Angel Reese’s BIGGEST Dream Yet? Atlanta vs. Golden State Preview

0:00 What's Gigi thinking when it comes into the WNBA finals?

0:03 Man, I really, I really want Angel Reedus. She's projected as this villain in the WNBA or this. But no, I don't think it's that. Like, I think she definitely deserves this. I got to land a dream.

0:12 I'm tuned in.

0:13 Who you got? I can't say that. I'm national media. You see how you try to get me caught? You try to get me caught. We're not being messy with me today.

0:21 No.

0:22 No.

0:31 Back again. You have Triple A in the building. My girls, my girls, my girls. Let's go, teammates. Well, before we get into the energy, because I know Ashanti is ready to jump off the table. She's like, I'm ready to flip it. Before we flip, let me let y'all know. We have a great fun-packed show today. It's WNBA finals, obviously. Yes.

0:51 But then we have Kyla Charles representing the Valkyries. First time in the finals. And then Gigi Banks, the next generation coming through. But first, like, let's get in the group chat because I ain't seen y'all in a while. I feel like y'all have a song to keep together. We miss you.

1:05 We miss you.

1:06 What was that sound that we did? Yeah.

1:08 We're going out for our girl Penny. Penny Proud.

1:10 Penny Proud.

1:11 Because she couldn't join us. No, I mean, the group chat this weekend was popping off. My favorite.

1:17 Oh, Lord.

1:18 Here she goes.

1:18 What'd you do? It's always you. I didn't know it was me. You look guilty. You look guilty.

1:22 It's always Ashanti. My favorite thing to come out of the group chat this week was the video I took of Ashanti and I, you know, having a good time with the A Boogie halftime performance at the Liberty game. And we said hi to him.

1:44 He said hi to me, to be clear. Let us be clear.

1:48 As y'all know, I'm a New York native, so I love any artist that comes out of the city and Boogie from the Bronx. I mean, look, he put on a performance and I was enjoying it so much so.

2:00 People were recording from other angles. Like, this you? Not to surround videos. Surround surveillance.

2:06 Honestly, I love surprising Ashanti with my knowledge because then I started singing one of his throwbacks. And she goes, you really are a fan.

2:13 I'm like, okay, deep cut? I really appreciated that. I really appreciated that.

2:18 But as he was leaving, everybody was like, oh, boogie, boogie, boogie. He kept his head down, but I said, boogie.

2:23 And he said, Ashanti.

2:25 And his little dimple came out.

2:26 Because that's what I heard. I heard. He said, hey, girl. How you doing? Long time no see. Period. My close personal friend, a boogie with a hoodie.

2:33 And she kept it so cool.

2:34 Thank you. She did not. Oh, my God. Me and like the words that are changed. Celebrity Row is what they call it. RIP because it's in their season.

2:44 Crazy Celebrity Row though. Oh my gosh.

2:46 Olivia Rodrigo. Yes.

2:49 Crazy. They had like a heated rivalry. He wasn't there, but they had like some sort of edit where it made it look like part of the show, but it looked like he was talking to the Liberty's locker room.

2:58 Oh, that's fire.

2:59 So they pulled out all the stops and we really missed you.

3:01 We did miss you. I missed you guys, but you know, I can't wait to see Celebrity Row again. come finals because we got Vaux and Valhalla, which is never, never low on energy and surprises and Violet and her Heelys skating all over the court, but also just hit my inbox was that the Atlanta Dream have secured State Farm Arena. Yes.

3:24 And let me let you know that because of the pressure, I mean, you, any other, like, I feel like the Valkyries have set the standard for like, no, we're going to make sure we move anything else because nothing else matters right now. But our team going to finals, unprecedentedly. They learned from last year. Yeah. And now Atlanta would have looked crazy if they didn't move from Gateway to State Farm. Especially after that announcement. Yeah, girl.

3:47 When I saw that they were struggling to find an arena to play in and people were like, it's fine. We can go back to Gateway. I'm like, Gateway seats less than 4,000 people. There's no way you go from playing with, what, 12,000 to 17,000 people and then you go back to 3,000, especially in the finals.

4:03 No, you got to do what's done.

4:04 I saw there was, I think, Sombra and the Hawks had games and stuff like that. I'm really glad they ended up figuring it out because the online banter.

4:14 The Hawks are catching strays, which they should.

4:17 But I love that we really go up now. People are really mad about the potential of missing Atlanta in the finals for the first time since 2013. Their owner said, we're grateful for the efforts made by numerous stakeholders, and this is what the players and the fans deserve. Absolutely.

4:33 We love the owners. We were actually sitting behind them at the game the last game.

4:36 No, we were. And they were not playing about their team. No, no.

4:40 So we knew they could get it done based off of our few interactions with the owners at the game the other day.

4:44 They were awesome. I'm just glad that they did because it wouldn't have been great. First of all, the pricing of things increases when there's scarcity, but now it's going to see. And then, you know, Atlanta can pack out the culture. So I'm excited to see which rappers and- and singers and actors come.

5:00 It's still going to be a tough ticket, even with 17,000 seats. And I really love that.

5:04 Like, look how far we've come in women's sports.

5:07 Like, yeah, move those costs out the way, baby. We are here and it's going to be packed out and it's going to be lit.

5:12 I'm excited for Angel though, because she loves a crowd and like she really plays to the crowd. So this is going to be, I just love Angel. We'll get into that later, but I'm so excited for all of them, but I don't know. I love watching Angel perform in front of a crowd.

5:27 Well, Aaliyah, I go as you go, okay? I was going to say, might as well go. Let's just go ahead into it. The Liberty and the Aces got swept by the Valkyries and the Dream, and not respectively because that was out of order. However, just know that sweeps happened, and now the Valkyries are going for the first time.

5:45 The Dream is going for the first time since 2013. However, what is alarming to me is people aren't recognizing that though these are new franchises in the finals- There are some players who have been here before, right? We have Jordan Canada, who's had two championships. We have Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, who's won with the Mystics. You've had Kia Stokes, two championships.

6:05 You have Kayla Thornton. a championship with New York. Like they're, they're pretty stacked. You have winners on the team. So like when I'm looking at, yeah, I mean, obviously Dewana, but like, obviously, obviously, we get the bet. But when you look at the winning behavior that is within the teams already, it's kind of like, are they, are they new to this?

6:26 It's just the names that are new.

6:27 Yeah.

6:28 And even if they haven't won WNBA championships, they're used to winning at some way, shape or form. As you can see, like, The Valkyrie have, what, five, six UConn players who all have NCAA championships.

6:40 Probably four. You know what I mean?

6:42 So winning is not new to any of these ladies in any way, shape, or form.

6:47 It's just the name.

6:48 It's just the team that they're with today and the players that they're going into the championship.

6:53 They haven't won together.

6:56 I mean, I personally love that we're seeing such a shakeup with who's actually in the finals. I mean, the stats of Stewie and Asia being in the finals, most of their careers is insane. But as a basketball fan that might not be attached to a singular team, I think it's a lot of fun to get some mix up up in there. This dream team is very, very special.

7:18 We saw it firsthand in the. We went to the press conference after the game and even just the relationship they have, the trust they have. I know I was scrolling through Tik TOK and I saw some videos from 2024 when Carl got hired and people are like, who is this man?

7:34 And I think.

7:40 The way that he's been able, able to cultivate and make each player feel so special and so seen. That's how they work so well together. They're playing a lot of unselfish basketball. They're, you know, they're really gelling. And I don't know, I would love to get into the players that we're watching because I did bring up Angel and that is my girl. I have proudly been obsessed with Angel since the LSU days. But something that was really interesting in the press conference was how her shot has been fixed this season in Atlanta. And Carl and Angel told a really crazy, insightful story about how Carl made Angel make two threes in a row in the middle of practice, he stopped a drill flat out and said,

8:19 we can't continue with this drill until Angel makes two in a row, not two free throws, two threes. And like, honestly, like I'm the same way I can do something in front of a crowd, but as soon as it's my teammates or my friends, I'm like, Oh, like, let me not mess up. And like, that was a really cool story and the way that Angel's shot has developed. And she made the first two, like her first two shots in the game were threes and That's just, it just shows how he pours into his players. He makes them trust the process because her shot didn't get cleaned up till after the all-star break. That's when shots started falling really for her, especially from three. So that was a really cool story. And that's why I'm very excited to

8:56 watch Angel play. I'm having flashbacks from her LSU days when she's just like, doing everything she can to get a championship.

9:03 Okay.

9:04 Well, speaking of shots falling, you know who's really taking on an offensive load?

9:09 Gabby Williams.

9:10 And that is the player that I'm watching because one, we know Gabby defensively.

9:15 She is all over the place.

9:17 Hand in people's pockets, getting steals, leading to transition, getting buckets. But I mean- She has really blossomed on the offensive end as well. As in, like, I believe she's averaging 22, maybe more points a game right now. And this is the playoffs. And it's just really amazing to see. Because, one, I've watched Gabby since UConn days as well. But, honestly, I feel like she's playing some of her best basketball ever in the last couple years. Like, playing with the French team, coming here. I mean, she is low-key unstoppable.

9:48 And I feel like she really is the X Factor player. for the Valkyrie. I mean, to be carrying the defensive load that she's been carrying, and then on top of that, also on the offensive end, she's definitely the player I'm watching.

10:01 Well, you know, the stats back at she's shooting the most efficient three-point shooting that she has all season. It jumped, I think, almost 10% in the postseason. That's incredible. She guards all 94 feet, so as soon as she makes that shot, she's looking to Honestly, night after night, handle the toughest defensive assignment, right? Yeah. And she's not afraid to be that. And you talked about comfort with Carl Smesko, but what about Natalie Nakase, who's able to not only utilize her utility players, because she has a team full of utility players, but be able to empower them. Gabby grew up being a point guard. And though Natalie hadn't witnessed it on a pro stage, obviously, she's allowing Gabby

10:38 to really. Play all positions and see the floor like she wants to see the floor and it's empowered her to do that. With Angel in fixing her shot, I'm also looking at Jordan Canada and how she's been able to develop such a strong offensive presence because I always joke about this. Something about UCLA's water back in the day where players like her and Brittany Boyd love to drive, love to drive.

11:02 And I'm like, Jordan, what's the shot looking like? And we see what the shot is looking like. She's offensively sound. And we all know that when I look at Valkyries versus the dream, they're impeccable three-point shooting teams. Now they've added, you know, more efficient three-point shooting and impeccable defensive teams.

11:21 They're one and two in both categories in the playoffs. That's just, that's just what it is. Isn't it great?

11:27 It's always my favorite in every sport.

11:29 But, and they all, they also, what, Carlos Mezco doesn't really necessarily go more than eight deep in his bench, but Natalie Nicasa has the privilege of, moving as she wants. Being able to do that. As she wants. And one player that I have loved watching in postseason is not necessarily, yes, it is on the court because she's proved herself on the court, but Caitlyn Chen. Yeah. I love Caitlyn. I know you love Caitlyn.

11:52 You've been telling us about Caitlyn for years. Oh my gosh, finally.

11:57 But she can be the spark that they need off the bench. But also when she's not playing, she re-energizes every single possession. You see her jumping up and down like she has high jumped her whole life. Just giving her teams that motivation. And we talk a lot about execution when it comes to finals, but I think that the key to championships is culture. And you can tell that this Valkyries team loves each other. You can tell that this Dream team loves each other. So I don't know.

12:25 It's like a kind of a battle of culture.

12:28 Yeah. And honestly, that's the reason why they made it here. They have, they say, defense wins championships. Well, you have the number one and the number two team in the league, and then you have good culture to back it up. It's really going to come down to who's having a good game in the match-ups.

12:41 In the match-ups. So what we looking forward for the match-ups? It's like, three-sealer moment.

12:46 I love a three-sealer moment, girl.

12:48 Go ahead.

12:49 Yes. What match-up are we... Like, come on now.

12:51 The match-up I'm looking forward to, I already mentioned Gabby, but I want to see Gabby versus Ryan, period.

12:56 Gabby versus Ryan.

12:58 You got Ryan Howard, who is a three-level scorer. There's nothing she can't do on the offensive end. She's leading, like, offensively in threes made. I think second in the league after Kelsey Mitchell.

13:09 I mean, what can't she do? And she lock up. I'll give her that. She lock up too. You gotta give her that.

13:15 Leading the league with 2.2-plus steals a game.

13:20 A game? She's like, come on.

13:22 Having Ryan playing against Gabby, who is also a defensive stopper, was in Defensive Player of the Year conversations, and also taking on this load of offense now, it's going to be an interesting matchup between them. And it really is, who's having an off game? Can Ryan disrupt Gabby's rhythm? Can Gabby disrupt Ryan's rhythm? It's like, you got two of the most elite players on both ends of the ball.

13:50 Playing against each other. That's the matchup I'm looking forward to. I really like the way they read the ball. They somehow always do. And that's how, we talk about steals, we talk about their three-point shooting, but their blocking ability. My goodness. There's a compilation that's going on on TikTok because the girls love to edit Rye. And it's just like a- And a dude. Okay. Okay. But there's like a blocking compilation, a PG one, that you can just see her coming out of nowhere. It's like a three-step approach.

14:15 Like she's a volleyball player. It's nuts. But Gabby has the capability to do that too. It's very similar. Yes. Super underrated for both of them, actually.

14:22 They're both known for getting their hands on the ball, getting steals, transition layups, all that kind of stuff. But their blocking ability, the timing of it, the skill that it requires is definitely underrated.

14:31 The very clear all-ball situation. Listen. Okay. Okay. Okay. That's the matchup I'm watching. What y'all watching?

14:39 Well.

14:41 I knew you guys would take players. So I had to say, no, so I, my matchup is Natalie versus Carl. I, they, they both have so much to prove because they've been doubted for different reasons. I mean, expansion team and a male med. male head coach that came from college. So they both have like that chip on their shoulders where it's like, no, I came here to win a championship and I'm not just walking the walk. I'm not just talking the talk. I'm walking the walk. And so I think that they both have very unique coaching styles and use their players in very different ways. Natalie is very blessed with her depth. Um, and then Carl, I mean, he just plays such a fast paced game. And like what I like about the way Carl's coaching style is,

15:31 is he's not too attached to.

15:33 I don't know.

15:34 Maybe it's because like we're all in New York where when you watch streetball, it's like you just let them play. And that's how I feel when I watch the dream is like sometimes he just lets them figure it out and he just lets them play almost like connecting with your inner child where it's like don't get too attached to the offensive sets or whatever it may be. Like just go and play ball. And I feel like that's why.

15:53 their transition offense is so good and why the pace is so fast because he's just like sometimes a little hands off and lets them play. And I'm excited to see how that plays out.

16:03 No, yeah, definitely.

16:04 I mean, you mentioned it about the depth situation. I think it is going to be interesting and it's going to come down to the scheming and the matchups because Carl likes to play his players, his starters, 32, 35 plus minutes while you have Nat who has.

16:20 Depth. Hey, you want to play 20 today? She's like, you want today? Go ahead, girl. 25, 30. You know, hey. Are you acting up? Go on, Sarah. But yeah, so I agree. That's going to be a very interesting matchup. What I'm looking for, I'll take it back to players. We saw in the semis, how impactful the boards are.

16:41 So when you have a Kia Stokes, the big presence, even though like one of the games, she had a little goose egg for points, but got 14 rebounds. She's so impactful on the glass. The wind is actually what matters. But then you have an Angel Reese who is known for her rebounding, like a rebounding monster. So Kia and Angel, For rebounding, I'm just really interested to see how aggressive it gets in the paint. Like, it's going to be cinema. Like, people get excited about three-point shooting. I get excited about crashing the glass. Because both of them are like, crash the glass and run. Both teams.

17:18 Yeah.

17:19 I mean, Angel's, like, relentless. She will not be denied. You know what I mean?

17:23 And Kia's just been getting it done. Like, consistently getting it done. I mean.

17:28 That's a great matchup to watch. I'm also a little scared because.

17:31 Even in the last game we watched when it was Dream versus Liberty, it got real chippy.

17:35 That's what I was going to say.

17:36 It got real.

17:38 Physical down there. And you know Angel. She plays big. She plays entertaining. And it's going to be interesting to watch because Kia is.

17:45 Not really showy. No. She just gets it done. I'm going to get the rebound and kick it out. That's the job. And she is a bigger presence.

17:51 Yes.

17:52 Huge.

17:52 She is a bigger presence.

17:53 Huge.

17:53 And so that's going to be interesting. But I... You mentioned the chip on the shoulder or how feisty it can get. But the Dream have something to play for. Though they're a very different team facing this Vox team, they, I think, a serious sweep in the regular season.

18:07 Yes.

18:08 That's the biggest chip.

18:10 What's your ego looking like? Oh, God. What's your ego looking like? For real, for real. Where's the pride? Where's the pride? Yeah. And I think that now that they've added Dewana.

18:19 Mm-hmm.

18:20 And they look like a completely new team, not just because of Dewana, obviously, but this is going to be a different level of pride that they're going to carry in Valhalla. But the Valkyries do know how to beat the dream. They do. They've done it the whole time. The whole season.

18:33 Well, speaking of the Valkyries, I got a chance to sit down with the Valkyries' very own Kyla Charles, and we got to talk about... the series, what she's looking forward to. So let's get into it. All right, Kai, congratulations on making the finals. So first and foremost, if you had to describe this run to the finals, what would it be?

18:58 I mean, obviously like history making, um, I don't know. It's just been a lot of fun. Uh, it's crazy.

19:05 Like how, as we've been going through the season and been accomplishing so much like when we're in it we don't really see that we just see it as us just having fun playing with a lot of joy and then getting better every single game so for it to come come together and make it for us to go to the finals it's amazing it kind of just kind of sums up our season so far about like just making history and continuing to just like pave the way the best part of it is that we're just having so much fun honestly.

19:34 I see the TikToks. The locker room looks so fun before, during, not during, but after the games. Like you guys have a time. Like the playlists are good too.

19:46 Thank you.

19:47 Yeah, we always have fun in the locker rooms, but it's like pre. like I feel like that's like how we get ready for our game it's just let loose just have a good time and then the last game like that's one of our like favorite team songs so I was like okay we got to play it just to kind of celebrate and so that's why everybody was so hyped in the videos just.

20:03 Having fun yeah and then the last two games of this last series got down to the wire but how did this team lock in to get the job done to get the sweep like I mean the aces are a tough team so how'd you guys lock in to to secure this spot in the finals.

20:21 I mean I think it starts with the preparation we have a great staff that watch us film all day, every day.

20:27 They do so much so that we're prepared for these moments.

20:30 And then also we've been battle tested a few times, you know, uh, in the regular season with LA coming back down 16 and then even the Dallas series being down 16 and coming back. And so because we've had these moments where we've been battle tested and we were able to learn, like we've been able to be more poised and composed in these types of games. And so we knew, um, Vegas wasn't going to be an easy team.

20:53 I mean, I don't think we expected to sweep them. We had all the confidence that we could beat them, but we knew that they were going to be tough. So we knew that they were going to, you know, come back and bounce back after game one and give us their all, like their defending champs. But I think the most important thing that we had was composure, like throughout both games, like coming down to the last second in the first game, going into overtime in the last game at their place.

21:17 We just had a very, like, we had a lot of composure. We had a lot of.

21:19 Belief and we felt like we could win this game as long as we just kept our head, kept believing in ourselves and then just stuck to the game plan.

21:27 Yeah.

21:27 And I would love to real quick kind of zoom in on your own career and journey with the Valkyries going from a hardship contract to now playing in the finals. And I mean, everyone's talking about this Valkyries bench. Like that is the talk of the town is just how deep you guys are. And obviously you add so much value to this team. So how has that been to go?

21:49 You know, I feel like a whirlwind of emotions and everything for you.

21:53 Yeah.

21:54 I mean, like you said, with my journey and all the ups and downs, like to be here, it's just very amazing. I feel like it's just a testament to what God can do in your life. And so I was actually talking to one of my friends the other day and I was kind of hesitant to take the seven day because I had just got cut and was sitting home for a month and was just like, you know, weighing my options with everything. And for me to kind of take that step out in faith and take that contract and for it to turn into this, it's just amazing.

22:25 It kind of, just shows that everything happens for a reason. Everything happens in your journey how it's supposed to. And for me to be here, I wouldn't be here without the cuts and the different teams and the trials and going overseas and all that ups and downs. But it also just makes me very hungry and very appreciative. When I came here last year, I didn't know it was going to turn into this, but I knew with whatever time I was going to make the most of it.

22:50 So whether it was a week, two weeks, three weeks, now two years, I was just.

22:54 Going to have fun.

22:55 And that's something that I made like a point of emphasis is just to have fun and make the most of it.

23:00 And that's what I did. And for it to turn into this, it's just truly amazing, honestly.

23:04 No, it's so cool because I love the phrase, everything happens for a reason. I'm always the optimistic friend that's like, no, I promise everything works out. So to see it play out in real time for you is just so, so, so cool. And also to have a coach that pours into you guys the way that Natalie does. Can you just kind of speak about her coaching, her coaching style and the way that she has believed in this team from day one, like she's like, yeah, we're going to win a championship and no one expected it to be, you know, a possibility this soon. So what has Natalie meant to you and the team?

23:38 I mean, she's everything. Like she is our leader.

23:41 And the reason why we are having so much success is she's just very, like you said, um, she pours into her team.

23:48 She has so much belief in us.

23:49 Like they've been very intentional of the team that they brought in, the people that they picked in terms of picking people who have hard working tendencies, but also great character that are very selfless. And for us to one, see this vision that she's, you know, presented, but also like she's have us believe in it. It's just a testament of how good of a coach and a person she is. She's just so competitive. So she makes you want to play harder. She makes you, want to just battle, you know, go in there and just give your all.

24:21 But I think the other side of that is she also leads with love. Like as much as she's competitive and she wants us to be our best, like she also does express how much she loves us and has the ultimate belief in every single one of us. And we can feel that, you know, from the top down. And so that's just something that kind of just spreads and we all believe in each other. We all love each other and it starts with her. Um, like I said, like the first day I was here, like I've never practiced with the team. I never met the team and they had the utmost confidence in me and just asked, they just told me to be who I was and I didn't have to be anything different. I didn't have to step out and be a different role. And I

24:56 think that's what allowed me to just be so successful is because I was myself and I was very comfortable and everybody just accepted me from day one. And that just starts with her. So I mean, out of this team, you could see that we love each other. We play with a lot of joy. We're very competitive. And that's just how she moved. And she's created an environment. The whole Golden State Valkyries organization has created that environment. And I think that's why we're thriving, because of the just people that they brought in.

25:23 Yes. And speaking of Valkyries, so those were all of my questions. But I do have a fun little segment to play real quick.

25:30 And it's called.

25:31 build a Valk. So we're going to build, we're going to go through each thing of the Valkyrie, the wings, the shield, the brain, the heart. And you're going to have to tell me which teammate best identifies with this.

25:43 Okay.

25:44 So number one, the wings of a Valkyrie. So who is lifting everyone's spirits when the vibes are low with a pep talk or a joke, they're bringing the vibes.

25:54 I'll definitely say Caitlyn Chen.

25:58 We literally talked about that earlier. We said that too.

26:02 Yeah, I mean, you can see on the TV screen just like how much joy, happy, it doesn't matter if she's playing one minute or playing 30 minutes. She's always on the sideline, like cheering us on. If you miss a shot, she's the first one to pick you up. And then obviously when she comes in, she just does her thing, but definitely like someone who's always smiling. Like there was like the SpongeBob meme where he's just like sitting there smiling. That's her like to a T.

26:26 That is so funny. I love her. So the next one will be the shield. So who is the player that shuts down the outside noise, deflects media drama or would step in front of a bullet for a teammate? Like who is that person on the team?

26:41 Hmm. Okay.

26:44 So I would say Kayla Thornton because she's also one that's not really into social media. She's more of like that deep breath that everybody's seen, that big social viral moment.

26:56 That was her.

26:57 She literally brought us together and was like, hey, y'all, let's take a deep breath.

27:01 Let's reset.

27:02 So she's always good about blocking the noise. If we're talking basketball, because I think she'll protect her, I'd say Kia Stokes.

27:09 Mm-hmm.

27:10 You saw the Vegas series.

27:12 I don't have to say much.

27:13 She's blocking literally and figuratively the haters, the people, the defense, all of that.

27:20 That's a good answer.

27:20 Yeah.

27:21 So who would be the brain of the Valkyries? So the person who never forgets a detail, whether it's something in the playbook, on the court, or something like a teammate's birthday or a small detail.

27:30 I would say, we're going players, definitely Veronica Burton. I mean, she's our point guard.

27:35 She seems like it.

27:36 Yeah, so she's our point guard. She is our floor general.

27:39 She's always, like, organizing us, whether she's on the court, off the court. On the flip side, like, in, like, collaboration, obviously, Nat, like, that's our head coach. That's how we go, but they spend a lot.

27:50 Of time together.

27:50 Yeah, they're like that.

27:51 Exactly.

27:52 Doing film, doing sessions, working out. So like they're on the same page and then that's why like she will never forget a detail because Nat will not let her. So I would definitely say Vivi on that.

28:03 That's so funny. Who is the heart of the Valkyrie? So the emotional anchor of the team has a pulse on everyone's mood or maybe the person everyone vents to.

28:13 Tip is one of our veteran leaders and I feel like we all look up to her. Um, Everybody looks up to her. So I feel like she's definitely one of our emotion leaders because she's, you know, she's done this for a while. So she never gets too high. She never gets too low, but on the flip side, she knows how to have fun, but also be very serious.

28:30 So I would definitely say her because she's just the level, like always keen, but always picking everybody.

28:37 Up around her.

28:38 And not to mention, she thought she was going to retire, but it's like, nah, let me play for this championship.

28:43 Exactly.

28:43 I'm like, girl, you can't go anywhere.

28:45 I think she has like 10 more years.

28:47 Yeah.

28:49 She's like a cat. Like has like nine lives in the W. And then the last one would be the crown, which I might know who you might say about this. But so aura style tunnel presence walks into the room like they own it.

29:03 I mean, it's a few, I would say myself for this because I do.

29:06 Like to- I've seen the, I've seen the tunnel pegs.

29:09 Yes.

29:09 I do like to, you know, have that but definitely tip obviously she is the fashionista of this team she has her own clothing brand she has her own like swag like if you see something i'm like yeah that's tip like yeah definitely her for sure um gabby like her tunnel fits have been crazy all year and just i feel like especially in the bay because she grew up here like she has so much aura.

29:35 Like yeah she really does the.

29:37 Play the dance everything so everybody loves her and like yeah they love her out here so she definitely has the.

29:42 Crown for sure and the tattoos like the tattoos.

29:45 Too tattoos yeah and they're super cool like yeah so she definitely has that for.

29:50 Sure oh well that was cute Kai thank you so much for joining me and I can't wait to watch you guys go out and kill it in the finals and congratulations.

29:59 Again Thank you.

30:01 Thank you for having me.

30:01 It was really fun.

30:02 I appreciate you.

30:03 Yes, same.

30:03 Thank you. Thanks, Kyla. Shout out to you and good luck in this series. I am tuned in for sure.

30:15 Aaliyah, that was a great conversation. And I love to hear from the Valks. And I love to hear you have a key with the girlies. Yeah. But let's get into what everyone's watching because naturally things happen in women's sports all the time. So Ashanti, you look ready and eager.

30:29 I am.

30:30 And I'm always watching something. Okay. Always watching something. I don't know if you guys saw, but the Houston Coms just dropped.

30:36 Oh.

30:37 A little video.

30:38 And I thought it was so awesome. Showing the city. I'm already super excited. Yes, the Connecticut.

30:46 I just stopped crying. I know. I know, but we're moving forward. Sure. We're moving forward onto... Something else. I don't want to say something else. We're actually moving back and forward. Okay. We're bringing back a team. Back, back, forth, and forth.

31:00 Sorry.

31:01 Sorry.

31:01 We're bringing back a team. The Houston Cops are back. They just dropped a video. I loved it.

31:05 I loved at the end. You could see the four rings on the fingers, the nails, the basketball. I am just so excited for this Houston team to come back.

31:15 And I'm looking forward to being there. I'm actually just ready for day one to be here. I mean, we talked about dynastic programs and just to bring back that That dynasty, I mean, obviously is going to look very different because they have to go through expansion team protocol and things like that. At least I'm assuming. But, Yeah, Houston deserves. It's time to celebrate our legory.

31:34 They're like, you might be new here, but we're not.

31:37 Can I ever speak? Let us pray. Why does my brain just go nuts? Legacy. Legacy.

31:43 No, we love that. So what I've been watching, this is crazy, y'all. Okay, so there's basically a parent trap situation happening in the world of softball. So Sportsish posted about it. Love Lily and love her page. So basically this- softball player is adopted and always knew that she had a sister never knew how to really find her or who she was and then her teammates are like oh this player on the opposing team looks a lot like you come to find out that's her sister that's insane i know.

32:14 I just can't imagine stepping up to the mat or a court and be like twin that's not a kiki yeah My dad actually texted me one day. He was like, question mark. I was like, wouldn't you have the answer to this, father? I mean, did you guys get that test? She's Nigerian though. What that mean? I wish I could claim Nigerian love. Do you know? Did you take your 23andMe?

32:34 I do.

32:34 You could be. It was my 23andMe. You know, I found out I was Nigerian through 23andMe. I love this. Yes. You really okay. That's great, you girl. And Google already merged that anyway. But the thing is, the thing is, that's really cool.

32:49 Yeah.

32:49 And it's like nature versus nurture. How are they both Playing softball. Playing softball, like of all the sports, all the things.

32:54 It's in their blood.

32:55 All the areas, exactly.

32:56 Literally, genetic. So when your kid comes out rowing and your kid comes out playing basketball, I mean- Please come out playing basketball.

33:03 Please.

33:04 Right, I'm going to sneak them out to the children's. Don't even worry about it. They can start in cheer and then they can make their way. That's smart. Because you learn how to follow.

33:11 I tried it when I was little and I hated it.

33:13 No offense, Ari. What kind of cheerleading did you try?

33:15 I don't know, at the YMCA.

33:17 Okay, that doesn't count. Girl. I'm sorry to you. Clap and raise is crazy, but Asia Wilson did dance, and look at what happened with her footwork. Just saying. Okay, points being made.

33:27 I mean, I started in cheer, and I played pro basketball.

33:31 That's what it is. Y'all got it. But you know what I did in cheer? Got disciplined. And you know what our discipline was? Planks. And you know who held a plank for five hours? Five hours.

33:40 Unprovoked.

33:41 Donna Jean Wilde, breaking the world record for longest female abdominal plank with a time of five hours. That's great.

33:48 What'd she do for five hours?

33:50 Did she just like- Just hold it there.

33:51 I can't be alone in my thoughts for that long.

33:53 I can't even not pee for five hours. Wait, but five hours? Does she win a prize? Is there money involved? I think a certificate that says Guinness Book of World Records.

34:00 No.

34:01 It's never enough.

34:01 I was trying to think of how much money I would need to do something like that.

34:06 And it would have to start with a B. Billion. Right. Okay. Because who's... I was mad when we used to have to hold that thing for like five to ten minutes. You remember when they used to make us waltz it? Okay.

34:15 That's getting all about flashbacks for me.

34:17 Okay. Imagine a plank. We thought... Please. Okay. To be fair, I'd rather core. I'd rather sit on the couch. And you know what? That's what it is. I love a shameless plug. And this is why we're here. So y'all know I love a king. But let's bring it back because we can keep going. But this weekend, I was tuning in to Gigi Banks because not only did she...

34:42 Fly into, what does Dawn say? Another birdie flew home? Flew into a nest? The nest, yes. Another birdie flew into that nest because Gigi Banks said yes to Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks and she will be at South Carolina coming up. And I had to talk to her about it.

35:00 I'm excited.

35:01 Oh, can't wait. Well, first of all, the chain around your neck tells how popular you are and how how successful you are already in your 10 years. But for those who are living under a literal rock, describe your game for the people.

35:19 Yeah, I would definitely say my game is very exciting. I try to get the fans on their feet. I'm an exciting player to play with. I think I like to get my teammates involved. I like to get some buckets for myself. But overall, I just like to get my teammates better.

35:34 And you have so much energy that you play with and that energy trickled down and got the attention of South Carolina, which you recently announced via Twitch. How did that come about? How did you choose like, hey, I want to I want to keep everybody on their toes and send them to my Twitch?

35:49 Yes, I always I mentioned to my team, like I want to start streaming, like, you know, seeing Kaisa now, like all of the streamers. I'm like, I want to get into this. And my fans was asking for it. They actually wanted me to start a YouTube channel.

36:01 And go live on there.

36:02 And I'm like, nah, like I want to do Twitch. So came about and, you know, we figured out how to get involved with my recruitment process, my commitment.

36:09 And then, you know, they loved this.

36:11 So I think you just going to keep gaining and, you know, providing the content for them.

36:16 And then you dropped the bomb that you're going to South Carolina and you're going under Dawn Staley. What ultimately led the decision for you to go from 44 D1 offers to the Dawn Staley in the Gamecocks?

36:28 Yeah, I honestly coached Dawn, Gamecock, Nation, they've been my goal since I was younger.

36:35 That's been my goal since I was younger.

36:36 Not a lot of people know that, but once I committed, people start posting clips of me.

36:40 That's what you can say.

36:41 That's what you can say.

36:43 Yes, people started posting clips of me, like, when I was in, like, seventh or eighth grade, saying, like, that was my dream school.

36:48 I mean, yeah, it really was.

36:50 But, you know, once you go into the recruitment process, you start to, you know, you want to open your brain up a little more, get to know schools a little more. But honestly, that's been my dream school for a minute. Dawn's an awesome coach. I love the way she develops her players. It's not too far from home.

37:05 And she's just an amazing coach. The players around it, the area, like, I feel like it just fits me, you know.

37:12 And I'm ready for the fans. They're a fire.

37:15 They really go all out for game cognition, and I'm ready for that. And to play alongside my best friend, too. Me and Tay, we never thought we would play together ever in college. We never thought we would play together again. So, I mean, when the news came out, I was like, man. And I had committed before she announced this. So I was like, man. And then she told me, and I'm like, this is crazy. Like, we about to be roommates.

37:37 Like, we already talking about it. We're going to be cooking.

37:40 Like, I mean, it's just an amazing way that it ended off. But I'm excited.

37:45 And, you know, I wouldn't want to be nowhere else.

37:47 Dawn is about to gather you both. I see it now. I see it now. But, you know, it's funny because, like, yes, you're going to be there with your best friend, but you're also going to be playing for a legacy that is so strong. You said it was your dream school. So before you even went, to campus to see what it really was about. I know you described the fans, you described Dawn, you described her system. But before all that, when you were young, what did you see that made South Carolina so appealing to you?

38:15 Honestly, just Dawn. She's awesome.

38:18 She's an awesome coach. And not only that, what she does for women's sports. Back then, women's sports was not elevated in the way that it is now. So to have her Be one of those mentors for the game. Awesome coach. And she used to play basketball. She played my position. Like, you know, I feel like that's an awesome resemblance for me and not only me, but for the women's.

38:35 Sports in general.

38:36 And I just like South Carolina. Like they always been an awesome team. I love the players there. I look up to a lot of players there and I see myself in that system. So to actually get the offer from them. And to, how would I say this, to actually now be in the steps of being a Gamecock.

38:51 Like, I feel like I'm ready to build this legacy. Like, this is crazy. Yeah.

38:55 And now you said you get to do it with your friends. So what was that talk like when she finally told you, like, hey, I'm committing to it?

39:02 Yeah, it was crazy.

39:03 So me and Tay, like, it never been a problem playing together. Like, you know, we're two point guards, but we're two different point guards. Like, you got to think of it as a... Hannah and Olivia Miles type.

39:12 It's insane. So we was on the football field.

39:16 At the visit, trying to not talk loud, trying to not talk. Because we know how people are.

39:24 We had cameras on us the whole time. So if I got to, I'm trying to go like this.

39:28 We try to stay located as much as we can, but we chatted it up. I'm like, Taylor, you think you want to go here?

39:33 And she's like, Gigi, I like it. I like it.

39:35 And then you know, after we start talking and, you know, we start asking Coach Dawn some questions about us too and stuff like that.

39:40 And it just started to click. It started to click.

39:43 And you know, when you get that feeling, like you want to visit, you go to, you go.

39:46 To, I went to three schools.

39:47 I went to three schools and I ended off with them. You get a feeling, like, you know, that feeling. And I definitely got that feeling there. And my grandma, like she had, she'll never lie to me. She'll never lie to me. She loves Dawn.

39:59 My grandma's like my best friend, my mom.

40:01 That's how much I ever saw my mom talk on a visit.

40:04 My mom does not talk.

40:04 She's quiet. She doesn't really ask questions as much, but she was asking questions and I could see the connection. And it's just like, if my family love it here, I got to love it here as well.

40:13 And I loved it.

40:14 I just had to, you know, see if my family was all in with me too. So, you know, to have them support me, but man, it's a blessing for real.

40:22 And we know that Dawn posts like a birdie flew into the nest. And so we know who's all in your nest. But when you look at the... landscape of college basketball who excites you most to play against.

40:34 Oh definitely i'm ready the the schools schools or players man i'm ready.

40:40 For everybody i want to i want to i want to play ucla they just won i want to play whoever win this year if it's not my team i hope i hope it is i want to play everybody i'm ready like man i'm ready for everything i can't really just sit here and tell you anybody because i'm like i'm.

40:56 Like be messy gg pick one i mean.

40:58 I I mean, if you want me to be messy, I would say LSU. Like, I'm ready. Like, that's a good game.

41:05 You know, the fans probably dislike me now, hate me now because I didn't pick the school, but I'm ready for it.

41:11 You know, if that's what they want to do, they want to go against me, I'm cool with that. I'm cool.

41:14 I got my family behind me, and I'm going to always stick by my side. Like, it's either you or me or you not, so I'm good. Like, I'm ready for whatever.

41:20 Them, anybody.

41:23 You said we not ducking smoke. I know that's right. At all.

41:27 We never ducking no smoke, ever.

41:30 But now we know that you're on your well track to reaching a goal, the next level. And right now the next level is happening, WNBA finals. So we got Dream versus Valkyries. Are you into it right now? What's Gigi thinking when it comes into the WNBA finals?

41:48 Man, I really want Angel Reese to, you know, she's projected as this villain in the WNBA or this, you know, player that's just trying.

41:57 You feel me? But no, I don't think it's that. Like, I really want her.

42:00 To get something out of this. Like, she went from that team to this team. Like, I think she definitely deserved this. And Atlanta Dream, I think they deserve it as well, you know. No, no, not to the Golden State, but man.

42:13 I got Atlanta Dream. I'm tuned in. Who you got?

42:17 I can't say that. I'm national media. You see how you try to get me caught? You try to get me caught. We're not being messy with me today.

42:23 No.

42:24 But Gigi, I'm going to let you go back to whatever you're doing in the middle of.

42:29 The school day.

42:31 You know, keep the chain shined and keep your head right. And I'll see you around.

42:37 Yes, it was nice meeting you. I appreciate you a lot.

42:45 So Gigi's great. We love her so much. Thank you, Gigi, for coming on. But now it's time to get you all involved. This is our new Watch Star segment. We're debuting it. So be easy, okay? Be easy. Not too much. Not too much. We're attempting not to too. But we love hearing takes from the Everyone Watches family. So tonight we decided to rate them. Mind you, we have not read these yet. So they are here. Let us read.

43:13 Zero stars is watch yourself, which is absolutely not log off. One star, participation trophy, points for trying. Think about it. Two stars, a little delulu. The vision's there. Logic, questionable, which is probably where most of us live. Three stars, neutral territory. Not mad at it, but not obsessed with it.

43:30 Four stars, yes and. We see the vision and we have something to add.

43:33 Bro, that is so you. Yes and. You always tell us yes and.

43:36 It's never a but. It's always a yes. She did it already. And five stars, watch star. Perfect.

43:41 I'm going to start using these in the future.

43:43 Group chat. Right, right. Just send numbers. Send numbers back. All right. Who wants to read the first one? This one's long. Get it, Aaliyah.

43:51 We all have bad eyesight, so here we go.

43:53 Okay.

43:54 This is from Day Elbae.

43:58 On the dream. Oh, on the dream.

44:01 I didn't see that. This is really small text.

44:03 Okay.

44:04 They are fast-paced all game, but I noticed that defensive push they go on where they make everybody look like a high school team.

44:10 Ha ha. Laffy face.

44:12 It's like an intentional thing they do. They break it up sometimes, but it mostly comes in the third quarter. I also feel like right after they do it, teams go on a little run because they need to rest. That's when it seems like they disappear for a bit. They're fast in general. There's like a nitrous boost type thing they be doing that isn't all game long.

44:31 So they're saying the dream is fast paced, wears people down, but also has lapses, which is a fair take. Yeah, I think it is. I'm going to give it. Three stars. Okay. Neutral territory. Not mad at it. Not obsessed with it. Same.

44:45 I think this is a very different way of saying basketball is a game of runs. So I'll give it a three.

44:50 Correct. I'm stuck between three and four territory. Probably more three because they make adequate substitutions in third that contribute to the boost. So there's like reasons why it goes up and down. Like they nailed it. So yeah, three to four. Three to four. Three and a half. Shout out Dale Bay on the dream. All right.

45:11 Calafashorn75 on the finals. The Valkyrie have home court advantage. That might be the difference. Okay, so we saw how things went when the Valkyrie had home court advantage against the Aces, and.

45:27 I do think that was a difference maker. So I'm going to give this... Four stars.

45:36 Yes, and.

45:36 The and for me is the Dream get to go back home, and.

45:41 It's going to be.

45:44 Popping.

45:44 I can't wait to get my best millennial life. I can't wait.

45:48 The Dream fans, the Valkyrie fans, I heard it's popping in Valhalla.

45:52 I haven't been.

45:52 I haven't been to the Dream Stadium either. But I do think with two there and two back at home for Atlanta, I think it might even up the playing field.

46:03 Yeah, I don't want to agree with you on everything just because it got to spice it up. So I'll give it two stars, a little DeLulu, because now that we're in State Farm, the Dream, that's a home court advantage too. So, I mean, Ball Hala looks incredible. I really want to go to Ball Hala. But I mean, these Dream fans, if they're that crazy in a smaller arena, imagine a bigger one, like four times the size.

46:28 Everybody talks about Ball Hala. And I went, all right, obviously I'm on Box Broadcast. And It's comparable to the Liberty, but also I've been to State Farm and it just feels like a family reunion. So it's like they both have a lot of culture. They both have a lot of tradition, even though fairly new customs within each. Like one is an expansion team and the other one, their ownership group is on the newer side. But I think the ball holla knows how to cater to the Bay audience and really put on a show. And I think the dream... knows how to cater to Atlanta and put on a show and have the stars out. Both of them can pack an arena. We've seen it all season.

47:09 Both of them have the energy around themselves. Both of them have the whole arena rocking, whether it's Too Short or E-40 and Valhalla or, you know, Cry Mob or any other of my favorite artists from growing up. Okay. So which star? A little Doolooloo. Okay. A little Doolooloo because dark greens don't have that much of a, like, yes, they're going to have home court advantage when they're there, but like the dream also has home court advantage. All right.

47:35 OVSPP.

47:35 OVSPP. Said this about Hannah Hildago. Shout out to OBSPP. We love letters. Yes! I love Hannah. Favorite player that's not on my team. What a pest. What a machine. So brilliant.

47:47 With this emoji.

47:48 With the three-point emoji. Let me tell you something. No matter... When you look at Hannah Hildago on the court and how she just... We talked about great two-way players earlier in the show, but there is something so menacing about her that she's aware of, that she says is an out-of-body experience.

48:05 I saw that.

48:06 So there is no way to not root for that excellence on the court. Five stars? I give it four to five. I love a yes and. Yes. And if you want to choose, you always say that. But I understand fully a hundred percent why people fall in love with Hannah Hildago, the basketball player, because of how she's just your favorite minutes. And you could tell she oozes ball. Yeah.

48:34 I'll give it five stars. We love some positivity. Also, I love the use of pest because it's so true. She's one of those players where it's like, Hate her if she's not on your team, but you got to love the way she plays. You got to respect it. Hate that she's not on my team type of player.

48:49 You got to challenge it because there are other players, huh? She said Maddie Booker and Mikayla Blakes exist.

48:54 Hello?

48:54 Okay. I heard you. All right.

48:57 So I'm going to say, no, it's not too crazy. I think I'm going to say three stars, neutral territory.

49:02 I think it's true.

49:03 I think you can respect... the level that Hannah plays at. I mean, I just remember watching her when she played against the UConn last year. It's so much so that Gino came and gave her, you know, the respect that.

49:15 She- Come on. I didn't know.

49:17 We were choosing one player.

49:18 Listen, all I'm saying is I do agree with the fact that it says that she's a machine.

49:25 She's brilliant.

49:26 She could be a pest if you're playing against her. Is she my favorite player? Not on my team. I don't have a team, but I am excited to see what she brings in her last year. So three stars for me.

49:37 Okay.

49:37 Okay.

49:39 Lou Rogers, 1795, on the show.

49:42 Queens.

49:43 Flower, flower, flower.

49:44 Great show.

49:45 Flex. Five stars.

49:47 No notes.

49:49 I mean, five. Five stars. Watch star. Perfect take. We love that they are watching, so let's get into... what everyone is watching next. Okay, y'all. Obviously, we talked about it all, episode long. WNBA Finals start Saturday. It's going to be Dream versus Valks. Game one, it's going to be in San Francisco at Valhalla. We gonna see. Yeah, AAA may be there.

50:19 Never know.

50:20 I'm absolutely going to be there. My A's better be with me. Oh, I'm trying. We'll see.

50:25 Are we bringing the cow onesies?

50:27 Absolutely. I got to wash mine. Girl! We were dancing all night long and that thing got to get clean.

50:32 Sweaty, sweaty.

50:33 That thing got to get clean. I'm definitely tuned in. I will be watching, hopefully, in person. Agreed.

50:41 Hopefully. I'm watching Coach Jackie's new podcast, Is She Game? Because we all know she got her famous series called, is she gay? So I love this for her. Seeing her posted up with Barack Obama is just everything. This is also part of our besties network.

51:01 I was going to say our close personal friend, Michelle Obama.

51:04 Michelle Obama, her podcast. And Jackie also gave everyone watches a shout out because she's on a mission to have more women ran podcasts in the top 25 lists on sports podcasts. So She gave us a little shout out.

51:19 You know what I'm watching? Actually, you know what we're doing?

51:21 What?

51:22 We're wishing good luck to the Black Derby Collective. Okay. Let's get this right.

51:26 The first all-black competitive roller derby team who is competing in the WFTDA Global Champs in Sweden starting now.

51:37 I got to get into derby. That seems interesting. You know, I roller skate.

51:41 And for me, I feel like derby roller skates, Why don't you do it, then?

51:46 You should. They're tough. Wait a minute. They can shut you up. You an athlete. Wait a minute. And Shanti says she has bad knees.

51:52 Her knees can't take that.

51:53 Yeah, but they've been taking.

51:54 I'll start the first all-black cheer team that's on roller skates.

51:58 Period. Okay. I can't skate. But you know what I can do?

52:02 And I'm not black, so.

52:11 But you know you were the first ally ally my ghost was like yo ally she's like well I'm not black she's like sitting there oh I can't escape well guess what I'm not black I can't escape oh my god but we have to show love to our our surfing community obviously we just got off of a great day in the stoke which is the all black surfing competition in Huntington I'll be there last weekend but now we have WSL Emil Rip Curl Pro Portugal beginning tomorrow.

52:42 Portugal is one of my favorite waves to witness. Nazaré is crazy. It's a huge wave. But I don't think that's what this is because I don't think this is a big wave. Anyway, but the point is, the point is Portugal, great waves. Can't wait to support WSL. I'm going to get y'all into surfing. It's like my sole mission and you must participate with me.

53:01 Oof.

53:01 I watch the videos of the pro surfers, and I'm like, this is scary.

53:04 You watch Big Waivers online. You don't do that. We're going to do some ankle slappers, and we're going to just be in the whitewash. Yeah, I need a cheer team, too. I can sit on the water. On the water. On the water. Where the boat at? Okay, hear me out.

53:16 Only if you guys get in a boat with me. I'll take you rowing.

53:20 I'll row.

53:20 I've done whitewater rafting, which is, like, mortifying. So, like, you know, AJ McCord's one of my best friends, and she has me doing compromising things all the time, so.

53:30 The old daredevil.

53:31 It's just, it's honestly. You see, I'm quiet. It's okay. You ain't got no choice. I'm going to have you jumping from planes and surfing every week. Every week. But yeah. Thank you guys. Triple A, honing it down once again. Triple A's. My fellow A's. Is that Atlanta?

53:48 Yeah, it is kind of Atlanta.

53:50 That's Atlanta. What's A in sign language? But that just looks like, you know. Yeah, it looks like a lot of people. You know, Leah can't. She's not black. But anyway, if you want more foolishness, tune in every single week to everywhere you watch your podcast or listen to them. My goodness, am I okay?

54:07 And please leave us comments, too, so we can read them.

54:10 Yeah, even the bad ones.

54:12 See y'all next week.

54:13 Speak for yourself. Everyone Watches Women's Sports is a production of Together and iHeart Women's Sports. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Our producers are Tiara Rose, Karina Bucci, Haley Lane, Sarah Kelly, Kia Stone, Tanya Quadra, Sarah Nguyen, and Kelsey Zarl.

54:41 Our executive producers are Kati Fernandez, Ben Myers, Jessie Katz, Christina Everett, and Grace Fuse. And we're your hosts, Ari Chambers, Ashanti Plummer, and Aaliyah Funshall.