2026 WNBA Draft Winners and Losers

Summary

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No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show

Episode: 2026 WNBA Draft Winners and Losers

Hosts: Zena Keita, Chantel Jennings, Sabrina Merchant

Date: April 14, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the outcomes and immediate fallout of the 2026 WNBA Draft. Hosts Zena Keita, Chantel Jennings, and Sabrina Merchant analyze the most significant moves, surprising picks, and how teams addressed their needs—or didn’t. From top selections to trades and overlooked prospects, the conversation is rich with insider info, draft-night color, and thoughtful debate about who the real winners and “losers” of the 2026 draft might be.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Vibes and Draft Night Fits

• The crew opens with lighthearted banter about the draftees’ style, especially Azzi Fudd and her standout looks and nails (02:47).
  • Sabrina notes the attention draftees now pay to their appearance:

    “Not just changing the fit, but also changing the nails.” (02:47, Sabrina)

  • The conversation highlights how presentation and personality are becoming as prominent as game analysis in women’s hoops draft coverage.
  • Memorable Moment: The group digresses into nail-care habits among players, celebrating the intersection of style and sport (03:18).

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The #1 Pick: Dallas Wings Select Azzi Fudd

• Debate over Dallas’s selection of Azzi Fudd and the surprise of not choosing Olivia Miles or Awa Fam (04:27–08:52).
  • Chantel shares the inside journalism scramble, trying to predict who Dallas would pick amidst last-minute free agency moves:

    "We know there’s going to be a number one draft... I had 600 words that were just, you know, thrown away because of it." (05:02, Chantel)

  • Kurt Miller’s philosophy (Dallas GM):

    “‘AZ was our pick, is our pick. But the free agency success in the post made it crystal clear.’” (07:02, Zena referencing Miller)

  • Key insight: Team chemistry and player fit with returning star Paige Bueckers tipped the scales for Fudd, even as many thought Olivia Miles might have been a more natural positional fit.
  • Sabrina’s hot take: Dallas should have taken the bigger swing on Awa Fam, arguing for upside over fit.

    “If it were me, I would have just taken who I thought was gonna be the best player going forward and… just run with it.” (09:50, Sabrina)

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Top 5 Picks, Shocks & Surprises

• Olivia Miles at #2 (Minnesota):
  • Confidence & candor in her draft-night interview:

    “I mean, I love when people are honest… And I think anyone who’s covered Olivia… isn’t going to disagree with what she said. And B, know she’s a hyper, confident player. Like, you have to be.” (11:49, Chantel)

• Awa Fam to Seattle at #3:
  • Seattle’s “all the trees” approach to building a formidable frontcourt, surprising some who expected a more positional approach (13:06).
  • Sabrina highlights Seattle’s aggressiveness:

    “Seattle deciding, like, effort. We’re just going to, like you said, take all the trees.” (13:36, Sabrina)

• Tyiana Mayer to Seattle (#2 First Round):
  • Huge surprise as she wasn’t widely expected to be a first-rounder; hosts discuss how standout tournament moments can alter perceptions (14:28–15:07).
• Golden State’s Pick and Trade of Flau’jae Johnson:
  • The trade to Seattle for Martha Suarez and a 2028 second-rounder is dissected; debate on player-market value and “fit” culture in the Bay Area.
  • Sabrina:

    “I like it better for Seattle… I just think, like, that addition of athleticism… is a really good piece of business.” (20:22, Sabrina)

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Washington Mystics: Another Draft Haul?

• Washington maximizes volume, amassing Lauren Betts (#4), Angela Dugalic (#9), Cody McMahon, and more (25:48–28:10).
  • Mystics praised for grabbing Betts, a rim-protecting center who could anchor their defense for years.

    “Just getting her, to me, makes this draft a win for the Mystics.” (28:06, Sabrina)

  • Question about overall draft strategy:

    “I don’t really know what the draft strategy was. It was just, like, players that we like. I don’t know how it fits together.” (27:58, Sabrina)

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The Raven Johnson to Indiana Fever Flashpoint

• One of the night’s most talked-about picks due to past on-court history with Caitlin Clark (31:42–35:56).
  • Zena:

    “Raven Johnson to Indiana. Whoa. Interesting. That one was… for reasons that have nothing to do with basketball…” (30:50, Zena)

  • Sabrina recounts the “waving off” moment from Clark and how off-court reaction is affecting fan and media response (33:20).
  • Panel is unanimous: Indiana is focused on winning and building culture, and Johnson’s defensive upside justifies the move.

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Winners, Losers, and Trends

• Biggest Winner:
  • Sabrina calls Latson slipping to #20 and going to the Sparks “a pretty big win”:

    “Every time you talk to a coach…about Ta’Niya Latson, they’re like, she can get downhill against anybody.” (39:17)

• Insider Note: Shift in college-to-WNBA school allegiance because of transfer portal; players now strongly associated with their final schools, not where they started:
  > “So of the 12 players that played in college for the first round draft pick, six of them are transfers…” (40:23, Chantel)
• Mid-Major Talent: Shoutout to Charlie Dugan of Davidson, the lone mid-major drafted, amid an international-heavy class (42:02).

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Fit & Free Agency Intertwined

• Discussion of how draft fits align (or clash) with ongoing free agency activity.
  • Chantel observes the “two ends” of the league now: Vegas and other contenders just filling roster spots, while Seattle/Washington are in full rebuild and development mode (43:53).
  • Sabrina comments on Toronto’s methodical expansion draft:

    “Toronto gets Kiki Rice at number six… that’s a good learning spot…” (44:32)

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International Player Trend

• Surge of international draftees, increasingly picked younger than their U.S. college counterparts:
  • “...the international players being able to come in much younger, whereas the college players have to…be 22, I believe…” (45:58, Zena and Sabrina)

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Draft Picks Ready-Made for Success vs. Needing Development

• Best Fit:
  • Sabrina: “I look at Connecticut’s roster… I love [Nika Mühl’s] fit… everybody will be wanting to like run a fast break with you…” (47:43, Sabrina)
  • Zena: Praises Olivia Miles landing in Minnesota—a team starved for a point guard with Lauren Betts anchoring the frontcourt. Cheryl Reeve and Lindsey Whalen’s mentorship is highlighted as crucial for Miles’ development (48:07, Zena & 49:31, Chantel).
• Best Co-Situation:
  • Chantel singles out Kiki Rice in Toronto, who’ll benefit from both playing time and coaching under Sandy Brondello (49:31).
  • Zena points out the new stylistic freedom for Miles under Minnesota’s disciplined system:

    “They have such a discipline to them and a demeanor and a poise… but hell, Minnesota could…use a little bit of pizzazz.” (50:55, Zena)

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Not just changing the fit, but also changing the nails. Yeah. Like, it’s a lot.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (02:47)

• “Kurt Miller said… ‘AZ was our pick, is our pick. But the free agency success in the post made it crystal clear.’”
  — Zena Keita (07:02)

• “If it were me, I would have just taken who I thought was gonna be the best player going forward and, like, just…run with it.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (09:50)

• “We know there’s going to be a number one draft... I had 600 words that were just, you know, thrown away because of it.”
  — Chantel Jennings (05:02)

• “Shout out to North Carolina, Davidson. Charlie’s [Dugan] done getting drafted in the third round. I was just happy to see a mid major there.”
  — Zena Keita (42:02)

• “I don’t really know what the draft strategy was. It was just, like, players that we like, you know, I don’t know how it all fits together.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (27:58)

• “Raven Johnson is an outstanding defensive player and yeah, she’s 5 foot 9 but her length is insane. Like just watching her sit in the stance, I literally like watching this on the podcast before. It’s like one of my favorite things.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (33:59)

• “The Storm is a team that could be in the lottery, you know, in the coming years potentially... if they get these pieces in place…we might look back five years from now as AWA falling to Seattle at the number three pick as one of the, like, most pivotal moments for this franchise.”
  — Chantel Jennings (21:45)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:47 — Azzi Fudd’s fit and nails get attention; playful banter on draftee style.
• 04:27 — Discussion begins on Dallas’s surprising #1 pick and free agency implications.
• 11:49 — Panel praises Olivia Miles’ draft-night confidence.
• 13:36 — Seattle’s “all the trees” approach: positional debate and strategy.
• 15:37 — Breakdown of Golden State’s pick and trade of Flau’jae Johnson.
• 20:22 — Hosts declare Seattle the winner in the Flau’jae Johnson trade.
• 25:48 — Washington Mystics’ draft haul discussed in detail.
• 30:50 — Raven Johnson’s selection by Indiana cited as a culturally significant, surprising pick.
• 39:17 — Sabrina highlights Sparks as draft “winner” for getting Latson at #20.
• 42:02 — Mid-major representation and international picks discussed.
• 47:43 — Panelists cite best team/draftee fits and which rookies are positioned for immediate impact.

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Conclusion

This extended episode brings lively, multi-faceted analysis of the 2026 WNBA Draft’s biggest headlines—and the subtler, culture-shaping moves. The hosts blend tactical insight with pop culture perspective, making sense of team strategies, revealing under-the-radar stories, and framing the ripple effects on the next WNBA season and beyond.

Stay tuned for more breakdowns, roster analysis, and subscriber-only content from “No Offseason” via The Athletic’s soon-to-launch newsletter.

Transcript

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[Sabrina Merchant]

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[Zena Kaeda]

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[Chantelle Jennings]

Hello.

[Zena Kaeda]

Hello, everyone, and welcome to no off season live. I'm Zena Kaeda.

[Chantelle Jennings]

I'm Chantelle Jennings.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And I'm Sabrina Merchant, y'.

[Zena Kaeda]

All. 2026 WNBA Draft. It's officially over. It's in the history books. And we are here to break it down. We're gonna be talking about the winners and the losers. I put that in quotes. Okay? No true losers out here. We'll see what happens. There's been some shocks, there's been some surprises. We're gonna talk about who's fitting with their team the best. Then, oh, yes, free agency madness. That Makes all of this even more messy. All right, so let's go ahead and dive right into it because it's been a long night. Chantel, Sabrina, you guys have had quite the evening trying to keep up with all the news. Sabrina, you even keeping up with the drama of the fits. I particularly loved you noticing that Az Fudd1 upped Rekia Jackson this year.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah. Not just changing the fit, but also changing the nails. Yeah. Like, it's a lot.

[Zena Kaeda]

Pop them off, baby. It comes off easy.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah.

[Zena Kaeda]

I mean, clearly they were not, like, properly installed, like, in the sense of, like, a gel situation to probably pop them.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I was looking at them, like, on the original broadcast, like, that black and white thing she had that she was showing Drea, and I was like, oh, these are not Drea. That was like, Malika and Sinead. And I thought they were like, you know, gel X or something. Like, oh, lot in. Yeah.

[Zena Kaeda]

New. That's the new version of nails. Yeah. There's. There's, like, a whole world that I'm learning. Shout out to Ari. Ari Chambers. That put me on to. I might be changing my nails lately. I was like, how do you guys have time to sit there and get your nails done? And she was like, oh, no, no, no, sweetie. It's not that. It's not that. And so we'll. We'll have a whole different conversation about that on a different.

[Chantelle Jennings]

I just appreciated that, like, during the. I'm gonna call it the post game. Like, the post game interview with Az when she was up there with the esp, Andrea and AC Were like. They almost got into a conversation of how people play with nails like that. But, like, Andrea caught herself and was like, oh, we're not gonna, like, get into this. And I was like, but this is what the people want. I would love to know. I know, like, because you go into the locker room sometimes in the postseason, I'm like, that's what I'm most curious about. I'm like, how.

[Zena Kaeda]

How are you doing it every time during. Especially during unrivaled. Right. Because that's supposed to be, like, the off season when you see folks that have nails my length, and if you're not listening, it's like, you know, little half inch above my nails, and they're shooting free throws and making them. I don't know. I don't know how they still have the control.

[Chantelle Jennings]

This is what people came here for. Right?

[Zena Kaeda]

This is clearly what they came here for. Let's go ahead and go past the nails. Go past the amazing retro fat dress that was worn by Azbud, the second dress of the evening. Um, this was a year where there was no clear number one pick. I mean, Laja and I were just on a pod talking about all the different options that could be had. And in the end, it ended up being az bud and reuniting with Paige Beckers on the floor for the Dallas Wings. What did you all think about this pick in the end?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Chantel, you want to go first or.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Well, I will say that. So some, like, insider journalism for you is that we pre write these things like we know there's going to be an number one draft. And so I had written up the, you know, AWA fam. Theam goes number one overall. And then free agency happens. And I text Sabrina and I'm like, so how are we feeling about this user that I wrote? And Sabrina was like, not great. I was like, okay, I'll write. All right, Olivia. Because looking at all of these pieces, I'm like, they need a point guard, someone who can score but mostly facilitate. Like, you have all these weapons. Get someone who could be a generational passer in this league that has the good court vision, that has the IQ to play and, you know, doesn't have to shoulder everything immediately for this team. And then this morning I was like, I should also probably write easy up, But I do feel like it was those three options. And so I have like 600 words that were just, you know, thrown away because of it. But, you know, I'm. I didn't have a chance to listen to Kurt Miller. I believe he was having a media availability right before we came on here. So I'm excited to see the quotes that come out of that. I think Olivia, to me, just would have made more sense in terms of what they need right now. Like, the idea of getting both Paige and Enrique off ball and having someone that you can trust sort of going downhill, delivering the passes. Yeah, I think I would have. I would have liked to see Olivia there. We'll see how it works. This is one of those things where it's like three years from now, if everything's great, it was the best pick ever. Three years from now. If, you know they're kind of in the same spot, it's like, well, you probably should have taken a point guard or I feel like Sabrina probably has an even different opinion than I have on this one.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So I feel like they just should have taken awa. Like, I mean, let's.

[Zena Kaeda]

Okay. Before we get to Sabrina's take, I'm. I wanted to just Quickly talk about what GM Kurt Miller said for the Dallas Wings. AZ was our pick, is our pick. But the free agency success in the post made it crystal clear. And I really wanted to say that quote because I do think it lends to what we all thought he might have chosen in AWA fam Diamond and having signed Alanna Smith, just Shepard and that's the success that he's alluding to makes it seem as if, yeah, there might have been a little bit of a bottleneck in the post in terms of playing time or opportunities to touch the ball. Now if you're the Washington Mystics, they don't believe in that. But in Dallas there's only a little bit of post space to go around and it felt like they wanted to go with the guard. Now with that being said, there still did feel like it made more sense to have an Olivia Miles for the reasons you just laid out. Chantel to have a ball handler and someone that operates with the ball in their hand to alleviate Paige Beckers from having to be the main defender to having to be the main shot creator, having to bring the ball up the court, go off of, you know, pass it off somewhere, go off of screens to set themselves up and then get going. As the main ISO creator for the Dallas Wings, it felt natural to be able to have someone to alleviate that pressure of ball handling and then let Paige cook off ball. That said, there is something deeply you cannot match the chemistry that Paige and Az built for years at UConn. Right. And they know how to play against each other, I mean off of each other, on the floor, in a back court. So there is something to be said about that. Now that all laid out, Sabrina, your thoughts on who you thought could have been in that number one spot?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Like the way I see it is if you have Paige backers and you're the Dallas Wings, you don't expect to be in this position again for a very long time. As long as Paige Backers is on your team. I don't think you expect to be in the lottery. Frankly, you expect to be a playoff team every single season. So the opportunity to select at number one, at number two, at number three even is not going to come around if things go according to plan. And I like easy a lot but I don't think she's going to be top five, top 10 player in the league. Like I just don't think that's her ceiling. I think she's going to be a really good complimentary player. I think our fam could be one of the best players in the league if things work out, you know, and yeah, it's a risk. It's not going to happen right away. It's going to be harder to get her minutes when you have Atlanta Smith, when you have Jess Shepard, when you have, you know, Leah Ru or walk. We are on the team this year. But I just think that this is your chance, right? Like, this is your loan opportunity to take a big swing. And it's not as if you can't backfill the roster in free agency. I think free agency has proven that, like, you can get a lot of good players who want to play next to Paige. Right?

[Zena Kaeda]

Right.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Like Atlanta Smith and Shepherd coming in is just proof positive that, like, hey, Dallas is no longer a destination that people don't want to come to. Like, Paige will be the magnet that draws everyone. So if you needed to get a shooter in free agency, I feel like that's a doable thing as opposed to, like, this generational athlete. We haven't seen people with her type of, you know, fluidity and size in the half court. I don't know, I just felt like a really big opportunity to pass up on. And yeah, I had Miles in the spot because I didn't think that they were going to take it big. But, like, if it were me, I would have just taken who I thought was gonna be the best player going forward and, like, just. Just run with it.

[Zena Kaeda]

And that's what most teams do, right? Regardless of draft, regardless of sport, at the number one spot, you take the best available player, period. That could become a generational talent. And you know what we know about Awa Fam, it's. It is not just the A6 4, you know, big that's available to you. It's a 64 big that can create off of screens. This is a 64 big that can short roll, that can roll off of screens with Paige and be a viable option that defenses now have to make decisions off of. And I think that's more so the. The aspect of what could have opened up for Paige. Of course, putting a shooter beside her absolutely can open things up for her. But as you mentioned, Sabrina, does a shooter need to be chosen at the number one spot? Not necessarily someone that can lay out the table for the team and ensure that you've got some attention coming up the court where Paige can take a breather once in a while. I think that is something that if you really wanted a guard, I agree with you. I think Olivia Miles was right there. But Olivia Miles does go Number two, not too mad about it. I adored the confidence that she had in her conversation with Holly Row. I just love the unapologetic nature of it. She did say, I'm sorry. And I was like, don't say sorry. No, you are amazing and you feel like you're unmatched. What do you guys think about that interview?

[Chantelle Jennings]

I mean, I love when people are honest. Like, I think that's the worst part. Like, you know, press conferences are what they are and these, like, televised interviews are what they are. But, like, people are very rarely 100% honest in them. And you sort of get these moments where it's like the truth is said and it's like, that was a moment where I think Olivia said it and then was like, oh, wait, Like, I don't. I think she heard. I mean, obviously she heard how it sounded. Like that's what everyone kept saying was that the sound in the. At the shed was like booming. So she heard how it sounded and was like, I didn't mean it like that. And I think anyone who's covered Olivia, anyone who's played with or against Olivia, a, isn't going to disagree with what she said. And B, no, she's a hyper, confident player. Like, you have to be. If you're like, none of these players that are going to the WNBA are like shrinking violets that are like, no, no, no, your turn, please. Like, you take all. Like, what are we talk.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Think about the tournament. Right? Like, her biggest highlight was crossing over Paris Clark. Right. Getting to the basket and then just like mocking Paris immediately on the way down the court. Right? Like, this is who Olivia Miles is for good reason. Right, Right.

[Zena Kaeda]

And I just love. I mean, I love the mention even that Chelsea Gray is like, someone she looks deeply up to. Yes, yes. Because that's the vibe and energy of Chelsea Gray. Like, it's a movie. Right? It's. You're on the real now.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Right?

[Zena Kaeda]

So this is exactly what I love to see out of Olivia Miles. But Olivia going number two wasn't too surprising. Our fam going number three. All fans, Seattle. What is happening with the trees in Seattle? It's going to be terrifying what's going on in Seattle as you guys, as we go through. I mean, thinking about all the picks that happened tonight, what were the biggest surprises for you?

[Chantelle Jennings]

I'll let you go first on this one.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah. So I don't. I don't think AZ was necessarily a surprise. Just something like I personally would have done awa, like Seattle deciding, like, effort. We're just Going to, like you said, take all the trees. Not a huge surprise, but like a little bit of a surprise where people are like, a little bit more positionally conservative. Right. They don't want to draft at the same position where they already have, like, Dominique Malanga. And you already just committed the largest contract in WNB history to Essie Magma Gore. Like, there are people in Seattle who are part of their, you know, team now and for, you know, a good few years out. So a little bit surprising that they still went in that direction. I think Seattle's second pick of the first round was very surprising. Tyena Mayer. Yeah, not somebody we really had in this first round conversation, obviously not somebody who was invited to the green room. Had a really good senior season at Duke. And, you know, I mentioned this in our live blog, like, Seattle's head coach and assistant general manager were in Sacramento watching those games for Duke against LSU and against ucla. And I think those are maybe two of Tyena's best games of her college career. Frankly, on that stage, it's like a good chance to get yourself noticed. But I was just, I was shocked when Tyena got picked there because it just again, like, it just seemed like a big jump from where we had her pictured. And tonight Latson still on the board there, so that was somewhat surprising, I will say. I was also very surprised when Golden State took Flage Johnson because I just didn't think of her as a Golden State type of player. Like, the shock on Flash's face was literally the shock on my face. As that being announced and then her being traded. I was like, oh, okay, I get it now.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah. Okay, let's actually dig into this one because we've got some folks that are in the chat, I mean, literally early, someone said that they were here to just kind of basically commiserate over the Flage trade. And I want to break that trade down because a lot of folks have questions about, like, did Y ask for the trade? Like, how did this happen? X, Y and Z. I also just found a comment that said press ons have come a long way. I should. I needed that earlier in the show, but let's get back to it.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yes.

[Zena Kaeda]

YJ gets chosen by the Golden State Valkyries at number eight and then is traded for Martha Suarez and a 2028 second round pick. This is interesting for several reasons. I have thoughts, but I'm gonna let y' all go first. So, Sabrina, you just said that you were surprised by her being picked up in the first place. Chantelle, were you there as well? Or were you more surprised by the trade?

[Chantelle Jennings]

I mean, like, in some ways I do feel like she fits the Valkyries. And I also feel like Flage is someone. And we're at the point in the WNBA where, like, everyone loves Flage. Like, she is someone who is going to bring fans to the games. She is someone, like, beyond being an asset on the floor, I think she's also an asset off the floor. Like, she is a personality and she's someone that people know. And so, like, I don't, you know, you can't say that about everyone in this draft. Like, I think there's a lot of players who are probably going to contribute more on the floor, though. I think she's, you know, defensively, motor wise. Like, energy. People love playing with her. Like, she brings all of that to the floor, but also more so than, like, I'm just throwing out names here. Like, Angela Dugalic, like, is going to turn out fans when it comes to wherever she goes. And so I sort of thought, like, well, like, it's not totally outside the realm of, like, this is where we are with the league. Like, she is someone that is going to expand the reach of a fan base because of who she is and everything she does outside of basketball, but also she's just really exciting to watch on the floor. And so I don't think I was as surprised as Sabrina, but then, you know, the trade. Oh, you do? I think I. I'm so tired at this point that I'm like, okay, all right. I weather. I weather the waves a little bit. And then it was like, all right, this was in the works. Got it.

[Zena Kaeda]

Exactly. And that's exactly. You have to get into the mind of their gm, Oheman, Yanin, and also get in the mind of that. And you can get in that mind pretty easily after you watch what the Valkyries did last year and their prioritization of players. One, international players, but also this build of players that can, that are bigger, that are defenders that can shoot outside. Martha Suarez, that makes sense for that bit. You know, they really love dogs, like, quote, unquote, dogs. Like, that's their energy. And that's what Mark Campbell called Martha Suarez. Like, that was. That's her energy. That was her vibe in her last year at tcu. But the other connection to, you know, the Valkyries is Martha Suarez was a Cal Bear before she was at tcu. Very much Bay leaning in that regard. So she's. Well from. She's familiar with the Bay. She's familiar with this, this space in that Regard. I know there was a comment, Chantelle, you and I were talking about the fact that Andrea Carter was talking about Gabby Williams being signed to the Valkyries having a tie to the Bay. I would say that marches for us. Going to Cal probably has even more of a tie to the Bay than, you know, than. Than Gabby Williams joining. But honestly, when I think about what Flage could have been for the Valkyries. Yes, absolutely could have been a franchise player. Absolutely could have been a star. From all of the aspects of what comes with Flaw J, not just her ISO creation, which I think the Valkyries absolutely needed. Right. You saw Veronica Burton and Tip Hayes be made their main creators, especially after Caleb Thornton went down. And Caleb Thornton wasn't a creator. She was someone that could shoot outside, she get to the basket, but that wasn't her main shtick. They needed someone that can just go, you know, go off, get to the basket, get bowed, etc. Get to the line. And so that's where I was like, ooh, okay, this makes a lot of sense. But when I think about what Natalie Nakase is like, her ethos of defense and how that plays out, I don't know if that fits BJ necessarily, because if you remember Tip Hayes, as much as she was an ISO creator for or, you know, tried to be an ISO creator for the Valkyries, she was also one of their best defenders by far. And you need that two way aspect as well. And so I think I get from that perspective why it might not have been a fit for the Valkyries. That said, Seattle just continues to come up, I think in the midst of people that, you know, can create, can't put the ball in the basket, can run and all the above. So I do think out of these two, I want to ask you guys, who do you think is a winner or a loser? Loser, I put in quotes. But thinking long term, who's going to potentially win out this trade, in your opinion?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I like it better for Seattle. I realize like the, the framing of two second round picks for one first round pick makes it seem like it's a real big value dichotomy. But like one of the second round picks they gave up was literally the first pick of the second round. So it's almost a first rounder. Right. But I just, I think Flage like is really talented and obviously like you mentioned, both of you just the, the draw in terms of like the appeal of bringing in a fan base. Golden State doesn't necessarily need that like selling out every game anyway. But like Seattle a Little boost, not a problem. Right. And I just think, like, that addition of athleticism, they have not really, like, a lot of guards in their future plans in Seattle. You know, like, Jordan Horson is on the team, but other than that, like, Saya Cook is like, their longest cycle. Brown are, like, the longest tenure guards. Like, there's a lot of opportunity for Flage here, and I think just taking a swing on her when, you know, at the start of the season, we probably thought of her as like, a lottery pick, right. And to get her for this, you know, amount of draft equity, I think is a really good piece of business. And Martin Suarez, obviously, good player. Like, you have to give up good players to get good players. But, like, Flash is a little bit younger. I think she's a better athlete. I think she's a better defender. And I just. I don't know. I like the swing. And especially because, like, the Storm are clearly not trying to win right now. Like, you have a Runway to, like, just try some things out. So I think it's a good place for her.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah. Chantel, anything you add on that one?

[Chantelle Jennings]

No, I mean, I think the last point that Sabrina made is the. The point that really stuck with me is like, the Storm is a team that is building with a longer Runway than, like, this is not a team that is trying to win right now. This is a team that could be in the lottery, you know, in the coming years potentially, because of what their records look like over the next few years. And so it's like, if they get these pieces in place and then you think about the fact that, like, we might look back five years from now as AWA falling to Seattle at the number three pick as one of the, like, most pivotal moments for this franchise. Because it's like, I don't think, you know, before Kurt Miller went out there and said that Lon Smith was like, their number one target in free agency, I don't think Seattle thought they had a chance of landing awa. Like, I think everyone assumed AWA was going to Dallas, and so it's like, the fact that she ends up there, they get Flash. Like, I just think they're building pieces that, like Sabrina said, you can experiment. Talisa Ray can, like, try things. And it's like, not everything is going to work, especially with young talent. It's going to look messy at times.

[Zena Kaeda]

But.

[Chantelle Jennings]

But I think the ceiling for this group, as time goes by and as. As they build together, could be really exciting for what they could do in Seattle together.

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[Zena Kaeda]

Now, I love you guys are talking about Seattle and their long Runway because it makes me think of, we got to talk about Washington. I feel like they just, they got everyone. There's like so many people. And the funny thing is we thought about this, we thought this about them last year, that they got a haul. And you look at the, their draft picks for this season and it's like, oh, they got another haul. So for you, start with, you know, you get Lauren Betts at the number four pick. You go get her teammate Angela Duglitsch at the number nine pick. And I'm curious if y' all expected the Angela Duglish pick at number nine. I was a little surprised, but I didn't know if you guys thought that.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I mean, once they invited her to the draft, it seemed pretty clear that she was going to get taken in the first round.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sabrina Merchant]

You don't, I don't know, it just didn't seem like a name that you just bring, like for her eyes. You know, you invite her because you think she's gonna be drafted in the first. No, no. No disrespect to Angela Jugli.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Yeah, well, the Mystics had one fifth of the first round pick, so it's like she had a pretty good chance of ending up there.

[Zena Kaeda]

There you go. And so you're, so you're looking at, so you're looking at first round. They got Lauren Bets. They get Angela Douglas. They also get Cody McMahon. And we were chatting about Cody McMahon early in our group chat earlier. Just thinking about somebody that's a ready, ready made scorer for the W. And the way that we kind of thought about Rekia Jackson. Right. One of those players that are like, give up her years at Tennessee. She's good. She's ready for the league. Some folks felt like that about Cody McMahon as well. So they get those three in the first round. Then they go get Cassan Prosper from Notre dame at number 19 in the second round. And then Dariana Little Page Bucks. I mean, really solid picks for, for Washington. Thinking about this Runway and what they're building. And of course, you know, we also Saw that Shakira Austin gets resigned. They've got Kiki, they've got Sonya, they've got Georgia Amor coming back off of injury. Like, what. What are your thoughts on that team and what they're building over there?

[Sabrina Merchant]

You want to start, Chantelle?

[Chantelle Jennings]

Oh, no, you can start. Go ahead.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Okay. I gotta be honest. I don't really know what the draft strategy was. It was just, like, players that we like, you know, I don't know how it all fits together.

[Zena Kaeda]

Oh, and Rory harmon.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And Rory Harmon.

[Zena Kaeda]

982. Do not let me forget someone who

[Sabrina Merchant]

spent a lot of time taking pictures of London Jones standing next to Lauren Betts. Like, that's all I would do at Mystics games is just Rory Harmon and Lauren Betts. I hope that opportunity comes. But, yeah, I. Obviously, when you have, what, six picks in a draft, end up with six picks. Yeah. You don't expect all of them to make your roster. Like, maybe they could, but, like, this is. It's not like you're trying to figure out how all of these six players are going to stay on the court together. Right. Like, that's not the goal. But I don't know, it seemed like they picked, like, a lot of very solid college players, which is fine. But, like, I'm always hoping for, like, more imagination in the draft. You know, I want teams to, like, think bigger and think a little bit, you know, broader. Like, it's not just players who, like, had good careers and, like, you know, the Big Ten and the Big 12. But yeah, I mean, Lauren Betts, just getting her, to me, makes this draft a win for the Mystics. Because I realize, like, the way we talked about, like, AZ and Olivia and I were, like, all really good prospects. But, like, I kind of think, like, Lauren was the second best prospect behind. I agree. And just because of, like, positional reasons, she didn't get picked higher, but, like, huge win for Washington to get her there because you have a rim protecting center who can defend the paint. Like, that is just an enormous part of your roster construction is solved. Like, that's such a big piece to fill. And I'm very happy that, like, she lands in a good spot where she's clearly very happy to play with Mikaela on Andre, like, that was such a nice, you know, addition to all of this. Like, once. Yeah, like, I wrote this in the mock draft that went out today. It was like, oh, they're gonna put in as many ruins as possible.

[Chantelle Jennings]

That's.

[Sabrina Merchant]

That's the goal here.

[Zena Kaeda]

I mean, they got, you know, 20, 21 rookie of the Year and Michaela Nuweri, maybe possible another rookie of the year. We know Kiki and Sony were. Were in the mix last year, but never know what could happen with Lauren. Okay. I want to keep going on, like, surprises, things that were, like, fascinating. It's important to note while the Mystics did what they did, they helped make a record with ucla. Six picks in this draft coming from that program, just won a national championship, and then boom. They also just casually just take over, like, literally take over the entire draft, which was insane. I want to keep going into, like, things that shocked you. I. And this is a conversation that's being had on the Internet right now. Raven Johnson to Indiana. Whoa, Interesting. That one was. That was. That was interesting. And it's interesting for reasons that have nothing to do with basketball. I feel like. I think we all feel in the same way of, like, Raven Johnson is capable of fitting in wherever she will find a role, she will do what it takes to be able to help her team win. We saw that throughout the course of her collegiate career. Of all the places for that to be demonstrated. Steph White said, I don't give a damn about y' all fans that don't like Raven or feel some type of way about it. We like her. We want her to come in. Um, but, you know, there was also commentary about, you know, Raven coming off the bench behind Caitlyn. I. And obviously Caitlyn is a point guard. So trying to figure out where. That was a surprise for me.

[Chantelle Jennings]

What.

[Zena Kaeda]

What is the fit? What this culturally from a fan perspective and how Raven might be perceived. I thought that was probably the one that was like the most jarring. But the team itself will benefit with her. What. What did you guys think about this overall?

[Chantelle Jennings]

I mean, I was talking with a GM who told me that they thought, you know, Raven might be the best defensive guard in this draft class. Like, again, if we're thinking about this in terms of basketball, which we should like, if you have an opportunity to get the best defensive guard, you want that on your team, right? And so it's like, why. Why wouldn't you select someone like Raven? And I do think that, like, beyond that ball handler, someone who is just one Final Four after Final Four after Final Four, and I think just the ability to be a winner, be a culture builder. The South Carolina reunion with Aaliyah is going to be wonderful for her. And I think sort of that culture building aspect as this team continues to grow. But like, I think just defensively, when you can have those Players that fit pieces and can be locked down defenders. That makes sense to me from just like an X's and O's perspective.

[Zena Kaeda]

And Steph White is a definition of an X's and O's coach. Like she's going to go find the right talent to be able to add to her squad. And I agree with you. I think Raven Johnson is undeniable at the, you know, who do you want as a dog between her and Rory Harmon? You know, you can't really debate. But curious, Sabrina, what you thought about just the overall vibe of how that was received again on the Internet in the annals of conversation that maybe weren't on the court because that was a big conversation off.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I mean we should just specify for people who are a little bit newer here the reason why it's such a big deal that Raven Johnson is joining Caitlin Clark on Indian Favors because there is a very, very memorable moment in the 2023 Final Four when Iowa upset undefeated South Carolina and Raven Johnson was setting up for a open three pointer and Caitlin kind of waved her off and it just became this emblematic situation of like, oh, Caitlin doesn't respect Raven Johnson as a shooter. As we've come to learn, Caitlyn defends all three point shooters that way. Like, it's not, I don't think it's personal towards Raven Johnson, but you know, I think what both of you had said, Raven is an outstanding defensive player and yeah, she's 5 foot 9 but her length is insane. Like just watching her sit in the

[Chantelle Jennings]

stance, I literally like watching this on the podcast before. He's like one of my favorites about it.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, like it's, I cannot illuminate it enough. Like it's one of my favorite things just to watch Raven Johnson play defense. And you mentioned Rory Harmon and unfortunately because Rory Harmon is a bit smaller, her arms are not as long as Raven Johnson. Like Raven is just more defensively versatile than Rory is going to be. Like, she can do a lot of things schematically. She can guard up. Like she defended Sarah strong capably in the Final Four. Like that wasn't a switch matchup. That was by design. Raven was the primary defender on Sarah Strong for long stretches of that game and you can put her on the ball, you know, and like have her play with Kelsey Mitchell and she's sort of running the show and you let Kelsey run off all those screens. Like she does so well in the half court. You can put her off the ball if Caitlin wants to run, you know, and like she's Working on that spot of three point shooter. It's gotten better over the course of her five years at South Carolina, I think. You know, pairing her with a Lee Boston, like you mentioned, another South Carolina guard, just signing Indiana and Ty Harris, like that gives her some comfort there. But like you said, like she's, she's just a winner, right? Five years in South Carolina, she played in four Final Fours. She played in three national championship games. You know, one, two national titles. Well, she was a red shirt for one of them. But like she's a two time national champion in South Carolina. So there's just a lot to love about Raven Johnson and like when you're the 10th pick in the draft and you can get a player who you believe in, like, I know for a fact that Indiana's front office appreciates what Don Staley does at the college level. They like the way that she develops players and you know, they clearly have a lot of faith in Raven's ability to play right away. And you look at the Indiana Garden right now, like Sydney Coulson, she's out with a torn acl, right? Like, who knows when she's able to come back. They didn't resign Eri Macdonald or Odyssey Sims, right. So they have Kelsey Mitchell, they've got Lexi hall, they've got Lexi Hall's more of a three, I guess, in their system. But like there are opportunities to play back a point guard and I think you can immediately try Raven Johnson out there and like, maybe it's not a huge role because Caitlin is going to play a lot of minutes, but like there's an opportunity here and I think it's a good spot for Raven and I think she just was a really productive, like winning player in college.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah. So. Yeah. And I want to say as a final note for all of you listening, these are all professionals and Raven posted her piece about she's excited to get to Indiana and Steph, Steph White, head coach of Indiana Fever, said they're excited to have her in Indiana. So let's just be real. Everyone's gonna play basketball and everyone's gonna focus in and do the job. So let's all focus on the basketball. As Chantel said, however, Indiana fans, please, please be kind. Okay? We've seen, we've seen some things before with Raven, particularly because of that dynamic. I think Caitlyn's extremely excited to have somebody that's gonna be able to help her defensively. And you never know, they could play together. Could be a little bit of situation where Caitlin gets to play off ball. You never know. We know that it was a lot of fun watching that. I don't see Sims in the in the playoffs as well. So without of course it was with Kelsey and Odyssey, but we'll see what happens when Kelsey and Caitlin and Raven get an opportunity to play together.

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[Zena Kaeda]

Okay Sabrina, I know you got a piece coming up on the site very soon here. Biggest winners, folks that I'm thinking about people that might have been snubbed. I mean, Chantelle, you probably know I'm thinking about a Particular player from Texas that I felt like could have gone in one of these rounds, Kyla Oldacre. Of course I'm thinking about my girl, Kyla Oldacre. But anyone thinking about some big winners here and you know, that you saw throughout the draft that we haven't touched on just yet.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I mean, I don't want to be a homer, but like, I think the Sparks are a pretty big winner for getting Tonia latson at number 20 tonight. You know, one of the people invited to the draft falls out of the first round. I was kind of getting like Cheyenne Sellers vibes. Like, we obviously saw a big brace on Tana Lassen for parts of the season. Was there something in those medicals that like kind of scared people off? I don't know. But like every time you talk to coach, opposing coach, front Office, first about 10 outlets, and they're like, she can get downhill against anybody. Like, whether she's wearing the brace or not, she's like the fastest player on the court. So I think that is just an awesome talent AD for la. Like, sucks for Latson because, you know, we're looking at a WNBA where if she had been, you know, the seventh pick or the eighth pick in the draft, she's making $310,000 and $40,000 comes off her salary because she's a second round pick now, which is not an insignificant amount of money. So hopefully this is a good fit for her and she sticks. But yeah, I think the Sparks are a big winner. Getting really a first round talent without a first round pick.

[Zena Kaeda]

Okay, Chantel, any big wins that you're thinking of?

[Chantelle Jennings]

I'm gonna go with all of the players that got drafted to Las Vegas, Dallas and Seattle because they don't pay income tax there. And so props to those checks that are going to be coming in. So I think that's a good winner. I do want to point out a loser because so of the 12 players that played in college for the first round draft pick, six of them are transfers. Some of them are. I'm trying to look, maybe there's no double transfers on here. MARTA was a double transfer so early second round. But like, you know, you think about like Notre Dame, they don't like necessarily get to claim Olivia Miles in the way that TCU claims Olivia Miles right now. You think about, I mean, Dougalach and Bets are transfers, but like, you know, I think we associate them so much more with UCLA than we do with Stanford and Oregon. But like Cody McMahon graduate from a

[Sabrina Merchant]

school you should have more of an attachment to them and we just like didn't notice any of that.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Right. But like Cody McMahon, like Ohio State's not going to be like, you know, all of like the Big Ten, what, what she did in the Big Ten. It's more about Ole Miss and so, you know, or like Gianna Neepkins, Utah. Like I. We're gonna think of her as a UCLA player just because of the success she had there. But she spent the majority of her career.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Sarah Williams, like Wisconsin gets no credit for.

[Zena Kaeda]

Right.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I mean, Charlie Walker graduated from Washington State.

[Chantelle Jennings]

Right, right, true. So yeah, I think transfer portal is a winner here. And then all those schools that they transferred from, our losers.

[Zena Kaeda]

So.

[Chantelle Jennings]

So it goes.

[Zena Kaeda]

That's a good point. It's a good way to lay it out. I'm gonna say one winner. Shout out to North Carolina, Davidson. Charlie's done getting drafted in the third round. I was just happy to see a mid major there in the middle, the midst of all the international picks as well.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Literally a mid major. That was the first mid major. We didn't see Maggie Dugan, we didn't see Brooklyn Meyer, like real lack of mid major talent in this draft, which kind of goes in line with how the tournament went.

[Zena Kaeda]

That's a good point. That's a good point. I was curious if, you know, I mentioned Kyle Orlicher. The Reagan Beers aspect was interesting too, of her not getting an opportunity. But I don't know if there's question about, you know, her game being able to translate. We could talk about that on a different pod, folks that maybe didn't get an opportunity, but maybe we'll look at them in training camps and there might be some chances there. But let's talk a little bit about fit because and I'm not talking about the fits on the orange carpet because even though they were all teeth, they looked amazing. They were amazing looks. Shout out to all the stylists that worked extensively hard and also shout out to coach. They continuously are showing up for the W in a way that I think is really awesome from a high fashion profile brand and that's awesome. But just thinking about things that we're seeing, you know, first impressions of the way that free agency is shaking out alongside these draft picks. We've already talked a little bit about what, you know, Seattle, what they're looking like. Talked a little bit about the Valkyries and such, thinking about, you know, other teams like Atlanta, Connecticut for example. Any other teams that are popping up in your mind of like, ooh, some of these picks look really Good. Alongside their, their new free agency acquisitions.

[Chantelle Jennings]

I mean, I think about Las Vegas here. I feel like Sabrina pointed this out in the blog, but it's like on one end of the spectrum you kind of have like Seattle and the Mystics, and then on the other end you have the Aces where it's like you just got to sign someone at the minimum, just got to get someone in there for less than you're going to pay all of your bets. So I think like that's sort of the two very distinct sides of the WNBA that we have right now where you're having. You have teams that it's like they want to win right now. They do not care about being in the draft lottery anytime in the future. And then you have other teams that it's like, well, we can expect to see them at the top of the draft lottery moving forward. So.

[Zena Kaeda]

Okay, Sabrina, where you in?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I really liked Toronto's draft. You know, they get Kiki Rice at number six in the first round, which I thought was like perfect range for her. You know, they picked up Julie Almond in the expansion draft, so you don't have to have a rookie point guard. It seems like they're trying to win some games this year based on their free agency signings. You know, with bringing Brittany Sykes in, you know, going after Shakira Austin, which ultimately they did not get her. But I think that's just a good learning spot, like from a very pass friendly point guard like Julia Aleman. But then you can also play next to Marina and Sykes, who are ball handling guards who also like to score. Like there's just a lot of ways to learn how she wants to fit into the wnba and I think like, there'll be minutes for her and she has a role there. I also loved their pickup of Teoni Key because they don't have a ton of bigs on that team.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yes, they have Izzy Harrison, which I thought was an interesting pairing of Tiana Key and Izzy Harrison. Similar games in that regard. But like, yeah, I absolutely think that was a really great pickup of developing a young big and having someone like a vet like Izzy Harrison behind her potentially or starting, and then Tiana Key picking up behind her. I think that was a really good pickup. Thank you for calling that out.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I really liked that pick.

[Zena Kaeda]

I don't know enough about Saffron Shields from Australia that was.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I couldn't tell you anything about their other two picks, but I liked the first two a lot.

[Zena Kaeda]

So it was. And that was another.

[Sabrina Merchant]

That is enough for them to really like their tracks.

[Zena Kaeda]

I think that was another thing that was like, oh, a lot of folks had questions about the amount of international players and you know, this is a conversation, a bigger conversation, a larger conversation. One that has continued on with the international players being able to come in much younger, whereas the college players have to be out of, you know, or reach a certain age before they can declare for the draft. Basically being 22, I believe it is, versus you could be as young as 20 or 19 to declare internationally.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Sabrina, correctly the year of the draft. So you don't have to turn 20 yet, but by the end of 2026.

[Zena Kaeda]

That's right. Okay. And first of all, also a side note. Allah fam Tiam can read me the dictionary. Oh, I love. I was just like, my goodness. And it was so funny too because you saw AZ go up there and then Olivia go up there. Both of them were like, oh, my voice. I don't want to hear my voice. Awa was not deterred, like not even in the slightest. Went straight into the interview. Was really, really good. And I'm excited to learn more, a little bit about her for sure. But okay, now what team, what draftees I want to close out with this one are basically walking into, like, this is the best thing that could have possibly ever happened to you. Like, this team was ready made for you to slot right in versus something that has to be a little bit of a build up or something. We have to see a little bit more development. I think almost everyone we've talked about so far has been a little bit of we'll see, we'll see how it feels. Feels. But anyone that you thought, oh, wow, couldn't have made a better spot for you,

[Chantelle Jennings]

you can go ahead, Sabrina.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I mean, I look at Connecticut's roster and not a ton of shooting on that team like Layla Lacan, Sny Rivers, really dynamic guards, and Issa Morrow, like gets a lot of work done in the paint. You're just like crying for some spacing, especially with Marina Maverigan, John and Eakins. I love it. Okay, minutes, like everybody will be wanting to like run a fast break with you so you can pull, you know, somebody out of the three point line. I think it's a great fit.

[Zena Kaeda]

The release valve is going to be crazy. Yeah, love that. I love that. I thought the Olivia Miles to Minnesota, like, I mean you talk about a team that is just starving for a point guard. It did end up working out. She ends up going to Minnesota in that way and there's really not going to be you know, competition. You've seen Atisha Heideman go to Seattle in, in free agency, and that was a real main thing that they needed is someone that could be a ball handler and could handle the pressure, you know, coming up the court.

[Sabrina Merchant]

But Chantelle, let me talk about Minnesota real quick though. Yeah, we can also, Olivia Miles has previously, like, I've been lucky not to have any coaches who have put any, like, guardrails on the way I like to play because she is throwing the ball over the place, right. And she's very flashy. It's part of the drill, right? Like, this is what you get when you have Olivia Miles. And I am intrigued by the pairing of Olivia Miles. There is going to be some headbutting here. I wonder what it's going to look like. I mean, obviously Courtney Williams, ton of personality comes to Minnesota, like, figures out how to reign in parts of her game. I'm sure Olivia Miles is going to have to go through a similar type of adjustment. But, like, it's. It's just something that caught my eye, right? Like, I think Shelby was an awesome coach. I think Olivia Miles is going to be an awesome point guard. I do think their styles are a little different and there's going to be some meeting in the middle happening.

[Chantelle Jennings]

I'm glad you brought this up because I was actually going to highlight Olivia and Kiki Rice, but for kind of like separate reasons where I think we talk sometimes about, like, it's not, not like where you fall to in the draft. It's where you end up, but I also think it's who you end up with. And I think Olivia Miles is a situation where it's like, you know, if, if she's going to be in Minnesota. Also, one of the assistant coaches for the Links right now happens to be four time WNBA champion with the Minnesota Links, former point guard Lindsey Whalen. Like, if you're going to be in Minnesota playing for Cheryl, like to have Lindsay Whelan as a coach that you're working alongside, you can watch film with, you can work with, do individuals with like, like, that feels like a really great spot for a pure point guard to be in. And I think similarly, Kiki Rice to be on an expansion team in Toronto where there's going to be minutes to be had. There are some pieces there that are exciting, but also to be with Sandy bro, this experienced WNBA coach who can sort of help you mold in these early years of your career and go from being this rookie to a more experienced player. Like, I think those were two Spots that I thought like, oh, I, I like where. Not even like where they ended up with, but like with whom they ended up with. I thought that that really can help make a career, especially early on when it's like, you know, we know the average WNBA career isn't super long. So to like have that kind of individual coaching early on can make such a difference.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah, I don't know. I feel like the stud buds opened the door for Cheryl Reeve to just be like, okay, you know, there might be a different way to do things. I don't know. I just, I do feel like there is going to have to be some level of reeling. And it's not even just Cheryl Reeve. It's more so how Minnesota plays. They have. They have such a discipline to them and a demeanor and a poise about them. But hell, Minnesota could, they could use a little bit of pizzazz. They could use a little bit.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Good thing they brought in Natasha Howard because Olivia Miles is going to need a big to set some screens for her. You know, with Fee out to start the season, like just a little bit of comfort, like with all of those front court players leaving, you know, in the expansion draft and in free agency, like Tasha Howard is going to have a really fun time, I think, playing.

[Zena Kaeda]

I think so too. Just make sure. I mean, Natasha Howard will obviously make sure this. But keep them hands up the ball before you even know it, keep the man's up. And I think that that's going to be the fun part.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So she should know.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. That's why I was like, yeah, one Tosh Howard is phenomenal player. But also too, when you play with Caitlin, you got to keep your hands up for sure. Okay. There's so much more we could break down, but I know it's late and we have shows this week, so make sure you're tuning into those because we're going to continue to get into more how these rosters are being made. We're also going to break down like how the money of all this is also, you know, going to be able to shake out because we cannot deny that these roster signings. Number one, seeing a million dollar player still is surreal to me. Like that being announced in my lifetime is amazing. We're going to get into all of that. Lajah will be available for our show that's going to be dropping on Thursday. We're going to get their perspective on everything and you know we want that one. Okay. I know, I know Layja's happy about some point guards being picked up and prioritized in this draft. Okay? But really, really appreciate all of you guys joining us on this live episode of no off season. We will make sure that we're going to talk about w. We're going to talk about all, all of these different free agency aspects. But if there's something we haven't talked about and you really want us to touch on, please make sure you are one, liking this YouTube video. Okay, we'll prioritize those. But two, leave a comment. Make sure you leave us a rating wherever you're listening and follow us. Let us know. Reach out to no off season theathletic.com you can send us an email as well to ensure that we get your messages. All right, y', all, we are dropping something new also that's going to help you keep up with everything. I didn't even know about this. So you get in the inside scoop here. The athletic is launching a no off season newsletter. We got time and resources, y'. All, okay? It will hit your inboxes every Tuesday. It's gonna be starting very soon. Check out our show notes for the link to sign up. Why are you laughing? Sabrina,

[Sabrina Merchant]

don't worry about it.

[Zena Kaeda]

And if you're one, and as I mentioned, please subscribe to this show. And I think we're gonna close it out tonight. Thank you guys. Especially on the east coast, if you stayed up this late to listen to us just yap, we appreciate it as always. So on behalf of the athletic, Chantelle Jennings and Sabrina Merchant, I'm Zena Kaeda thanking you for listening and we will see you next time.

[Chantelle Jennings]

We're lost and kickoff's coming up.

[Zena Kaeda]

I don't want to miss the lineup.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I'm going to ask that man for directions.

[Zena Kaeda]

Hi there. We're trying to get to the stadium.

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[Sabrina Merchant]

Nah, I'm just kidding.

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[Chantelle Jennings]

How is their signal out here?

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[Chantelle Jennings]

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