00:00Who are the winners and the losers of the WNBA draft?
00:03And are the Liberty ready to bounce back this season after getting knocked out in the first round last year?
00:08Let's talk all things W and of course some hoops with our WNBA reporter and co-host of Liberty Lately,
00:15Maddie Kenny.
00:16Maddie, appreciate you hopping on with this.
00:18Everything from the orange carpet to the actual draft itself was a vibe.
00:23But we ought to talk about the elephant in the room.
00:27Your question to Commissioner Kathy Engelbert absolutely stole the show in the headlines of the draft.
00:35She sidestepped your question when you asked about her time as a WNBA commissioner coming to the end.
00:41Here's the video and then we'll get your thoughts on the response.
00:44Adam Silver was asked last month about just your future as the commissioner of the WNBA and he said he
00:51didn't know what you wanted to do.
00:52So I guess I'm just curious like what do you how much do you want to stay the commissioner of
00:57the WNBA?
00:58How much longer do you anticipate to be in this role?
01:01Well, thank you, Maddie.
01:02I do crack up how everybody's focused on me and you should be focused on the hundreds of amazing women
01:09and thousands of women who run this league outside of myself.
01:13Our women owners, our women board of governors, our women GMs and women head coaches and and my whole team
01:19of, you know, diverse women and men who are working hard every day to get the 30th season tipped off
01:25by May 8th.
01:26But I appreciate that you're focused on me as well.
01:28I wonder whether you would ask that of a man, by the way.
01:31But I realize as women, we get asked different questions than men do.
01:35But look, I'm so proud of this league and we're working out here, you know, working really hard to make
01:41the 30th season our best ever and to continue to to, you know, build that sustainable economic model we know
01:47we need for the future.
01:48So nothing else to report, which is probably why Adam didn't report anything.
01:52There's there's no story here.
01:54I'm thrilled with our trajectory.
01:56I'm filled with the growth, thrilled with what we've done over the past couple of years.
02:00I thought it was petty and unprofessional on her part.
02:03But who cares about what I think?
02:05Maddie, the floor is yours.
02:06What was your response to what the commissioner said?
02:10Yeah, I mean, I just wanted to be clear that I would have asked that question if it was Gary
02:14Bettman, if it was Rob Manfred, Roger Goodell, Adam Silver, if if I heard that any of and all those
02:21commissioners have come under fire at some point throughout their career.
02:24Right.
02:25And some remain under fire at all times, like Gary Bettman, for example.
02:29But it's just like Kathy, like she just can't get out of her own way.
02:33Sometimes every time they're like there are ways to to answer the question, but she gets defensive and accusing me
02:42as being sexist was crazy.
02:46I, again, would ask that question to anyone if I ever heard that their job security and look, the way
02:52I asked the question was after it came three weeks after we asked Adam Silver the same question.
02:58Like, do you anticipate Kathy Engelbert being the commissioner beyond this season?
03:02Obviously, she has strained relationships with players.
03:05That was a huge talking point throughout the negotiations.
03:09It's one of the criticisms that she has as a commissioner is is her interpersonal relationships with players and people
03:16around the league.
03:17And so and and, you know, as a commissioner, that relationships are very important.
03:23And so Adam Silver, when he was asked it, he said he hasn't talked to Kathy about what she wants,
03:28if she even wants to be the commissioner, like beyond this season.
03:31And so I asked her, do you want to be commissioned?
03:33Like, what do you want?
03:35You know, and clearly it struck a nerve.
03:38She totally sidestepped the question, didn't give us an answer at all, which I think is extremely notable.
03:46And from my point of view, this is an opinion.
03:49I believe the way that she answered the question was extremely telling.
03:53And it almost came off as she, you know, it struck a nerve and there was a layer of insecurity
04:01there.
04:01Maybe she doesn't know what her what her job security is.
04:05And again, like this was just one misstep in several throughout this press conference.
04:09She said that players were emotional about how team housing, which and then also said that her kids who are
04:1920 in their 20s have to pay for their own housing.
04:22It just came off a little like condescending and tone deaf when addressing the Connecticut Sunsale to Houston.
04:29She mentioned that Boston in the New England area didn't submit a bid through the expansion process.
04:36What was left unsaid is that how could they have foreseen that Connecticut, the team that was already in their
04:42market, would ever be moved out of it, told fans to continue to stick around.
04:47When fans are reeling with the fact that they're losing their WNBA team in a year there.
04:54I mean, there was several other instances throughout that 26 minute press conference that just left you kind of sitting
05:00there like.
05:01Is she not media trained?
05:04I mean, it just it surprised me, you know, that some of the answers to various questions.
05:09Yeah, there are moments that arise throughout people's careers and you either rise to the leadership role or you show
05:17how you have a lack of leadership.
05:19And I think that was very telling.
05:21But way to stay in your ground there, Maddie, and way to ask the questions that get the people talking.
05:26All right.
05:26No more.
05:27We're not going to allow her to take any more of the headlines right now from the WNBA draft, especially
05:32when it comes to the New York Liberty.
05:33They didn't have a first round pick, but with the 41st pick of the WNBA draft, the New York Liberty
05:39selected 19 year old Australian Ford, Manuela Putsch, who so who is she?
05:46I hope I'm saying her name, her last name, right?
05:48Who is she?
05:49And is she a player that you think could see the court early in her career?
05:53Do you think she's a piece that's going to need some time to develop?
05:57I think that she's more of like a developmental prospect.
06:00It'll be interesting if they bring her over and put her in like the new to development spots that teams
06:06have under this new CBA or she's a draft and stash, which is kind of where I lean toward.
06:12She's 19.
06:13She's six foot one forward, plays in the WNBL.
06:16Her sister was drafted in 2024 to the Atlanta Dream with the 12th overall pick, I'm pretty sure.
06:23Um, and so she comes from a basketball family, but yeah, I think that she's, she's one of those like
06:30players that it's like, let's just wait and see because she's only 19.
06:34She's very young.
06:35Um, but she's shown flashes of potential and talent.
06:39And so I think that she was honestly for what, when you are down to those, those picks that late,
06:45it's kind of just throwing a dart and hoping it hits the dartboard to a certain degree.
06:51Um, and so it'll be interesting to see if, uh, she is in the WNBA in a few years and
06:57if, you know, uh, the Liberty, I've had a lot of luck with international prospects and stuff like that.
07:04And so it'll be, yeah, I think that overall, I don't have any, I think it was a good pick.
07:10Um, and I think that, yeah, that's what she can do with the 41st overall pick.
07:16Well, that was our only pick of the draft.
07:18Uh, and people are wondering, is this team still going to add to their roster?
07:23Natasha Cloud is still a free agent, doesn't have a home.
07:28Any chance that you feel as though she comes back to Brooklyn, New York?
07:33I think after the Liberty signed a backup point guard with Pauline Esther, um, the, it all but closed the
07:43door on the potential for Natasha Cloud to come back.
07:47I mean, it was kind of a long shot from the beginning just because of money wise, where would she
07:52be at?
07:53Would the Liberty would probably have to pay her under market value, um, position wise and role wise.
07:58It was going to be, uh, she was going to have to come off the bench and, you know, play
08:03a, play a lesser role to a certain degree.
08:05And so I think it was already kind of not likely that she would be back, but now it just
08:10feels like it's, I don't know what her role would be.
08:14Um, and so, especially because the, the backup point guard that the Liberty did sign, she was highly sought after.
08:21Um, there were several teams that were trying to vie for her, um, Connecticut Sun, uh, Indiana Fever,
08:28Washington Mystics, Minnesota Lynx, just to name a few.
08:31And so she's coming over to the WNBA because she wants to play.
08:35Um, she doesn't want to be the third string point guard.
08:37And so I think unfortunately, like Natasha Cloud's time, it appears is, is over in New York.
08:44All right.
08:44Well, we're what days or weeks away from training camp opening up.
08:48The W looks absolutely different this year as it did last year at this time.
08:53There's a lot of roster turnover this off season, and that includes the Liberty.
08:57You mentioned they added Pauline Astier over the weekend, but they also signed Rebecca Allen.
09:02So on paper, do you think they have enough to make a deep playoff run this season after getting knocked
09:08out in the first round last year?
09:10Yeah, just really quick too, about Rebecca Allen, she's listed on the roster as wearing number nine.
09:15I'm pretty sure I saw it today.
09:17So that also might be telling about Cloud's feature.
09:20I mean, this team, it, you know, the word greedy gets thrown around with the Liberty.
09:25Um, but is it greedy or is it just being smart and being strategic about the players that you're getting?
09:31Of course, you want to have a deep bench.
09:33Of course, you want to have, uh, multiple options at different positions, um, trying to get like versatile players.
09:40I mean, they got Satu Saboli.
09:43Uh, that was a huge free agency signing.
09:45We still don't know what the contract numbers are.
09:47Um, all of that is still being worked out.
09:50Obviously JJ is finalizing a deal with the Liberty.
09:52I've reported that Brianna Stewart and Sabrina Unescu both said that they plan to be back.
09:57And Leone Fibic is obviously on a very team friendly contract for the next two years.
10:01But now Jelani Hamilton, you know, the Liberty have exclusive negotiating rights.
10:06So you have proven winners.
10:08You have WNBA champions.
10:10You have talented players.
10:13The biggest thing is I just hope they stay healthy.
10:16Um, I think there is enough talent on this roster to terrorize the league all season, but it's just going
10:24to be a matter of putting the pieces together and seeing how Chris utilizes this roster.
10:30All right.
10:31Well, basketball, WNBA basketball is what, less than a month away.
10:36So we're definitely going to be talking to you a lot throughout the season.
10:39Matty, great job with the question to the commissioner.
10:42Appreciate you hopping on with this this morning.
10:47We're going to be talking to you a lot of people who are going to be talking to you a
10:47lot of people who are going to be talking to you a lot of people who are going to be
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10:50talking to you a lot of people who are going to be talking to you a lot of people who
10:50are going to be talking to you a lot of people who are going to be talking to you a
10:50lot of people who are going to be talking to you a lot of people who are going to be
10:50talking to you a lot of people who are going to be talking to you a lot of people who
10:50are going to be talking to you a lot of people who are going to be talking to you a
10:50lot of people who are going to be talking to you a lot of people who are going to be
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