No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show

Episode: Can Women’s Basketball Apply a Winning Formula From Other Sports?
Air Date: January 27, 2026
Hosted by: Zena Keita, Chantel Jennings, Sabreena Merchant

Episode Overview

This episode explores whether the blueprint behind Indiana University’s stunning and rapid ascent to a college football championship could translate to women’s college basketball. Zena, Chantel, and Sabreena first break down the latest action and trends in women’s hoops, then dive deep into what it would actually take—financially, culturally, and structurally—for another sport to “copy and paste” a success formula like Indiana football’s, and if any women’s basketball programs are close to pulling it off. The hosts also address a sensitive topic around current events in Minnesota before fielding a listener mailbag question about women’s college basketball coaching stability.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Weekend Recap and the Sabrina Scale

(Starts ~01:53)

• The episode opens with analysis of a major SEC women’s basketball showdown:
  • South Carolina (SC) vs. Vanderbilt: SC dominated, winning 103–74, demonstrating key adjustments by coach Dawn Staley, who opted for speed and flexibility over her typical double-big lineup.
  • Sabrina on SC’s Tactics:
    • “It was just so interesting to me that Dawn Staley was like, you know what? Vanderbilt’s a team that gets a lot of motion in the half court... We want to be a little bit more flexible defensively, a little more switchable, more speed…It worked, you know, magnificently.” (04:06)
  • Vanderbilt’s youth and relative lack of depth, spotlighted by Mikayla Blakes’ slow start, contributed to their struggles against SC’s defensive aggression.
• Iowa’s Streak and Depth:
  • Iowa overcame an early injury and easily beat Ohio State, driven by the depth and improvement in players like Hannah Stuelke and Ava Haydn.
  • “Anytime you can look that comfortable against the Ohio State pressure, I think is a win.” – Sabreena (10:15)
  • “Addie Deal... had her best game of the season. 20 points, just really crafty getting into the lane... super comfortable with the ball in her hands.” – Sabreena (08:54)
  • The panel praises the improved frontcourt and Iowa’s resilience after losing Taylor McCabe to injury.
• Louisville, Georgia, and Michigan’s strong/interesting performances are noted as well, including Michigan’s concerning third quarter against USC.

2. Current Events: Minneapolis Community Update

(Begins ~15:48-20:43)

• The hosts pause for a brief, serious reflection on the police killing of ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Preddy during a federal immigration action in Minneapolis, and broader community trauma.
  • Chantel, a Minneapolis local, underscores how tightly knit and impacted the area is by recent events.
  • “I think Minneapolis is really hurting right now, and it’s not surprising to see [Lynx coach] Cheryl [Reeve] speak out... I feel really proud to be from here and live here.” – Chantel (20:16)
• Noted: Several athletes have publicly mourned and protested the recent events.

3. Main Segment: Can “The Indiana Blueprint” Work in Women’s Basketball?

(Starts ~22:04)

What Was Indiana’s Football Blueprint?

• Hire a proven but overlooked winner with charisma and vision (Kurt Signetti: “google me, I win”)
• Massive financial investment: doubled football budget, paid for top transfers, injected $90M in facilities
• Aggressive and successful use of the transfer portal, building both depth and culture quickly
  • “He had 13 transfers follow him from James Madison. And then they did a transfer blitz themselves, bringing in talented quarterback Fernando Mendoza...” – Zena (23:48)

Could This Apply to Women’s Basketball?

• Pillar 1: The Right Coach
  • Echoing Signetti’s impact, the biggest accelerant is often a transformative head coach—even if not from a “blue blood” background.
  • Sabreena draws parallels to Mark Campbell (Union University), Meg Barber (NYU), and Kim Caldwell (Tennessee via D-II), suggesting elite lower-division coaches could be breakout hires for D-I programs.
  • “I think the most important thing is the coaching hire... You don’t call your shot like that... unless you have a track record to back it up.” – Sabreena (25:52)
• Pillar 2: Financial Investment
  • Women’s basketball requires much less money than football to generate impact:
    • “Good rosters in women’s college basketball...what budget are we talking here?” – Sabreena
    • “Elite: 3–5 [million].” – Chantel (34:37)
  • Support from benevolent donors (examples: Mark Cuban—Indiana; Alexis Ohanian—Virginia) is crucial, but rare.
• Pillar 3: Recruitment and Transfers
  • The importance of a star recruit may actually be higher in basketball than football due to roster size:
    • “The one really good player matters a lot more in basketball than it does in football...all of them kind of still go to the same places.” – Sabreena (40:54)
  • Transfer portal moves can accelerate improvement but aren’t always enough to overcome established power programs without top freshmen or the right culture.
• Pillar 4: Facilities and Institutional Support
  • Programs like Vanderbilt and Oregon are investing in facilities but the gap is LESS about money and more about recruiting and culture.
• Culture and Longevity
  • Establishing a winning culture, not just “renting” short-term success, is essential.

Notable Quotes

• Zena, on the coaching/donor dynamic: “You have to have the personality to have it be built, but you also have to have the personality to demand the resources necessary to support you.” (28:51)
• Chantel, on the challenge of copying the blueprint: “Money makes college sports work, especially at this point...The combination of everything [is key].” (29:37)
• Sabreena, on the scarcity of transformative coaches: “Are there people at the D2 level who have been undervalued...? I don’t think people like that exist everywhere.” (25:52)
• Sabreena, on critical mass for change: "Dawn Staley is the last, I think, new coach to win a championship, and that was in 2017… It is hard to break in." (34:08)

Which Pillar Is Hardest to Replicate?

• The hosts debate whether money, elite coaching talent, or elite player recruiting is most rare and precious for programs wanting to pull an “Indiana.”
• Consensus leans toward the coach and/or a benevolent (if not simply opportunistic) big donor:
  • “Benevolent women’s sports fan billionaires aren’t just a dime a dozen.” – Chantel (41:42)
  • “I just feel like stumbling upon billionaires who might want to invest in women's basketball...might be easier than finding a Gino Auriemma or a Dawn Staley.” – Zena (41:35)
• Chicken-or-egg dynamic: Do you get the coach first to attract the money, or the money to get the coach?
  • “I think you need the coach because you need the piece...But then to like take a step back from that, also need good money to hire the great coach.” – Chantel (45:01)

Are Any Programs Close?

• Vanderbilt is building facilities and landing top recruits, with a former UConn assistant as coach.
• Oregon is highlighted as a Big Ten program with donor muscle, Nike ties, and recent basketball momentum.
• Virginia, via Alexis Ohanian’s investment, is considered, but faces ACC revenue limitations.
• The conversation circles around the realities: even with all pieces in place, the “closed club” of champions remains hard to crack.

4. Listener Mailbag: “Does the Hot Seat Exist in Women’s College Basketball?”

(~50:21 onwards)

• Listener Andy asks if Iowa State’s Bill Fennelly is on the hot seat after a couple of underperforming seasons.
• Short answer: No—coaching changes are far less frequent/harsh in women’s hoops; the “hot seat” culture hasn’t fully arrived.
  • “I don’t believe the hot seat yet exists in women’s back [sic] basketball...There’s more understanding like ‘oh, injuries happened’... I just don’t think the hot seat exists.” – Chantel (52:22)
• As money, attention, and outside investment increase in women’s sports, the panel predicts more aggressive coaching changes (“hot seats”) may become a reality.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On the South Carolina–Vanderbilt matchup:
  • “It was just so interesting…to be that flexible, to be that creative [from Dawn Staley]. It worked, you know, magnificently.” – Sabreena (04:06)
• IU Football’s Success:
  • “Google me, I win.” – Kurt Signetti, quoted approvingly by hosts (23:48)
• On women’s basketball investment:
  • “Good rosters in women’s college basketball...elite: 3–5 [million].” – Chantel (34:37)
• The rarity of “benevolent billionaires”:
  • “Benevolent women’s sports fan billionaires aren’t just a dime a dozen.” – Chantel (41:42)
• Cultural and financial barriers in women’s CBB:
  • “I think you need the benevolent billionaire first because you gotta hire the coach, because the coach is what recruits and keeps people.” – Sabreena (46:05)
• Chantel, summarizing the challenge:
  • “Still growth to be had in the women’s college basketball space...” (55:46)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:53] – Show proper begins: Weekend women’s basketball analysis & Sabrina Scale
• [15:48] – Minneapolis current events and sports community response
• [22:04] – “Can the IU Football Blueprint Work in Women’s Basketball?” (Main segment)
  • [25:52] – Transformative coaching hires
  • [34:37] – Investment and roster-building costs
  • [39:35] – Recruiting hurdles & importance of elite talent
  • [45:01] – “Chicken or egg” – Money or coach first?
• [50:21] – Listener Mailbag: Bill Fennelly and the non-existence of the “hot seat”
• [55:46] – Final thoughts on growth in women’s college basketball

Conclusion

The episode presents a nuanced, highly informed discussion about what it would really take for a women’s basketball program to quickly engineer a rise to national-championship-level success, as Indiana did in football. Ultimately, the answer isn’t as simple as “just get the money” or “just get the coach”—a rare alignment of talent, resources, bold vision, and timing is required, and such moments are extraordinary. The hosts’ back-and-forth is witty, knowledgeable, and brings both optimism and realism to the future of women’s basketball.

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