No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

It’s our big Indiana Fever preview pod! Zena, Ben, and Sabreena break down everything you need to know about the upcoming WNBA season for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, including: Caitlin Clark’s offseason training regimen, new head coach Steph White’s strategic moves and Indiana roots, the depth of the roster, how far this team could go, and more. Plus, the inaugural rendition of the Sabree...

In this episode, we’re stepping off the court and into the culture – to discuss all the ways in which the WNBA, and women’s basketball in general, impact our society at large. We’re talking: what’s the purpose of rivalries? Do they exist in the W? Is Caitlin vs Angel even real? And we’re also talking style, fashion, and brands – downloading on the Met Gala, those iconic A’ja Wilson A’One ads, and...

Zena, Ben, and Sabreena check in on the first few preseason WNBA games, then turn their attention to the league’s first expansion team in over 15 years: the Golden State Valkyries. How did this team come together? What might the Valks’ first season look like? And who will be their starting five? Next, they dive into the future of expansion in the W – Toronto, Portland, and beyond. Which cities are...

Zena, Ben, and Sabreena turn their attention toward the Western Conference of the WNBA, and ask some pressing questions about the upcoming WNBA season. Is the Aces dynasty over? Can Napheesa Collier and the Lynx take the title this year? Will the LA Sparks ever be good again? Then, Sabreena and Ben attempt to blind rank some of Zena’s dynamic duos of the West. _________________ Visit our YouTube p...

Zena, Ben, and Sabreena get together to answer some burning questions about the teams of the Eastern Conference for the 2025 WNBA season. Can the Liberty repeat as champions? What’s the ceiling for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever? Which teams, outside of NY and Indiana, are closest to winning their next title? They wrap up the episode with “Out of Context” – where Ben recites a quote, out of c...

With No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers headed to Dallas – plus a whole host of other roster and coaching changes, the Wings are set to have an interesting season, to say the least. Zena, Ben, and Sabreena sit down to talk about where the franchise has been, where it’s headed, and how Paige Bueckers fits into it all – including a Dallas basketball scene that’s reeling from a Luka-sized hole. Then, Sa...

Chantel stops by to chat with Zena about all the action happening inside the NCAA Transfer portal – the biggest names on the move, the schools set to benefit from it all, and the programs that are losing out. Then, Zena is joined by Ben and Sabreena to go name for name on some of the most intriguing players in the WNBA this year – the athletes who could make a big difference in helping their teams...

With the retirement of players like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Candace Parker, and Elena Delle Donne – and the ascension of a new crop of talent in Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and more – a new era is upon us in the WNBA. Zena, Ben, and Sabreena gather to talk about this moment in the W – what it means for gameplay and for the business side of things, and the notable differences in th...

Zena talks to Sabreena and Ben – who was in person at the event in NYC – about the 2025 WNBA Draft: the biggest winners and losers of the night, the most surprising and least surprising moments (like Paige going No. 1 to the Dallas Wings), and the best fits – both on the orange carpet and with their new teams. The crew also discusses Paige Bueckers’ new 3-year deal with Unrivaled and WNBA Commissi...

Zena is joined by Ben and Sabreena to talk through all the insider info you need to know ahead of Monday night’s WNBA draft. In addition to some Draft 101 talk, they get into the intricacies of the recruiting process, including the new opportunities for lesser-known players to get seen and the challenging timeline NCAA recruits face. Then, they go beyond the easy picks to bring you deeper insight...

As the offseason for NCAA women’s basketball gets underway, it’s never too early to speculate on who the big teams and star players will be for the 2025-2026 season. Zena is joined by Chantel to discuss it all – which teams could be on top next year? Which players can fill the void left by Paige Buecker’s exit and JuJu Watkins’ injury? What surprises await in the transfer portal? Plus, a primer on...

Zena, Ben, Chantel, and Sabreena are together in Tampa to discuss the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball C hampionship game: UConn’s decisive victory over defending champs, South Carolina. They talk about the mood in the arena, the dominance of Bueckers, Strong, and Fudd, the way sarcasm bonds Geno and Paige, and where Dawn Staley might look to shore up South Carolina’s roster. – Visit our YouTube page!...

The whole crew is in Tampa to break down the games of the Final Four and look ahead to the championship game tomorrow. They tell you everything you need to be ready to watch defending champs, South Carolina, face off against a very dominant looking UConn. __ No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network Email us: NoOffseason@theathletic.com Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter! YT: &nb...

The 2025 Women’s NCAA Final Four is upon us - and we’re bringing you everything you need to know about the impending match-ups – debate style. Sabreena and Ben face off - arguing for Texas and South Carolina, respectively. Then, Zena and Chantel go toe to toe, debating UConn vs UCLA. Who’s the winner? You decide! Comment wherever you’re listening with your pick, or find us on social media (details...

Zena is joined by Ben and fellow writer for The Athletic, Grace Raynor, to talk through the games of the Elite Eight. Then, Sabreena and Chantel come into the mix for a deep dive into the NCAA’s decision-making around certain key issues: what’s up with the super-regional sites? Why did they open the transfer portal smack dab in the middle of March Madness? And how does all of this affect players a...

Ben and Chantel bring listeners behind the scenes in Spokane and Birmingham, and break down the games that took place over the course of the Sweet 16 – hitting on Paige Buecker’s 40-point performance, Hailey Van Lith’s dominant gameplay, and the freshmen taking the limelight all over the map. Then, they dig into the games of the Elite Eight, making some predictions on who could be moving forward t...

Zena is joined by Sabreena and Ben to get into the match-ups coming up Friday and Saturday in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA women’s tournament. First up, Sabreena talks through the games out of Spokane - what are USC’s chances of beating KS State without JuJu Watkins? Can UConn keep up their momentum against Oklahoma? And does the same apply for LSU vs NC State? Will UCLA stay strong against Ole...

USC superstar JuJu Watkins’ sustains a season-ending knee injury in the second-round of the NCAA Tournament. Zena talks to Sabreena Merchant, who was in the building when Watkins went down in last night’s second-round USC / Mississippi State game. She takes us inside the moment, and spins forward what this could mean for USC and the tournament in general. Then, Ben and Chantel join Zena to break d...

What will be the biggest surprise of the tournament? Can UConn make it back to the championship game? How crazy is it to have Tennessee winning it all? Zena, Chantel, Sabreena, and Ben take your most pressing March Madness questions. Plus, with its inaugural season in the books, the crew checks in on Unrivaled. Then, Chantel talks to legendary coach Tara VanDerveer, for an inside look at the NCAA...

Zena is joined by Ben Pickman and resident bracketologist Mark Schindler to give you all the top tips you need to own your bracket pool. Then, they travel down some potential paths to the Final Four for several of the top-seeded teams in the tournament, and give a special call-out to some of the more under-the-radar teams they think can go the distance to the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight. – Join o...

For this special Selection Sunday episode, Zena is joined by Sabreena and Chantel to break down the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament bracket. First, Zena and Sabreena talk big picture – #1 seeds, which teams fell on which side of the bubble, and potential brackets of death. Then, Chantel joins to share her official – albeit uncertain – picks. And finally, Zena and Sabreena wrap on five potential first...

Zena is joined by basketball writer and bracket whiz Mark Schindler to discuss all things March Madness: the teams most likely to get in off the bubble, the historic wins in conference play this year that are shaking up the field, Mark’s prediction for the number 1 seeds, and how exactly the official bracket gets made — from automatic bids, to at-large bids, to the deal with NET Rankings and the p...

The major conference tournaments have come and gone, and with it, the picture has only become blurrier about which teams will end up on the top line for the NCAA Tournament, which programs will be able to host and how much certain teams drove up (or down) their stock for the committee. Zena, Sabreena and Chantel discuss all this as they recap key moments from a weekend full of big games and big mo...

Start with the NCAA, jump straight to the WNBA, throw in a little Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited, and there is no rest in the world of women's basketball. In No Offseason, Zena Keita, Chantel Jennings, Sabreena Merchant, and Ben Pickman remain to offer you the most detailed analysis in the world of women's basketball, served up alongside interviews with the biggest newsmakers in the industry. Wi...

Representing the nation's No. 1 team, Texas coach Vic Schaefer and star guard Rori Harmon stop by ahead of the SEC Tournament as the Longhorns look to go into Greenville and win the SEC Tournament crown outright. Harmon dishes on her transition to the Texas defensive scheme (and practices), while Schaefer shares stories of his journey, not only as a basketball coach but as a failed pre-med major a...