No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

• What Expansion Teams Can Learn from the Golden State Valkyries

  Ben returns to the show – joining Zena and Sabreena to discuss Rhyne Howard’s post-game comments concerning “MVP” chants breaking out for A’ja Wilson during the Aces-Dream game in Atlanta – plus, the crew digs in on Caitlin Clark’s new signature brand logo with Nike.Then, they do a deep dive on the Golden State Valkyries inaugural season – why they’ve had so much success both on the court and off, what future expansion teams can learn from their blueprint, and whether those news teams are positioned to thrive in the same way.Plus, Set Your Screens. _________________Visit our YouTube page!_________________Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or write to us at: [email protected] can also find us on social media:-Instagram: @tanooffseason-TikTok: @no_offseason-Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita-Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman-Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajmVisit the Yahoo Women’s Sports Hub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Why Paige Bueckers Deserves to Win Rookie of the Year

  Zena and Sabreena discuss the highlights from this past weekend in the WNBA – from the Aces extending their winning streak to the Storm increasing their playoff probability. And, in light of Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh’s ejection from the Sky-Sun game on Saturday, they debate the difference between the W’s infamous “physicality” and outright fouls.Then, Zena and Sabreena take a deep dive into the Rookie of the Year conversation – celebrating an incredible year for new players in the W – but settling on the only rookie who ultimately deserves the title: Paige Bueckers. How does she stack up against last year’s Rookie of the Year, Caitlin Clark? And what does the future look like for Paige and the Wings?Finally, Zena challenges Sabreena to a game of Two Takes and a Fake._________________References:WNBA power rankings: Can the Aces keep climbing in the standings? by Sabreena MerchantAs Indiana Fever await Caitlin Clark’s return, can they hold on for playoff push? by Sabreena Merchant _________________Visit our YouTube page!_________________Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or write to us at: [email protected] can also find us on social media:-Instagram: @tanooffseason-TikTok: @no_offseason-Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita-Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman-Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajmVisit the Yahoo Women’s Sports Hub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Will the WNBA bring more balance to their schedule? + Paige Bueckers’ record-breaking night

  A record-breaking 2025 season continues for the WNBA, and Zena and Sabreena are back to break down two of the biggest moments of the week: Sue Bird’s statue unveiling in Seattle and Paige Bueckers’ rookie-record 44 points against the Sparks, even in a losing effort. They also touch on some more injury news out of Indiana and Dallas and even more drama regarding the attempted sale of the Connecticut Sun. Then, it’s time for a big discussion on the WNBA schedule and why it has been such a hot topic of conversation among players and fans this season. Zena and Sabreena get into what parameters the league has to consider when creating the calendar and how this will change moving forward as the WNBA adds more teams and has to potentially expand its footprint. They talk about how the schedule may factor into health and safety and what the players are saying about the cadence of games before putting on their commissioner’s caps and making some suggestions for the league in 2026 and beyond. Finally, it’s time to set your screens for what Zena and Sabreena are watching this weekend. _________________References:Paige Bueckers ties rookie single-game scoring record in Wings’ narrow loss to Sparks by Sabreena MerchantWhy has the sale of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun become so complicated? by Mike VorkunovThe Making of the WNBA schedule at WNBA.com _________________Visit our YouTube page!_________________Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or write to us at: [email protected] can also find us on social media:-Instagram: @tanooffseason-TikTok: @no_offseason-Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita-Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman-Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajmVisit the Yahoo Women’s Sports Hub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The Unsettling Rise of Stalking In Sports + WNBA Showing Postseason Vibes

  Zena and Sabreena take stock of a historic WNBA weekend, including A’ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers, and Kelsey Plum all reaching individual milestones while the Golden State Valkyries set a record for the most wins by an expansion team. They also get into the latest injury news out of Indiana. Then, senior investigative writer Carson Kessler joins Zena and Sabreena to discuss The Athletic’s latest investigative series on stalking in sports. Carson explains how this project came to be and the trio explore a variety of topics including: the frequency of stalkers and why those numbers might be underreported, what stalking looks like in the digital age, and how colleges and leagues can protect their athletes going forward. Finally, Zena and Sabreena debut “Explain the Game”, where they answer a listener question about how something in the WNBA works. _________________References:‘I’m sitting behind the bench’: Inside sports’ escalating stalking problem by Carson KesslerWNBA power rankings: Golden State Valkyries aiming to make history by Sabreena Merchant _________________Visit our YouTube page!_________________Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or write to us at: [email protected] can also find us on social media:-Instagram: @tanooffseason-TikTok: @no_offseason-Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita-Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman-Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajmVisit the Yahoo Women’s Sports Hub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• What the WNBA can learn from the NWSL CBA + Here come the Aces (and Violet!)

  Zena, Sabreena, and Ben start with a temperature check of the WNBA. They dive into the Las Vegas Aces’ five-game winning streak and what their latest win over New York tells us about each of the rival squads. They also share their thoughts on the hatching of Violet, the new mascot of the Valkyries, and the increasingly complicated potential sale of the Connecticut Sun. Then, Meg Linehan (women’s sports lead at The Athletic) joins Zena and Sabreena for a conversation about labor across women’s sports. They talk about the NWSL CBA, what the WNBA players association could learn from that document, and how this rapid growth in women’s sports is affecting soccer and basketball. Finally, Ben comes back with Zena and Sabreena to set their screens as the race for the postseason tightens up. _________________References:NWSL and NWSLPA agree terms on new collective bargaining agreement by Meg Linehan _________________Visit our YouTube page!_________________Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or write to us at: [email protected] can also find us on social media:-Instagram: @tanooffseason-TikTok: @no_offseason-Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita-Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman-Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajmVisit the Yahoo Women’s Sports Hub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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