No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

Episode: Predicting this Season in Women's College Hoops

Date: November 4, 2025
Hosts: Zena Keita, Sabrina Merchant, Ben Pickman

Episode Overview

The hosts kick off the new women’s college basketball season with an in-depth predictions episode. They share picks for Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year, and National Champion, alongside dark horse and surprise teams to watch. The episode features lively discussion, stats-backed insights, and a fun new game connecting players across college and WNBA stints. The hosts’ banter captures their deep knowledge and love for the sport while making preseason prognostications accessible and engaging.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Warm-up & Personal Updates (02:12–09:48)

• NYC Marathon Shoutout:
  Ben recounts running the marathon, supported by listeners and friends, and praises the city’s energy (03:41).

  • "Special shout out to a listener of the podcast at the mile 24 mark…that was on. That was very surprising and was an added boost." – Ben Pickman (03:41)

• WNBA CBA Segment Recap:
  Sabrina shares her experience breaking down WNBA’s CBA negotiations on The Athletic Show (06:13).

  • "A lot less exciting than running the marathon, but probably a fun weekend nonetheless getting to see you..." – Sabrina Merchant (06:13)

• World Series Side-Talk:
  The hosts discuss Dodgers’ win and baseball’s stress levels for fans, before pivoting fully to basketball predictions.

2. Freshman of the Year/Newcomer of the Year Discussion (11:49–19:02)

Consensus Pick: Jazzy Davidson (USC)

• Sabrina’s Case:

  • Emphasis on USA Basketball pedigree, especially U19 World Cup performance.
  • Key stats: ~15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 combined steals/blocks per U19 game.
  • Opportunity at USC due to major roster changes.
    "Jazzy's just… so confident, so smooth, and has just an excellent body of work already against the highest levels of competition." – Sabrina Merchant (12:04)

• Zena’s Take:

  • Praises Davidson’s two-way play and “free way” of playing.
  • Considers Aaliyah Chavez (Oklahoma) as close runner-up for similar reasons: “Both…have the stage set for them to take over.” (14:47)

• Ben’s Agreement:

  • Backs Davidson for her Team USA heroics and USC’s need for impact players.
  • Notes Oklahoma’s situation for Chavez: possibility of high success but distributed stats due to existing talent.

Honorable Mentions:

• Sienna Betts (UCLA, though out to start season), Addie Deal (Iowa), Allen McDowell (South Carolina).

(Timestamps: 12:04 Sabrina’s pick; 14:47 Zena’s agreement; 16:37 Ben on program contexts; 18:13 Sabrina on honorable mentions)

3. Player of the Year Predictions (19:02–25:16)

• Sarah Strong (UConn) – Picked by Zena and Sabrina

  • Dominated as a freshman last year (19 pts, 12 rebounds in tournament run, 24 & 15 in title game).
  • Praised for defensive versatility and composure in high-pressure situations.
  • "She eats other teams for breakfast at this point." – Zena Keita (22:20)

• Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) – Ben’s Pick

  • First-team All-American both years, led ACC in scoring, assists, and steals.
  • With Olivia Miles gone, Hidalgo will run the show.
  • "She is a pest beyond pests on the court…if she's able to elevate her game even more…there’s a strong case for her." – Ben Pickman (21:01)

• Lauren Betts (UCLA) seen as close, but Sabrina gives the edge to Strong for her versatility.

• Sabrina notes different awards (Wade, Naismith), frequent debate, and advises against “recency bias” (23:31).

4. Surprise Teams (25:16–34:25)

Picks:

• Washington Huskies (Sabrina):

  • Underrated, versatile guard play, continuity, and solid additions.
  • "I really like the Washington Huskies…they have so much continuity coming back…a team that can make some noise in the Big Ten." (25:55)

• NC State (Zena):

  • Potential Final Four dark horse, roster adjustments might surprise.
  • Discussion on what counts as a “surprise”: top 10 team making Final Four is debated.

• Iowa State (Ben):

  • Crooks & Addie Brown: highest scoring returning duo; poised for bounce back after underperforming last year.
  • "It's a team that maybe you guys agree…they have underperformed a little…a bounce back year for Iowa State." (29:04)

• Duke & Louisville also discussed as possible “surprise” teams.

5. National Championship Picks (34:25–43:51)

Favorites:

• UConn (Sabrina):

  • "This is UConn’s title to lose. I feel very chalky saying it, but I have not done well betting against UConn in the past." (36:39)
  • UCLA is seen as their likely opponent in the title game.

• UCLA (Ben):

  • Returns seven seniors, strong frontcourt/guard balance.
  • "If UCLA is ever going to win, it’s got to be this year…They need some shooting and [Gianna] Eatkins could be that perimeter shooting…" (37:22)

• South Carolina (Zena):

  • Bets on Dawn Staley’s program even with only 10 healthy players.
  • Points to leadership of Raven Johnson, impact transfer T’Nai Latson, and breakout potential for Joyce Edwards.
  • "I just feel like I can't count [Dawn Staley] out…Raven Johnson is the ultimate penultimate leader of this team." (41:20)

Notable stat (Ben):

• Only 2 preseason AP #1 teams have won the title in last decade; title typically comes from a top-5 preseason team.

6. Interactive Game: “She Traveled” (46:46–55:08)

A trivia game connecting two current/former women’s players through teammates/teams/colleges in 3-4 steps or fewer.
Examples:

• Caitlin Clark to Brion January, with an Iowa Hawkeye in the chain
• Jewell Loyd to Bec Allen, requiring an undrafted player in the path
• Kelsey Plum to Diana Taurasi, using a UConn player

Fun, tricky, and showcases deep knowledge!

• "This is a game for all you WNBA women's basketball nerds out there." – Ben Pickman (52:01)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Sabrina on freshmen: "The freshmen just come in ready to go. And I think we could get some real, real star power in this class." (18:13)
• Ben on Hidalgo: "She is a pest beyond pests on the court…there's a really strong case to be made for her to be player of the year." (21:01)
• Zena on Sarah Strong: "She eats other teams for breakfast at this point." (22:20)
• Sabrina on the unpredictability of conference play: "College sports are awesome…You got to wait until conference season…so just let it ease in, all right?" (34:33)
• Ben’s history note: "Over the last decade, the preseason number one team in the AP poll has won the national championship just twice." (37:22)
• Sabrina on Louisville coach Jeff Walz: "Betting on Jeff Walz to figure a team out over the course of the regular season is always a good idea." (33:02)
• Fun game banter:
  • "This is a game for all you WNBA women's basketball nerds out there." – Ben (52:01)
  • "Good work. So what I was looking for, we'll reveal the answer here…" – Ben (51:05)

Key Timestamps

• Start of Predictions / Main Show: 02:12
• Freshman of the Year Predictions: 12:04
• Player of the Year Predictions: 19:02
• Surprise Team Discussion: 25:16
• Championship Picks: 34:25
• Interactive Player Connection Game: 46:46

Episode Takeaways

• Jazzy Davidson is the consensus Freshman to watch, but Aaliyah Chavez could challenge.
• Sarah Strong and Lauren Betts stand out for Player of the Year, with Hannah Hidalgo a very real contender.
• UConn and UCLA are preseason favorites for the national title, but the hosts warn against ignoring South Carolina and possible surprises from teams like Iowa State, NC State, Washington, and Louisville.
• The episode combines serious analysis with lighthearted fun, featuring a nerd-friendly player-connection game to close.

For those wanting a preseason lay of the land for women's college hoops, this episode is as comprehensive, entertaining, and insightful as it gets!

(End of summary)