[00:00:15] Speaker A: Hello. Welcome to the Roundhouse Podcast with Paul Sullentrop of Wichita State University Strategic Communications. As always, we really appreciate your time listening to the podcast. Today we are wrapping up our long running series on newcomers to the Wichita State women's basketball team. We have two guests. Bella Belong, a 6 foot 3 junior forward from Cameroon and South Plains College. Bella, how did I do on pronouncing your last name? Say it for us. Just so people know.
[00:00:39] Speaker B: That was really good.
[00:00:40] Speaker A: Okay. All right. You pronounce it just so we can make sure we're on the right track.
[00:00:44] Speaker B: My name is Bella Belong.
[00:00:45] Speaker A: Okay, very good. Thank you. Our other guest is Sophie Benaruga. How did I do?
[00:00:50] Speaker C: Great.
[00:00:51] Speaker A: Great. All right. Thank you very much. You pronounce it just to make sure we're right.
[00:00:54] Speaker C: Benaruga.
[00:00:55] Speaker A: Okay, very good. Sophie is a 6 foot 2 forward from France and Seattle University.
Bella averaged 11.9 points and 11.11.1 rebounds for South Plains with highs of 27 points and 19 rebounds last season.
Sophie averaged 8.4 points and 5.2 rebounds for Seattle. So it is close to basketball season. You can check out the Shocker women's basketball team at shocker madness on October 4th at Koch Arena. Doors open at 5pm for that free event. The evening features introductions, a three point contest and scrimmages with both of the Shocker teams. Sophie, who's going to win the three point contest for the women's basketball team? I'm gonna make you make a prediction.
[00:01:36] Speaker B: Kylie.
[00:01:36] Speaker C: Kylie.
[00:01:37] Speaker A: Kylie.
[00:01:37] Speaker C: Jayla. Someone from our team.
[00:01:39] Speaker A: Okay. You already split up your teams for the scrimmage?
[00:01:42] Speaker C: Yeah. No.
[00:01:43] Speaker A: Oh, you're talking about between the men and the women.
[00:01:45] Speaker C: Oh, yes. Between the men and the women.
[00:01:47] Speaker A: Okay, I got you now. Okay. All right. The WSU women open the season with an exhibition versus Newman University on October 29th. Regular season play begins on November 3rd versus Lincoln University.
Bella, let's get started. Do you have a favorite WNBA or NBA player?
[00:02:06] Speaker B: Yes, of course. I like Aja Wilson. She's great. She's tough. I like the way she play. I like the way she. She's. She. She help her teammate.
She's. I like her.
I really love her.
[00:02:20] Speaker A: Excellent choice. Sophie, how about you?
[00:02:22] Speaker C: Me, Luca Long. Kitchen.
[00:02:24] Speaker A: Okay. And why do you. What do you like about Luka's.
[00:02:26] Speaker C: I love everything about his game. The pace he play at, the way.
[00:02:30] Speaker D: He sees the game.
[00:02:32] Speaker C: Obviously he's from Europe, so he's European style.
He's a great point girl, great scorer, great passer. I don't know, for me there's no flaws in his game. I love the pace he play at.
[00:02:44] Speaker A: He's a very talented player. And apparently he's in much better shape this year, if his Instagram feed is to be believed.
[00:02:50] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:02:50] Speaker A: Okay, good choice. Bella, tell us about coming to Wichita State. Why did you choose to be a shocker?
[00:02:56] Speaker B: First of all, because of the coaches. The coach was really like. It was like a family. And second, the school and the environment. I like people.
The fact that people outside there are always coming to watch us. Like, they are always there. So that was good for me.
[00:03:16] Speaker A: I like Sophie. How about you?
[00:03:18] Speaker C: Yes, same. I felt the coaches, how genuine they were on my visit and even the recruiting process and everything, how we could, like, we have been able to have, like, great, genuine conversation. It was a great visit. And obviously, the facilities are really good. I mean, the arena is incredible.
[00:03:38] Speaker A: Bella, you will wear number eight while you're playing with the Shockers. Is there a story with why you chose that number?
[00:03:43] Speaker B: Yes, of course.
First of all, I have my guardian here. He's the one who, like, he's my father here. So I wanted to celebrate him by wearing this jersey because he played so basketball. So I wanted to say thank. It's a way for me to say thank for everything that he has done for my family and I.
[00:04:03] Speaker A: And tell us his name.
[00:04:05] Speaker B: Roland Dubois.
[00:04:06] Speaker A: Okay. And he played. Played basketball?
[00:04:08] Speaker B: Yeah, he played basketball.
[00:04:09] Speaker A: Okay, good choice. Sophie, you have a really interesting Number.
Number 77. Tell us the story.
[00:04:15] Speaker C: Yes, obviously, look out for. But there is not just Luca behind the number. I think we just. I was number 14 before, so we just talked with my parents and my mom, and she loved the number seven, so I just doubled it, too, because it's a lucky number for her. So when you double lucky numbers, double luck. And then when you put 2:7 upside down, you have like a W, which means a win. And for people from Wichita. Wichita, too.
[00:04:39] Speaker A: Right. If we were on YouTube, you could see Sophie with the hand gesture where she's forming a W from the. From the two sevens. Very good. Okay, Sophie, a fan comes to a shocker game when they're walking out of the arena. What do you want them saying about Sophie and the way she played basketball?
[00:04:57] Speaker C: That she's really versatile, really smooth. That she.
Yeah, she play hard.
Yeah.
[00:05:04] Speaker A: Bella, how about you? What impression do you want to give the fans?
[00:05:07] Speaker B: The same. She's a great rebounder because I like to rebound. And she's a cool person, and she defend very well.
[00:05:14] Speaker A: Okay. Defense and rebounding. Coaches love to hear that. Why do you like to rebound so.
[00:05:18] Speaker B: Much, I think is. I don't like. I don't know, but I think it's inside our gym. Like, I like to go and go there and grab rebounds.
[00:05:29] Speaker A: Very important part of the game.
Sophie, you want to start a podcast. What topics will you discuss on your podcast?
[00:05:35] Speaker C: That's a great question. I've been thinking about it with my agent and my people and everything, and it's about how European players or overseas players come to college to play and just talk about different experiences to help the future generation to come to college and be prepared and ready to play in college. Because it's a different game. It's a different culture, different countries. So, like, if we can help other players, younger players, with our experience here in college as European players, I think it would be great because I didn't have that help or that podcast when I came.
So I think that's something that we're probably missing out.
[00:06:11] Speaker A: So you have advice for people?
[00:06:13] Speaker C: Yeah, advice, stories. It's not really advice. It's stories where you. You can take whatever you want from the podcast, like. But I think it could be interesting for people to hear different stories, or probably we have the same experiences and it could help future generations.
[00:06:28] Speaker A: Good idea for a podcast. Bella, your goal is to start an orphanage in your home country, Cameroon. Why is that important to you?
[00:06:36] Speaker B: It's really important for me because in our country, it's really hard there. So I want to help children like me that doesn't have that type of help. Like, I want to know. I want parents to know that there are people outside there that can really do some good things for people back home.
[00:07:00] Speaker A: So your plan would be after you're done playing basketball, move back to Cameroon and start an orphanage?
Interesting goal. Very good.
Sophie, what is your favorite song to play on the piano?
[00:07:13] Speaker C: You know, I play piano.
[00:07:15] Speaker A: We do a lot of research here.
[00:07:16] Speaker C: This is tough.
[00:07:17] Speaker A: People think I'm just in here doing playing on social media. I'm actually doing some research.
Okay, piano, what's your favorite song?
[00:07:23] Speaker C: Well, I don't. Well, I was playing Changes from xxistensation. It's like a rapper that. Well, I love his song, and I used to play this song a lot, but I used to play classical music like Mozo, all this stuff. Because I was actually really good. I stopped because of basketball. It was impossible. But I was in music school. I did. I was in school for reading the music parts and everything. So, yeah, I was really into it. My professor used to tell my dad that I was really talented but yeah, I choose basketball. I had to choose between both.
[00:08:00] Speaker A: Was piano the main musical instrument that you played?
[00:08:04] Speaker C: Yes, yes.
My dad played guitar.
Yeah.
[00:08:09] Speaker A: Okay, very good. Bella, what is your favorite recipe?
[00:08:15] Speaker B: I love gospel song.
I love.
For me, it's like everything that I have to do, I have to put him first.
He's the one who bring me here. He's the one who helped me. Every day I have a really interesting story from my birth to now. So I just have to.
I just like to like be thankful to him and listen all his song because every. Even before my games, I'll always listen to him because he know, I think like he's. He know what to tell me and what, like what to tell me in the court. Like when I'm down, I heard some voice. For me it's like, he's the one. So I love gospel song.
[00:09:07] Speaker A: So your faith is important to you? Yes, very good.
Bella, if you weren't playing basketball, is there another sport you might be playing?
[00:09:16] Speaker B: Volleyball.
I will try volleyball.
[00:09:19] Speaker A: Sophie, how about you?
[00:09:20] Speaker C: Yeah, I will say volleyball now, but I used to swim too. I did eight years, I started at four. I used to compete for it and everything. I didn't like it because it was an individual sport and I didn't like being in the water and practices were like a little boring for me. So I stopped. But yeah, probably I will be probably swimming or playing volleyball.
[00:09:42] Speaker A: When did basketball become your favorite sport?
[00:09:44] Speaker C: Well, my dad used to play professional, so I used to see him when I was little coming back from practice at night and I was just like, oh, I want to come back from practice at night too.
So I started basketball and I liked. I was really bad at it when I started. My cousin used to tell me I should quit and everything, but I didn't.
[00:10:03] Speaker A: You didn't listen to your cousin? There you are. Bella, how about you? When did basketball become your favorite sport?
[00:10:10] Speaker B: I would say in 20, 20 or 19. Yeah, like that. Because I didn't play.
I was not like other people that start early.
I really started playing basketball really late. And because of my height, I was just walking and Ekoshi just told me that come, you have a right, you can play like this.
It was like a joke for me, but after I like it.
[00:10:36] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:10:36] Speaker A: So Bella, you may have already answered this, but what music do you listen to during warm ups? Do you have particular songs that really help you get ready to play?
[00:10:44] Speaker B: Yes. Dina Muama is gospel song.
[00:10:48] Speaker A: Sophie, how about you? What are you listening to on your headphones before a game?
[00:10:51] Speaker C: A hype Song. A lot of little baby, a lot of gorilla.
A lot of French rap too.
[00:10:58] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:59] Speaker A: How is French rap different from United States rappers?
[00:11:03] Speaker C: It speaks to me more because it's in my language. So I probably understand everything on a deeper level. Just the lyrics. And I love songs that have meaningful lyrics too. It depends on the mood I am, but mostly hype song for real.
[00:11:20] Speaker A: Sophie, do you have a book, a movie, a TV show? What would you recommend that people listening to this should check out?
[00:11:27] Speaker C: I love the movie Hustle on Netflix.
It's a good representation of sacrifices that you have to do to achieve your goals in right now generation.
The Coffee Bean. The book is a positive mindset book how to spread good energy and good positivity around you. It was a coach from the US my freshman year that gave us that book to read. And I think I really loved.
Was easy to read. I don't read a lot of books, but I like this one a lot.
[00:12:03] Speaker A: The Coffee Bean.
[00:12:04] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:12:05] Speaker D: And.
[00:12:07] Speaker C: I think, yeah, those two that. That movie stick out to me. Yeah, I like it a lot.
[00:12:12] Speaker A: Bella, how about you? What would you recommend for someone looking for a book or a TV show or a movie to watch for a tv?
[00:12:21] Speaker B: I would say Tyler Perry.
Tyler.
[00:12:25] Speaker D: Tyler Perry.
[00:12:26] Speaker B: Yes.
Black. Black Beauty.
[00:12:31] Speaker C: Black Beauty and Black.
[00:12:32] Speaker A: Okay, I'm familiar with that. It's also on Netflix. Right? I've seen that as I've been scrolling through.
[00:12:37] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:12:38] Speaker A: What do you like about that show?
[00:12:40] Speaker B: It's interesting. I like the way. The way the Tyler play.
I just like it.
[00:12:50] Speaker A: Bella, advice to a high school athlete who is starting to look at colleges. What would you tell them to help them on this journey?
[00:13:00] Speaker B: I'll probably tell them to don't give up. So when you. When you are on the court, forget about everything that bother you.
Give a hundred percent every training. And don't forget that it's not only training that can bring you far. You have to have your personal training too. And don't forget to to listen to coaches and the advice of people that are.
You have to listen to people that can advise you for the experience.
[00:13:50] Speaker A: Coach Terry Nooner will like to hear that. Yes, they like athletes who listen. Sophie, what is your advice for a high school athlete who's starting on this journey?
[00:13:59] Speaker C: Keep working hard.
The journey is hard. It's a lot of ups and downs, to be honest. But I think that it's rewarding and the journey is rewarding if you don't give up. Also, when you're looking at a school school, don't look at the glitters and all the good stuff and all the big schools and all the stuff like obviously it's a good thing, but look at the people and the relationships and people that are genuine and the process of recruiting and everything I think is really important because in the long run when you choose a college, I think it's more about relationships that you will build than the places is where like you at.
[00:14:44] Speaker A: Sophie and Bella, thank you very much for your time.
[00:14:46] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:15:02] Speaker A: Hi, this is Rick Muuma, 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.
We are back to wrap up our series on Wichita State women's basketball newcomers. We have Karis Washington with us. Karis is a 5 foot 10 junior guard. She's from Fort Smith, Arkansas and attended Coffeyville Community College. At Coffeyville, she earned all Jayhawk Conference honors for the Red Ravens after averaging 11.1 points and 7.9 rebounds. Karis, let's start with a favorite professional player. WNBA, NBA. Who do you enjoy watching?
[00:16:01] Speaker D: My WNBA player is Asia Wilson. My NBA player is Shay Alexander.
[00:16:06] Speaker A: Okay. I've heard a lot of both of those from both the men's and the women's basketball teams. Tell us about Asia. What do you like about the way she plays?
[00:16:13] Speaker D: I love how she plays. She's a dog. She's really a dog on the court. I love that she can do everything from shooting to rebounding to if she needs to dribble. She can. She's just an all around player and I love that.
[00:16:24] Speaker A: When you say someone is a dog, what's that mean? What's that look like out on the basketball court?
[00:16:29] Speaker D: Just relentless. Just giving everything they have and leaving it all on the court.
[00:16:33] Speaker A: Relentless. That's a good word. Coaches would like relentless. And then you said Shay Gilgeous Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder just had a great year. Scoring champion, NBA mvp. MVP of the finals. Am I correct on those three? So that's pretty good. That's a pretty good basketball season. What do you like about Shea's basketball game?
[00:16:54] Speaker D: The same thing. He's a dog. Like he can cross you over if he needs to. He could pull up and shoot a three if he needs to.
[00:17:00] Speaker B: To.
[00:17:00] Speaker D: He's just, you'll know he's on the court.
[00:17:04] Speaker A: Tell us about choosing Wichita State.
[00:17:07] Speaker D: Well, I've always wanted to come here since my junior year of high school. I came to a basketball camp and ever since then, I just fell in love with the atmosphere, with the environment and I've always wanted to come.
[00:17:19] Speaker A: Okay, so you were an easy sell then. You'd been here before, had some familiarity with it. Okay, very good. Okay. There will be fans coming to games this.
They're going to be walking out of the arena. What do you want fans to say about Charis Washington as they are exiting?
[00:17:35] Speaker D: I want them to say that I'm a dog. I use that dog word. I got that from my juco coach. That dog word. I want them to say I'm a dog.
[00:17:44] Speaker A: Okay, we'll come back to that. Come back to that word. Excellent. If you weren't playing basketball, is there another sport you might be playing in college?
[00:17:51] Speaker D: Gymnastics. I would be doing gymnastics. I used to do gymnastics as a kid.
I love gymnastics. I was the next Gabby Douglas.
[00:17:59] Speaker A: The next Gabby Douglas. Okay, tell me more about that. We don't. Gymnastics is a sport we don't hear a lot about sometimes except in Olympics years. How did you get into gymnastics?
[00:18:09] Speaker D: I really.
I think my mom put me in it because I used to do cartwheels and all that. Like when my brother was practicing football and baseball and all that. I just used to be out there doing flips and she put me in gymnastics and I just loved it.
[00:18:21] Speaker A: And then how did you make the transition to basketball?
[00:18:26] Speaker D: Basketball, it was just like more competitive, more rough. Like it was rough. I liked being rough and competitive.
[00:18:34] Speaker A: When you are not playing, when you're not practicing basketball, what do you do with your free time? Do you have hobbies that you engage in?
[00:18:41] Speaker D: I would say this is a hobby. I like to go shoes shopping, but other than that, I color coloring, coloring books. I just.
Nothing much.
[00:18:52] Speaker A: Okay, what kind of shoes do you prefer?
[00:18:53] Speaker D: Jordans.
[00:18:54] Speaker A: Jordans. Okay. So you are a fan then of Wichita State moving from Under Armour to Nike. You're nodding your head very enthusiastically. What do you like about Nikes?
[00:19:02] Speaker D: I love Nike. I love the colorways. I love. You could go from Nike Jordans to Nike Sabrinas to. You can just do all different kinds of Nikes and I love them.
[00:19:13] Speaker A: What will you wear on game nights?
[00:19:16] Speaker D: Probably my Asia Wilsons or my Kobe's.
[00:19:18] Speaker A: Okay, fine, choices.
What music do you listen to when you are getting ready to play?
[00:19:26] Speaker D: I will be listening to.
You'll hear a little bit of Darius Rucker country. I like country music. You'll hear a little bit of Lil Baby, a little bit of Rod Wave, Just a little bit of everybody.
[00:19:38] Speaker A: So some people, when I ask them that question, they want Music that calms them down a little bit, settles their nerves. Other people want music, music that gets them hyped up. Which do you fall under?
[00:19:50] Speaker D: I like the hype up.
I like being hyped.
[00:19:54] Speaker A: Okay, you want to become an orthodontist. And not just an orthodontist. The best orthodontist in Texas. Tell us about that career goal.
[00:20:02] Speaker D: Well, okay. At first I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I couldn't. I wanted. I only wanted to work with dogs, but I couldn't just work with dogs.
Then I started falling in love with, like, wanting to keep my teeth clean and wanting to look right.
And then I started looking into orthodontists, and I could make my own private practice and all that. So that just caught my interest. I just love going to the dentist, which people say that's odd, but I do love going to the dentist.
[00:20:31] Speaker A: That is a fine. That is a fine career goal. I applaud you. Do you have a movie or a TV show that you're watching that you would recommend fans check out?
[00:20:42] Speaker D: Love and Basketball. If you haven't watched Love and Basketball, you should watch Love and Basketball. I love that movie.
[00:20:46] Speaker A: Okay, movie. And you can watch that on.
[00:20:50] Speaker D: I think it's on Netflix.
[00:20:51] Speaker A: Most everything seems to be on Netflix, so that's a pretty good place to start. Love and Basketball. Okay, let's say that your high school in Fort Smith calls you and says, charis, we want you to come back. We've got an auditorium full of young athletes, and we want you to talk about your journey and. And give them advice for getting into college. Playing athletics in college, what advice would you give those youngsters?
[00:21:14] Speaker D: I would start off by saying, don't ever give up. Even when it gets hard, don't ever give up.
And just work, work. Like there's. I mean, you could take off days, but no off days. Like, the weekends could be off days, but during the week, you have to go back to the gym and shoot extra. And shoot extra. It's just a lot of hard work. And then choosing a school, you just have to make sure you feel wanted at the place. Like, they're talking about you as a person and not just.
Not just for the team, not for them, but you as a person and how you can get better. That's how I would start off.
[00:21:56] Speaker A: How did you learn that hard work was essential?
[00:22:00] Speaker D: Juco. Going into juco, it was rough. It was rough. The refs were not calling certain calls. It was just, you had to be a dog.
You had to be a dog.
[00:22:14] Speaker A: So you learned that going from freshman year, sophomore year, you learned how important the work ethic was.
[00:22:20] Speaker D: And then coming into D1 is just. It's different, but it's a lot more work.
[00:22:24] Speaker C: Work.
[00:22:25] Speaker D: It's a lot more work.
[00:22:27] Speaker A: Basketball season is upon us. Shocker Madness is at 6pm that's on October 4th at Kokarina, part of the university's Shocktoberfest celebrations. Doors open at 5pm that evening will feature introductions, a three point contest and scrimmages with both the men's and the women's shocker teams. Charis, do you have an opinion on who will win the three point contest?
[00:22:50] Speaker D: Well, is it between boys and girls?
[00:22:52] Speaker A: I think so, yes.
[00:22:53] Speaker D: I'm thinking us, the girls.
[00:22:55] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:22:55] Speaker D: It's definitely gonna be the girls.
[00:22:56] Speaker A: Who are the best three point shooters on this basketball team?
[00:22:59] Speaker D: Kylie Ortiz and Jayla.
[00:23:01] Speaker A: Jayla Harding. Okay, interesting. We'll keep up on that. The WSU women open the season with an exhibition game. That's against Newman University on October 29th. They begin regular season play on November 3rd versus Lincoln University. Karras, thank you very much for your time.
[00:23:18] Speaker D: Thank you for having me.
[00:23:33] Speaker A: Thank you for listening to the Roundhouse podcast courtesy of Wichita State University Strategic Communications. We encourage you to rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can find more roundhouse
[email protected].
[00:23:49] Speaker B: Strand sets it up.
[00:23:51] Speaker A: Wiggins finishes.
[00:23:53] Speaker D: The Shockers stamp their tickets to the NCAA Tournament.
[00:23:58] Speaker C: They are the American Conference champions.
