No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
No Offseason is The Athletic’s show for all things women’s basketball. Hosts Zena Keita, Chantel Jennings, Sabreena Merchant, and Ben Pickman bring you the stories that matter the most and the insider info you need from the sport that never stops – served up alongside exclusive interviews with the biggest names in women’s hoops, from the NCAA to the WNBA and all points in between. New episodes drop Tuesday and Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Zena, Ben, and Sabreena gather to discuss Napheesa Collier’s explosive exit interview statement, examining Phee’s words and the meaning underlying them from nearly every angle — what players really think about WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the power dynamics at play and the NBA’s role behind the scenes, the physicality of the current game and the rise of injuries, the influence of Unrivaled, and the element threaded through al...
Zena, Ben, and Sabreena take a dive deep into the highly anticipated Game 5 semifinals match-up between the Aces and Fever. Will A’ja Wilson bring her A-game? What adjustments will the Aces make? And how can the Fever pull off the ultimate upset? Then, the crew share their thoughts on the emotional end to the Lynx’s season – and the Mercury’s ascendance to the Finals.
Next, following Cheryl Reeve’s suspension after the Mer...
Following two technical fouls during Game 3 of the semifinals – and some very choice comments during the post-game press conference – Minnesota Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve has been suspended from Game 4. Zena, Ben, and Sabreena gather to break down the details behind the suspension, and answer the question: is it justified?
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References:
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve suspended for Game 4 following ejection d...
Zena, Ben, and Sabreena dive into the semifinal games, breaking down what made the difference for both the Aces and the Mercury in securing their wins. Then, they turn their attention towards Game 3 in each series: Can the Fever regain their momentum? Will the Mercury make the most of their homecourt advantage and edge ahead against the Lynx?
Later, the crew goes behind the scenes of recent coaching changes in the WNBA, di...
Zena and Sabreena are joined by Brendan Glasheen, play-by-play announcer for the Connecticut Sun and Unrivaled. Together, they dive into the WNBA semifinals, discussing the performances of the top MVP vote-getters in their respective Game 1s, plus what adjustments the Aces and the Mercury need to make if they’re going to notch a win next time around.
Then, it’s a deep dive into Unrivaled: the impact the league’s first seas...
The WNBA playoffs have reached a fever pitch, and Zena and Sabreena are processing their feelings in real time. After a dramatic Thursday of Game 3s, the pair breaks down the clutch performances from the Fever and Aces to advance to the semifinals and salutes the efforts of the Dream, and especially the Storm, in defeat. They also preview Game 3 in Phoenix and figure out what lessons the Liberty and Mercury can take from the V...
The first games of the postseason are in the books! Zena, Ben, and Sabreena share their takeaways after Sunday's games, from the Liberty’s road overtime win to the Aces continued hot streak -- providing insights into player performances and strategies that could impact each series in game 2.
Plus, we discuss the impact of the growing popularity of the WNBA -- specifically on ticket prices and fan culture at large.
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Zena, Sabreena and Ben discuss the final few days of the Chicago Sky’s season before turning their attention to 2025 WNBA Playoffs. They break down each of the four first-round series, discussing key matchups and X-factors, before predicting who will advance. Then, they offer predictions for who will win it all this postseason.
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Get in touch! Leave a c...
We will have our full 2025 WNBA playoff preview episode dropping later today!
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Visit our YouTube page!
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Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or write to us at: NoOffseason@theathletic.com
You can also find us on social media:
-Instagram: @tanooffseason
-TikTok: @no_offseason
-Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita
-Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman
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As the playoff standings are taking shape - Zena, Ben and Sabreena delve into the impressive win streak of the Las Vegas Aces and the evolving dynamics of teams like the New York Liberty and the Golden State Valkyries.
Then, their conversation shifts to their award predictions! Will this be a year of repeats? Who will be the MVP? Is it an easy choice for Coach of the Year? The crew continues on exploring the criteria...
With the WNBA season nearing a close, Zena, Sabreena and Ben discuss Angel Reese’s comments on the future of the Chicago Sky before coming with a group of made-up WNBA awards. Then, Las Vegas Aces forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus joins the show to share her insights on returning to the court two months after giving birth, balancing motherhood with her playing career and her decision to join the Las Vegas Aces.
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In this bonus episode, Ben Pickman and Sabreena Merchant discuss Caitlin Clark's injury announcement and its implications for her season and the Indiana Fever. They analyze the impact of her absence on the Fever's future and the overall growth of the WNBA. The conversation highlights the challenges faced by the Fever this season and the missed opportunities for the league due to Clark's injury. They also speculate on Clark's recove...
It's time once again for our mailbag episode! Zena, Ben and Sabreena answer your questions on all the buzzworthy topics of the 2025 WNBA season. Is there transparency in injury reporting? Has advanced analytics changed the way rookies have come into the league? Does the WNBA lack the depth to sustain expansion? And do special whistles exist in the W? Tune in to find out!
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Visit our YouTube page!
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Ben returns to the show – joining Zena and Sabreena to discuss Rhyne Howard’s post-game comments concerning “MVP” chants breaking out for A’ja Wilson during the Aces-Dream game in Atlanta – plus, the crew digs in on Caitlin Clark’s new signature brand logo with Nike.
Then, they do a deep dive on the Golden State Valkyries inaugural season – why they’ve had so much success both on the court and off, what future expansion teams ca...
Zena and Sabreena discuss the highlights from this past weekend in the WNBA – from the Aces extending their winning streak to the Storm increasing their playoff probability. And, in light of Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh’s ejection from the Sky-Sun game on Saturday, they debate the difference between the W’s infamous “physicality” and outright fouls.
Then, Zena and Sabreena take a deep dive into the Rookie of the Year conversati...
A record-breaking 2025 season continues for the WNBA, and Zena and Sabreena are back to break down two of the biggest moments of the week: Sue Bird’s statue unveiling in Seattle and Paige Bueckers’ rookie-record 44 points against the Sparks, even in a losing effort. They also touch on some more injury news out of Indiana and Dallas and even more drama regarding the attempted sale of the Connecticut Sun.
Then, it’s time for...
Zena and Sabreena take stock of a historic WNBA weekend, including A’ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers, and Kelsey Plum all reaching individual milestones while the Golden State Valkyries set a record for the most wins by an expansion team. They also get into the latest injury news out of Indiana.
Then, senior investigative writer Carson Kessler joins Zena and Sabreena to discuss The Athletic’s latest investigative series on stalk...
Zena, Sabreena, and Ben start with a temperature check of the WNBA. They dive into the Las Vegas Aces’ five-game winning streak and what their latest win over New York tells us about each of the rival squads. They also share their thoughts on the hatching of Violet, the new mascot of the Valkyries, and the increasingly complicated potential sale of the Connecticut Sun.
Then, Meg Linehan (women’s sports lead at The Athletic...
Zena, Ben, and Sabreena break down the start to WNBA Rivals Week – discussing some key injuries around the W that have dampened excitement for some of these matchups. They also touch upon A'ja Wilson's historic night, and how DiJonai Carrington and Brittney Sykes are making an impact on their new teams.
Then, the crew turns their attention to who could be the 2025 WNBA MVP. What gets factored into making that decision? How much ...
Zena and Sabreena recap the Brittney Sykes and Aaliyah Edwards trades made at the WNBA trade deadline, and assess Seattle's potential as a contender, plus Washington's direction after its surprising hot start.
Then, Ben joins to discuss his reporting on the wave of bright green sex toys being thrown onto WNBA courts. He takes us into the world of memecoins and crypto disruptions and what this trend has to do with women's b...
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