No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

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 and as a coulda-been MLB umpire.

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-Follow Chantel on X: @chanteljennings

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In this NCAA regular season wrap up episode, the whole crew is back together. Zena, Ben, Sabreena and Chantel sit down to discuss their picks for national player of the year, freshman of the year and coach of the year – talking through the ins and outs of their selections and why certain players didn't quite make the list. Plus: why coach of the year is probably the toughest award to hand out.

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

-Follow Chantel on X: @chanteljennings

-Follow Sabreena on X: @sabreenajm

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No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

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YT: @No-Offseason 

IG: @tanooffseason

TikTok: @no_offseason

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zena and Chantel chat with the Vanderbilt duo about navigating the ups and downs of a season, Blakes' 55-point record-setting game this season and how the pair plan to build Vanderbilt. Plus, Ralph — who played with Diana Taurasi at UConn — shares her favorite memories of Taurasi (spoiler: it involves locking Taurasi in a bathroom).

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Chantel on X: @chanteljennings

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No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Email us: [email protected]

Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter!

YT: @No-Offseason 

IG: @tanooffseason

TikTok: @no_offseason

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It finally happened. On Tuesday, Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi announced her retirement from the WNBA after 20 seasons. Ben and Chantel react to the news, and reflect on various aspects of Taurasi's legacy. They tell some of their favorite Taurasi stories from her UConn, Mercury and Team USA days and share what separates her from others in the sport. Then, they briefly touch on what's next for the Mercury in the post-Taurasi era.

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

-Follow Chantel on X: @chanteljennings

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No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Email us: [email protected]

Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter!

YT: @No-Offseason 

IG: @tanooffseason

TikTok: @no_offseason

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heading into the final week of the regular season, Zena, Sabreena and Ben discuss which WNBA Draft prospects they have their eyes on. They discuss which players have moved up draft boards this college season, which players have fallen and who's stock could improve the most during postseason play.

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

-Follow Sabreena on X: @sabreenajm

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No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Email us: [email protected]

Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter!

YT: @No-Offseason 

IG: @tanooffseason

TikTok: @no_offseason

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sabreena and Chantel sit down with UConn head coach Geno Auriemma. They discuss how much the women's basketball landscape has changed in the 40 years since he arrived in Storrs, how building a program is different than maintaining a program (and what he misses about that building process), how freshmen players have become more adaptable to the college game and which of his pre-NIL players would've most thrived during the NIL era. Then, in this addition to Zena's love letter she discusses a few of the college coaches that aren't often mentioned but have been able to adapt their approach to the game to fit today's era.

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Chantel on X: @chanteljennings

-Follow Sabreena on X: @sabreenajm

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No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Email us: [email protected]

Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter!

YT: @No-Offseason 

IG: @tanooffseason

TikTok: @no_offseason

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zena, Sabreena and Chantel look back at a week that changed both the AP top-6 and their own perceptions of the women's basketball landscape. They discuss UCLA's first loss of the season, UConn finally looking like a title contender against a quality opponent, South Carolina's rough loss at home and how Texas' win over LSU pushed the Longhorns to the No. 2 overall spot in the AP. In a year that has been huge for women's hoops, this past week provided all sorts of excitement and drama.

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Chantel on X: @chanteljennings

-Follow Sabreena on X: @sabreenajm

__

No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Email us: [email protected]

Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter!

YT: @No-Offseason 

IG: @tanooffseason

TikTok: @no_offseason

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taking a quick break from leading the No. 2 Fighting Irish, Miles and Westbeld stop by the pod to share stories from this season, their individual injury recoveries and their beloved cat, Bean. Then Zena does a "love letter to the bigs" where she discusses a few players around the NCAA that have been exciting to watch. Finally, Ben breaks down the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament ahead of the finals, which will see $200,000 go to the winner.

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

-Follow Chantel on X: @chanteljennings

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No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Email us: [email protected]

Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter!

YT: @No-Offseason 

IG: @tanooffseason

TikTok: @no_offseason

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a season that has maybe more contenders than ever, Ben, Zena and Chantel take a look at the three programs — UConn, Tennessee and Stanford — that have most shaped women's college basketball and are in unique positions this season. They examine how each program impacted the sport, where they stand in the national landscape this year and what to expect from them moving forward. Then, they ponder which programs are posed to join these three as sport-builders.

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

-Follow Chantel on X: @chanteljennings

__

No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Email us: [email protected]

Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter!

YT: @No-Offseason 

IG: @tanooffseason

TikTok: @no_offseason

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zena and Sabreena chat with Cal head coach Charmin Smith and fifth-year senior Marta Suárez about the surprising success of the Golden Bears in their first year in the ACC and the culture that this eclectic group has developed in Berkeley. Then, Chantel and Sabreena dive into some other teams that have exceeded expectations in 2024-25, with a heavy dose of SEC programs. Finally, Ben gives a quick recap on the latest moves in WNBA free agency.

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

-Follow Chantel on X: @chanteljennings

-Follow Sabreena on X: @sabreenajm

__

No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network

Email us: [email protected]

Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter!

YT: @No-Offseason 

IG: @tanooffseason

TikTok: @no_offseason

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.