No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

Episode Title: The Unsettling Rise of Stalking In Sports + WNBA Showing Postseason Vibes
Date: August 19, 2025
Hosts: Zena Keda, Sabrina Merchant
Guest: Carson Kessler (Senior Investigative Writer, The Athletic)

Episode Overview

In this episode, the hosts tackle two major topics: the current electric vibes overwhelming the pre-playoff WNBA landscape and a deep dive into the disturbing rise of stalking cases involving athletes — particularly women’s basketball players. Investigative reporter Carson Kessler joins to discuss their recent reporting on the issue, providing context, harrowing details, and insight into how leagues and players are coping with these threats.

WNBA's Record-Breaking Weekend and Postseason Energy

(Begins ~03:23)

Key Points

• Historic performances: Paige Bueckers becomes the fastest rookie in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 100 assists.
• Expansion success: The Golden State Valkyries (“the Valks”) set a record for most wins by an expansion team.
• Intensity across the board:
  • Multiple games went down to the wire — Atlanta vs. Seattle, Las Vegas vs. Phoenix, Indiana vs. Connecticut (Indiana erases a 21-point deficit to win in OT), and Minnesota vs. New York.
  • Notable performances: Kelsey Plum ties Caitlin Clark’s record for most 20-point, 5-assist games in a season; A’ja Wilson posts the most 30-point games under age 30.
• Playoff-level competition months before postseason:

  “You can tell that the postseason vibes are in the air.”
  — Zena Keda (03:28) “Every game felt so competitive… it’s like reaching, honestly, a little bit too high of a pitch right now because we had a lot of regular season left before we actually hit the playoffs and the intensity is really picking up.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (04:31)

Timestamps & Notable Quotes

• [04:31] Sabrina Merchant sums up the tension:

  “It’s like reaching, honestly, a little bit too high of a pitch right now…”

Injury Woes and Team Dynamics

(05:57–08:12)

The Liberty and Fever Slide

• Liberty’s struggle: Brianna Stewart out, tough travel stretch drops them to #5 in power rankings.
• Fever’s misfortune: Without key players Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald (both out for season), and Sophie Cunningham’s new injury, the team faces “a lot of holes that need filling.” Caitlin Clark’s possible return is a rare bright spot.

Notable Quotes

“As much as I believe in Kelsey Mitchell’s ability to hit buzzer-beaters in overtime, there is going to be some taller guards, some bigger guards, some more thought-out schemes…”
— Zena Keda (08:12)

The LA Sparks: Offensive Fireworks, Defensive “Performance Art”

(08:52–11:15)

• Sparks praised for dynamic offense, but defense is “something akin to performance art.”

  “If a team finds an action that they like against the Sparks, the Sparks will not accommodate it… it’s kind of amazing… the Sparks have managed to make this run and get back into playoff contention when one side of the ball is so terribly bad.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (08:52)

• Defensive breakdowns lead to wild, high-scoring games where no lead is safe.

  “You watch a game like with the Sparks involved and it’s super fun because everybody’s getting lots of points… the Sparks let everything be possible. There is always a chance.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (09:44)

FEATURE INTERVIEW: The Unsettling Rise of Stalking in Women’s Sports

(Begins ~13:23)

Why Cover Stalking in Sports?

[14:39]:

• Kessler highlights a lack of prior deep reporting despite high-profile cases involving Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Emma Raducanu.

  “…my editor really hadn’t seen any piece out there that really explored why is this happening? Has it risen? Who are these people who are being stalked? Who are the stalkers?”
  — Carson Kessler

The Scope of the Problem

[15:23]:

• At least 52 stalking cases since 2020 found via court filings, interviews, and media reports — likely a severe undercount.
• Stalking is heavily underreported due to stigma, difficulty in prosecution, and the emotional toll on victims.

  “…it’s something that a lot of people don’t report and it’s underreported for a variety of reasons…it takes a big amount of confidence and bravery to come out about something like this.”
  — Carson Kessler

Why So Much Is Underreported

[16:55]:

• For years, athletes kept quiet — only recently, social media has allowed for community, solidarity, and increased openness:

  “Gabby Thomas, Simone Biles…posted about this group of men that would accost them at various airports…so many other athletes commented sharing very similar experiences…”
  — Carson Kessler

Case Study: Kiki Rice

[18:18]

• UCLA’s Kiki Rice stalked for years; stalker lived in a U-Haul outside campus, loitered with flowers and notes.
• Kiki amassed evidence and secured a five-year restraining order.

  “He rented a U-Haul, parked it outside of UCLA campus to live inside so he could be closer to her...”
  — Carson Kessler

The Limits and Burdens of Restraining Orders

[21:13]:

• The burden of evidence and ongoing vigilance falls on the victim.
• Stalkers often flaunt orders; Kiki’s stalker continued online contact, even tried to get the order overturned.

  “The burden really falls on the victim…they are responsible for gathering all that evidence…”
  — Carson Kessler

The Ambiguity of Social Media

[25:15]:

• Social media intensifies delusions of a relationship and increases vulnerability, while at the same time offering a place for athletes to share and support one another.

  “It is a delusion…social media in particular can lead fixated strangers like this to believe they’re connected to individuals in ways that they aren’t.”
  — Carson Kessler

Demographics of Stalking

[26:20]:

• Women athletes are mostly stalked by men, often with sexual or romantic delusions (“erotomania”); men are stalked less frequently and primarily by women, motivated more by infatuation.

Measures Taken by Leagues and Organizations

[28:24]:

• LPGA has an “emergency red button” for golfers; other sports up budgets for security or partner with firms to monitor social media for red flags.

  “WNBA, WTA, NCAA…partnering with a third party that is monitoring comments to all athletic figures and kind of looking for those red flags…”
  — Carson Kessler

Are These Steps Enough?

[29:48]:

• No one solution — leagues, schools, and individual vigilance needed; but as Kessler warns:

  “You can’t create a perimeter around someone’s life. There’s so many areas where these athletes are exposed.”
  — Carson Kessler

• The risk to women’s sports community:

  “This is the best thing about social media…women’s athletes, is that accessibility and feeling like I’m right there with you… I really, really do hope that something happens …they can’t have their journey, their growth be visible because of a few sour apples …that would really, really suck.”
  — Zena Keda (31:16)

Mailbag & Listener Q&A: What Defines a Rookie in the WNBA?

(Begins 34:39)

• Question: Is Cameron Brink technically a rookie after only playing 15 games in her first year?
• Answer: In WNBA, once you set foot on the court, you’re a rookie, regardless of games played. If you miss the whole season due to injury (never suit up), you keep rookie eligibility for the following year.

  “Once you take foot on the court for a second, you have established yourself as a rookie.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (35:42)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Stalking’s Emotional Toll and Victim Blaming:

  “You kind of have to be cocky enough to be like, yeah, I think they’re obsessed with me. And that feels uncomfortable.”
  — Zena Keda (13:31)

• On Defensive Struggles in LA:

  “What is happening on the defensive end in LA?…it’s kind of amazing honestly, that the Sparks have managed to make this run and get back into playoff contention when one side of the ball is so terribly bad.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (08:52)

• On the Risk to Fan-Athlete Accessibility:

  “If people take advantage of that access… it’s going to, I think, fundamentally change the way fans are able to interact with athletes and the whole ecosystem of the sport too.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (30:52)

Conclusion

This episode blends the excitement of a WNBA season bursting with unprecedented competitiveness and record-setting performances with a sobering investigation into the real threats athletes — especially women’s basketball players — face from stalking and online predation. Carson Kessler’s journalism exposes both the prevalence and complexity of the problem, highlighting everything from flaws in restraining-order enforcement to the tough trade-offs leagues and athletes must navigate between safety and authentic connection with fans.

Recommended further reading: Carson Kessler’s investigative series on stalking in women’s sports at The Athletic.

For questions or mailbag topics, listeners are encouraged to write in — the show will continue to address fan curiosities and clarify WNBA/NCAA rules in future episodes.

End of Summary