ANGEL REESE on the WNBA, Reality TV, and Establishing Her Legacy | IMO

0:00 You have a beat.

0:01 Face for a game?

0:02 Not beat, but I'll do like a little concealer and a little blush and keep it on.

0:05 Let's beat for the male listeners.

0:09 That's like the guys your face is like Your face is clean like

0:13 they like the makeup artist beat your face girl You're beat your god.

0:17 So that's why having a good beat means your face is done and magic.

0:21 It's made up.

0:22 Got it.

0:23 Okay.

0:23 Yeah You don't have makeup on in the game, do you?

0:32 Yeah, we just said that.

0:33 Where were you?

0:35 I missed that.

0:36 I didn't think you meant it.

0:37 I wear a little something.

0:38 He was trying to understand what a beat is.

0:46 This episode of IMO is brought to you by Progressive Insurance.

0:52 Mish.

0:53 Craig Robinson.

0:54 How are you?

0:55 I'm doing great.

0:56 I'm feeling pretty good.

0:58 How about you?

0:59 I feel busy, when you have kids still in school it's a busy time.

1:05 And you're in basketball season.

1:07 That's right.

1:07 So, and again, how many teams are you facilitating this?

1:12 So I'm coaching eighth grade as well as assistant coaching high school.

1:18 Mm-hmm.

1:19 And then the NABC is preparing for the final four, which is in April.

1:24 The NABC is...

1:24 The National Association of Basketball Coaches, which is by...

1:27 Which is your side job.

1:28 It's my full-time job.

1:32 And you know, the interesting thing,

1:34 the Final Four is in Indianapolis this year.

1:37 Oh, so that's good for you.

1:39 That's good with me because it's close by, but all

1:42 three divisions are having their championship in the Indianapolis area.

1:49 So that's going to be...

1:50 Division one, division two, division three.

1:51 So it's gonna be.

1:52 Is it?

1:53 I won't say hectic, I'll say it'll be a festival.

1:55 Yeah, this is, it's rare that they have them all together.

1:59 So it's sort of a celebration of the game.

2:02 Talking about basketball.

2:03 Oh, man.

2:04 Talking about.

2:04 Yes.

2:05 Talking about some goats, talking about.

2:08 Talking about an honorary Chicagoan.

2:11 Yes, we've got.

2:13 I'm really excited for our guest this episode.

2:20 Craig, why don't you do the honors and then we can get to it.

2:22 I will, I will.

2:24 We are talking about, today we have Angel Reese on.

2:28 She is an NCAA champion, two-time WNBA All-Star.

2:34 Mm-mm.

2:35 In addition to her incredible achievements on the court,

2:38 she hosts the podcast Unapologetically Angel.

2:42 A fellow podcaster.

2:44 Which I'm really interested in talking to her about that.

2:47 She's also an entrepreneur with brands like Reebok, Victoria's Secret,

2:53 Reese's, which is one of my favorite candies, and Beats.

2:58 And in 2023, she founded the Angel C.

3:01 Reese Foundation dedicated to empowering girls and women through sports,

3:06 education, financial literacy, and more.

3:08 That's great.

3:09 And she wore her heels today,

3:11 so she's taller than me, which makes me feel so good.

3:15 Without further ado, Angel!

3:21 I'm great, it's so good to have you here, you are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

3:28 I know, I'm short today.

3:29 Well, this is what we call in our family normal height,

3:32 you know, it's like tall queens and we wear our heels.

3:36 Yes, wear your heels.

3:37 Wear your heels, ladies.

3:38 Me, my girls, it's like, brothers better,

3:42 you know, better get the confidence up.

3:45 It's like, you might have to be looking up for a second,

3:48 but girl, you are gorgeous.

3:50 Thank you.

3:51 Gorgeous.

3:51 I'm so happy to be here.

3:52 I am so happy, to have you here.

3:55 Thank you!

3:56 Oh my God, reading your resume, your introduction,

4:00 I would think you'd be about 50 years old.

4:03 Ha ha ha ha I'm dead, that's so funny.

4:07 But I'm like, mm, you a baby.

4:09 I am a baby You are a baby I know and I

4:12 try to like remember that sometimes I get caught off guard.

4:15 Yeah, I'm still 23 I'm like living this life

4:17 once and like try to give myself so much grace.

4:19 Yeah But at the same time just like it's all coming

4:22 so fast like everything came so fast for me So yeah, I was so soaking it up.

4:27 Yeah But you are handling yourself beautifully.

4:30 I mean, it's not just what you do, but the way you carry yourself, girl.

4:34 I mean it is really a joy to watch you manage it all

4:38 and you do it with a smile on your face with an excellent attitude.

4:42 Thank you.

4:43 So, I am just- It's an honor.

4:44 It's an honor coming from you, the queen, the Queen, the queen.

4:49 And you know, I don't think they were

4:50 making girls like you when I was growing up.

4:53 What does that mean?

4:55 Man, I mean...

4:56 What?

4:56 Yeah, what does that mean?

4:57 I mean all of what you said and can get ten rebounds a game Okay?

5:04 Yeah.

5:06 I mean, Lisa Leslie, you know, she was...

5:08 She was, she's my girl.

5:09 Lisa Lizzie is my girl.

5:10 I just saw her at the All-Star game.

5:12 Yes, I saw you.

5:13 Oh, we missed you.

5:14 You were on...

5:15 I wasn't there, I wasn't there, no no.

5:16 Okay, I saw her across the way.

5:18 But see, she's still young.

5:19 I mean, it's just, oh, man, it is so nice to see.

5:22 It's a breath of fresh air.

5:23 You love it?

5:24 Yes.

5:25 Yes.

5:25 Yes.

5:26 And the passion with which you play is so fun.

5:29 I love it.

5:29 Yeah.

5:29 Well, let me start because, um,

5:32 I hear that I am a reality TV fan and I know you are into Love Island.

5:40 Just girls got me into Love Island, you know, because I wasn't, you,

5:44 I would always just click past it because it just seemed like too much.

5:48 And then one time they were like, mom,

5:50 you just have to sit here and watch with us.

5:52 And I think it was the season before last.

5:55 And man, was I hooked.

5:57 I mean, oh, it's crazy.

5:59 It's crazy!

6:00 I can't help you here.

6:01 You're not watching?

6:02 No.

6:02 He doesn't watch any of it.

6:04 We're trying to get him more...

6:05 What's your show?

6:07 Oh, it is Wide World of Sports.

6:09 It's some old, you know, he's watching old TV.

6:13 First of all, Wide World Sports isn't on anymore.

6:15 But if it were, he'd be watching it.

6:17 Wide world of sports.

6:19 Now who sounds like they don't know pop culture?

6:22 You know what?

6:23 I watch movies.

6:25 Okay.

6:26 Old movies.

6:27 And I watch things to prepare for the podcast.

6:29 Okay.

6:30 And then I'm watching basketball probably because of my job

6:35 and because of my kids and because I'm watchin' you.

6:38 I'm watchedin' a lot of basketball.

6:40 Okay.

6:40 Yeah.

6:40 So he's watching nothing fun.

6:44 TV or something that just, you're like, oh, okay.

6:48 Yeah.

6:48 Are you watching Traders?

6:49 I haven't watched Traders.

6:51 Oh, girl.

6:52 I don't watch, like, I watch TV sometimes,

6:54 but like when something is trending, it is good.

6:57 Traders is good.

6:58 Okay.

6:58 What is that on?

6:59 Well, it- It's on, it's on Brava.

7:01 Is it on Brav- Peacock.

7:02 Peacocke.

7:03 Okay, I need to watch that.

7:03 It's peacock, but all these celebrities, a lot of them from reality TV.

7:07 So Rob from Love Island is on it this year.

7:09 I'm gonna watch that Put that on your, but he's on love Island.

7:13 You're saying he was.

7:13 He was on Love Island.

7:14 Oh, okay.

7:15 With a rock from Love Island?

7:15 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

7:16 I know rock.

7:16 What's the point of Love Isle?

7:18 You're going to find love on an island.

7:20 And everybody's in a bikini.

7:21 And then everybody's naked.

0:00 Yes!

7:22 Yeah, and also last thing, um, I- That's right up my alley, right up my alley.

7:28 I'm really missing something here.

7:30 I'm missing something over here.

7:32 Last week, I had Janaye Craig on my podcast,

7:35 she was on this season, not this season but last season.

7:39 And she was telling me, I was like, were you not nervous going on there?

7:42 Like, you got to kiss other people, all these different people,

7:44 like your parents are watching, you don't have a bikini on.

7:48 She was like...

7:48 At first, I was like, yeah, like my mom,

7:50 they're very religious, so her mom was like don't do that again.

7:54 She didn't tell her mom,

7:55 she hid it from her mom for so long and she was telling me,

7:58 she was like she wouldn't do it again,

7:59 but she loved the results from it and everything that came from it.

8:02 Wait, her mom found out on TV?

8:04 Yes, her mum did not.

8:05 Oh, that's wrong.

8:06 That is not right.

8:08 Now I do think that that's, that's a little, you know,

8:11 I would be thrown if I looked up and Sasha

8:14 or Malia were on TV in a bikini and I didn't know, yeah, I'd be like, girls.

8:20 And smooching up with a bunch of people.

8:23 It's more than smoothing up.

8:24 They're doing it all.

8:25 They're having a good time.

8:27 Yeah, and they all sleep in the same room.

8:29 And they get paired up, they get coupled up.

8:31 And they're like young, they're, like, everybody's,

8:34 like within their 20s and 30s and like trying to find love.

8:37 Yeah.

8:37 Yeah.

8:38 And it's like, you, I always, I, always ask all of them,

8:40 like are you here to intentionally find someone

8:42 or are you trying to win the money?

8:44 Because at the end of the day, there's 50k on the table.

8:46 So you're not trying to get married like a bachelorette?

8:49 You are.

8:50 It's not the end goal.

8:52 It's, not like you're going to get married.

8:53 But this is just, you're gonna find a girlfriend.

8:55 But you also need to live outside the village.

8:56 Like, a lot of them have lived outside, like Serena and Leah,

9:00 they're like still with their partner and they're still

9:02 living outside the villa because you're in a villa.

9:03 Like, you need to see what their everyday life looks like outside of it.

9:07 So a lot of these couples get out and they get out into the real world,

9:10 and sometimes the relationships last and sometimes they don't.

9:13 Yeah, some of them don't...

9:14 But anyway...

9:15 Are you trying to get me to watch?

9:17 I'm trying to be interested.

9:20 It'll be funny for you to watch.

9:21 I know.

9:21 I can't wait.

9:22 How do you like podcasting?

9:24 I like it.

9:25 I feel like I get to know different people in different

9:28 professions that I never really think I would talk to.

9:31 This is actually my first time going on somebody else's

9:34 podcast because I like being in the one in control.

9:37 I'm like, I can ask you this, you can't ask me that.

9:40 So this is my first I'm doing it.

9:41 So I like to like now being able to be

9:43 in a different seat and what it feels like,

9:44 but I do really enjoy like getting to know everybody.

9:47 I make my space so people can come on there and be themselves.

9:50 In to feel like a safe space.

9:52 Like, I don't want them to come on there and feel like this is a trap.

9:54 We're trying to get drama, we're trying get click-based.

9:56 Like, I don't want any of that.

9:57 Like, I want them just be able to come on there and just have a good time.

10:00 And everybody that's been on there just has had a good and I really love it.

10:03 Who is the oldest person you've had on?

10:08 Probably Shaq.

10:09 Oh, yeah.

10:10 Shaq is probably the oldest.

10:11 Yeah.

10:11 Yeah.

10:11 And he ain't even that old.

10:13 Yeah.

10:14 Sex with her.

10:14 Okay, okay Shaq has been pretty instrumental.

10:17 I saw the Reebok documentary.

10:20 It was good to see him and in the sort

10:23 of the quest to get Reebok back on the map.

10:28 How's that going?

10:29 How are you feeling?

10:29 Yeah, it's been great.

10:31 I mean, when I first started talking to him,

10:33 Shaq went to LSU and I went to the LSU as well.

10:36 So his daughter was in the recruitment process of trying to come to Lsu.

10:39 And he asked me one day, it was like,

10:41 what will it take for you to come to Reebok?

10:42 And I was like I'm not really interested in signing a shoe.

10:45 Like, this was before I won the championship.

10:47 So people knew who I was and I had a good following.

10:49 But like I hadn't done much.

10:51 I didn't do anything.

10:52 And I feel like being able to sign

10:53 to a shoe brand was something that was like big.

10:57 Wait, this was when you were still in college.

10:58 This was when I was in college and I hadn't even won the championship yet.

11:01 I won the Championship my junior year,

11:03 but this was like September, October of my junior year.

11:06 So I hadn't won anything yet.

11:07 But this was- So you were more- So you are more concerned with winning,

11:10 having a winning pedigree than cash in the check.

11:14 Yeah, I wanted to win first.

11:15 Okay, Angel.

11:16 I wanted it to win because I didn't want it

11:17 to look like I was just based off of my name.

11:21 And when he was like, what will it take?

11:23 And I'm like, I don't know.

11:24 Like, I'm not really looking for it.

11:26 Like, we'll figure it out when it gets there.

11:27 So when I finally won the championship,

11:29 we were still in talks and connections and he was, like, anything you ever need,

11:32 like I'll make sure I get it for you or it'll help you out.

11:35 And after I won the Championship,

11:37 all the different shoe brands started reaching out.

11:39 So I was like, okay.

11:41 Well, I want to go where I'm prioritized

11:43 And to be prioritized as a woman, as a black woman,

11:46 and helping a brand to come back and regenerate where it was,

11:49 that was something that was really important to me.

11:51 I mean, everybody wore Shaxx.

11:53 Everybody wore A.I.

11:54 So they didn't have a woman that was the face of their brand.

11:58 And Shax told me, he was like, you could be the face to Reebok.

12:01 And I didn't believe him at first.

12:02 And I was like I don't know, because I know how women can be percepted.

12:06 And I just know how it could be for a woman in trying to get into the industry.

12:09 And I was like, he was like just trust me.

12:12 So I signed to Reebok and we

12:15 started just working together and building certain things.

12:18 And I told him like, I want to incorporate fashion with basketball.

12:21 And that was the biggest thing for me.

12:22 And since then, it's just been history.

12:24 Being able to create this shoe, it was just, it just been phenomenal.

12:28 Man, how, where did you get your savvy and your maturity?

12:34 I mean, just, you know, you had a strategy coming into this.

12:39 I mean you, you, know yourself.

12:40 You know, and I also saw the documentary on NIL, right?

12:45 When you were at LSU and watching you handle all of that.

12:49 I mean going to school, playing,

12:52 starting the pressure and still basically working a full time.

12:58 Brand, where did you get your sophistication, your strategic thinking?

13:04 Probably for my mom.

13:06 My mom was an independent single mom that raised me and my brother

13:08 and I knew I had to get to college with my scholarship.

13:11 There was no way she was going to be able to pay out of pocket for school.

13:14 So I was like, okay, let me find something that I know that I really

13:16 love and enjoy to do that can get me to college.

13:20 So, I was highly recruited, sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade.

13:24 I went to the University of Maryland initially.

13:27 Maryland.

13:28 Maryland.

13:28 Baltimore.

13:29 Baltimore.

13:30 Baltimore.

13:32 Because I wanted to stay close to home.

13:33 I wanted stay close my family.

13:34 My grandparents were the ones that took me places during tournaments

13:38 and then my mom took my brother places and we always made sure,

13:41 they made sure it worked for us.

13:42 So I always wanted to make sure I did it for my mom.

13:44 And then when I finally transferred to LSU,

13:47 I had already been posting on Instagram.

13:49 I love fashion.

13:50 I love having cute stuff.

13:52 Me too, girl.

13:52 I love putting on my heels.

13:53 Like.

13:54 I loved all of that.

13:55 So I was like, I need to make sure

13:56 I continue to have a brand outside of basketball.

13:58 That was just something that was important to me.

14:00 I didn't know about NIL initially.

14:02 I was, like, we should be getting paid.

14:04 It was new.

14:05 We should be get paid.

14:06 So the first two years, I wasn't getting paid,

14:07 none of us were getting paid and when we, the deadline, it was like July 1st,

14:13 I was like, i need to find somebody to help me

14:16 get my brand aligned with things that I want to do.

14:18 And it was slow in the beginning.

14:21 I always tell this story.

14:23 I'm not signed to an agency, but I was working with Janine.

14:26 That's my agent I work with now.

14:28 That's Kirstie.

14:28 She's not here.

14:29 Janine is not here, but shout out to Janine,

14:31 but I signed to a agency initially that Janine was with and they

14:36 told me that I wasn't going to make more than $2,000.

14:38 This was at the very beginning of NIL.

14:41 So I told myself, I know I'm going to make one $2.000.

14:43 I don't know what y'all talking about, but I know.

14:45 I'm gonna make more that $2 thousand and me and Janine left.

14:49 We did our own thing.

14:50 It was just me and her.

14:51 And she left the agent.

14:52 She left agency with me.

14:54 Okay.

14:54 We took a bold step and we're like, we're going to do this on our own.

14:58 So we started doing it and started doing,

14:59 and then when we won the national championship,

15:01 that's when we added two more people, but we're a very, very small group,

15:05 like a lot of people are signed to really big agencies,

15:07 but we're very small, it's just us.

15:10 Like it was all women at one point.

15:12 And then we have my financial advisor, my lawyer,

15:15 those are the guys, they handle the big stuff.

15:18 You let some guys in there.

15:19 We have those type of guys in here.

15:22 My mom does a lot of stuff too.

15:24 Your mom does?

15:25 My mom sees all my accounts.

15:26 I didn't trust anybody with my money except my mom.

15:28 And I knew nobody was gonna backdoor me outside of my mom.

15:32 Like, I knew my mom was gonna be the one for me.

15:35 So I kind of had the plan and I took risks.

15:36 I was like, I'm gonna do this.

15:38 This is what I wanna do.

15:39 I know I'm going to be able to do fashion.

15:40 I'm gon' be able be a basketball player.

15:42 If I wanna start a podcast, I can do it.

15:44 And I just had big dreams.

15:46 And luckily I was able to accomplish them at such a crazy fast pace.

15:50 But I definitely had a plan, for sure.

15:52 Yeah, so you do this podcast thing.

15:56 We treat this like you're at our house,

15:58 so we like jumping around on all different stuff.

16:00 Because I want to go back to when did you fall in love with basketball?

16:05 Did you play other sports?

16:06 I want hear about you growing up.

16:08 So I did.

16:10 I ran track.

16:10 I did cheerleading.

16:12 When running track, did you run field?

16:14 What did you do?

16:15 I was running.

16:15 Well, what, what?

16:16 Let me tell you the story.

16:17 I was running a 400 one time.

16:19 Ooh, that's...

16:20 Ooh, my mom was out there.

16:24 And I was runnin', I did my first lap,

16:26 and I just stopped in the middle of the track, and I fell out.

16:30 And I said, Mom, I can't do this.

16:32 She was so embarrassed.

16:33 It was at a meet?

16:34 It was thousands of people there.

16:36 But let me tell you, that's what the 400 makes you feel like.

16:39 Like you want to stop.

16:40 Like your body is telling you, stop.

16:43 I couldn't do it.

16:44 So I tried cheerleading,

16:46 and I had a next door neighbor that I used to hang out with.

16:49 And I used to tell her like, I hate cheerleading.

16:51 I hate cheering, but I'm just gonna do it,

16:53 she snitched to my mom one day and told her that I hated

16:55 cheerleading my mom took me off the meet one day at the cheer meet.

16:57 She's like, you're not doing this.

16:58 If you don't want to do it don't do.

17:00 So she was a coach and I used to go around and play basketball.

17:03 She used to coach a third grade team.

17:04 Wait, your mom was a coach?

17:05 My mom was coach.

17:06 Okay, she coached like a third grade team.

17:07 Okay, and I was like four or five years old and I used to just go and play

17:10 Basketball around the gym and play while she was

17:12 practicing Now was your brother playing at this point?

17:14 My brother was not playing yet.

17:15 He wasn't playing yet, he was a late bloomer.

17:19 So we started playing with each other,

17:21 probably like when we were eight and nine, and she coached us.

17:24 So I was on the all boys team, and it was just me,

17:27 I was the only girl, and she couched us,

17:28 and she said she would never do that again.

17:30 Me and him used to fight, we used to go at it.

17:32 It was crazy, but it really helped me, and it really built me.

17:36 But I really enjoy it,

17:37 I would never take that point for granted, having my mom coach me.

17:40 Yeah, it's fine.

17:43 And so, what grade was this?

17:46 This is like, uh, fifth grade.

17:48 Okay, so by sixth grade and seventh, you started getting recruited.

17:51 Yeah, I was getting recruited.

17:52 I was playing, well, when I was in third grade,

17:55 I was playing on a fifth grade team.

17:56 So by the time I was in fifth grade and sixth grade,

17:58 I was kind of already advanced.

17:59 Like I had already knew what I was doing.

18:01 I was also short.

18:02 I was short and I was a point guard when I was younger.

18:04 I used to wear goggles.

18:05 I was the point guard.

18:06 So that's kind of where I had my like ball head and like

18:08 skills from because I was a guard when I was younger It makes sense.

18:11 And then I just...

18:12 Eighth grade is when, like, I just shut up and got tall.

18:15 And I was just like, ugh, I hate...

18:17 I hated it.

18:17 I hated being tall, because, like all the guys were like,

18:19 oh, I'm the tall girl, did you laugh in the classroom?

18:22 I never understood.

18:24 Yeah, we don't know because we don't catch up until later.

18:26 You don't get into it until you're too late, until you too late.

18:30 But like nobody instilled, like my grandma used to tell me like

18:32 you're tall for a reason that I never understood.

18:35 Like grandma, you're not at school with me when these kids are

18:37 like being mean to me and bullying me and stuff like that.

18:40 But now like I get it and I really embrace it.

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21:14 The older we get...

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21:18 The easier it is to make big decisions and all of that.

21:22 It's always been interesting to me that life requires us

21:26 to make huge impactful choices at a very young age.

21:30 Where to live, what to study, and of course, how or even whether to buy a home.

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22:35 challenges and access resources and support

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22:43 See you next time.

22:47 Where does your height come from?

22:49 From.

22:49 Who's my?

22:50 My whole family.

22:50 My granddaddy is 6'5".

22:52 Everybody's tall.

22:53 My mom's 6'1".

22:54 My dad's 6'9".

22:55 My brother's 6' 9".

22:56 My other brother's 6 '9'.

22:57 So everybody was tall.

22:59 So in high school, I was being heavily recruited.

23:02 And then my first years, I played volleyball.

23:03 I won two championships in volleyball.

23:05 Oh, you just went in everywhere.

23:07 I love volleyball.

23:08 It was so fun.

23:08 And I thought it was something I could just continue to help me.

23:11 I think that kind of helped me with rebounding as well.

23:13 I'm sure.

23:14 It probably did.

23:15 My mother was a great Maryland, so.

23:19 But did she say to you, all right, you got to get 10 rebounds a game?

23:24 No, she's never been the type to be like, you need to do this, you do that.

23:28 She always let me be free.

23:30 She always, because she trusted and she knew that I would work hard

23:34 and know that I could get to my goals because I worked hard.

23:36 She trusted me.

23:37 Now my brother on the other hand, when he went to college,

23:39 she was like, what are you doing this?

23:40 But she knew I was going to always be successful because she trust me.

23:45 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

23:46 Did you guys, I do, were you guys?

23:48 What was your relationship like with your mom?

23:50 Was it like, were like friends?

23:52 Was she like, I'm not one of your little friends?

23:55 Yeah, that was that.

23:57 I loved her when we got to college,

23:59 I didn't have to come home at a certain time, do certain things.

24:02 And me and my brother are 11 months apart.

24:05 So we used to try to be like, let's not tell mom this and tell mom that.

24:11 So we were super close when we were younger.

24:12 And then when we get older, we're just all like best friends,

24:16 like all of we text in the group chat and just have a good time.

24:18 And I think parents understand once you're out of the house and like...

24:23 We're adults and we understand what life is about

24:26 now because you've taught us so many great things.

24:28 And I don't think, I think you know that we're not going to do anything

24:30 crazy or get into any trouble because I know you're going to get on me.

24:34 That's right.

24:34 It's like, you got to be more afraid of me than you are of your little friends.

24:38 Yes, I'm still afraid of my mom.

24:39 Yes.

24:39 Yeah.

24:40 And I say that too.

24:41 My girls say the same thing.

24:42 I was like, I am good with that, you know?

24:44 I think a little fear is good for all the parents out there.

24:50 Let your kids like you when they're adults.

24:52 But until then, they should be a little afraid.

24:55 Yes.

24:56 Just a little bit afraid.

24:57 Yes.

24:57 I'm so, yeah.

24:58 I tell my kids, I'm easy to manage,

25:00 just do what you're supposed to do, I am easy to manage.

25:05 Did you guys go to the same high school?

25:07 Initially, no, he went to a public school

25:09 and I went to private school my four years.

25:10 And then I used to tell him, like, I don't like the situation.

25:14 And I used tell my mom, like I wasn't liking the situation,

25:16 so he needs to come with me.

25:18 And like, I used always watch over him.

25:20 I didn't like his situation at the public school.

25:22 Because public school sometimes it's like, it's too much going on.

25:25 I think he needed the undivided attention of being at a private school.

25:28 What is it with smaller...

25:28 What is it with small little sisters taking care of their older brothers?

25:31 No, this is my little brother little brother.

25:34 Okay.

25:34 I kind of feel like I It was best for him.

25:36 Okay, I got you.

25:37 And he was successful.

25:38 He was able to still thrive, but I had to, like, watch him.

25:41 Like, I always say my mom, like my mom just lets me be independent.

25:44 And she's like, still babies, my brother.

25:46 I'm like, you have to let him live life.

25:48 That's what happened here, too.

25:51 See?

25:52 The mom.

25:53 Yes.

25:54 They are.

25:55 I mean, look, I always make the joke.

25:57 It's a rough life.

25:57 It's like I had to take her to the White House before she noticed.

26:00 She's like, Craig, Craig.

26:03 My mom does, too.

26:03 I'm like, she's like, is Juju fine?

26:05 I'm, like, I don't know.

26:07 Call him.

26:08 He just got, he's playing with the G League in Toronto,

26:11 and she went down to set his room up.

26:13 I'm.

26:14 Like, what are you doing, Mom?

26:16 Like, what?

26:16 You didn't come set my room up?

26:19 But I love it, because I know that that's what makes him feel comfortable,

26:23 and that's why makes me feel comfortable for him.

26:24 Because you know he's set up.

26:26 Yeah, he is good.

26:27 I was like, you good?

26:27 You need something?

26:28 I'm he's like alright.

26:29 So, how do you...

26:30 So, how do you feel about girlfriends in his life?

26:34 Alright, let's talk about that.

26:36 I am open to what he likes and loves, but I definitely will let him know,

26:41 like, this might not be the best situation for you.

26:44 And I see it at the end.

26:45 It always folds out how I say it.

26:48 You always know what you're talking about, right?

26:50 I always know when I'm talking.

26:51 I'm like, Mom, I'm, like Mom.

26:52 She's like, just let him live.

26:53 Like, he has to go through it.

26:55 Poor kids.

26:56 If she do something to my brother, man, I am not going to be happy.

27:00 It's going down.

27:01 Mm-hmm.

27:02 Yeah.

27:03 Let's understand that, ladies.

27:04 Don't be messing with Angel's little baby.

27:07 So he hasn't met anybody who's like you.

27:11 I don't think he's capable of being with somebody like me.

27:16 Okay.

27:17 It's bound.

27:17 I don't think he is able to be with a woman that has her own.

27:22 I think a lot of men are not able to have...

27:27 Like, I just, I, I- That requires...

27:30 Present company excluded.

27:31 Yeah, you okay.

27:33 I think it's hard.

27:34 I think takes a strong man to be able to be open to a woman that has her own,

27:38 that works on her own and does her own things and doesn't necessarily need you.

27:42 And that is not.

27:43 Catering.

27:44 To, you know, it's like when you have your own thing,

27:48 you don't have time to make sure you're this, make sure,

27:51 cause you're, you've got your own pathway and it is a difficult thing.

27:58 I mean, I feel very blessed that, you now,

28:01 my husband in his, before all of this, he

28:05 had to be completely secure with all that was me.

28:08 How I thought, how I moved, how, you, know, and it's a rare thing.

28:13 Yeah, my mom, that's how my mom was like, my mom was very like,

28:17 she taught me how to cut grass if I needed to, if I need to change like a tire,

28:21 like, yeah she made me so independent,

28:23 like if I'm coming in a relationship, sir, I don't need you.

28:27 You're just a plus to me.

28:28 And I kind of, when I tell my brother, I'm like,

28:30 you want a woman that is also ambitious because you don't want

28:33 to deal with, you don't want to be with somebody that's not driven,

28:36 that is not going to push you to be better because when you're slacking,

28:38 you need somebody to tap you on the butt.

28:40 But hey, you got to get up and come on.

28:41 I say a relationship is like a basketball team.

28:45 It is.

28:46 It's like everybody's got to be able to shoot,

28:48 dribble, score, and defend everybody.

28:50 Yeah.

28:50 It's, like, you wouldn't pick your team and be like, I only dribble.

28:54 Yeah.

28:54 And it's, you know, because you never know

28:57 what life is going to have before you.

29:00 You know, it's like you want to you want a partner.

29:04 That is bringing what you're bringing to the table because life happens.

29:07 Somebody could get sick, somebody could life be life and so.

29:11 Can we just pause for a moment, and I want to let the producers mark

29:16 this time that my sister used a basketball analogy.

29:19 See you next time.

29:20 For the first time in a whole year.

29:24 Analogy.

29:24 Not with me.

29:26 But I do when I'm talking to men, trying to get them to understand.

29:29 It's like you want a partner that can bring it all.

29:33 Yes.

29:33 And I tell my daughters, you have to be able to do everything.

29:37 Yes, I don't want you to ever count on somebody.

29:39 I've seen too many friends who, you know, they served the role.

29:44 They did what they were supposed to do.

29:47 And then somebody walked out on them or somebody died, unfortunately.

29:51 Uh, unfortunately it takes us a while.

29:54 We, we.

29:54 How long?

29:55 When we get older.

29:56 How long?

29:56 Yeah, really, how old?

29:57 I would say for me, I was probably in my early 30s when I was like confident.

30:04 OK, well, I like I think that.

30:07 But it's not the same for everybody though.

30:09 Like there's some guys who probably have that at 25

30:12 and I've met some guys who've had it early,

30:15 but I would think around 30 is the right age.

30:19 Especially for somebody as polished and as you are.

30:25 Yeah, you might, yeah.

30:28 Sorry, I cut you off.

30:29 No, no, no.

30:30 No, no, no.

30:31 No, it's because I want to hear your opinion as the man.

30:34 I never understood though.

30:35 Is it a I want to know,

30:37 do you feel like it's a threat when you were younger in your earlier days?

30:41 No, because I grew up in a household of strong women,

30:44 I didn't see it as a threat.

30:46 It was more, I wasn't ready to be as responsible

30:51 as you or as my sister was at an earlier age.

30:55 I was still, you know, I was trying to play basketball,

30:57 I'm trying to be out there and see what this all brings.

31:01 And then when I stopped playing, I trying to make a living.

31:04 Yeah, and I was really focused on that I think it's like the lifestyle too,

31:08 like you get so caught up in the lifestyle, especially the guys.

31:12 You have so much access to everything and you

31:16 don't understand what it even looks like to be

31:18 in a real relationship or be with someone

31:20 that is driven and has their own, like, oh, she...

31:22 I woke up today because I saw you woke up at five and now I'm about to get

31:26 up and get up at 530 because I'm motivated to keep going and get and do things.

31:30 And I think that is important, especially at 23,

31:32 I've seen so much in the dating world and I think being able to be around

31:37 people and be around someone that really understands

31:41 and is very ambitious and talks long-term things.

31:44 Because I like to be educated too, because I don't know everything.

31:45 I don't know everything.

31:46 That's right.

31:46 Tell me about the investments and how how

31:49 to do certain things and assets because I

31:51 wasn't taught that in school They don't teach

31:52 us that in They don't teach that in.

31:54 Oh yeah, anywhere.

31:55 But I think that is really important and I think I've

31:57 had an eye open to that and not just over the years,

32:02 just being in the life and the space that I've been now,

32:05 realizing it's bigger than the lifestyle.

32:07 At the end of the day,

32:08 we have to turn the social media off, everything that we see,

32:11 and we have to sit and lay down in bed together, and this is reality.

32:14 How do you, how are you managing that?

32:16 I mean, your brain, you are, first of all, it's your generation,

32:20 it your profession, it's the, how do you make the separation?

32:25 How do keep yourself sane and still, you know, get the job done?

32:30 I think I tried to have some type

32:32 of normalization of knowing where I've come from.

32:35 I'll never forget that.

32:37 I don't want to ever feel like I'm bigger than anything.

32:39 So I always sit back and just think like, I'm so grateful.

32:43 I'm still thankful.

32:45 I love being able just to come home and turn

32:47 my phone off and just relax and just doing the things

32:50 that I enjoy laying in bed and just laughing and just

32:53 having a good time with the people that I love and enjoy.

32:56 So.

32:57 I think over the years it's been hard for me to realize

33:00 that, but I think the maturity

33:01 of just understanding like social media isn't real.

33:05 Mm-hmm.

33:06 Say that again.

33:07 Social media is not real.

33:09 Okay, everybody.

33:10 I think we get so caught up in that.

33:14 Years probably I would comment back at things

33:17 and let things continue to bother me.

33:19 But now it's just like.

33:20 Well, you know, girl, it takes some people until now, my age, 62,

33:25 to realize that it's just beautiful that, you now, and look, I adore you.

33:32 It's fun to watch you,

33:34 but I also want to make sure you're protecting your soul through all of this.

33:39 And a lot of young people don't even know that they need to protect themselves.

33:44 So I'm glad to hear that you understand this fully.

33:48 I think now, over the last two years, I've been able to understand it.

33:55 Do I think what has happened to me over the years is normal?

33:58 No.

33:58 Not at all.

33:59 And it's acceptable?

34:00 No, not at all, but understanding this is my new reality of what

34:04 life is about and being able to just be grateful and graceful

34:07 of everything that I'm able to enjoy of just being able to come

34:11 home and let my hair down and then just walk around the house

34:14 like just being able to enjoy the little things and like now

34:17 that's just the things I enjoy I can't go to the grocery store

34:20 and do the same things I used to be able to do go

34:22 to the concert and just have a good time or just go to Like,

34:26 now I just enjoy the little things at home when I can.

34:29 What I have to back up and because you said you were

34:34 talking about being bullied when you because you were tall I think,

34:39 and correct me if I'm wrong, all the stuff that you've had to go

34:43 through has prepared you for what you're handling now.

34:47 And I have to say, so I started following you when you were at LSU.

34:51 So I didn't know you when your at Maryland.

34:53 So when you started being on TV and I was like,

34:55 oh, look at this beautiful woman getting all these rebounds.

34:59 And being able to really play, like I could tell you could handle the ball.

35:03 I can tell you can see the game by the way you pass.

35:08 You're seeing now.

35:10 Sports is like reality TV.

35:12 The media wants to manufacture some stuff.

35:16 And I just want you to know that I noticed how

35:19 you've handled yourself and it has been absolutely with a plum.

35:26 You can't really teach that.

35:30 You could talk to people about Yeah,

35:31 but you can't teach what you went through Yeah,

35:34 I don't think anybody would ever.

35:35 Ever understand.

35:37 And so if for those young people, not just women coming up behind you,

35:42 how would you talk to them about what you went through?

35:47 I think it was a really pivotal point in my life.

35:52 I think It was a character builder for me

35:56 to be able to go through what I was going through,

35:58 especially at a time where I won, but am I losing at the same time where

36:03 I'm feeling like I'm getting pulled by the wins,

36:05 but I'm also getting pulled by the losses and how do

36:08 I find a medium where I'm able to just cope with both?

36:11 And figuring that out and like,

36:12 I've had to eliminate people out of my life, eliminate people out in my circle.

36:16 Being able to find people that genuinely just outside of Bayou Barbie,

36:21 Chi-Town Barbie, outside of everything, like Angel, who's Angel?

36:25 And just being able to enjoy great company.

36:27 I think that's really important for me

36:30 and just continuing to just to be confident.

36:32 I think.

36:33 Everybody always asks me like, are you all right?

36:36 Like, yeah, I'm as all right as I can be.

36:38 And everything is not great,

36:39 but I try to wake up every day and just be grateful for every moment.

36:43 Every moment hasn't been great, but I wouldn't change this life for anything

36:47 because I have had some really good moments

36:49 and I don't want bad moments to outshine

36:51 the good moments because I know I've been able to.

36:54 Bless my family, bless the community, being able to start a foundation.

36:58 I never would have thought I was able to start a Foundation.

37:00 At this age, girl?

37:01 I never thought that.

37:02 Being able to just continue to thrive in basketball,

37:05 have a sneaker and just being able to do so many great things.

37:08 I try not to let the negative outshine the positive,

37:12 but like I said, I keep my circle very small.

37:15 I love who I love, I am big on loyalty.

37:18 I love the people around me.

37:20 I appreciate you guys for making this a safe space for me because like you said,

37:23 the media has not always been great for me.

37:25 No, no.

37:28 I'll take a fine.

37:29 I'll catch a fine, especially in a WMB.

37:31 I'll have a fine before I have to go

37:33 to media and feel like my back is against the wall.

37:36 Yeah.

37:36 So I really appreciate you, guys,

37:38 for allowing me to come on here and this feel like a safe

37:40 place and one of the safest spaces that it's been in a very,

37:43 very long time for me Well, we've had our share, you know, I mean,

37:50 I completely understand the challenges that you face,

37:56 but doing it at 23, by the time we got in the White House, we were in our 40s.

38:02 So it's like a big difference to have to deal with that kind of spotlight.

38:08 So tell me this, the negative stuff that you've been through,

38:11 I don't wanna stay on the negative, but the negative you've through,

38:15 has it changed your passion or love for the game?

38:20 All right, good.

38:20 I don't think anybody can dictate the love and joy.

38:22 Ever take that away from me.

38:24 I think I've been through so much at a pivotal time,

38:29 like I said, when I was winning so much.

38:33 Now it's like, everything is a win to me.

38:35 The small things are a win for me,

38:36 so I don't even let the negativity get to me, like it doesn't bother me.

38:41 You see it, I see it.

38:43 We all see it and it's, I've grown to have a where you can't break me.

38:51 Yeah, good, good.

38:52 You just can't break me in.

38:55 I feel like I've learned over the years

38:57 also when I've spoken out on those things,

38:59 of things that I have gone through, it's backfired or anything, anything.

39:04 I feel you damn if you do, damn if don't.

39:06 You say something and it's a problem,

39:08 you don't say something, it is still a problem.

39:10 And you know that the people you have surrounded yourself with, your family,

39:17 your team, those are the only people you need to care about.

39:23 That's what our mom used to tell us.

39:26 Just worry about who's at this kitchen table right here.

39:28 Don't worry about these other folks.

39:30 It's like, come here, come home to be loved.

39:34 Come to your team, go to your teams, or come to home and...

39:38 And that's true for everybody, quite frankly.

39:41 Everybody should be that way, but it's hard.

39:43 Especially your generation, when everything is judged.

39:49 And hearing you talk about social media like a 60-year-old makes me happy.

39:55 Because I know you're not sitting there swiping and going down a rabbit hole,

40:00 like, oh man, I might just give up playing because of the same work.

40:04 I can be a fashion designer.

40:06 I can a shoe salesperson.

40:08 You can do whatever you want.

40:10 No, it just, yeah, it makes me go harder.

40:13 Like, I'm so, yeah I have so many goals.

40:16 It's like, if I stop now, I proved you right.

40:19 And I proved your right.

40:20 Like, and I have nothing to prove to anybody but myself.

40:23 And I just know, like, I want to continue to do the things that I want to do.

40:27 Nobody can, I am not going to let the outside control my own

40:30 narrative of what I want be and what I want, what I wanna do.

40:40 Life can be one big puzzle.

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42:27 April is the make or break month for momentum.

42:30 That beginning of the year push is in the rear view and it's up to us

42:35 right now to decide if we'll keep grinding

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43:46 Okay, what part of your game are you working on this summer?

43:48 Everything.

43:50 Ooh, okay, that was quick.

43:51 Seeing that, but then you still sounded like a baby, right?

43:54 Yeah, I know.

43:55 Everything.

43:56 This has been a good off season for me though.

43:59 This is my first time I was able to have a real off season.

44:04 And have rest.

44:04 What's been the difference?

44:05 So when I came from college.

44:07 You go right to the league.

44:08 Yeah, the way WNBA works.

44:09 You go to the League.

44:10 I was drafted on April 15th.

44:12 I was insured in the camp by April 29th.

44:14 Right after the college season Yeah, there's no break.

44:19 So I did that.

44:20 My rookie year and then last year, and then this is the first off season.

44:23 So I was able to enjoy my off season and do

44:26 some of my sneaker stuff and just continue to build my game.

44:28 And then now I trained for the USA team because that's

44:32 a big goal for me to pay on the 2028 LA team.

44:35 So I trained and did a lot of stuff with that in December.

44:39 And they just announced that I made the World Cup team.

44:42 So I'm looking forward to that.

44:43 And then I'm gonna go and play on rival

44:45 for the last three games and Hopefully we get to the...

44:48 The finals and run it back.

44:52 How is Chicago?

44:54 The city is beautiful.

44:55 Which is why we're not there yet.

44:56 Oh, it's the best.

44:58 The food, the vibes, like...

45:00 The city, it is like a small town, big city.

45:03 You know, people are really nice, lovely.

45:06 It's like that Midwestern, you know, everybody's...

45:09 It's sort of, I always say it's because it's Southern.

45:11 You know?

45:12 It's, like, black folks migrated from the South.

45:14 Everybody went down South for the...

45:17 It's got that Southern welcoming vibe.

45:20 I was hoping you were enjoying yourself.

45:22 I love the culture there.

45:23 They show up.

45:25 They sell out our games.

45:27 They love us.

45:29 And going to a city where the legacy of Chicago and sports speaks for itself,

45:33 it was an honor to be able to be in this city.

45:36 We still love the city.

45:38 Live there.

45:38 But we've got the Presidential Center opening up in June,

45:42 and we still have our home there.

45:43 We live in Hyde Park.

45:45 Yeah.

45:46 That's nice.

45:47 We are going to be doing a lot

45:48 of work and hopefully we can do some things together.

45:50 Yes, yes, yes.

45:51 I definitely want to do that.

45:52 With your foundation, I'll be working with girls and young leaders,

45:56 and it would be great to figure out some

45:59 ways we can some things to together for the city.

46:01 Talk about your foundation, I want the folks out here to hear about it.

46:04 Yeah.

46:04 So when I started my foundation, well,

46:06 let's start back when I was in high school, I went to a school called St.

46:10 Francis Academy in Baltimore.

46:12 If I'm here, the jail is right there in Baltimore City.

46:16 There were about 250 students in the school, probably about 50 of us were women.

46:21 And I always told myself, like,

46:23 I want to be able to give a scholarship back to the school.

46:26 However I can, if it's just to a woman,

46:28 to a player on the team, somebody, I was like, I wanna do that.

46:32 So when I started, when everything happened with the national championship,

46:35 I was like, this money can't just be sit.

46:38 I can't be just spending.

46:39 I got to give back to the community and get back

46:41 to where I know I was from and where I was founded.

46:43 So St.

46:44 Francis was the first thing I was able to do.

46:46 I was to give a scholarship away first.

46:48 Then I did my back to school event there

46:49 and giving backpacks and everything away for the entire community.

46:52 And then I was Nobody ever taught me what it's like to have

46:56 a lump sum of money because I'm a first generation of Having

47:00 this much money and I didn't know what to do with it initially

47:02 and I'm learning on the go and learning on The fly but how about

47:05 as I'm Learning I'm teaching some young girls of how how to do

47:08 it as well and how to be confident within themselves to have A big

47:11 sister like as myself and being able to feel and touch them

47:14 and they can see me because when you see it You can believe it.

47:17 You can be it Mm-hmm, yeah.

47:20 All right, let me switch, and I don't want to make this personal,

47:24 but as a young person out here, because I had two young daughters, it's like,

47:30 what do you make of the dating scene?

47:32 You know, how, you know, and I know it's hard for you.

47:36 It's like, cause you're beautiful and you're smart and you know your own thing.

47:39 I'm always like, what, what does it feel like being out here these days?

47:45 And that's not about the who or no.

47:47 It's just like, What's your take on this situation?

47:51 Ha!

47:52 I think, like I said,

47:55 finding someone that doesn't care about all the extra stuff.

48:00 I don't want you to fantasize over me because of what you see on social media.

48:04 You know I'm that girl.

48:06 But at the end of the day,

48:07 when we go home, you're still a genuinely good person.

48:11 And I have my own, so I don't t need to be with someone for their own.

48:18 So I think it was very intentional for me.

48:20 One, I day privately.

48:21 That's what I've learned over the years.

48:23 Not putting your business out there.

48:25 Um, sharing what you want people to know and keeping things private,

48:29 what you wanna keep private.

48:30 Um, but I haven't had, like, a hard life in the dating scene.

48:33 I think...

48:34 Of course not.

48:35 I'm having a soft life, but...

48:37 Of course, not.

48:38 I'm very big on, like...

48:40 Like I said, like you treat me right.

48:42 Yeah.

48:43 Yeah, but if you don't, like yeah, yeah, you gotta go.

48:46 Yeah, yeah.

48:47 Do you feel like it's hard for your daughter?

48:49 I mean, I, you know, they aren't lonely, right?

48:54 But, but, you know, I do think just in the whole situation of young people,

49:02 because it's not just my kids, but you know the young women who are like,

49:07 who are like my daughters and you know just like we talked about for women,

49:11 it's, you know, the Pickens are slim or they seem slim.

49:16 Yeah.

49:17 Uh, because it just feels like no one wants to commit.

49:20 I think it's hard.

49:22 I think you always want to have the, you walk in the grocery store and you need

49:25 to reach up and find something and the man just walks in and grabs it for you.

49:30 Yeah, everybody's got this romantic story.

49:32 It doesn't happen.

49:34 So I think just finding the reality of what genuine love is like and I

49:39 am young and still figuring things out and I think if you find someone that...

49:45 Is helping you learn this life thing at the same time.

49:49 Like I said, I'm big on loyalty.

49:50 You ride with me, Ima ride with you, through any and all.

49:55 So as long as we doing that and rocking, then we're good to go.

49:58 We're gonna be okay.

49:59 We're going to be okay!

50:01 We're just fine.

50:02 Just fine.

50:02 What are the, I mean, you're into everything,

50:05 and I was looking through the research that we had.

50:09 So you're trying to get into cooking more, huh?

50:11 I do.

50:12 I want a Coke.

50:13 You want to.

50:13 I want to go to culinary school.

50:15 Okay.

50:16 Like, serious cooking.

50:17 You want to be able to chop and dice and chip.

50:19 We have a chef, but, like, I want to able to...

50:22 I mean, I can do a little one, too.

50:24 But, like I want be able dress the plate

50:25 up and have it looking like the restaurant.

50:28 It's the white plate.

50:28 You want it to have sauces and things.

50:29 Yeah, like the sauce, the little drips of the sauce.

50:32 And, like...

50:33 That's what I want.

50:34 I feel like I can't...

50:35 Like I said, basketball's gonna be done one day.

50:37 I'm gonna have kids and like...

50:39 Yeah, the chef can do the thing one of these days.

50:41 But sometimes I got to put it together, too, right?

50:43 Right.

50:45 I can just see your kids coming home.

50:47 Hey, Mommy, thanks for the little design on my plate.

50:50 I also, I don't know if you guys know who Nora Smith is,

50:53 okay, she's like, she makes and cooks everything from scratch.

50:58 I'm sure somebody back there knows.

51:00 What?

51:00 She's like milk in the cow and oh, you scratch, Nora.

51:04 I think I've- Yes, your daughters know.

51:06 Okay, yeah.

51:07 So I want to like, I mean, not that in depth, but she makes everything.

51:11 Yeah, that seems a little extra.

51:12 So you're going to be making your own baby food.

51:14 Like, they make...

51:15 Did she make Cheerios or something like that?

51:18 She makes everything.

51:18 Everything.

51:18 There's nothing she hasn't made.

51:20 Yeah, that interests me.

51:22 I like stuff like that.

51:23 Yeah, so I like watching cooking videos.

51:25 As somebody who gave up cooking a while ago.

51:28 What happened?

51:29 The White House.

51:32 Hey, listen, now we're getting to the point where you

51:34 and I got more in common than everybody else in there.

51:37 I was like, why do you want to do that?

51:39 No cooking, no commercial flights, no, you know.

51:44 Hope you guys do enjoy!

51:45 The life?

51:48 My life?

51:49 I am having a blast.

51:51 This has been, so you know, so she's 62, I'm going to be 64 on my next birthday.

51:57 Yes.

52:00 And being able to learn something completely new at this age,

52:05 this whole podcasting thing, has been a godsend for me.

52:12 Like, it is really fun getting to talk.

52:16 I was telling my wife, I was like, I'm really having fun.

52:18 I can't put my finger on it.

52:20 And she said, you just like talking to people.

52:22 And that's what I like.

52:23 It's fun, yeah.

52:24 Chatting.

52:24 And being able to do it.

52:25 And being able to do it with her, because

52:26 we grew up kind of like you and your brother.

52:28 We were close.

52:29 And then when I started coaching,

52:32 I was moving all around and then they moved to the White House.

52:35 So we'd only see each other twice a year.

52:37 Yeah.

52:37 Now we see each once a month.

52:40 And it's so much fun, so I'm really enjoying this part of life.

52:46 And I'm working with the Coaches Association for college.

52:50 So I'm all involved in the NIL stuff and the Transfer

52:56 Portal and trying to be in on those discussions.

52:58 And then I've got, we still have two

53:00 younger sons who are high school and eighth grade.

53:02 So I am coaching their team.

53:04 So it's, I'm at a good spot.

53:07 It might be a little too busy, but it's good.

53:10 Is there anything you guys miss about like the normalcy of like this one thing?

53:16 I miss like going to the mall.

53:17 Yeah.

53:17 Or just like Cassey just walking in and nobody knowing you are.

53:20 The first little things like,

53:22 I went to Mallorca visiting a friend, the girls came with me.

53:27 We're at this villa and we're staying there because

53:30 we got all this security when we go abroad.

53:33 It's just like the international, they require all this stuff.

53:37 So nobody would know I'm anywhere except for the local police.

53:41 So I was like, 'I just want to go into town.

53:44 I just want to walk.

53:45 Into this little beautiful town.

53:47 And so we found a way to kind of ditch the big motorcade and we

53:51 parked in my security and we got out

53:53 because we're learning how to do things stealthily.

53:56 Because it's usually the security that tells people somebody's here.

54:00 Right.

54:01 So we snuck in, me and the girls,

54:04 a couple of friends of ours, we walked to this beautiful little boutique.

54:07 We went in it and we shopped for two hours.

54:12 We got a dressing room.

54:13 And I realized I had never been able to take my girls shopping like that.

54:18 Like those are the little things.

54:20 Like, we had so much fun.

54:23 And I was like, give what you want.

54:25 Try that on.

54:25 Oh, that looks cute.

54:26 We just had that or the experience the other summer because

54:30 I started driving in Martha's Vineyard because it's small and, you know,

54:35 I'm followed by people, but I'm in my own car driving myself.

54:39 And I was in the car with Malia and she's in the passenger seat.

54:43 And it's a little convertible.

54:44 We had the top down and she playing music and we're singing.

54:50 That was the first time I had that experience with my daughter where

54:53 I was driving and she was in a car and it was just us.

54:57 Those are the things that, you know, you miss anonymity.

55:01 Yeah.

55:01 My mom always says that.

55:03 She's like, I miss when we could just go to a restaurant.

55:04 That's right.

55:05 Yeah.

55:05 And just go eat and now everybody's walking up to the table

55:08 or like just wanting a picture and you want to give everybody a picture,

55:11 and then enjoy everybody, but you also want to enjoy your own time.

55:14 Yeah.

55:14 And again, this is not a complaint.

55:16 No, you feel like you got to be like, oh.

55:19 You feel like you got to be like, oh,

55:19 look at you, now you've got, oh you in Spain and...

55:22 No crying on the yacht.

55:23 But you know, you feel like...

55:25 But the same thing.

55:26 ...You have to qualify all of those statements.

55:27 For sure.

55:28 Yeah.

55:28 But there is a loneliness that comes with the isolation.

55:33 Yeah.

55:34 And you're going through it young.

55:35 Yeah.

55:36 You know?

55:36 Yeah.

55:37 I mean, so it's like, it's important to acknowledge that that's not normal.

55:43 Yeah.

55:43 You know.

55:43 Yeah.

55:44 It's not, yeah.

55:45 It's not, and it is okay to feel a way about it, right?

55:50 Because I don't think, there are very few people who understand what it

55:53 feels like to never ever be able to blend in.

55:57 Like, first of all, we're tall.

55:59 Yeah.

56:00 So, before this, we can't walk in any place without anybody going,

56:05 well, who's that, right.

56:08 I'm always going to be like It's always going to be like that.

56:12 But, you know, I would imagine.

56:16 I can imagine.

56:17 What is Is that like being 23?

56:20 It's tougher for you.

56:21 It's tougher for you being 23 and I'm I'm still

56:23 in the streets like a normal person That's not the same street.

56:31 You're not in the street.

56:33 It's like I was when I was in Chicago.

56:35 I'm like in the Wisconsin street.

56:39 In the suburbs of Wisconsin.

56:41 But because I have young children,

56:43 we're trying to give them a normal experience.

56:48 So I have to endure all of the...

56:52 And now with a podcast and walking around with this face,

56:55 looking just like her, they're like...

56:57 Aren't you Michelle's brother?

56:58 And it's like, yeah, and I say yes and keep going.

57:00 Once one starts, it's everybody, yeah.

57:02 So you learn how to navigate it,

57:04 but it is, it's an interesting way to exist, right?

57:11 And it's been this way since, really, since I've been coaching, you know,

57:15 when you start coaching at the Division I level, everybody knows you.

57:20 But when you have children, you're going to go back to trying to give

57:24 them a normal life and maybe it dies down.

57:28 But you know you'll be the.

57:30 Host of a hit podcast.

57:32 You'll probably have your own reality TV series.

57:36 Maybe a cooking show that you can be a part of.

57:38 I heard you're gonna be on Hunting Wives!

57:41 I am!

57:42 Yes!

57:42 I love that show.

57:45 Hinting lies is crap.

57:46 So, if you're on it, I'ma watch it.

57:52 All right, let's just give him a little warning, though.

57:55 I gave him a bit of warning.

57:56 No, no, no.

57:57 Not a hate it.

57:58 Just you're going to be surprised.

58:00 Yeah, yeah.

58:01 So can you talk talk about what role what?

58:04 Yeah, I'm a trainer.

58:05 You're a trainer I'm a trainer.

58:07 So Brad is going to Baylor.

58:09 Okay.

58:11 Say I have no idea what you all talking about.

58:12 That's okay.

58:15 Brad is going to mail her, so I'm going to be his trainer.

58:17 Do I have to watch the first season?

58:19 Yes, I think you should.

58:20 Yeah, you should Just catch up.

58:23 Once you watch the first episode, you're hooked.

58:25 How was the experience?

58:26 It was so good.

58:27 Was this your first, like, act, playing a role?

58:30 So I did, um, I worked with Idris Elba the last two years ago.

58:36 What?

58:36 What would tell us more?

58:38 Idris Selva, come on, high M.O.

58:41 He's the other one.

58:42 He's The Other One.

58:44 Yes, I work with him.

58:46 And we can do it without Craig.

58:48 Oh, that's wrong.

58:50 Well, I like him.

58:53 Nah, I don't care.

58:56 It's interesting.

58:57 Yeah.

58:57 Yeah.

58:57 It's interest.

58:58 So you have interest.

58:59 So I worked with him on House of Dynamite,

59:02 it was a movie that came out on Netflix probably in October, December, October,

59:08 November and it was about like his presidency and he

59:13 was actually in Chicago and you guys have to watch it, I was in the end of it.

59:17 I was a basketball player on the court and I was myself but it was really good.

59:22 He's the best like when I met him I was

59:25 like I love him and we've been connected since then.

59:28 Um, but yeah, come on.

59:30 I don't know, Michelle wants him on IMA.

59:32 Idris.

59:33 Idris?

59:34 He's usually in London, so...

59:36 Okay.

59:36 He'll come.

59:38 Okay.

59:38 We can tape in London.

59:39 We'll take it to London.

59:41 Let's take Ayamoda to London!

59:42 Oh yeah, yeah But was it fun, like, being another character?

59:47 It was fun.

59:47 Did you have acting training or did you just use it in your own...

59:52 I believe it.

59:53 I believe.

59:53 I just did it.

59:54 It was so fun, though.

59:55 Like it was really fun and I was on set

59:58 and doing the normal things and just seeing like the set life.

1:00:00 That's a long day Isn't that a trip?

1:00:02 It's such a long day, and then all the angles,

1:00:05 and now you have to do it again and again and...

1:00:08 And it was really cool though, I really,

1:00:10 really enjoyed it and I definitely would do it again.

1:00:24 I want to talk about fashion a little bit.

1:00:27 Go ahead.

1:00:27 It's like, first of all, what's that?

1:00:30 That's true.

1:00:30 We are in Versace today.

1:00:31 Oh, Versace, Versache.

1:00:32 Versace.

1:00:33 Versace Versace Versace Versace I love fashion.

1:00:35 Yes, me too.

1:00:36 Yes.

1:00:37 I love fashion.

1:00:37 What are you wearing today?

1:00:38 Uh, this is Louis V.

1:00:39 I love.

1:00:40 Yeah.

1:00:40 And it's long.

1:00:41 It's good.

1:00:42 It's long, well, I, you know.

1:00:44 Tall, girlfriendly.

1:00:45 First of all, they'll make it longer.

1:00:46 Yeah.

1:00:47 Yeah.

1:00:47 I like that.

1:00:48 And then we still may have to alter here or there, pull out a sleeve.

1:00:51 But I think this was okay.

1:00:53 This is, I think they made it for me.

1:00:56 Bye.

1:00:56 If anybody cares, I'm wearing American tall.

1:00:59 Yeah, that's all he wears.

1:01:00 American Tall is always good.

1:01:01 It's American Tall.

1:01:02 We want to give him another, and also American Tall needs to be a sponsor.

1:01:07 So American Tall, I think we shout you out all the time.

1:01:11 This guy.

1:01:12 I always wear it.

1:01:14 I have other designers.

1:01:15 We're trying to get a sponsorship, okay?

1:01:17 Yeah, we are, yes.

1:01:18 So, I mean, pay attention.

1:01:20 I wear it most of the time.

1:01:21 Pay attention.

1:01:22 Have you done any Fashion Week stuff, any,

1:01:24 did you, have you ever done Met Gala stuff?

1:01:27 I've been twice, yeah.

1:01:28 You've been in twice.

1:01:28 Yeah.

1:01:28 I've been twice, yeah.

1:01:28 You've been two.

1:01:28 That's right.

1:01:29 I've twice.

1:01:30 It's a crazy day.

1:01:31 It's insane.

1:01:31 It seems like it.

1:01:32 That seems a lot, like, I don't know, that seems a bit much.

1:01:35 And usually I fly in and fly out the same day

1:01:37 because I have a game the next day or practice the next.

1:01:40 So usually I practice in the morning and then I'll fly out that same day,

1:01:45 like 11 o'clock and I'll get there at like one,

1:01:49 two o' clock and then it's go time.

1:01:51 And it's like, go, like they're stitching on me to hair and makeup.

1:01:55 I've done hair and make up on a plane before my first year.

1:01:59 And then last year I went with Tom Brown and love Tom Brown, love Tom brown.

1:02:03 So good.

1:02:05 And it was just amazing.

1:02:06 So I'm looking forward to it again this year.

1:02:09 Are you doing any of your own?

1:02:10 Are you thinking about clothing?

1:02:12 Yeah.

1:02:12 I want to start a shoe line, extended heel line for larger feet, larger sizes.

1:02:19 So I am looking forward so that and doing a little bit more stuff with makeup

1:02:22 because I do a lot of blush and setting spray during the games and stuff.

1:02:25 Yes.

1:02:26 Your face is beat.

1:02:27 Thank you.

1:02:28 Do you?

1:02:29 Do you have a beat face for a game?

1:02:30 Not beat.

1:02:31 But I'll do like a little concealer and a little blush and keep it going.

1:02:34 Let's beat for the male listeners.

1:02:39 That's like the guys, okay,

1:02:40 so like football like terminologies when you guys wear the little...

1:02:43 Oh, eye black.

1:02:44 Yeah, I guess.

1:02:45 No, but a beat, getting a beat on your face means that your face is so done.

1:02:49 Your face is like done.

1:02:50 Your face clean like they, like the makeup artist beat your face, girl.

1:02:54 Beat to the gods.

1:02:55 Your beat.

1:02:55 To the gods, so that's why having a good

1:02:57 beat means your face it's done and it's made up.

1:03:00 Got it.

1:03:01 Okay.

1:03:02 Yeah.

1:03:02 It's an adjective.

1:03:04 Yeah.

1:03:04 It's beat.

1:03:05 I thought it was a joke.

1:03:08 Yes.

1:03:08 But you do a little concealer.

1:03:10 Yeah, I do a look concealer and a little blush and keep it pushing.

1:03:12 So, how do you keep it on?

1:03:14 Setting spray.

1:03:15 Okay.

1:03:16 All right.

1:03:16 So I'm going to come out something soon.

1:03:18 Like, I'd use your setting spray.

1:03:20 Okay.

1:03:21 Because it's like, because if you can keep a face through a game,

1:03:27 that's like you should definitely, everybody should want your setting spray.

1:03:31 You don't have makeup on in the game, do you?

1:03:33 Yeah, we just said that.

1:03:35 Where were you?

1:03:36 I missed I didn't think you meant it.

1:03:38 I wear a little Tsum Tsum.

1:03:39 He was trying to understand.

1:03:40 Just a little one, two.

1:03:41 And what a beat is.

1:03:42 Just a litle one,two.

1:03:43 It just became a thing.

1:03:44 You know, listen, Lesley used to do.

1:03:46 Yeah.

1:03:47 Tina Thompson used to have the red lip.

1:03:48 And this is why women, we are so amazing.

1:03:51 Because in addition to being able to dunk and rebound,

1:03:54 we got, we're looking cute on top of it.

1:03:58 When have you?

1:03:59 You probably don't even put lotion on before a game.

1:04:04 Well, no, because I'd be sweating and it was just sweat it off.

1:04:08 Yeah, yeah.

1:04:08 Well, not us women.

1:04:09 We want to figure it out, get it looking good all the time.

1:04:13 It's televised.

1:04:14 Exactly.

1:04:14 We catch your attention, you said.

1:04:16 Uh, no.

1:04:17 Yeah, yeah.

1:04:18 Queen, beautiful, baller.

1:04:20 And you gotta watch out about towelin' off.

1:04:22 I mean, how do you manage the towel off?

1:04:24 It doesn't...

1:04:25 You just pat, pat, Pat.

1:04:27 I know, I'm aware.

1:04:28 I'm gonna watch you in the game before to see just...

1:04:30 It doesn' ever slide down, though, usually.

1:04:32 You do a Beyonce pat.

1:04:33 Yeah, I like that.

1:04:34 She can be totally wet.

1:04:35 And it's like, how'd you keep your face on?

1:04:38 Yeah, give a little lip gloss on the bench.

1:04:40 Me and the girls.

1:04:41 Yeah.

1:04:42 Yeah, all the girls do it.

1:04:43 We all have to keep our lip gloss on the bench.

1:04:45 So thanks.

1:04:46 Will somebody tell you when you get a little time out girl?

1:04:49 You gotta get that together.

1:04:53 Well, we'll get to our listener question.

1:04:57 I have two questions.

1:04:58 My first one is, how do you stay true

1:05:00 to your purpose when the public expects so much from you?

1:05:04 My follow-up question is, what would you say to young people like me trying

1:05:08 to stay strong in a world that keeps testing us?

1:05:12 I would just say, don't compare yourself to others.

1:05:15 I think social media has us thinking that we have to rush and to do

1:05:20 these things at a successful pace and I

1:05:22 feel like nobody's timing is like God's timing.

1:05:25 I think you go at your own speed or you win at your speed and like I said,

1:05:30 social media has had us in this choke hold that you

1:05:32 have to succeed at a certain time or if you don't,

1:05:35 then you'll fail and just don't don't compared yourself to others.

1:05:39 I think you move at your Run your own race.

1:05:43 And life doesn't work that way, that's not true.

1:05:46 That's not how life works.

1:05:51 If you're lucky, life is long.

1:05:54 I think the most important thing to do

1:05:57 in the thick of it is just being a good person.

1:06:02 That lasts through everybody.

1:06:04 It's like, think about how you show up in the world, how you treat other people.

1:06:08 You know what kind of friend are you do you it does your word mean anything?

1:06:12 You know, do you have empathy for other people something that you know,

1:06:16 sadly feels like it's lacking today Can you put yourself

1:06:20 in somebody else's shoes and have a level of compassion for them?

1:06:25 Because we got a lot of successful people out there

1:06:27 people who are billionaires in the world who are showing

1:06:30 a lack of an ability to to show compassion towards people

1:06:35 who aren't like them or who don't have what they have.

1:06:39 And that is worse, you know, to me than anything.

1:06:45 And I want our young people to start focusing on the inside, right?

1:06:50 Because that's all you have at the end

1:06:52 of the day is how you show up in the world.

1:06:56 Well, Angel, gosh, you are an angel.

1:06:59 It is true.

1:07:00 It's true.

1:07:00 What are you looking forward to next?

1:07:03 Well, now I'm training for USA, and we're going to...

1:07:07 I think you're going to make the team, but I think it's going to be fine, right?

1:07:11 Yeah, it's going to be fine, but we're going to Puerto Rico and playing soon.

1:07:15 So first I'm rival, we won a championship

1:07:17 and then go to Puerto Rican and win some more.

1:07:22 Just enjoy life.

1:07:24 Be happy.

1:07:26 I always say, like now my new thing is

1:07:28 being tired of the things that I prayed for.

1:07:31 And I'm just grateful to be tired from things that that I've prayed for.

1:07:35 And I maximize my 24 hours and I manifest everything

1:07:38 and just continuing just to have fun and enjoy great people.

1:07:42 And I'm really thankful for you guys for allowing me on.

1:07:45 Oh, are you kidding?

1:07:47 It was amazing.

1:07:47 This is a real treat.

1:07:49 Oh, great.

1:07:49 You are a special, special person, you know, and I'm saying that to the world.

1:07:53 Don't mess with this girl.

1:07:54 Don't miss with her spirit.

1:07:56 Do not mess with the angel.

1:08:00 Stop it.

1:08:01 Just stop it.

1:08:02 That's right.

1:08:03 Right.

1:08:03 She got a she got us with her now.

1:08:05 Mmm.

1:08:06 For sure.