Flau'jae Johnson Assesses Her Rookie Season and More. Plus, Three Things That We Love.

It's Bob and everybody, it's Logan Murdock here from The Ringer, the 2025-2026 NBA season is here and we got your group podcast needs covered. On The Ringer NBA show, be sure to check out Group Chat with Justin Barrier, Rob Mahoney and Jake Hyleman on Sundays and Wednesdays and real ones. On Tuesdays and Fridays with myself, Rajabell, and Howard Beck, get your Ringer-related NBA podcast fix on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. And of course, come find us on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at the handle Ringer NBA. Welcome to The Ringer-WNDA Show, I'm Seeret Sohee, and today we have a really fun interview with lingerie Johnson coming up, but before that, I wanted to talk about three things that I'm really enjoying right now. I'll start off with Rihanna Stewartz, who is just putting the Liberty on her back. The Liberty are 5-0 in the last five games. They have clinched a spot in the Commissioner's Cup final and so much of that has to do with the fact that Rihanna Stewart on an daily basis can just be whatever you ask her to be. There are only two players in the league who are on the top 10 in points, rebounds, blocks, and free throw attempts. Where Stewie is actually leading the league. These freedom movement rules have actually been very, very friendly to her in the fact that she is just an absolute mismatch nightmare. And the Liberty are doing a good job of using her in the post. But the other player on that list is Aja Wilson. Aja Wilson is also the only reason that I can't necessarily talk about Rihanna Stewart as an MVP candidate. But I do think that Stewie, as I don't know that you can come up with a better definition of what value actually means in the league without talking about Rihanna Stewart. Because she has been the skeleton key and the glue and the person who comes in and makes up for whatever it is that the Liberty need, whether it's injuries to Sabrina UNESCO or Satoosavoli, the fact that Leoni Fibic had to come back from overseas. You've got role players like Benagelini Hamilton struggling to find consistency and you've got a new coach in Chris DiMarco integrating a new system. And okay, so I want to get a little nerdy here. There's this book that I love. It's called "What Can a Body Do" by Sarah Hendren. It's a fantastic book about disability and provision in the way that the world is made. But she talks a lot about cardboard. She has this whole section about cardboard, and if you read the book, you'll understand why. But it's always stuck with me because cardboard is not something that we even think about. It's not something that we see as being useful or important really, but it's a container for a lot of things and it is versatile. So here's what she said about it. Cardboard has the value of being provisional. It retains its experimental spirit even while it offers sturdy strengths. An unlikely seeming combination of virtues, contingency and strength is just right for fostering the design of adaptive furniture. It's also a great match for the near-magical plasticity that marks the development of young children. Brianna Stewart is cardboard. She has the kind of malleability that a team like the New York Liberty with all the moving parts into injuries has absolutely needed. She also is perpetually, from the moment she has come into the league and the way that we have seen the league evolve, she remains the skeleton key and the pinnacle of what it looks like to play effective modern basketball. Her length, her stamina, her IQ, her adaptability and her skill just allow her to play in any sort of situation. Like take New York's win against Washington where she had seven blocks. When New York wants to play big, she guards Sonya Citron who is going to be an all-WNBA wing. She guards Shakira Austin in the post. She's still, I think, their most impactful rim protector and help defender when players blow pass out to sobrily or Pauline Astier who is there to help. It's Brianna Stewart. It's always Brianna Stewart. She can just do everything for you. She can do the role player stuff. She can set screens. She can come off of them and create on her own. She's an offensive anchor in the post but she can also work off the gravity of that her teammates create with her excellent cutting. She's just such a rare player. She has superstar abilities and she's also kind of a master of all the little things in the dirty work that role players are asked to do. She just creates so much value every time she's on the court and she's so smart and at 31 years old she's playing a ton of minutes right now, hopefully with the Liberty Healthy. That starts to change but one thing that won't change is just how impactful and how important she is. It's very rare that a player is simultaneously the superstar and the glue at the same time. For this recent Liberty run, I just can't be understated how important she has been to stabilizing them and to also helping them achieve their ceiling when they are at full strength. That's the first one. The second one, honestly, I'm becoming a broken record here but I don't think that you can talk enough about what Olivia Miles is doing in the WNBA right now in her rookie season and I really want to talk about her game against the Aces because it was simultaneously one of the first times that I've actually seen her struggle in a WNBA game but at the same time it only gave me more confidence as far as her long-term potential and greatness go. The Aces turned her into a scorer. She had one assist to six turn-over so that's a struggle but she also had a career high 29 points. She was three for six from three and I couldn't help but think about the Balkyries game two where they went under on all her picks and she hit eight threes. She has just had the answer to every question that defenses have posed to her early this season and she gets that answer quickly and she almost had all the answers to the test against an Aces team that is looking dynastic but some of the things that I loved in this game I think I think the highlight reel that I think everybody would have seen whether they watched the game or not was she drives past Chelsea Gray gets Asia Wilson and Jackie Young the Aces best defenders in the air changes hands made air and bounces the ball to avoid the interception and finds a corner shooter and Courtney Williams that's just the kind of it's just a kind of creativity that you don't find anywhere else like it can't be contrived it's just a product of all the things that make a living a mile so fun to watch it's it's joy it's preparation it's staying in the moment it's high IQ it's understanding angles it's being confident it is like I mean it's a high water mark of what makes basketball such a beautiful sport like she just uses effectiveness and creativity and flair and and improvisation in a way that you know it just it's so it's those moments that can make basketball just feel like absolute art and I just have to like I have to commend the fearlessness too like they in the fourth quarter she really took it to Asia Wilson to final two plays in the final minutes of the game she drives she reverses a layup over Wilson she uses a the rim to the backboard to protect her from getting blocked another one she just goes left accelerates gets the n1 Asia Wilson players don't even bother trying to take her in isolation anymore it's a losing battle for synergy when she's guarded in isolation opponents generate less than 55 points per 100 possessions it makes her by the numbers the staunchest isolation defender in the WNBA and you definitely saw some of that early in the game but I love that Olivia is got an opportunity to test her metal against the team that actually you know had some answers as far as how to stop her and like you know you could tell that the aces were frustrated by her you have Chelsea Gray who's are idle who's like committing like frustration fouls and like and you know really just having to intentionally foul her to stop her from getting to the rim players don't blow blow by Jackie Young the way that Chelsea Gray I'm worth the way that Olivia miles for it and slip there up was is blowing by her um it's just it's such a joy to watch her um it's just even the mistakes right like I like share or read after the game talked about how you know she feels like Olivia miles isn't even necessarily playing her best basketball right now um and I do think that she's played like slightly less disciplined basketball in the last little while and I think that actually like obviously it makes her more fun like it's I love when a player like her is like testing the limits of her abilities um and Reeve isn't going to let her play through all these she did pull her from the game like early like when she kind of took I think she took like um you know she like hit like the double crossover in the step back and didn't hit the hit the mid-range jumper and it was super early in the clock not the kind of thing that Cheryl Reeve necessarily loves but the thing is Olivia's been so efficient that Reeve is going to give her plenty of opportunities to to continue to try those plays like she's going to get on the court she's going to continue to run their pick and roll offense um the fisa call year is going to be back very soon which is terrifying um but I think it's kind of that tension between the two where like I think Reeve wants to highlight real-to-come naturally which by and large like it does But Olivia just naturally she has flair like she is a performer. She's an entertainer and she's going to want to take like those high-risk High-light real passes and for the most part she blends it blends them with with effectiveness. Um, and it's just It's really fun to watch. It's almost like you watch it. It's like you plug it. It's like she's plucked out of a different era Sometimes um, I talked about this with Andrew Ducowicz I went on his podcast the missing links which is really great if you're I'm in a soda links fan If you want to nerd out on like any of the incredibly like the details of the game credible stuff that Olivia Miles is doing this season But you know, she's like she's got like the magic johnson passing like she's got the goggles Which are so fun and it kind of like reminds you of like 90s era like a horse grand or like a cream Like just like there aren't a lot of players that have like just have made goggles their signature And it's kind of like I love that it kind of dovetails with her playstyle like you think about it like almost I almost feel like I'm watching a superhero that has like x-ray vision It's it's just super fun um and the afro too. It's like something something that she's talked about It also harkens back to a time when uh when black athletes wore their hair naturally as a statement of political resistance and and and liberation It's something that she's discussed as well of like hey black women wear your hair naturally like embrace like your natural creativity and what makes you you Um, and it just feels authentic like it all feels authentic and it just makes her like It's really interesting player in the w-n-b-a especially is somebody who like I think I don't think like she hasn't really gotten the push, you know Um, and it's happening organically. I think people are like catching her highlights and they're loving what they're seeing You know, she just has something about her that is so infectious to watch and she's so smart. She's so fun Even like even the way she moves is a little bit off kilter like the the pace that she plays with She can put defenders into a cage she'll try like these fadeaways and and stuff like that and like buy and large Like she's been pretty successful with it um and it just makes her so fun to watch um and I just I I think like, you know, she'll start I hope she starts to get more of the push like she's certainly gonna get it Um on this podcast, but this is somebody who could be like the face of the w-n-b-a Like just the things that she's doing like we're in a golden generation of guard play right now um But if you look at, you know, where Caitlin Clark was 15 games into the season um If you look at where pagebackers was 15 games into um her first season very similar Although Miles has has kind of gotten them out outpaced in certain areas, right? Like she's less turnover prone She's more efficient. She has um She's actually on a winning team too who's gonna have like that's gonna like probably be able to go deep into the playoffs Like we're we could be heading into into a place very soon especially like As a w-n-b-a starts to take over the forefront of the the the sporting calendar in summer where like this could really be the summer Of Olivia Miles um and I am I am all for that. I am very much excited to to see what she continues to do Um and the last thing Is Alia Boston just continuing to put it together. So two weeks ago um I ranked the top 25 players under 25 in the w-n-b-a and I put Alia Boston at number three with the hedge that by the end of the year Like she could be number one because like she just has this like combination of like just all the things that you want In a modern big like a big that can bridge the gap between what the game requires as far as like post-play physicality Rebounding rim protection um and also what is demanding as far as being able to be a playmaking hub as far as you know being able to expand the floor and shoot and shoot at three um and she's just In the last three games for the fever and granted. It's been against not the best competition She's just really starting to put it together like I feel like um, you know She had some moments against the Connecticut Sun where like she missed some layups But but other than that like I just feel like she's been sort of She's almost been the last line of defense. Honestly like she's the one that like When the offense falls apart She's like driving from 30 feet or she's taking like a last second three and she's shooting 43% um from from three this season Or rather 43% in the last three games, but she's almost up to 43 40% rather Um on the season like she's kind of picking her spots well She's posting up smaller defenders instead of starting trying to blow by them She just is a player who has had all the tools has frankly like had the production for you know her most of her career As well, but we're just starting to see it level up in a way and I love what we're seeing from from her as a playmaking hub as well She's just a joy to watch and just like, you know, I know we're in this like guard revolution right now um, but Alia Boston could could be as good as she wants to be like I just don't I just don't think that you could put any limits on her ceiling And I look I just love um what I'm seeing out of her. So those are the three things that I really um liked in the last week or so um flogy johnson who will get to next was a fantastic interview. I just loved talking to her. She is just so effervescent She's curious. She's thoughtful. Um, she's a thinker um and one a couple things about our interview kind of stood out to me So she said that she's been reading the obstacle as a way by Ryan holiday, which is essentially a book about how Whatever thing is holding you back is actually just a thing that you have to attack like I think it's motto is really like what stands in the way it becomes the way And I feel like that's actually just how she's attacked this season like she is showing a lot of promise She is in in in Sonia rum in offense being given sort of free reign to try out a lot of different things and She's making a lot of mistakes, but she's learning from them in real time She's handling it all in real time and just to even see like the subtle evolutions in her game From the first like five or six games of the season where she's you know struggling with her efficiency and to now where the game is starting to slow down For her I can just see all of that and um the fact that she's reading that book and one of the things that she's that that she said in the interview Really stood out to me. She said if you're in a slump it probably means that you're awaiting accountability I just love that. I think it just speaks to who she is as a person um but just in general like like her life her habits The way that she is. I think she just is a type of person who can offer so many different kernels of wisdom Um, and she does it by being like highly entertaining like at the same time just truly a force of a person and I'm just excited for you to listen to this interview Uh, I'll let her speak for herself, but I just think you know, I think everything she's been through in the last little while. It's like it's not like Transitioning from being a college player and going to the WNBA is easy, but she just looks so spirited and excited throughout that entire process and she just embodies A lot of great qualities that make the day to day sort of struggles of life and improvement and achievement like feel just Exciting like she's so curious. She's a very expansive mindset. She's creative. She works really hard. She's Everything new she's taking in you can just feel that that she's a sponge right now like and all the different mentors that she has access to I think it's just like It's a great. It's a great recipe for for long term for success Success for her right now. She's she's also like I mean, you know, she's leading rookies and rebounds and blocks She's actually leading every guard in blocks like I just think the way that she's like use her athleticism in the last Especially the last like five games or so. It's been really really impressive. Um, so yeah, just just fun interview when somebody who is Evolving like she's just evolving with every moment with every game and it's it's been really fun to watch all right That's coming up next Hope you guys enjoy it And we are back and we are very lucky today because we are joined by flage a johnson. She is a bit of a polyglot. She is A professional basketball player She's in her first season in the WNBA with the Seattle storm You might know her from so many different avenues of life because she is also a rapper. She has her She she's she's doing a little bit of everything. I'm very excited to talk to her because I think that in and of itself is inspiring But she also strikes me as somebody who's a bit of a student of life itself as well So flage welcome to the show. How's it going? How's your day going today? It's going good. Um, thank you for hanging here. Thank you for being here So you're kind of a third of the of the way through your first WNBA season You're playing with a storm. Um, I love. I love watching your progression throughout the course of the season We're starting to see just the attention to detail that has improved through the course of the season right Like I'm seeing you snaking pick and rolls. I'm seeing your your your your your your your just your chemistry with obo fam Dominic Malanga in the pick and roll So the first thing I just wanted to ask you was really like when you look at who you were just you know A month ago five weeks ago entering the WNBA. What is different about you now? Um, patient. I would say, you know, I've been watching the games like I'm just like a little bit more patient. Um, letting things develop Um, and just know I'm on the strike and we're not to strike you know, and I think that it It's just like learning the offense learning like who I want to be as a player Who I can be letting be like more dynamic. I feel like every game is just I'm growing. It's your sense of who you can be expanding throughout the course of every game Yes It's like the things that I'm doing like wow like you could pick up stuff like super fat, you know what I mean because the things that I'm learning that are very new to me. Come from unlearning one system, and then come into a new system. Like, you know, it was like very, very different. But I feel like every day, it's just a growth moment. And I'm like, I'm battling against myself. You know, like playing a game with myself, our mom's like, what challenge can I master today? So that's kind of the mindset I like that I like that perspective. What's today's challenge? Being intentional. Being intentional and being in a moment and being present. Present is like something that I'm trying to start to be at every single day. Like, get myself into presence and out of presence. Cause I feel like, you know, I want to be on all the time. But when I'm going to be on, I want to pay attention to those details. I want to be able to be in the moment. So I would say like today, I was working on like, just presents on a defensive. What do you mean, what do you mean, I happen to be on all the time? Is like, is it the challenge of sort of being Flaj A. Johnson? Like this figure to other people? Yeah, yeah, for sure. I'll say that most definitely. That's definitely a big thing. And it's like learning, learning, I'm just learning how to, um, compartment lines. You got it. You said it right. Yeah, you did. Yeah, right. I'm learning how to do that. And, um, yeah, just, I feel like that's like a part of my growth. Just, just being who I am. I'm just going to court like you, I enjoy being here. So just being in that moment, I think people from the outside looking in, we see you as a sort of effervescent force. Like you're kind of constantly, it feels like your, your cup is, is always full. But like you said, like there is a version of yourself that people see. And then there's probably a person that, you know, goes through frustrations and struggles and, and what? Now, and one thing I was really curious about is when you are having a frustrating moment, when you, you've, you've talked about it numerous times, like kind of wanting to do more, for example, even after this recent sparks game, like what do you do for yourself to get back, to kind of get back into, into the state of mind that you want to be in? Um, I really talk to like mentors and stuff like that. That's like the easiest way, you know, I'll call my trainer and then, you know, I text my coach and then my uncle, I'll talk to him and like my mentor, that's in my life. They really like, they speak like life into me and help me understand it. I'm on like a journey and a process, you know? So, um, that's what I really do though. I feel like in life, like you have a good mentor. You have good people to pour into talk to you and hold you accountable. Then you can grow. I feel like you can't stand on slumps, slumps for long and the easiest way to get out of slumps to like hold yourself accountable and then just move on. Really, when you want to slump, you really just run it from accountability. You know, sometimes like you're running from facing, which we got to face. So I feel like the quicker you face it, then, yeah, yeah, I love that. I love that. What's, what's something that one of your mentors has said that's kind of resonating with you right now? Hmm. Wow. So much like, but I say like, my uncle, he told me like, I'm just like shine. Like, like, you know, like, sometimes like things like if you are who are like shine, like you want to be who you want to be like, shine. And I feel like for me, like, I know I have a bright light, but I am human. So like, I'm not going to sit here at like, I'll just be like, you know, all the time. But like most of the time, I'm trying to be consistent and bringing that light and shine. Cause I know when I do that, like when I believe in myself in our car, like great things happen for like everybody around me. So I feel like that's like one of the things we just always, you do have one of those presences about you. And like, there's a gift that comes with that, then also a pressure as well, right? I mean, it's not really a pressure is just expectation. You know, it's just expectation. But I already hold myself to the highest standard, you know what I mean? Like, you know, like you already, you said some I'm already priority sent to myself. Like I know, like I'm, you know, I'm honored with myself. So I hold myself to a high expectation, but I also learned to just give myself grace. You know what I'm saying with the learning and growing and being a rookie. Like, you know, like I hold myself to a high standard. So the expectation of the outside noise is not what bother me is more so than one of myself. And like the people around me, like I want to let my people know. Also, you strike me as somebody who is going to always have a pretty introspective relationship with themselves because you're making art, you're journaling, you're always looking at film. Like I feel like you were going to be one of those people that like kind of has a natural self awareness as well. Am I in my, am I on the right track there? Is that true? Yeah, yeah, you're the right track. Yeah, most definitely because I'm always like, even when I read, like I'm a avid reader, I have a reader. And I'm always like self improvement. Like, you know, that's my thing. So what are you reading? Like that type of person. Oh, I'm reading a book right now. My coach, Drill gave me his call, um, the obstacle in the way on the right, Ryan holiday. The obstacle in this way. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't read a lot of his books. I'm reading, I'm reading the alchemist again. It's going to be my third time reading this. That's the greatest book all time. Every time I read the book, I say you need to go read that. So that's. And then I'm reading, um, the new Jim Crow, which is a book I love reading about history. So those are the, those are the three I'm reading right now. And I just go a couple out of time. I got to do two pages a day out of time and people are like, how you read three different books to them books? You know, I just try to do them. But now I'm just saying it, because I need to go. Sorry. Go ahead. I see it. I'll see you like the alchemist. What am I reading right now? Oh, my gosh. I started this book called the, the silent patient. I was just at my, my cousin's, uh, bachelor at, she's a doctor and it's one of her favorite books. Uh, what else? Oh, my gosh. I'm also, I'm always reading so much stuff that I have to like look at it. So I will pull up my Kindle for you right now for you. Um, um, well, you can do it. I'm lower. I'm lower. I'm lower. Everything. You can highlight on your Kindle. And I like that you can put notes on your Kindle because then I'll look at them afterwards as well. But I like everything. I'll listen to audio books. Um, um, the art of the interview was something I'm always reading. I actually started reading Master of None after your interview with Kiki Palmer, um, cause I just love her and I love, I love boosters and like just a moment that she's having, um, and I'm reading this book called yesterday year, which is about like, uh, do you know tradwife? Like what, like that whole thing? It's like these like content creators that are like kind of like trying to recreate traditional life, but there's so much like the, it's like they are business women, but they're kind of just pretending to be like, they're just wives, but it's like, yo, you're making all this content. You have employees and stuff. So it's about one of those women, but like it's a fictional book about where it now, like one day she wakes up and she's actually back in the, in that life, like she's like in the 1800s and like she's doing all these things that like, she's kind of performing and it's it's, it's, it's crazy. I honestly, I, I, I love it so far. It's very interesting. So you love everything. I like memoirs. Um, but hey, yo, this interview was about you. Oh, shit. What do we do? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Yeah. You started asking me about books. That's how you get me. That's how you get me to lose my focus. I want to, I really wanted to talk to you about being a musician though. And I was curious if like I feel like both of, both of like being, being an athlete, being a musician, attention to detail is so important. Um, do you feel like one serves the other? I feel like yes, yes, yes, because when I'm going through something basketball, my music will tell you exactly how I feel, right? So it's more so like it's therapeutic on that end. And then like my basketball has taught me to be disciplined and pay attention to the details. Like in you. And then my music has taught my basketball rhythm, you know, in pace and things like that. So I think, um, they both, they both help each other, but they both really just outlets. Yeah. And then you have to find, like, correlation between the two, like, I know that you're trying to slow your game down right now, you're like, let the play develop, um, so your teammates can create some more space for you or like let the roller kind of get to get to where they're going to. Like, does that ever actually manifest itself in your music too? Like do you find yourself like it's like, I don't know, like how, actually let me ask you this too alongside of like, how is your music career right now out of integrating itself into your pro career? Like you have your studio set up and stuff. Like are you making music actively right now? Yeah. For sure. So my music, like, my life always show up on music. So you know, it definitely, definitely does, like show up in music, just more things I've learned and some more things I could talk about. But also, yeah. I'm a studio set up by crib. You know, nowadays you don't need a lot of equipment and like too much stuff. You just need an interface or mic and some speakers and some headphones. So I'd be recording, it's like a program, like me and my engineer, he can record me through my computer, it's the craziest thing. So I'd be using that software and just recording music and then my team, you know, like I have a whole team and like they, you know, we get together, we start talking about drops and releases and things of that nature and when it would make sense. So yeah. I'm just really get to create the music and play that song and it's beautiful. That's beautiful. What's coming out in your music these days? Like when you're creating, are you noticing any themes? Oh, actually like we kind of go see I feel like I'm in a new state, you know, because I'm in like a new journey and a new part of my life and I really haven't had a chance to really create. So tonight, like I'm really going to create some music, I've been writing things but like really get the mic and create and like I haven't got to do that. So we don't see like we don't see like I feel like it's I'm like a different area to just come in a pro and it's a new life, a new city, like, that's interesting. I'm excited to see what comes out of that for you. Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. That's awesome. That Seattle has like being in Seattle as a setting. I saw you said no rain, no flowers. I was like, oh, she's Seattle filled out like has as being out there sort of like shifted your perspective or like kind of just giving you new things to take in. Yeah. I say that for sure or just giving you a different perspective. It made me realize like Seattle's a special place because like everybody is doing their own thing. You know, like and everybody's just everybody's really doing their own thing and I'm around to hope it's a great people every day. So that's probably, but I feel like everybody's just doing their own thing and everybody's like so authentic to themselves like those are the type of people I like to be around. That's the type of energy is definitely creative here. Like you know, it's really so it's great. I love Seattle. Um, it's not a place where I'd be like, yeah, like when I'm doing I move to Seattle but like I'm glad I did like because like it's a whole different life from what I'm used to. Yeah. Yeah. You just never know where life is going to take you to. That's crazy. Yeah. That's it. That's awesome. I also have to ask you about your, uh, your tourist endeavors. This has been one of my favorite things to follow. It's just like the different cities that you go to, uh, and checking out different things. What's the latest in that? Yeah. So, I went to Toronto and I went on the, um, the sea and tower and I like, I did, uh, the edge wall. It was scary. It was scary. Ooh. I was thinking I thought building like that. Oh my god. It was great. It was a great experience. Um, I just went to the sky, um, the sky, let's see, see the skyline yesterday at the tower. Oh, nice. Seattle. So, yeah. That was when I took my grandma. I got a boat out here in Seattle, um, everywhere I go, I try to like do something, but that's been, that's been kind of my vibe. Every, every city I go to, I do like a, I just go walk around and look at the, make, look at the, you know, go to the parks and stuff like that. So, that's dope. Let's go. Grandma's visiting you. Is she living with you? Nice. Yeah. She's visiting me. She just left me with that. She was here, right? It's nice. That's awesome. Um, let's talk about your basketball career. Uh, so, well, what's your evaluation so far of the season that you're having? Oh, I feel like I've been having a good season as far as like just impact about team. You know, not just offensively, but defensively as well, like really causing the impact, you know what I'm saying? Or even on the rebound, too, like, those double doubles, like that's something I want to continue to do. That's the type of player that I want to, that's the player I want to be. Like, you know what I'm saying? I can really impact the game or all cylinders. So, I feel like I've been doing that. Um, you know, yeah, I think, um, just giving my team that spark and just trying to be everywhere, trying to really make it happen. Yeah. Wendy, like, I'm, I'm curious. I don't really call it. You were always a pretty good defender, but the defensive impact that you were having right now, I don't, I personally did not predict that. Like, what do you think is beyond that, uh, behind that? Sure. My coach, Bob Stalky, he said defense is just like effort. So I think it's like what I'm best is what I'm bringing to the team, my effort. And I feel like when you really take that, try and take that challenge and defense, like, that mean, like, you really want to, you want to win, you know what I'm saying? And I'm not playing like, I want to win. So, like, doing that, like, that's something that I control every night and night out, you know, my defense. So that's something that I really love. And just like, I feel like offensively, as well, like, I've just learned to, we talk about growth. I've learned to, like, use my gravity to get my teammates open. And that has been like the coolest thing for me to be able to showcase showcase my past in the blue. Yeah. And you got two, like, great players and our fam in Dominique, Malonga, like, they can pop, they can roll. They got great hands, like, it's, it's, it's, when it clicks, it looks really, really fun out there. I mean, it looks like the castle, it looks beautiful, I love playing with our, I love playing with them. Like, those are my girls, like, I was like, I knew, I, I just like, like, which we was waiting for her to come. I was just like, bro, she, she's so cool, like, she's so poised, like, I'm so ready for her to come. And Dom, like, she can dump, I'm telling Dom, don't the ball, like, rock, stamp, don't. And Dom is just like such a sweet soul. So it's just like playing with them has been amazing, but like, I could throw the ball and Dom just don't go grab it at the top, like, you know, it's, it's, it's really great. It allowed me to be better because when I'm coming off the pick and roll, they gotta go with our, like, if they don't, like, score, like, you know what I'm saying? So it's just opened a lot of up, so it's been fun. I can't wait to get better now. I can't even wait to just work and work with them and just get better and learn more. I'm excited for that first, like, you hit Dom in the pick and roll and she ups it. Like, that's, it's coming. It's coming. It's coming. It's coming. Um, what WNBA players do you want to emulate that you look up to? Is there anybody who's moves that you like to, that you like to kind of steal? Um, honestly, everybody out of the plate, I don't took some of my baby because Jackie don't hit me with some so nasty. I had to go back and get everything. I have a lot to you, so I'm taking that. It's kind of like, like every time I'm learning something new, every time I borrow somebody, you know, like, they score on me, like, I'm like, oh, yeah, that's nice, especially they Jackie on her pace, something else, like, wow, like seeing her playmaking growth in the last couple of years too. I feel like that's definitely something that you'd be able to emulate as well. Yeah. I tweeted recently, discipline overdo. What's that meaning to you right now? Sure, just discipline. I feel like that's something I've been living off since I was in high school waking up at 5 a.m. Every morning, that was my, that was my discipline every morning. So I feel like now it's just a lifestyle, like, it's just a lifestyle of what you do. Like you got to be disciplined and then you won't really have any doubt. Hmm. Real forever. You asked me that, because that work and that confidence erased the doubt. So I just feel like, I love that. You also, in that interview with Kiki Palmer, you said that Sue Bird was on your WNVML rush more. Now she's somebody that you could hit as a resource every single day if you wanted to. Have you talked to her? Is there anything that she said to you that stood out? Sue's been supporting me since high school, like, her company produced one of my shows with Hayley Johnson. And they've been like, I've been cool with Sue since high school and she's just been supporting me the whole time through the journey. I don't know if you've seen that. Have you seen that picture of me playing in a cell in my house, right there? No, I haven't seen it. I haven't seen it. I haven't seen it. Okay. I gotta look out. I'm going to say to you, like, it's one of the most iconic photos and like, I like love Sue. So like, being here, like, and this is like something that she built, it's like an honor to me, you know, like, just because she's been supporting me so long. So, you're just going to tell me, like, just, just keep working, you know? And I feel like, I feel like, like, just having her as a resource. Yeah. That's awesome. That's awesome. I know you have a lot of different mentors, a lot of different people across industries that you've gotten to work with or even watch them work. And it seems like you, you're like an observer, like, you're, you're taking things for everybody. Is there any experience that you've had that is particularly resonating with you from like any of the people that you've worked with? Ooh. I would say, like, the workout I have a page, let my junior season, I think it was or my senior season. But just like being in her workout, just watching her pace and, you know, how she was, she was, she was always like, wow, this is a pro, like, even when she would miss, like, you know, she would always do the rep or certain way, even if she was frustrated, like, she would always, you know, follow through or whatever. It was just cool for me to see, and just see how she moved, like, you could tell, like, okay, that's why she was like who she was, you know what I mean? But I think it's really like the mentality, so that's partly, that's partly, like, right now, with my pace showing up, I'm like, was that during her rookie season in the WNBA or was she still at Yukon? I think that was her rookie season. So you're getting to see what that time in her career looked like for her. You can apply that, yeah, yeah, yeah, even with what I think you talked about it a couple days ago about how Paige, her team in Dallas, 110 games last year, dealing with the frustration of losing. Have you been thinking about that more since you heard that? Have you talked to her about anything like that? No, I talked to her about it, but it's just like, you can see it, like, that's what it was last year. Now, they're one of the top teams in lead, like, that's the type of, like, you know, growth, like, you know, it's just a process, you know, it's a process. So I think just having a mindset of looking at things and like a positive outlook, you know, that's the way I'm trying to do it. [BLANK_AUDIO] definitely. It comes out very clearly from you. And I think it's one of the things that draws people to you. So I appreciate the time getting to know you and what makes you take a little bit better. Good luck with the rest of your rookie season. I'm very excited to see where your career goes in all of all of your different careers really. But yeah, this was a pleasure, Flashe. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Thank you so much to Flashej Johnson for giving us some of her time. Thank you to Stefan Anderson for producing and we will talk to you all very soon. [Music]