How A’ja Wilson Won 2025 | Our Best Moments of the Year

Summary

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No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show

Episode: How A’ja Wilson Won 2025 | Our Best Moments of the Year
Date: December 30, 2025
Hosts: Zena Keita, Sabreena Merchant, Ben Pickman

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Overview

The No Offseason team—Zena Keita, Sabreena Merchant, and Ben Pickman—gather for their annual “Best of the Year” superlative show, breaking down the defining moments, performances, quotes, and stories from an action-packed 2025 in women’s basketball. The episode intertwines personal anecdotes, on-court heroics, behind-the-scenes reporting, and playful banter, all delivered with warmth and insight for fans of the WNBA, NCAA, and the growing women’s hoops community.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Best Game of the Year (02:24–10:39)

Sabrina’s Pick:

• WNBA Finals Game 1: Las Vegas Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury
  • “Big moments by a lot of star players. Big moments by a lot of role players. Comes right down to the wire… The most impactful miss twice, all time, with Alyssa Thomas missing those two free throws.” (03:41)
  • Set the tone for the Finals; a wild, competitive atmosphere.

Zena’s Pick:

• Aces vs. Fever: Semifinals, Game 5, Overtime Thriller
  • Highlights Indiana’s resilience and heartbreak (Odyssey Sims’ heroics, Aaliyah Boston fouling out, Kelsey Mitchell injury); showcases Aces’ clutch play, notably Jackie Young’s all-around impact.
  • “Even if you were cheering for the Aces, ...there was a feeling of empathy...for the Fever.” (04:14)

Ben’s Pick:

• Alabama vs. Maryland: NCAA Tournament, Double Overtime
  • “Sarah Ashley Barker for Alabama…scores 45 points, 17 of 25. Almost wills her team into the next round.” (07:01)
  • Cited as “the most memorable game of the tournament last year in terms of just pure basketball.”

Honorable Mentions:

• Duke vs North Carolina (“unforgettable for the wrong reasons” – an infamously low-scoring, defensive grind)
• Kentucky vs. Kansas State (NCAA overtime thriller)
• EuroBasket Final: Belgium’s comeback over Spain
• Lynx’s 53-point win vs. Aces (“most impactful game” for changing Aces’ trajectory)
• Unrivaled opening night: Mist vs. Lunar Owls, Skylar Diggins’ Elam Ending game-winner (09:05–10:04)

2. Best Individual Performance (10:39–19:34)

Ben’s Pick:

• Cheryl Reeve’s Postgame Press Conference (Semifinals, Game 3)
  • Theater over stat lines: “When I think about the most memorable performance… it belongs to Cheryl Reeve.” (11:23)
  • Rant on officiating (“effing malpractice”); broadcast live, uncensored on SportsCenter.
  • “Her using the phrase effing malpractice… storming off with that sheet of paper… Tony Award-winning.” (13:33)

Zena’s Pick:

• Juju Watkins vs UCLA (Feb 13, 2025)
  • 38 points, 11 rebounds, 8 blocks; UCLA’s first loss.
  • “This was takeover. This was dominance… immediately ejecting yourself into the ether of best college basketball players in history.” (14:19)

Sabrina’s Pick:

• Juju Watkins vs UCLA (Mar 1, 2025): Big Ten Title Clincher
  • 30 points, championship on the line, hit 6 threes in the first half.
  • “I’m partial to the ones that happen on enemy territory.” (15:24)

Additional Standouts:

• Paige Bueckers: 44 points, 17-of-21 FG vs. Sparks (“efficiency,” “memorable even in a loss”)
• Audi Crooks: streak of dominant games
• Michaela Blake: 55 points vs. Auburn, new freshman record
• Caitlin Clark: big-game explosion after injury
• A’ja Wilson: Playoff run following 53-point loss (esp. 38 vs. Storm: “not a single point from a three”)
• Sarah Strong: 24-15-5-2-3 in NCAA title game (“dominant, somehow not Most Outstanding Player”) (18:57)

“These performances changed your perception of the player... only grew your admiration.” – Zena (19:34)

3. Favorite Reporting Moments (22:37–29:00)

Zena’s Pick:

• Personal moment with Candace Parker
  • “Candace Parker complimented my baby hairs… You couldn’t tell me nothing for the rest of the week.” (22:41)

Sabrina’s Pick:

• Staking out WNBA Union/League Meeting at All Star
  • The “old-school” reporting vibe; fun, competitive, collaborative chase for player interviews. (23:59)
  • “Just all working together… old school boots-on-the-ground reporting.” (25:08)

Ben’s Pick:

• Sitting next to Drunk A’ja Wilson after Game 4 of WNBA Finals
  • “A’ja came into the press room drunk, holding a bottle of Michelob Ultra and a pink tambourine. She sat right next to me.” (27:40)
  • Asia burps on the podium, her dad says: “Get her off the podium. That’s enough!” (28:10)

Notable Honorable Mentions:

• Gino Auriemma jokingly offering Sabrina and Chantel UConn jobs (29:00)
• Crypto drama coverage (“green dildo gate”)
• Sandy Brondello calls Ben out for lateness (“Where you been, mate?”)
• Stephanie White fined during playoffs, Sabrina’s meme-able facial reaction (29:35)

4. Favorite Quotes of the Year (31:53–36:31)

Zena & Sabrina’s Pick:

• Napheesa Collier, Lynx Exit Interview:
  • “We have the best players, we have the best fans, but right now, we have the worst leadership in the world.” (32:52)
  • Sparked public debate about the WNBA and CBA.

Ben’s Pick:

• Ryan Ruocco, National Championship Call:
  • “The final page in the book of Bueckers is title number 12 for UConn. Just a chef's kiss. Beautiful line.” (33:26)

Additional Highlights:

• Juju Watkins, post-title win: “I don’t wear hats.” (32:56)
• Courtney Williams on “Kathy Turnt”/Diplo (34:39)
• Vic Schaefer (Texas): "I know I’m not their world, but they are my world." (34:58)
• Paige Bueckers, on hug with Geno: “He told me he loved me and I told him I hated him.” (35:31)
• Sarah Strong’s podium giggle sessions (“say something… do something.”)

5. Best Duo of the Year (36:39–42:07)

Top Picks:

• Courtney Williams & Natisha Hiedeman (Stud Buds): "Runaway favorite." (36:42)
• Paige Bueckers & Azzi Fudd: “The internet running with that one. All the moments on court, off court, draft. Say what you want, but I think it has to be the stud buds.” (37:02)

Honorable Mentions:

• Paige & Lee Yoru (Dallas, especially after the win)
• Paige & Geno ("Their back and forth...is so fun.") (37:39)
• A’ja Wilson & her Pink Tambourine (“inseparable for that night”—Aces championship celebration)
• A’ja Wilson & Bam Adebayo (and the Aces fan base):
  • “The interaction of every time the Aces or A’ja’s fans tagged Bam…was so much fun.” (38:52)
  • Including Bam being chosen to present A’ja with her MVP trophy (39:53)
• Rookies Kate Martin & Caitlyn Chen (“playing Patty Cake during timeouts”)
• Sonia Citron & Kiki Iriafen (Washington)

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “A plus performance work. I was in Indiana, Tony award winning.” — Ben on Cheryl Reeve’s rant (13:33)
• “I can take an L with the best of them.” — Cheryl Reeve (13:15)
• “The final page in the book of Bueckers is title number 12 for UConn.” — Ryan Ruocco (33:26)
• “We have the best players, we have the best fans, but right now, we have the worst leadership in the world.” — Napheesa Collier (32:52)
• “I don’t wear hats.” — Juju Watkins, on post-championship gear (32:56)
• “He told me he loved me and I told him I hated him.” — Paige Bueckers, on her relationship with Geno (35:31)
• “Asia Wilson and the Pink Tambourine…inseparable for that night.” — Ben (38:21)

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Looking Ahead: 2026 & Final Thoughts (44:58–49:45)

• Ben: Wants more competitive NCAA and WNBA finals; looking for more great coach conversations and community growth. (45:35)
• Zena: “Juju Watkins returning — her absence is felt!” Curious for WNBA expansion, more exclusive reporting. (47:20)
• Sabrina: Hopes for a full WNBA season, wants to see UConn vs. Texas, a standout World Cup (“Germany 2026, can’t wait!”).
• **Chantel Jennings’ return from maternity leave celebrated as another anticipated “comeback.” (49:22)

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Overall Tone & Style

• The hosts’ camaraderie, self-deprecating humor, and deep knowledge of women’s basketball shine throughout.
• Relatable, joyful, and often playful—even when discussing serious issues in the WNBA.
• Reliance on personal experiences (e.g., reporting adventures, press room antics) makes the episode feel like a behind-the-scenes pass to women’s hoops’ most memorable moments.

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Conclusion

This “Best of 2025” edition delivers a blend of keen basketball insight, hilarious personal moments, and a shared love for growing the women’s game. From iconic performances to unforgettable press conferences, and from best duos to the most resonant quotes, the hosts showcase what makes the women’s basketball community so special—on and off the court.

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For Further Listening

• Best games and individual performances revisited: [02:24–19:34]
• Favorite reporting moments: [22:37–29:00]
• Quote and duo discussions: [31:53–42:07]
• 2026 season hopes and closing thoughts: [44:58–49:45]

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Transcript

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[Sabrina Merchant]

I'm Sabrina Merchant.

[Ben Pickman]

And I'm Ben Pickman.

[Zena Keda]

And today on the show, I am cheesing. And if you can't see it, you can hopefully feel it. It's happening, guys. It's Our superlative show. It's our best of. We're going to go through the biggest and best moments of the year. Most unforgettable games, most unforgettable performances. The moments that made you immediately find your phones tweeted out like your draw was on the floor. And we're going to go through our faves, and I'm so excited before we turn the page to 2026. So we've got a lot going on, and I think we have a lot of, like, extras, honorable mentions. So let's get right into it. First and foremost, best game of the year. This is tough. You got to think about, of course, we've just finished the WNBA season. We're in a new NCAA season. There's been an NCAA season before that. There's a lot of games to work with on top of unrivaled games. If you wanted to throw that in there, too. I thought of some. I thought of a few. So, Sabrina, let's start off with the games that kept you on the edge of your seat. That made you go, I cannot believe I got to just witness that. What was your game of the year?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I actually picked the same game as last year, which I realize is impossible because that was 2024, but Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Aces and the Mercury, you know.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Roll back and forth between Phoenix and Vegas. Big moments by a lot of star players. Big moments by a lot of role players. Comes right down to the wire. You get a miss twice, get a slice in Las Vegas. The most impactful miss twice, all time with Alyssa Thomas missing those two free throws. You know, I think that game is basically what decided the Finals, honestly, because once Vegas had that wrapped up, they didn't really look back the rest of the way. So, yeah, it was just. It was a crazy atmosphere. Really fun to be in the building for that one. Just so much fun to start the Finals off that way. And it, I think, augured, like, a little bit more of a competitive finals than we got, but still very fun to be in person for that one.

[Zena Keda]

I'll say. The Aces found themselves in some seriously tight and kind of precarious situations throughout the final or the playoffs this year. There are quite a few games that I could have been like, okay, outside of the sweep, I think they basically, like, built it all up for us to be really excited throughout the playoffs. And then during the sweep, they were just like, let's just go ahead and take care of business against Mercury. But that's a really good one. Okay, now it's making me think if I want to go with the one. I chose mine. I have a few. But mine was also a playoff game. It was also an Aces game, but it was the Aces vs Fever game 5 of the semis that went to overtime. That win or go home pressure was real. But it was not even because of the Aces. It was really because of what Indiana did. Odyssey Sims going off, of course. Kelsey Mitchell gets hurt in that third quarter. Aaliyah Boston fouls out. Even if you were cheering for the Aces, you just. There was a feeling of empathy and a little bit of sympathy maybe, but definitely empathy of like, oh, the fever. They had such a good run. They're battling. Um, they kept it close throughout that game. They went to overtime, of course, but, oh, you know, ultimately, Chelsea Gray, I. The Jackie Young was insane in that game. Her playmaking, getting on the boards, being able to get boards over some really big bodies. Uh, yeah, it was. It was a beautiful thing to watch Indiana fight to the quite literal, like, last breath of their season and ultimately set up the Aces to take care of things in the finals. So that was my best game. But I've got some others in the NCAA space just in case we need some. Ben, where you land?

[Ben Pickman]

You've used the phrase unforgettable at the start. This is not the best game. Actually, this is the worst game that came to mind, but was also unforgettable. It was Duke against North Carolina. This is not my favorite. We need to mention this game. We need to mention this. Duke versus North Carolina in the NCAA tournament. 47, 38. Each team less than 30% from three. There were 16 combined points in the fourth quarter. I was courtside for this game. I will never forget being there. Xena. I think I had an existential crisis, like in the third quarter being like, what am I doing with my life watching these two teams play basketball? Unforgettable. Certainly definitely not the best game. But you threw out some good ones. Game 3 of the WNBA Finals this past year, I think deserves a mention. I'm sure we'll men that at some point in the podcast. I'm gonna go a little off the board. Or maybe not off the board. I'm sure it's on someone's list. But how about Alabama against Maryland?

[Zena Keda]

Maryland.

[Ben Pickman]

Yes, Maryland.

[Zena Keda]

Double overtime.

[Ben Pickman]

Double overtime. 1:11, 1:08. Credible shot making Sarah Tibiasu of Maryland. Cheyenne sellers had 28 in that game. Sarah. Ashley Barker for Alabama. She scores 45 points. 17 of 25. Almost wills her team into the next round. Which would have been in Birmingham, Alabama. So a lot was at stake. I think the most memorable game of the tournament last year in terms of just like pure basketball. If you take some of the stakes away. Yeah, I'm gonna go with that game for this year. It was kind of underwhelming over overall as a year. Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed by my list, all told. Yeah. Compared to past years. Yeah.

[Zena Keda]

Oh, I agree.

[Sabrina Merchant]

This was a much harder list to come up with in 2024 than it was. Like, there were as much. There were much more games to have to call down from in 2024 than it was this year.

[Zena Keda]

Got you. Yeah. I actually felt like there as I was looking through, I wanted to make sure that I looked through, like, the NCAA tournament especially, too. You know, there's a little bit of, what's it called, recency bias towards the wnba. But that game, Maryland and Alabama absolutely were my option too, for this choice. But number three, that Kentucky, Kansas State game as well. Overtime, thriller, like that game. And what was so interesting is that I looked at. I looked back at it and I was like, it wasn't so much that it was back and forth. There weren't a ton of lead changes. It was just how quickly things flipped to being close at the end of that game. And Georgia Amore, heartbreakingly not being able to make that baseline jumper off, like, floater on the drive. I thought those two games were like the most exciting games. They happened in the second rounds of the NCAA tournament. So that was. That was interesting. I would agree with you. It was a little dry towards the end of things, but WNBA did not. I think the Aces definitely kept things exciting. The Mercury absolutely did in that game three. Ben, as you mentioned. So ultimately, though, it seems like the Aces are a little bit of our winner for the game of the year in terms of. They got Sabrina and I to bite, but great choice.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I got a couple honorable mentions that I want to mention.

[Zena Keda]

Oh, yes, please.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Just the Eurobasket final between Belgium is a great call. Belgium's comeback, superb. You know, down double digits. And like, it's kind of game where like, you think Spain is just dribbling the ball out and then they're not, and all. All of a sudden Belgium is the European champions. That was ridiculous. In terms of most impactful game. This is not the best game I saw, but Minnesota beating the Aces by 53 points. Definitely the most impactful game of the year because it basically sets into motion Las Vegas turnaround and a Pisa Collier at injured in that game. Which sort of sucked out a lot of momentum that the Lynx were riding. And then a little bit earlier in the year, I actually thought the opening game of Unrivals between Myst and Lunar Owls was very fun. The best possible outcome for an Elim ending. A great way to deb that new league. You know, Skylar Diggins hitting the game winner with the Lunar Alice trailing big coming into that game, sort of set the tone for their season. Yeah, I think just a really fun way for Unrivaled to celebrate its first night. And just a great proof of concept for what that league could be.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, I will say I remember the lights going out early or like, right at the shot. And that was like, wait, why? Why are we turning off the lights? You know, as they celebrated and everyone was very confused as to, like, what that was. But then that became the theme of Unrivaled is like, when this. When the shot goes in and the game ends, shut down the lights. And it was like, ooh, okay, I got a little bit of chills there. And then Skylar Diggins is, like, running around the court flexing her arms. I was like, okay, Unrivaled, way to show up. Yeah, it was a great start. That's good. Ben, what about your honorable mentions?

[Ben Pickman]

That game was better than being at. I was at that game, too. That was definitely more entertaining than Duke NC.

[Zena Keda]

I'm sure it was. I'm sure it was. That makes sense. All right, let's keep it moving. Time to spotlight some incredible talent on individual performances. And I'm not gonna lie to you, Ben, you kind of stole my thunder a little bit. I'm just joking. But you did highlight one of the performances that I thought was unreal. And I thought, you know what? I'm gonna put that to the side. The sh. The Sarah Ashley Barker 45 point performance, hitting three free throws in a row to send her team to overtime. I thought that was a great one. But we'll put that to the side as an honorable mention this time. Ben, I'll let you take the first one. What was your best individual performance of the year?

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah, so I know what you want for this category is like, stat lines and big numbers. But when I think about performance, I think about theater, I think about drama, I think about action. And so, yes, I know we have a category. Spoiler alert later in this show about best quote. But when I think about the most memorable performance from performer performing of the entire year, it belongs to. Cheryl Reeve, ladies and gentlemen, it belongs to Cheryl Reeve. After game three of the semifinals in the playoffs against Phoenix, when Cheryl Reeve gets down on the podium and she has one sheet of paper in front of her, and she starts out by asking the room, who was it that asked about officiating before the game? And she goes on and gives the best two minutes of performance that I saw all year in women's basketball. Her venting about the lack of free throws, about fee getting her shoulder ripped out, about her leg being taken out and how she probably has a fracture. A great line, an iconic line by Sharif. Her saying that if this is what the league wants, okay. But I want to call for a change in leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating. Her using the phrase effing malpractice. Her storming off with that sheet of paper after two minutes. I know, I know you guys are gonna rattle off some great stats, but when I think about performances, the drama, the theater, it is all about that. We just gotta get that one on the table. And I'm sure we will hear more about it later, too.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I wanna add a couple things about the Cheryl Reeve moment. Because when you are ejected from a game, as Sheryl Reeve very memorably was from Game 3 of the semifinals, you were not required to do postgame media. So the fact that she went up there to make that, you know, her choice. Right. She didn't take questions. Let's be clear. She just had a tight two ready to go.

[Zena Keda]

She asked a question.

[Sabrina Merchant]

She asked a question. Yeah, she didn't take questions. She just said her piece. Probably knowing that that was the last time she was gonna be doing media for the rest of the season because suspension was imminent. My favorite part of the Cheryl Reeve sermon there was when she said, I can take an L with the best of them really got me a laugh. But.

[Ben Pickman]

Or when she started to impersonate the refs, being like, you know, it was a tough call. It was a, you know, we did okay. We tried our best. We thought we saw it, like, just her changing the voice. I mean, one other detail. Is SportsCenter taking it live. Oh, yeah. It was a big moment. And SportsCenter takes it live. They're like, we're going to, you know, zoom into the Shell Reef press conference. And it's just they didn't bleep anything. Like, they didn't know what was coming. And so all the F bombs, they.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Should have known what was coming.

[Ben Pickman]

Kirk Erson.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Ben Pickman]

A plus performance work. I was in Indiana, Tony award winning.

[Sabrina Merchant]

For the other semifinal at the time of the WNBA playoffs. And all of us who had basically finished writing our stories from Aces Fever game three realized, oh, Cheryl's about to speak. Like, let's pull this up. And then obviously it was on the big TV because as you mentioned, SportsCenter had a live lookin'.

[Zena Keda]

Well, we learned a lot about FDA rules that night and understanding like, oh, ESPN's not one of the channels that are moderated and under those rules. And so we heard those F bombs until they were able to bleep them later on. That is a great open, Ben. Oh, now I'm like, yeah, I'm struggling to follow that one up, but I think I'm going to choose a college performance just to switch it up. It's got to be Juju Watkins versus UCLA for me. February 13, 2025. And you talk about the stat lines. Yeah, Ben, we, we got to get into this one. 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks, and UCLA gets their first loss. Like, this was takeover. This was dominance. This was forcing yourself immediately ejecting yourself into the ether of best college basketball players in history. Right. Like, this was an unbelievable once in a generation type of performance. And juju. Yeah, she just did what we expect her to do. But eight blocks was wild. Yeah. So I got, I got juju as my top option. What about you, Sabrina?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I actually juju Watkins vs UCLA. But on March 1, when they won the Big Ten title on UCLA's home court, it was the first win for USC at UCLA in a few years. Cements their first regular season conference title in 31 years. You know, it's. It's about getting the championships. Right? And that one solidified a championship. Juju had been in a bit of a shooting slump before that game. She'd gone like 5 of 17 from 3 point range in recent games. So they were sort of guarding her like she wasn't a shooter. And she proceeds to hit three pointer opening possessions, six threes in the first half, ends the game with 30 points. You know, five assists, three blocks, two steals. Like not the superlative numbers that she had in the home performance, but because of the stakes, because it was with a title on the line. And then she ends the game. UCLA has their fours up thing that they do, and she puts her fingers down and crown themselves on the court. And you can just hear this swell of USC fans that have infiltrated the building. It was just a very cool superstar kind of making moment, which obviously the USC game was. I just am partial to the ones that happen on enemy territory. So that was mine. Performance of the year Juju Wakins.

[Zena Keda]

I love this Juju Watkins. I mean she was different. She was absolutely different last year and I'm very excited to see her take the court again. But I feel like we got some honorable mentions to add in there, you know. Ben, what's your thinking?

[Ben Pickman]

I would throw in Paige Beckers or 44 point game against Sparks. You know that was my number two, a memorable performance there. Any number of Audi crooks games, specifically the ones from this fall. I think we need to give her an individual performance shout out. I think Michaela Blake's 55 against Auburn, I want to say it's the most ever that a freshman had ever scored in women's college basketball. D1 she had, you know, already hit a 50 piece as well, another 50 piece during the year and to do it in the SEC was super, super impressive. I think it's like the 9th most points ever scored in a college game again as a freshman. Individual greatness, that is what this category is supposed to reward. So those are some of the honorable mentions. And then I also think Caitlin Clark's return from one of her early season injuries when she came back against Liberty and her kind of burying the three, three great game. More than 25, 30ft within like a one or two minute stretch. I was at that game too, lucky enough to be there and that crowd erupted with each triple. So that was a definitely an honorable mention for best individual performance. Individual moment for the year too.

[Zena Keda]

Even Brianna Stewart couldn't help but laugh. I mean it was just like it was just a ridiculous performance. I love this. I think that the same way that we kind of are rounding out the Audi crooks like individual performances, Asia Wilson gets that as well. For me, just from the moment that they took that beating from the Lynx to the playoffs, Asia Wilson was putting up ridiculous numbers, ridiculous double doubles and really carrying the team on her back to wins. The one against the Storm comes up to me in the playoffs. 38 points. They win that game by 1.7473. I think it was unbelievable performance there. But The Paige Beckers one, the reason why that was number two to juju. To me it's the efficiency. 44 points, 17 of 21 shooting. That's ridiculous. And then the Asia one was interesting because she scored 38 points and not a single point was from a three. And that's really impressive because same thing for Audi, like they're just doing this feeding or creating their own shot and it for Asia Mosso creating their own shot. But Sabrina, what were some of your honorable Mentions. Yeah.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I specifically had Asia in game three against Mercury because of the game winner, you know, capping off 34 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks. With that moment, that's just going to live on forever as sort of like a singular image that you can associate with Asia Wilson. And then I had Sarah Strong versus South Carolina in the national title game. You know, 24 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks. Like, it was a very dominant performance by the Huskies. And I still don't really understand how Sarah Strong didn't win most outstanding player, but she was incredible. And the reason why that game looked as effortless as it was for UConn was because of how good she was.

[Zena Keda]

Absolutely. I think it's a really good way to encapsulate all of these performances are performances that changed your perception of the player in a way, maybe it made it better, only grew your admiration for what they're doing. But like, when I think about Paige Beckers dropping 44 points as a rookie against the Sparks. And yes, they lost that game. Shout out to Kelsey Plum and that bank shot. But still, I still vividly remember there were NBA players sitting courtside. I can't remember which one it was, but the commentary around the ether around Paige Becker's doing that, people were like, yo, she's insane. Like, this is. I don't know if they knew that she had this level of scoring in her. Same thing with juju with the battle of la. That first game is really the first setting of the battle of la and her being able to take over in that way, but then changing the minds of, oh, she can win championships too, behind this performance. I feel the same way about Sarah Ashley Barker's 45 points. Like, do we agree? Like that change? I think her WNBA stock, in my opinion, that performance alone, her Annalee and I's performance, like, I feel like that really helped their WNBA stock and being able to translate to the W. So love that, Guys. Thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree. Zoe. This thing weighs a ton. Drew Ski, lift with your legs, man.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Santa.

[Ben Pickman]

Santa, did you get my letter?

[Zena Keda]

He's talking to you, Bridges.

[Ben Pickman]

I'm not.

[Zena Keda]

Of course he did.

[Ben Pickman]

Right? Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list.

[Zena Keda]

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[Zena Keda]

Switch with confidence. Download the Jerry app or visit Jerry AI Acast today. Let's keep it going to our next topic. Our favorite reporting moment. Mine is super easy. If you are a dedicated fan of no, you got to experience it with me. And this was when Candace Parker complimented my baby hairs. You couldn't tell me nothing that day. You couldn't tell me nothing for the rest of the week. I was just like, yeah, this is what I came to do to talk to my idol that I grew up tapping my shoulder. I even had a, I mean I didn't get injured because she got injured, but I even had a left shoulder wrap around my shoulder. Uh, just like she used to tap her, her collarbone and her shoulder right before she took her free throws. Very similar so having her with her baby hairs laid, tell me that my baby hairs look great. I don't. I don't know if I need anything else at that point. So that was my favorite reporting moment. I don't even have honorable mentions. It took the cake for me. Ben. I'm a draw. Go to Sabrina.

[Ben Pickman]

I know Sabrina. I'll close it with the classic moment here. Yeah.

[Zena Keda]

Oh, okay. All right. I'm looking forward to this. Sabrina.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Favorite fun I had doing this job this year was staking out the WNBA union and league meeting at All Star Weekend this year. Just running into a bunch of reporters who all thought that they were singularly alone in having ascertained the location of this meeting. Yet there we all were, sort of sitting in a hallway, trying to figure out where players were exiting from, catching them before they had to go to their other obligations. Figuring out who was actually in this meeting as they were walking down the hallway and just sort of identifying some faces like, oh, that's somebody we should be talking to. And collectively all working together to find a story while also trying to hide some details from everyone at the same time. It was just a very on the ground, old school type of boots on the ground reporting type of thing that we don't get to do all of that often. And it's a very, very important story that has obviously dominated our coverage this entire year. So being able to just chase that story for a day in Indianapolis and like, having Sophie Cunningham wheel by us on the street, like on a scooter in Indianapolis, as she was on the way to the meeting, and she notices me and Ben and is like, hey, fancy seeing you here.

[Zena Keda]

Interesting.

[Sabrina Merchant]

It's like, if I were the fever, I would not want Sophie riding a scooter on the street. But that's just me. But yeah, it was just all of these little touches that combine to make it a really occasionally frustrating day, but also very rewarding and fun and super memorable.

[Zena Keda]

Why do I feel like, Ben, yours is along the same lines of this.

[Ben Pickman]

Well, I mean, more details to Sabrina's moment. Number one, the hotel that we staked out that meeting and had some excellent, excellent chocolate chip cookies. They were. I think we just continued to eat cookie after.

[Zena Keda]

Was it a double tree?

[Ben Pickman]

I cannot comment on the location of the meeting, Xena. But no, it was not a double tree.

[Zena Keda]

Of course. My bad. I'm so sorry.

[Ben Pickman]

We did.

[Zena Keda]

I don't remember cookies.

[Ben Pickman]

I followed a person or two outside the building and around the corner at one point and then had to come back in and report Back there was a lot of, like, where's the best place to stand? Where's the worst place to stand? There was about a half dozen of us who were staking out that meeting, and we took a great, like, team, quote, unquote, team media photo. I think you can find it on my personal Instagram where, like, all of our hands are just in, like, we were, you know, team stakeout for the day, given away for information.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I think, like, I accidentally even stumbled on where the door of the meeting was, because I had gone to the bathroom on the other side of the hotel. And, like, I was trying to tell Ben to come meet me, but then everyone else started following.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, this is amazing. Y' all were really in the trenches.

[Ben Pickman]

There was one reporter. We shall not name their name, but they were livid. They were livid. They showed up a little after me and Sabrina, and they really did think that they were gonna be the only person to know where this meeting was.

[Zena Keda]

And were they in the team photo?

[Ben Pickman]

They were. And you could.

[Zena Keda]

We're looking at hands coming out of my ears.

[Ben Pickman]

You could see the smoke coming out of their ears, Zena. When they learned that they were not the only person who knew where it was. But, no, that is not my favorite reporting moment. I mean, I think this was a clear runaway favorite here. No doubter it is after Game 4 of the WNBA Finals when. Look, you know, I'm grateful for the work of our editor, Shannon Ryan, but I got feedback that night on my story from Asia Wilson, who sat next to me, and I asked her if she wanted to write my story that night for me. And when a drunk, Asia Wilson, sat next to me as Mark Davis was at the podium talking about who knows what. Yeah, I sat in the second row of the presser that day on the far right side. There was a seat next to me. And Asia came into the press room drunk, holding a bottle of Michelob Ultra and a pink tambourine. She saw an open seat, and she sat right next to me, and we made some conversation for a couple minutes as Mark Davis was up there. And then eventually it was her turn, and her mom, Ezra's mom, filled the seat next to me. That was pretty memorable. I'll always remember looking just to my right during Asia's presser at one point, a couple minutes, and she burped. You know, kind of like an alcohol burp, beer burp. And her dad is to the right, and her dad and her mom make eye contact. And her dad just basically says to everyone, and no one in particular, get her off the podium. Get her off the podium. That's enough.

[Zena Keda]

She's had it. She did not get off the podium.

[Ben Pickman]

She continued to talk. But that also elicited a great reaction from her mom. You know, when Asia was next to me, Ashley Young, our social producer, social media producer, who was with us on that leg of the trip, she at one point was like, psst, Ben, do something. Like, that was really funny. You know, it was like, oh, my God, all the cameras are on me. I was not expecting that. It's a fine line of how to play that moment. Cool. So I got a lot. My phone blew up, like, blew up.

[Zena Keda]

Oh, I bet.

[Ben Pickman]

From all different kinds of people and all different walks of life after that.

[Zena Keda]

So that is so dope. Very rare. Like, just the perfect moment that you. You can't plan that. And of course, Asia Wilson after championships is always, always a good time. Always.

[Ben Pickman]

Any honorable mentions there?

[Zena Keda]

All right.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Another one from the podcast. When Gino Oriemma offered me and chantel jobs at UConn in the event that anything goes awry in our current careers. That was nice.

[Zena Keda]

That's good.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Something to hold on to.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, yeah, that. That was a really good one, actually.

[Ben Pickman]

I had a couple others on my list. Number one, doing the crypto reporting, being in the middle of a green dildo gate and having to listen to hours and hours and hours of, you know, Twitter streams, listening to those people talk on whatever that was called, Spaces totally.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Wiped that from my brain.

[Ben Pickman]

That was. That was a moment I will remember from my reporting experiences this year. Funny one came. I'm very on time and always, like around the Liberty, you know, games, practices, whatever. As we talk about during the summer, there was a press conference on a. I think it was a Sunday game. I forget who the Liberty were playing where. I showed up like two minutes late because I was watching Alcaraz and Sinner and had to be in, I guess in the Wimbledon final, like an all time great final. And Sandy Brondello called me out on being late. That was a memorable moment and, you know, produced a very funny clip. And. Where you been, mate?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Wow.

[Zena Keda]

That's okay. They'll worried about you.

[Ben Pickman]

A lot of stuff we can't talk about on the podcast too. So for sure.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Speaking of clips that got sent around when Stephanie White announced that she'd been fined during the WNBA playoffs. And I'm standing right next to her and my face is very expressive face that got shared with me quite a bit of my reaction to her.

[Zena Keda]

Fine. That's one thing that's really fun, too, is like, when you guys are just, like, peripherally around moments that are happening. Like, that's always a good one. Like getting the screenshot or being like, what was going through your head in that exact moment as player X or coach Y is being asked something crazy or saying something crazy. I still. This was not from this year, but last year, when Sabrina asked Cheryl Reeve about the end of game of the. Of the WNBA Finals. I'll never forget that. That was a very memorable moment. But obviously that was last year. So, okay, these are really good moments. This reminds us of just how. How much work has been done. I mean, not mine, necessarily. I did do work on my baby. My baby hairs. But how much work you guys have put in over the course of the year. So good for you. That's awesome. Let's keep it moving, and we're going to talk a little bit about words. Okay. Favorite quotes that. Whether someone said it perfectly, whether they timed it perfectly, they said something clever, ultimately, it sticks with us in the long run. And I'm gonna start this one again. For me, it goes along with the same kind of, I guess, the lineage that Ben brought up around Sheryl Reeve, but instead of Sheryl, it is her player, Nafeesa Collier, saying very adamantly during her exit interview, we have the best players, we have the best fans, but right now, we have the worst leadership in the world and best quote, simply because it launched the public referendum on the wnba. It was really the first time that we had seen a current superstar in any pro league call out their leadership of their league, so who directly and with such evidence of grievances. And it kind of was just like, you know, the shot heard around the world a little bit for the wnba. And it was a leverage moment, especially as, you know, they start these CBA conversations. So that was my best quote of the year. What about you, Sabrina?

[Sabrina Merchant]

That was also my best quote of the year. So I'm just gonna share an honorable mention.

[Zena Keda]

There you go.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Going back to juju Watkins in UCLA and her winning the national title and someone asking her, like, why she wasn't wearing all of the GE that her teammates were wearing as they were celebrating. And she just points to her bun and is like, I don't wear hats. So that was fun, fun times with juju Watkins.

[Zena Keda]

I don't remember that. That's so good.

[Ben Pickman]

Wow.

[Zena Keda]

And I can just imagine her just being so chill about it, too. Like, that's. That's good. Okay. I love that. Thank you for that. Ben, what about you?

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah, my favorite. I like the Collier call. You know, there's no strong disagreement there. I was trying to think about player and coach quotes and like lines that stuck out. But. And I have some honorable mentions. But honestly, it is a broadcaster line. And to me it's Ryan Ruko of ESPN After UConn wins the national championship and his one liner. The final page in the book of Beckers is title number 12 for UConn just a chef's kiss. Beautiful line. Sums it all up. All the history, the. The page, the book, the Becker. I mean, I was like, I was trying to think, how did nobody write this? How did nobody say it? Like, props to Ryan Rico. I mean, it is a great, great line. It is what I will remember that season by. I mean, what else is there to say? I mean, just an A plus work of play by play work there by Ryan Rico. Great line. Line of the year.

[Zena Keda]

That's a good callback, man. Now I gotta start thinking about this a little bit more for next year. Like being. Being mindful of not only the players.

[Sabrina Merchant]

The coaches making your list as 20, 26 proce. So we're ready at this time next year.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, we gotta be ready for next year. Yeah. Wow, that's. That's a good one. I literally had chills as you read that out loud. Okay, let's keep it moving.

[Ben Pickman]

Wait, wait, wait. We gotta do some honorable mentions there, Xena. I have a few of quotes. Courtney Williams on her Stud buds feed, just shouting, kathy turnt. Kathy's turnt. Her telling Diplo to play some hip hop. One of the most memorable lines as well.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I have one from realizing it was Diplo.

[Ben Pickman]

Right, Exactly. Not realizing it was Diplo. Vic Schaefer after Texas advanced to the final Four, like an emotional, teary eyed Vic Schaefer who pours so much into his team saying, I know I'm not. I'm not their world, but they are my world. I thought that was a beautiful line from like a coach who really cares about his players. And then Paige had a line I want to say after they won the national championship when I want to say she was asked about the hug and what Gino told her in that moment. And she said, he told me he loved me and I told him I hated him.

[Zena Keda]

And then she went in the room for that one.

[Ben Pickman]

That was nice, some nice things, but sums up their relationship really well.

[Zena Keda]

That's good, man. You got me thinking. I need to be paying close attention this year and like writing these things down. That Vic Schaeffer one. I Remember, that was very emotional as well to hear. And. And I mean, honestly, the whole the Paige Beckers like, all of that closing out. I don't know if you can call this my favorite quote, but honestly, Sarah strong at the podium this year at all times or last year was my favorite, mainly because she didn't say much and it was just like a lot of giggling and ginormous being like, say something. Like, do something. We'll see if she's a little bit better this year in the tournament, but really, really strong quotes there. Okay, guys, we got to keep it moving. And you've already kind of alluded to what I'm going to choose for this, but I'm going to let Ben go first on one. We're talking about best duo of the year. What was the pairing? The partnership that just clicked and if you saw one, you were wondering where the other was. Like, you really just love seeing these two together. Whether it was on the floor, off the floor. There was chemistry, there was coordination. There was something there that made you go, I love those two together. Ben, who comes to mind for you?

[Ben Pickman]

I mean, there's two obvious answers here. So I imagine between the three of us, we're gonna say them. It is either a, the stud buds, Courtney Williams and Nadisha Heidman. I think that's the. The runaway favorite. But b, and if this is someone else's choice here, totally acceptable. Paige and easy. You know, I think the Internet.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, that's a good one.

[Ben Pickman]

The Internet running with that one. All the moments on court off court draft. Say what you want, but I think it has to be the stud buds.

[Zena Keda]

How much Paige and az core do we have the Paige and az core videos? Like there's a gluttony of them. Like, we have so many. So yeah, you basically, you covered the top two for absolute sure. Sabrina, were one of those two yours?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I mean, I think you could go Paige with like a couple other people. Honestly, I was trying to Paige and like li yoru with the Dallas win too. I loved just Paige and Geno all the time. You know, that's a.

[Zena Keda]

That's an honorable mention for me too. Paige and Lee Ru, you mentioned the.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Quote that she gave after the national title game. Like, obviously she and geno are just this perfect relationship of coach and player and everything they talk about since then. Like when Paige goes back to practice and Geno does the perfect imitation of Paige when she complains about a call and knows that she's wrong. Or when Paige is asked about, like Gino complimenting her leadership skills. And she says, well, he taught them well to me. So it's just another way of him complimenting himself. You know, like, their back and forth with one another is so fun. The fact that it hasn't let up, it's very much, you know, Diana Tarazi for the current generation. I really enjoy their dynamic, and it obviously has proven incredibly successful in 2025.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah. Very much a fan of that. Absolutely. That's a good one. Ben, what were your honorable mentions? I feel like you had Paige and Lee as well.

[Ben Pickman]

Paige and Lee was on my list. I had Asia Wilson and the Pink Tambourine. That was one of my favorite duos post game for the final short list.

[Sabrina Merchant]

But a good one.

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah, they seemed inseparable for that night and maybe the championship celebrations. That was also on my list of best duos I saw this year.

[Zena Keda]

Okay. Well, I actually have one that's kind of in the same mindset of that mine. Was Bam out of bio? You know, just overall, the Asus fan base.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Oh, not Asia Wilson. Okay.

[Zena Keda]

Not Asia Wilson. It was just like, to me, the interaction of every time the Aces or Asia's fans particularly tagged Bam or involved Bam in anything, the amount of times we saw even the Aces social media handle utilize Bam in some way, put the apostrophe after the B in Bam. I mean, I just loved how much interaction there was with not just Asia, like, Asia. Asia was, like, living her own life with Bam, and we didn't know about it, but the rest. Like everyone else around her, the Aces fans ate that up, and it was so much fun. And I also love Bam asking certain questions when he was trying to figure out, what the heck? How does Asia Wilson tie for defensive player of the year? And asking that question, all the Aces fans and the Asia Wilson fans encouraging him in that. I loved everything about how he showed up as a peripheral element of Asia Wilson's greatness. This year. I have a page on each was.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Very sweet just to tap onto Bam in Asia real quick. Like when they were presenting Asia Wilson with her MVP trophy this year, the Aces team had suggested that her parents bring it in to her. And they were like, no, we want Bam to do it. And they didn't realize that, like, it was okay to have Bam, you know, so prominently featured in this part of her story. But no, it was. It was her dad's idea to say, no, no, Bam's got to come and bring in the trophy. And then, you know, thinking about when they won the title, like, Bam is on the court Celebrating with the team in the arena. And like a ton of Aces fans have stuck around to watch this moment and they show BAM on the Jumbotron and he's obviously not looking at the Jumbotron, he's looking at Asia and he hears like this huge cheer from the crowd and he looks up and he sees his face on the Demotron and just starts cracking up like, oh, this is what they're saying.

[Zena Keda]

Oh, this is about me. Oh, got it. Yeah. I thought you were talking about the hard launch where I think whether the mayor of Miami Dade or whoever it.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Was, I could not pronounce Asia's name properly.

[Zena Keda]

Couldn't pronounce Asia's name properly. And then fully, fully, like if they were trying to be discreet about it. I don't think you can be discrete.

[Sabrina Merchant]

When your parents show up to a key of the city ceremony.

[Zena Keda]

Right, right.

[Ben Pickman]

Also when you're six, putting them on blast.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Well, this was Asia trying to be discreet at Bam ceremony. So yeah, so six, four. So yeah. Also hard to be discreet.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. She definitely put them on blast if they were trying to be discreet and not know that like, you know, not saying things. She just casually put that out there. Yeah. Overall that was a lot of fun for me. I also had some honorable mentions, just rookies and or younger players. I personally in the Bay loved watching Kate Martin and Caitlyn Chen like you're talking about during timeouts or long stoppages which happened a lot in the WNBA season. Them playing Patty Cake during the timeouts. Like, I just love their little chemistry. Their, their, their connection point. That was really fun to watch. And then Sonia and Kiki Iriafen, like Sonya Citron and Kiki Iriafan were a lot of fun to watch as well. In Washington, that duo kind of like immediately clicked from the night of the Dr. Night and they were fun to watch on the court. They were really, really good together on the court. But overall just like a fun duo as well.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Hannah Burner. Are those the cozy Tommy John pajamas you're buying?

[Zena Keda]

Paige to Sorbo. They are Tommy John and yes, I'm stocking up because they make the best holiday gifts.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So Gener. Well, I'm a generous girly, especially when it comes to me. So I'm grabbing the softest sleepwear, comfiest.

[Zena Keda]

Underwear and best fitting loungewear.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So nothing for your bestie?

[Zena Keda]

Of course I'm getting my dad Tommy John.

[Sabrina Merchant]

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[Zena Keda]

Thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree. Zoe. This thing weighs a ton. Drew Ski lift with your legs man.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Santa.

[Ben Pickman]

Santa, did you get my letter?

[Zena Keda]

He's talking to you Bridges.

[Ben Pickman]

I'm not.

[Zena Keda]

Of course he did.

[Ben Pickman]

Right Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list and elf, I'm six' three.

[Zena Keda]

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[Zena Keda]

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[Ben Pickman]

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[Zena Keda]

Okay, we have looked back enough, brought up some moments that even got me some goosebumps, and I'm just, like, appreciative of what 2025 brought us. But now we gotta turn the page. We gotta look forward to what's gonna happen in 2026. And I think we've got a lot to look forward to. The CBA's gonna keep us guessing as to when all that is gonna start for the W side. But NCAA season is about to get really exciting with conference play around the corner. And we know unrivals are also around the corner there' in 2026. And so I want to know, what are you guys most looking forward to? Ben, I'll start with you.

[Ben Pickman]

Well, I'm hoping that we get some closer NCAA Tournament games and a few more memorable NCAA Tournament moments, specifically championship games as well, both in the college and the pro world. We didn't really get, like, a vintage, incredible Final Four of, like, down to the Wire. We. We didn't get that. Not. We didn't really. We didn't get that. And WNBA Finals as well. We had a couple moments. We talked about game one, game three, but, like, you know, this was the first ever seven game series, best of seven, and it lasted four games. So.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah. Hoping for a little more competition there. You know what I'm most looking forward to is, again, like, I was really happy with all the conversations we had with coaches on this show in particular. I thought that was a real highlight for. For me and I think Sabrina as well. Like, and we hope for you all as listeners, bringing you more conversations like that with people you might know the names of who might be involved with your favorite team or your favorite sport, but you might not know a lot about their journey. I think that was really rewarding to bring some of those to light. And, you know, I think, yeah, just like continuing to. Not to get sappy for a little bit. But this show has been a real highlight, I think, for a lot of us over the last year. And so continuing to grow the community that we have been building. I think it's so meaningful to all of us when we get stopped in arenas and people come up to us and say they listen to the show, say they love the show, ask us questions. So continuing to.

[Sabrina Merchant]

People come up to Ben while he's standing with WNBA coaches and they ask for selfies with him.

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah, that did happen this past. That did happen within the last 10 days. That was a capper to the year as well.

[Zena Keda]

There you go.

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah, I Mean, I think that is something that I'm definitely looking forward to and continuing to grow what we can do here, so.

[Zena Keda]

Well, dang, Ben, we should have let you go last. That's okay.

[Ben Pickman]

You'll say the same thing and round it up as well.

[Zena Keda]

I mean, I don't know if I could say it as eloquently. That was. Bear is beautiful, and that is very true. We definitely look forward to just continuing to grow this community. And we're seeing that you guys enjoy what we're providing. And so we definitely want more interviews. We want that reporting that you guys provide, of course, and hopefully covering even more. I mean, one of the things that we look forward to covering with unrivaled season two coming up, being more involved in that, and then we've got more WNBA teams coming. Expansion is on the horizon. I'm very curious to see how those two teams enter and what that looks like and how does expansion impact the W. Uh, I'll say, like, top of my list, though. Juju Watkins returning. Her absence is felt, and I'm not gonna say like that there isn't. There aren't stars in NCAA right now, but not transcendent ones like her. And I'm. I'm really excited to see her get back on the court very soon. But, yeah, Sabrina, close us out. What are you looking forward to?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I'm looking forward to a WNBA season. Just real simple. I would like a WNBA season in 2026. I would like to see UConn play Texas in the NCAA tournament. I feel like we deserve that. Should be a fun game between those two teams. I would like to get to go back to Durham for USA basketball stuff. That's one thing I hope gets to happen in 2026. And also I'm very excited for the World cup in September. I think the international world has just really leveled up in terms of basketball talent, especially France, Germany. We talked about Belgium earlier on the show, and I'm really excited to see what that looks like at the World cup, you know, depending on who is available to play for Team usa. I just. I always really love our international competitions because the Americans don't mess around. They always put up their best talent, and it's a really interesting group of players who are committed to this cycle. So, yeah, Germany, 2026. Can't wait for that one.

[Zena Keda]

Boom. I love that the international ones. Can we try another one's good, too? Oh, absolutely. What?

[Ben Pickman]

Another return to look forward to the return of our great colleague Chantelle Jennings.

[Zena Keda]

Yes, that's right. Chantel will be back for maternity leave before Juju Watkins.

[Sabrina Merchant]

In case you're wondering.

[Zena Keda]

That is true.

[Ben Pickman]

She will be back sooner than later. So welcoming Chantel back and everyone will get to read her writing and hear her voice on the podcast in 2026 very soon.

[Zena Keda]

Man, Ben, you're literally killing it with these mic drops. So that is going to be all for our best of the year episode. Thank you gu guys so much for riding with us this year, for listening, for commenting, for writing in. I mean, we just really appreciate all the support and as Ben mentioned, just the support in person. The amount of times that we get people coming up to us to let us know they love the show, that they've shared the show that their kids like. The show like this is what it's all about is growing this game and continuing to find new ways to bring you into it and to get you understanding what's going out on the court, but also in the world of women's basketball because it continues to evolve and grow and we're happy that you guys are doing that with us. So lots of exciting things on the horizon and we will continue to be your go to source for everything, women's hoops. So if you haven't already, if you haven't already, y', all, seriously, it's been a year of me telling you to do this. But if you haven't already, please follow our show. Subscribe wherever you're listening. Make sure you're leaving a comment. Show us that love. Let us know. Know what you like, what you want to see in 2026. We most definitely want to hear from you. And once more, head on over to our partner at the yahoo. Sports hub that is sports.yahoo.com womens-sports on behalf of the Athletic, Sabrina Merchant, Ben Pickman, our entire team behind the scenes that works tirelessly to make me sound good in the midst of Sabrina and Ben always sounding good. Yeah, I know it's a lot of work, so I just want to thank them too. I'm Zena Kaeda thanking you so much for listening. Wishing you a great end of the year and we'll see you next year. No off season is hosted by Zena Kada with Chantelle Jennings, Sabrina Merchant and Ben Quickman. It's produced by Tanika Burrell. Our executive producer is Andrea B. Scott. Our theme music is by Marcus Bagala. Monica Compton is our video editor. Shannon Ryan is managing editor of the women's basketball at the Athletic. Jesse Burton is our head of audio and Tim McMaster is director of audio operations. The longer you stay alive, the longer you can enjoy Boost Mobile's unlimited plan with a price that never goes up. So here are some tips. Do not parallel park on a cliff if you want to enjoy an unlimited plan with a price that never goes up. Do not mistake a wasp nest for a pinata if you want to enjoy an unlimited plan with a price that never goes up. Do not microwave a hard boiled egg if you want to enjoy an unlimited plan with the price that never goes up. Stay alive and enjoy Unlimited Wireless for $25 a month forever. With Boost Mobile, after 30 gigs, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Mobile Unlimited plan. Hi, this is Joe from Vanta. In today's digital world, compliance regulations are changing constantly and earning customer trust has never mattered more. Vanta helps companies get compliant fast and stay secure with the most advanced AI, automation and continuous monitoring and out there. So whether you're a startup going for your first SoC2 or ISO 27001 or a growing enterprise managing vendor risk, Vanta makes it quick, easy and scalable. And I'm not just saying that because I work here. Get [e-mail] Hannah Berner are those the.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Cozy Tommy John pajamas you're buying? Paige de Sorbo they are Tommy John.

[Zena Keda]

And yes, I'm stocking up because they make the best holiday gifts.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So generous. Well, I'm a generous girly especially when it comes to me. So I'm grabbing the softest sleepwear, comfiest.

[Zena Keda]

Underwear and best fitting loungewear.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So nothing for your bestie? Of course I'm getting my dad Tommy John. Oh and you of course it's giving holiday gifting made easy. Exactly.

[Zena Keda]

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[Sabrina Merchant]

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[Zena Keda]

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