No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

Big moves in women’s basketball! Caitlin Clark joins NBC Sports for Basketball Night in America — Zena, Chantel and Sabreena break down all elite basketball IQ and competitive insight she’ll bring to the broadcast. Then, Unrivaled hits Philadelphia, making a statement for the league.

Next, we take a deep dive into one program that changed women’s basketball forever — UConn. We explore decades of dominance, from the legendary era of Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, to Paige Bueckers. We break down how this sustained success has left its mark on women’s college basketball — and question whether it’s been entirely good for the sport. Plus, we wonder: could this year’s team run the table and win back-to-back championships?

Then, Chantel quizzes Zena and Sabreena on quotes from Geno Auriemma, challenging them to guess which player each quote is about. Finally, we close with the must-watch games to set your screens to this weekend.

REFERENCES:

Caitlin Clark joining NBC Sports for its new Sunday night NBA pregame show by Devon Henderson and Andrew Marchand

We want to hear from you! We’re asking you to fill out a quick survey about you and your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26. Three lucky entries will win $100 worth of Amazon vouchers!

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No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at [email protected]

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.

What a weekend in women’s college hoops! Zena, Chantel, and Sabreena kick things off with an association-wide roundup, breaking down Vanderbilt’s first loss of the season to SEC rival South Carolina, Iowa’s dominant victory over Ohio State, and the teams making impressive pushes at this stage of the season.

We then take a moment to acknowledge the tragic events in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Turning back to the court, the conversation shifts to Indiana football’s historic win under Coach Curt Cignetti. They examine how investment, coaching, transfer portal strategy, and culture came together to form a championship formula—and discuss how women’s college basketball programs can adopt a similar blueprint, highlighting teams already on that path.

Finally, we wrap things up with a question: Is there a “hot seat” in women’s college basketball?

REFERENCES:

Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma stun South Carolina in overtime victory by Sabreena Merchant

Women's college basketball rankings: Is Duke's 11-game winning streak legit ... or a quirk? by Sabreena Merchant

South Carolina cruises past Vanderbilt, ending Commodores’ undefeated season by Chantel Jennings

Right now, ‘nothing feels right’ in Minneapolis. An NBA basketball game is no exception by Jon Krawczynski

We want to hear from you! We’re asking you to fill out a quick survey about you and your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26. Three lucky entries will win $100 worth of Amazon vouchers!
__

No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at [email protected]

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.

The 2026 WNBA schedule has officially dropped! Zena and Sabreena dive into the release, exploring it amid ongoing CBA negotiations, the FIBA World Cup’s impact on the season, the league’s 30th season celebration, and the creative ways teams unveiled their schedules.

Next, bracketologist Eden Laase joins the conversation to break down early NCAA tournament seeding predictions. She highlights potential host teams, surprise teams that could get in, the significance of NET rankings, and the contenders for the top seed.

Finally, we close out with Set Your Screens, your guide to catching all the action in women’s college basketball.

REFERENCES:

WNBA releases 2026 schedule amid CBA negotiations by Sabreena Merchant

How NYU women’s basketball quietly became DIII’s No.1 team. No NIL, little attention, just winning by Eden Laase

We want to hear from you! We’re asking you to fill out a quick survey about you and your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26. Three lucky entries will win $100 worth of Amazon vouchers!

__

No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at [email protected]

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.

Zena and Sabreena start their discussion by evaluating Rebecca Lobo and Sue Bird’s view that the league’s offer to players is favorable. They then break down the weekend’s biggest upsets—from Kansas State’s surprising win over Texas Tech to the coaching decisions and team chemistry that made the difference. The duo also dives into the Coretta Scott King Classic, unpacking must-see matchups like Ohio State vs. TCU and Vanderbilt vs. Michigan, where strengths were tested and flaws exposed. They step back to assess UConn’s continued dominance, Notre Dame’s challenges, and the bigger question looming over the season: is women’s college basketball finally leveling out?

Plus, Chantel Jennings returns as she takes the hot seat for a game of Two Truths and a Lie.

REFERENCES:

Kansas State stuns Texas Tech, hands Red Raiders first loss of season by Sabreena Merchant

Women’s college basketball power rankings: South Carolina’s Raven Johnson finds her touch by Sabreena Merchant

We want to hear from you! We’re asking you to fill out a quick survey about you and your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey26. Three lucky entries will win $100 worth of Amazon vouchers!

__

No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at [email protected]

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.

WNBA players continue to make waves into Hollywood! Zena, Sabreena, and Ben discuss the crossover of women’s basketball stars into the entertainment world, looking at the history of WNBA players making media appearances and the cultural significance of these transitions.

Next, Zena and Sabreena dig into Unrivaled’s Season 2 TV viewership decline, unpacking everything from sophomore-season challenges and launch timing to competition with the NFL playoffs. They discuss how media rights and cross-promotion affect visibility—especially after last year’s NBA-on-TNT boost—plus how roster turnover impacts team-building. To close, they highlight the player pairings that have stood out most so far. They also dive into roster turnover and what it means for team cohesion, along with the player pairings that have caught their attention so far.

Finally, we close things out with a major news update about one of our hosts.

REFERENCES:

WNBA and players union agree to free agency moratorium until CBA deal is reached by Sabreena Merchant
__

No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at [email protected]

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.