← No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
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- [00:00]
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- [01:44]
Zena Kaeda
There to watch them.
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- [04:57]
Zena Kaeda
For the athletic I'm Zena Kaeda and this is the Athletic Women's Basketball show presented by AT&T. Welcome back to the Athletic Women's Basketball Show. Actually it's really a welcome back for me. I've been on vacation. But of course Ben, Sabrina and Chantel held it down in that last week of Olympic Games. Unbelievable finish. Folks, if you have not listened to our last episode where Ben, Sabrina, Chantelle kind of break down their thoughts on that last game. Break down their thoughts on what to expect in the next games. Break down their thoughts on how, what everything that went down in that game. Please take a second, go back one episode and listen to it, because all the questions I had about X's and O's, who should have been on the court, when was Cheryl Reeve using her talent the best of her ability? What's going to happen in 2028? Is Juju Watkins going to make the team? I don't know. All these questions I had, they covered it all. So definitely make sure that you take a step back and listen to it. But we are now back to regular cadence here as the WNBA season is back in full effect this upcoming weekend. And we got to talk about this because it feels like it's been a very long time since we watched WNBA hoops. Yeah, Stewie and Asia don't play on the same team now, folks. So this is gonna feel a little interesting, a little bit more different. I got Ben Pickman in the building. We're gonna break all of this down. Ben. I cannot believe it's been officially, what, three weeks since we last saw WNBA action.
- [06:43]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, something like that.
- [06:44]
Zena Kaeda
That's crazy. It feels like it's so long. And, yeah, I got a little spoiled getting to see all these superstars on one team, but now they're going to their respective homes to battle out against each other as they race to the playoffs. Before we dive into that, I want to kind of just take us back down memory lane before the Olympic break and get a quick look at where were things left before Olympics. The Olympic break started, of course. New York Liberty at the very top. Kind of alone at the very top and feeling great going into the Olympic break, having a win streak four games straight. They were just on a roll. Seattle Storm also on a roll up there at the top. But there are some teams that were also heating up. I'm thinking about the 5 and 5 in the last 10. Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky. Like, there were some teams that were heating up. So give us the landscape. Where were things left for the W?
- [07:40]
Ben Pickman
It's a great question. And I think everyone, like myself included, I know Sabrina Chantel, like, we were all talking, like, everyone here needs a reset because it feels like such a long time ago that the wnba, like, games were going on. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just like, boy, there was a lot of basketball, a lot of sports to watch. A lot of exciting things happened over these last couple weeks. Like the All Star Game feels like forever ago. It's hard to believe it was only, like, 3ish weeks. You know, I was thinking back just this week, like, the last game of the regular season on the last night or the last night of the first half of the regular season, I should say, you know, on that night, Caitlin Clark set the all time WNBA assist record. Like I was on a flight out to Phoenix when that was happening and it was, you know, this crazy thing and, and that feels like ages ago that like, you know, Clark was playing some of her best basketball. The Indiana Fever as well as you mentioned, 5 and 5 in their last 10. Chicago the same way, like Angel Reese's double double streak, that was kind of one of the storylines of the first half that she set this WNB record for all time consecutive double doubles. But you mentioned it like, I think those two obviously like dominated so much attention throughout the first half of the regular season and they should, right. Like they were these star rookies. They both came in and made a huge impact. But if you look at the standings right now as we sit here in mid August, you know, they're seventh and eighth respectively in the postseason. Indiana 11 and 15, Chicago 10 and 14. And frankly there are a number of teams and we'll get into this a little bit, I'm sure below them in the standings. Who could be passing them in the standings or you know, make a case to surge up in the second half. For me, as we look towards the second half now, it starts to actually become a little bit of winning time. Like we're coming down the stretch run here. You know, a lot of these teams only have around 15, 14 games left, something like that. And it's okay jockeying for seeding. It is looking ahead towards the playoffs. And so if we do that a little bit, the New York Liberty, as you mentioned, they're the number one seed, 214 in the first half, 152 in the conference, 121 at home, 91 in their last 10. They are playing some of their best basketball of the entire year entering the All Star break, the Seattle Storm, you also mentioned at Xena, 8 and 2 in their last 10. And the Las Vegas Aces, let's not forget about them, they are sitting there at the number five seed though they are only just a half game back of Minnesota, who's tied for number three. And if you look at it, you know, Chelsea Gray, obviously such an important part of this. Las Vegas aces, historically they're 8 and 2 with her in the starting lineup, plus 12.3 net rating overall. So you know, the Aces are kind of lurking and it wouldn't be shocking to see them move up the standings and put themselves in a really good position for postseason seating as well during the stretch run.
- [10:24]
Zena Kaeda
I'm happy you're talking about seating, because I think, you know, we do have a lot of new viewers to the WNBA that maybe don't have the same understanding of how playoffs work in the W versus other sports. So first, before we go into, like, where these teams are lurking. I love that word very much. The aces are lurking to get into those top positions in the, in the playoffs. But break down the playoff seating, how does that work in the WNBA in terms of how teams put themselves in a good position to. To be able to vie for the WNBA finals?
- [10:57]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, I mean, it is one through eight, and then the key difference in the WNBA compared to some other leagues that some people may follow is that it is one through eight, regardless of conference will qualify for the playoffs and that the bracket overall is not divided. East, west. The first round, again, like it was last year, is a 2:1 series format. So the first two games are hosted by the higher seed. So if the New York Liberty are the number one seed, they will host the first two games of the first round. If they win those first two games, that is the series. If they lose one of those games and suddenly they have to play game three on the road, which is pretty interesting, against the number eight seed, and then the semis and the finals, they're two to one with the higher seed hosting the first two games and then game five if necessary.
- [11:43]
Zena Kaeda
So just shows that the WNBA is so cutthroat. I mean, you've got to win two games out of three in order to keep moving on. But how important it is to be able to get home court advantage. And that's why this positioning, as you're jockeying for positioning for the playoffs is so important. It's not only just getting to the top eight, it's also trying to get in a position where you've got home court advantage. All right, I want to ask the question that we're all asking. Is it a good thing if you went to the Olympics? Because I feel like this is such an interesting position of if you played in the Olympics, you're not rusty, right? You've been playing basketball, you've stayed in shape. And if you played basketball on in high school or in college, you know, heck, if you're playing at the, the rec league down the street, you know, one week, two weeks off can ruin your game. All right? You can be choking for air coming up and down the floor. So you're thinking about these Olympic athletes that just played in Paris and they're still in shape, right? Whether they played the first week and got sent home, or they literally played up to the last weekend, this past weekend, and now they're coming home, play this upcoming weekend. It sounds like it could be a good thing. But then you think about the fact that there are WNBA players that were at the house chilling, being able to practice with their teams, you know, uninterrupted. I don't know, I feel as if I'm stuck in between the both. Like, what do you think about being able to take a break and, or having played in the Olympics and how it can help you?
- [13:14]
Ben Pickman
I think it's one of those topics that a lot of teams spend, you know, a good amount of time really thinking about how they want to re enter the players who were at these games. Like, there are historical examples. Think back, thinking back to 2021, for instance, when some of these teams, for instance, the Seattle Storm, Brianna Stewart, Sue Bird, Drew Lloyd, they sat a little bit right after the Olympics and then Brianna Stewart ended up getting hurt and she couldn't finish off that season. Another one in 2016, Minnesota had four players on that Olympic teams and, you know, ran out of gas later in the year against the Los Angeles Sparks who didn't have any Olympians on their roster. But I do think, like, it depends on what your scope is, right? Like, it wouldn't be surprising necessarily to see the New York Liberty or I think the Las Vegas Aces drop some games later this week, next week, potentially, because they choose to sit players, they choose to play them fewer minutes than they usually do. And that's kind of okay, right? Because you'd rather ease them back in and have this kind of gradual transition back to WNBA action, then play them 35 minutes. Like this is a must win game, you know, on August 15th or on August 20th or on August 22nd, whatever the day is, right? Because at the end of the day for some of those teams, you would rather have them healthy and fully recharged and ready for the postseason. The other interesting question though is like, coaching, right? Like that was something that, you know, Sabrina Merchant and I, we have a story on the site that's going up later this week. We kind of get into this. You know, think about it like some of these coaches, you know, I think went on vacation, but then came back and probably got in the lab, right? Watching a ton of films, watching all their games back, working with all their players. And some, like Sandy Brondella, for instance, she coached the whole Olympic break was focused on another team. And there were people in New York, for instance, that were focused on the Liberty and they had, you know, some practices and some workouts in which their other staffers were working with the players who were still stateside. But, like, presumably Becky Hammond was in the lab for at least part of it. I know I did see her in Paris, photos of her at Paris celebrating the gold medal game. But like, that is another difference. Right. You have maybe some coaches who were able to relax and study up and break things down and some who weren't. So I don't think there is a right answer. And obviously the Olympics is a great opportunity for so many players, but there might be some. The first week or two of the restart might look a little bit wonky compared to what people expected heading in.
- [15:37]
Zena Kaeda
I love that you mentioned that coaching aspect. It's something that didn't come to mind of. Yeah. Sandy Brandello coached the Australian team to a bronze medal. She was busy the whole time. And I just feel as if, if I got some rest, I'm feeling good going up against these teams that battled all the way to the end. And I think about the Aces, I feel as if being at a little bit of a disadvantage thinking about four of your players being occupied this entire break and also utilized to the the max extent. Right. Like Asia Wilson barely sat in that gold medal game against France. And you think about where the Aces are right now in terms of their ranking, like you mentioned, place fifth and they're trying to get to that top four. Specifically, if they're dropping games, that's not going to be good.
- [16:26]
Ben Pickman
Yeah. I mean, actually it's not even four. It's six players who were a part of the Olympics. You have the four Americans and then you have Megan Gustafson who played for Spain, and Tiffany Hayes who played three on three with Azerbaijan.
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Zena Kaeda
That's right.
- [16:38]
Ben Pickman
The thing that, like, is tricky, though, is that there are actually a lot of teams who sent, you know, multiple Olympians to the tournament. Right. New York not only they did not just send Brianna Stewart and Sabrina Unescu, Leone Feebic was there. Niara Savile played for Germany. Now, of course, the latter two with Germany came back and finished their tournament earlier than the Americans, but still they got some game reps and actually got banged up. In the case of those two, you think about Minnesota, they had three starters go to the Olympics, plus Cheryl Reeve. Phoenix had three starters. Seattle sent two, plus Sammy Whitcomb. So, you know, there were a lot of teams who sent a third, a quarter of their roster to the Olympic Games. So maybe it's a little bit of a level playing field. There is a team who, you know, seem to get a lot of practice reps, though, that is the Indiana Fever. They were kind of sitting there, them in the Chicago sky with less to no Olympic participation. And so we'll see they got some extra practice time. Who knows what they look like coming.
- [17:37]
Zena Kaeda
Out of the break now, that being said, I feel like Angel Reese was worldwide during this break. Not only going to Paris, going back. I mean, she was at Lollapalooza with Meg the Stallion. She was everywhere. I felt like. I'm sure she got her time in as well. And Duanna Bonner, for example, from Connecticut. I mean, she was out in Paris with Alyssa Thomas, but she said she had her workouts all set up when she was at All Star break, she was making sure she wasn't skipping any time off. There is a lot of back and forth here of like, is it good to be off? Is it good to be on? And then how people utilize that time while they were off. Okay, so now we've talked about the playoffs and the seating and how that all works out. And we've talked about some of these teams sending some representation down to Paris, being home, being able to rest, being able to work on their games together, practice, et cetera, without any interruptions. Now it's time to win. Like you said, it's winning time. Let's focus on what can we expect. Um, I know you said that you and Sabrina have that story coming out, but what are some of your predictions for what's going to happen in the second half of the season?
- [18:40]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, I mean, the one thing that I'm kind of watching for in the seating is where does Las Vegas end up? That is kind of one of the big questions that I have. Right. They are 16 and 8, and as I mentioned, they're currently fifth, but they're just a half game behind Minnesota and Seattle, who are tied for third and fourth for. I don't necessarily think that Las Vegas needs home court advantage entering the postseason to go on a deep run. They are obviously supremely talented, supremely experienced. They have elite coaching, elite players. They've been there, they could play anywhere. And I would give them more than a puncher's chance to win. But I do think what's really interesting is that, like, New York and Las Vegas, I think, are the two teams, if you're betting and. Or making a prediction, they're the two teams that are rightfully the title favorites still. But depending on where Las Vegas ends up, we might not actually see A Las Vegas, New York final. If it's for instance, Las Vegas is the four seed, right? Or Las Vegas is the five seed, we could see them kind of around earlier in a de facto final. So that's the kind of thing that I'm interested in especially, you know, coming out of the Olympic break. Does one of the teams stumble? Does Las Vegas get off to a slow start for the reasons you mentioned, Xena, because of how many players were kind of at the Olympics so they can afford to lose games. And I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, but that might be the difference in the long run if Connecticut continues to be, you know, play the way that they did for much of the first half. So that is kind of one overarching, I don't know, question thought I have. The other one that I would say is who, if anyone is going to be the team to surge up the standing. There are kind of a lot of teams that are lurking again, to use that word, you know, at the outside looking in right now. And some teams might halfway up aspirations and have underwhelmed a little bit in the first half. I'm looking at the Atlanta Dream and Dallas wing specifically, you know, do they jump the Chicago sky, for instance, who traded Marina Mabry to the Connected sun right as the Olympic break was getting underway. So that is another big question that I have. And then I'm watching for it as gameplay starts to resume.
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Zena Kaeda
That's a great point about the surging. I'm actually thinking more so the surging at the top of the breakdown in terms of Seattle Storm, right. They are on a roll. They feel as if they're starting to click as a championship caliber team. And you know, you think about Jewel Lloyd's role on the Olympic team, she wasn't utilized to the degree that a Kelsey Plum or Jackie Young was from the Aces. And so I feel as if she's gotten her ability to get some rest but also has a little bit of a, maybe a chip on her shoulder to come back and show something, improve something with the Seattle Storm. And Ezzy Magnagore killed it for Australia. Right. I think she had 19 points in that bronze medal game. Like she's unbelievable as a post player. And I think that she's also coming back with a little bit of a chip over her shoulder of being able to show the world what she's capable of. So you put all that together. And then on top of Neca and Skylar Dagan Smith, I'm looking at the Seattle Storm to try and disprove everyone. And I feel the same way with the Lynx. Nafisa Collier, to me, I mean, obviously Asia Wilson was an mvp, but if there was like a defensive mvp, if there was a doing the small things mvp, Nafisa Collier was that person for me. She was doing it all for the Links. And you know, she, she had her injury earlier this season. Coming back from it and just playing well now I, I feel like they could also search. So I'm looking at the Storm and the Links to try and unseat the Liberty and the Aces in terms of, not necessarily maybe seating, but in terms of who are the favorites, because that's what everyone says. New York, Liberty and the Aces are the favorites. I feel like the Links in the Storm have something to say about that.
- [22:21]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, I mean, I, I think both, you can make reasonable cases for both of those teams. And I know you, you know, often talk about the Connecticut sun and so we should throw them in the conversation too. That's right. It is a loaded top five. Seattle first. I mean, I think they played, they got up to a little bit of a slow start in the first half, but came on really strong. You mentioned Ezzy. I mean, you said 19 points. It was actually more than that. Xena, she had 30 and 13 in that bronze medal game.
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Zena Kaeda
Okay.
- [22:47]
Ben Pickman
Kind of exploded in that game. Yeah, A great, great performance considering the circumstance. And you know, that kind of came after an underwhelming, frankly semi final game against the Americans where the American front court really did neutralize Ezzy. I think she had single digits, points and rebounds in that game. So it really was an explosion. But you're right, she is an all star, you know, in the past. And you can make a reasonable case that she should have been an all star in the first half. She was on my ballot. I thought she should have been. So, you know, they have a supremely talented and also experienced team and nothing I don't think would phase them, even with them being a new group still kind of finding their way. Minnesota, I think is pretty interesting. Again, the Commissioners cup champs got off to an unbelievable start to open the air. Then Nafisa Collier gets hurt. And the way Sabrina kind of called it. I like the term pseudo rest during her injury. I mean it's rehab, but it's also pseudo rest, I guess. And she kind of came back and if she comes back and looks like that MVP candidate looks like the first team all performer. Minnesota is very, very dangerous. And Charlie, obviously a super experienced head coach, both in returns from Olympics, but Also getting the best out of her players, getting the best out of her players in key moments. And obviously a familiarity going against having just coached New York and Las Vegas. The one thing I would say about Minnesota is I wonder how much more improvement the Links can show in the second half. You know, they have the league's best, the number one defense, they shoot a league best 30, almost 39% from three. They lead the league in points off turnovers. Alana Smith, you know, she's first team all Olympic roster. She was awesome for Australia. Collier, as you mentioned, Xena played a really important role. The thing I, I do wonder though, like, so much of Minnesota's identity has been built on this kind of scrambling defense. And I just wonder in a short series, do other teams figure it out? Like, do they have the talent, frankly to match up with Las Vegas and New York? And so often the best player in a series wins. So often, you know, you look at the more talented cores and they win. And I'm just not sure, like, I don't want to just discount the Links as a regular season only team, but I do wonder in these short series, when you're playing New York and they have Stewie and Sabrina and John Paul Jones as their core, when you're looking at the four for Las Vegas, like, does Minnesota have the firepower to match and can they match? That, I think is the reason for a little bit of pause. Despite all the success that they had winning the Commissioners cup and everything else in the first half.
- [25:30]
Zena Kaeda
I absolutely would agree with that because it really does. When it comes to the playoffs and it comes to that next level, you've got to unlock another level in terms of your offensive firepower. And as much as the defense shows up for the Links, we've seen what great defense but no offensive firepower. I don't want to say no offensive firepower, but not having the same caliber did to the Connecticut sun last season. Right. Great defense from the Connecticut sun, but not enough offense to overpower the better team. So I absolutely agree with that take. All right, well, you mentioned something that I kind of want to talk a little about these little stories before we go because there was a lot of things that was happening right before we left and took a break for the Olympics. You know, of course you mentioned what was going on with the rookies. The rookies were heating up. The battle between them was really loud in terms of what they were offering their different teams. So of course we've already touched on that. But there were other things that were happening and have happened since the Olympics. You mentioned that Marina Mabry trade. This is not a casual trade, folks, in the sense of, you know, of course Chicago needed to switch something up. Connecticut, they're trying to kind of, you know, up their armory right now. And Marina Mabry definitely helps with that. But this concept of Marina Mabry playing alongside Dijonay Carrington has been a conversation point because these two are like legendary and they're trash talk against each other and their battles against each other. And now they're going to be on the same team. I know many people had asked Dijonay about it and have asked some of the all Stars right before the Olympic break, like, what is it going to be? And everyone's like, we're excited about Marina joining. Marina is going to help us. Marina is going to help them, particularly on that three point aspect, which is what Connecticut needs. I just can't wait to see this happen. I can't wait to see them on the court either together or just like tapping each other's hands if they're coming off the bench going into the game. Like, what do you expect to come out of this, Marina, maybe trade?
- [27:28]
Ben Pickman
Well, it's just funny, like, you have such excitement setting this question up because it just feels like so, so long ago, like that that's what Twitter and the Internet and people online were posting about. I mean, truly, right? It feels like so long ago, right?
- [27:47]
Zena Kaeda
It does, it does. I now I literally forgot about it until when you. One, you just mentioned it and two, I was like, oh, wait, this is gonna be fun. Like, we have not seen this. These two have been battling since college, right? Like, this is going to be interesting to see them as teammates, but Connecticut needs a little bit of a boost and I think Marina Mabry definitely would be a great, a great offer for that.
- [28:11]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, I mean, Connecticut ranks 10th in the league in three point attempts and makes. And they get another, you know, real perimeter shooter to pair with dejuana Bonner. Marina Mabry can play, make, she can handle the basketball. She's tough as nails, you know, will never back down from an opponent or another challenge. So I think that's all, you know, a big positive. I think one of the questions is, does she step in as a starter for Tai Harris or Carrington, as you mentioned, or does she come off the bench? Certainly it gives Steph White another option for closing games. Connecticut has relied heavily on their starting lineup in the league, so much so that they've actually played the most minutes in the WNBA as a group. And so we'll see if we do get get a little bit of a change up there. Look, Connecticut, I applaud them for going for it. I think it is well worth an opportunity. But the big question is with Mabry in the lineup, is that enough to get them over the hump? Right. They're 04 against the Liberty and the Aces this season. They were one in six against New York and Las Vegas in last year's regular season. Like those numbers don't lie, right? Yeah, they have not been able to beat New York and Las Vegas consistently. Admittedly, Connecticut, New York did play a pretty competitive series in the playoffs last year, but I guess we'll have to see. I mean I would still take New York and Las Vegas over them, but you know, I kind of applaud them. And, and that is, as you mentioned, like that's one of the biggest mid season moves we've seen in a very long time because trades frankly do not happen in the wnba, especially ones that involve a player of the caliber of Mabry for sure.
- [29:47]
Zena Kaeda
All right, well, let's talk about another team that's getting a new player back. The Dallas Wings. Now this is a team that all season long they've just been right there, like right on the cusp. They've had some big wins and then they've had some really confusing losses. And you think about Erika Gumboale wanting to get her, her team together and she's finally getting Satu Sabali back. Satu, who played decently in the Olympics. Nothing, you know, not too much fanfare around her performance, but someone that is integral to the success of the Dallas Wings coming back. How much do you think this Aboli coming back is going to really have an impact on the Wings making a surge?
- [30:31]
Ben Pickman
I mean, it's huge. Like this is a team that had top four playoff aspirations entering this season. We saw them last year, you know, 22 and 18. They were, you know, they hosted their first round series over Atlanta. They went up against the Aces and gave them their best effort. Like they had a very good year last year under first year coach Latricia Trammell coming back this year they really had like the first half from hell. I mean, you know, Corey speaking is pretty much everyone got hurt. The roster was flipping over, turning over routinely. I think they used eight different starting lineups overall in that first half. Like that is pretty crazy. And obviously it will be 91 Savoli slots back into the starting lineup as the second half gets underway. The good news for the Dallas Wings is they are six and 19 on the year and they are only four and a half games back of the Chicago sky. So. So do they have some work to do? Absolutely. But that's not crazy to, you know, be able to sneak into the playoffs. Indiana also, again, the four and a half games separate Dallas and Indiana for seven. So it really two teams, those last two that I mentioned, the fever in the sky that I think we could see drop, I think the top six, I feel pretty comfortable saying right now that they will make the playoffs. Phoenix is the current six seed and then we've talked about the other five already on this show. So Dallas, I do think is a team that we could see surge up those standings if Savalin and Gumawale mesh the way that they did last year. The other team that I kind of have my eye on, and I'm curious if you think one of these picks is kind of a better selection than the other is the Atlanta Dream. They're currently sitting as the number nine seed. They're three games back of Chicago and Indiana. They're someone who, you know, frankly a lot of times did not look very good during the first half. They were 1 and 9 entering the all Star break. They were losers of their last eight. A big reason, much like the Dallas Wings, was because of injury. And Jordan Canada, who was their big off season acquisition, she played at only four games and I think the expectation is that she will be back for the second half right away. I think we have to still see about that, but I do think there's a good chance of that happening. And Ryan Howard, she missed a month with a left ankle injury and Atlanta won just a single game when she was out. So, right, you have Howard, you have Canada, you have Alicia Gray. That's a pretty good trio and obviously they have some solid bigs in the front court. So the dream to me, another team that I think could surge up the standings, at least surge to a, you know, postseason birth at number seven, say.
- [33:09]
Zena Kaeda
I will say that I like that pick for the Atlanta Dream because when you're looking at those last 10 games, one of nine, that one win was against the Connecticut sun, which again, top five team in the league, a very capable team and a win away. Right. They beat Connecticut in their home, which everyone knows Mohegan sun is not an easy place to play in. So I think that was a confidence stroking kind of win, a big time type of win. They've also beat the Aces this year as well. They have the right pieces and I think the right swagger to Go up against these kind of blockbuster type of teams that we haven't quite seen yet out of the Dallas Wings. We've definitely seen it out of pieces of the Dallas Wings, but without Sawtooth Abli in that rotation just yet, we haven't seen them really come into their own. So I'll. I'll go with that with the dream over the Wings. Now here's the thing that I love for the Wings. Indirectly, they've gotten to work out Satu sablee through the Olympics. Right? Think about how much of a bonus that is. Is that your team, your player has been injured and needs to get herself back into playing shape, back into the rot, like in the process of playing games, remembering plays, playing defense, all the above. And you don't have time to waste in a WNBA season. It's too short. So they've gotten this break to be able to get Satus Abloh back into game shape, and now she's coming straight back into, you know, the Dallas Wings rotation. I think that's such a bonus, such a win. So definitely two teams to be looking for.
- [34:32]
Ben Pickman
I do think, like, it's definitely a bonus and it worked out. It's also got to be a little anxiety producing, losing. Right? This is what a lot of WNBA teams feel when their players go abroad and play professionally in the winter is like here players, we've invested in our key parts of our organization that are important to our teams and suddenly like, they are out of our purview and if they get hurt, which is how satusably got hurt. She got hurt in international play, not in WNB action. She got hurt in the winter, I believe, playing for Germany, like, you know, the WNBA team feels the effect even though the injury did not occur with them. So, you know, I can imagine, you know, yes, she plays herself into some game shape and yes, I think she does look pretty good. And I think the expectation is she's gonna come in and make an impact right away. But like, imagine being a GM and every time Asia Wilson hits the floor or Brianna Stewart or, you know, on the men's side, like if you're Daryl Morey watching, you know, Joel Embiid hit the floor or, you know, Calvin Booth and Nuggets general manager seeing Jokic at the floor, like, I mean, you're just crossing your fingers the whole game. I imagine that these players that are so important to your franchise, like, nothing happens to them. And it seems like that is the case for all the biggest stars. But we'll see the effects. But yeah, certainly game shape will be good heading coming back for sure.
- [35:58]
Zena Kaeda
I mean, what you're talking about happened. You think about the Phoenix Mercury and Rebecca Allen getting hurt during the Olympics. Like I'm not sure how much that's going to impact the Phoenix Mercury, who also is another team that were, they were five, five in their last 10. They were also playing pretty well to close out the first half of the season. But yeah, definitely not good to have a slasher like Rebecca Allen, a defender like Rebecca Allen and a three point shooter like the Brook Allen go down, you know, away from your team.
- [36:29]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, I mean that's, I guess there's kind of the reality that so many of these players live when you're, you know, your services in essence are being spread out to different parties.
- [36:39]
Zena Kaeda
Yeah. Okay, now we're going back as a WNBA season, but before we close out this conversation, I have to ask the question. Okay. We saw some talent in the Olympics that isn't currently in the WNBA and they've been in the WNBA before. I'm particularly thinking of Maureen Johannes from France that previously was with the New York Liberty and Gabby Williams. Folks, if you didn't know who Gabby Williams was before the gold medal game, you definitely know who she is now. But who was most recently with the Seattle Storm? Emma Mman, who was with the Belgium team during the Olympics but was most recently with the Washington Mystics. I mean, you're talking about some really talented players that were previously in the wnba. Not in the wnba. More. Ben, I have to ask, what are the chances, what are the chances that maybe they come back for the second half of season?
- [37:34]
Ben Pickman
I'm not betting it, frankly. I think it is really interesting and like a fun scenario basically. In short, because of, we'll call it like a prioritization rule loophole, all three could, could come back in and make play in the WNBA if they really wanted to. I mean Misa Min is someone who you mentioned and she was a Finals MV MVP with the Mystics, was recently a part of The Chicago Sky 2. She has been one of the best players in Europe for the past couple years. A two time Euro League mvp. These past two years she was one.
- [38:07]
Zena Kaeda
Of the best players in the Olympics.
- [38:09]
Ben Pickman
I mean you can make an argument that she was, you know, if not for Asia, the best player overall. She averaged I think 24 and a half points, 25 points per game, six and a half rebounds. She had a streak at one point that was seven straight 20 point, 20 plus point games. That was the first woman ever to do that in an Olympics I mean, she was awesome. They call her, you know, Fenerbahce, the Turkish club she plays for. They basically, they call her the Goat. Like they post the goat emoji every time with her. And, you know, you kind of let them have it. Like it's not so crazy. So.
- [38:43]
Zena Kaeda
Right. You know, Misa, man, she earned that. I saw. No, especially when you look at that USA vs Belgium game. She was the factor keeping Belgium in the game. And had she had another superstar alongside her, that game might not have been, you know, had the outcome that it had. For sure.
- [38:58]
Ben Pickman
No, exactly. And the thing about it is, at the same time, there's kind of no indication that she does want to play in the WNBA this year or going forward. So we'll just have to wait and see. Marine is someone who basically had made a choice in part with some conversations with the French Federation, that she did not play in the WNBA in the first half of the year. She could, as you mentioned, come back and sign, in theory. Could New York add her back? Yeah, I do think that is the case. But I also wonder, after kind of straining and tiring Olympics with kind of the league being what it is right now, does she want to come back or does she want to just take the second half of this season off? And the same thing with Gabby Williams, like, you know, the thing that is interesting about those three and the possibility of them signing is so often in the NBA, for instance, we think about buyout players right after the trade deadline and everyone makes this big hullabaloo about, you know, this veteran who gets bought out and is added to a team and who are the best buyout players. But the kind of hidden secret about those players is that very rarely do they make an actual impact on the teams that they are signing with. Very rarely are they the reasons that, you know, the team that they sign with goes on a deep run. What makes these three a little bit different? I think especially frankly in the case of Meesum and maybe Williams is, in theory, they could be the piece that pushes a team over the edge. And in a league that doesn't really have mid season trades and obviously, like, they kind of represent the biggest talent boost you could have mid season. So that's part of the appeal here. If you're telling me, will any of them play? I would probably know. But yeah, it was a good showcase for them and for the world as a whole.
- [40:42]
Zena Kaeda
I saw Angel Reese doing a little bit of a X slash Twitter recruitment of Gabby Williams and you know, Gabby has some feelings about that. If you want to look up the history behind Gabby Williams and the Chicago Sky, I encourage you to Google.
- [41:00]
Ben Pickman
We should be clear it's not feelings about her and Angel Reese. It is feelings.
- [41:03]
Zena Kaeda
Correct.
- [41:03]
Ben Pickman
Chicago sky, the Chicago.
- [41:04]
Zena Kaeda
Exactly right. Exactly right. But I love that Angel Reese was like, hey, it was worth a try. And it absolutely was worth a try after that performance. All right, well, we're looking ahead to this weekend. Some of the games that you can expect and want may want to keep your eye on. Of course, Phoenix Mercury had some legitimate showings in Paris and they've got two games this weekend. First up against the sky on Thursday and then the Fever on Friday. I'm particularly excited to see the sun in action for the reasons that we mentioned on this show. They're going to be playing on Friday against the Dallas Wings and I'm particularly excited to see Satou Sabli. I just love her. I love her as a basketball player and I just love seeing her alongside Erica and Gubwale. So I very much will be having that game circled on Friday against the Sun. Now the game that everybody is excited to see is the breakup of Stewie and Asia and them going back to their respective teams on Saturday. The Liberty take on the Aces at the Aces. And yeah, if there's any game you can catch this weekend, absolutely take the time to watch that. It'll be so much fun to now see Jackie, Chelsea, Kelsey and Asia team up against their Olympic teammates, Sabrina and Stewie. And of course, you know, Sandy Brondello. It's all over again. Like just the Olympics just now. Everyone's in their respective corners. So any games that you're particularly looking at, other than those that I've just.
- [42:28]
Ben Pickman
Mentioned, I mean, that is definitely the headliner of the weekend and I guess it's both good that we're getting it as kind of a welcome back to the WNBA game. Welcome back to the WNBA season game. So early on and a part of me is like, but can it also be in a few weeks or couldn't have been in the first half when these teams probably are at their best a little more because I would be surprised if fatigue didn't play a factor. I guess to play devil's advocate for a second, to my own point that I just made, they do play again in a few weeks on September 8th back in New York. So we will see it soon after. It's just crazy though, Xena, that, you know, we've been off for a month or the WNB season rather has been off for a Month and the Phoenix Mercury come back and they're immediately going to play back to back games. Like that's crazy to me, right? Like think about that and we think about rest and reentry. I mean, I would be very surprised if we saw all three of Briner, Taurasi and Copper playing both of those games to play the full Olympics, to travel, to celebrate. Rather we should say that that's baked into the, you know, the transition back to have the celebrations, all the fanfare to fly back to the States to enter again, like probably going back to Phoenix and then hitting the road. And I get that it's Chicago and Indy, so those are, you know, close together. I believe it's a bus trip between the two. But still to go back to back, right off the top, that's pretty freaking difficult.
- [43:54]
Zena Kaeda
They've got back to back and then a game on Sunday, like that's a.
- [43:57]
Ben Pickman
Lot they're throwing right into the fire. I guess we'll see. I mean they had all star to like a busy stretch. If you are on the Phoenix Mercury, not really a chance to breathe. I guess that's what the.
- [44:09]
Zena Kaeda
I didn't even think about that. They literally had to host All Star and now they're going right back into it. Coach Nate Tibbets, this is your, your message from us at the Athletic. Be kind to these players, okay? Brittany and Diana are on the older side of things and you know, Copper kind of had to carry the team to glory out in Paris. So they, they've been busy. Well, this has been a wonderful welcome back show for me and also welcome back show to the W. Appreciate you, Ben, for joining me and breaking things down. We've got a lot of basketball still left to play and the most exciting part of the season is coming up ahead of us, folks. So, so happy you're still with us. We appreciate you as always listening on behalf of Ben, on behalf of me, just want to thank you for your ear and encourage you to keep listening, keep watching, keep learning and keep loving the game because that's the only way we're going to keep growing it, folks. All right, until next time, foreign.
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Zena Kaeda
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