Brandin Podziemski

KGMZ-FM / 95.7 THE GAME

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00:00All right, back out to Pods on the River Islands guest line,

00:03reconnected as we talk to our favorite Valkyries superfan correspondent.

00:08Pods, you got us?

00:09We good?

00:11Okay, sounded much better.

00:13Perfect.

00:14All right, so what is, in your opinion, the mental side of a game like this?

00:20You have two teams coming together.

00:22Everyone's in the playoffs.

00:23Seeding is kind of at stake, though.

00:26So, like, how aggressive do you think these two teams actually play this thing?

00:34Well, I'll start from the Valkyries.

00:38I think they'd rather not play Minnesota in the playoff.

00:43But on the flip side, I think Minnesota honestly wants to play us,

00:47so I think they're going to play their players and try to play us

00:50just because I'm not sure of the record against the Seattle Storm,

00:53but I know it's going to be the rest of them who plays Minnesota,

00:56and I think Minnesota would rather play us, honestly.

01:00But for me, going into the game as a Valkyries,

01:03I'm just trying to get away because that's all I can control.

01:08That's just the word I mean.

01:10As a player, are those things that you consciously think about going into a game,

01:14or is it just something you completely just block out of your mind,

01:17possible playoff machinations and all the rest?

01:19I mean, it's definitely thought about, I think it's more so thought about

01:23between coach and staff, front office, things of that nature.

01:29I obviously haven't been fortunate enough to be in a situation yet

01:32where I get to kind of dictate, should we win or lose this game,

01:36depending on who we play.

01:38But I think I'm always going to try to win and get the best out of everything.

01:43Brandon Pajemski with us here on Weathered and Dams.

01:45Pajemski, we've got to get a reaction from you on the fact that, you know,

01:49this scheduling conflict arrives and the Valkyries make the playoffs

01:54and their home game will be at SAP Center in San Jose.

01:58What's your thought on that?

02:00Yeah, it's unfortunate.

02:02I heard you say it's just kind of what it's been built off of.

02:07Ball holla, the crowd, the environment, all sellouts through all 22 games.

02:11And to not have that is going to be a little bit different, but, you know,

02:14I don't expect anything less than a sellout at SAP Center.

02:18I know it's a great venue.

02:19I've been to a few hockey games down there.

02:21Obviously, it's going to be a little bit different feel,

02:23but I know everyone's going to show up because it's the first playoff game.

02:29Have you already made your arrangements to be there in your usual courtside seat

02:32for that playoff game?

02:35Yes, I will be there.

02:37It's big.

02:37It's big, and I wonder how they're going to turn the teal that they normally have

02:42down there into the light purple or the lavender that the Valks come with.

02:47Have they asked you for any design ideas going into that playoff game?

02:51No, they haven't, but I know, obviously, Joe will be there,

02:55and I'm sure Joe has voiced his opinion on what he thinks should be different.

03:00I know something will be trying to make it as similar as possible to ball holla

03:04as they can.

03:05Obviously, everybody knows it will be different,

03:08but it will definitely be louder rocking in the air for sure.

03:11Are you saying, Brandon, that Joe Lacob is usually forthright with his opinion?

03:20I mean, hey, the man's the boss.

03:23I don't know his words mean a lot, so it's always kind of whatever he says goes.

03:27Hey, I want to ask you this.

03:31Just like, let's take a step back again.

03:33I know that we've already all kind of had it sink in,

03:36that the Valkyries made the playoffs in their first year, which is incredible.

03:39You could answer this a bunch of different ways,

03:41but I wonder what comes to the front of your mind first.

03:44How'd they do it?

03:46I think collectivity.

03:49Different ladies every night, stepping up.

03:51You've had the consistent pieces that have been there all year.

03:53I think Veronica played in every single game, started every single game.

03:58Our all-star went down midway through.

04:01Things could have flipped upside down for us,

04:04but we found a way to make it a positive.

04:07From the ladies that we signed only for hardship contracts

04:10to just the girls that have been there the whole time,

04:15everybody's just collectively stepped up and did their part.

04:17But I think everybody's just bought in defensively,

04:19and they know that they can hang their hat on that.

04:22And they did so for the majority of the second half of the season.

04:26But now, you know, some of the offense is starting to click.

04:29Do you see similarities in style of play with what you guys do?

04:33Because I'm just looking, and they led the league

04:35in percentage of the points that came from the three.

04:38Very good defensive team as well.

04:40Is that the mentality of the Valkyries?

04:42Is it similar to what you guys try to do with the Warriors?

04:44I think there's some similarities.

04:48Obviously, personnel becomes a huge part of it.

04:50We have staff who shoots the most, you know,

04:52threes a game close to every year.

04:54So that comes from a lot of it.

04:56But I think from an analytics perspective,

04:58everything's so numbers-based.

05:00You know, teams both in WNBA and NBA won threes or laps,

05:04or threes or paint shots, rather.

05:06And they know that that's the most points per shot

05:08that you're going to get.

05:09So you can see that.

05:11Obviously, Natalie's probably trying to enforce that.

05:14More, just because it's her first year,

05:16and she's trying to, you know, lay some groundwork

05:18on what she wants as a coach.

05:20And so, to see that, and then to see them

05:23knocking their threes down,

05:25because I remember the first couple games I went to,

05:26and I was like, wow, we're like one for 12 right now.

05:29But now, you know, they're having games.

05:31We're making 12, 15 threes.

05:32So it's been cool to see.

05:35Pods, I know everybody's staying in the moment

05:38and hoping they do really well in the playoffs.

05:40But a first year like this sets them up for what

05:45going into next year?

05:49It sets them up for an expectation.

05:51And it also sets them up that they're not a team

05:54that's just going to be pushed over because we're new.

05:57It gives us a good, you know, wherever the season ends,

06:01whether it's, you know, after the first round,

06:03we make it to the next round, the finals, whatever it is,

06:06there's always going to be another expectation

06:07that I know Joe and the front office

06:10is going to want to accomplish.

06:13But it also shows to the rest of the league,

06:15like, hey, these expansion teams are for real.

06:17And we expect a lot out of our players.

06:20And I think going into the second year next year,

06:23it's going to be a great, great year for us.

06:26Brandon Pajemski, the Valkyries superfan correspondent

06:29with us every week here on Willard & Dibs 95.7,

06:32in the game, and obviously we do one big Warriors question

06:35at the end, and here's mine,

06:37because you just used the word expectation.

06:40Now let's transfer that over to the Golden State Warriors.

06:43Realistically, fans, what should their expectations be

06:47of this coming year?

06:51I think a lot of winning.

06:53You look at the all-star break and beyond last year,

06:55our record, I don't know what it was,

06:57but it was pretty good amongst the league

06:58to have a full year of our squad,

07:04whoever it may end up being.

07:06You know, you're going to have your main three pieces

07:09in Steph, Dre, and Jimmy.

07:10And so to have those three for a whole year together,

07:14I think it's going to be great.

07:15I think fans can expect a lot of winning.

07:18It'll probably look similar to the second half of the year

07:20throughout the course of the year.

07:22But everyone's goal is the championship,

07:25and everybody knows that.

07:26I mean, Pods, you know, when you put that out there,

07:29everybody knows the greatness of those three players,

07:31but how do you answer it when someone says, like,

07:35is it realistic to be optimistic

07:38when those three players are all over 35 years old?

07:44I mean, I think so.

07:45I know that those guys, when it comes to playoff time,

07:50I feel like their body resets in a way and their mentality.

07:53They look at every series.

07:54It's just how can we get four games?

07:56And it's different in the playoffs.

07:59We've experienced it last year.

08:01I got to see how much harder it is,

08:03how much more intensity it is.

08:06And I know, you know, and they know.

08:08They only got a couple, you know, three, five more years,

08:11whatever it is, left in the tank.

08:12So it was like, we're there.

08:14We make it to the playoffs.

08:15They're going to give it all they got.

08:17Pods, great to have you.

08:18Welcome back to town, man.

08:20And thank you so much.

08:22Thanks, guys.

08:23Appreciate you.

08:24Okay.

08:24Playoffs next week for the Valks.

08:26There it is.

08:26Brandon Pajemski.

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