When was the first time you see me play?

Because you said you used to come to the games, but I'd never seen you come.

Never.

It wasn't for you to see me. Because I knew then I was going to have the opportunity to coach the Chicago Sky. And I called Kim and said, you know, I've been watching on TV, but I really want to see this in person. I want to see any person. I said, because I really want to coach her. I want her to be with me in Chicago Sky.

I said, dependers on where she's going to fall.

Kim said, all right, come on, come on.

So I drove down. Actually, I said, no, I want to sit really close to the bench. I don't want to sit across. I want to sit really close because I wanted to watch everything that you did. I watched your approach to the floor with your teammates. And then the part that I watched the most was how coachable you were. When she took you out, she took you out. You might didn't like that moment when she took you out. When you sat down, you still high-fived on your teammates. She was still telling them what should be done. And you were sitting there on the edge of your seat. Anytime you sit on the edge of the seat, I'm like, that kid ready to go back in. She's ready to go back in the game. As soon as Kim looked back at you, you went back in the game and corrected those things she asked you to correct.

And that's what I wanted to see. But the drive that you have, as hard as you play and the expectations you had of your teammates, that's what I came to see. I appreciate that. What made you want to get into W&B become a WMBA coach?

Playing in it.

Yeah.

Playing in it was big.

And you, What made you want to get into W&B become a WMA coach? Playing in it.

Yeah.

Playing in it was big and you understood the magnitude of it all. And then being a point, God, it's always you're basically the extension of the coach and you have that mentality. Yeah. I knew then, I knew as long as I've been playing that, you know, when I'm done with this, I kind of want to get my feet wet in the coaching part because I'm always in a coach's office talking about this, talking about that, trying to get the understanding of your why. Why do you call this? All those great things that point guards do. And once I got the opportunity, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I love it. I love just studying it. I love, I guess, the grit and grind of it all and then the wit.

I like how quickly it has to happen, the challenge of it all, and then playing chess. If you plan checkers, you're going to get beat. Enjoy it. I mean, you had your experience of coaching a little bit with the Pelicans. How was that experience? Did you feel like that experience was going to be really different from that instead of the NBA? Not really. I think for me, I only saw this basketball, right? And the question I always got working with the guys was, are they respectful? Yeah. Don't even ask that question. You know, they would never cross the line like that. They know when you are able to help them to grow the way that they want to grow. And being with them, of course, I was like, you know, this is still basketball. You still got to teach them. You still have to, you can't assume, you still got to push them in the direction they want to go with what they want to do. It's the same on the next level. It's all the same. You can't approach it as male, female. I never do that. It's athlete athlete. Yeah. Share a little bit of your experience like coaching Zion.

I mean, I think we kind of talk about Zion all the time.

And just the difficulties are up and downs and going through the being the brightest

and brightest in the rooms of people doubting you, come back from injury.

And I feel like you've just been everybody's rock like through everything.

And me and him have shared some of the same experiences. So how is your relationship with him and that you're no longer there with the public games and how it's continued? That's like my little brother. It's like a little brother that I can be really rough and tough on. And to help him to navigate all these things that he has to go through with the media. Same thing that I've had to be around you to see. And it's amazing how we also connected. And it's a conversation that Zion and I have all the time about the connections one, two, and three. And how difficult it has been, but how you guys handle yourself in it. And he's just like a little brother that I'm just trying to continue to lead. And we've been connected from the day we met 19 years old. He's 25 now. So we've been connected from that point on, still work with him in the offseason, still work with him as we speak right now, sending him scouting reports and what he should do and what he should not do, what it should look like. He has a tough road, but that's one kid. I'm telling you that the world just doesn't know how really gifted he really is. He's probably one of the most gifted athletes that you'll ever be around and the sweetest young man that you'll ever be around. Yeah. I mean, I think the character of him, I think, speaks for itself and very misunderstood. What are your hopes for him from now and continuing in the future? Yeah. As of right now, if you see him, he's extremely healthy. And that's the most important thing. I just wanted to be healthy. And if you're healthy and you enjoy the game and have fun in the game and shut the noise off. If you shut the noise out and just play the game, it's amazing what he's going to be able to accomplish. I mean, it's hard. Social media is not easy. I feel like people don't realize that.

And I think understanding and having to fight the battle of like shutting up sometimes

and not responding back because you know the truth. And like understanding like it doesn't

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