No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

Episode: What's next in the CBA negotiations? — WNBA & College Hoops Mailbag!
Date: December 23, 2025
Hosts: Zena Keita, Sabrina Merchant, Ben Pickman

Overview

In this extra-packed mailbag episode, Zena Keita, Sabrina Merchant, and Ben Pickman tackle listener questions about the ongoing WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations, WNBA free agency and expansion draft intricacies, the state and future of women’s college basketball, and some all-time favorite WNBA games to rewatch. The show’s tone is lively, thoughtful, and full of sharp insider analysis, giving listeners a comprehensive look at “the sport that never stops” on every level.

CBA Negotiations: What’s Next and Who’s Impacted

(02:44–05:10)

• Rookie Contracts & Salary Adjustments

  • Listener Amy J. asks if rookies benefit immediately from any salary increases in a new CBA.
  • Sabrina: In 2020, any salary below the new league minimum was bumped up, including most rookies and second-rounders. If the minimum salary jumps to $200,000, that's a six-figure raise for many. However, salaries above the minimum (like top first-rounders) may not see as much change. “I think they would just get to the [new] minimum and then we’d stop there.” (03:13)
  • Ben: Adds that rookie contract length may shift; the union hopes to reduce required team control from three years plus an option to two years plus one. (04:40)

• Why Reduce Rookie Scales?

  • Zena: Players coming off rookie deals face restrictive “coring” that delays their earning supermax contracts, sometimes until after their athletic prime.

WNBA Free Agency: Who’s Most Likely to Move?

(06:05–09:39)

• Ben: He and Sabrina split free agents into three buckets in their offseason feature:

  1. Stars staying put: e.g., A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu
  2. Restricted FAs: teams can match any offer—Ryan Howard, Lexie Hull, etc.
  3. Realistic Movers:
     • Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas): Team now built around Paige Bueckers; Arike coming off a career-low year, could be dealt.
     • Skylar Diggins (Seattle): Veteran, may chase a championship elsewhere as Seattle retools.
     • Azura Stevens (L.A.): Uncertain fit in a crowded Sparks frontcourt.
     • Natasha Cloud (New York): New head coach brings uncertainty about her role.

• Sabrina: Watch Minnesota—almost the entire starting lineup are unrestricted FAs, making big changes possible even though Collier stays. “You just know when a season like this ends, you’re not going to be able to come to work with the same people again.” (08:53)

Supporting Players During CBA Negotiations

(11:10–13:08)

• Fans ask: “How do we support players during CBA talks?”
• Zena (quoting Dawn Staley): “Contact your nearest senator, contact, email your nearest franchise owner, just flood them and then, and then they’ll…forward to Kathy [Engelbert, WNBA commissioner].”
• Show visible support at games, wear shirts, carry signs, and respectfully pressure team owners—owners ultimately shape the commissioner’s direction.
• Public displays and direct emails matter: “Flood the emails. I mean those are the voices of the people who are paying to watch the product.” (11:10)

Washington Mystics Rebuild: Is an OKC Model Possible?

(13:08–17:20)

• Are the Mystics mimicking the Thunder’s asset-hoarding, draft-building approach?
  • Sabrina: Team president Michael Winger learned from OKC. Mystics have multiple young assets (Shakira Austin, Georgia Amore, Kiki Iriafen) and three 2025 first-rounders. The key: “They’re still searching for that number one mega star that brings it all together.” She expects true contention 1–2 years away.
  • Ben: Draws a parallel to surprise late-bloomers like Kalia Copper, wondering if one of Washington’s role players might make a star leap a la SGA in OKC.

WNBA Expansion Draft Rules and Projections

(19:36–21:50)

• Daniel K. asks: How should the league build expansion rosters amid a flood of unrestricted free agents and ongoing CBA uncertainty?
  • Ben: The likely structure: Each existing team can protect five players and only lose one player to each new expansion team (Portland & Toronto); “clawback” protections mid-draft are unlikely. The draft is modeled on prior expansion but still in flux.
  • Sabrina: Each expansion team can select only one unrestricted free agent per team. Teams may pass on players later in the draft.
  • Key thought: Expansion process and protection rules still hinge on unresolved CBA details.

WNBA–NCAA Relationships: Are College Coaches Frustrated?

(23:09–26:53)

• Robin W. asks: Are NCAA coaches annoyed at WNBA teams about recent roster or draft picks?
  • Ben: There’s both camaraderie (e.g., Dallas’s close ties to Geno Auriemma through Paige Bueckers) and practical mutual benefit, especially as more college coaches (e.g., Lynne Roberts, Reagan Pebley) join WNBA front offices.
  • Sabrina: Some college coaches (e.g., UConn) have a rep for producing “WNBA-ready” players, but many coach to win in college, not explicitly to develop future pros. “Everybody knows everybody” in this tight-knit world; some grumbling, but generally good relations.

Women's College Hoops: Rankings, Resurgences & Scheduling

(28:06–41:36)

How Do Sabrina and Ben Rank the Bottom of the Top 25?

(29:16–31:49)

• Sabrina: Favors teams with strong conference wins and “YOLO region” volatility at the rankings’ edge. “I love to reward teams for one good week, even if it means they fall out immediately the next week.”
• Ben: Leans on analytics (CBB Analytics, Her Hoop Stats), watches film to spot outliers. Both admit to “zagging” against consensus.

Programs Primed for NCAA Tournament Breakthroughs

(32:46–34:48)

• Ben:
  • Texas Tech: Hasn't made the tourney since 2012–13 but is 12-0, has solid noncon wins and defensive stats.
  • Washington: Made the play-in last year after a long drought; ranked in both Ben and Sabrina’s polls.

Why Do Top Teams Schedule “Buy Games” vs. Underdogs?

(36:05–41:36)

• Zena: These games serve as confidence- and chemistry-builders for top teams, offer exposure (and cash) for underdogs. With TV interest rising, elite teams now schedule more power matchups, but “buy games” remain standard for roster development.
• Sabrina: Non-power programs schedule up for resume-boosting wins. Top teams like UConn use high-profile nonconference games for both learning and tournament seeding.

Coaching & Structural Trends in Women's College Basketball

(41:36–49:13)

• Kyle Lane asks: What makes for a great college coach and will coaching quality rise as the game evolves?
  • Zena: Modern coaches are more like GMs—balancing X’s and O’s, NIL, re-recruiting their rosters annually, and even managing personal brands. Coaching greatness is a mix of tactical success and relationship-building.
  • Ben: Behind-the-scenes skills matter: “How good of a practice do you run?” is as critical as game strategy.
  • Sabrina: Today’s college coaches need to be managers and media-savvy, not just teachers. “It’s almost easier to be a professional coach than a college coach because your job is so much more simplified.” (47:17)

Referees: College vs. WNBA Comparisons

(49:13–52:22)

• Kelly asks: Why so many ref complaints in the W when college uses the same officials?
  • Sabrina: Pro expectations are higher; a missed call stands out more at the WNBA level. “When I watch college basketball, I’m not expecting the same level of excellence as when I’m watching professional basketball.”
  • Ben: More people watch high-profile WNBA games, so missed calls get amplified. Higher game speed and skill make the pro game harder to officiate.

All-Time Favorite WNBA Games (2015–2025)

(55:10–61:51)

• Diana Taurasi’s 10,000 Point Game (2023): Fun, celebratory moment for the Mercury amid a tough year (55:55).
• Aces–Storm Semifinals, 2022: “High drama, theater the whole time…Chelsea Gray put on an unbelievable shooting and playmaking display.” —Zena (57:05)
• Aces–Mercury, Game 5 (2021 Semis): “That was the last huge moment for that Mercury team…lots of drama, Brit Griner’s block, Shea Petty’s free throw.” —Ben (59:38)
• Lynx–Sparks Finals Game 5s (2016/17): “Minnesota Lynx–Sparks finals are really…I think what sort of restarted the WNBA boom.” —Sabrina (61:02)
• Connecticut–Chicago, 2022 Semis: Chaotic finish, end of Chicago Sky’s era
• Biggest Comeback: Sky–Aces (2022): Chicago overcomes a 28-point deficit for a dramatic win.

Memorable Quotes

“I think they would just get to the [new] minimum and then we’d stop there.”
— Sabrina Merchant (03:13)

“Contact your nearest senator, contact, email your nearest franchise owner…those are the voices of the people who are paying to watch the product.”
— Zena Keita quoting Dawn Staley (11:10)

“I like to call [the bottom of my top 25] my YOLO region…if you can get through this part unscathed, that definitely registers.”
— Sabrina Merchant (31:22)

“There’s way more of an element of recruitment. How do I get folks to my school? That means I’m a personality coach…there’s way more of that in this era than there has been.”
— Zena Keita (42:15)

“There’s just so many hats that college coaches wear these days…it’s almost easier to be a professional coach than it is to be a college coach.”
— Sabrina Merchant (47:13)

Key Timestamps

• 02:44 CBA rookie contract impact
• 06:05 WNBA free agents most likely to move
• 11:10 How fans can support players during CBA negotiations
• 13:08 Washington Mystics’ draft-based rebuild
• 19:36 Expansion draft rules and challenges
• 23:09 NCAA–WNBA coaching relationships
• 29:16 How AP poll voters assess the Top 25
• 32:46 Schools primed for a tournament return
• 36:05 Inside “buy game” scheduling and its effect on teams
• 41:36 What makes a great women’s college coach now?
• 49:13 WNBA vs. NCAA officiating standards
• 55:10 Favorite WNBA games to (re)watch

Conclusion

This episode covers the chaos and hope tied to the new CBA, illuminates the hidden maneuvering around WNBA rosters and expansion, demystifies college basketball’s growth (on and off the court), and relishes in the sport’s history with must-see games. The hosts’ camaraderie and candor—especially in sharing their own analyses and personal stories—create a highly informative yet inviting roundtable for anyone invested in the present and future of women’s hoops.