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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Bracketology with Mark Schindler is back on The Athletic and he talks to Zena about his process in preparing for the big dance. They cover everything from what the NCAA selection committee is looking for in seeding teams to his predicted number 1 seeds to dark horses he thinks could cause waves in this year’s tournament. Listen here and read more on his Bracketology series live on The Athletic site.

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Zena and Ben take a brief detour from college and professional women's basketball for a special edition of the show. They are joined by Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson and Ben Nethongkome, the senior footwear designer for Nike Basketball, to go behind the scenes of how Wilson's signature sneaker came to life.

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Zena, Ben, and Sabreena run through the biggest surprises of WNBA free agency as well as what moves will be most impactful, and share some unreported details from the offseason thus far. Then, Ben and Sabreena chat with Sabrina Ionescu about being a free-agency spectator and the atmosphere at Unrivaled. 

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In this special episode of The Athletic Women's Basketball Show, Chantel Jennings brings you the story of Notre Dame freshman forward Kate Koval. Kate grew up in Ukraine, and moved to the US, solo, at age 15 to pursue her dreams of basketball stardom. Less than a year after she arrived, though, Kate's world was upended again, when her home country was invaded by Russia, rending her family apart in ways she could have never imagined – and forcing Kate, and all those around her, to reconsider the true meaning of sacrifice.

Audio clip credits:

LuHi vs St Joseph By the Sea game tape provided by Long Island Lutheran High School

News reports on war from: ABC, BBC, MSNBC

Joe Biden speech in Warsaw March 2022 - WH.gov

Kate Announces commitment to Notre Dame from Instagram (@kateekoval)

Art image credits: Cal Sport Media via AP Images, Spencer Platt/Getty Images, Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Koval Family, Fighting Irish Media

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Zena, Sabreena and Chantel discuss what they learned from both teams in No. 2 South Carolina's win over No. 5 LSU, and what they expect moving forward. Then, taking a cue from the Gamecocks' Joyce Edwards, they analyze the nation's top freshmen this season who have not only impressed but helped raise their teams' ceilings.

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