 What's up everyone welcome to another yes, we're here segment. It's Julianne Vianney brain and today I'm joined by New York Liberty newcomer Leija Clarendon and Leija first off How are you doing and where are you at during this quarantining time? I believe you're out West somewhere. I am yeah I'm in the Bay Area So not the best place to be as far as obviously the pandemic right now But I'm in Oakland, California and I'm doing you know up and down all around but pretty good overall It's just wild wild times we're living in I know you and I both were in the New York, New Jersey market. It's We're in the two toughest markets. So I get it. I get it Well first of I want to ask how your how your injury your ankle injury has healed since last season I remember seeing you limping around a little bit with Connecticut In New York when we were doing some games, but how was the process of that healing after missing a whole season? It's been really good my ankle is like 100% healed I'm coming up on a year of surgery this June I believe so June 25th So doing really good playing with USA basketball in the off-season. So I got that kind of experience being back You know 100% on the court Tested that kind of mental battle you can go through and coming off an injury. So overall, it's pretty good It's healthy. It's you know, it's a lot stronger than it was before because they really went in there and tightened everything up So it's been fun actually. It's been really good great That's great to hear and I know a lot of New York fans really want to get to know you better I know you I've seen you around a lot for many years now in the WNVA. You're a true veteran But this is your first year with the Liberty. So I love to hear from your perspective what your road Has really been like I know that's kind of a broad question But how have you kind of gotten to where you are today? Yeah. Oh my god. Yeah, that's a really broad question. So You work at Cal Started a college career at Cal from Southern, California from San Bernardino went to UC Berkeley Cal Golden Bear the Bay Area, which is so much like home to me now Got drafted to Indiana fever number nine 2013 so spent a couple years in Indy played with Tamika Ketchings Brown January some really awesome folks Straighted to Atlanta played there for a couple of years I was my all-star years at Atlanta and then trade in to Connecticut So I've been traded quite a few times in my career played at Connecticut for a year and a half like half a year It's like got hurt last year and then so this offseason was my first real opportunity to choose where I played Which is really cool because I've been traded, you know, the last two times when I switch team So to go through the free agency process and now have an opportunity to have all the power back to be like Where do I want to go? What city do I want to play in like coaching staff? Do I want to be a part of what teammates do I want? And so to be able to choose to come to New York and obviously everything that's born in Brooklyn was super exciting Just the long-standing history of New York and this franchise and what the city means It's just it's really cool to make that choice. And so I'm so That was my next question is what went into that decision to come to New York and to be like a mentor on a team with some young players You already seem to know had coach Walt Hopkins. I mean, how have you gotten to know him? And I'll kind of let you run with that. Yeah, so I train I used to train with Walter back in man like 2014 Like when I first came back when we were sees even late 1313 14 When I decided not to play overseas anymore or I came back to my first year overseas So that's one of the things I don't typically go overseas. So I had a chance to train Coach wall Hopkins was at Cal at the time getting his master's degree. And so I met him used to be at Tulsa And so I met him someone connected us and was like, hey this guy this skill development So we hit it off really quickly started training together just such a great personality He really connects with people. And so we hit it off even became really good friends and then moving forward Going into the position into New York is just what's that free agency opportunity, you know looking at different places I played enough in this league and like I said veteran now just kind of weird to fast forward. I know You know, I knew enough to know you have to take the whole picture into account when deciding to play a place Of course, everybody wants to win, right? That's always the ultimate goals I want to bring a championship to New York But you know, you want to factor in like your teammates who you're playing with coaching style the city How well run the organization is all those things go into making a decision And so for me in New York and nothing the best possible fit with that combined thing And I think it's so cool to obviously we have the number one pick And looking at people on that roster like Kia nurse, you know, man is always be Asia dirt last year's You know top pick and there's just so much raw talent on that team that I'm excited to be a part of and played Against them is like the fierce competitors that like Kia is, you know, getting into a keep on the other side of the We were like, I'm so excited to be your teammate now. It's like the first thing I told her was like, yes Like I'm excited to tag team with you to be up with everybody else now because she plays super physical You fit right in because I remember coach got leave talking about you and you're in college calling you a silent assassin And I really wanted to ask you about about playing for her now that coach got leave is is is coaching the NBA It's pretty cool to see that happen. But is there anything you can say that you learned from her especially? That's that you've carried over into your WNBA career Yeah, I think Lindsay. It's really cool is by the time she came in we were upperclassmen So I played for Gerand Boyle for two years Freshman sophomore and then Lindsay came in as a junior year was like Kind of having been molded and being kind of a little more mature and older now as a junior to step in and have more of a Like almost more of a pro relationship with her than you typically see in college where you know You're younger but her coming in like she's kind of always got that pro mindset where she really was like You know, what do you want to do as a player that would ask me questions about play to be run around and things like that? And so we always kind of had that mature relationship I think really helps me prepare for the league to and so I've always kind of seen her ability to To connect with players and then to be willing like okay This is what we can run for X's the nose So I think was no shock especially with how you know forward thinking she is how brilliant and quick and sharp She is if she was gonna make it to the next level and so I'm just like excited to see her You know shine and open those doors for other women, which I know what he's gonna do Absolutely, that's great. And quick quick question on the significance of your jersey numbers any cool stories that you have there for us in terms of why you choose The numbers that you wear. I know as a former player. There's always a reason there's always So I was five when I was growing up because I loved Jason kid So that was a big one. We loved him was always number five point guard to true And the 23 things actually really funny because people think like oh Michael Jordan Are you like pick this number is like the score and when I was in middle school? The funny story is I just wasn't small enough to get number five anymore. You know, they rank the jersey sizes from like five It's bigger. So like I was like a medium. So there's like here's 23 And I was like, okay cool. And then I just like war 23. That's literally became a number And then I switch back to five, you know, you go back and forth and people have your numbers So actually I think a couple people have the numbers that I've worn on the New York Liberty So I was just talking to my wife about this picking a new number. So I might go with like People a freak out. I'm not super too attached to numbers Especially their teammates already have them, you know, I'm not gonna try and pull any rank or something like, you know You're the younger player of giving my number. So you might see me out there number seven first time Yeah, I was seven in Europe. So I'm all for number seven. I love that number So I couldn't have it in the States, but then the WNBA in European They let you do the seven. So that's yeah, and when you play USA basketball to you, you know You're ranked one through 12. So it's kind of like you start to experience these things where it's like you get the number We give you and you play with that All right, my last question for you before we wrap it up What's something Liberty fans don't know about you that you want to get out there anything special? I should really love to dance, but I'm super shy But I can't put my step back smell probably be used against me And actually I like to cook so if you follow me on Instagram, you'll see that I'm like always in the kitchen Cooking trying new recipes just super passionate about it. Oh, that's great. I love it I also hear you like dogs. All right. You got to follow you on Instagram. It's terrific but thank you so much for joining us and We really look forward to seeing you on the hardwood and getting you to New York. So yeah, I can't wait man Excited. Thank you. Stay safe. Stay healthy again. Everybody keep quarantining and doing your part. Yeah. See you soon. See you soon