GOOD FOLLOW - Phoenix Mercury Forward, Kathryn Westbeld, Talks Alyssa Thomas, Playing Overseas & More

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It's your girl, Ros Golden Buddha, and today's episode, we have a very special guest interview coming to us from the Phoenix Mercury, as well as a Notre Dame alum who won a national championship, an NCAA championship in 2018.

We got Catherine Westfeld here joining us. What's up, Kat? How are you? Hello.
I'm doing great. Thank you for having me.

Yes, yes. I'm so excited to dive in with you.

I mean, your story to being on the Phoenix Mercury in your rookie season is captivating because for a number of reasons, but I think the most like obvious is you're a 29 year old rookie.

It took you years to get your shot in the WNBA. So now that you're here and living it, like, how is it? How do you feel?

I feel great. It's been an awesome season so far.

I honestly couldn't have scripted a better rookie season for myself, honestly.

You know, coming like right into the season, we had a lot of injuries, a lot of adversity early on. So it kind of gave me an opportunity to really make my mark from the beginning.
So,

I mean, I've really just taken advantage of the opportunity at hand. And I'm just, you know, happy to be a part of such a great organization.
And, you know, we're headed into playoffs here soon.

So it's an exciting part of the season. And I'm just happy to be here.
Yeah. And I mean, if you even just think about that journey, right?

So you come out of Notre Dame, you're an NCA championship champion, you're undrafted, and then you, you know, eventually begin,

is it seven years overseas? There were a lot of stops, different countries that you played for.

Could you talk about just like what your experience became playing overseas, the countries you played for and the journeys you took? I think it was a total of like six years.

I know there's another year in there, but with COVID and everything, I ended up not playing that year just because I didn't want to get stuck in any, you know, country and who knew what was going on at that point.

So I stayed home a year and I actually took a day job, nine to five.

Didn't even know I was going to get back into basketball. Like it was such a crazy time.
So I worked at that job for like six months, finished the training program.

And then finally my agent called and was like, we have a job for you. And I was like, thank God, because this is not for me.

But yeah, it has been such a journey. You know, I didn't know.
The WMBA was, it kind of seemed out of reach, especially during that time.

Like I did, really didn't know if I was going to pick up a basketball again professionally.

So just to be where I am and like, just knowing like everything that I've been through to get here is just

very humbling. And I'm just grateful for the whole ride because it has been a lot ups and downs and great, you know, experiences with everything.
But

yeah, I feel like I've been everywhere. I've been, you know, Spain, Italy, France.
uh hungary puerto rico australia i even was in israel for i think not even two weeks during the war.

Like literally right before the war started, I was there and had to make a quick, like, you know, escape.

It took a few days to get out, you know, tons of flights canceled and a little scary moment in there. But

yeah, it's been quite a journey, but I'm definitely grateful to be back in the U.S. now.

I do want to revisit. like the corporate role you also took like you you kind of touched on it you legitimately took an office job like you were an account executive, an account executive.

I believe that

total quality logistics, I saw. Yes.
What was your role? What were the tax, the tasks you were doing?

And like, eventually, did you just realize like, nah, I'm still going to, I got more hoops to play?

Yeah, it was a lot of being on the phone, a lot of cold calls, a lot of,

I was kind of the middleman in between like our client and like, uh, like either our driver or whatever, because it's it's logistics you're kind of just organizing um pickups and just transportation so you're on the phone with drivers and you're on the phone with clients and things like that and it's just like sales also i feel like you kind of lose your moral compass a little bit because you're like obviously The margin that you get is what you make.

And so it's just like, you're kind of lying to people a little bit. And I just felt so wrong internally about everything.
And,

you you know, people sitting at a desk and it's like, you know, you're ordering out every day. People are eating Chinese.
Like,

just, it's just such an unhealthy and unfit lifestyle. And it was just totally against like kind of who I am as a person.
And

so it was not the best six months I've ever had, but it definitely was an experience and something I've learned from. And luckily, I know what I don't want to do.
So.

Right. So there's a positive to it.
Sometimes these experiences of like learning what's not right for you are so valuable.

But for me, I mean, just in kind of walking with you through the journey, both on the court and even some off-court, you know, escapades and experiences.

Why did you, how did you not ever give up on the dream and the game? How did you do that to get to here, to finally make it to the WNBA?

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I just have a love for the game. Like everyone would always ask me, how long are you going to play for? And I'm just like, you know, I'm just kind of taking it season by season.
And it's like.

Every season I was getting better and I was, you know, having better seasons, better numbers. And it's just like, why would I stop when I'm like on an uphill trend?

Like, it just doesn't make sense for me to just, you know, turn, turn it in right now. And so, I don't know.
You just get to work every summer in the offseason. And

I don't know. It's just led me to where I am.
You just, I just, I think you really have to have a love for the game because, you know, you're going to have bad experiences.

But I feel like also.

with that it's how can you turn it into a good experience and i think i go back to my aunt and uncle like they really did a lot whether they think they did or not but like helping me have a good experience in that first trip to Spain, like my first overseas experience, they were able to make me have a, like turn my mindset to where it's like, I look back and I'm like, no, that was a good experience.

And like, so now everywhere I go, it's like, where do you, where do you see the silver lining? And so

if you can see the silver lining in everything, I feel like. you can just continue to do it because it's going to like you're going to get good out of it regardless.
So absolutely. Absolutely.

but you know look if if you wanted to you could have become a chef like a professional chef because

i saw like you have an in you have a scintillating instagram account cats cuisine on ig and i went and perused through it these dishes look incredible like this is not like oh i'm making you know peanut butter and jelly sandwiches between games.

Like we're talking juices and smoothies. We're talking lasagna, ramen, ramen, Mediterranean, Greek, shrimp and crab boil, salads, just the diversity of cuisine and the way that food looks.

I know it's good. Like, how did you get into cooking?

In another life, I think I'm a chef, though.

So my dad always had a garden growing up and he always was, he's a great chef himself and my mom cooks. And so I was just always a sponge in the kitchen, like, you know, hanging around.

We with a big family so you're hanging around the kitchen parents are cooking you're at the dinner table with you know your siblings and I was just always asking questions watching what he was doing um and then when you go overseas it's like the food over there is so good like the produce and everything and you're experiencing different types of cuisines and different flavors and everything so

I just you know took what I learned and I love, that's one of my favorite things is going, like getting to a new country and going to their grocery store and like seeing things that like, I haven't seen before or trying different things.

Or sometimes I'll just go in the meat section and grab some slice of meat and I'll go home and I'll be like, dad, what is this? And he's like, oh, that looks like I'm like, okay, what do I do with it?

And so it's just like kind of experimenting. I feel like I'm very much like a artist also.
So like I kind of turn, like it is an art. Food is an art.
And it's like, I feel like I've been able to

just kind of take the two of those and turn it into kind of my lifestyle of like, you know, healthy eating, athletics, like, you know, it's all, it's all a part of it.

And it's all, you know, what helps you be the best you can be. So I don't know, I've just really enjoyed it and you have so much time overseas.
So yeah, I make the most of my time.

Yes, food is a love language. So I'm sure

it really is.

I'm very fluent in food or maybe in eating is better for me.

But so no formal training.

You're learning as you're going on the cookie. Oh, yeah.
Yes. Have you cooked for your teammates on the Phoenix Mercury? Have you had anybody over for dinner?

Actually, no, not yet.

They take care of us here really well. So I have really not had to cook

at our facility. You know, our chefs take care of a lot.
So I'm always taking stuff to go for dinner. And,

you know,

it's pretty taxing. We play so much, like we're hardly even home.

So to be able to like kind of rest and not be on my feet cooking and it's, it's been really nice, but um, I do, I do miss it.

My little sister came and we played Chicago this past time and I was like, do you want to go to dinner? And she's like, maybe we'll just order in. And I'm just like, she wants a home cooked meal.

So I actually, for the first time, I made her a little dinner. And you mentioned, though, your younger sister, so Maddie Westfeld.
And that's been a fantastic part of the story, too.

You guys end up being drafted in the same draft class, even though I think there's, it might, is it a six-year gap between you guys? Six years.

So you're 29, she's 23. You again finished in 2018 after winning a national championship at Notre Dame.

She came out of Notre Dame this year in the class of 2025 and was drafted number 16 to the Chicago sky.

And I saw that in some ways you call this divine timing that you guys as a family could have this together.

So if you could just describe like what the bond is between you two as sisters growing up and now as pros and fellow rookies interestingly enough yeah

it has been such a special journey for um

you know us individually and obviously together um you know she took an extra year in college too like i feel like i've been waiting for her to be pro you know so we can kind of finally be on that same level and she ended up taking another year and you know that other year gave me another great season um in hungry and got a great training camp contract in Phoenix.

And it's just, it doesn't make sense how it just all worked out the way it does. So that's why we kind of keep going to divine timing because there's, I mean, God did that.

Like, if you really want to sit down and talk about it. But

yeah, it's just been really special. And, you know, we've been best friends for so long.
And I feel like when we grew up, like, yeah, we argued and stuff.

But my mom's just like, you guys are going to be best friends one day. You might as well start now.
So

we really did. and we've just been so inseparable and

you know in the summers we're working out together like that's our favorite thing to do together is work out so it's like summers we can't wait because it's like that's our bonding time we just go in every summer dogs you know

literally like it's it's the funnest thing to us and we eat healthy and we cook together and like we both just share so many interests together and

just being able to do it all and and like reach this moment at the same time Like it was just

a fine timing. There's nothing else I can say about that.

Yeah. And when you guys finally saw each other on the court for, you know, this WNBA season, how was it for your family? Were there house divided jerseys and hats being made? And

who rooted for who?

Yeah.

I wouldn't say we were divided, but definitely my uncle made my parents a couple hats,

you know, half and half hats. And now my parents have half and half shirts.
And I think the whole family is kind of getting on that trend. So,

no, it's just really cool. And

our last Chicago game at Chicago, I think we had about 30 plus people come up, like drive up from Dayton, which is about a five-hour drive of just friends and family and just a huge support system.

And it's just like, just a testament of like how

their love and support and what it's done for us.

Just to see everybody there was a really special moment for us and our family.

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And you guys have always, your paths have always been somewhat intertwined despite the age grab. Like, you know, Matt went to Notre Dame after you went to Notre Dame.

I mean, your tenure there finished in the ultimate way with the championship, right?

And

when I think about it, like that 2018 Notre Dame team in particular had so many pros on it. It's yourself, Erike Ogumbawale, Marina Maybry, Jackie

Shepherd, Jessica Shepard. Who else am I missing? Breonna Turner.
Yeah, but there were so many injuries that year too.

Yeah, she was injured. Those were,

yeah, our starting five now that i'm in the league are all all in the league you want to know something funny this is like generation gap though but so i played at stanford and our entire starting five was in the wnba except for me oh wow so i i um ended up being the one who talked the most i'm a broadcaster and i interviewed but just i understand that feeling

you're still you're still involved yeah yeah but i'm just like yo how cool that you completed that you know what i'm saying and that's how that's how lit that team was.

And actually, your sister's Notre Dame class is impressive too, because it's her. Sonia Citron's out here for rookie of the year consideration.
Like, right.

What is it about Notre Dame players? Why there's so many of y'all that have come out and been pro ready? Why?

I mean, it goes a lot into the coaching staff. Like, I mean, Maddie didn't have Muffet, but I mean, a Hall of Fame coach, like people want to play for coaches like that.

And Neal being the recruiter that she is, I think people just had faith in her from the very beginning.

I think Maddie, when she got the coaching job, Maddie was her first call and was like, we're going to do this together. And it's just like, it is that culture that they have built.
And

I think, you know, just their recruiting style and just that family community that they built there. Like Notre Dame is a special place.

And like their little slogan that they say is it's not about four years, it's about 40 years. And it's just like, you want to be, it's up, you want to be your best self.

And I feel like Notre Dame is going to challenge you enough and make you uncomfortable enough to where you have no choice but to grow or you're not going to make it out of Notre Dame. So

I don't know. It's just a group of people who really hold themselves to excellence.
Yeah.

You know, that excellence, that run in particular y'all had was very memorable. What will you never forget about the dramatic Notre Dame run in that final four to the championship?

Because you guys, one, were down so many bodies. You had so many injuries.

And then Erique had two game winners, if I'm not mistaken, against UConn and then Mississippi State for the championship. And it's all in front of Kobe.

Like, Kobe, Brian, what will you remember about that? Well, you'll never forget about that run.

I mean, it was a full circle moment for me. I'm from Ohio.
I won a state championship in Columbus.

It might have even been the same arena. I don't remember now, but it was just such a full moment.
I had my high school coaches there. I had my middle school coach there.

Teammates, like it was just, it was meant to be. Like, I feel like it was written.
And even Neal, when she won her national championship in uh 2001, it was in her hometown, St. Louis.

And it's just like, we both were number 33. And it was just, just little things like that.
It's just the stars aligned for us. And

yeah, I mean, we,

I remember we were down like 14 or 15 at half in that championship game. And like, I wasn't nervous at all.
Like, I, I knew that, I knew the outcome of the game. I didn't know how.

I didn't could have never guessed that Erique was going to hit that shot again. But like, I feel like I already knew the outcome of that game.
So

I don't know. It's just meant to be.

I feel like you have a lot of these kind of moments in your like life story here. Right.
I know. I I kind of do.

Just keep the faith. And I mean, it's all about work, work ethic.
Like if you, you know, work at something long enough, then

I feel like it's, it's bound to eventually

meet you. And it's cool, actually.

When I was in the third grade, I remember I went to a national championship game.

And I think Candice Parker, I think, I forget who they played, but I just remember Candice Parker, Candice Parker, like obviously a legend.

And I remember she won a national championship game and like literally from the third grade, I was like, I want to do that. I'm going to win a national championship.

And so like my entire childhood, like that was my goal.

And I feel like it is really important like for young girls to get out there and go to games and like physically see it in person because like that allowed like that was my my path.

And so everything, every decision I ever made, I'm just like, I know what I want to do. Like I know what decision I have to make because it's going to lead me there.
So,

yeah, just a cool little, little thing that I

had to look forward to.

I mean, I'm just getting to know you a bit, but you've got some unwavering faith and you have

game-changing conviction about you. So, like, it's, it's really impressive, which is hard because I know a lot of people who be in their heads way too much to have gone through everything that you do.

And so, like, that's a skill in itself. And so, like, to take us through that now to like come to where you are right now, just with the Phoenix Mercury.
Um,

so, girl, you were thrown right into the fire because, especially with all of like the injuries that were happening to some of the like, you know, big name players and stuff.

You've started a majority of the games this season. You've more recently been coming off the bench, um, but a huge role, like you have carved out.

What is the role you've carved out for Coach Tibbetts and the Phoenix Mercury?

Um, whatever they need.

I've kind of, I've kind of always been that person, kind of positionless, kind of, you know, am I going to get 10 rebounds today?

Am I going to get that one really crucial rebound at the end of the game? Like, that's just kind of been the player that people have named me as.

Back in Notre Dame, they'd call me the glue player, you know, the people, the person who just

keeps everyone together, you know, doing all the little things, the intangibles. What I do isn't always going to show up on the stat sheet, but

I feel like our

front office here, like,

that's who they know me as and that's who they see. And so

just to be recognized as like, because a lot of times, like I said, you don't show up on the stat sheets a lot, but like they reassure me, like they see what I'm doing out there. And,

you know, it does, it's not always the most rewarding role, but at the end of the day, like it's what helps us win. And I feel like that is the most important thing to me.

So I feel like that's why I've had such an important role on this team and a piece of our success is because I am that person doing the little things that doesn't always show up.

And I feel like every successful team needs that person.

Yeah.

Another person that does all the little things and also all the big things is Alyssa Thomas. What's it like? So, what's it like playing alongside her? I know she's a very

captivating leader for teams. Yeah,

I have never played with anyone like her um

and it's truly like it has been amazing playing with her like learning from her because i feel like we have been in similar positions like her whole career i feel like she's been overlooked like she does so many things and she has been overlooked and so to be here and to like see her success and see people recognize her for what she's actually doing like it just makes me so happy because i know that she deserves that like she deserves the mvp and um

you know just to be able to learn from her every day in and out. And for her, like just the leader like that she is and her type of leadership, you know, she's keeping people accountable.

And I feel like she, no, like she really is. Like she, she's going to let you know.

And I feel like, you know, that's why we've been really successful even playing with so many rookies from the beginning. is because she's led the way.

Like she's, you know, she's going to make sure that

we're doing what we need to do. And one special thing about her is she's not going to ask you to do anything that she's not going to do herself.
Like she absolutely is

doing everything. And so it's okay for her to tell you to do that because she's going to do it.
So

she's a very special player and person. And I'm just really happy to be a part of the team with her.
Yeah.

What about Nate Tibbetts? He's relatively new to the WNBA. Like he's only been here maybe a year more than you or two or something.

So how is how does he, how is he helping to sculpt and mold this team into what it is, which is very highly successful this season? Yeah.

I mean, I think we have really great players and he is a players coach.

Like he has his, you know, his leadership council with all our leaders and they meet regularly and they're just always on the same page. And he takes, you know, what they think into account.
And

he's very motivating and encouraging. And it's just like, I feel like a coach like that, like you want to run through a wall for because they, you know, he's got your back at all times.
So,

I mean, I think he's done a great job with,

you know, our season so far. And,

you know, credit to him and credit to his staff. Like, this is the best, I think a full staff, like, it's probably the best I've worked with in my whole career.
And so.

to have this my first rookie season and like, you know, just the whole organization, like it really has been a dream come true and to be able to work with everyone.

And not only are they really talented and incredible at what they do, but they're such good people.

So, I mean, someone like that, like you just want to win a game for.

Meant to be.

Exactly. Exactly.
It has been fascinating to chat with you. Just a delight.
Thank you for the time. Oh, thank you so much for having me.
It really has been fun. Yeah, yeah.

We'll be watching you through the playoff run and throughout the rest of your career. Thank you for joining Good Follow Show.

You are part of the family, and I wish you the best in your first ever WNBA playoffs coming up.

Thank you so much.