Bleav in the W

Shakira Austin joined Tyler Byrum for an episode of 'Bleav in the W' to discuss her free agency approach, to her balancing her competitive fire on a rebuilding team, to what defines a successful season for the Mystics this season and Shakira. Follow Tyler on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetylerbyrum.bsky.social Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information abo...

Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen released their annual WNBA franchise valuations before the season started, ranking the Golden State Valkyries as the top franchise for the second year in a row. Tyler Byrum interviews Kurt to discuss his franchise valuations and the rapid ascension in the value of WNBA teams. Other discussion topics include how an expansion team, Golden State, became the standard-bearer...

After a stellar Year 1 in Karl Smesko's system, the Atlanta Dream brought in Angel Reese to add to what is an emerging championship contender. Atlanta-based USA TODAY Senior WNBA Reporter Meghan L. Hall joins Tyler to discuss everything that has led to the Dream using 2026 as a year to launch themselves into championship contenders. Follow Meghan L. Hall on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/itsmeg...

This past offseason consisted of the Indiana Fever re-signing Kelsey Michell and Aliyah Boston. Other than that, there were no major additions to a team led by Caitlin Clark. Still, that gives the Fever - a team that was seconds away from advancing to the WNBA Finals - two MVP candidates in their first legitimate quest for a WNBA Championship. Also addressed are the expected improvements on the de...

If it weren't for the Chicago Sky trading Angel Reese, the Rickea Jackson trade would have been the biggest blockbuster move of the offseason. The Los Angeles Sparks shipped off their star third-year player for veteran presence and improvement on defense. That set the table for a 2026 season that projects the Sparks to leap forward. The Sporting Tribune's Rey Moralde joined the show to dissect why...

It was a free agency that could have been transformative for the Phoenix Mercury. Instead, the Mercury focused on continuity in their offseason plans despite the loss of All-Star Satou Sabally. Pair that with the Mercury's focus on international scouting and Aya Abdeen reports that Phoenix is high on their aspirations for 2026. Last season, the squad made it all the way to the WNBA Finals, led by...

This Minnesota Lynx season will be defined by both Napheesa Collier's injury and her revealing conversation with NPR . But despite being without Phee for a month AND losing two starters in Alanna Smith and Bridget Carelton, Minnesota is still a team with the coaching and star power to be a contender come the playoffs. Other topics include a disappointing free agency, where the team fell short in l...

Beyond just Paige Bueckers and adding her girlfriend, Azzi Fudd, the Dallas Wings roster has massively improved. Not just from a talent standpoint, but also from a roster construction perspective, that brought in Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith and Lynx teammate Jessica Shepard. Tyler breaks down how this could be the building block season for the Wings that will propel them to not only...

What an inaugural season it was for the Golden State Valkyries, surprising everyone by making the WNBA Playoffs and finishing .500 in the standings. This year, they have another tall task ahead of them and Marisa Ingemi, who covers the Valkyries for her independent publication Valkyries Beat , joined Bleav in the W, to project what they can do this year. The big focus is that Golden State brought...

Many folks have mixed opinions on how the Chicago Sky approached their offseason, centering their moves around the decision to trade franchise centerpiece Angel Reese. But when you look at last year's roster and compare it to this year's, there's no doubt they improved and doing so in every position up and down the roster. Trading Reese will give Kamila Cardoso the space to take a leap forward. Az...

Tyler Byrum welcomes esteemed guest Bonnie Bernstein to unveil her new weekly show coming to ABC affiliates nationwide, 'The Champions Edge with Bonnie Bernstein.' ' The Champions Edge with Bonnie Bernstein ' is a groundbreaking women's sports leadership series, showcasing industry leaders, entrepreneurs and newsmakers harnessing life skills honed as athletes to drive career success. The series is...

It's very clear where the Washington Mystics are building to with a young core of Shakira Austin, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. But are the playoffs an aspirational goal for the team this season? That's what the players want. Tyler is joined by his former beat-mate Kareem Copeland, now with ESPN, to preview the Mystics' season and discuss if head coach Sydney Johnson could put it all together wit...

Toronto's first season in the W will have some spice. Some of the league's best characters, Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes and Julie Allemand, will all lead the expansion Tempo in their own way. Tyler starts by breaking down how Toronto won the coaching carousel by nabbing Sandy Brondello, a mere year removed from coaching a team to a championship. Then, it's time to break down the uber-talented gu...

It's the final season in Connecticut before the Sun move to Houston to bring the Comets back into the WNBA. And to discuss the happenings of this final version of the Sun, Emily Adams from the Hartford Courant joins Bleav in the W to chat about everything from the signing of Brittney Griner to the outlook of the young pieces. We break down and analyze the entire saga of the Mohegan Tribe's sale pr...

A year removed from many picking the Seattle Storm as a dark-horse team in the WNBA Playoffs, the franchise has decided to lay dormant in free agency and jump into a rebuild. Joining Tyler to preview the Storm is Jeff Brown from Storm Chasers , an independent substack for in-depth coverage of the team. Topics range from why the organization decided to fully jump into a rebuild when there was an op...

A quick preview of the Portland Fire's first season back in the WNBA. This expansion team isn't shaping up to have the same historic success that the Golden State Valkyries did last season but there are a handful of encouraging players on the roster. Tyler Byrum will explain why it shouldn't take long for the team to establish a culture and identity with players like Emily Engstler, Carla Liete, K...

Bleav in the W host Tyler Byrum joins Tacarra Barnes and Courtney Lumpkin of The MidMajors for a special crossover episode to get you ready for the 2026 WNBA season. We take a larger look at the WNBA media landscape from roster cuts and player development to the impact of media coverage, race, and marketability in women’s basketball. We also dive into: The rise of Caitlin Clark and her impact on t...

Point guard Natasha Cloud has signed with the Chicago Sky for a reported $555,000, one-year deal, according to ESPN. How does Natasha Cloud fit with Skylar Diggins-Smith? What is the team's ceiling? A quick reaction to Cloud now joining the team and being on a roster in 2026. Follow Tyler on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetylerbyrum.bsky.social Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See p...

Last year's No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers spoke on Monday to reporters with a prepared statement on her relationship with this year's No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd. This continued a saga where just last week, the Dallas Wings' PR staff shut down a reasonable question asked by a reporter to Azzi about her and Paige's relationship. To an extent, their relationship should be none of our business. But when...

Is the Washington Mystics rebuild going in the right direction? After an encouraging Year 1 of the plan, this past offseason left Tyler with some areas of concern. Mystics beat reporter Jenn Hatfield from The IX Basketball joined Tyler to break down where things stand in the rebuild, Jamila Wideman parting ways with the team and the decision not to sign WNBA veterans this offseason. After that, Ty...

Stay up to date with the latest in the WNBA. Hosted by long-time Mystics reporter Tyler Byrum, we'll go beyond the headlines and deep into the stories with commentary on the latest news and controversies. From the newest viral moment surrounding Caitlin Clark, to A'ja Wilson's dominance on the basketball court, to how the next young stars of Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron and Dominique Malonga are g...