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00:00Stay with us tomorrow, goodbye, girl.
00:02Don't miss, see you.
00:04Don't miss, turn this out.
00:05Go back, go back, go back.
00:07Starts out, I'll continue with this one.
00:09I'll continue with this one.
00:09Come back, go back.
00:11Come back, go back, go back.
00:21Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah.
01:57Because it's all about women in sports, female athletes.
02:01So I'm going to bring our panel out here of unbelievable women.
02:04Oh, a little, uh, ton of reveal, if you will.
02:07They know what this is like.
02:09So first up, I would like to welcome on to the stage, Angel McCourty of the WNBA.
02:14Come on through, Angel.
02:14Well, we need like a fog machine, like small.
02:19So how is that?
02:20Plyro techniques would be great.
02:23I feel like that's what this family needs.
02:25Yeah, Northlake, the first and only black female NASCAR racer.
02:30Get into it.
02:32Get into the boots.
02:34Do you drive in those?
02:36I think you do.
02:37No.
02:37None other times.
02:38We don't get there.
02:39We don't get there.
02:39And Sandy's tech, a women's football star.
02:44Come through like a kick.
02:46You better show them.
02:47You better show them.
02:48Yes.
02:50Come through, ladies.
02:51I'm going to warn everybody right now.
02:53I'm going to feel a way.
02:55I'm going to feel many ways.
02:56I'll probably be a little triggered because there's a lot of overlap in being a woman in sports casting, being a female athlete, and on top of that, being white in all of these spaces.
03:09So there's a lot of nuance, and I hope to get as much in 20 minutes.
03:14It's impossible.
03:15But we're going to try.
03:16We're going to try.
03:17So each of you, of course, is known for dominating in your field, for doing what you do, but when people see women in sports, they're like, wow, she's athletic.
03:27She's a powerhouse.
03:28She's amazing.
03:29And in that same breath, many folks want to put you down in this box.
03:33Like you have to strip away who you are or how you present yourself to the world to fit the mold that are pieces them, that they're comfortable seeing you in or that they expect you to be in.
03:44So I've always been someone who's thought, however you are, bring that to the table because it's needed, and there's a lot of other people looking for you to see themselves represented there.
03:56So there's a lot of firsts here, right, in this panel.
04:02And Angel, I'll start with you.
04:05Coming into the WNBA, you deal with a lot of options.
04:09Being part of the WNBA, huge accomplishment, of course, but with it comes its challenges as well.
04:15So how are you navigating the world of being a pro athlete but still having to climb so many levels?
04:21You know, I think being in the WNBA, we all know that we have our NBA counterparts, right?
04:26They get, of course, more attention, more brand deals, more awareness.
04:31I think that the women now are fighting to not just whip women's basketball.
04:35We have NASCAR.
04:36We have football here.
04:37We're all fighting to get the good quality I think that we deserve because, you know, women are so amazing.
04:43They're mothers that have babies, and they play basketball, and they go overseas, and they play football, and they race.
04:51And we do so much, and I think it's just undervalued of who we are.
04:56Like, for example, you know, I'm just going to make Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie.
05:00There's no way those women aren't making a million dollars.
05:03That's their value.
05:04But, yeah, they put so much into the game and into the community, and they don't get half of that.
05:09But I think that's changing now with the Women's Day, because the NASCAR world in and of itself, there's, it's not really been available or even, they haven't even welcomed the black community the way that we know that they're so far offensive for you.
05:26You were telling me earlier backstage, you count on one hand the amount of black men who have race NASCAR.
05:32You are the representation of the women in the NASCAR community.
05:36I can't not imagine what you've dealt with bringing into this space and then dominating on top of that.
05:44So, what has been something that you've been able to overcome?
05:47I won't say give me one, but there's a line, girl.
05:49I know, I already know.
05:51I'll give us an instance.
05:53Yeah, so with NASCAR, it's a predominantly male sport, and I like most sports.
05:59It's women and men on the track at the same time.
06:02So, it's not like a women's league and a male league.
06:05Um, and so, for me, just, um, entering into the space where I feel like, I'm going to just be honest, but I feel like I wasn't warranted.
06:16Um, I definitely have to overcome that and let them know that I really don't care.
06:21Um, and you want me there and not think I belong because representation matters, and I'm supposed to be a representation for someone that looks like me and wants to be a champion that I don't know that they can do it.
06:33Um, Mary, men have said smart stuff.
06:37Now, San Diego, for you in the football space, women in football have become more prevalent now.
06:43There's leagues, there's black football leagues, you play for the Atlanta Phoenix, work if you're an injury, we get you sick, we don't lift you up, you can come back.
06:52Um, but outside of the space of the female community, what has been the reception for you?
06:59For example, when you first said, I want to play football.
07:02Man, um, when I first, uh, made history with playing football and getting the contract that I was offering, um, there was a lot of positivity, but there was also a lot of negativity.
07:14I got a lot of bloggers thinking that I was actually trying to play in the NFL.
07:19You know? So, you can only imagine the backlash that I've had in the comments and the DMs, that they're like, you should be in the kitchen cooking and pregnant and all these different things.
07:27And I'm like, what? Like, there are so many little girls out here that have birthers that see them playing football they want to play too.
07:35And I'm not saying necessarily that every woman wants to play with men, but we have our own thing.
07:39We're doing our own thing. So it's like, I just, I never understood the things.
07:42But honestly, overall, like, I've gotten a lot of support. And for me, it's not, it's not even about me. It's just about me showing us this representation.
07:50Showing little girls that this is something that's possible. You belong here.
07:54And we have a platform that we can also use. And, you know, I just want to continue to keep doing that.
08:01And, you know, can I comment on that thing real quick? This is where we need you guys. If you have little boys, sons, this is where we teach them at a young age that women play sports.
08:12And that's our boys. You know, if, like, when I was 10, I played a little boy one-on-one.
08:16And I beat them. Of course, you know, Matthew said, girls are not supposed to play basketball anyway.
08:20Right. So obviously, like, I'm sure you've had that class too. And it comes mostly from men. We have to teach our young boys that it's a quality of sports now.
08:30Women play sports. It's okay. And if they want to play with you, there should be no hate with it. Right.
08:35I think this is taught. I agree. It's a disappointing situation where it should be nice.
08:41It's not one of us had, but people are taught to think that it isn't. Right.
08:45Right. Now, as we know, just as women in the world, existing in the world, there's already an added layer of pressure to look a certain way, to act a certain way, to present yourself a certain way.
08:57As an athlete and as a public figure, I would imagine that's heightened in time since 100.
09:03So the onus of being an athlete, being in shape to compete, being in shape to qualify every day for the sport that you're doing, has there been a time where you've struggled with body image, especially when you've got people in the DMs, you've got trolls on Twitter, analyzing and they're sending every part of your emails out?
09:24I love it, y'all.
09:25You know what? I think it's a mental thing where no matter how much you work in your body, right, you're always going to find something wrong.
09:33It's kind of like you get the new iPhone, then another one comes out, you want the new one and the new one, but really that phone works just as fine as the other ones, right?
09:41So it's kind of like you have to condition yourself as you work to appreciate however your shape you may look, to appreciate yourself and your body.
09:49I think it's a mental thing that you have to condition yourself.
09:51What do you think?
09:52Um, to piggyback off of her, um, I believe that, you know, with society, we are pressured to look a certain way, especially if you're in the spotlight and they want you to have the perfect shape.
10:05Um, the point is upon me, we snatched and fell in the footwork, but, um, I didn't have to get to the point where I was like, you know what, God made me this way.
10:16I think I look good, I mean, it's not something, but I feel as I can, for all kinds of hitters, you know, just, you know, dig inside and like, you know what, me doing what I should have, and just appreciate what you have.
10:30And, you know, of course, it's always going to be pressure to, you know, because you live in a world of BBMs, no shame, but, you know what I'm saying, it's always, if you are, um, self-conscious or, I'm going to say, you keep mind in person, um, they might not be the right words, but you can fall into, you know what I'm saying, seeing everybody with these perfect bodies.
10:51So, that's a word, so appreciate me, and the more body you love, and the more the skin that I'm in.
10:58Ooh, that's a word.
10:59What about for you, Cynthia?
11:00So, I actually grew up with, uh, a lot of body image issues because I was my brother.
11:07Um, I am super muscular, I've always had this since I was literally born.
11:11So, I have broad shoulders, I have big legs, big arms, so, I was teased a lot for me called being, you know, being masculine or considered masculine
11:20because I could also beat them in every sport.
11:23So, I had to really go on a really deep, sub-lung journey when I got into college because I didn't even wear a bathing suit until my sophomore year in college
11:32because I was so ashamed of my body.
11:35And it wasn't until a friend of mine was like, Cynthia, if you go to the beach for spring break,
11:41and you give one negative comment, you don't ever have to do this again.
11:44And I remember I went there and I had so many compliments and things like that.
11:47And then my mom told me when I was younger that God made you this way for a reason.
11:52You are a athlete, you were put on a shirt to be a athlete.
11:55You don't do that like how you're supposed to because that's your destiny.
11:58So, utilize that and don't be afraid to love the skin that you're in.
12:02And now, it is what I mean, because I love how I look, I'm happy how I look,
12:06and I hope that I can, you know, let both of girls realize that, you know, we are here for different reasons.
12:11We look how we look for different reasons.
12:12God has us doing different things because we all have different purposes.
12:16So, you know, I'm just happy that I finally felt it and said that I did.
12:19I'm happy.
12:20I'm sorry about the starter content.
12:22You know, I've never, I've never, actually never looked at it that way.
12:26You know, we're so oversaturated.
12:29Now, especially with social media, with images all day long, all day long,
12:33we play the comparison game.
12:34Every single one of us has done it.
12:36But, I think putting it in that perspective, in that context, like, okay, that's fine.
12:41This is the route this woman chose to do, to love herself however she wants to love.
12:46She does this.
12:47And it serves her for her life.
12:50But a football player and an NASCAR player and a WNBA star and a broadcaster
12:55all use their bodies in different ways, right?
12:58So, we shouldn't all look here with the same copy and paste body.
13:02That would make for a very boring life, I think.
13:04I don't know, I'm gonna write that down.
13:06We're just driving bars all morning.
13:08Hey, though, you recently unveiled a newly refurbished reach for the czar's basketball court
13:13as simply part that you helped design.
13:15Congratulations, girl.
13:16Okay.
13:17Um, there's a big mural of it, a very colorful scene.
13:23What's reflected for you in that mural?
13:25What was, first of all, why was it so important for you to make this happen?
13:29But why that mural and why that mural?
13:31Yeah, so, so we revamped, um, a new basketball court,
13:34and Louisville, Kentucky.
13:35That's where I went to college and played basketball.
13:37And I want to do this with the idea.
13:39I want to do a basketball court.
13:40But I want the image of a black woman on this basketball court
13:44because we don't see it enough.
13:45We don't see women enough.
13:47And we want to inspire the young girls.
13:49Because when I was little, it was always, you know,
13:51the people are inspired.
13:53They can say, I want to go to NBA, NFL.
13:55And I was like, you know, we want to do something.
13:58What can we do?
13:58But we didn't have, you know, those women to look up to.
14:02So we wanted to do something like this.
14:04So I presented it to Adidas.
14:06I was like, I just hope they excited.
14:07They hit me back.
14:08And they were like, we're going to do this.
14:09And we got, of course, a black African-American Merlin
14:12to paint it.
14:14And I wish we could show you the picture.
14:15But it's so beautiful with the colors.
14:17And it's an Olympic picture.
14:19That's a movie one that go metal.
14:20On my hands and the hair of a big champion.
14:22You got the brains in there.
14:23So we just wanted to reflect our black culture
14:27and what we need to, you know.
14:29I, listen, first of all, we're going to get the image
14:32at some point.
14:33Light it on.
14:33No seroton.
14:34It's all over.
14:35But it goes back to, if you see it, you can be it.
14:39You can be it.
14:39Exactly.
14:40If we're not up here representing what's available to somebody,
14:43they may not even know that that's something they're special.
14:45And I would imagine in an area like Longville, Kentucky,
14:48there's a lot of young black girls who say,
14:50man, I just wish I had somebody I can follow.
14:52That's beautiful, man.
14:53I love it.
14:53So, you know, very rarely do we see a Catholic's personal style
14:56showcase as they're playing this over.
15:01But this is awesome.
15:03Because Florence Joyner, Roger, for, like, extensions.
15:05So, obviously, you did not share away from her makeup
15:07during your races, nor should you.
15:11So, why was it so important to you to be able to come as you are
15:14into that space?
15:16Um, I feel like I had no choice.
15:21I'm the type of person I'm always going to be true to me.
15:24And I'm not going to conform or, you know,
15:27turn into something that I'm not because I'm in a certain space.
15:31So, I feel like it doesn't do me any justice.
15:34And I feel like that sport actually needed some flavor and it still does.
15:39Um, and why not?
15:40You know, it was very solid pepper, only girl.
15:42Why not?
15:43So, um, yeah, so I just feel like I needed to do, I needed to beat me all the way,
15:51completely 100, and not try to beat somebody else and get into what they think that I'm
15:57supposed to look like.
15:58I mean, because you don't see braids and box braids and cornrows under a NASCAR, you
16:06don't mean, you don't see long nails, you know what I'm saying, on the stairs, on the
16:10floor, but, like, what I, what I mean.
16:13What, how was the pushback in terms of how they were, do folks try to make you feel like
16:19you were going to be less credible in that space because you were owning your individuality?
16:24Honestly, it was very much pushed back just from me being in a uniform, let alone what
16:31I, what I possess inside of that uniform, but just me actually being in a driver's seat.
16:37I, I've had so many looks of me walking through the garages where they like, why is she not
16:42thinking I'm trash?
16:44What is she, oh, she's going to help me, what is she doing?
16:48Well, you know, me being me, I'm just, I'm sticking in stride and, and left bed and
16:52you're not going to change, you going out there and what was it like, I'm just saying.
16:57Now, Zantia, you've made history, not just once, but twice, first becoming the first highest
17:03faith female, if you want to get that back, girl, but also the first female athlete with
17:09her own issue company.
17:10I know y'all saw the peaks when she walked down here, because it's one of the first things
17:13I did when I saw her, and I was like, wait a moment, one second.
17:18So, why was it important, one, for you to make sure people didn't just pigeonhole you into
17:23just being an athlete, but an entrepreneur, a businesswoman, and a designer, and what was
17:28behind the inspiration for this team?
17:30Um, one thing that I was taught from a young age is to never just be one thing.
17:37Um, you know, being an athlete since I was four years old, I was always considered the
17:42female athlete, you know, that's all, that's all people saw me as, but I also grew up with
17:46entrepreneur parents who pushed me to do other things as well, and, um, maybe it's one that
17:51loves sneakers, and I have that opportunity to actually bring my own company, um, and, of
17:56course, it was cool for me, it's not cool, like I get to do something that was a childhood
17:59dream, but I think about the other little girls out there that might have the same dream,
18:04that might want to do something similar, but not feel like they're able to do something
18:08because they don't see representation in that space, and, um, I got to kind of see both
18:13worlds, because having this one-brother, I got to see him do things that I could never
18:17do, and I got to see him go to school, and there will be, like, extender phone players
18:22or current MLB players that will come and actually tell them, this is how you get to this point,
18:28this is how you navigate through months to get to where I'm at.
18:31I never had that, not even in college.
18:33So, for me, I want the children, like, yes, all here be the best acting you can possibly
18:37be, but also make sure that you're doing something for your latest, something that you
18:41can pass on to your children as well, and something that you can be proud of, and, again, being
18:46on the field is one thing, but it's so much more to ask you just what you're doing with
18:50you, and it's who you're, you're inspiring, who you're motivating, who you're bringing up
18:54with you, and for me, this company isn't just for me, it's for my children, yes, but it's
18:58also for the next generation of little girls, again, that want to do the same thing.
19:02I would say, I want the legacy to be someone who gained back, who cared about the future
19:25of athletes, kids, I always tell the kids, find your passion in life, because when you
19:32do, it'll take you places, you'll never imagine, like, I just played basketball, just really
19:37got it one thing, two of them don't medals, got to see the world, I mean, it's just, you
19:44know, just find that one thing you're good at, and then guess what, from that one gift
19:48to passion, you can branch off down into executive producing, things like that, and when I first
19:55started doing those things, people were like, well, you need to stay in your lane, no, when
19:58you drive home, do you stay in one lane, no time, or you switch, right, you can, you have
20:02that, right, who taught us that, life is short, two different things, maneuver, try different
20:09stuff, I heard Jim Carrey say, most people don't like what they do, right, so you might
20:17as well fail at what you love, because we fail every day, but we got blood anyway, right,
20:23so that's what we want the legacy to be, Tia, what about for you?
20:27I would just like to open up doors for little girls that do like me in this sport, and to
20:34give them the opportunities, and not only, they may not want to be a driver, they may want
20:38to be a team owner, they may want to change, you know, change players, they may want to
20:42be a crew chief, and it's never been done, you know what I'm saying, so I want to open
20:47up doors for girls that look like me, I just envisioned all black female to grow with a
20:55black female owner, and we're going to manifest that right now, Tia, for you, outside of the
21:02shoe company, of course, and everything else, as long, what would my legacy to be, a number
21:07of things, but I would say for sure, ownership, and understanding the power in that, because
21:14when you own something, you're able to hire other people, and bring them up, so for me,
21:20I just want people to understand the importance of, again, living, and doing what you love to
21:24do, but also making sure that you have ownership, and that you can also pass that down, too,
21:28because you can't pass out something that you don't own, so it's about purpose, and make
21:34that purpose is open up, but lift as you climb, one of the most important things I've learned
21:40throughout the world, please give a round of applause for our health panel, thank you,
21:44thanks, wait to be here all day, you don't have to be here all day, with you all, I really
21:49appreciate your insight, and just being vulnerable, and sharing your story with us, thank you,
21:54everybody, thank you guys, thank you, thank you, thank you.
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