No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show

Episode: Inside the Liberty & Storm Head Coach Shake-Ups + Semis Game 3 Look-aheads
Date: September 26, 2025
Hosts: Zena Keda, Sabrina Merchant, Ben Pickman

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the recent high-profile coaching changes in the WNBA — with Sandy Brondello out at the New York Liberty and Noelle Quinn departing the Seattle Storm — and unpacks what these moves mean for both teams and for the league at large. The hosts also provide detailed breakdowns and lookaheads for the pivotal Game 3s in the WNBA semifinals, highlighting strategies, key performances, and ongoing storylines. Additionally, the show tackles larger, systemic issues around representation at the coaching level and closes with a fun “Who Said It?” game mixing Jonas Brothers lyrics and Diana Taurasi wisdom.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Playoff Semifinals: Game 2 Recaps & Game 3 Look-Aheads

Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever

• Aces bounced back at home: After a surprise home loss, Las Vegas routed Indiana 90-68 to even the series.
• Asia Wilson’s resilience: Sabrina noted, “Asia does not have bad games twice in a row” ([04:47], Sabrina Merchant).
  • Cited Aces PR stats showing Wilson’s historic ability to bounce back after poor shooting nights.
• Team adjustments: Ball movement was significantly improved — assists up from 12 in Game 1 to 22 in Game 2.
• Kelsey Mitchell is the key for Indiana: Ben underscores Indiana’s hopes hinge on “making sure that Kelsey Mitchell is getting as high quality of shot attempts as she possibly can” ([06:54], Ben Pickman).
• Home-court advantage: Both hosts agree Indiana’s depth has been hammered by injuries but expect a better performance from rotation players at Gainbridge Fieldhouse ([09:43], Sabrina Merchant).

Phoenix Mercury vs. Minnesota Lynx

• Mercury’s incredible comeback: Down 20 in the third quarter, Phoenix storms back to win in overtime.
  • Noted by Ben: “Phoenix Mercury had only won one game in their franchise’s history when trailing by 15 or more at halftime. Game 2 became instance number two” ([11:55], Ben Pickman).
• Defense and depth shine: Phoenix forced 11 turnovers in the second half and got critical bench contributions — “Katherine Westfeld, DeWanna Bonner, and of course, the wild Sammy Whitcomb game-winning three” ([13:53], Zena Keda).
  • Sabrina, on Phoenix’s options: “They have a lot of options they can go to when things aren’t quite clicking” ([15:10], Sabrina Merchant).
• Minnesota’s challenge: Lynx’s supposed depth evaporated; got only three bench points.
  • “When Atisha Heideman can’t get her way going to the paint...the Lynx couldn’t find it” ([15:10], Sabrina Merchant).
• Game 3 expectations: Cheryl Reeve expected to “preach getting back to Minnesota Lynx basketball — poise, not getting rattled, aggressive line-up changes if needed” ([17:40], Ben Pickman).
• Phoenix’s upside: Hosts note that Phoenix might have three players (Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper) capable of being the best on the floor in any game, giving them a potential edge.

2. The Major Head Coach Shake-Ups: Liberty & Storm

Sandy Brondello’s Dismissal (New York Liberty)

• Context: Sandy not retained after the 2025 season (less than a year after a championship and a postseason exit).
• Front office reasoning: Jonathan Kolb (GM) called it a “proactive decision, not reactive,” citing an “ever-evolving” WNBA requiring more innovation ([23:23], Ben Pickman).
• Contractual signals: Brondello had only secured a one-year guarantee after the title win — foreshadowing possible lack of faith.
• Style-of-play factors: Liberty fell behind in offensive innovation; their shot profile became league-average compared to last year’s league-leading metrics ([23:23], Ben Pickman).
• Player reaction: Stewie was publicly shocked when asked about Brondello’s future ([26:04], Zena Keda).
• Risk assessment: Sabrina: “You don’t just bring in a new coach and expect her to win a title right away… it's very risky for New York” ([27:05], Sabrina Merchant).
• Culture vs. innovation: Contradictions between being “player-led” while making such a top-down decision.

Noelle Quinn’s Firing (Seattle Storm)

• Track record: 4.5 seasons, four playoff appearances, but only one playoff series win.
• “Enough time”: “They gave her plenty of opportunities to get over that hurdle [winning in playoffs]… like, have we done anything we wanted to do in these five years?” ([36:42], Sabrina Merchant).
• Team direction: Seattle faces a unique “two-timeline” roster dilemma, with veterans and promising youth like Dominika Malaonga. New coach choice will signal future direction ([39:19], Ben Pickman).
• Off-court issues: Lingering player unrest (e.g., Jewel Loyd trade discourse), no substantiated off-court issues found but culture in question.

3. Representation and Coaching Runway in the WNBA

• Current landscape: With Quinn’s dismissal, there are no Black women head coaches in the WNBA ([41:57], Zena Keda).
• Double standard: Zena: “There's a double standard for Black women as coaches—loved as players, but not trusted as leaders” ([41:57], Zena Keda).
• Tenure disparities: Noted how non-Black coaches (male and female) sometimes get more job security despite similar or worse records (e.g., Tyler Marsh, Chris Koclanes).
• Coaching pipeline: Despite NBA & league-wide measures to add former players to coaching staffs, pathway to head coaching roles remains rocky and often cut short.
• Mentorship gap: Ben notes Stephanie White was mentored deeply by Lin Dunn, but such mentorships are increasingly rare given high turnover ([52:03], Ben Pickman).
• Systemic implications: Sabrina: “You can justify every individual situation… but the fact remains… there are no Black women currently in head coaching positions—and that is a broader trend” ([47:44], Sabrina Merchant).

4. Names to Watch: Next Coaching Hires

• Potential candidates:

  • Christy Tolliver: Top Mercury assistant, lauded for basketball IQ, but advised to be “picky” with jobs due to lack of runway for first-timers ([45:20], Ben Pickman).
  • Breon January: Current assistant with Fever, former Storm player, could be in Seattle mix.
  • Sonia Rahman: Liberty assistant with NBA and NCAA experience, praised for innovation ([53:55], Ben Pickman).
  • Sandy Brondello: Could bounce to an expansion franchise like Toronto.
  • James Wade, Latricia Trammell: Former WNBA head coaches who may surface again ([55:14], Sabrina Merchant).
  • Other intriguing assistants: Grooming Christmas-Kelly, Austin Kelly, Nola Henry, all called “up-and-comers” ([55:44], Sabrina Merchant).

• Expansion factor: With Toronto (and possibly Golden State) entering, more seats at the table, but concerns linger about equitable opportunity.

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Aces’ response in Game 2

“Asia does not have bad games twice in a row.”
— Sabrina Merchant ([04:47])

On New York Liberty’s approach to coaching change

“This was a proactive decision and not a reactive decision… it was about being more innovative, more adaptable.”
— Ben Pickman recounting GM Jonathan Kolb ([23:23])

On the double standard for Black women coaches

“There’s a double standard for Black women as coaches—loved as players, but not trusted as leaders… [they aren’t] provided the space to make mistakes.”
— Zena Keda ([41:57])

On the rarity—and risk—of firing a reigning champion coach

“It’s weird to me that they’re almost sacrificing a season… it is a risky game to play when you have one of the top two, top three players in the WNBA right now.”
— Sabrina Merchant ([27:05])

On the “runway” for aspiring head coaches

“You're not getting a lot of opportunity to have multiple seasons to learn… you might only get one shot, like, one year or two years—if you screw up that one shot, that could be it.”
— Ben Pickman ([50:13])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Aces-Fever Game 2 Analysis: [04:47] – [10:17]
• Mercury-Lynx Comeback & Rotation Insights: [11:30] – [19:46]
• Liberty & Storm Head Coach Firings: [21:30] – [41:57]
• Representation & Systemic Trends in Coaching: [41:57] – [53:19]
• Potential Coaching Candidates for Upcoming Jobs: [53:19] – [55:44]
• Notable Quotes Compilation: [Throughout]
• “Who Said It?” Game (Jonas Brothers or Diana Taurasi): [57:39] – [61:17]

Tone & Atmosphere

The show is lively, insightful, and at times irreverent, characterized by authentic, opinionated debate. The hosts effortlessly weave hard analysis with cultural context, mentoring, and personal anecdotes, showing deep investment in both the WNBA’s on-court drama and its off-court evolution.

Memorable Moments

• Sammy Whitcomb’s wild game-winner: “That Sammy Whitcomb shot is something to behold—the fact that she air balled the first one and then found her way and she had been running around all night long…” ([13:53], Zena Keda)
• Jonathan Kolb’s language at the Liberty presser: “We consider ourselves to be a player led organization. That being said, I made the decision to fire Sandy.” ([27:05], Sabrina Merchant)
• Diversity discussion—roster/bench representation: “It's gotta be so frustrating that, like, my owners care more about my team now, but that means they don't want me to coach the team, right? Like, how stupid is that?” ([47:44], Sabrina Merchant)
• “Who Said It?” Game (Jonas Brothers lyric or Taurasi quote): A fun segment flexing the hosts' pop culture and hoops knowledge ([57:39]).

Action Items & Upcoming

• Game 3s and 4s in semifinals: Can’t-miss playoff basketball coming up.
• Coaching carousel updates: Watch this space for news, especially regarding increased representation.
• Finals coverage: The pod will drop episodes the morning after each Finals game.

Closing

The episode exemplifies how the WNBA’s on-court action and off-court dynamics are inseparably linked. It offers essential insider perspectives, calls attention to long-term league growth issues, and keeps listeners entertained and informed — whether you’re a diehard or a newcomer.