No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

No Offseason is The Athletic’s show for all things women’s basketball. Hosts Zena Keita, Chantel Jennings, and Sabreena Merchant bring you the stories that matter the most and the insider info you need from the sport that never stops – served up alongside exclusive interviews with the biggest names in women’s hoops, from the NCAA to the WNBA and all points in between. New episodes drop Tuesday and Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 5H AGO

    Who Makes the Cut on Selection Sunday?

    The WNBA CBA negotiations are still ongoing, with no deal reached yet. Zena and Chantel break down the latest developments in the talks before diving into the FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament and the dynamics of the current Team USA roster.  Then, our resident bracketologist Eden Laase joins to dig into the biggest bracket storylines — from the battle between UConn and UCLA for the overall No. 1 seed to the bubble drama surrounding Colorado and Clemson. They unpack how conference tournament results are shaking up the field, what it means for teams fighting to get in, and why programs like USC and Tennessee could slip a bit lower than expected in the seeding. REFERENCES:  Overnight WNBA, players’ union talks fail to result in collective bargaining agreement: Reports by Sabreena Merchant WNBA proposes higher salary cap in latest CBA offer, but still no deal by Chantel Jennings Caitlin Clark shines with double-double in dominant Team USA victory by Sabreena Merchant Women’s NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch: Will Clemson, Iowa State, Virginia make the field? By Eden Laase Catch us live this Sunday at 6:30 PM PT / 9:30 PM ET on YouTube  for our bracket reactions! __ No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com Show Links: -YouTube:  @No-Offseason  -Instagram: @tanooffseason -TikTok: @no_offseason Credits: -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
  2. 3D AGO

    Is UCLA a Lock for the Top Overall Seed?

    USA Women’s Basketball tips off Wednesday in Puerto Rico. Zena, Chantel and Sabreena dive into how Team USA is preparing for the World Cup, plus the return of Caitlin Clark to game action. They also break down the latest in the CBA talks as the drop-deadline approaches. From there, they share their conference tournament takeaways from around the association—debating whether UCLA has done enough for the overall No. 1 seed, if West Virginia improved its seeding, and which mid-majors caught their attention this weekend, plus more. We wrap things up with Two Takes and A Fake REFERENCES:  Caitlin Clark preparing for Team USA debut, feels ‘even better’ than start of last season by Chantel Jennings Women’s conference tournament takeaways: Texas takes down South Carolina by Chantel Jennings,  Cameron Teague Robinson, Sabreena Merchant and Grace Raynor Women’s basketball power rankings: If LSU can’t beat South Carolina, is it a tournament threat? by Sabreena Merchant Check out Zena’s exclusive interview with WNBA star Napheesa Collier here! __ No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com Show Links: -YouTube:  @No-Offseason  -Instagram: @tanooffseason -TikTok: @no_offseason Credits: -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min
  3. MAR 6

    Should Sarah Strong Actually Win Player Of The Year?

    The WNBPA issued a statement emphasizing unity among players as negotiations continue with the league on a new CBA. Zena, Chantel, and Sabreena discuss the implications of the statement and where the players’ union and the league stand ahead of the drop-dead deadline. They also recap the Unrivaled championship, highlighting standout performances and the league’s continued growth. From there, they share their predictions for the major national awards in college basketball, including Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Player of the Year. They begin by breaking down Shea Ralph’s impressive coaching success at Vanderbilt and why it makes her a strong Coach of the Year candidate. From there, they spotlight some of the most impactful freshmen across the sport before wrapping up with a debate over their Player of the Year selections, weighing each candidate’s stats and influence on their team’s success. Finally, we wrap things up with a question from the mailbag. REFERENCES:  WNBA player union emphasizes unity as fissures exposed in CBA negotiations by Sabreena Merchant Breanna Stewart outduels Kelsey Plum as Mist claim Unrivaled championship by Sabreena Merchant  UConn's Sarah Strong: The Athletic's women's basketball Player of the Year by Chantel  Jennings Vanderbilt’s Shea Ralph earns The Athletic’s women’s basketball Coach of the Year  by Chantel  Jennings The Athletic’s women’s college basketball All-America team by Sabreena Merchant, Chantel Jennings, Zena Keita and Eden Laase Check out The Athletic Show on March 8th for an exclusive interview with Napheesa Collier __ No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com Show Links: -YouTube:  @No-Offseason  -Instagram: @tanooffseason -TikTok: @no_offseason Credits: -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min
  4. MAR 3

    The Biggest Conference Tournament Matchups To Watch For

    Zena, Chantel, and Sabreena look ahead around the association, beginning their conversation with Rutgers parting ways with head coach Coquese Washington and highlighting the growing pressure to win in women’s college basketball. From there, they dive into the Sabreena Scale, focusing on some of the tight matchups from the weekend. Next, the crew break down predictions and insights for women’s college basketball conference tournaments, including the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12, and key mid-major conferences. They discuss team performances, potential upsets, and standout players, offering a comprehensive look at what the tournaments mean heading into the NCAA Tournament. To close things out, we play one of our recurring favorites: Something in Common. REFERENCES:  Women's basketball power rankings: Vanderbilt, Texas will fight for No. 1 seed in SEC tourney by Sabreena Merchant Texas jumps to No. 4 as last year’s Final Four lead updated NCAA top-16 rankings by Chantel Jennings UConn completes 11th unbeaten regular season with rout of St. John’s by Chantel Jennings __ No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com Show Links: -YouTube:  @No-Offseason  -Instagram: @tanooffseason -TikTok: @no_offseason Credits: -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    48 min
  5. FEB 24

    Who Will Claim the Final No. 1 Seed?

    The WNBA has reached its revenue-sharing target for the first time. Chantel and Sabreena break down what that milestone means and explore its potential impact on the ongoing CBA negotiations. They then turn to college basketball, taking a look around the country and analyzing the performances of the TCU, Minnesota, and Kentucky as they approach the NCAA tournament. Next, they break down the race for the final No. 1 seed, explaining how the selection committee evaluates teams. They discuss strengths and weaknesses of Texas, Vanderbilt, and other SEC and Big Ten contenders, emphasizing the importance of head-to-head matchups and the implications of the SEC tournament. To close the show, we take an early look ahead and discuss where Paige Bueckers might rank in 2026. REFERENCES:  WNBA offers housing concession in CBA counterproposal to players by Sabreena Merchant WNBA says 2026 season will be impacted if no deal on a CBA by March 10 by Sabreena Merchant Women’s college basketball rankings: How Louisville, Duke tripped against bubble teams by Sabreena Merchant Iowa puts clamps down on No. 6 Michigan for signature victory by Chantel Jennings __ No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com Show Links: -YouTube:  @No-Offseason  -Instagram: @tanooffseason -TikTok: @no_offseason Credits: -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
4.7
out of 5
254 Ratings

About

No Offseason is The Athletic’s show for all things women’s basketball. Hosts Zena Keita, Chantel Jennings, and Sabreena Merchant bring you the stories that matter the most and the insider info you need from the sport that never stops – served up alongside exclusive interviews with the biggest names in women’s hoops, from the NCAA to the WNBA and all points in between. New episodes drop Tuesday and Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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