Transcript
Speaker: WNBA season is in full effect and we had two record breakers on the same opening night. Nafisa Collier tied for the most points scored in the season opener with 34 points. And before the night was over, Kelsey Plum on the LA Sparks broke that record with 37 points, y'all. We already get to see those two match up in the Sparks home opener today.
Speaker: Thanks so much for tuning in to a brand new episode of the Post Up. I am your host, DJ Treacy Treese, and today I'll be going over the pregame matchup that is already a playoff preview. The LA Sparks versus the Minnesota Lynx.
Speaker: If this is your first time here, you won't want it to be your last. I stay here, post it up, running my mouth about sports. And of course, WNBA season just got started. So you don't want to miss it. Make sure you subscribe if you're watching in video.
Speaker: Follow if you are listening in audio. and stay tapped in, y'all. I got so much to run my mouth about. Starting off this session of running in my mouth, I'd just like to formally thank God for doing his big one, y'all.
Speaker: Showing l LA basketball so much favor. We got Luka Magic before the Lakers got eliminated from the playoffs. We got Kelsey Plum as a pick. I don't think people are like making as big of a deal about this as we should be.
Speaker: Kelsey Plum is now in Los Angeles playing with other veterans that she has won championships with, the Erica Hamby, and others who have won other independent championships, Mercedes Russell, Azaree Stephens.
Speaker: It is a good time for the Sparks to start winning right now. We did have ah the season opener as a winner. So did the Minnesota Lynx, who we're matched up to again today.
Speaker: Not again today, but for the first time this season in our home opener. But both of us have won our first games. The Minnesota Lynx won by a blowout. ah The Sparks were still figuring out some stuff. We did. We won by a significant margin ah with the Valkyrie. Let me check on that real quick because I actually have the stats.
Speaker: So the Sparks beat the Valkyrie 84 to 67 and the Lynx beat the Dallas Wings 99 to 84. Theirs was actually a little bit closer. I don't know why I thought that was a blowout.
Speaker: I just remembered Nafisa Collier taking over the third quarter and completely changing the landscape of the game, which I think is going to be ah the same case here. Definitely need to look out for Fee and ah Courtney Williams. Those are going to be our two players that we need to target.
Speaker: But I don't want to jump in too quickly. What I'm saying is the Sparks and the Lynx have won their first game this season. The Minnesota Lynx have a revenge plot. They lost last year in the finals against the New York Liberty. The New York Liberty had a great ring ceremony yesterday. I was just laying in bed watching them with those huge rings. I'm like, this is crazy. The Sparks need that to happen so I can get there for the ring ceremony. Okay, LA, please do it for me.
Speaker: Anyway, um the Minnesota Lynx play really, really well in their opener, and they pretty much retained the same squad from last year. So this is going to be a play of a playoff team to look out for, and we know that the LA Sparks this year are going to be a top eight team, especially how we saw Kelsey Plum go off for 37 points in that first game.
Speaker: Let's also not sleep on Kelsey Plum's assist. She has six assists and Mama D, the double double queen, did her thing and got another double double in that game. As well as Azaree Stevens was in double digits with 11 points.
Speaker: The Sparks are off to an impressive season I think we can win some games just off of the motors that all of our players have. We're not talking about strategy.
Speaker: We're talking about just how much these women can play basketball. I think we're in a good place. Now, if we're speaking specifically in the Minnesota matchup. The number one thing that I'm saying that the Sparks should look out for is turnovers.
Speaker: If you give the Minnesota Lynx the benefit of turning the ball over, first of all, their defense is lights out. The Sparks had great defense in the first game, but the Minnesota Lynx defense is notorious.
Speaker: for locking people down. So if you make those silly mistakes today and the rust is not completely shaken off, then they will take advantage of those points. Mark my word, that will be the difference maker here. Turnovers that are converted into points.
Speaker: Now, what the Sparks need to do as a strategy is just run the Minnesota Lynx. They also like to play with pace and space. I'm anticipating that this is going to be a fast paced game. I'm so excited to watch the quality of basketball that we are about to get in the first week of the WNBA season. I couldn't be happier.
Speaker: Since I'm on here, let's just talk about a couple other things that I've been seeing around the W. I checked out a couple games um yesterday. The Aces look awful. I don't know what the Aces need to do to to get their game back to where it was. I think they just need to find that that clicking of it all um to make it make sense. But the New York Liberty look good. I'm not minimizing the New York Liberty, but the Aces are still that team. So...
Speaker: I don't know. It really wasn't giving what it should have gave. Maybe it was ring night. They was just, you know, a little bit off. They was kind of feeling some kind of way about not winning championship. I don't know what was happening or if a little bit of emotions was in there, too. But the Aces wasn't playing like the Aces play.
Speaker: Now, Marcus Talks from the Protect Our Queen podcast has me looking at the the Phoenix Mercury because he insists that they are better than the Sparks. I don't know what this man is thinking, but they did play well.
Speaker: Okay. They did play well. Sato Sabali had her debut last night and it was just phenomenal. I think she's an all around great player. I was a little bit nervous when she tripped over her ah ankle and kind of went down a little bit. I'm like, Sato girl, do not get injured on the, on the home opener here.
Speaker: did The team really needs you. Kalia Copper is already out. So um watching Alyssa Thomas and Satu Sabali play really well yesterday. No brainer that they were going to play well, but I enjoyed the Mercury game game and the Mercury actually did win. So I'm not talking as much trash as I want to talk, Marcus. I'm a clip this for you so that I can tag you. But...
Speaker: They're looking okay, but still not better than my Sparks, all right? Last thing is the Indiana Fever versus the Chicago Sky game, y'all. If we could just not lead with racism this season. Just not. Let's just not. I want to enjoy watching these matchups.
Speaker: I don't want to talk about racism on the internet and on Instagram with y'all. I just don't want to do it. so I'm not sure how we navigate the waters. I'm not sure who needs to say something. ah Maybe not Kathy, because we heard what she said before.
Speaker: So maybe get somebody else to make a statement. They didn't already put out the don't hate statements. But as we enjoy new audiences coming into basketball, it's also like, mind your manners.
Speaker: Mind your manners, okay? The Angel Reese and Kalen Clark matchup was everything we wanted to be except for the fact that the Chicago Sky is so much farther behind the Indiana Fever. The Indiana Fever got a new coach who just came over from the Connecticut Sun, had a phenomenal season last year.
Speaker: They have built so many pieces around Kalen Clark now. Even with Natasha Howard just watching, like, all the the the... Different touches. There are so many offensive powers is what her coach said it to her. She's like, you never had this many weapons to use. So I'm excited to see the Indiana Fever play. They are for sure a top five team in the league, I would say.
Speaker: Maybe top four, but um I just need to see everybody else through, see some more games, okay? But the Chicago Sky, man, y'all are in trouble, but I think they in some kind of rebuilding phase. Anyway, they have a new coach. We're going give them some grace.
Speaker: So sorry to all my Chicago Sky fans. Closing out the show, y'all, I'm excited for this home opener. I'm actually about to hop in the shower, put my clothes on and head right over to cryp the Crypto.com Arena to get my season media pass. And I will be on the court this year. I'll be shooting shorts. I'll be posting them during the game. So make sure you keep it locked in right here on um my YouTube channel, but also on Instagram at DJ Tracey Trace. That's DJ T-R-I-C-E-Y T-R-I-C-E.
Speaker: Also, follow l LA Sparks Weekly. Mike, Hale, Matthew, and myself are going to be on there doing so many fun things and also giving you some behind-the-scenes footage.
Speaker: Y'all, we had the the season opener out at the Watch Me Sports Bar in Long Beach, and it was a blast. It was a time. Kelsey Plum even asked Mike Hale what he was drinking since we were out at the bar. I just love the fact that the team is embracing so many of the new things that we're doing with the show.
Speaker: So, shout-out to the Sparks organization for being so dope. um And, you know, just last, let me get on my soapbox real quick. With all of this Luka talk and Nico and in Dallas and everything, shout out to you, Reagan Peabli.
Speaker: Shout out to you because you said you wanted to win right now and you bought us Kelsey Plub. My girl was on there flexing, dropping the 37 points. You are not playing. You are a woman of your word. And I'm excited to watch the rest of this season. That's it. That's all. Hop off my soapbox.
Speaker: Thank y'all so much for tuning in to this episode of the Post Stop. I'll always be here running my mouth about sports. I'm your host, DJ Treacy Trece. And I will see y'all soon. Go Sparks!
