What the FIBA World Cup Reveals About the Future of Women’s Basketball. Nolan and Hobbs

[From Crisler Center to courts around the world, they wore the maize and blue. And now they’re bringing you the game inside and out. Hail Media presents Nolan and Hobbs, the women’s hoop homecourt podcast, hosted by Maddie Nolan and Jordan Hobbs. Welcome back to the Nolan and Hobbs show with me, Maddie Nolan, and my co-host Jordan Hobbs. Hey, Jay. Hello, Maddie. It’s good to be back. We missed a week. Had some traveling on my end going on. I’m in Spain, everyone. So, I’ve been here 10 days about. it’s been really good so far. The the team has been awesome. Some of the girls are still at the World Cup, so we haven’t had everybody at practices, but um yeah, it’s been a it’s been a good experience so far. I have a roommate and she’s great, and practices have been going well, so Spain is treating me well. Well, thus far. Yay.

And you’re close to a beach, right? Yeah. I on our first off day, I went and it was only like 40 minutes away. So, and then just yesterday, we stayed overnight or two nights ago, we stayed overnight by the beach and had some practices over there. So, it’s been fun. I got a little bit tanner. I was feeling a little pasty. So, we’re back. Pasty for Jordan is like tan for the rest of the world. just so everyone obviously you can see the difference between us. and people tell me I look tan. So anyway, um we’re really excited for today’s episode. We’re just going to talk about we have Naz Clock um highlighting some fun matchups coming up in the Michigan women’s basketball season. the FIBA World Cup for the women is going on. So just talking a little bit about that. kind of just little updates here and there.

Nothing too crazy, but we’re always excited to be back. And for those of you who don’t know, I don’t know if I told you guys. I think I did, but I’m moving to New York and I move next week. So, give Jordan and I some grace as we like get into our new locations and get moved in and settled. And then don’t worry, when the season comes, like we’ll be back and we’ll be on it. But give us a sec. Okay. Yes. All right. got to establish some routines in in our lives before we uh can have a scheduled podcast day. But we will get there. We need to find we need to find our own schedules for Exactly. We’re going to just start off with a bang. Almost everyone’s favorite segment I perceive is Naz Clock. we haven’t updated in a while. She is having a great season, averaging the most minutes she’s ever played with 29.4 per game.

So, she is clearly making a huge impact. her stats are showing it, but even some games if they don’t, she contributes so many ways on the court. outside of stats, but for her stats, she’s averaging 9.1 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. In the last five games, she’s averaging 10.2 points. and she’s hit some threes and the last six games she’s hit at least one three per game. So, she she’s been catching some heat from beyond the arc and uh just happy to see her doing well in the pros. Yeah. And Atlanta is doing well. They’ve clinched their playoff appearance which should be really fun. The interesting part is that the Minnesota Lynx are the favorite to be the number one seed by they’re about three games ahead. everyone else is kind of like a game two games apart from each other.

So, the last month or so of the season could have really huge implications for playoff seeding. So, that is definitely something to look out for. as for Naz specifically, Jordan highlighted it really well. I just want to give her a shout out for a game verse LA and her game verse Portland because we kind of got to see a little bit of college Naz back with the 12 points and the seven rebounds and then the 10 points and nine rebounds where we’ve seen her more along the perimeter this um WNBA season especially and obviously with the dream adding Angel Reese, it’s kind of had Naz be more of a three-point shooting threat as we’ve obviously talked about, but for her to get back into the the rebounding in a little bit higher numbers was really fun to see.

obviously Nas is always gonna rebound, but for those two games, it was reminding me of college Nas a little bit. Yeah, I mean, we love to see Nas and she’s always gonna be working her tail off and and getting rebounds and getting those extra possessions for her team. So, no surprise to uh see those glimpses of Michigan Naz back. But even just talking about pros, the World Cup is going on right now, which is a huge deal. Especially, I feel like in America, we don’t put as much emphasis on the World Cup. It’s kind of like the Olympics are the bigger stage for international basketball, but as I’ve been in Europe for two years, and Maddie, you’ve been you were here last year. I feel like you can kind of grasp how big of a deal these tournaments are. And the World Cup is absolutely huge.

all my teammates are tuning into like every single game and it’s been fun to to see how big of a deal it is. but yeah, do you have any any takeaways thus far from the World Cup or any highlights that you’ve seen? Yeah, I mean, USA obviously squeaking out a close one the other day. thank goodness they won that one. They’re in they just played this morning. They they advanced on to the semi-finals scoring 108 points which I believe I saw is the most ever in a elimination round. They beat Hungary 108 to 56. And then France actually beat China 90 to61. And I was just honestly looking at the World Cup, the FIBA World Cup Instagram page, and they did power rankings.

I don’t know if it was them or they collabed on the post, but they actually had France ranked above the US in the power rankings in their most recent poll, which is like an interesting concept. What do you think about that, Jay? It is interesting because for as long as we’ve been alive like USA has dominated the women’s basketball scene and men’s basketball too but I think honestly since Paris maybe Tokyo Olympics it’s there’s been a little bit of a shift and on both sides of the game men’s and women’s where a lot of these European teams are catching up to the US and they do have a ton of talent in Europe but I think what really allows s them to bridge that gap with the US where the US has all-stars coming off the bench. Their last player on the team is an all-star.

the European teams grow up together and they are playing with each other since they are 12 years old, 15 years old and then they’re, you know, in their 20s and 30s and they’re still playing together and they have that chemistry and also I think there is a pride that comes with playing for the US and I think we do see that when these tournaments come about but it feels different for these other countries that are in the World Cup and that come to the Olympics as well.

like they’re a lot smaller countries and the pride that they have to wear their country and and represent their country is enormous and um I think they really just band together and I mean we saw it in that Italy game like US is not invincible and I I saw a stat but I can’t remember exactly maybe like it’s been 30 games in a row or I don’t know it’s probably even more than that where the USA has not lost a game to any any European team or any team in the world in an x amount of years. It’s been a lot. 30. It’s not like 90. I thought it I thought we were like No, it’s probably way more. I just Maybe it was like 30 years. I don’t know. I can’t remember. But it was like a lot. I was like I think it’s more than 30, but maybe Yeah. No, definitely.

I don’t recall them losing a senior national team game in recent memory, but I I can say I don’t I haven’t really followed the World Cup super closely in past years, so that’s on me, so maybe I missed something. But no, I think I think you’re right. I I will check the stat after and then Doug can put it on the screen. I will text it to him so they can correct me. Correction. Yeah. All right, let’s take our guesses on what it is. I’m going to guess I feel like when I saw a stat like that, it was close to remember when UConn went undefeated for like 111 games. Stewart’s time. I think it was close to that. I’m going to go I think it’s like 90. I’m going to go 100 games. Even 100, why not? I mean, lost in 100 games. I’ll say 75. I like it. Okay, that’s my way up from the third we see I know, right?

but nonetheless, yes, these teams are catching up to America and the talent that America has and France is really, really talented. They have multiple WNBA All-Stars on their team. so I think if they match up, which I don’t know how that would if it would be in the finals or semis. I don’t know. But that game would be really interesting to see. so the the other two teams that will take the semis will either be Belgium or Germany or Australia or Spain. They play the tonight, which is the night of us doing the podcast. Maddie, do you have any predictions for who you think is going to win those games? I think I think it’s going to be a rematch of the Paris Olympics. I think so France is on the other side of the bracket. So I think France would play US. and I think I mean I’m going to be biased.

I think the US is going to win, but I think it’s going to be just like the Paris Olympics, a very very very close game. I don’t know if you guys recall, but it was the foot on the line um was kind of a big thing at the end. It wasn’t like super duper close, right? It was like, but the her foot was on the line to tie it, I think. I can’t remember exactly what happened, but like the bank Gabby Williams banked in shot. yes. Yes. Yes. Did it almost send it to overtime or did it cut it to two? Now I can’t recall, but I just know it was like I can’t either. It was pretty close. So, um, I kind of hope that’s what happens. But Jordan, do you have like a little bit of bias um, being in Spain? Are some of your teammates on the Spain World Cup team? So, none of them are.

One of my teammates has been on the senior national team for the last like two or three years, but she wasn’t invited to go to the World Cup, which was kind of disappointing for her. but I do have a lot of Spanish teammates and they’re all rooting for them. One of my teammates has she’s like 34 and she has been on the senior national team in her 20s for for a long time. She was she was on the team for a long time. She’s like a legend here in Spain. So, it’s really cool to talk to her and and pick her brain. but I I have a teammate actually on Belgium and then a teammate on Germany and they’re playing tonight. So, I’m really curious to watch that game. That’s going to be really fun. to see them go at each other. Wait, I love that. And Germany’s pretty good, too. Like, they’ve always been solid as well. So, I mean, yes. Yeah.

Not only the quarterfinals with the semis are going to be really, really fun to watch as well. the other thing Jordan was talking about earlier about the European teams playing together since they were a young age. I think the style of basketball they play is also a lot different than the United States and Jordan and I have been able to see that playing in Europe where this maybe too much but like societywise America is so like individualistic in my opinion and that’s how we also play basketball. Obviously, we have like moments of a team and playing as a team, but a lot of it is so one-on-one based and being able to create for yourself and then you read the defense and pass to your teammates.

Whereas European, I feel like they play within more systematic schemes and so you get a lot more like off-ball screens or like there’s multiple actions going on at the same time to get an easier bucket. So, it’s a little bit more complicated IQ-wise. but America is usually better like in my opinion of what I’ve seen more athletic and then better at creating for themselves and for others whereas the Europeans are usually generally speaking have a really high basketball IQ um and are really good at making reads and um playing cohesively. Do would you agree with that take Jordan? Yes, 100%. Even just like watching the WNBA too, um I think you hit the nail on the head. Watching us in the World Cup, I do think they have played really well together except that Italy game they they kind of looked out of sorts.

but I think they’ve been passing the ball really well and when they’re at their best, like I don’t think they’re really beatable. I I think the only team that can beat them is France, but yeah, when they’re at their best, it’s going to be really hard. But yeah, I’m excited to watch these games and it’s just really fun to see the stage that women’s basketball is on now. If you turn the the games on, the crowd is packed and um there’s just a ton of coverage for these events now, which is super awesome. It’s so cool. Yeah. And not to say that the USA doesn’t share the ball. It’s just like different like they do it based off dribbling or whatever. Caitlin Clark almost had a triple double the other day. Who have you been paying attention to like who the US has been starting?

there’s been a lot of commentary whenever Caitlin Clark is involved, like thoughts on that at all. The game I watched, I think two days ago. I can’t even remember who they played. Oh, Chuck. Yeah. And yeah, she came off the bench. Honestly, I kind of like that strategy by Cara Lawson. Yeah, you’re bringing in one of the best players in the world off the bench. And I think she is a spark off the bench as well. like she can create so well for people and and find her teammates so well, especially on pick and rolls. I it’s almost unstoppable for her. Like she can get to her pull up or her three or she can attack and find the the rolling big. so I I kind of personally like the strategy to bring her off the bench. I mean Kahleah Copper has been killing it and and Jackie Young. So it’s so hard. Like you literally have a team full of All-Stars.

like how can you choose? It’s like literally the two teams of the All-Star game, the starters are the USA team and it’s like how do you figure out who to start? So that’s my take on it, but I’m curious to hear yours. I completely agree. I also think people fail to recognize or maybe they just want to push it under rug. This is her first like senior competition, senior national team competition other than um I think she played earlier this year as like a the um qualifying games, but this is you know like all of these other players have been in the Olympics in multiple Olympics for most of them played in multiple world. They’ve been on this stage a lot longer and Cara Lawson is here to win just as much as everyone. There’s not a secret agenda or anything.

Like she wants to win and she’s putting the starters or putting out whatever scheme she thinks she needs to be successful. And I feel like they’ve been doing a really good job of they have like the older people and I put that in quotes because they’re not that old, but compared to you had Clark, Sonia Citron, Angel Reese all coming off the bench. Paige Bueckers all coming off the bench. And that’s also a really fun bunch um to get to watch and kind of see how they interact um not only with each other but with the people who have had experience at this um senior national level before. So I think Cara’s doing a great job. as with anytime you put a bunch of people who haven’t really all played together before, there’s going to be bumps in the road, hence the Italy game the other day.

but the fact that they were able to pull it out is, you know, a testament to them and a testament to um, Kara Lawson’s coaching. So, that’s my opinion on it. Yeah, I agree completely. Before we move on, Maddie, any other thoughts on the World Cup or anything? Nope, that’s all I got. Go USA. Perfect. Shout out to our sponsors. The A2 homeg girl Sherry Winro with eXp Realty is a lifelong Michigan fan. and she knows Ann Arbor and knows real estate and knows what it means to go blue. We also want to give some love to our sponsor, Valiant Apparel. We do have merch coming out soon for Hail Media, um the best Michigan gear in the game. So, you know, you got to get it. And we’re just really excited to see some people sporting Hail Media around hopefully Ann Arbor and across the country. If I get some shipped out here, it’ll be across the world.

So, wait, that would be sick. In Spain, it’s international. We’re international. Media is international. Oh my gosh, that would be sick. Wait, that’s such a full circle moment though that we started this podcast almost a year ago and we already have merch. God is good. Thank you. Yeah, and thanks Doug and Chris. And it’s crazy how much we’ve grown. So cool. of course, we have to shout out my personal favorite soda brand, OLIPOP. A new kind of soda. And guys, they’re actually serving OLIPOP mocktails and cocktails at night steakhouse, which I’m so devastated I didn’t get to try it next weekend, so I obviously have to go back. But that is so cool to me. I don’t know. I’m obsessed with that. I got to try them and they were actually really fire. I think I had the apple crisp one. Recommend that. but they were all good to be honest.

So, go to Knight’s Steakhouse, who’s also a sponsor, um, an Ann Arbor institution. They were established in 1952. So, you know, if they’ve been around that long, they got to be good. That’s what I’m saying. Right. They’re doing something right. They’re freaking so good. I freaking love it. It is. And I like, no sponsorship aside, I would go there myself and pay for it. My family went be pre preheill media existence by the way in like 20 2021 2022 post Ohio State win um on New Year’s Eve. So it was like Ohio we beat Ohio State. It was New Year’s Eve. My whole family was in town and we got Knight’s Steakhouse. Boom boom boom boom boom. It was like just like the best day ever. So yeah, that sounds like it. I don’t know. You peaked. It’s It’s all down the hill from there. Yeah, I peaked in college. Me, too. Just kidding, dude.

You’re literally living in Spain. Leave me alone. I’m in New York. You’re living in Spain. Maybe we’ll run. Yeah, I feel like we still have we still have we’re on the rise. We’re on the rise. I’m going to pick M50, I think. Perfect. So, now we’re going to switch switch gears uh to Michigan women’s basketball. I’m sure people saw the the news about Mila Holloway being out. Maddie, how do you think this is going to impact at least the beginning of season? Because they they said no timetable for her return thus far. so just curious to see see what you think about that. Yeah, first off, sending prayers to Mila. obviously that’s so hard, especially when you’re not sure of your return and um doing everything she can. And then um we know Miss Chris, athletic trainer, is one of the smartest and the best in the business.

I literally tell everyone if I ever make enough money, I would hire Miss Chris to be like my personal athletic trainer. I love her. She is so wonderful and amazing at her job. So, um, as like a Michigan taking out that I’ve played there, as like a Michigan women’s basketball fan, I feel very confident in Mila’s ability to return, not only because she’s a hard worker, but because she has Miss Chris with her. but the on-court implications, obviously, that’s really tough because you have Macy Brown out. luckily they brought Dallas in. and I’ve heard really great things about her. I mean, she’s coming off of playing a couple years professionally in Australia. Like, that’s what she’s known her whole life. So, she’s literally a pro. but I don’t know if you’re allowed to say that with NCAA rules, but obviously she was allowed to play.

So, she like handles herself like a pro, has really great experience playing at a high level. so I’m really excited for her to be able to step in um, and just be able to show what she’s able to do. It was going to be interesting. I was excited to watch her and Mila play one and two, maybe like on ball, off-ball situation, but obviously Dallas is going to have to handle a lot more of that responsibility. And then obviously um Brooke Daniels’s graduating. She was another point guard option. So Michigan is a little thin on the the PG spot currently. So it’ll be really interesting to see who steps up, maybe what schemes, like what system they’ll try and run. we know Coach Arico isn’t afraid to play someone 40 minutes a game. So, I would not be surprised at all if Dallas until me comes back is playing 35 to 40 minutes a game.

Maybe not in the the preseason or the non-conference schedule depending on who they play, but um, we’ll get into that in a second because they have some good competition, but I would not be surprised to see Dallas play most of the game. What do you think, Jay? Yeah, honestly I think they’re gonna have a mix at point guard between Dallas and Syla. Yeah. I I think Syla is a really good decision maker and just the way that she knows coach’s system for two years I think is going to help her a lot and I think it’s going to help Dallas to have Syla um with that IQ level. And I mean Syla has played point guard for Michigan before. I mean, like not consistently, but certain plays she’ll bring the ball up and and Coach Arico does trust her to handle the ball and handle that pressure.

So, I wouldn’t doubt that she would be playing maybe 10 to 15 minutes a game of point guard. but I definitely think Dallas is going to have a much bigger role than maybe people anticipated or even she anticipated because of this injury. with Mila, I I would hope like it would be good if Mila can be back by Big Ten because obviously that’s when the real it just means a little bit more in the Big Ten. so yeah, we’re praying just that she is is healthy and all of that. But yeah, I think it’ll be interesting to just see how they kind of adjust and you know, are you going to put Liv at the three? and then Courtney maybe at the four or Kendall at the four. Are they going to play Courtney and Kendall at four and five?

I think there’s a lot of options that they could have and whether they want to go a little bit stronger and bigger or if they want to play really really fast. so I I think it it still bodess for a really versatile team and I think they’re going to be just fine. But they do have some really tough competition in this non-conference season. They announced their game against Oklahoma as well as in the Bahamas. They’re going to play University of Miami, um, which are historically really good schools. Oklahoma, I think I just saw they were preseason ranked 14, um, by one of the the news outlets. So, they’re going to be really good again this year. Maddie, any thoughts on on those matchups or even even the UConn matchup in the non-conference? Yeah, UConn at home will be fun.

a nice rematch from last year and hopefully a little less of a home-court advantage for UConn. obviously a lot less of a home-court advantage for you playing in Ann Arbor. So hopefully um getting out to a better start. I also just think the experience that they’ve all been able to gain this past year um is going to just continue to propel them at a high level forward. I saw Michigan was preseason ranked. I’ve seen between like four and six is kind of the range that I’m seeing. So that’s really exciting. yeah, I think UConn will be interesting. Obviously, they reload every year, but losing a is, you know, a centerpiece of their their team. but like I said, they have five stars awaiting. They’re kind of like the equivalent of the World Cup team at the collegiate, if you want to play that game.

The Sarah Strong matchup is going to continue to to be tough, but something to look forward to, I think, for sure. And then Oklahoma. Yeah, they graduated a a decent amount of people, but they have Aaliyah Chavez returning and she was insane as a freshman. So, I can’t wait to see her continue to grow. Hopefully, not very much against Michigan, but after that, she can take off and do whatever she wants um because she was super fun to watch last season. So, that will be a really fun matchup. I have to imagine that Syla will be matched up with her. So, that’s something to keep an eye out for. and that’s in Brooklyn, which I’m really excited about. I’m pretty sure they play at the Barclays Center, so I get to go and see Michigan play, which I’m really excited.

I get to see Danielle and all the coaches and my little friends that are still on the team. So, I’m very excited for that. and then, yeah, I mean, it’s always fun to get to go somewhere over Thanksgiving. Sometimes it’s tough um being away from your family on Thanksgiving, but being in the Bahamas certainly helps ease the pain a little bit, especially if your family can join. But yeah, I mean, Toledo has been historically a really good mid-major. Michigan has played them in the past. RIP my senior year, RIP Jordan’s junior year, I think it was back-to-back years. That was tough. and then Tricia Cullop, who was the coach at Toledo, is now at Miami and is just a legendary coach. obviously knows what she’s doing to a high high level. probably one of the smartest coaches at the collegiate level in my opinion.

So, you always just have to be ready playing against her. so yeah, I mean, a really good non-conference schedule to get Michigan ready for the gauntlet that will be the Big Ten again. Yeah, 100%. I agree with everything you said. I mean, Tricia Cullop beat Michigan when I was there when we played Toledo, I think. I believe so. So, yeah, harsh taste in my mouth still and I’m sure for Coach Arico, I don’t think they have played each other since. so I’m curious to see how that game goes. but yeah, I mean they’re going to have, you know, their easy games like they always do where they’re probably going to blow people out of the water by 40, but they I think they have a more difficult non-conference schedule than they have had in in past years. especially just with UConn and Oklahoma.

I am curious to see how Aaliyah Chavez does cuz she had good numbers her freshman year, but from a shooting percentage standpoint, it wasn’t great. So maybe it was like some freshman year jitters like you’re just, you know, you think every shot is a good shot. I wonder if she’s kind of switched from that or shifted. or maybe she’s just become a better shot maker. That could be very well be the case. I honestly think she’s going to shoot more shots because there’s Raegan Beers is gone. yeah, true. Is it Skylar Vann? They had another um I believe Payton Verhulst. Verhulst is gone. he’s graduated. She was a um a great player and actually had some nice moves on the inside.

So, those were two really big and there was another senior who was I cannot remember her name, so forgive me, but she was a really solid player and could hit knockdown shots. So, I would almost argue, now I don’t know much about their transfer class or their recruiting class, so that could definitely play a role, but I would almost argue that there is now more shots for Chavez to take. and I think honestly we’ve seen a shift in the past probably like 5 to 6 years of volume shooting being more of a thing than necessarily like efficient shooting. Yeah. throughout honestly all of basketball, fortunately or unfortunately, however you want to look at, there’s shoot. You could argue. You could also argue uh if you miss the first three, maybe let’s pass it to someone else, right? So, it kind of just depends on your team.

but I think she’s gonna continue to be a volume shooter. Although, I do think she’ll increase her efficiency. Yeah, I agree. But I’m very excited to to watch. It’s coming up soon. Like, they’re going to start their 20-hour weeks in two weeks, probably two and a half. So, it’s it’s going to be here quicker than we think. and and I’m just pumped to watch some some Michigan basketball again to be honest. Missed it. Just college basketball in general. Yeah, true. I know. We just started college football and I was actually in Ann Arbor last weekend. I didn’t stay for the whole game, but I actually I was at I was hanging out with Macy and we were at her house and we were like saw the game and we were like, “Okay, like we lost, dang it.” And we went back to like I can’t remember.

we were going to like meet up with someone and we went to her room to get like our purses and stuff. We were leaving and we walked out and we were like, “Oh my gosh, we won.” And we were like, “What happened? What happened?” We had to like look up on Instagram and it was so funny. But we were like, “Wait, I mean, thank God.” But wow. Yeah, that the the football podcast can break that one down by No, we’re blessed. We’ll take the win. A win is a win. Hey, we know that. Yeah, it is. Win is a win. We’ll take it. But anyway, yeah. So, just kind of a little bit of updates for you guys, kind of a mod podge of things, but Jordan and I love talking women’s hoops in general.

We’ll obviously continue to do Michigan women’s basketball and hopefully we’ll also continue to bring you guys some other updates from women’s basketball around the country this season. really excited to continue our podcast. All right, thank you for joining the podcast again. We’re so excited to be back. So excited for Maddiey’s move soon. happy early birthday. Good luck going to New York. Yeah, make sure to catch us hopefully next week. I’m not going to make any promises, but most likely next week. And as always, go blue. Go blue. If you like this kind of content, please like, share, follow, and subscribe. And as always, go blue!]