what's going on everybody welcome into on3 sports I'm your host Nick Costco with me today is a very special guest the wnba's Sophie Cunningham of the Phoenix Mercury Sophie I appreciate you taking time I have your busy schedule I know you have a big partnership with Quest Nutrition you guys just clined the playoff birth so I'm I'm assuming everything's kind of uh firing off in all cylinders right here it is I have actually no complaints right now and so you caught me on a good day I love catching on a good day so tell me a little about your partnership with Quest Nutrition and you know I use it as well it's a it's a good source of protein I'm sure it's keeping energ guys for practice and whatnot oh it really is like I find myself everywhere but the kitchen and so when you have a partnership like Quest who is all about fueling your body properly with a bunch of protein low carb low sugar type stuff um I'm all about it and plus it's delicious and I'm not just saying that I was just telling some people the other day that um I always thought it was just like a protein bar but when I started working with this brand it is a whole lifestyle they have iced coffees cookies chips pizzas like they have everything and now they have this new bake shop line and when I tell you I'm highly obsessed with the chocolate chip muffin um it's bad I probably have way too many of those but I will say all my teammates all my coaches they're obsessed with me and so it really has been super fun to work with a brand that really cares about your body boy I really want to go back into my days of eating muffins in the morning for breakfast based on what you just told me right there like muffins like this I'm telling you they're super good for you oh absolutely I'll definitely dive into those in a second uh so you guys clinch the playoff birth last night 17 16 on the season just uh talk a little about the season that you guys are having what you have been able to contribute this year and just uh you know a lot of buzzes back here in Phoenix it is it is and I will say that um we've shown that we can be really really good where um when we're clicking no one can beat us but I will say the consistency piece you also see the other end of it you know where we don't look so great at times but um we're a new Squad a new head coaching staff a new ownership a new front office and so there's a lot of new around here but it's exciting you see these other teams who are highly ranked but you know they've been together for two or three years so um sometimes you have to show yourself some Grace we have a lot of vets and a lot of experience on our team and so when it comes to playoffs that's what that truly matters and so I'll put my team against anyone in playoffs this is a bit of a two-part question now you mentioned the veterans that you play with you know women like Diane thasi was considered one of the best not the greatest player of all time I know CA copper she was a college star and she was an All-Star this year as well on the Olympic team but when you uh surround yourself with a veteran like that and now you've been in the league for about four or five years may I think it's about five years now um when you talk about just playing with these veterans and just uh jelling together at the right time what's that been like for you guys you know it is it's about uh the younger people really listening to these vets it's about uh you know i' I've been to the finals and so first time it it is completely different I don't even know how uh to describe the feeling but it's totally different than regular season and each step you make it there's just more on the line but uh that's a good thing and I think when you have those people who've been there and who've won championships you have BG and Diana who've won multiple championships you now have Tasha cloud and Lea copper who've won championships and I'm the odd one out I'm the one I hope that they get it together so that I can you know win one as well but uh for me um it's all about doing the dirty work it's about knocking down threes um doing whatever the team needs if it's rebounding being a dog maybe getting a tech which is not good we've been doing way too much of that lately uh but I do think that our Squad is super exciting and hopefully we make a good push I love the enthusiasm of course the physicality that comes with uh the game of basketball so when you talk about the the you know the young girls that came in Caitlyn Clark Angel ree rookie class really hyping up the league coming from college the to the WNBA what has it done for you and the buzz of this of this entire league I think it's so positive I really do I think it's a a fun time to be a part of the W um I truly believe that I think the skill and um the talent has always been there but now it's just the viewership and so um I give a big old clap to the rookie class I think that's a lot to deal with when you're at that age and you have that many eyes on you um but I think they've done a great job in the league as well I think the physicality and all that they're going to get used to but I think especially Caitlyn Clark she's been killing it um and I'm a huge fan and I never say that but uh I think it's fun what she's doing um when it comes to viewership man I think a lot of people have a lot to learn about our league but I think that's a really fun thing um and if you have really anything negative to say about all the viewership and everything that this rookie class is doing I just think that you're not capitalizing on it and you might be a little jealous so for me I'm all for it I'm about it uh I love all this stuff um and it's honestly allowed me to meet people like Quest um to have a great partnership with a genuine people and a genuine product Sophie Cunningham Phoenix Mercury here on three Sports and on three her Sophie good luck the rest of the way good luck in the postseason and uh I'm G to try out some of those muffins now you you've sold me already I love that that's the most important thing thank you Sophie Cunningham again here with me on on three Sports