How did the WNBPA smartly put together an emergency war chest for a time like right now in the middle of a contentious CBA negotiation with the WNBA? Howard Megdal and Jackie Powell show you official financial documents, take you inside new reporting and show you where over $17 Million came from. Later Michelle Smith joins the show to promote her new book Life's Work: How Tara VanDerveer and Stanford Women's Basketball Changed the Sport. And finally Jackie and Howard pay tribute to Kara Braxton and Jeff Jasper, two people whose stories the women’s basketball community cannot forget. 

0:00 - Introduction

1:38 - #1 at The IX 

4:00 - How did the WNBPA create a warchest

19:11 - Michelle Smith joins the show to promote her book “Life’s Work” 

26:22 - How does Tara VanDerveer’s legacy remain in 2026? 

32:41 - Making sure we tell Jeff Jasper and Kara Braxton’s stories 

Thumbnail Photo Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Links to click that are referenced throughout the show: 

Howard details the WNBPA’s “war chest”

https://www.theixsports.com/wnba/wnba-players-to-receive-2025-revenue-sharing-payments/

Buy Michelle Smith’s “Life’s Work: 

Use code IXlifeswork to get 20% off

https://www.triumphbooks.com/life-s-work-products-9781637278673.php?page_id=21

Read about Jeff Jasper: 

https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2026/02/jeff-jasper-njs-all-time-girls-basketball-wins-leader-to-retire-after-53-years.html

Remembering Kara Braxton: 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/wnba/2026/02/23/former-wnba-two-time-champion-kara-braxton-died-in-a-car-accident/88830166007/

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The 2026 Olympics in Milan are over, and Team USA is victorious. Canada got Silver, Switzerland took home bronze, and there's lots to discuss about the success of the Americans and the downfall of the Canadians.

Alyssa and Maya discuss the need for an independent coaching staff as Team Canada moves on from this loss. They also discuss the best American team ever created, and how Canada didn't quite seem to have it this tournament.

Plus, the PWHL is back, so Alyssa and Maya break down one thing each team needs to focus on for the second half of the season. And Kristen Campbell shares her key focus for the Vancouver Goldeneyes in the second half of the season.

Listen to Reid talk about the Minnesota Frost: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uzaK8T11zd87qsJixYb3C?si=lI2lQTYwScSp1A7nj6joFw

Listen to Silvia talk about the Seattle Torrent: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0pf6aB6EIGEEcRA4xzDFHw?si=xviya373SmqO5EJgGRaSzQ

Listen to Lydia talk about the Boston Fleet: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7it5SvFTBSkpehO86Q6Inr?trackId=260qSIxwsIYmdq3wF5ac0e

Cover Photo credit: Amber Searls | Imagn

Campbell Photo credit: PWHL

The USWNT is preparing to face Canada, Colombia and Argentina in the annual SheBelieves Cup. Host Kathleen Gier runs through the schedule, the roster and other women's soccer headlines.

In yet another jam-packed show, Howard Megdal and Jackie Powell update listeners on the latest CBA proposal the WNBPA sent the WNBA. And then Howard shares what he’s heard around the league when it comes to the lack of time that’s left to come to an agreement. Later Hunter Cruse hops onto the show to provide analysis on the trends of prospects in the 2026 WNBA draft class, along with his risers, fallers and dark horses from the class. Then Howard and Jackie interview Athletes Unlimited’s Jacy Sheldon and she discusses her goals at this point of her career along with her thoughts on which team is the most hated within the Big Ten. Finally, the pair close it out by examining if UConn should be concerned with their performance following limited minutes from Sarah Strong against Villanova this past week. 

0:00 - Introduction

1:40 - #1 at The IX 

3:45 - What Howard has heard about CBA deadlines

5:37- Notable  

6:54 - Hunter Cruse joins the show 

7:52- 2026 WNBA draft trends 

10:05 - spotlighting guard prospects 

11:50 - Risers and fallers in 2026 draft class 

15:08 - Dark Horse prospects

19:13 - Jacy Sheldon on why Athletes Unlimited 

21:54 - Sheldon’s thoughts on CBA uncertainty 

24:49 - Could Sheldon break out in the WNBA?

29:23 - Who is the most hated Big Ten program? 

30:51 - Court Vision: How was UConn without Sarah Strong?

Thumbnail Photo Credit: Left to Right: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images, Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Video Credit: Howard Megdal

Links to click that are referenced throughout the show: 

Howard’s latest Edition of The IX Daily: 

https://www.theixsports.com/features/just-what-is-the-wnba-cba-deadline-hear-from-denise-dillon-denae-carter/

Hunter Cruse’s latest mock draft at Bleacher Report:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25257478-2026-wnba-mock-draft

Follow Hunter’s other work: 

https://www.youtube.com/@HunterCruse14

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Apple Podcasts 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ix-sports-podcast/id1845604905

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https://bsky.app/profile/theixsports.bsky.social

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The 2026 Winter Olympics are coming to an end, which means it's time for the medal games in women's hockey. Sweden and Switzerland will play first for the bronze medal. Then, the biggest rivalry in sports, Canada and the US, will play for gold. Can the Canadians bounce back from six losses against the Americans? Or is the Gold medal already in the hands of the US?

Silvia and Maya break down how we got here and what each team needs to do in order to take home a medal on Thursday.

Then, they talk about how the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Seattle Torrent have fared this season as the new expansion teams in the PWHL and what will be key to moving forward and having a strong second-half of the season.

Follow Maya on X: https://x.com/mayaxeverysport

Follow Silvia on X: https://x.com/badnands

Read the Gold Medal preview: https://www.theicegarden.com/2026-olympic-gold-medal-game-preview/

Read the Bronze Medal preview: https://www.theicegarden.com/2026-bronze-medal-game-preview-sweden-vs-switzerland/

Photo credit: David W Cerny | IMAGN

Host Kathleen Gier talks about two blockbuster NWSL moves involving Croix Bethune and Claire Hutton. She also discusses the Coachella Valley Invitational and the USWNT's roster for the SheBelieves Cup.

It’s the Aneesah Morrow show! No, just kidding. But this episode does focus on the rising WNBA sophomore quite a bit. The IX Sports Podcast Women’s Basketball Edition has a pair of guests on this week’s show. First Conneticut Sun beat reporter Deyscha Smith joins to discuss a one-on-one interview she had with Sun rising star Morrow. She just signed with Reebok and has been shining at Athletes Unlimited. How is she doing it all? Later, Howard and Jackie share a recent conversation they too had with Morrow. And finally during the forward thinking Court Vision segment, Jackie runs through some CBA related updates from Breanna Stewart who was candid on the latest episode of her new podcast with NBA player Myles Turner, Game Recognize Game with Stewie and Myles. What stood out to Jackie and Howard about what Stewart had to say?

0:00 - Introduction

2:44 - #1 at The IX 

5:31 - Deyscha Smith joins the show 

8:12 - Aneesah Morrow has impressed in Athletes Unlimted 

10:59 - Why Morrow signed with Reebok

12:30 - Morrow’s viral abs

14:45 - Jackie and Howard’s discussion with Morrow 

15:12 - Morrow’s adjustment to AU format

17:30 - Morrow’s injury history and how that shaped her 

19:52 - Who Morrow has learned the most from at AU

21:39 - Tina Charles player comp?

23:28 - How Morrow is dealing with CBA uncertainty

25:28 - Court Vision 

26:16 - Breanna Stewart gives a CBA Update

29:27 - What stood out about Stewart’s update?

30:12 - Katie Barnes surveyed other WNBA players on CBA

33:47 - Signing off

Thumbnail Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Video Credit: Game Recognize Game with Stewie and Myles

Links to click that are referenced throughout the show: 

Read Annie Costabile’s reporting on housing compromises in CBA negotiations: 

https://frontofficesports.com/wnba-cba-owners-response-revenue/

Deyscha Smith’s latest story about Aneesah Morrow: 

https://www.thenexthoops.com/features/aneesah-morrow-talks-reebok-signing-becoming-mismatch-nightmare/

Deysha Smith’s story about Morrow from this past September: 

https://www.thenexthoops.com/wnba/connecticut-sun/the-emergence-of-aneesah-morrow-how-the-sun-rookie-is-perfecting-her-craft-on-the-boards/

Howard’s latest CBA related basketball Wednesday:

https://www.theixsports.com/basketball/wnba-cba-engelbert-chen-wnbpa/

Our show from last week which goes well with Howard’s latest column: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHgAOfimO5o

Full episode of Game Recognize Game with Stewie and Myles: 

https://youtu.be/ts2I8pPECG4?si=9TAvpue0WCmbV-5-

Katie Barnes was on the ground in Nashville surveying players about the status of CBA negotiations: 

https://www.espn.com.sg/wnba/story/_/id/47895660/wnba-cba-confidential-athletes-unlimited-players-negotiations-union-league

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It's the mid-way point of the PWHL season, so Maya and Reid revisit their pre-season predictions for the Minnesota Frost, the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the PWHL.

First, they recap the Olympic Games thus far and talk about Team Italy's surprising quarterfinal birth. And, they discuss Team Canada's 5-0 loss to Team USA in the preliminary round, what happened, and how Canada can fix things moving forward.

Lastly, Reid gives their Top Shelf Prediction for the gold medal game.

Follow Reid on X: https://x.com/reidol15

Follow Maya on X: https://x.com/mayaxeverysport

Frost Bites Episode with Kendell Cooper: https://youtu.be/dFkSSP12LQo?si=MQ-R6wPwuzwSDFN6

Pre-season prediction articles: https://www.theicegarden.com/2025-26-pwhl-season-preview-vancouver-goldeneyes/, https://www.theicegarden.com/2025-26-pwhl-season-preview-minnesota-frost/, https://www.theicegarden.com/tig-roundtable-2025-26-pwhl-season/

Photo credit: PWHL

Host Kathleen Gier celebrates one month of work at The IX Soccer, running through some of the recent stories you might have missed. She also shares some insight from Annie Peterson's interview with Mallory Swanson about her return to soccer, previews the UWCL Playoffs and talks about Denver's record-setting sales.

In a jam packed episode, Jackie Powell first breaks some news about two of the former WNBA players who are joining Chris DeMarco’s New York Liberty coaching staff in ex-Sky assistant Courtney Paris and now former Sun Manager of Basketball Development Kristen Mann. She and Howard inform the listeners on what they learned following the first in-person CBA meeting between the players and owners in months. Later Jackie takes the listeners down memory lane and asks Howard to explain to us why a story he wrote almost four years ago matters a lot today as the WNBA and WNBPA continue to hammer out a new CBA. Later the pair interviews Kaitlyn Chen of Athletes Unlimited where they discuss her first experiences with the league and why her former college teams in Princeton and UConn are having great seasons. Lastly, Jackie and Howard examine the leaked 37 points that came from the WNBA’s latest CBA proposal and point toward improvements for pregant players and roster expansion as some key features.

0:00 - Introduction

1:22 - BREAKING NEW YORK LIBERTY NEWS

3:40 - Inside the WNBA and WNBPA CBA meeting 

8:28 - What does this WNBPA instagram post mean?

10:32 - Why the battle for charter flights in 2022 still matters now

20:52- Sophie Cunningham’s understanding of where things are 

25:28 - Our discussion with AU’s Kaitlyn Chen 

34:24 - Inside what the WNBPA Executive committee is thinking 

36:21- What stood out in the WNBA’s leaked 37 points in their proposal  

38:14 - Why pregant player trade consent matters 

40:41 - Roster expansion at last 

42:36-  Signing off

Thumbnail Photo Credit: Left to right: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images, Andrew Dolph / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images and Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images.

Links to click that are referenced throughout the show: 

Go back in time with us and read Howard’s story about the state of WNBA ownership: 

https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/03/01/charter-flights-violation-new-york-liberty-joe-tsai-daily-cover

ESPN and Front Office Sports report on how both the WNBA and WNBPA felt after Monday’s meeting: 

https://frontofficesports.com/wnba-offered-no-proposal-at-critical-cba-meeting/

https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/47011671/wnba-cba-negotiations-wnbpa-updates-latest-news

Madeline Kenney with an important column on the CBA meeting: 

https://nypost.com/2026/02/03/sports/the-wnbas-insulting-approach-to-cba-talks-isnt-helping-anyone/

Howard’s reporting on the Dearica Hamby lawsuit: 

https://www.thenexthoops.com/features/las-vegas-aces-circumventing-wnba-salary-cap-allegations/

https://www.theixsports.com/features/new-details-on-aces-investigation-matt-feels-we-should-not-engage-the-commissioner/

Jenn Hatfield’s latest on Princeton’s Olivia Hutcherson: 

https://www.thenexthoops.com/ncaaw/mid-majors/princeton-olivia-hutcherson-timing-scoring-athleticism-ivy-league-wbb/

Follow us & Subscribe on: 

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ix-sports-podcast/id1845604905

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