a
game here in Phoenix.

1812
01:25:00,305 --> 01:25:02,474
They were playing aggressive,

1813
01:25:02,474 --> 01:25:05,644
and then it came down to
the last play of the game.

1814
01:25:05,644 --> 01:25:07,187
I had a feeling
they're gonna trap BG,

1815
01:25:07,187 --> 01:25:08,646
'cause they've done it all game.

1816
01:25:09,647 --> 01:25:11,983
Now! Go!

1817
01:25:11,983 --> 01:25:14,486
Turner fouled!

1818
01:25:16,404 --> 01:25:19,157
With 0.4 seconds left to go,

1819
01:25:19,157 --> 01:25:21,743
Sami Whitcomb commits the foul.

1820
01:25:21,743 --> 01:25:26,539
Sami
Whitcomb.

1821
01:25:30,752 --> 01:25:31,920
Up!

1822
01:25:38,593 --> 01:25:41,679
Turner
only got one shot left.

1823
01:25:41,679 --> 01:25:43,098
Got it.

1824
01:25:44,766 --> 01:25:46,601
Time-out, New York.

1825
01:25:46,601 --> 01:25:51,689
But they only have 0.4
seconds to get a shot off.

1826
01:25:52,315 --> 01:25:54,359
Is that enough
time for New York?

1827
01:25:59,531 --> 01:26:03,201
Is that as loud as
you can be? Turn it up!

1828
01:26:11,042 --> 01:26:12,127
They need Ionescu.

1829
01:26:12,127 --> 01:26:14,045
Her shot. Short.

1830
01:26:17,340 --> 01:26:21,177
And the Phoenix
Mercury in one of the

1831
01:26:21,177 --> 01:26:27,600
most memorable playoff games
that we've seen in a while,

1832
01:26:28,810 --> 01:26:33,440
eliminate New York 83-82.

1833
01:26:35,400 --> 01:26:36,734
Tonight that we was here,

1834
01:26:36,734 --> 01:26:39,112
we made mistakes
but nothing too big,

1835
01:26:39,112 --> 01:26:40,655
we didn't win, but that's big.

1836
01:26:40,655 --> 01:26:43,116
This is the momentum we
need going into next year.

1837
01:26:43,116 --> 01:26:44,742
We got this. Here we go.

1838
01:26:44,742 --> 01:26:46,161
- Come on y'all.
- Come on y'all.

1839
01:26:46,161 --> 01:26:48,788
Liberty on 3. 1-2-3.
Liberty!

1840
01:26:49,706 --> 01:26:51,207
The New York
Liberty should not

1841
01:26:51,207 --> 01:26:51,833
hang their heads.

1842
01:26:51,833 --> 01:26:54,752
That young team came in here
and they put up a fight.

1843
01:26:54,752 --> 01:26:56,004
This
should propel New York

1844
01:26:56,004 --> 01:26:58,006
into great things
for the next year.

1845
01:27:08,099 --> 01:27:10,810
Having a team the way
that we've build it,

1846
01:27:11,686 --> 01:27:13,771
we we're gonna go through
those learning curves,

1847
01:27:13,771 --> 01:27:15,356
we were gonna take those losses

1848
01:27:16,774 --> 01:27:18,651
so that we could build
this team the way

1849
01:27:18,651 --> 01:27:19,861
that we wanted to build it.

1850
01:27:19,861 --> 01:27:22,739
We build up a young core
so that we can bring

1851
01:27:22,739 --> 01:27:24,782
in the Betnijahs, that
we've bring in Natasha,

1852
01:27:24,782 --> 01:27:25,867
they wanna be here.

1853
01:27:28,453 --> 01:27:30,580
Our goal is definitely
to win a championship,

1854
01:27:30,580 --> 01:27:32,957
and it won't just be for us,

1855
01:27:32,957 --> 01:27:34,709
it will be for everybody
that came before us,

1856
01:27:34,709 --> 01:27:36,628
everybody that believed in us.

1857
01:27:36,628 --> 01:27:39,839
When we get to that
point, that's when Teaspoon,

1858
01:27:39,839 --> 01:27:41,883
Crystal Robinson, they
can get their rings.

1859
01:27:41,883 --> 01:27:44,511
You have to do
it for Teaspoon.

1860
01:27:46,513 --> 01:27:48,973
The game means
that much to me.

1861
01:27:48,973 --> 01:27:50,892
The game means that
much that I leave

1862
01:27:50,892 --> 01:27:54,312
something for someone
else to be able to take.

1863
01:27:54,312 --> 01:27:56,231
Not just take it from me,

1864
01:27:56,231 --> 01:27:58,483
how about leave something
for someone else?

1865
01:27:58,483 --> 01:28:02,070
That when you walk
away, that they got it.

1866
01:28:02,070 --> 01:28:05,281
You left something for
someone else to grow in.

1867
01:28:05,281 --> 01:28:06,824
Leaders lead.

1868
01:28:06,824 --> 01:28:09,410
And when leaders
lead, they make sure

1869
01:28:09,410 --> 01:28:12,830
they left the leader
when they leave.

1870
01:28:12,830 --> 01:28:15,542
This is reciprocal, this is
giving back, giving back.

1871
01:28:16,334 --> 01:28:19,254
If you want something to
last, it has to be a circle.

1872
01:28:19,254 --> 01:28:21,756
Those that started it, and
it goes all the way around

1873
01:28:21,756 --> 01:28:24,092
to those that are
currently in it.

1874
01:28:24,092 --> 01:28:26,761
That's just the
evolution of sports.

1875
01:28:26,761 --> 01:28:29,681
We're so happy to see these
girls get these things

1876
01:28:29,681 --> 01:28:33,935
and to get more, now they have
to bear that responsibility

1877
01:28:33,935 --> 01:28:36,187
and continue to build and grow

1878
01:28:36,187 --> 01:28:38,147
so that the
generation after them,

1879
01:28:38,147 --> 01:28:39,649
it'll be even better for them.

1880
01:28:42,443 --> 01:28:45,363
When you walk in that
day and your day is done,

1881
01:28:45,363 --> 01:28:46,948
you better make sure you
able to tell yourself you

1882
01:28:46,948 --> 01:28:49,117
did something great
for someone else.

1883
01:28:49,117 --> 01:28:50,952
You helped someone else.

1884
01:28:50,952 --> 01:28:52,537
If you give a hand, you
better be given a hand

1885
01:28:52,537 --> 01:28:54,205
to lift somebody up.

1886
01:29:12,807 --> 01:29:14,851
Michaela
Onyenwere, Rookie of The Year.

1887
01:29:18,229 --> 01:29:19,480
Winning Rookie of The Year

1888
01:29:19,480 --> 01:29:22,066
was definitely not
in my expectations.

1889
01:29:38,499 --> 01:29:44,839
Making her
all-star debut, Betnijah Laney!

1890
01:29:44,839 --> 01:29:48,384
I could not be more ecstatic
for B to be an all-star.

1891
01:29:48,384 --> 01:29:51,012
I guess now I am
in the all-star club.

1892
01:29:51,012 --> 01:29:53,640
And I wanna stay there.

1893
01:29:53,640 --> 01:29:57,018
I have Betnijah as a all-star.

1894
01:29:57,018 --> 01:29:58,603
I said I just
want you to know,

1895
01:29:58,603 --> 01:30:00,855
every all-star game
that mommy played in,

1896
01:30:00,855 --> 01:30:02,315
mommy was the MVP.

1897
01:30:12,659 --> 01:30:14,494
♪ Lookin' to run ♪

1898
01:30:14,494 --> 01:30:16,329
♪ Lookin' to score ♪

1899
01:30:16,329 --> 01:30:18,247
♪ You left me hanging' round ♪

1900
01:30:18,247 --> 01:30:20,416
♪ And I'm lookin' for more ♪

1901
01:30:20,416 --> 01:30:23,419
When somebody
becomes available

1902
01:30:23,419 --> 01:30:26,839
that hasn't been available
in a near decade,

1903
01:30:26,839 --> 01:30:28,591
that has championship
experience,

1904
01:30:29,384 --> 01:30:32,220
you have to take your
shot at that person.

1905
01:30:33,721 --> 01:30:36,557
I am the new head coach
of the New York Liberty.

1906
01:30:39,852 --> 01:30:43,940
♪ Unfinished business
Risin' to the top ♪

1907
01:30:43,940 --> 01:30:48,027
♪ Unfinished business
Never gonna stop ♪

1908
01:30:48,027 --> 01:30:50,113
♪ Unfinished business ♪

1909
01:30:50,113 --> 01:30:53,199
Uh-oh, I think
we've got a super team

1910
01:30:53,199 --> 01:30:55,785
in the making in New York City.

1911
01:30:55,785 --> 01:30:57,578
The Liberty
acquired Jonquel Jones,

1912
01:30:57,578 --> 01:31:00,373
the 2021 WNBA MVP-

1913
01:31:00,373 --> 01:31:01,374
One
of the greatest players

1914
01:31:01,374 --> 01:31:02,875
in WNBA history.

1915
01:31:02,875 --> 01:31:04,293
Breanna Stewart is headed

1916
01:31:04,293 --> 01:31:05,753
to the New York Liberty.

1917
01:31:05,753 --> 01:31:07,296
New York
landed another all-star,

1918
01:31:07,296 --> 01:31:09,257
point guard Courtney
Vandersloot.

1919
01:31:09,257 --> 01:31:11,926
We both saw our futures
being really bright

1920
01:31:11,926 --> 01:31:12,927
here in New York.

1921
01:31:12,927 --> 01:31:14,387
It would mean everything to
me to be able

1922
01:31:16,139 --> 01:31:17,432
It's exciting to see

1923
01:31:17,432 --> 01:31:19,225
the super team era
is now happening.

1924
01:31:19,225 --> 01:31:21,102
Jonquel came and
then Stewie came

1925
01:31:21,102 --> 01:31:22,478
and then Courtney
Vandersloot came,

1926
01:31:22,478 --> 01:31:24,772
and so now it's kind of
the talk of the town.

1927
01:31:24,772 --> 01:31:26,107
Once you see the greats,

1928
01:31:26,107 --> 01:31:27,942
it's like, "Oh,
we're gonna win."

1929
01:31:27,942 --> 01:31:32,113
♪ Unfinished business
Risin' to the top ♪

1930
01:31:32,113 --> 01:31:34,115
♪ Unfinished business ♪

1931
01:31:34,115 --> 01:31:36,242
♪ Never gonna stop ♪

1932
01:31:36,242 --> 01:31:38,286
♪ Unfinished business ♪

1933
01:31:38,286 --> 01:31:40,329
♪ Got a job to do ♪

1934
01:31:40,329 --> 01:31:42,665
♪ Unfinished business ♪

1935
01:31:42,665 --> 01:31:44,917
Liberty are an
incredible story

1936
01:31:44,917 --> 01:31:48,755
about the trajectory
of women's sports.

1937
01:31:48,755 --> 01:31:51,090
Talk about going from
Madison Square Garden

1938
01:31:51,090 --> 01:31:53,009
to the Westchester
County Center,

1939
01:31:53,009 --> 01:31:54,677
to the Barclays Center.

1940
01:31:54,677 --> 01:31:58,598
It really is a story about
the respect that's conferred

1941
01:31:58,598 --> 01:32:02,769
on women as athletes and
on the potential future

1942
01:32:02,769 --> 01:32:04,353
of the league.

1943
01:32:04,353 --> 01:32:07,190
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1944
01:32:08,357 --> 01:32:11,194
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1945
01:32:12,528 --> 01:32:15,364
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1946
01:32:16,491 --> 01:32:18,201
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1947
01:32:18,201 --> 01:32:19,535
These players can play

1948
01:32:19,535 --> 01:32:21,454
and I think that's
what I'm hearing more

1949
01:32:21,454 --> 01:32:22,955
and more and more of.

1950
01:32:22,955 --> 01:32:24,791
The
players get better and better.

1951
01:32:24,791 --> 01:32:26,209
It has been phenomenal.

1952
01:32:26,209 --> 01:32:28,669
It's reached the level
that we hadn't seen before.

1953
01:32:29,796 --> 01:32:32,131
Have you ever
been to a WNBA game?

1954
01:32:33,883 --> 01:32:35,843
I'll leave you tickets.

1955
01:32:35,843 --> 01:32:37,053
If you go to a game,

1956
01:32:37,053 --> 01:32:38,221
and you can honestly
go to that game

1957
01:32:38,221 --> 01:32:40,056
and tell me you
didn't enjoy yourself,

1958
01:32:41,390 --> 01:32:43,476
I'll buy you some Jordan's,
I'll buy you dinner.

1959
01:32:43,476 --> 01:32:45,895
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1960
01:32:47,688 --> 01:32:50,107
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1961
01:32:51,859 --> 01:32:54,278
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1962
01:32:55,905 --> 01:32:58,324
♪ Let's go Liberty ♪

1963
01:32:58,783 --> 01:33:01,619
♪ There's unfinished business ♪

1964
01:33:03,246 --> 01:33:06,082
♪ Unfinished business ♪

1965
01:33:07,083 --> 01:33:09,919
♪ There's unfinished business ♪

1966
01:33:11,462 --> 01:33:12,839
♪ Unfinished business ♪

1967
01:33:12,839 --> 01:33:14,257
This is it?

1968
01:33:14,257 --> 01:33:15,174
Oh, my God.

1969
01:33:16,342 --> 01:33:17,260
Thank you, guys.

1970
01:33:17,260 --> 01:33:18,261
This was so fun.

1971
01:33:20,054 --> 01:33:21,180
Oh, my gosh, you know what?

1972
01:33:21,180 --> 01:33:22,348
How'd that fly.

1973
01:33:22,348 --> 01:33:23,599
The time went by fast.

1974
01:33:23,599 --> 01:33:25,184
I did really good.

1975
01:33:25,184 --> 01:33:27,603
I appreciate you all
so much for your time.

1976
01:33:27,603 --> 01:33:28,771
Thank you so much.

1977
01:33:28,771 --> 01:33:29,689
Thank you.

1978
01:33:30,648 --> 01:33:31,274
Awesome.

1979
01:33:31,691 --> 01:33:32,942
Awesome.

1980
01:33:32,942 --> 01:33:34,735
♪ Ow ♪