No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

Ben, Zena and Chantel take stock of some current top teams to discuss how much they truly trust that group to get the job done. Is it: In UConn we trust? Or better to rely on UCLA? South Carolina? TCU? Or another squad? And which teams in the field do they definitely not trust?

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

-Follow Chantel on X: @chanteljennings

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Zena, Sabreena and Chantel discuss the best weekend of women's hoops since the 2024 Final Four, recapping the USC-Notre Dame and UCLA-South Carolina games. They break down what went right for Notre Dame and UCLA and what could've gone better for USC and South Carolina while looking ahead to what it all means as these teams try to remain national title contenders.

 -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

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YT: @No-Offseason 

IG: @tanooffseason

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The upstart 3x3 winter basketball league will begin play this January. Recently-hired general manager and EVP Clare Duwelius joins Zena and Ben to discuss why she left the Minnesota Lynx for the new venture, explain more about Unrivaled’s place in the women’s basketball landscape, and talk about how players are at the center of the new league in more ways than one. Then, Zena and Ben debrief their conversation, analyze the league’s six rosters and provide an update about Caitlin Clark’s involvement.

 -Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

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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 discuss five of the biggest surprises they've had through the first two weeks of the season. They discuss TCU's big win over NC State with a veteran core, two Big Ten teams that have surpassed expectations, South Carolina's slow starts, two transfers that didn't get enough attention ahead of the season and how surprising (or not surprising?) it is that Kentucky looks like ... Virginia Tech?

-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.

Ben and Sabreena chat with new Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh about making the jump to head coach and what to expect from Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso in 2025. Then, Zena joins to break down the interview and set the stage for the Sky, as well as the Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings, and Washington Mystics in Sunday's WNBA Draft lottery.

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

-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.

With four recent Final Four teams on the floor in Charlotte this past weekend, Ben, Zena and Chantel look at what it takes to build a dynasty in women's college basketball right now. They discuss how NIL, the transfer portal and history play into dynasty building and wonder which schools will next take the mantle.

-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, Ben, and Sabreena’s discuss The Athletic’s recent series of stories on the wave of WNBA coaching firings. They discuss why so many WNBA teams made changes, where teams might be looking for replacements, and how and why the ecosystem of possible candidates is more limited than many people realize.

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

-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.

Zena and Chantel break down the opening games of NCAA season, focusing on the close contests in Vegas and Paris. They discuss the bright performances of key returners like Juju Watkins, Chloe Kitts, and Lauren Betts, as well as those of freshmen Syla Swords and Taj Roberts. They wrap up discussing the rout of Notre Dame over Mercyhurst and the impact of Olivia Miles' return to the floor.

-Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-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.

In a bonus podcast episode, Sabreena and Ben are joined by new Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White and president of basketball and business operations Kelly Krauskopf. Part 1 of the episode is a conversation with Stephanie and Kelly discussing the hiring process, the next steps in Caitlin Clark's development and the new era of the Fever. The second part is a debrief between The Athletic's writers breaking down their takeaways from a busy Fever offseason and their reactions to where the franchise is heading.

-Follow Ben on X: @benpickman

-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.

Zena and Chantel turn the page from the WNBA to the NCAA and walk through a refresher of the emerging talent in the NCAA. While Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins rightfully demand attention, they also discuss new players in new systems, the country's sophomore takeover, and new freshmen to look out for.

 -Follow Zena on X: @itszenakeita

-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.