#112: Oops

I didn't plan on taking two-plus weeks off. Truly, I didn't.

The truth is that life has been busy. Really busy.

I've been traveling for work a lot, making stops in New Mexico, New York, and Pennsylvania within six weeks of each other. Plus, my WNBA coverage has doubled - maybe tripled? - from last year since I joined The IX Sports and left Winsidr.

I'm writing a piece per week, attending practices and shootarounds, getting quotes from players and coaches pregame, shooting and editing video, and releasing a weekly podcast.

It's a lot, but I'm also actually getting paid for my work, which is a nice change.

Add to that working at a nonprofit when the world is on fire and dealing with a health issue, yeah, a lot is happening.

But I've always wanted to prioritize this newsletter. I'll continue to prioritize it. But when I was writing a piece ranking the top players who wear the No. 22 in the WNBA during the pregame of the Aces and Dream game a few weeks ago and our WiFi wasn't working at the arena, I took it as a sign.

Step back. Rest up. Get back at it.

I set a goal of releasing two newsletters per week. It's a goal that I've hit a lot since starting this last year.

But the main goal of this was to have an outlet for me to write about what I want, when I want, without any pressure.

That's what I have to keep in mind.

So, I'm just popping in from a hotel in State College PA to say hello and that I'll be back soon.

I do have a few fun interviews planned in this space, but I need to find the time to set them up and treat them with the respect that they deserve.

Before I go, though, let's do some quick hitters, yeah? I mean I pay myself by the word, so I may as well cash in a bit.

1. I'm torn between the Knicks and the Spurs, truly. Both are great stories, but James Dolan can go fuck himself, and inviting Trump to attend the NBA Finals in New York makes it hard to root for them. I'm rooting for the fans more than I'm rooting for the team, if that makes sense? Either way, seeing Jalen Brunson, KAT, or Wemby win their first title is going to be great. I'll go Knicks in 6.
2. The Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White spat was a bunch of nothing. I promise you that worse interactions have taken place over the years with players and coaches. The bigger issue here is that the coddling of Clark to be able to act out and behave like a petulant child at times isn't doing her or the Fever any favors. The playing style that people loved with her deep shots and top-two court vision in the league is being overshadowed by cringe behavior.
3. I was wrong about the Minnesota Lynx. I had them 10th heading into the season, noting that they'd be higher if we knew when Phee would return. They lost a lot of key players, but it hasn't mattered. Cheryl Reeve continues to show why she's the best coach in the league. Just a phenomenal start by Minnesota.
4. The American League is in shambles. It's still wild to me that we are here on June 2 and there are five teams - five! - in the American League with a winning record. What's even more wild is that the White Sox are one of those five teams. As a Blue Jays fan, I hate it. I hate this crap. Stop. Stop with the crap.
5. We interviewed Pitt's new head coach Robin Harmony on The IX Sports Podcast: College basketball edition (we interview new players and coaches each week in the women's space. You should check it out!). Robin was great once she opened up a bit. She's even from Hershey, so we were able to bond over the Keystone State a bit. We ended up receiving packages in the mail the week after we chatted with her with Reeses Cups straight from the assembly line with a postcard thanking us for chatting with her. So far, she sent those, Kristy Curry invited us to dinner in Tampa, and Molly Miller invited us out to Arizona to attend a game. Women's basketball and the people in and around the game are the best. For a spoiler, we have a full South Carolina episode coming out next week with THREE guests.
6. I wrote one of my favorite pieces that I've written in quite some time last week. I had an exclusive interview with Bri Jones, who has yet to take the court as she recovers from a meniscus injury. She isn't required to speak with reporters while injured, so I'm glad that she trusted me to tell her story.
7. I beat the Ticketmaster odds and got Gracie Abrams tickets for February. Buying tickets for a show in 2027 feels wild, but I'll be there with my other sad girls.