THE THREE TEAMS WITH THE MOST WNBA DRAFT CAPITAL ARE THE TEAMS WHO COULD KEEP MOST OF THE PLAYERS.

Summary

The video dives into the WNBA's upcoming draft and expansion drafts, highlighting how some teams are positioning themselves for future success. The focus lies primarily on the Connecticut Sun, Washington Mystics, and Dallas Wings due to their significant draft capital. Connecticut Sun leveraged their assets smartly, anticipating future expansion chaos and potential downturns of other teams like New York Liberty. The Mystics and Wings are also plotting for strategic picks and potential tanking to secure future stars. This detailed discussion gives a thorough insight into how these teams are not only thinking about now but preparing diligently for seasons 2026 and 2027.

Highlights

• Connecticut Sun's foresight and draft strategy ensures stability amid upcoming WNBA expansion. 🌞
• Mystics gather draft assets, possibly aiming to tank for better draft positioning. 📈
• Dallas Wings align rookie contracts and potential veteran retention for strategic depth. 🛡️
• Liberty might face issues due to lack of foresight amidst upcoming changes. 🚩
• Expansion drafts will significantly reshape team dynamics, forcing strategic preparations. 🚀

Key Takeaways

• Connecticut Sun, Mystics, and Wings are well-positioned for future success with significant draft capitals. 🏀
• Connecticut Sun cleverly acquired future picks anticipating team expansion impacts and New York Liberty's potential downturns. 🌞
• Mystics might tank to get prime position in future drafts, aiming for top players like Juju Watkins. 📈
• Dallas Wings focus on foundational rookies and key players like Enrique and Tiara for future team stability. 🛡️
• Draft strategies are more than the present; they set the stage for success amidst future uncertainties. 🔮

Overview

The WNBA landscape is buzzing with talks of draft strategies as teams gear up for the future. The video highlights how the Connecticut Sun, the Washington Mystics, and the Dallas Wings hold the key positions in the draft capital stakes. The Sun, with their shrewd maneuvers, set their sights on maintaining competitiveness through forecasted expansions and potential turbulence from teams like the New York Liberty.

Intriguingly, the Washington Mystics seem to be setting the stage for what looks to be a strategic tanking operation. Their goal: to secure prime draft positions and, potentially, future stars like Juju Watkins. This forward-thinking reflects a team not just aiming for current success but ensuring they have the competitive edge for years to come. Similarly, the Dallas Wings are aligning their strategies by anchoring key players and integrating promising rookies.

Beyond the surface, the video paints a picture of strategic foresight by these teams. They're not only investing in today's success but are acutely aware of the shifting dynamics as the WNBA expands. From leveraging draft capitals to protecting veteran players, these teams are making calculated decisions to survive and thrive in an evolving league.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Future Outlook for Three Teams In the introduction and future outlook chapter, three different teams are examined with a focus on their current status and projections for the future. The chapter begins by providing a brief overview of each team, situating them in the broader context of their respective fields.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Teams Set for Future Success The chapter emphasizes three teams that are positioned well for future success. Although specific teams and strategies are not detailed in the available transcript, the chapter likely discusses key factors or developments that make these teams viable contenders in their respective fields or disciplines.
• 01:00 - 02:00: Draft Capital Strengths The chapter titled 'Draft Capital Strengths' discusses the potential impacts of the upcoming two expansion drafts on teams. These drafts are expected to cause significant fluctuations in team rosters, resulting in a highly unstable situation for many teams. In this context of anticipated instability, the Connecticut Sun stands out with a notable advantage: they have secured four draft picks, including two in the first round, providing them with greater flexibility and opportunities to strengthen their team amidst the changes.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Deepest WNBA Draft The Washington Mystics have three picks in the first round of the WNBA Draft, including two consecutive picks.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Impact of Draft and Expansion The chapter discusses the depth of the WNBA draft, highlighting that even without including prominent players like A FUD and Olivia Miles, it is considered the deepest draft seen so far. The mention of the Mystics in the second and third round suggests a focus on the potential players to be drafted, emphasizing the importance of understanding these players.
• 04:00 - 05:00: Connecticut Sun's Strategic Moves The chapter titled 'Connecticut Sun's Strategic Moves' discusses the misconceptions some may have about the WNBA draft. It criticizes the view that the draft is "weak" and attributes such views to either new fans, uninformed commentators, or those who only follow major teams and players. The chapter highlights the absence of well-known players like A FUD and Aayoki, who has retired, as a reason for the perceived weakness of the draft. It emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of women's basketball beyond just the big names.
• 05:00 - 06:00: Expansion Draft and Draft Picks The chapter discusses the perception and reality of the WNBA draft, specifically focusing on players who have chosen not to enter the draft and those who have. Despite some players opting to stay out of the draft, such as Olivia Miles, the chapter argues that this year's draft is exceptionally deep by historical standards. It asserts that the second and third round picks in the draft will be significant due to the depth of talent available.
• 06:00 - 07:00: Talent Dilution and Team Strategies The chapter discusses the depth of talent in the draft where undrafted players and third-round picks could have easily been selected in earlier rounds, highlighting the concept of 'talent dilution'. The narrative emphasizes the strategic decisions teams must make due to the unexpected availability of highly talented players beyond the first round, impacting team strategies significantly. This deeper pool of talent requires teams to reassess their drafting and training camp strategies as players who could have gone in the first or second rounds are available much later.
• 07:00 - 08:00: Future Predictions for Connecticut Sun The chapter discusses the future prospects of the Connecticut Sun, highlighting that they are better positioned than other teams due to significant draft capital. Despite potential changes and player movements caused by an expansion draft, the team is expected to retain their drafted players under rookie contracts, providing a stable foundation for the future. The fluidity brought about by the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and expansion draft is acknowledged, but the Connecticut Sun's strategic positioning with draft capital is emphasized as a major advantage.
• 08:00 - 09:00: Washington Mystics' Moves This chapter discusses the strategic moves by the Washington Mystics in terms of player protection and team building. It highlights the importance of protecting rookie players who are on affordable rookie deals and how this strategy allows the team to maintain a competitive edge while surrounded by seasoned veterans. The chapter also briefly touches on the elite status of the Connecticut Sun due to similar team strategies.
• 09:00 - 10:00: Indiana Fever and Potential Tanking The chapter titled 'Indiana Fever and Potential Tanking' discusses a trade between the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty. The Indiana Fever acquired the seventh overall pick and the New York Liberty's 2027 first-round pick. The narrator believes that the New York Liberty will struggle in 2026, as key player Briana Stewart is only signed for one year and player movements, such as through an expansion draft, could impact the team’s roster.
• 10:00 - 11:00: Dallas Wings' Draft Strategy The chapter discusses the expectation of significant changes in the New York Liberty team by 2026, with predictions that the team will look drastically different compared to now. The chapter suggests that head coach Sandy Barello may retire, and there is a belief that the team will face a challenging season in 2026, potentially leading to them becoming a lottery team by 2027.
• 11:00 - 12:00: Veteran Players vs. Draft Picks The chapter titled 'Veteran Players vs. Draft Picks' delves into the strategic move by the Connecticut Sun to acquire a 2027 first-round pick from the Liberty. The discussion highlights the potential strong prospects the Sun could draft, such as Juju Watkins, Hannah Hodalgo, or Audi Krooks. The narrative emphasizes the foresight of the Connecticut Sun's management in projecting the future composition and competitiveness of their team.
• 12:00 - 13:00: Detroit Shock and Cleveland Rockers Comeback The chapter discusses the prospects of the Liberty basketball team in 2026, raising questions about their competitiveness. The WNBA is expanding with two new teams, Toronto and Portland, which will result in a double expansion draft, causing player movements. The Liberty are also facing challenges due to limited draft capital, having traded much of it away.
• 13:00 - 14:00: Player Retention and Free Agency The chapter discusses the prospects of the New York Liberty's competitiveness in the 2026 season. The main point highlighted is the issue of talent dilution given the current number of 13 teams.
• 14:00 - 15:00: Dallas Wings' Veteran Strategy As the WNBA is set to expand to 15 teams by 2026, the league will experience a dilution of talent across teams, moving away from the current trend of forming 'super teams.' With talent being more spread out, teams like the Dallas Wings will need to adopt veteran strategies to remain competitive. These strategies will likely involve relying more on experienced players and adapting to a more leveled playing field in the league.
• 15:00 - 16:00: Foresight and Future Preparation for Teams The chapter titled 'Foresight and Future Preparation for Teams' discusses strategic planning for teams, emphasizing the importance of depth and balance. The argument is made against relying heavily on a few star players (referred to as a 'big two' or 'big three') as this can lead to lack of depth which could be detrimental in the long run. The discussion points towards future years, notably 2025 and 2026, predicting poor performance for teams like the New York Liberty if they fail to plan and maintain team depth effectively.
• 16:00 - 17:00: New York Liberty's Short-Term Focus The chapter discusses the implications of the New York Liberty's strategy focused on short-term success. It highlights how this focus leads to the team's draft pick becoming a lottery pick, which will benefit the Connecticut Sun in the 2027 draft. It predicts that the Sun could pick in the top three and have the chance to draft prominent player Juju Watkins. Furthermore, the chapter notes that in the current year's draft, the Sun has two first-round draft picks, specifically the seventh and eighth picks.
• 17:00 - 18:00: Challenges of Playing in New York The chapter discusses the advantages faced by a team, potentially the Connecticut Sun, in managing their roster and draft picks. Despite having many players currently, they are allowed to retain their valuable draft picks. The team intends to cut down its players from nearly 20 to 11 or 12, with speculation that the roster might eventually include 12 players.
• 18:00 - 19:00: Expansion Challenges and Economic Impact The chapter discusses the strategic decisions faced by sports teams, particularly in terms of team composition and player selection. The focus is on the possibility of reducing the roster to 11 players to incorporate new rookies while maintaining a balance with experienced veterans. The Connecticut Sun is used as an example of a team that may choose to blend nine veterans with three rookies to ensure effective expansion. These decisions are critical for the team’s competitiveness and sustainability, highlighting the broader economic impacts and challenges involved in team management and expansion.
• 19:00 - 20:00: Comparison with South Carolina Gamecocks In 2026, two new teams will enter the WNBA through an expansion draft. The strategy involves securing players with multi-year contracts to build a strong foundation. These new teams are expected to have four draft picks, likely retaining three, and will begin the WNBA season with a 12-woman roster comprising nine veterans and three rookies.
• 20:00 - 21:00: Lessons from Other Teams The Washington Mystics have an impressive selection with five picks, three of which are in the top 10, representing a significant opportunity for the team. While the expansion draft will distribute some talent from the Mystics, they are likely to retain at least three of these top draft picks, possibly even four. This positions the team well despite the upcoming changes due to the expansion draft.
• 21:00 - 22:00: New York Liberty's Mistakes The chapter discusses rumors surrounding the New York Liberty, suggesting that the team might intentionally underperform (or 'tank') to improve their chances of acquiring Juju Watkins in the 2027 draft. This strategy is compared to a past approach by the Indiana Fever, who previously composed their team largely of rookies, with exceptions for veteran players returning from overseas competitions.
• 22:00 - 23:00: Empire Maintenance and Future Concerns This chapter discusses the composition of a team primarily made up of rookies with a few veterans. It specifically highlights players such as Kelsey Mitchell, Victoria Vivian, and Alana Smith, and mentions the unique situation of Raniah Davis, who is considered a rookie due to not playing in her rookie year. The focus is on the team's dynamic of blending veteran experience with rookie potential.
• 23:00 - 24:00: Reckless Moves by Teams The chapter 'Reckless Moves by Teams' discusses a strategy undertaken by a WNBA team, the Fever, which involved making significant roster changes. They removed seven rookies intending to lose games on purpose (tank) to draft high-performing college players Aaliyah Boston and Caitlyn Clark in future drafts. However, this risky strategy left the team without a strong foundational roster, as by 2026, they only have two players under contract, including Aaliyah Boston.
• 24:00 - 25:00: Connecticut Sun's Masterful Moves This chapter discusses the Connecticut Sun's strategic moves in managing draft capital and player contracts. It mentions the team's limited draft capital for 2026 and the current status of players like Caitlyn Clark and Aaliyah Boston under contract with Indiana Fever. The chapter further highlights how the Washington Mystics might manage their roster to ensure competitiveness by 2026.
• 25:00 - 26:00: Strategic Planning and Insulation The chapter 'Strategic Planning and Insulation' discusses potential strategic moves and planning in an organization, possibly related to sports or business. It highlights the consideration of future player availability, specifically mentioning the year 2026 and two players, Flawier and Fier. The text suggests a strategic decision-making process involving the retention of rookies and the possible release of veteran players to optimize the team structure and future opportunities. The focus is on planning to balance current resources while preparing for future prospects.
• 26:00 - 27:00: Conclusion and Final Thoughts This chapter discusses the strategic decisions behind weakening a sports team roster by trading draft picks to make it less experienced. The objective is to deliberately underperform, or 'tank,' in order to secure high draft picks in future drafts, specifically aiming for a promising player in 2026. The chapter also considers the possibility of maintaining this strategy to position the team for acquiring other top prospects like Guju or Hannah Halgo in subsequent drafts. The approach involves a blend of long-term planning and the team's willingness to endure short-term losses for potential future gains.

THE THREE TEAMS WITH THE MOST WNBA DRAFT CAPITAL ARE THE TEAMS WHO COULD KEEP MOST OF THE PLAYERS. Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30
• 00:30 - 01:00 station this is Okay all right so these three teams are set up perfectly for the future um especially
• 01:00 - 01:30 after the next two expansion drafts which will cause more teams to be in flux it would be more of a fluid situation and stability uh would be at a a major low as it pertains to roster personnel so the fact that the Connecticut Sun they have four draft picks two in the first round
• 01:30 - 02:00 and another one in the second round backto back seven and eighth pick in the first round is just phenomenal the Washington Mystics they have three picks in the first round i believe two is backto back and then the Dallas Wings they have the first and then the 12th pick in the first round on top of just having five overall picks you'll see them in the second and third round you'll see the same thing with the
• 02:00 - 02:30 Mystics in the second and third round so this is the deepest draft even when you exclude A FUD and Olivia Miles this is still the deepest draft that I've seen ever in and I've never seen the WNBA draft this deep um so if you don't know about these players these potential players to be drafted potential draft draftes um then you have to either blame
• 02:30 - 03:00 yourself or you have to blame ESPN for not keeping you in the no which is why if you hear anyone say "This is a weak draft these people are either still wearing diapers they're new fans that are still wearing diapers or these are people who just don't know women's basketball they don't they only follow the major teams with the major names so when they see that A FUD isn't going to be in the draft when they see that Aayoki has retired when they see
• 03:00 - 03:30 that Faj didn't enter the draft when they see these players who just said you know what I'm going to stay like Olivia Miles they immediately start to believe that this is a weak draft but this is literally the deepest draft I've ever seen in WNBA history ever okay ever even without those players and so these second round picks are going to be major second round picks these third round picks will be major third round picks
• 03:30 - 04:00 and then players who were not drafted and will receive training camp contracts those are potential second round picks who just fell through the cracks the third round picks you can make a case for them to be a fir a first round pick second round picks you can make an argument they should have been first round picks undrafted players some of them you can make an argument they should have been first second round picks right so that's how deep this draft is this is not a joke this is not a game and the reason why these teams
• 04:00 - 04:30 are set up for the future better than any of these other teams obviously I explained because of the expansion draft will make it a more of a fluid situation things will be in flux uh because there there will be a lot of player movement but the fact is that when you have this much draft capital these players no matter the new CBA no matter expansion draft you're not these players will be under a rookie deal okay so you're going to protect
• 04:30 - 05:00 eight players you're going to protect these rookies okay these rookies are going to be under a rookie deal very affordable you're going to keep them for multiple years all right and then you just fill them out with these other veterans these other players no other team outside of these three teams could realistically say that now the reason why the Connecticut Sun is so elite is because not only did they
• 05:00 - 05:30 fleece the New York Liberty of the seventh overall pick okay but they also fleece the New York Liberty of their 2027 first round pick now it is my belief that the New York Liberty will be terrible in 2026 right they only signed Briana Stewart for one one year that's it players are going to move around expansion draft this roster is
• 05:30 - 06:00 going to look 100% different well maybe I'm exaggerating 90 plus% different in 2026 it this will not be the same New York Liberty that you're seeing now and so things are going to change in 2026 sandy Barello just might retire she probably is like I don't want to do this again i believe the New York Liberty will have a terrible season in 2026 and I believe that they'll be a lottery team and I believe that 2027
• 06:00 - 06:30 pick will be a lottery pick and the Connecticut Sun will have the opportunity to draft Juju Watkins or Hannah Hodalgo like this is the way it's going to go or Audi Krooks like this is the way it's going to go this is the way it's going to be and this is the reason why the Connecticut Sun fleece the liberty of that 2027 first round pick because you're projecting into the future where will this team be in
• 06:30 - 07:00 2026 they don't believe that the Liberty will be competitive in 2026 after this next first of all this next season you have two teams entering the WNBA toronto and Portland that's double expansion draft if you will okay they're not going to have a lot of players under contract players are going to move they don't have good draft capital currently right now because they gave it to the
• 07:00 - 07:30 Connecticut Sun okay so the fact is is that when you look at the 2026 season the New York Liberty they they do not look like they're going to be a competitive team the New York Liberty it's look and listen I this this is also a part of it where people aren't paying attention to is the fact of dilution talent dilution in 2026 right now there's 13 teams in 2026
• 07:30 - 08:00 there would be 15 teams that's talent dilution okay so it listen you're not really going to see these strong my teams ultimate teams super teams the way you're seeing now because now there's 15 teams in 2026 the talent is more dispersed it's spread out it's a little bit diluted around the WNBA and you're really going to have to depend on
• 08:00 - 08:30 instead of having a big three you're going to have to depend on a big two okay or if you do have a big three you'll just be super topheavy and then your depth will be bare covered is bare your depth will be unimpressive okay meaning you really won't be that impactful right so people aren't aren't paying attention that they're just looking at now oh 2025 2026 it is my belief that the New York Liberty will have a a terrible record and that
• 08:30 - 09:00 they'll be a lottery team okay that draft pick will be a lottery pick and that goes to the Connecticut Sun 2027 draft you will see the Connecticut Sun picking in the top three and if they get lucky and get another a lot of draft draft lottery balls to go their way they're going to end up drafting Juju Watkins end of story end of story and then in this year's draft they have two first round picks seventh and eighth
• 09:00 - 09:30 they're going to come out looking great and they get to keep these picks okay because everyone on their roster is signed to a one-year deal right so they get to keep these picks that's the beautiful part about it these four draft picks the Connecticut Sun can at least keep three of them right now they have close to 20 players coming to training camp they got to get the roster down to 11 or 12 i think Connecticut goes 12 deep i think they
• 09:30 - 10:00 keep 12 players maybe they keep 11 players to try to keep three of the rookies right you understand what I'm saying so I believe they're going to cut a lot of people and make the roster just 11 and they could keep three of these rookies and just go 11D maybe they'll keep 12 players right surround them with mostly veterans nine veterans three rookies that's what I believe the Connecticut Sun might do because it is imperative that they do this entering
• 10:00 - 10:30 2026 two new teams enter the WNBA another expansion draft you want some players under multi-year deals multi-year contracts to provide some sort of foundation and that will be the three draft picks that they'll they'll obviously they have four picks i believe they'll keep three and enter the WNBA season with a 12woman roster nine veterans three rookies that's just my belief
• 10:30 - 11:00 okay the Washington Mystics five picks three picks if I'm not mistaken in the top 10 that is amazing that is huge that is awesome so even though the expansion draft is going to disperse some of this nice talent the Mystics have it doesn't matter because they're going to at least keep three out of those five draft picks they might even keep four because to my
• 11:00 - 11:30 understanding from what I've heard with through the rumor mill if you will is that they're trying to tank to get Juju Watkins for 2027 so it looks to me like they might pull an Indiana Fever when the Indiana Fever into the WNBA season several years ago with every player on the on the on the on the team were rookies outside of the returning veterans from overseas like Daniel Robinson you got Tiffany
• 11:30 - 12:00 Mitchell that's two Kelsey Mitchell three Victoria Vivian's four so they have four veterans and everyone else is rookies and the reason why you have to count the reason why you have to count um Raniah Davis as a rookie is because she didn't get to play a rookie year they scooped her up and then I guess you could say um Alana Smith yeah okay maybe Alana Smith had like five veterans and like seven rookies and that was like the
• 12:00 - 12:30 first time we've ever seen anything like that in the WNBA it didn't it didn't fare too well for the Fever but that's okay because they were trying to build for the future right they decided to get rid of all of those seven rookies so that they could tank to get a league of Boston and then tank again to get Caitlyn Clark and obviously it worked out well for the Fever the problem with the Fever is that they don't have any foundation they only have two players under contract in 2026 Aaliyah Boston
• 12:30 - 13:00 and Caitlyn Clark that's it and they don't have a lot of draft capital in 2026 that's also a problem okay so there's that now obviously we'll see during with contract extensions with the new CBA what will happen but currently the Indiana Fever only have two players under contract for 2026 on their rookie deals Caitlyn Clark and Aaliyah Boston but back to the Washington Mystics the Washington Mystics could seriously keep four of these players just to weaken their roster to make sure in 2026 that
• 13:00 - 13:30 they could potentially get Flawier okay right cuz she come she a FUD will be out in 2026 fier would be out in 2026 just to name a couple players and so that's something that they could be thinking about let's deplete this ro let's keep let's keep all five of these rookies or let's keep four out of the five will draft cut some of these veterans to keep four out of these five
• 13:30 - 14:00 draft picks to weaken the roster to make it less experienced okay and so we could tank so we could have a high draft pick in 2026 to get Flier right or to get a FUD that's something to consider and a lot of people aren't paying attention to that and then you they tank again so they could set themselves up to potentially grab Guju or Hannah Halgo in
• 14:00 - 14:30 2027 and depending how old some of these current freshman are in in 2027 i mean some of them could end up being 22 years old we don't know and so we'll figure that out but that's what's going on with that and then like I said before you look at the Dallas Wings they got the first overall pick Paige Beckers they got the 12th overall pick and they got three other picks in the later rounds in the second and third round i think the
• 14:30 - 15:00 Connecticut Sun keeps two i think they keep two players i think they keep two players or maybe they keep three out of five i think Connecticut either keep excuse me I think Dallas would keep two out of the five or three out of the five right i don't believe that they want a tank obviously but I believe that they want multiple players under contract during the expansion draft in 2026 and these will be key foundational pieces obviously their goal is to keep
• 15:00 - 15:30 Enrique Goomba so they'll figure that out maybe they finally want to get away from Tiierra i think they want to keep Tiarra so I think the the players that they'll make a priority the veterans I think would be Enrique and Antiierra right i I don't know if they can keep Dane in 2026 i'm not sure if they can keep Nelissa Smith in 2026
• 15:30 - 16:00 okay we're not think maybe maybe they really want to keep Ty Harris because of her three-point ability and they'll figure out a way to keep Ty Harris but we'll see where that goes i believe that obviously I don't know how they feel about Mattie Seagris either but I believe that obviously you draft these two draft picks in the first round you keep those if you can get a really good one in the second round you keep her so they they entered the season with three
• 16:00 - 16:30 rookies out of the five they drafted three i'm guessing two but I believe they may keep three right you make that a priority for 2026 right cuz you get to protect eight a lot of these players are on one-year deals not so sure who they can protect but the key priority is Enrique and Tiarra okay and I he he listen Kurt Miller is in love with Ty Harris so he
• 16:30 - 17:00 drafted I mean excuse me he got Ty Harris to come to Connecticut and now he's brought her to back to Dallas where she was drafted so I think that he may make it a priority to keep Tiara Enrique and Ty Harris i think Melissa would love to stay in Dallas Texas that's where she's from no state taxes by the way a lot of stuff to do in Texas but I believe that Nelissa Smith may decide to go somewhere else
• 17:00 - 17:30 depending on how much they're offering her nelissa may want to go to Portland nelissa may want to go to Canada nelissa may listen Listen I mean you just never know she might want to go to Cali and play for LA or Golden State or maybe Nelissa goes to Chicago and teams up with Angel Ree i mean you just never know and then we also got to start thinking about the Cleveland Rockers they're back so we got to think about
• 17:30 - 18:00 the Cleveland Rockers in in 2027 or 2028 and then we got to think about the Detroit Shock because they're trying to make a comeback and I made a video explaining to you uh all of the investors from Eminem to the CEO of Ford uh Ford General Motors the owner and principal of the Detroit Lions the owner Dan Gilbert of the Cleveland
• 18:00 - 18:30 Cavaliers also the owner of the Detroit Pistons like I I said Eminem you got Chris Weber Grant Hill so there's a lot of people try in in in this group trying to get uh the Detroit shock back to Detroit okay so all I'm saying is that there's options for Nelissa there's options for DJ Jane Carrington they don't have to stay in Dallas dallas is
• 18:30 - 19:00 attractive because there's no state taxes and then there's some fun stuff to do in Dallas and Houston and Austin Texas right so we'll see where it goes but you can't pay everyone and this is why I'm saying I believe the Dallas Wings their priority is Enrique their second priority is Tiara if they can keep Dane they'll find a way to keep Dane we'll see where it goes we'll see where it goes but I think they love Ty Harris i think they love Ty I
• 19:00 - 19:30 think they love Matty Seagris not sure if they can keep Mattie matty might want to go uh to the east coast somewhere and Matty might want to go to New York maybe Maddy wants to play in New York maybe Maddie wouldn't mind playing in Connecticut uh we'll we'll see where that goes but yeah that that's really what it is i think when a lot of people they look at this draft capital the three teams have they're not seeing the future they're seeing now they're not
• 19:30 - 20:00 thinking about how they position themselves for 2027 they're not thinking about how they position themselves to be insulated for 2026 for this chaos coming in 2026 and if you have players under contract under rookie deals you have foundational pieces to build on and you are insulated okay for 2026 and you set yourself up lovely for
• 20:00 - 20:30 2027 to me the most brilliant team the most genius brilliant the Connecticut Sun end of story they did the New York Liberty filthy the New York Liberty was thinking about now let's win one now before the whole team is ruined in 2026 we have two new teams coming in in 2026 massive expansion draft this won't just be one team Golden State this will be two teams so this expansion draft is
• 20:30 - 21:00 really going to hurt us okay really really really going to hurt us this the taxes in New York is out of this world the cost of living inflation through the roof who really wants to play in New York right because of what Donald Trump has done the economy is in the latrine inflation is at an all-time high
• 21:00 - 21:30 let's not even get into state taxes in New York the cost of living is in another freaking stratosphere right who really wants to play in New York seriously outside of saying I play for New York right it's just surface aesthetic superficial superficuality only hey I play in New York i live in New York but it's breaking my pockets to live in New York even though the stipens are what
• 21:30 - 22:00 they are I'm not so sure about that i'm not so sure how attractive New York really is when you're dealing with this economy when you're dealing with inflation and the cost of living when you're dealing with state taxes the way how it is in New York i'm not so sure New York is attractive outside of the superficuality of it all by just flexing saying I live in New York i live in New York right come on stop it so I'm not so sure how attractive New York is for these free
• 22:00 - 22:30 agents not so sure about that and maybe if Kla Harris got elected things would be different economy would be nice inflation would be low really wouldn't be any inflation right everything would be beautiful under Kamala so maybe New York would be more attractive for free agents and now I know New York is building that grand facility and all of that stuff in Brooklyn uh the Liberty I totally get it i just don't know if that's enough i don't I don't know if that's
• 22:30 - 23:00 enough so I don't believe the New York Liberty they didn't have foresight the New York Liberty were not proactive they didn't see this coming they were just thinking about right now let's get Natasha Cloud let's win another championship right now and that's what I believe they wanted to do go back to back we'll worry about 2026 when we get there uh we don't believe we're going to suck in 2027 that's so far off we don't we don't care about that and and that's
• 23:00 - 23:30 what it is but to me I I just think that they they really shot themselves in in their own foot that's how I see it like you didn't watch the throne remember what I told you guys yesterday what how does that saying goes the terror must maintain or the empire is doomed the terror must maintain or the empire is doomed new York Liberty
• 23:30 - 24:00 they're like the South South Carolina Gamecocks okay where they're thinking about right now south Carolina got their last championship and they took their foot off the gas cuz they didn't have dominant quality depth okay they don't South Carolina doesn't have dominant quality depth you can have four and five stars on the bench all you want but are they dominant and that's that's South Carolina issues they didn't have dominant quality depth even if Asha
• 24:00 - 24:30 Watkins didn't get injured they still didn't have dominant overwhelming quality depth like Yukon that's the issue so when you look at New York New York is like "Let's get everything now." They're not watching a throne like South Carolina didn't watch the throne meaning they didn't maintain the terror and that's why the empire was doomed and they lost they got kicked off the throne
• 24:30 - 25:00 they got kicked off the throne okay right when you look at the New York Liberty it's the same thing happened to the Aces the terror must maintain or the Empire is doomed you You must watch the throne the Las Vegas Aces tried to hurry up and win three in a row by going completely topheavy in their third year under Becky Hammond but leaving a bench that was pedestrian at best this unimpressive prosaic bench completely
• 25:00 - 25:30 topheavy weak bench blew up in their face the terror didn't maintain so the Empire fell it was doomed and we're seeing that with the New York Liberty the New York Liberty are trying to hurry up and rush back-to-back championships so they sold their soul their draft capital to the Connecticut Sun seventh overall pick this year's draft and you gave them your first round pick in 2027 that's the Guju draft that's the Audi
• 25:30 - 26:00 Crooks draft okay that's the That's the Hannah Halgo draft you sold your soul for Natasha Cloud to get backto back championships so in 2026 when everything is in disarray influx it's a fluid situation across the board because you're bringing in two new expansion teams in 2026 roster talent depletion because all
• 26:00 - 26:30 of these players are spread out amongst 15 teams you don't have draft capital a lot of players aren't that interested in playing for New York you didn't plan for 2027 you're going to most likely suck in 2026 and then that 2027 first round pick is Connecticut's and they'll either draft Guju Hannah or Audi Crooks so what does that mean new York
• 26:30 - 27:00 Liberty you didn't maintain the terror and I'm telling you right now your empire is doomed and you'll see it in 2026 and it will be evident clear abundantly clear in 2027 you didn't watch the throne like the Gamecocks you didn't watch the throne like the Las Vegas aces let me repeat myself one more time the terror must
• 27:00 - 27:30 maintain or the empire is doomed and you have to prepare for the future you can't be complacent and satisfied with now that's not good enough we're seeing some of that with the Indiana fever rushing everything for now not protecting themselves in 2026 or 2027 this is dangerous this is called
• 27:30 - 28:00 thirsty this is called thirst it's dangerous it's reckless it's reckless you You like you just spent all of your money you like you have no money for mortgage you have no money for insurance you have no money for this and that cuz you put everything all on this one venture and you're gambling hoping that it pays off you're swinging for the
• 28:00 - 28:30 fences you're throwing a freaking Hail Mary and you're hoping it lands in the end zone it could be problematic it could be problematic and so um the three teams that I'm paying attention to Connecticut Sun I think they did a masterful job fleecing the New York Liberty fleecing the New York Liberty cuz the New York Liberty are thirsty i'm looking at the Washington Mystics loaded with first round picks
• 28:30 - 29:00 loaded with tons of draft capital not just in 2025 but also in 2026 okay and position themselves to be a top three team in terms of draft capital in uh 2027 right they're just set up for the future and they can and the because they have teams with mostly comprised with mostly rookies under rookie deals they have a lot of money to bring in exceptional
• 29:00 - 29:30 veterans foundational insulation they're insulated they're protected genius moves by the Mystics no one would be laughing at Sheila Jackson in 2027 no one okay and then last but not least the Dallas Wings paige is the perfect player for Enrique it wasn't Veronica
• 29:30 - 30:00 Burton it just wasn't it wasn't JC Sheldon or or Uzen it wasn't any of them the perfect point guard for Enrique who's a high volume shooter aka Ballhog the more formal way of saying she's high she's a volume shooter right that's sexy for Ballhog so it's it's Paige Beckers paige Becker's personality everything just fits with Enrique okay in terms of being
• 30:00 - 30:30 just this pillow this this sounding board right this stress pillow this comfort this zen all right this this this ying for her yang or this yang for her y like like that that's what it is she is Enrique's chi she's her zen she's her stress pillow
• 30:30 - 31:00 she's someone that will never cause Orrique issues she doesn't mind if if she only shoots it 10 times a game or seven a game go ahead Orique shoot it 25 a game i'll never complain i'm okay with only averaging 12 a game and getting seven eight assists with a great assist to turnover ratio and hitting a 50 40 90 club in my rookie year it doesn't matter
• 31:00 - 31:30 to me i'm great with averaging 12 a game anywhere from six to nine assists a game with a a elite assist turnover ratio and getting five rebounds a game getting around two steals a game and one block shot a game while being in a 50 40 90 club like Elena Deladon god bless Elena Deodon the greatest WNBA player of all time i'm not going to get into that you can argue
• 31:30 - 32:00 with with these with this with these freaking pool balls okay only player in the 5040 90 club period just her oh and by the way she did that during the same season she won MVP in the WNBA championship at 6 for five can play all five positions a master right that's the greatest player of all time it is what it is so let's get back to this so Paige is the perfect point guard for
• 32:00 - 32:30 Enrique paige is okay with 11 points a game six to nine assists five rebounds two steals one block shot 50 40 90 club she's the perfect point guard for Enrique phenomenal she's the perfect point guard for Tiara Macauan phenomenal master Kurt Miller listen Kurt
• 32:30 - 33:00 Miller this is genius we're seeing some brilliant moves from the Mystics we're seeing brilliant moves from Kurt Miller with Dallas and we're seeing brilliant moves okay with Morgan Tuck with the Connecticut Sun and Jen Rosati and Rasheed Mazine i mean this this is just great this is just this just great so pay attention to
• 33:00 - 33:30 these teams oh and by the way they still managed to hold on to Marina Mabberry okay which was key which was key so the Connecticut Sun they don't have to tank this year their roster is built to win now this is the brilliant part of it this is the brilliance their roster is good enough to win right now the Connecticut Sun can easily be the eighth seed or the seventh seed easily with the
• 33:30 - 34:00 roster currently constructed and then you add these two draft picks in the first round this roster is easily a eighth or seventh seed seventh or eighth seed easily without question so we win now which is great and position ourselves to go in the playoffs this upcoming season and anything is possible in the playoffs we're gonna end up messing around and winning a championship this year you just never know all you need to do is
• 34:00 - 34:30 get into the playoffs and anything is possible with hard work and great preparation right so we position ourselves to be a successful team this season in 2026 we're looking even more beautiful because of the draft capital we have now players under contract and what we're going to do drafting in 2026 oh and by the way when we're successful in 2026
• 34:30 - 35:00 we're going to bring in a superstar named Juju Watkins in 2027 because we believe the New York Liberty will suck in 2026 the New York Liberty didn't see that coming they didn't see that coming cuz they just want to win right now so we'll have two successful seasons in a row Connecticut Sun 2025 2026 all while loading our team up with these elite draft players from this draft and the 2026 draft protecting
• 35:00 - 35:30 ourselves for 2027 while winning in 2025 and 2026 right and then here comes Juju Watkins or Audi Crooks or Hannah Hagalgo in 2027 it's a beautiful thing just brilliant just brilliant masterful masterful work by Jen Rosati in Morgan Tuck just masterful work
• 35:30 - 36:00 genius because one thing you know about Connecticut that market this is one of the reasons why they try to always stay competitive that market will not tolerate a losing team so if you notice through Connecticut's history there they had some trying times especially when Alexis Bentley was there and all of that like yeah they they had some trying times in Connecticut but Connecticut made sure that they always kept a competitive playoff roster practically
• 36:00 - 36:30 every year because that market will not support a losing franchise okay they just won't they just won't that's why and Gino knows it that's why Yukon Huskies are packing that that arena and if Yukon ever sucked you'll see those fans go away just like they weren't there when Gino took the the job the first time around you'll see that right it happened when Connecticut when they
• 36:30 - 37:00 got to to the Connecticut Sun the fans weren't really there at first when they were losing it wasn't like that and then they start winning and you got to win to protect that market this is why Rasheed Mezian Jin Rosati and Morgan Tuck said "We are not tanking we're just retooling we will be competitive in 2025 we're our plan is to make the playoffs." And if you look at their roster that is a playoff roster end of discussion i'm
• 37:00 - 37:30 not saying it's a six seed that roster looks like a seventh or eighth seed easily especially when you add these two new draft picks when I look at the Connecticut Sun roster I see a playoff roster and I'm just talking about seventh or eighth seed that's what I see when I see Connecticut Sun and they set themselves up lovely for 2026 and obviously Guju in 2027 it's just a beautiful thing it's just a beautiful thing so
• 37:30 - 38:00 anyway I'm out of here that's it