Bleav in the W

Let's have some fun with the 2026 WNBA All-Star selections with a new, hypothetical format. Tyler Byrum and Rob Knox select a team of WNBA All-Stars with a format similar to Major League Baseball and where every team is represented in the game. Our full All-Star roster: Team Selections: Atlanta Dream - Angel Reese Chicago Sky - Kamila Cardoso Connecticut Sun - Brittney Griner Dallas Wings - Paige...

Mystics starting point guard Georgia Amoore is in the midst of overcoming an ACL injury while learning how to play in the WNBA. The 2025 No. 6 overall pick spoke with Tyler Byrum to discuss what she thinks of her play and how one of the biggest challenges this season is giving herself grace to get back to full health. Podcast episode on Alicia Florez and how it affects Georgia Amoore: https://blea...

Rookie and 2026 No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd has signed a contract to join Project B for their first season this upcoming winter. That is after signing a NIL deal in college with Unrivaled and her girlfriend Paige Bueckers is committed to the 3x3 league for multiple seasons. USA TODAY's Mitchell Northam joined the show to discuss Project B and the cast of players Fudd is joining. Read Mitchell's s...

Tyler Byrum catches up with Minnesota Lynx associate head coach Eric Thibault on life, his strengths as a coach, what pops up when you Google his name and his predictions for the remainder of the World Cup. Follow Tyler Byrum on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetylerbyrum.bsky.social Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...

Olivia Miles has all but locked up the WNBA's Rookie of the Year award by leading the Minnesota Lynx to the top of the standings. The IX Basketball's Terry Horstman joins Tyler Byrum to discuss how Miles' pairing with Lynx assistant coach Lindsay Whalen is leading to this incredible first season. We also go back through the past several years of point guards to don a Minnesota jersey, with an upda...

The WNBA announced that its schedule will grow from 44 games to 50 games starting in the 2027 season. It marks a massive increase in games, which was 34 in 2019. From TV ratings, to increased television network inventory to conflicts with other women's basketball leagues, we dive into the biggest topics surrounding the move. This includes Tyler Byrum's reservations on why less is more when it come...

Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson became the fastest player to reach 6,000 career points. There's no more debate; she's the best player in the world right now, and this is another record that proves she's on the path to becoming the best women's basketball player ever. In many ways, the 4x MVP has already passed Diana Taurasi. Wilson is on track to achieve it in every way possible. Follow Tyler...

Hear from Alicia Flórez after the Washington Mystics converted her developmental player contract to a standard WNBA contract. The IX Basketball's Jenn Hatfield also joined Tyler Byrum to discuss why the Mystics made this move, the roster moves that made way for Flórez and who might be on the Mystics' radar for the next developmental player spot. During her interview, Flórez speaks on this being he...

When Caitlin Clark was a late scratch before the Indiana Fever's game against the Portland Fire on May 20, the tin foil hats were all pulled out. Controversies and rumors were everywhere. Now that the dust has settled, Tyler Byrum brings in Indiana Fever reporter Tony East from Circle City Spin to clear the air about what happened. We also go through a comprehensive history of Caitlin Clark's inju...

Former Big 12 Player of the Year and 2025 first-round draft pick Hailey van Lith was waived for the second time this month. Tyler Byrum explains the logic behind the move and why she was chosen to make room for Leila Lacan. The podcast concludes with potential landing spots for Van Lith as she searches for new opportunities. ESPN's Alexa Philippou reporting on Hailey van Lith and "transparenc...

Portland Fire head coach Alex Samara has not scheduled morning shootarounds for his expansion team this season, a topic that has made waves in WNBA media. Tyler Byrum dives into why this is becoming a common practice and the studies behind finding peak athletic performance time. Also, hear from Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson on the subject. Answer from Alex Sarama on eliminating morning shootar...

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...