Locked On Women's Basketball – Daily Podcast On The WNBA

Host Howard Megdal is joined by Pokey Chatman, now in her second year of a massive rebuilding project with the Indiana Fever, to discuss her young, talented roster.

Chatman gets into the weeds on exactly how she plans to utilize and develop Kelsey Mitchell, the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, and navigate her between the playmaker role and her ability to score while playing off the ball.

Then there's how Victoria Vivians, the eighth overall pick in 2018, fits into Chatman's up-tempo offense, and where. Yes, the term "positionless basketball" comes up, no surprise given Chatman's innovations on that front.

Other topics include how Candice Dupree will continue to grow into the role of top scorer, whether Stephanie Mavunga can be expected to grab all the rebounds as she did at Ohio State, timetables for Tiffany Mitchell and Shenise Johnson, and both short and long-term goals for the Fever in Chatman's eyes.

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Host Howard Megdal is joined by Lindsay Whalen, wearer of many hats. Whalen just completed an offseason where she participated in Minnesota Timberwolves broadcasts and worked for the Big Ten Network as well. She also accepted an ambitious new challenge: head coach at her alma mater, University of Minnesota, while performing the "Dawn Staley": continuing her playing career, the stellar, vital work she does at point guard for the Minnesota Lynx.

Whalen discusses what her new schedule will look like, the important roles of her first two coaching hires, Carly Thibault-Dudonis and Kelly Roysland, along with how she came to see this as the best way forward for her professionally. What she'll take from observing Cheryl Reeve, what the legacy of her Minnesota Lynx will ultimately be, and how a recruit can ever say no to someone recruiting her from inside the locker room of a WNBA dynasty all come up.

Plus, and perhaps most important, Whalen details the latest plans for Gentry, her Instagram alter ego. 

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Host Howard Megdal is joined by Ben Dull of High Post Hoops. The two discuss the thought process behind each of the first round picks in the draft.

For instance, exactly why is Las Vegas so certain to choose A'ja Wilson, and how will she fit into the way Bill Laimbeer plays? What is it about Kelsey Mitchell that makes her such a great fit for Pokey Chatman's offense? Exactly how should Amber Stocks supplement the all stars she already employs at center (Stef Dolson), shooting guard (Allie Quigley) and point guard (Courtney Vandersloot)?

And on it goes through an absurdly deep first round. Who is a better fit for Washington, the defensive wunderkind Gabby Williams or scorer nonpareil Victoria Vivians? How on earth is a player as talented and ready for the league as Kia Nurse possible falling to ninth in the draft? And can Monique Billings help teams more by bulking up and crashing the boards, or stretching her range beyond the three-point line?

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Oklahoma head coach and Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Sherri Coale joins host Howard Megdal to discuss the compelling case the Sooners have for an NCAA bid. The top line is deceiving: despite an overall mark of 16-14, the Sooners are 11-7 in the Big 12, played the second-toughest schedule in the nation, and own wins over tournament teams like Belmont, West Virginia and South Florida. The two break down precisely how Coale schedules, why she does it, and how it impacts her team. There is also ample WNBA Draft talk, with Coale providing insight into how both guard Gabby Ortiz and center Vionise Pierre-Louis can help teams at the next level.

Then Megdal is joined by Sarah Sommer, basketball writer at The Summitt and D3Hoops.com. Sommer is a high school and lower-division expert, and breaks down the local royals, from Jeff Jasper's Pascack Valley program to the current run from Old Tappan. Sommer also previews the Montclair State Sweet 16 game, a difficult mission—traveling to Amherst.

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Host Howard Megdal is joined by basketball writer Michelle Smith, who covers the Pac-12 for the conference, writes about women's basketball for ESPNW and WNBA.com, sees all and knows all.

The two discuss the weekend ahead in Seattle, where Final Four contenders like Oregon and UCLA vie for better NCAA seeds, and a dark horse, USC, looks to put a bow on an unexpectedly strong season.

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Host and Editor-in-Chief of The Summitt (SummittHoops.com) Howard Megdal is joined by Bill Laimbeer, head coach and general manager of the Las Vegas Aces. Laimbeer discusses the deals he's already made this month, the trio of elite guards he inherited from the San Antonio Stars, and how he plans to build around this group and whoever he might pick in the draft (A'ja Wilson seems likely).

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Host and Editor-in-Chief of The Summitt (SummittHoops.com) Howard Megdal is joined by ESPN broadcaster and Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo to talk about the upcoming Thursday night showcase game on ESPN2 between Texas and Baylor.

The two discuss the perpetually increasing dominance of Baylor's Kalani Brown, along with how her evolving skills dovetail with the growth of Lauren Cox alongside her. Joyner Holmes and the state of her return to last season's effectiveness also comes up, while whether Baylor should be getting more respect among the bracketologists is also addressed.

Then Lobo delves into whether she sees Connecticut or Mississippi State as the true number one team in the country right now. Plus, a dissection of precisely how ESPN managed to get Rebecca Lobo into a box during the Maryland-Ohio State game. SPOILER ALERT: she is not in an actual box.

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After last season's surprise trip to the Elite Eight, Oregon's 2017-18 season has surpassed expectations once again. Host and Editor-in-Chief of The Summitt (SummittHoops.com) Howard Megdal discusses what's gone right and why with Kelly Graves, who has built the Ducks into a legitimate national title contender ahead of schedule. The two talk about the huge leap forward in efficiency from Ruthy Hebard inside as well as long-range threat Lexi Bando. How Maite Cazorla and Sabrina Ionescu share playmaking duties, and what that flexibility means for the team's ability to maximize offensive production is broken down. And the missing ingredient—a top-level defense, night in and night out—is finally here for the Ducks. Graves explains how it happened.

And don't miss Graves talking about The Civil War—with Oregon getting two chances to break the 13-game losing streak to Oregon State this weekend.

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Host and Editor-in-Chief of The Summitt (Summitthoops.com) Howard Megdal is joined by Vanessa Blair-Lewis, head coach at Bethune-Cookman. Blair-Lewis has turned the program into a perennial power, winning two straight MEAC regular season titles and taking a pair of trips to the WNIT.

Blair-Lewis is married to NBA official Eric Lewis, so the conversation begins with a look at not only how the two of them work family time into their busy and conflicting travel schedule, but also the psychological barriers to someone from the world of Team Coach navigating a marriage with someone from Team Ref.

A look at the promising season for Bethune-Cookman so far, including leading scorer Angel Golden and rim protector Chas Brown is also included here, while Blair-Lewis outlines the goals she had for herself and the program when she began—along with what is next on the list of successes.

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Host and Editor-in-Chief of The Summitt (SummittHoops.com) Howard Megdal is joined by Texas head coach Karen Aston. The two discuss the development of Lashann Higgs, particularly her efficiency at the offensive end. Brooke McCarty's ability to create her own shot and improved distribution gets a closer look. Precisely how to work Joyner Holmes back into the mix, what she'll provide and how she'll change the dynamic of the team also comes up.

Big-picture discussion of Texas goals, what the game against UConn will tell us on January 15, and much more come up in this wide-ranging conversation.

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