Who’s Going No. 1? Our WNBA Mock Draft Prediction

Summary

---

No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show

Episode: Who’s Going No. 1? Our WNBA Mock Draft Prediction
Hosts: Zena Keita & Sabrina Merchant
Date: February 13, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the evolving WNBA off-season landscape—touching on CBA negotiations, the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, Angel Reese’s return, and, most importantly, the 2026 WNBA Mock Draft. Hosts Zena Keita and Sabrina Merchant break down how international players, shifting league priorities, and expanding team rosters are impacting the draft board, providing in-depth analysis, lively banter, and insider perspectives on the sport’s hottest topics.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of the WNBA CBA Negotiations

• [02:05-09:30]
• The league and Players Association have been at a tense impasse.
• Recent movement:
  • League increased the salary cap from $5.55M to $5.65M.
  • Adjustments to housing policy: Minimum-salary and rookie players (through 2028/zero years of service) remain eligible for team-sponsored housing.
  • Proposal for two developmental player spots per team, eligible for team-sponsored studio apartments during the first three years of the CBA.
• Transparency issue: Players are still seeking clearer delineation of revenue-sharing ("internal buckets"/expenses).
• Potential of a strike remains, but hosts gauge the likelihood as low due to ongoing—if slow—negotiations.
• Memorable quote:

  “That’s why I’m calling them internal buckets. Okay? Because I have no idea what they actually are.” —Zena Keita (07:57)

Notable Moment

• [05:53-06:16] Discovery that Brianna Stewart is co-hosting a podcast with NBA’s Myles Turner ("Game Recognized Game").
  • “Wait, what? I am. Wow. Breaking news here, folks.” —Zena Keita

---

2. Angel Reese’s Return to the Rose Basketball Club

• [09:30-14:55]
• After sitting out to recover and focus on branding/business ventures, Reese rejoins Rose for a late season push (returns Feb. 20).
• Contrary to rumors about lingering injuries, she participated fully in Team USA camp and various side projects (film, endorsements).
• Key impact: Rose, last in rebounding (once a team strength), could benefit enormously from Reese’s signature frontcourt presence.
  • “Rose could absolutely use her… it’s, you know, not cool that Rose is right now last in rebounding.” —Zena Keita (12:47)
  • Reese’s return likely boosts Rose’s playoff hopes.

---

3. Unrivaled One-on-One Tournament & Standout Performances

• [14:55-21:20]
• Format shift: Position-based brackets improved competition and flow.
• Highlights:
  • Veronica Burton shut out Courtney Williams (15:21).
  • Chelsea Gray staged a dramatic comeback vs. Natasha Cloud (17:14).
  • Player movement and tantalizing matchups gave this year’s tournament elevated energy.
• Fun Moments:
  • Debate over player nicknames:

    “So so a terrible nickname for, like, a tournament when you’re, like, trying to be the best, right?” —Sabrina Merchant (18:14)

---

4. 2026 WNBA Mock Draft Deep Dive

• [23:00-57:48]

Draft Process Uncertainty

• Offseason remains murky: Free agency and the expansion draft may not be settled before the amateur draft (April 13 is a tentative date).

Top of the Draft: A Real Debate

• This is the first year in several with no consensus No. 1 pick.

• No. 1 pick favorite:

  • Awafam (Spain, center, 19 yo)—hyper-athletic, explosive on screens, high defensive upside, some offensive rawness.

    “Right now, I think you just can’t pass up on the upside of a player like Awa.” —Sabrina Merchant (29:34)

  • Dallas may debate the value of near-term project (Awafam) vs. plug-and-play (Azzi Fudd, who has proven synergy with Paige Bueckers).

• International Player Dynamics:

  • Growing willingness (and attractiveness) for international talent to join the W due to better pay and professionalization.
  • GMs less concerned about “draft and stash” because of increased buy-in from European players.

• Rules impact:

  • Int’l eligibility: 20 years old (vs. 22 for NCAA). International prospects enter the league much younger.

Top 5 Mock Draft (as of February 2026):

• [38:26+]

  1. Awafam (Spain, C, 19) – Dallas Wings
  2. Azzi Fudd (UConn, G) – Minnesota Lynx (via Chicago)
  3. Olivia Miles (Notre Dame, PG) – Seattle Storm (via LA)
  4. Lauren Betts (UCLA, C) – Washington Mystics
  5. Flau’jae Johnson (LSU, G/W) – Chicago Sky (via Connecticut)

• Azzi Fudd:

  • Shooting lights out; health now less of a concern.
  • “Her jumper just looks like it… You expect every shot to go in. Steph Curry has literally complimented Azzi Fudd to have one of the best forms he’s ever seen.” —Zena Keita (40:26)

• Olivia Miles & Lauren Betts:

  • Miles hailed as a “pure point guard extraordinaire.”
  • Betts reuniting with college teammate in DC is a “fun storyline.”

International & 1st-Round Talent Pipeline

• France and Spain continue to develop “WNBA-ready” prospects (ex: Nell Angloma—big, methodical, hard to stop getting to the rim).
• Expansion to 15 teams means the definition, value, and pressure of a “first-round pick” is shifting.
• Sabrina’s draft research:
  • In typical classes, roughly half to two-thirds of 1st-rounders stick as rotation players.
  • Late-firsts may be traded more regularly as a result.

Biggest Team Presence

• UCLA could place up to five players in the first round, which would be historic.

Notable "Bubble" Players Discussion

• Rory Harmon: “WNBA front offices are very wary of small guards… her jumper really doesn’t exist beyond the free-throw line.” —Sabrina Merchant (47:50)
• Cody McMahon & Janiah Barker: Great motors and athletic profiles, but position/fit and consistency remain concerns.
• Reagan Beers:
  • “I’m not even sure Reagan Beers wants to play professional basketball… she’s just a little undersized for a center… I thoroughly enjoy watching Regan Beers. Just don’t think it’s gonna be a WNBA thing for her.” —Sabrina Merchant (57:06)

---

5. Setting Screens: Weekend Women’s Basketball Viewing Picks

• [59:43–End]
• Sabrina’s off to watch the Winter Olympics—speed skating, specifically, cheering for Brittany Bowe (“no offseason: college basketball to Olympic speed skating!”).
• Zena recommends South Carolina vs. LSU (Saturday, 8:30pm EST, ESPN) and Michigan State vs. Michigan (Sunday, 4pm, Fox Sports) as top NCAA games.

---

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On CBA Transparency:

  “We’re still not getting the transparency that the players have been asking for in terms of the rev share component… that’s really the key portion of this.” —Zena Keita (07:07)

• On the Unrivaled Tournament:

  “I had so much more fun watching it this year than I did last year... everyone being like sized really helps.” —Sabrina Merchant (16:06)

• On the Draft’s Uncertainty:

  “Measure your expectations a little bit for 2026 because that is not normal.” —Sabrina Merchant (27:32)

• On Angel Reese’s Impact:

  “This is good for Angel… to have that front court presence to continue the development.” —Zena Keita (12:47)

• On Mock Draft Research:

  “An average draft would have anywhere between, like, half and two-thirds being rotation players... means I don’t know if they’re going to come, like, in the top five or, like, the bottom five.” —Sabrina Merchant (45:26)

• On the Evolving Draft Class:

  “We might hear way more conversations of teams tagging on first rounders… but yeah, it might be a little bit different if you think that you’re gonna land in that the later parts of the first round.” —Zena Keita (45:50)

---

Episode Timestamps: Important Segments

• [02:05] — CBA state of play; “Proposal or no proposal” bit
• [05:33] — Brianna Stewart’s podcast with Myles Turner revealed
• [09:30] — Angel Reese’s return to Rose Basketball Club
• [14:55] — Unrivaled 1-v-1 tournament recap
• [23:00] — WNBA Mock Draft segment begins
• [38:26] — Top 5 draft breakdown
• [44:27] — Analysis of historical draft classes — how many first rounders pan out?
• [47:50] — On Rory Harmon/small guards & why she isn’t a first-round lock
• [49:34] — How rare UCLA’s projected draft class is
• [59:43] — “Set your screens” — viewing picks for the coming weekend

---

Conclusion and Tone

The episode was a blend of deep-dive expert analysis and energetic, warm banter. Hosts Zena and Sabrina kept it playful and conversational, drawing on stats, insider info, and personal anecdotes to illuminate the stakes and uncertainties of the 2026 draft. The frank evaluations (“not my particular cup of tea”) and consistent shout-outs to women’s basketball’s growth positioned the pod as both accessible for newcomers and rewarding for die-hards.

---

Full mock draft and detailed player breakdowns available on The Athletic.
“No Offseason” drops new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

Transcript

[Blissey Advertiser]

If you're still sleeping on cotton or satin, that could be the reason for frizzy hair, sleep, creases, overheating and even breakouts. Dermatologists actually recommend switching to silk because it's naturally cooling and much gentler on your skin and hair. That's exactly why over 3 million people have made the switch to Blissey. Blissey pillowcases are made from 100% pure mulberry silk, the highest quality silk you can get it. It's breathable, hypoallergenic and surprisingly machine washable so it's easy to care for. People love waking up with smoother hair, calmer skin and no sleep lines. Plus, Blissey makes the perfect gift and you can even complete the set with matching sleep masks, silk bonnets and crease preventing scrunchies. Blissey is offering 60 nights risk free plus 30% off when you [e-mail] resteasy your skin and hair will thank you.

[Financial Advisor]

We all have moments where we could have done better, like cutting your own hair.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yikes.

[Financial Advisor]

Or forgetting sunscreen so now you look like a tomato. Ouch. Could have done better. Same goes for where you invest. Level up and invest smarter with Schwab. Get market insights, education and human help when you need it. Learn [e-mail] a password manager should be.

[Security Software Representative]

The first security purchase you make for your team. Why? Because compromised passwords are the number one way bad actors attack companies and small businesses are their favorite targets. But unlike a lot of security challenges, passwords actually have a pretty simple solution. 1Password lets you manage all your business's credentials so you can feel confident that your data stays secure as your company grows. Find out [e-mail] specialoffer and start securing every login.

[Zena Caida]

Hello everyone, and welcome to no Offseason. I'm Zena Caida.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And I'm Sabrina Merchant.

[Zena Caida]

And today on the show, this WNBA offseason has been anything but typical. There's still a lot of moving pieces before we get to the start of the season. Of course, CBA free agency, the expansion draft. But even with all that uncertainty, you know it is always fun and never too soon to do a fresh WNBA mock draft. But before we get there, it is time for Deal or no Deal. Or as Chantel proposed the other day, proposed proposal or no Proposal. There's no deal yet, Sabrina. But there have been some updates and potentially some news to be made as we head into the weekend. Help us understand where are we at when it comes to the CBA talks in the W. You know Proposal or.

[Sabrina Merchant]

No proposal Sounds like when your buddy tells you that he's gonna propose to your friend and you just like keep looking at her hands every time you see. But like not trying to make it obvious.

[Zena Caida]

Right. Looking at, like making eye contact like, bro, proposal or no proposal?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Is it today?

[Zena Caida]

I love that.

[Sabrina Merchant]

That's good, right? So the last time we spoke, the WNBA and the Players association had their first formal meeting of the calendar year 2026 on last Monday. And there was no proposal that had been brought to that meeting, even though it was the league's turn to provide something. Since the players had submitted their most recent offer on Christmas. The league did eventually provide its newest proposal last Friday. So that would have been February 6th. There were a couple of modifications that are worth mentioning. They raised their salary cap from about 5.55 million to 5.65 million. So an extra 100k bump in there. Not really any significant modification to how that revenue share will be calculated. It seems like more so just the projections are going up a little bit. Um, but then they also amended their housing policy, which I, if you recall, with the increase in salaries, the WNBA had suggested that they eliminate housing as one of the benefits that the players get, which is how most men's leagues operate. Right. They don't provide housing for their players, but the wnba, because it's a shorter season, because the salaries have been lower and it's, you know, if you're making $70,000, it's hard to find a six month place to live in like the Bay Area or Los Angeles. So what they have instead suggested is that if you are on a minimum salary through 26, 27 or 2028, that you will be eligible for team sponsored housing, or if you are a rookie and have zero years of service during that timeframe, you will be eligible for team sponsored housing. And then also, I'm not sure if you mentioned this on the show, but the WNBA and the Players association have not necessarily agreed upon yet. But they both suggested that there should be two developmental player spots on each team. Sort of like a, you know, a built in injury player pool like we've seen kind of in unrivaled. Not necessarily Gili, because they're not like playing games against one another or anything like that. They're just practicing with the team. Yeah. So those developmental players would also be eligible for studio apartments through the first three years of the cba. So, you know, that's some movement that the league has made on that. And then they've also made some movements on what the players want in terms of minimum facilities requirements. So, you know, just speaking to some people involved in negotiations, it does seem like there's at least some movement, you know, some meeting in the middle on both sides. Brianna Stewart actually spoke to this on her podcast, which Zena. Do you know who Brianna Stewart is hosting a podcast with now?

[Zena Caida]

This is new news to me. Okay, I have no idea, actually. Please enlighten me.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So, Xena, as somebody who's involved in both the WNBA and NBA spaces, it might intrigue you to know that Brianna Stewart is hosting a podcast with an NBA player. And it is the most random NBA player that you could possibly think. There's no touchstone that I can think of to connect this person to Brianna Stewart.

[Zena Caida]

Is it Jabari Smith Jr. No, no.

[Sabrina Merchant]

It is Miles Turner. So there's no. No connection? No, like Realty USA connection. Miles Turner. This is like a three week old podcast, Game Recognized Game between Brianna Stewart and Miles Turner.

[Zena Caida]

Wait, what? I am. Wow. Breaking news here, folks.

[Sabrina Merchant]

This is how I felt learning about the podcast yesterday. But anyway, on the podcast, Recognize Games, Stewie said, you know, our recent CBA proposal that we got, there's movement, there's traction, we're finally headed in a direction. So I'm excited. I'm excited to hopefully negotiate back, because as she put it, basically, for the last 17, 18 months, it's been, we don't like your proposal, we don't like proposal, there's no budgeting. But now she feels like there's kind of a place to meet in the middle. So hopefully some optimism on that front.

[Zena Caida]

I'm not gonna lie to you, Sabrina. I'm still trying to figure out, like, is there an agent connection? Is there, like, did someone go to someone's barbecue years back and throw this idea out? This is.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I guess they're like a similar draft class. But, like, that would mean that Miles is much younger than Stewie because Stewie went to college for four years. And I think Miles Turner was the one and done out of Texas. But yeah, just, you know, fun fact for you.

[Zena Caida]

I am. Let me get back onto what we're. We're talking about, because that just threw me for a loop. Okay, great to know. Game Recognized Game is a podcast, another one out there that you guys can listen to. But until we get to that cba, clearly the W's made some moves, but we're still not getting the transparency that the players have been asking for in terms of the rev share component. Um, it. They. They're not even at that point of the conversation of trying to understand how and how early in the process revenue can be shared. Because that's really the key portion of this, is the players want the revenue shared immediately versus the WNBA wants it to be allocated properly first to internal buckets.

[Sabrina Merchant]

They want to take out expenses first. And there is some confusion over what exactly constitutes expenses.

[Zena Caida]

That's why I'm calling them internal buckets. Okay? Because I have no idea what they actually are. But that being said, it doesn't seem like the WNBA players are getting exactly what they want. And we know that they have already given the green light on calling a strike. What are the chances of that happening?

[Sabrina Merchant]

You know, I think it's not terribly high that they would call a strike. There at least has been, you know, a proposal from the league side. It is the player's turn to make a move, right? Like either provide their own proposal or, you know, perform some sort of action. I did think it was interesting that on the WNBA pa's Instagram last week, they posted a video of a really important event in NBA history when the players threatened to, you know, sit out of an all star game. And they staged a protest. And that was to be recognized as the NBA players union many, many years ago. And as some of you might know, if you're not men's basketball fans, NBA All Star weekend is this weekend. And the WNBA players usually participants in some form or fashion, NBA All Star weekend, whether that's the celebrity game, whether that's on Saturday night with like the Shooting Stars, competitions are not there this year.

[Zena Caida]

They're, no, they're nowhere.

[Sabrina Merchant]

But to, you know, to post that video about NBA All Star, about, you know, the power of collective action in that moment. And for that to be happening this week where WNBA players notice we don't have any other commitments lined up, it's. It's just something to think about, you know, as some stage that might house another type of collective action.

[Zena Caida]

Well, listen, there is the unrivaled one on one tournament happening, closing out. Okay? They might want to be there to support whoever. Not all of them. Exactly. Exactly. Okay, that's very interesting. We'll see what happens with where the players end up in terms of if they want to call a strike or not. I cannot believe this has dragged on so long, but I understand why. Gotta get this right. Gotta make sure that the future of women's basketball is in the right hands when it comes to the wnba. And so we'll see what happens there, but let's move on. We just talked a little Bit about unrivaled one on one. That tournament kicked off on Wednesday night and man, it was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun. But before we get into that, there's also someone that's coming back. Angel Reese. And I don't know if you guys have seen this, but if you go to the Rose Basketball Club page right now, it's obviously all her Rose teammates all in their jerseys. And then it's this fire picture of Angel Reese. And like, you know, I think it's like a button up and a tie and she just looks amazing. I'm like, this is such an Angel Reese return to the Rose Basketball Club. Um, so, yeah, after choosing not to come back this year, she was, I believe it was under wanting to heal right from some injuries and then also just being able to develop on her own. She has now resigned with her former team, the Rose Basketball Club, and she will hit the court with them on February 20. Sabrina, what is the story here? Why did Reece decide not to come and now is back so late in the season?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I'm not sure it actually had anything to do with injuries because we saw Angel Reese at Team USA camp in December.

[Zena Caida]

Oh, that's right.

[Sabrina Merchant]

She said she was fully recovered from all of the injuries that had taken place during her Chicago sky season. She was a full participant in camp. And Chenaud has also been named to the qualifying roster for the World cup qualifications for Team usa. That'll be happening in March. Don't read too much into that roster because, you know, the likes of Nafeesa Collier are still injured. Brianna Stewart's gonna be part of camp, if not the actual tournament. Everyone's still available for Tina usa, but Angel, I think, you know, we've seen a lot of angel over the last two months. It's not like she hasn't been doing anything. She was in a movie that you saw this week. Xena Goat. Right. She's been part of that press junket. She took part in filming the second season of Hunting Wives on Netflix. She was at an NBA Europe game in London. You know, she's got this new Reese's Oreos collaboration with Paige Beckers. She's got a lot of things happening. And I think her missing the first part of Unrivaled wasn't that she didn't want to be part of Unrivaled. It was more so, hey, like, this is also my off season. I am a big brand and I have a lot of things to accomplish and I think she was very successful in accomplishing A lot of things over these last six weeks when she could have been in Miami. And it also speaks to the fact that angel still kind of wanted to play basketball and there aren't a ton of games left in this season. But, you know, presumably she wants to help Rose make this late stage playoff push and repeat as champions. She didn't get to play in the unrivaled postseason last year because she was injured at that point. So, yeah, I think it's just sort of balancing everything that she can accomplish during one off season. And we see that with a lot of, you know, players who are in unrivaled and like with Sabrina Nescu last year, she was about a half participant unrivaled because she had her own like Asia tour with Nike and all these other things going on.

[Zena Caida]

Right. Yeah. I'm excited for Andres to come back. I think Rose could absolutely use her. It's so it's, you know, not a cool that Rose is right now last in rebounding when they were top and rebounding last year when you've got the likes of angel, Reese having 20 and 20 games in an unrivaled and also the W. But this is, this is good for angel to be able to have that front court presence to continue the development. And again, Rose has been kind of middling. You know, their record is 5 and 6 so far this season. They had a strong start. Everyone thought they could run it back and then things have just been a little bit blah. And I think a lot of it has to do with not having quite the same rebounding presence, front court presence and just offensive firepower as they had last year. So I'm looking forward to it. What are you thinking angel might be able to bring back to. To the game, to the. To the league even?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I mean, we spoke about this at the start of the unrivaled season about how much player movement there was this year. You know, only two players got to be retained to each playoff team, one to each non playoff team. So there was a lot of just changing of teams. Rose actually has about as much continuity as any team in the league. They have four of their players from last season now with Chelsea Gray, Kalia Copper, Lexi hall and angel coming back. Unfortunately, they did have to give up Azrae Stevens to make that room for angel, but it's the same head coach, Enola, three of the same players, you know, that angel will be rejoining. So I think if you're going to join a team this late in the season, at least there's a Lot of continuity, a lot of like, still common experience that you have from the year before. So it's not going to be an entirely new experience. And like you said, you know, the inside presence is just different with Azrae Stevens. I feel like she's more of a wing even though she's 6 foot 5. So having angel to be that rebounding force just help Chelsea with pick and rolls, you know, because there's like a lab threat there when Shakira is not on the floor. I think it's just good, good for everyone. And I think it's great for unrivaled that like, you know, a few of their stars had opted out this year. Right. And like Asia Wilson, Caitlin Clark obviously still not a part of the league. But angel is about as big of a name as anybody in women's basketball and for her to make a commitment to want to come back, even if it's for such a short period, speaks very of the league, I think.

[Zena Caida]

I agree, I agree. Let's keep it on the unrivaled front because that first round of the league's one on one tournament went down on Wednesday night. And it was fun. It was fun. And shout out to Veronica Burton for quite the of that night. Um, I mean, I think that's where I want to start off with. Veronica Burton goes up against Courtney Williams and shuts her out. Shuts her out straight up, back to back. Just perfect.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Four layups and then a three pointer to seal it.

[Zena Caida]

Yeah, correct. It was, it was perfect execution. And it was the fact that Courtney Williams is, I mean, literally jaw dropped, hand over, mouth clasped like, I cannot believe I just did that. And it was funny because Brittney Sykes Slim almost got shut out and she got a layup. So that was like, you know, people were close to getting shut out, but Arike and Gubala was able to defeat Brittany Sykes. Veronica Burton took down Courtney Williams, Sonia Citron took out Marina Mabry, and then Chelsea Gray also took out Natasha Cloud. And I wanted to ask you which comeback was better, Chelsea Gray's against Natasha Cloud or Sonya Citron's against Marina Mabry? Yeah.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So I have a lot of thoughts on the one on one. First of all, I just want to say that I had so much more fun watching it this year than I did last year. I think it's because of the position brackets. You know, everyone being like sized really helps. And I do think that like the players who were in it again just had a better understanding of the rules like the take fouls and the outlet Passes and stuff. Like, it just felt like there was a better flow. But to answer your question, I was so mad at Natasha Cloud for going for the three when she was at 10 points. You don't need a three. You only need a two. And so I felt like she was just letting Chelsea back into it. So that just offended my sensibilities. So I think I would prefer the Marina Mabry Sonya Citron comeback, because, you know, we talked about this ahead of time. Little Notre Dame, some chatter. Obviously Sony that much of a talker, but I. I thought that just had a better, like, overall flow than whatever Tosh was trying to do to win that. Like, you didn't need to go for, like, a kill shot there. Like, it was. You just needed to do.

[Zena Caida]

And that's the thing. And I apologize for speaking over you, like. Cause I'm just. I got. I got incensed as well. Especially because Chelsea Gray wasn't even in position at that point. Like, she took that three before Chelsea had recovered.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Still 10 5, right?

[Zena Caida]

Yeah. Yeah. And she. But physically wasn't in position. Like, there was no reason for Natasha to have taken that. She could have easily gone to the basket blown right by her. But Chelsea Gray, I mean, knocked down some tough shots and then also just got to the top of the key and, like, buried. Buried shots.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Just does what Chelsea Gray does.

[Zena Caida]

Yeah, does shot. Exactly. Exactly. Um, so. So I also loved the incorporation of the nicknames. I thought that was really cute. Like, Rike.

[Sabrina Merchant]

It was a little inconsistent. Like, Marina was just Marina. And then Sonia, who I believe already has a Nickn. That's Sony became Soso is now so so.

[Zena Caida]

And I thought that was new. I was like, oh, I've never heard so so.

[Sabrina Merchant]

But I've never heard it. That's.

[Zena Caida]

But that's what made me pay attention to it. I was like, oh, interesting. So so. And Roz Golden Wood called her so so. So I was like, do we need to be in Miami, Sabrina?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I think that was just, like, some product integration. I. I don't believe anybody's actually called her that. I think she's so also. So so a terrible nickname for, like, a. A tournament when you're, like, trying to be the best, right?

[Zena Caida]

So you're so. So like, what? No. Don't like it. I don't like it either. We're gonn Sony over here. But, yeah, it was a lot of fun. So anyone that. Now that you've seen the first round also, by the way, li yoru Stewie, the cutest competition you could possibly imagine.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Back to golden from K Pop Demon Hunters is adorable.

[Zena Caida]

Like, she is adorable. I knew she was a little in a little trouble when she started backpedaling on the very first attempt by Brianna Stewart. But she had some great moves as well, being able to just hit the right little bunny shots. But Stewie, not knocked out in the first round. That was fun. That was good to see. She'll keep going. Anyone that you're now like, ooh, yeah. Let's see what's about to happen here.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I'd like to point out that I believe your pick for the one on one tournament did not even suit up. So I was gonna ask you if you needed a new one.

[Zena Caida]

I did.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Did you make a new pick?

[Zena Caida]

So here's the thing. What's funny about that is I don't think I understood our question because I was like, who do I think would be really good at one on one in general? In unrivaled. I didn't even think to look at the bracket.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I was not sure who was on the bracket when we made the pick, and then she opted out. So you were fine. You picked somebody on the bracket.

[Zena Caida]

Okay.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And then they ended up not being in it. I'm just saying, since she wasn't able to participate, I feel like I should allow you the grace of making a new pick.

[Zena Caida]

Because she was supposed to go up against Aaliyah, right?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Correct.

[Zena Caida]

Okay, okay, okay. I had this conversation with someone. They were like, you chose someone that wasn't playing. I was like, she was supposed to be playing. I don't know what happened, but okay, whatever. She's in unrivaled. Whatever.

[Sabrina Merchant]

She was on the original bracket. It's fine. Yeah.

[Zena Caida]

Thank you. Okay. I'm not gonna lie. The Ray Burrell. The. The Ray Burrell situation. Okay. I've been paying attention to Rhae. She's looking more and more like Ryan these days. Let's just be real. She's been playing with her girl. I'm seeing the moves. I think I want to go for Ray.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Okay.

[Zena Caida]

But then there's a part of me also wants to go to Veronica Burton as well. That route. Where are you going? You're still. So.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I mean, my pick is still alive. Still got Jackie Young. It's fine. Fortunately, Chantel's pick, Marina Mabry, also out, so tough sledding for you guys to start. I will say somebody I probably overlooked. Kelsey Mitchell. My goodness, that speed in the half court is a lot to deal with. I loved when they brought up Nafisa Collier's analysis for Rachel Banham. And she told Rachel, she's like, you're gonna have make shots because I don't think you can defend her. Like, I just don't think you can.

[Zena Caida]

I had like, all the playing defense.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Is going to be bad for you.

[Zena Caida]

Correct. And the thing is, she started strong. We were like, okay. Rachel hit that first shot. We were like, okay. Like. But yeah, I. I had notes on all these as I was watching them. All I put for Kells is just K E, L, Z in big letters. Fast. Just so good. Okay, we've been talking about this for a very long time. Round 2 plays out tonight. 1v1 tournament wraps up on Saturday. Up next, we're gonna talk about some top WNBA prospects at our latest mock draft.

[Financial Advisor]

If you're not using Ironclad for contracts, you could be leaving millions on the table without knowing it. Every contract holds renewal dates, pricing terms, and obligations you can't afford to miss. But good luck finding them when it matters. Ironclad's AI instantly surfaces what matters so you can act before opportun opportunities slip away. That's why they're trusted by OpenAI, L' Oreal and Salesforce. Find the savings hiding in your [e-mail] podcast. That's ironcladapp.com podcast.

[Security Software Representative]

Time is valuable. That's why Lowe's blueprint takeoffs turn blueprints into quotes faster. Bring us your plans and we'll generate itemized material lists to make make quoting easier so you can get back to building plus. At the Lowes pro desk, you get access to thousands of building materials not sold in store. And when your order's ready, we'll deliver everything to the job site. Improving is easy at Lowe's.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Okay, I have to tell you, I.

[Sleep Number Advertiser]

Was just looking on ebay where I go for all kinds of things I love.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And there it was. That hologram trading card.

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

One of the rarest.

[Sabrina Merchant]

The last one I needed for my set.

[Zena Caida]

Shiny like the designer handbag of my dad Dreams. One of a kind. Ebay had it. And now everyone's asking, ooh, where'd you.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Get your windshield wipers? Ebay has all the parts that fit my car.

[Zena Caida]

No more annoying, just beautiful.

[Financial Advisor]

Millions of finds, each with a story. EBay things people love.

[Zena Caida]

All right, Sabrina, I'm so excited. This is when we're start. We're starting to, like, connect our NCAA love with the upcoming, hopefully WNBA season and just being able to see what do these college players, you know, how do their skills translate or could translate to the pros and how could people be evaluating those skills? So despite all of the uncertainty, I would say, about the WNBA season that's coming up, the calendar is still going towards March madness. I saw the men's side announce one month until selection Sunday, and I was like, pearls, glass. Like, this is crazy. I cannot believe this is happening. But in April, it will be the WNBA draft. So let's take a fresh look at how this draft might go down. But before we go into the nitty gritty of all this, at this moment in time, we have no set timeline for when free agency will play out. AKA we will not know how these team rosters are shaping up before we get to this draft. Maybe we don't know. We have no idea how this is all gonna play out. So, Sabrina, what is your take on teams? How they might handle that? That uncertainty that. I don't know, just vagueness around their roster construction before they look at the upcoming talent.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Even though the WNBA is a league where free agency proceeds to draft, that isn't necessarily the case. In a lot of other leagues, you know, like the NBA, the draft proceeds free agency. A lot of people in the WNBA come from NBA backgrounds, so they're used to that calendar. You know, so the fact that one could be in front of the other. Obviously there is a certain way things are done in the wnba, but the people that I've talked to aren't terribly concerned about one happening without the other. I think generally in the draft, especially if you're drafting high, you're probably drafting best player available as opposed to a specific need. And that best player available is not going to change whether you have seven players signed in free agency or zero players signed in free agency. So I can't imagine there's going to be too much of a strategic shift there, but it is something to think about because like we said, you know, like, it's just something that hasn't been done in the WNBA and should mention the draft is scheduled tentatively for April 13th. That doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen on April 13th. There's something that says that it has to. If the WNBA wants to keep its calendar of like, expansion draft, then free agency, then, you know, college, amateur draft, like, it could get pushed back a couple weeks, who knows? But for now, this is just the operating assumption we have is that it's on April 13, eight days after the final, as it has been for a very long time.

[Zena Caida]

And this is a moment in time where you are reminded the NCAA and the WNBA have nothing to do with each Other, even though it feels like, oh, it's lined up perfectly so that this can happen in this way, they are not thinking about the other. The Final Four and the ncaa, they are worried about getting their tournament on and popping. And the wnba, they're figuring their stuff out. That has nothing to do with the Final Four. So that's just a good reminder of that. But you talk about, you know, needing the or drafting for best of whatever is best available. And I kind of actually want to start there. Um, in terms of like how you're evaluating your top five. I also want to talk about how international players are affecting, you know, how you're laying out this draft. But let's talk a little bit about it because the first one kind of intersects with, you know, with the both of international and your top five. So who's your number one pick overall? Let's start there.

[Sabrina Merchant]

The Dallas Wings won the lottery for the second consecutive year. They got Paige Beckers last year. You may have heard, pretty good player. Also part of unrivaled one on one. The 2026 draft is, you know, just to set the stage a little here. We've had these no brainer number one picks in the last three drafts. Aaliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, Paige Beckers, and I think they've all delivered exactly as you would have hoped, potentially even more through the starts of their WNBA careers. And we just don't have that in 2026. Like there's actually some conversation here about what kind of player you want at number one. Do you want a college player? Do you want an international player? What sort of skill set complements Paige Backers? Does it even matter what sort of skill set? Like Paige can play anything. There's just a lot of potential indecision here in a way that there hasn't been in some time in the draft. So I want to set that first because we're coming off of these like two incredible drafts in 24 and 25 where like just up and down impact players everywhere. And I want everyone to just like measure their expectations a little bit for 2026 because that is not normal.

[Zena Caida]

Okay.

[Sabrina Merchant]

This might be a little different. And just because I've taken so long to already answer your question, Xena, right now I think I have Awafam going to Dallas and she's a Spanish center, 19 years old, hyper athletic, like the way she just explodes off of screens like in the half court, mimics drivers. As a defender, she just has really good physical defensive tools. Offensively, I think, you know, there's still A lot of cleaning up to be done in terms of her jumper and like, I mean her finishing right around the basket's pretty good. Can, you know, find passes out of doubles, but like, you take her out of like that 6ft range right around the hoop and there's just, you know, some more difficulties, which is fine. She's 19 years old and it just sort of like creates this question about Dallas because you have Paige Beckers, who is already an all star, already second team, all wnba, and the kind of player who you could say like in 2026, if we put the right team around her, Paige could lead us to a title. Like, I don't think that is an unreasonable proposition. So it's like, do we pick a player who admittedly I will fam already playing in Europe, you know, already in euroleague against very good players, but like, I don't know if she's ready to be a starting center on a WNBA team and that's maybe that's okay. Like, maybe you're willing to wait a few years or you'd be like, hey, you know who Paige won a title with last year? Paige already won A title with AZ Fudd at UConn last year. They seemed to get along pretty well. And Az Fudd, prototypical shooting guard, you could plug her right into a WNB roster and be, I think, more certain about her production in year one versus awa. So I think that's something to consider of like, do you look long term? Do you look more short term? Do you think about like, hey, we're more confident in what the college game can produce. But also we just hired Jose Fernandez who has made his living even at the college game. We're running international players, so I think there's just a lot of fun conversations to be had there right now. I think you just can't pass up on the upside of a player like awa. Whereas like, I know what AZ is, but I don't know how much more AZ is. And that's why I have, you know, that decision for the Dallas Wings.

[Zena Caida]

I'm actually really happy you set the stage because that all of what you were saying was what I was going to have, you know, as context ask you about after you said AWA fan, because one not only of course, being able to list out all of her upside. I've watched clips of her. She is like, if you watch clips of Dominique Malanga before she came over to the league last year and how she was coming off screens and being able to explode to the basket, AWA Pham is more coordinated, a little shorter and more bouncy. It's impressive. And she's six four. She's got so much upside. And we saw just in one season what happened with Dominique Malanga. Imagine what you can do with the likes of an AWA fam. So it makes a lot of sense. The only thing that made me go, ooh, I wonder how GMs are going to be thinking about this. So you talked about the last two draft classes, 2024, 2025, packed, stacked with talent. However, even with that, and the funny thing is that both classes were stacked with talent and particularly with the international players, you didn't even get to see how good the tal fully for that class until 2025. Because in that 2024 class is when Carla Layte was drafted originally by the Dallas Wings and she didn't come and over, you know, start playing until the Golden State Valkyries. And the same thing with Layla Lacon, who was drafted by Connecticut, finally came over and you saw the immediate impact that she provided the Connecticut sun. That was, you know, that was two players, I believe. Oh yeah, and Nadia Pouch in, in Atlanta from 2024. Still hasn't come over. Yeah, still hasn't come over. So there's three players in the 2024 class that didn't play in that first year. Two of them play the next year. Then last year two players you had youse Uchite for the Golden State Valkyries, who is expected to come over this year, and then Aja Sifka that was drafted to Chicago. And I'm wondering, is there any hesitancy by GMs thinking about international players? And you know, we know about the draft and stash with the CBA coming up, more money. One, do we think players are going to be like, I'm going to stay over here when there's so much more money now to be had in the States with the W. And two, do we think that the after seeing what these international players have done, once they come over, GMs might be a little bit more willing to go the international route?

[Sabrina Merchant]

The money is a great point because for so long it has been what is going to entice international players to want to leave their homes, their comfortable situations with their leagues, to basically use their off season to play for the wnba? Right, because they're already still, you know, in the Croatian league or the French league or the Italian League or whatever, playing a full season in the fall and winter and then coming to the WNBA so they don't get Any off time. And it's like, why would they do that? Well, you get to play against the best players, but also now you get professional standards in the WNBA and you get a higher contract. So I think, you know, you're starting to see younger international players value the wnba, especially the French ones, and whether they haven't before, like, for so long, GMs have been so reluctant to draft French players because their league runs long. It runs into the start of the WNBA season, there just hasn't been a lot of interest in coming to the W. But you've got this young wave, like you mentioned. Ley Lacon Malanga. Right. Ileana Ripert, Janel Salon. Right. All these players who. Young French players who really enjoy playing in the wnba. And it seems like that is going to be a consistent part of their basketball calendar. So I think just the WNB becoming more attractive, becoming a place where you can actually make a role living, entices the international players to want to come. So I don't think the GMs are worried about having to sell their team in the same way that they were 10 years ago when they would draft an international player. Be like, maybe she'll come, maybe she won't, but I'm not going to get fired for this pick because one, my owner's not watching me. And two, you can just say, hey, we got this girl who's coming over.

[Zena Caida]

Right, Right, right, right.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah. So I think that's part of it. Yeah.

[Zena Caida]

Yeah. There are a lot of. I remember there were a lot of questions in Golden State, who is you State? How do we say her name? What do we know about this person? And I remember having to, because of Ben Pickman, shout out our homie and the international research and due diligence he would always do. I knew a little bit about USTA to be able to share in the Bay, like, hey, she's a baller. Like, once she comes over, you're gonna have a problem on your hands for the rest of the league at least. So before we get into that, two.

[Sabrina Merchant]

More things about international years though, the ages. Right. We've talked about this on a previous show.

[Zena Caida]

That's what I was gonna. We're on the same page.

[Sabrina Merchant]

To bring college players, you've got to be 22 the year you're drafted. You have to finish college. And because of COVID years and medical red shirts and all this other nonsense in college sports, a lot of these players are coming out, not just 22, but they're 23, 24 the year they're Being drafted, you're going to see a lot of that in this year's draft. And if you're drafting an international player, they only have to be 20 the year they're drafted. A lot of them are currently only 19, so you just have a longer Runway. It's okay if Inajas, Sifka or all the players you listed earlier don't want to come in year one, as long as they come before they would have were the NCAA players. You're still getting more of their young athletic prime versus if you're drafting a college player.

[Zena Caida]

Yep, that's literally what I was going to ask about. And I, I really do wonder if this is going to become a thing eventually where, you know, you got the American players able to rent cars by the time they enter the WNBA versus, you know, European players are learning in real time against the best players in the world at 19 years old, 20 years old, and, you know, does that give them any sort of an advantage for their career long term versus those that are learning in real time in the collegiate system? Don't know. Lots of thoughts around that, but I'm very curious as to how if that is going to be a thing for the next cba. Maybe not this one, but for the next cba. All right, let's shift a little bit. There's some other international players that you mentioned or you have in your mock draft, which by the way is live on the site right now. So you guys can go check it out and read up on everyone that Sabrina has in her first round. But you've got two more that you put me onto, particularly Nell and Gloma from France. I'm like, I need to do my research on my team. What am I doing? But I was looking at clips of her and she's like a bigger, more methodical, not as explosive Aziya James, in my opinion. And I wanted to hear what you thought, your thoughts on her game and you have her in your first round. But what stood out to you about another French player potentially being in the first round?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, just another French player, like you said, not on the Olympic team in 2024. So maybe she's been a little off the radar if you've been following major international competitions. But every team I've talked to has like made one trip out to see her. She is, you know, really, really good at getting to the basket. I think it's just very hard to stop her from getting to the basket. That's why I think that Isaiah James comparison is interesting. A little bit bigger, though. A little bit stronger. Just like very. She's very built out.

[Zena Caida]

Very slower though. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah. I don't think she has a ton of a perimeter game right now, but like, her ability to get downhill, create space going to the basket is obviously very impressive. And just the. The size and like body of a WNBA wing I think really stands out already. And like we said, there's just huge French wave, so why not continue to ride it?

[Zena Caida]

There's something about France and Spain right now that are. They're just. They're doing their thing. Okay, let's actually, you know what? I know the people have been waiting. We gotta get into your top five. So of course you already mentioned AWA fam. We've also talked about Az Fudd and this is early, right? It's a mock draft, so you never know what could happen by the time the actual draft happens. Az Fudd is your number two. You've got Olivia Miles going number three to the Seattle Storm. And it's worth saying the Minnesota Lynx have their pick from the Chicago sky for number two. So that is who Az Fight could potentially be going to the Seattle Storm have their pick from the Los Angeles Sparks. Olivia Miles at number three. You have. And then Lauren Betts going to the Washington Mystics at number four, which I kind of love this, by the way. Love. Whether you like Betts higher or not, the idea of Kiki Iria Fenn and Lauren Betts linking back up is so fun to me. And then at number five, you've got Flaw J. Johnson going to the Chicago Sky. They've got that pick from the Connecticut Sun. How did you lay out the top five of this first round?

[Sabrina Merchant]

So the top five really haven't changed since the first time we did this draft. Right after the lottery, at least the players in the top five. And this is where again, I sort of lean into. Well, I'm not sure this draft is as deep as previous drafts because Flaje Johnson, I had a good season, not a great season. Still isn't the number one option at lsu. You know, Michaela Williams has really taken up that mantle. Jada Richard's popped, you know, Malaysia Falwell, he gets a lot of ball handling responsibilities there. So I still see Flagy Moore as a complimentary player. And if I'm drafting the lottery, I would hope to have a player who is either my number one option on offense or defense, which I think a lot of these other players fill that bill. But again, I look at like the rest of the draft. It's like well, she's hyper athletic. Everybody loves having her in the room. You know, the lift on that jump shot. I mean, there's so many things to like about her. So again, like, things can change. But considering how productive she's been at LSU over the course of four years, won a national title, been in a lot of big games, shows up in big games, couldn't really move her out of there. Even if she is averaging, you know, south of 14 points this year, which is a bit of.

[Zena Caida]

A.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Bit of a drop since her junior year. But, yeah, another reuniting, actually, with Angel Reese and Haley Benlif potential in Charlotte.

[Zena Caida]

Oh, there you go.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Didn't intend to do all of that.

[Zena Caida]

But there you go. I didn't think about that.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Those five, you know, flage, Lauren Betts. The only thing that really switched was the order of Olivia Miles and Az Fudd. Just because Az, like, has been healthy all year, which is the number one question we had about Easy Fud is can her body hold up for a full season? And. And thus far it has. And two, like, she just doesn't miss. Like, it's really very, very impressive. The shooting season that she's been putting together, about 45% from 2. Like, it's. I'm. From 3. I'm sorry. It's just. It's an unbelievable mark. And like, her jumper just looks like it. Right. It's not like you see her putting up these numbers and think, like, it feels kind of fluky. No, like the way she shoots, you expect every shot to go in. So Steph Curry has easily complimented.

[Zena Caida]

Yeah, Seth Curry has literally complimented Az Fudd to have one of the best forms he's ever seen. That's major, major compliments there. Sorry, go ahead.

[Sabrina Merchant]

No, I mean, absolutely. Like, that's. That's what Easy Fud has going for her. And like, the rest of her game is filled out. The steal rate's a lot higher this year. Been a more impactful defender. Admittedly, she is in her fifth year of college versus some younger players, so you always want to take that with a grain of salt when people get significantly better over the course of their careers. But yeah, I think Miles has also been awesome. I remain a huge Olivia Miles fan. I think she would have gone two or three in the draft last year had she chosen to come out just pure point guard extraordinaire. Really have nothing bad to say about her as an offensive player. The jump shot has stuck around this year post acl. So you want Olivia Miles going to Minnesota, Az Fudd going To Seattle. I think that's fine too. I don't think either of them is going to fall beyond 3 personally. But whatever order you want to take them in, I would not complain about Fair Fair.

[Zena Caida]

Also, I love to give our writers their kudos. Usually I do this off the, off the pod, but talking about Miles and the fact that, yes, her turnover rate is a little bit high. It's the creativity tax for her audacious passing. Ooh, you ate with that girl. You ate with that. I love that. All right, let's keep it going. And just talking about overall. Anyone? And by the way, you can see the full list of the top 15 in the first round. And that extension is interesting. Right? Let's talk a little bit about how adding some extra spots, this is now you're looking at maybe 13, 14, 15. Like is this technically your, your top second rounders? How do GMs look at this and how does the, the changing of the first round kind of impact how you're drafting now out?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Right. So this is the longest mock draft I've ever done for the WNBA, right? Because it started at 12 teams, it was 13 last year, and now we're at 15. And there's a certain just idea in your head of what constitutes a first rounder, right? Like how good a player has to be a first rounder. And we're just expanding that now, right? Like everything's expanding because there are more teams and players who like you mentioned, would not have been first rounders to even last year are now part of this distinction. And that, you know, comes with more pay. It also just comes with like a like note of like, hey, I was a first round draft pick. Like that means something. And I think for GMs when you're making a first round draft pick, there is more of a pressure for that to work out than there is a second round draft pick. So like it or not, like, there's just a certain, I don't want to say stigma, but there's like a certain pressure attached to it when you were selecting a player in the first round. And I do wonder if, because the first round is longer and you are just less likely to find an impact player at 13, 14 or 15 if winning teams are just gonna be more willing to trade first rounders because they're like, well, you know, I was perfectly willing to give up a second round or before now like, if I have a late first rounder, it's basically the same thing. Do I really need to have the pressure of like, hey, you struck out on a first round or what was going on. So I wonder if, like, that changes the evaluation of how front offices approach the draft. Right. Like, you look at this first round already, I mean, there hasn't been any change in the order since November because we talked about this. There's really been no WNBA off season. But, like, you already see, Washington has three picks in this round. That was a team that didn't win a lot of games last year. Connecticut has multiple picks in this round. Right. Like, the teams that won a lot of games, the Phoenix, New York, Las Vegas, they're. They're just not in this draft. Right. Because they've already sort of opted out of, like, hey, we know how to find impact players outside of the draft. There's a lot of uncertainty when it comes to drafting, especially with college players. And, you know, maybe there's better ways for us to build our team than, like, having to deal with the. Oh, you know, the Mercury again, their first rounder didn't last beyond three years with the team. So I did just want to do, like, a little bit of research on the draft just to see what people, what teams usually get out of this. Right. Like, how many players in the first round generally turn into rotation players. So I just went back, like, 10 years ago, and basically my definition was like, if you were a rotation player for three years, I'm considering that a success for you as a draftee, right?

[Zena Caida]

Sure.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So you've got eight of those coming out of the 2017 first round. So about two thirds of the draft, 10 of those in 2018 and 19. So very good years for the draft.

[Zena Caida]

Wow.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Only four in 2020, two in 2021, and then backups back up to seven in 2022 and then three in 2023. Admittedly, my definition of having three years of being rotation player is tougher if you're in 2023, because you have to be all three years of your WNBA career thus far, but not a great start for a lot of those players. So where I'm kind of landing is like, an average draft would have anywhere between, like, half and two thirds being rotation players. So between, like, seven, eight, nine, ten players, you know, being rotation players. And that means I don't know if they're going to come, like, in the top five or, like, the bottom five. Right. Like, it could be anywhere in the first round. The lottery wasn't pretty good other than, like, the bad drafts. You know, the COVID drafts are just really hard to figure out. Like, they just haven't worked out Very well.

[Zena Caida]

But they're anomalies.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I think that's what I'm interested in. Like, are we still going to be in a range of like seven to eight players being rotation players or because there are more teams, because there are more options to land on rotation, is it going to be closer to that 2/3 number? Again, that's just something I have an eye on. As we expand, like, is the draft going to fill in all those places or are we going to have to go overseas to find players that teams are really satisfied?

[Zena Caida]

Mm. Wow. I. It's so funny. I was only thinking positively from this perspective of yes. Like if I'm a team like Connecticut or Washington or whomever, like, oh, I have multiple draft picks in the first round, I can use em all to get really great talent. And I completely forgot about trading picks. Like, that is. So it's a really great point about. We might hear way more conversations of teams tagging on first rounders and we might, you know, again, clutch our pearls and say, whoa, they're giving away the future here. But yeah, it might be a little bit different if you think that you're gonna land in that the later parts of the first round and that you're positioned in that way. You might see folks trading up or, you know, it's very interesting. This is. Thank you for that perspective. Okay, so I got two questions before we close this out about two players that I'm curious about. Um, Rory Harmon, particularly thinking from. We. We just talked a little bit about Rory a few episodes ago or an episode ago maybe about just how efficient she is as a floor setter, um, and how important that is. And I was, you know, quickly, like, looking at her statistics. I believe it's just this season, it might be actually for her career, but 6.6 assists for Rory Harmon at Texas per game on average right now. Subir at UConn averaged 5.1. I'm just saying she's literally the number one assist giver in the WNBA's history. That's a good track to be on. Now, Rory didn't outdo like Courtney Vandersloot or Tisha Panichero, but she's on the right track, she's in the right company is what I'm saying. To be an amazing WNBA point guard potentially. What were your thoughts on where she landed and what might be keeping her out of the first or even out of the first round or even in, you know, the considerable honorable mentions?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I think WNBA front offices are very wary of small guards. I think you See this trend sort of throughout professional basketball. Just think about how much small guards get hunted in the post season. And Rory, for all of her gifts, is still only about 5, 5, 5 6, even though she does have a very high assist percentage. And we've talked about her defense at length on this podcast. Like just a tremendous in your face kind of defender. The size is a concern and her jumper really doesn't exist like beyond the free throw line. And I don't think you can be a credible point guard in the WNBA if you don't have like a pull up jumper beyond that. So those were a couple things. I, I mean, I expect her to get drafted. I don't really expect her to get drafted in the first round though, because of that. And it just. I don'. I don't know, it just speaks to some of the differences that exist between how college basketball works and how the WNBA works.

[Zena Caida]

For sure. Okay. All right. Another person that came to mind too. I know you. We've talked about the UCLA situation. I mean, you got Gabriella Haka in here, you've got Lauren Betts in here, you've got Gianna Neepkins in here, Kiki Rice. This is, this is crazy. You got a lot of UCLA folks.

[Sabrina Merchant]

You're not even mentioning Charlie Sutter Walker yet, Charlie.

[Zena Caida]

Yeah, exactly. And I know we've also talked about Dugalic being someone that could be drafted in the first round, potentially. You never know. They've got talent and they've got the size, which is really important here. How historic would that be? Like how special and unique would that be for UCLA to have that many picks in the first round?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Well, there have never been five players from the same school taken in the first round. I think we've peaked at four. Admittedly, the draft is longer this year, as we've talked about a couple times, a little bit more room. Having 5 out of 15 is about the same as having 4 out of 12, but yeah, that would be historic. We alluded to this on the UCLA show too. Generally when a team has this many draft picks, it's because they're a historically great team and UCLA is a very good team. I don't know if they're a historically great team.

[Zena Caida]

Right.

[Sabrina Merchant]

It also just speaks kind of to their roster construction. They happen to collect a lot of seniors. You know, their entire freshman class transferred out last year. A lot of, you know, younger players just haven't wanted to stick around, probably because there's so many older ones that are so good in front of them. So it is, I Think an oddity. Right. I wouldn't expect this to happen at all really in the near future. Like, I mean, even the way UCLA recruited, like only two of these players started their careers at ucla. Three of them transferred in like one after the other after the other. So yeah, I. I wouldn't be surprised if all five of them won in the first round. My number still probably. I still think four is like a lock, honestly. I think four are going to get taken in the first round, which again would be a historic number. I am a little bit higher on Charlie. Such a walker than the general consensus. I admit to that. It is just a personal bias I've had on her for a very long time. Love the way she plays point guard. She is turning 25 this year, which is obscene. So maybe you want to take somebody a little bit younger.

[Zena Caida]

Whoa, that's crazy. Yeah, the post Covid year like 25.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Changed the way college basketball works. But yeah, I. You're right to point out that UCLA having this amount of presence in the first round is rare. It is unprecedented at this point. It is also super strange because of how we think about UCLA as a college team. But be prepared for a lot of shots, Corey Close and UCLA players and all of their tables at the WMA draft this year. It is going to happen.

[Zena Caida]

Exactly. I feel like it's gonna be very similar to like what UConn experienced last year where they were just like in the stands and like Caitlin Chen gets called and all that. And like this is. We're constantly just like, wait, did someone else get called? Did someone else get called? But it's just gonna be a little earlier, guys for ucla. Anyone else, as we close this conversation that comes to mind might be a sleeper, might find a way to poke through into the first round that you were like, I don't know, should I include them? Should I not?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Well, I actually kind of want to know who you think should be in this range because I have, you know, the players in my top 15. I have the three and the also considered. I also listed like four more on the 15th pick of like players who I thought could be in that range. So you basically have my like top 22 or 24 in this mock draft. So I want to know from using who am I missing, who am I overlooking as a first round draft pick?

[Zena Caida]

So I like the fact that you added Maggie Dugan from Richmond and Layla Philia Joniah Barker was interesting for me and mainly just because Janiyah Barker is one of those players that's also older she has the build and I think that's really important just to be able to knock around with folks. When I think about Janiya Barker and what she could potentially bring to the league, it's very similar to what K.K. timpson brought to Indiana. Just being able to come in battle with some folks, battle on the boards, um, and you're not looking to her to be the main scorer, but she'll clean some stuff up. And I, and I just feel like the size of her could be utilized for some teams. And so Joniah Barker was interesting for me. Um, Cody. Cody McMahon. That was a, that was one that I was like, hmm. Her size is so in between and I don't know where you could position her, but she has a motor that is so undeniable that I feel like, you know, GMs, GMs would appreciate that. Just being able to bring someone in, that's just gonna go hard. I was gonna say a term that I don't like, really, actually something to the wall. Just think something to the wall. But just I feel like Cody McMahon and just her ability to get downhill, her ability to finish in the paint, her footwork inside, it's really, really great on the college level. I don't know how it will translate to the league level with some bigger trees and some more athletic folks. But she also has a size to her as a big guard and a physical guard. So those two were ones that I was like, oh, I was curious if you had them on your also considered list. Sure. But yeah, that's on this.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Cody. I just don't know what position she is. She was kind of like a three or four at Ohio State, but she's not big enough to play that in the wnba. She's kind of been playing point guard for Ole Miss, but I don't think she is really a point guard. Just her handle is not really what a WNBA point guard is like. It works for Ole Miss, but it's not gonna. Not gonna work at WNBA level. And I just thought she was a little too up and down for my taste at Ohio State. Like I realized she's rehabbed a lot of her value here at Ole Miss. The inconsistency and the fact that her game is a little one dimensional for my taste. It's a lot of getting downhill. And then thankfully she has reduced the number of offensive fouls that she picks up this year. But there's just a couple of things that aren't my particular cup of tea with Cody. And again, like I said, I'm a little bit higher on Charlize than most people. Most people like Cody McMahon a lot more than I do. So I wouldn't be surprised to see her name pop up as we get closer to this draft. Conversation with J. That's probably the hardest person I had to leave off of this list because having, you know, you learn so much about a player, watching them play in person, just, like, how big they actually look next to everybody, you know, what their practice habits are like and all of that. And I spent a lot of time around UCLA last year when Janiah Barker was there, and I thought it was really impressive how she just, like, molded herself to a winning context when she was this very highly rated recruit. All these opportunities at Texas A and M to be the alpha there, and she decided, like, no, I want to come to a winning team. I want to actually compete. I'm gonna come off the bench, I'm gonna do whatever's asked of me. Like, I'll play back up center, I'll play power forward, you know, whatever it is. And I thought she really fit, like, within that context. And I was so impressed by her ability to just do whatever was asked of her because she is so hyper athletic. You know, she can blow by any defender. She does make really impactful plays at the rim. And then we've kind of gone back to Tennessee and, like, some of those habits have just sort of devolved again. And I think it's just so context specific with Joniah, and, like, I would not want to bet against that level of just physical profile. And having been around her, like, she's a lot of fun to be around. But, yeah, I. I don't know that she's always making the right decisions on the court, and it's just hard to figure out exactly where that fits. So, again, like, a player who I would expect to be in this conversation for sure, but at this particular moment, on February 12, not in my first round.

[Zena Caida]

Okay, that's fair. That's fair. Okay, One last one. One last one. Just because you just made one pop into my mind as you were just talking about someone that makes the right decision, someone that's impactful at the rim. Reagan Beers. Where does she lay in your landscape?

[Sabrina Merchant]

You know, I'm not even sure Regan Beers wants to play professional basketball. That's kind of part of it.

[Zena Caida]

Yeah. Yeah. She's kind of like a Yoka Lee in that way. Way.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah. I've talked to her before about how she's really excited to eventually be, like, a preschool or grade school teacher. Which I could easily see Reagan Beer is doing. You know, she's just a little undersized for a center. Right? We've seen the sec, like some of the bigger players can make her life difficult. Love watching her play, but you know, she's kind of like the classic example of like I get what you do in college. It's not going to work in wnba.

[Zena Caida]

Yeah, we've seen those. And that's how I feel about like, that's okay.

[Sabrina Merchant]

College basketball, different sport, fun to watch. I thoroughly enjoy watching Regan Beerus. Just don't think it's gonna be a WNBA thing for her.

[Zena Caida]

Yeah. Okay. Well, this has been a really great little teaser into the WNBA mock draft. Whenever the draft actually happens, we'll have a head start. Thanks to you, Sabrina. So we appreciate you breaking that down. Guys, go make sure or make sure to go check out that article. It is live now on the site and let us know what you think. Be nice. Okay. Don't, don't get all up in your, you know, in your feelings. If your player was left out, that's okay. Just let the player know and then they can play for that, that spot later on. But appreciate you Sabrina. Let's close this out with where we're going to set our screens this weekend.

[Boost Mobile Advertiser]

Here's how to Stay alive longer so you can enjoy Boost Mobile's unlimited plan with a price that never goes up. Do not mistake a wasp nest for a pinata. Stay alive and switch now at boost mobile after 30 gigs, customers may experience lower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Mobile Unlimited plan.

[Financial Advisor]

At Schwab, how you invest is your choice, not theirs. That's why when it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices. You can invest and trade on your own plus get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique needs. With award winning services, service low costs and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more.

[Sleep Number Advertiser]

Why Choose a Sleep number Smart Bed Can I make my site softer?

[Security Software Representative]

Can I make my site firmer? Can we sleep cooler?

[Sleep Number Advertiser]

Sleep number does that cools up to eight times faster and lets you choose your ideal comfort on either side your Sleep number setting Enjoy personalized comfort for better sleep night after night and now during the during our President's day sale, take 50% off our limited edition bed plus free premium delivery with any bed and base ends Monday only at a Sleep number store or sleepnumber.com.

[Zena Caida]

All right, Sabrino, you know, NCAA is still rolling and we're getting closer and closer to the tournament, which means each game is getting more and more important and it seems like the competition is just continuing to heat up. So which games are you setting your scre this weekend?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I'm gonna go a little off book. I know I do this every now and then, but I'm gonna take a weekend off of college basketball, watch some Winter Olympics this weekend. I mentioned her on the show last week. A girl, Brittany Bowe, cannot get enough of her former four year player at Florida Atlantic University. College basketball player. So she is technically related to the thesis of the no off season podcast. Literally no off season for her. Went from college basketball straight into champion speed skating. She's be, you know, skating for a team gold medal in the team pursuit this weekend. So check that out.

[Zena Caida]

Yeah. Also, Brittany Bo played in the era of the big shorts, so I feel particularly tied to her. If you look at all her old pictures from fau, like, yeah, we, we were one and the same. There's a kinship there of the baggy shorts. So shout out to Brittney Bowe and good luck to all the winter Olympians that are competing over the course of February. Um, I will be setting my screen to a big time SEC matchup, South Carolina taking on LS Saturday. That will be at 8:30pm Eastern on ESPN. Of course, we got to see who's going to come out on top there. There's a few other games. Michigan State, Michigan just matched up recently. That game was incredibly close, scored in the 90s. I can't remember exactly the score off the top of my head, but it was tight. And they're going to match up again on Sunday at 4pm Eastern on Fox Sports. So definitely check that out. And there's quite a few top 20, 20, 25 matchups over the course of the weekend. So definitely keep your TVs locked. Not only on NBC because of the Olympics, but of course on women's college basketball. But that's all we got for you guys today. We appreciate you taking the time to join us. We'll be back in your feeds on Wednesday. Okay. Wednesday next week due to the upcoming holiday next week. Until then, if you haven't already, please follow our show. Do your job, Tell your friends about us, tell your people around us that we are a fun. We're a children's show. We're good to listen to on the way to school. Okay. And if you're watching, make sure you are pressing that subscribe button on YouTube as well. We want to hear from you guys too. Give us a rating. You know, five stars. Not so bad that four star. It will cramp your finger. Just go ahead and get to the five, it's good. And then head on over to our partner, the Yahoo Sports Hub. For more [e-mail] womenssports on behalf of the Athletic Sabrina Merchant, I'm Zena Keda thanking you for listening and we'll see you week next next time no Offseason is hosted by Zena Kada with Chantelle Jennings and Sabrina Merchant is produced by Tanika Burrell. Our executive producer is Andrea B. Scott. Our theme music is by Marcus Bagala. Monica Compton is our video editor. Shannon Ryan is managing editor of Women's basketball at the Athletic. Jesse Burton is our head of audio and Tim McMaster is director of Audio operations.

[Sleep Number Advertiser]

The future moves fast. Ave Points Shift Happens podcast is your edge where leaders unpack AI data, modern work and the mindset shifts that turn change into advantage. Hear what top innovators are trying next and how to make it work. Visit AVPT co Shift today.

[Zena Caida]

Thy ticket lady Jennifer of Coolidge. Well, many thanks good sir. Here. Here is my Discover card. They accept Discover at Renaissance Fairs?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah they do.

[Blissey Advertiser]

Here.

[Zena Caida]

Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Geth with the Times. With the Times. You're playing the loot. Yeah, and it sounds pretty good right? Discover is accepted at 99% of places.

[Security Software Representative]

That take credit cards nationwide, based on.

[Sabrina Merchant]

The February 2025 Nielsen report.

[Financial Advisor]

Schwab, how you invest is your choice, not theirs. That's why when it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices. You can invest and trade on your own. Plus get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique needs. With award winning service, low costs and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more.