No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

Episode: How International Players Are Quietly Reshaping Basketball
Date: January 13, 2026
Hosts: Zena Keita & Sabrina Merchant

Episode Overview

This episode explores the growing impact of international players in women’s college basketball and the WNBA. The hosts, Zena Keita and Sabrina Merchant, discuss how global talent is not only changing the style and quality of play, but also contributing to evolving NCAA and WNBA rules. The episode delves into the pros and cons, challenges around eligibility, and the broader implications for the sport, with a focus on both current events and the philosophical questions facing women’s basketball.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Deal or No Deal: WNBA CBA Negotiations

[02:23–09:19]

• The deadline for the WNBA’s new CBA extension passed without an agreement; the state is now “status quo”—no lockout or strike, but time is tight.
• Visual union solidarity: The WNBPA staged a protest outside the NBA store, bringing a giant inflatable rat to symbolize management’s stance.
  • “This is a large inflatable toy rat… as a symbol of management and how they have treated the players union…” — Sabrina Merchant [04:04]
• Season prep threatens to overlap with NCAA March Madness, risking the WNBA’s media attention.
• Main point of contention: Salary structure.
  • WNBPA proposal: Split gross league revenue 50–50 (project average salary ~$800K—up from $120K currently).
  • League proposal: Split 70–30 of net revenue (after league expenses)—maximum salary could reach $1.3M, but average less than union demand.
  • Quote: “The expenses form a higher percentage of the overall budget… They need to split the net revenue versus gross revenue.” — Sabrina Merchant [08:20]
• Both sides agree massive salary increases are needed, but the union wants more transparency about “expenses” and better alignment with player leverage.

2. College Basketball Power Rankings & Standouts

[09:19–24:20]

• Only three unbeaten women’s teams remain following Texas’ loss to LSU.
• LSU vs. Texas: LSU's win signals their resurgence (Mikayla Williams’s leadership, toughness, rebounding focus).
  • Kim Mulkey used Angel Reese’s “M.E. bounds” mantra to motivate players: “…it was all part of the fabric of ‘no rebounds, no rings.’” — Sabrina Merchant [11:04]
  • Mikayla Williams: emerging as LSU’s fulcrum, “Her shooting… her playmaking has been phenomenal… This could very well be my team.” — Sabrina [13:08]
• Ohio State: Big ranking jump (24th → 12th); new stars like Jelani Cambridge drawing Asia Wilson’s admiration.
  • “She just looks like Kennedy Carter out there…so physical inside, finish[ing] so well at the rim…” — Sabrina [16:36]
  • Impressive development of international players: Elsa Lemola (Finland), transitioning successfully to the U.S. style.
• Other teams: UCLA’s Lauren Betts is experimenting with her game, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo is delivering star performances.
  • “Since Hidalgo started in her rookie season, she has five 30-point games against AP ranked opponents… JuJu Watkins, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers—the company she’s in.” — Sabrina [24:20]

3. International Players: Impact & Rule Changes

[28:13–49:06]

a. The New International Wave

• International players have always featured in NCAA hoops, but the NIL era (Name, Image, Likeness payment) incentivizes global talent to choose U.S. college ball over junior professional contracts abroad.
  • “In the NIL era, there’s more incentive for these players to want to come…you can play for some money in college.” — Sabrina [29:15]
• Coaches like José Fernandez at South Florida pioneered international recruiting to compete with elite programs.

b. Rules, Loopholes, and Gray Areas

• NCAA rules have historically been strict about pro/amateur status, but blurred lines now exist due to NIL and international movement.
• Eligibility confusion: Even top coaches like Corey Close (UCLA) admit, “No; everything is just changing in real time…we don’t know what the third party, like, you know, collectives are allowed to do…” — Sabrina [33:51]
• Players can join college teams mid-year after playing abroad—rarely possible before.
• Notably, international players can be drafted to the WNBA and then play NCAA—a “new element” reshaping the recruiting and roster-building calendar.
• MNEMONIC: “Show says no”—the old compliance officer’s mantra about not accepting extra benefits [32:17].

c. Pros & Cons of International Talent

• Pros:
  • Diversifies and raises the standard of play.
  • Fosters cultural connections and new basketball styles.
  • Gives fans the chance to follow international players’ journeys more closely.
  • “It’s awesome…just to continue to globalize the game and foster these connections.” — Sabrina [38:05]
• Cons:
  • Feels more like pro sports; undermines college’s traditional distinctions.
  • Midseason imports (e.g., Alicia Tonabis to South Carolina) feel like trade acquisitions, eroding the “college” identity.
  • Raises equity questions: International players have more flexible pathways to pro basketball compared to rigid U.S. system.
    • “You could decide to just go to college first, then Europe, then the WNBA…There are limited pathways for American players.” — Sabrina [42:28]

d. Is the System Unfair to U.S. Players?

• U.S. prospects must play until 22, while international players can be drafted at 19, or even return to college after being drafted.
• “The lack of clarity in these rules is not necessarily disadvantaging American players, but there are limited pathways.” — Sabrina [44:06]
• “Yeah, I do think it’s a disadvantage.” — Zena [44:52]

e. Notable International Players Reshaping College Teams

• Nastja Claessens (Belgium), Kansas State: Holding WNBA draft rights but opted for college, bringing flexibility and key contributions.
  • “She’s averaging 11.4 points…been a pretty good player for Kansas State.” — Sabrina [46:06]
• Blanca Quinones (Spain), UConn: Ex-pro, now with the Huskies—offering a mature, physical style that complements U.S. stars.
  • “She started the season kind of wild…there’s no better person to get her game in more control than Geno Auriemma.” — Zena [48:42]

4. Fun & Games: Something in Common

[51:41–56:22]

A lighthearted game segment where Zena quizzes Sabrina on commonalities among prominent WNBA players, e.g.:

• Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, and Nneka Ogwumike — all first-round picks, Sparks, champions, MVPs, etc.
• Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, Cameron Brink, Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart — all top 20 all-time NCAA shot blockers.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On salary barriers:
  “I don’t know what’s more stressful: this CBA negotiation or planning my wedding!” — Zena Caida [06:26]

• On the blending of pro and college:
  “It feels like I’m watching pro basketball conducted by the NCAA and then pro basketball conducted by the WNBA.” — Sabrina Merchant [40:37]

• On rule confusion:
  “The coaches don’t even really understand what’s happening… everything is just changing in real time.” — Sabrina Merchant [33:51]

• On NCAA tradition:
  “I like that there’s been a distinction, that there’s something fundamentally unique—and maybe a little weird—about college sports.” — Sabrina Merchant [40:37]

• On international talent pipeline:
  “I do think it’s a disadvantage.” — Zena Caida, on U.S. prospects having fewer pro pathways [44:52]

Timestamps by Segment

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 02:15–09:19 | WNBA CBA update: what’s at stake, solidarity action, salaries | | 09:19–24:20 | College power rankings, LSU-Texas analysis, standouts | | 24:20–28:13 | Quick hits: standout individual performances (Notre Dame, etc) | | 28:13–49:06 | Deep dive: International players and shifting NCAA/Pro rules | | 51:41–56:22 | Game: “Something in Common” (WBB trivia) |

Episode Tone and Style

• Conversational, energetic, and informed.
• Mix of analytical breakdowns and candid, sometimes humorous commentary.
• Hosts regularly weave in personal perspectives and audience engagement (soliciting feedback, referencing past inside jokes).

Summary Takeaways

• International player influx is already reshaping both the competitive and cultural landscape of women’s basketball at all levels.
• NCAA rules—and their enforcement—are becoming less clear, especially concerning professional experience and eligibility.
• The blending of professional and college norms through NIL, portal, and midseason acquisitions is challenging traditional ideas of what college sports “should” be.
• There are benefits to increased parity and exposure, but also valid concerns about equity, identity, and the “spirit” of college basketball.

For fans, staying tuned to these shifts is crucial—change is the only constant, and women’s basketball is at the global vanguard.