Speaker 1 00:00:13 Hello, welcome to the Roundhouse Podcast with Paul Soro of Wichita State University Strategic Communications. Thanks for listening. Today we have DJ McCarty and Jane Asin. They are gonna join the podcast to talk about Wichita State Women's Basketball. The shockers are six and one. After Wednesdays, 61 54 went over Denver. Wichita State plays New Orleans at Corina at 2:00 PM on Saturday. DJ is a junior guard. She's from DeSoto, Texas. She averages 13.6 points for the shockers, and she's coming off a 19.5 or six game in which she made all eight of her shots against Denver. Jane is a senior forward, she's from Kampala, Uganda. She averages 13.4 points and 12.8 rebounds. So let's start with a big picture, shockers off to a good start this season. Winners of five in a row. What do you like about this team?
Speaker 2 00:01:05 Um, I'll go first. I think I like how connected we are on and off the court. I think that plays a really big part in, um, how we move on the court with each other. I think we spend as much time as we can off the court, just always being at somebody house or going out to eat or going to the calf together. So just being connected off the court, that translates well on the court.
Speaker 1 00:01:23 Jane, how about you? What do you like about this
Speaker 3 00:01:24 Group? Um, same as they just say, the connection, the relationship we have, it's just amazing that everybody gets, um, together with, with each other and that helps us on court and just outside connecting, checking on each other. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:01:40 So there are a lot of people on the team. We got a lot of people from different backgrounds, different ages. How do you go about building that, that connection and, and keeping everybody together in a helpful way?
Speaker 3 00:01:51 Uh, I would say so, uh, when I came here, it's just that, uh, I got received in a good, and I would say, and having coaches who come from different countries. So when I got here, I'm like, okay, I have already someone who comes from a different country, different perspective of life. So I came here from teammates, from different countries. I just fit in. And having also different players from, um, different countries who are new. So them coming to the program knowing, okay, we have like different, uh, you know, students from different countries, they could understand what I go through, what I want, something like that. So I just feel like having, uh, different students, uh, athletes from different countries helped me. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:02:36 Um, I think it comes from just us always trying to incorporate, um, something from everybody when, whenever we're doing something, like we always try to learn each other's languages. Like, uh, Lala and Ray, they speak French, CB speaks Portuguese, nook, and Danny speaks Spanish. So we always just trying to learn each other's language and making sure we all can do something that we all like to do together.
Speaker 1 00:02:58 Who's the ring leader who organizes movie night or a team meal?
Speaker 2 00:03:06 I would say probably Naya. Naya? Yeah. We all, we always asking and she's always asking, oh, y'all wanna go to the calf? Oh, y'all wanna come over? Y'all wanna have Game night is so probably Naya.
Speaker 1 00:03:16 So yes, with all the people from, I think there's seven different countries, uh, represented on this team, including the United States. What's the favorite thing you've picked up from, from somebody on this team? Maybe a favorite food, A favorite saying, a custom, something like that.
Speaker 2 00:03:31 Ooh, that's a good one.
Speaker 3 00:03:33 I would say the one they always say DJ mostly, and Anai is, um, Suka. What? I don't know that means, but Tanya says that
Speaker 2 00:03:41 A lot. Yeah, Tanya says that a lot. We don't know what it means, but she's always saying, we're always, we're always just repeating it in practice when she says it. So. And what does she say? Ska? I have no idea what that means.
Speaker 1 00:03:50 Okay. So, so we assume that's a good, good thing. Positive something, something good's happening and that's how we recognize it.
Speaker 2 00:03:55 Yeah. We,
Speaker 1 00:03:55 Yeah. Okay. Uh, there's gotta be a lot of different, uh, varieties of food. What have you picked up in that way?
Speaker 2 00:04:03 I, I don't, I don't think I let Jane do the cooking, so I know Jane likes to do
Speaker 3 00:04:07 Dj, um, hasn't tried something that I've like cooked from home. Yeah. Maybe the past I met tried one time, but I met some Chapati Tea and Anaya and, um, new knew they said they liked it. So they're the only ones who have tried my cooking apart from, I mean, CB two, but other people haven't tried my cooking.
Speaker 1 00:04:25 Okay. Describe the cooking. What's the dish?
Speaker 3 00:04:27 Um, so I had made some fried rice, but like brown and made some chicken too with Chapati. Chapatis like a wrap. But like, it's more tested than the, the wrap.
Speaker 1 00:04:38 Okay. Yeah, that sounds, that sounds good. Uh, just came back from Los Angeles where you won two games. Uh, so aside from the wins over Montana and Loyola and Marymount, what was the best part of that trip?
Speaker 2 00:04:50 Universal Studios. Oh yes. Yeah. Universal Studios. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:04:53 Tell us about that. What did you do there?
Speaker 2 00:04:55 Uh, what did we do? We went on, they did a little studio tour where it takes us around, like, um, behind the scenes of how they build everything and what it's like for, um, what it's gonna be like on screen. And then we rode a couple rides, spent a lot of money out there on some souvenirs and food. So I think that was the best part of the trip for me.
Speaker 3 00:05:15 Yeah. And me being the, it was my first time going on there, so I just loved the whole experience.
Speaker 1 00:05:20 Did you have a favorite movie TV show? Something that you saw that you really liked?
Speaker 3 00:05:25 It really didn to see like a TV show or movie that you know, was going on. But we had, like, this ride we went to, it was the mommy's
Speaker 2 00:05:33 The mum. Yeah. We, we, we wrote the mum together. It was me, her, Lala, cb, we all wrote the mum together. We all just screaming. It was a crazy experience. We, we wasn't expecting it to do what it did, but it was, we was just screaming. It was just a good time with each other. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:05:49 Excellent. That sounds fun. Uh, take us back to the start of practices, I guess late a or yeah, you were practicing, I guess, you know, kind of continually through the fall. But from the start of practice to now, what has this team improved on the most?
Speaker 2 00:06:04 Uh, I think we're improving on getting better on listening to what coach wants. Um, in certain scenarios we always do, like sometimes we scrimmage at the end of practice and she'll tell us what she wants to get, get in offensively and defensively. So just listening to what she wants, I think we're getting better at that gradually. And I also think we're getting better as playing together as a team. You know, everybody coming from new places. It was kind of hard to gel at first and me not knowing how each other plays, but I think we're gelling much more better together.
Speaker 3 00:06:30 Yeah. I should say, I was gonna talk about that connection and playing together as a team. Um, that is something that is improving. It's not like there yet, but as a team, we're getting better every day.
Speaker 1 00:06:42 So DJ, take us back to your first time you met Jane, or first time you saw her in the basketball court. She's just kind of this ball of energy. She's got three double doubles this season. She had nine last season. She's just kind of in constant motion, rebounding, defending, running, all those kind of things. What, what was your first impression of her on the basketball court?
Speaker 2 00:07:01 On the basketball court? I think Jane probably one of my favorite players to play with. She, she's always in the mix getting a rebounds for us. Whenever we need a big crucial rebound, whether it's offensively or defensively, she's always getting her little step through move or a layup whenever we need it. So I think James probably one of my favorite players to play with on the court. And my first impression of was like, like, who is that? Yeah, it was like mind blowing to see, cuz if you see how high she jumps, it's like, and she has a fast break. It's like, why don't you just dunk the ball, Jane? Like, it is mind blowing, playing with her sometimes. Thanks. Just sometimes.
Speaker 1 00:07:36 Are you close to dunking?
Speaker 3 00:07:38 A little bit. Just this much.
Speaker 1 00:07:40 Can you dunk a volleyball?
Speaker 3 00:07:41 I could dunk a volleyball. I could dunk come in the room. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
Speaker 1 00:07:45 All right. Uh, Jane, tell us about your shooting your offense this season. You're shooting percentages up if you're shooting 52% from the field, that's up from 41% last season. Anything in particular that you've improved on, worked on to, to be a little more efficient scoring?
Speaker 3 00:08:01 Yeah, so I've been working on my, um, shots around the a, um, high post area. And I, I'm not yet there yet, but that's something I really want to work upon. If, um, uh, defenders decide to like, start off and give you the opportunity thinking like, catch the ball, that's what I want to do. This isn't, and it's what I'm working on.
Speaker 1 00:08:23 And dj, your free throw shooting has improved significantly in your time here. That's what one of the coaches brought up, brought up to me. Uh, what's the secret to to being a better foul shooter?
Speaker 2 00:08:32 Uh, just taking your time and breathing. I do a little routine where I take the ball, put on my right hip, I breathe, and then I dribble it three times and spin it. So I give myself enough time to calm down from whatever just happened in the play before. And just knowing that it's just me in the rim at that moment.
Speaker 1 00:08:47 Okay. The, uh, the breathing thing is something, I guess over the recent years, I hear more and more about that. It kind of started over in baseball where they would talk about taking a, taking a breath before the pitch. And I hear it from softball. Why is that helpful?
Speaker 2 00:09:00 It's just calming. Like during the game, there's a lot of adversity we go through or there's a lot of stuff that doesn't go our way. So breathing's just a way to calm your nerves, just focus on you and your teammates and just, it's just relaxing.
Speaker 1 00:09:12 Who's the best dancer on this team?
Speaker 2 00:09:14 Sha Sham. Sham. Who's Sham? Sha Anaya. Sham Anaya. Yes.
Speaker 1 00:09:19 No question. Question. All right. Uh, best singer.
Speaker 2 00:09:24 Ooh, who sings? I haven't How anybody singing? I think we all sing for fun. Like, yeah, but I don't know if anybody can actually sing. I've heard Niya say she can sing before, but she says she only sings for her family. So, I dunno.
Speaker 4 00:09:49 Hi, this is Rick Nema, president of Wichita State University. Check out the latest episode of the Forward Together podcast. Each episode I sit down with different guests from Shocker Nation to celebrate the vision and mission of Wichita State University. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts,
Speaker 1 00:10:19 Who's the funniest person?
Speaker 2 00:10:21 Me. <laugh> shut me, me and I. Everybody's funny. No, no, no, no, no, no. Don't give it to everybody. It's me and I, you know that. Yeah, yeah. I'm funny too. Yeah, we're all SI's funny too. We're all equally funny. We all kind of funny. Oh, it's just, if you would like sit in the locker room with us. It's just nonstop, constant jokes, jokes, jokes. So I think we're all funny.
Speaker 1 00:10:41 Who does the best impression of one of the coaches?
Speaker 2 00:10:45 Not be Naya <laugh>. Naya.
Speaker 1 00:10:49 And who does she impersonate?
Speaker 2 00:10:51 Everybody. All of the coaches? Yes.
Speaker 1 00:10:53 Okay. So that's her, that's one of her talents then is, is, is impersonating. Uh, I know one of the routines for this team is on road trips. You get a new roommate every, uh, for every, every road trip you show up at the hotel and it's kind of a reveal who you're gonna room with. And they do that to, you know, get people mixing with new people, all those kind of things. How, how's that help the whole, uh, team spirit?
Speaker 2 00:11:19 Uh, I think that helps because we're all getting to know each other just a little bit better and spending a little bit more time with each other on the road. Even when we do get our new roommates, we all decide to go to somebody's room. The whole team is just sit in whoever's room and just talk or watch basketball or do do something together. So I think it's really helpful for us. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:11:36 Jane, I know there are, uh, a lot of Ugandans who follow soccer basketball on social media because of your presence. You can look through Twitter and see the, see the reaction when you're, when you're playing or when there are video highlights. What's that like to play with? I guess that sense that there are a lot of people in your country that are, that are following
Speaker 3 00:11:54 You. Um, mean it's amazing to know that, um, a lot of people back home just look up to me and they show how much they are proud of me and just gives me to like, you know, get better, um, and, uh, make my country proud.
Speaker 1 00:12:09 So tell us a little bit about, take us through your journey from, uh, from Uganda to get to United States. You played junior college in Texas and then to Wichita State.
Speaker 3 00:12:17 So basically when I was, uh, in Uganda, when I was finishing my high school, 2018, um, I was going to play like for a club back home. And then I don't know how the opportunity came that I got a scholarship at Grayson. So when I talk to the coaches, like he likes my game, likes how I rebound the ball, run down the flow. So when I got here, I went to Grayson. I had a good experience there. My first year, I was freshman of the year. Um, my second year I was all American. I mean, it's, it's all the work I had put in and just the love of the game. And then I was scouted by coach ever. I spoke to her, I had a good connection. And then I got here and then here. Oh,
Speaker 1 00:13:01 Here you are. History. Is basketball the most popular sport in Uganda?
Speaker 3 00:13:08 No. So it's soccer, we call it football, and then it's, I would say soccer, netball, and then basketball. Okay. And then rugby.
Speaker 1 00:13:18 Okay. Rugby, yes. How did you land on basketball as your
Speaker 3 00:13:22 Sport? So my sister did play basketball. She played basketball in netball for the national team of Uganda. And then when I was, when I started basketball in 2016, um, I played a little bit of netball too. I started basketball, I get scouted. I played for the national team three and three. So I used to travel. I think that's why I got scouted by Grayson. And that's how I go to play basketball because of my sister.
Speaker 1 00:13:46 Because of your sister? Yeah. Uh, netball. Explain that.
Speaker 3 00:13:49 So netball is just like basketball, but it's, uh, a non-con game. No dribbling, uh, their room doesn't have like a backboard, so you have to shoot internet, you know, so you don't have like a bo like a backboard to help the board, you know, bounce through it. And it, it's played by seven people and everybody has like, um, a restricted area. They can't move from that area. So, yeah.
Speaker 1 00:14:15 Okay. And is this only in Uganda or do the other countries play
Speaker 3 00:14:19 It? Um, other European countries do play it too, but I haven't heard about it in the United States.
Speaker 1 00:14:23 Okay, interesting. Yeah. Uh, advice, if you were to give advice to a high school senior who is, uh, talented in basketball and thinking about starting, you know, the process of looking into colleges, I want to, I want to keep playing. What advice would you give someone in going about choosing a school?
Speaker 3 00:14:41 Uh, you wanna go first? Uh, personally for me, I would say if you're going to a school, um, you should not go to a school because you know, it's good. It's all out there. There. Um, have connection with the coaches connection. Um, I mean, when you go for a visit, I didn't come for a visit, but when I got here, I just loved the place, my teammates. So connection with your coaches is really important. Um, having a connection with your teammates is really important. So if you're looking at a score, you have to look at those things and just where you feel comfortable.
Speaker 1 00:15:13 Okay. Dj, how about you? What advice would you give a high school senior?
Speaker 2 00:15:16 Uh, I would say pick a college that fits your personality. I feel like a lot of people, they might pick a college because, oh, it's a big name or whatever, but I feel like picking a college that's really based off your personality and how you connect with your teammates, how you will, you connect with the education staff, um, the coaches. It's just, I think that's really one of the main things. Just finding somebody, finding a college that fits you.
Speaker 1 00:15:40 Okay. Thank you very much. DJ and Jane, appreciate your time. Shockers are six and one. They are back in action on Saturday at Corina, they play New Orleans. Thank you for listening.
Speaker 5 00:16:03 Thank you for listening to the Roundhouse podcast. Courtesy of Wichita State University's strategic communications, we encourage you to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can find more roundhouse
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Speaker 6 00:16:18 It's over. Its over. Ladies and gentlemen. Say it slowly and savor it. Wichita State is going to the final four for the first time in 48 years.
Speaker 7 00:16:33 Unbelievable. What Ace folks of shocker fans are just going crazy in the
Speaker 6 00:16:38 Stands. Just maybe the greatest win in the history of Wichita State Basketball.
