Why It's Already Panic Mode For These WNBA Teams

Summary

---

No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

Episode: Why It's Already Panic Mode For These WNBA Teams
Date: May 29, 2026
Hosts: Sabrina Merchant & Annie Costabile

---

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the early 2026 WNBA season, focusing on which teams might already be in "panic mode". Sabrina and Annie evaluate struggling contenders, break down roster moves, discuss the evolving Commissioner's Cup, and dissect the New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury's concerning starts. The episode ends with a look at other teams teetering on crisis and the hosts' must-watch weekend games.

---

The Commissioner's Cup: Purpose, Format, and Stakes

[02:41 - 14:27]

What is the Commissioner's Cup?

• Annie: The Cup is a midseason tournament for WNBA teams started in 2021; the NBA has since adopted a similar format (03:25).
• Each team plays every other conference rival, with point differentials as a tiebreaker.
• West teams play 7 Cup games (8 teams), East teams play 6 (7 teams) (04:44).
• The Cup offers a seasonal snapshot; often, Cup finalists become Finals contenders (05:10).

"What I do like about the Commissioner's Cup is it tells a very specific story about this time of the WNBA... for the last few years, the Commissioner's Cup has told us a lot about who to expect as contenders." — Sabrina Merchant [06:20]

Cup Impact and Suggestions

• Travel is easier (conference-only) but schedule quirks lead to uneven games.
• Sabrina proposes a future three-group system with semis/finals, to match expansion plans.
• Point differential encourages teams to run up scores—adds intensity (04:53).

Prize Money & Player Motivation

• Sabrina raises whether rising player salaries make the Cup prize (currently $500,000 split) less of an incentive (07:51).
• Annie believes the payout still matters, especially for players lower on the salary scale—"a chunk of 500k is ... not nothing" (08:38).
• Cup’s winner-takes-most cash drives excitement across the league.

Cup Predictions

• Annie: Picks Indiana from the East; Dallas or Lynx from the West, noting that everyone expects the Aces (12:58).
• Sabrina: Leans Vegas in West (“they've been terrible at home, but a little extra incentive could turn that around”) and Indiana in the East (13:31).
• Both see Atlanta as a dark horse; highlight key upcoming matchups (14:06).

"June 4th, Atlanta at Indiana. That could be very decisive for this Commissioner's Cup championship." — Sabrina Merchant [14:16]

---

Notable Roster Move: Minnesota Lynx Add Tierra McCowan

[09:50 - 12:50]

• Lynx waive Alicia Hamzova to sign Tierra McCowan.
• McCowan is viewed as a talented but inconsistent center, more classic than modern.
• Annie is “intrigued,” especially in context of Nafeesa Collier’s absence (10:25).
• Sabrina wonders if this spells a longer absence for Dorka Juhász and notes McCowan’s strengths (back-to-basket offense) don’t always fit with the Lynx’s high-pace schemes (10:51).
• Both look forward to Olivia Miles’s post-feeding skills.
• Significance: Minnesota prioritizing depth and possibly defensive identity as they sit atop league standings.

---

Panic Meter Segment: In-Depth Team Assessments

[17:14 - 49:29]

The New York Liberty: Should They Panic?

[17:14 - 24:37]

• Why Panic?
  • Huge expectations: lost championship coach, hired first-timer, stacked roster, tied for 8th at recording.
• Context:
  • Liberty down Satu Sabally and Sabrina Ionescu and had other absentees (18:33). But Annie rejects injuries as a full excuse—contenders must find ways to win.
  • Example: Minnesota is #1 sans Collier; Liberty have had their MVPs all season (21:08).
• Critical Game:
  • Win over Phoenix after a stern timeout:

    "I'm paraphrasing, but [Coach DeMarco] said something along the lines of, play defense. That was a moment that shifted the entire game." — Annie Costabile [19:19]

  • Sparked a 23–0 run.
• Defensive Potential:
  • Liberty’s lineups featuring Jonquel Jones, Leonie Fiebich, Rebecca Gardner/Allen show “insane” defensive upside (23:12).
  • Annie: The key is sustaining 40 minutes of this intensity; depth and conditioning are works in progress.

"That level of talent—I’m not sure I've seen a defensive lineup like that in some time on a WNBA court." — Sabrina Merchant [23:22]

• Summary:
  • Too soon for real panic, but “June is a defining month.” Liberty’s defensive depth might be their “secret sauce.”

Phoenix Mercury: Full-Blown Panic?

[26:14 - 44:45]

• Strong Start, Rapid Decline:

  • Opened season with dominant 33-point win but have slumped to 2–6, last in the standings.

  "Nothing has worked since then." — Sabrina Merchant [26:58]

• Problems:

  • Frequent lineup changes, lack of cohesion, key departures.
  • Defensive collapse: hemorrhaging threes, unable to contain guards, and missing last year’s edge.
  • Lack of reinforcements coming.

• Satu Sabally Departure:

  • Offseason marked by the bold choice not to “core” Sabally—letting her walk for nothing despite All-WNBA credentials (33:35).
  • Sabrina argues this was a historic misstep.

"They take this risk that they can find a better roster balance without Satu ... I don't think the risk is paying off right now." — Sabrina Merchant [35:46]

• Team Chemistry:
  • Quotes from Alyssa Thomas suggest a lack of frank communication internally about Satu’s departure (39:36).

"To me, that says a lot because when you compare that to what happened in New York ... that is not how it was described ... by Alyssa Thomas." — Annie Costabile [41:01]

• Big Picture:
  • Phoenix appears rudderless, lacking the talent and camaraderie that fueled their Finals run.
  • Annie notes their international scouting is a silver lining for the future (44:20).

Short Takes: Other Teams on the Panic Meter

[45:09 - 49:29]

• Chicago Sky:

  • Looked promising until losing Rekia Jackson (ACL); now also missing Gabriela Jaquez (knee).
  • “Just don’t look like a team that’s got it together offensively.” — Annie [46:05]
  • Panic Meter: 3.5/5

• Los Angeles Sparks:

  • Down Kelsey Plum with at least three games missed.
  • “Without her, that team is just entirely ... I don't know what it looks like.” — Annie [45:30]
  • Panic Meter: 2/5 (Sabrina would flip the Sky and Sparks ratings, citing Sparks’ own historical instability)

"Things can get out of hand quickly. And I think this is going to be the time to show whether or not these vets on this team really are ones that are going to keep the seas smooth." — Annie Costabile [47:51]

---

Closing: What We’re Watching This Weekend

[52:04 - 53:56]

• Annie:

  • Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury (in-person).
  • Indiana Fever vs. Valkyries (“I'm sure we're all watching that.”)
  • Storm vs. Toronto Tempo is the weekend wildcard.

• Sabrina:

  • Aces vs. Valkyries on Sunday: “Becky Hammon against her former proteges...hoping for some oomph this time.”

• Both joke about needing a 1–5 emotional excitement scale for their games.

---

Most Memorable Quotes

• "We’re using panic, and I think that’s fair—but they’re not using panic." — Annie on the Liberty [17:55]
• "A chunk of 500K is ... not nothing." — Annie on Cup money [08:38]
• "They're not as big at every other position. Leah's shooting, I think, 34% on about 14 attempts per game, which is just not good enough for your number one offensive option." — Sabrina on Phoenix [32:44]
• "It is harder. It is easier said than done." — Sabrina (re: team chemistry and sacrifice) [43:10]

---

Summary Table: WNBA Teams & Panic Meter

| Team | Key Issues | Panic Meter (1–5) | Notes | |-------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | New York Liberty | Offensive/defensive inconsistency, injuries | 2.5 | High floor; need to harness defensive depth, June is telling | | Phoenix Mercury | Defensive collapse, roster disarray, lost Satu | 4 – 4.5 | Chemistry & talent drop-off, questionable offseason moves | | Chicago Sky | Rekia & Jaquez injuries, offense | 3.5 | Could spiral if “competitive losses” continue | | LA Sparks | Plum injury | 2 | Could rise if injury lingers; historic instability noted | | Lynx/Minnesota | Managing new additions amid injuries| 1 | Off to strong start; McCowan signing for frontcourt depth |

---

Episode Takeaways

• Commissioner's Cup is a crucial early barometer with real cash and playoff trajectory implications.
• Liberty: Expectation mismatch breeds concern, yet elite defense and depth mean panic should be tempered—June is pivotal.
• Mercury: Roster overhaul, talent exodus (esp. Satu), and defensive collapse justify full-scale alarm; structural questions loom large.
• Other Teams: Sky and Sparks have reasons for worry, but the Sky risk deeper trouble if slide continues.
• Around the League: Player health and roster integration remain the x-factors separating contenders from panic-prone squads.

---

To keep up: Subscribe to The Athletic’s No Offseason newsletter—and catch the next show Tuesday.

---

Transcript

[CarGurus Ad Speaker]

Buying a car is a big deal, so you shouldn't go in blind with the Cargurus app. The new dealership mode is like having a personal cheat sheet in your pocket. Instantly compare the car in front of you to similar options, see deal ratings and price history, and estimate your final price. It's no wonder Cargurus is the number one most visited car shopping site according to SimilarWeb's estimated traffic data. Buy or sell your next car today with [e-mail] Go to CarGurus.com to make sure your big deal is the best deal. That's C-A-R G u r u s.com cargurus.com par le tu francais hablas espanol

[Babbel Ad Speaker]

par le italiano if you've used Babbel, you would Babbel's conversation based technique teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world. With lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers speakers Babbel is like having a private tutor in your pocket. Start speaking with Babbel today. Get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription right now at babbel.com acast spelled B A B B E L.com acast rules and restrictions may apply Security program

[Vanta Ad Speaker]

on spreadsheets New regulations piling up an audit dread it's time for Vanta. Vanta automates security and compliance, brings evidence into one place and cuts audit prep by 82%. Less manual work, clearer visibility, faster deals, zero chaos. Call it compliance. Or call it compliance. Get it join the 15,000 companies using Vanta to prove trust. Go to vanta.com calm looking@phoenix, I think

[Sabrina Merchant]

there is reason to panic. I know a lot of people in and around the team will say you got to give us some time. All of these new faces need at least a month to figure out what's the new rotations, new schemes, all of that sort of thing. I look at a team that just cannot defend Monika Kolmikhani. Being back was this welcome breath of fresh air. And Nate Tibbetts has talked about how she was one of the best pick and roll defenders in the WNBA last year, but we can't rely on her to be the only one to fix our entire defense. I mean, I look at the box score on Wednesday and I think Mo was like a plus 10 in that game and they still lost by double digits. So yeah, maybe more. Monika Ko Makani is The key to just like settling them. Hello, everyone, and welcome to no off season. I'm Sabrina Merchant.

[Annie Costable]

And I'm Annie Costable.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And today on the show we have some contenders, but we also have some warning signs. And for a few teams, the word panic is already creeping in for this WNBA season. But is it real? Still early. But we're diving into the teams today who might already be hitting the panic button in 2026. But first, longtime listeners of the show know that my favorite time of the year is coming up. The WNBA Commissioners cup is back for its sixth year and tips off on Monday. If you're new to it, this is basically a mid season tournament where teams play certain regular season games that count as cup games against their conference rivals and then the best teams from each conference meet in the Commissioners Cup Final. But Annie, let's dive in a little bit deeper here. What exactly is the Commissioner's cup in the wnba?

[Annie Costable]

Well, you laid that out very succinctly. But to add to what you said, the Commissioner's cup is an in season tournament that was started in 2021 and the NBA has kind of, you know, adopted one of.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Totally copied it. Completely copied it. Yeah, totally copied.

[Annie Costable]

But we're not here to talk about them. So the WNBA Commissioner Cup, I think is honestly has added so much excitement to the wnba, each team and each conference. So the east and the west plays every other team in their conference at least once and the team atop the standings after this, you know, seven day stretch, which again, the games go from June 1st to June 17th, then meet in the Commissioner's cup championship. And so the other exciting kind of aspect of that is it's, you know, the point differential comes into play and in terms of deciding if they're being the tiebreaker. And so I think that's added to kind of some of the heat and some of the rivalry aspects of it because teams aren't holding back. Like that whole, oh, you don't run up the score on your opponent. It doesn't exist here. So it adds a little bit of fire to these games. And then the other thing that actually I want to note this year is that the west has seven games each. The east plays six games each because the west has eight teams in its conference, the east has seven. So just that one game difference, I'm like, I think that's kind of an interesting note.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I mean, we had that last year because there was seven teams in the west versus six teams in the east when Golden State got added. And unfortunately next year there's also going to be an uneven number of games because one more year until Cleveland joins an expansion and evens things out. But I have. I have ideas on how to make this a little bit better. I think they should just make three groups of five and then have a semifinal into a final, incidentally, kind of copying what the NBA does. But we're not there yet. We're still at this seven versus six thing. What I do like about the Commissioners cup is it tells, like, a very specific story about this time of the WNBA. Like these two weeks from June 1st to June 13th are when you're going to have all the Commissioners cup games. So we're only going to see conference games. Makes for easier travel. I think the schedules are a little bit weighted. Like, if you're, you know, Los Angeles and you're dealing with this Kelsey Plum injury, like, not a great time to be having Commissioners cup games, right? But if you're Portland and kind of on a run, right, like, maybe the end of the season, you'll, you know, do some tinkering and position yourself for the lottery. But for now, for these two weeks, like, things are looking good. It's a good time to be playing high profile games. So that's kind of what I love about it, is that it's this, this snapshot of how teams are performing in this time. And for the last few years, like, the Commissioners cup has told us a lot about who to expect as contenders for the rest of the season. Right. Like, you know, New York and Vegas met in the Commissioners Cup Final before they met in the finals. New York and Minnesota, same thing last year, you know, Indiana won the Commissioners Cup Final and it was sort of like, hey, we're. We're still pretty even without Caitlin Clark, and we see them making it all the way to the WNBA semifinals even without her over the course of that regular season. So I don't know, I just really like that there are extra stakes this time of year. Like you mentioned, the point differential gets things a little bit silly, you know, a little bit extra. And I do wish that the WNBA would have, like, a neutral site for the Commissioners Cup Final. I think it's a nice sort of tentpole event that they could build towards to like, everyone can buy their tickets to, like, come to, you know, Detroit or. I don't. I'm saying Detroit as if it's like this big, massive destination, but like a new expansion city, right?

[Annie Costable]

Yeah, that's what I was just going to say. I think it'd be because of the way that the league is expanding. There's now room to have these neutral sites of interest within the league. Like, you don't have to pop up at some random neutral site. It's like you have these opportunities to grow fan bases or re. Engage with fan bases, like in Detroit's case, that have already been there in markets that you're planning to go back to. Obviously, the money that's on the line, too, is of interest. Yeah. Half a million dollars is. Is what's up for grabs to be divided amongst the winning team and then. Yeah. So, I mean, this has been exciting the first few years of it.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah. I do wonder how much the money is going to factor into it this year. Because, you know, for so long, the prize money for the Commissioner's cup has been, like, exorbitant relative to what you make, you know, on a normal salary. But like, now it's salaries are kind of risen to the level where, like, it's not that big of a deal relative to the Commissioner's cup payout. So I hope that still incentivizes players to want to, you know, show up for the Commissioners cup because, like, I've heard team officials talk about the people are more excited to win the Commissioners cup than like, basically anything else that happens during a WMA season just because of the payout. And I hope it still holds a certain amount of weight because of the money. But as we know, like, salaries are up and people don't need the $500,000 paycheck divided among 12 as much as they did a year ago, but we'll see.

[Annie Costable]

Yeah, that's. That's an interesting point. But even again, I know we said we're not going to compare it to the NBA cup, but like, the players at the end of the roster, like, this still is a substantial bump for them. You know what I'm saying? It's like, of course, the supermax salary now is at over a million dollars, but. And the minimum at 270, like, getting to divide this $500,000amongst Saraska, like, that means a lot, I think, to the NBA. Yeah. And so I'm interested to see kind of the same way in the NBA, how like, some of the superstars have been like, oh, we wanted to get this done for our entire roster, to see them take home a check, if that's kind of going to be the mentality that's adopted in the wnba. And I certainly don't want to diminish the supermax salaries at a million dollars, but like, a chunk of 500k is. Is not.

[Sabrina Merchant]

It's nothing. $30,000 is not nothing, whether you're making 270 or a million dollars.

[Annie Costable]

Right, right, right. So it's definitely something.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And again, never, never pocket. But watching here, but, you know, just something to keep an eye on.

[Annie Costable]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Just one other thing I wanted to get into before we go to panic meter time. Interesting free agent signing happening this week. The Minnesota Lynx announced that they're going to be bringing in Tierra McCowan to fill in their 12th roster spot. They just waived Alicia Hamzova, who they brought back on a developmental player contract. But Tar McCowan's sort of this like, you know, super prodigious talent, like great size, great college career. Hasn't quite figured it out consistently in her WNBA career. What do you think of this addition for the Minnesota Lynx here as they get into Commissioners cup play?

[Annie Costable]

Yeah, I'm really intrigued by how she's going to fit with this team and what Cheryl has in mind for her and especially in Nafeesa Collier's absence. I mean, the Lynx are atop the league standings currently. They just beat the Atlanta Dream at the time of this recording. So my biggest curiosity is, like, what Cheryl has in mind for Tierra on this roster.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I mean, they've gotten so much success out of running that pick and roll with Olivia Miles and Natasha Howard. And for all of Tierra McCowan's gifts, she's way more of like a back to the basket post center. Not really a rolling type of center. That pace in the half court isn't something that she necessarily brings. But also like, this sort of just makes you think, like, how long is Dorca Juha is going to be out? Right? Like, how much center depth do they really need in Minnesota? Because we know we talked about this preseason, they could have easily turned into the tank. It doesn't seem like that's going to happen. Like, this is a linkstone that is winning. They're atop the standings right now, as we speak, the morning of Thursday, May 28th. But yeah, it does. It does make me think that, like, they're looking for some actual veteran post up in a way that they're not going to be getting from Nifee, Sakali or Dorka anytime soon. And then also just like, like you said, like what. What exactly is the fit here? Because McCowan has always been so much better offensively than defensively. And like, you don't play for Cheryl Reeve unless you can defend. Right. So I'm interested how that fits in. Like you know what that's going to look like?

[Annie Costable]

Maybe she's committed to the Cheryl Reeve defensive, like, overhaul. You know, it's like, maybe you go to Minnesota, you are signing up to be a defensive dog. I'm also really excited to see these post entry passes from Olivia Miles.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Like, totally.

[Annie Costable]

We are going to see some dimes.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Very much so. And I mean, to be fair, like, Tierra McCowan is replacing a rookie center who is 29 years old who, like, admittedly struggling to keep up with the speed of the WNBA and, you know, Mississippi. So. Ms. Hoff. I should say so. It's not like they're expecting a ton out of that position, but yeah, it is. I don't know. It's an interesting combination. I. I've always enjoyed watching Tierra McCowan. Like, she does a lot of things that are kind of like a throwback for WNBA players. Like, she's very much a early 2000s type of center versus a 2020 type of center, but it's nice to have some stylistic variety in the league.

[Annie Costable]

Absolutely. Couldn't agree more.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Oh, and then I should have asked this earlier, but do you have a prediction for who's going to win the Commissioners cup this year? Annie.

[Annie Costable]

Okay, who's going to be crowned Commissioner Cup Championship or champion? Excuse me. I think out of the east, it's going to be Indiana that comes out. And then out of the West, I want to say Dallas or the Lynx that comes out.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I was.

[Annie Costable]

I know everyone's going to say the Aces, but I just, I think, like, let's spice it up.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I was tempted to pick Golden State here, but their schedule is actually a little bit more challenging. They have to go to Minnesota and to Las Vegas, which.

[Annie Costable]

Not easy.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Not easy. Yeah. So I am inclined to actually just pick Vegas here because admittedly, they've been terrible at home to start the season. Lost both of their games to Phoenix and the Sparks. But just a little extra incentive, you know, I think is what Las Vegas needs to just turn the page here. And I just don't think they want to be the kind of team where, like, they have to flip the switch like they did last year just to get in, you know, good playoff positioning. So I'll probably say Vegas in the west and then on the East, I think. I think Indiana is a good bet. Yeah, Vegas, Indiana, that'd be a really fun.

[Annie Costable]

I also think Atlanta, I. I think Atlanta could easily be the team that comes out of the East. So my money, I know I originally said Indiana, but, yeah, Indiana or Atlanta.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, June 4th, Atlanta at Indiana. That could be very decisive for this Commissioner's cup championship that'll take place on July 3rd. Is that right?

[Annie Costable]

Huh?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah.

[Annie Costable]

I'm excited to see the game between the Liberty and the Toronto Tempo next Wednesday because that's like has the makings for a new rivalry with the Liberty's coach or championship winning coach Sandy Rondello over there and the Liberty still being in a position, which I know we're going to get into our panic takes shortly, but the Liberty still and like figure it out mode, that could be a really interesting game.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I mean, that seems like as good a time as any to transition into our panic meter. So stick around for the other side of the show. Amazon Health AI presents Painful Thoughts I. I can't stop scratching my downtown. Mm, yeah, but I'm not itching to go downtown and tell a receptionist I'm here to talk about my downtown. Some things you'd rather type than say out loud.

[Annie Costable]

There's no question too embarrassing for Amazon Health AI.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Chat your symptoms and get virtual care 24. 7 Healthcare just got less painful.

[Vanta Ad Speaker]

Security program on spreadsheets, New regulations piling up and audit dread. It's time for Vanta. Vanta automates security and compliance, brings evidence into one place and cuts audit prep by 82%. Less manual work, clearer visibility, faster deals, zero chaos. Call it compliance. Or call it compliance. Get it? Join the 15,000 companies using Vanta to prove trust. Go to vanta.com calm

[Jake Stauch]

I'm Jake Stauch, co founder and CEO of Cervel. We built Serval to automate the IT work that slows companies down. Onboarding password resets, accessed applications. My laptop stopped working. While employees wait for help, their real work is put on hold. It desperately wants to automate this work. And that's why they need Serval. You just tell Servil what you want to automate in plain English and it's built. No drag and drop workflows, no expensive consultants. Employees get unblocked and IT teams go from drowning in tickets to building what actually matters. With Cerval, it becomes the AI engine for powering the entire company. This is a new way to run it. We guarantee you'll automate 50% of all tickets and we'll prove it to you in a free four week pilot. Go to serval.comacast that's S E R V A L.comacast.

[Sabrina Merchant]

All right, like Annie said, we're going to be talking about teams that maybe had high expectations to start the season and haven't quite hit those expectations through the first six or seven games. This is our panic meter. We're going to be talking about teams that are kind of maybe sort of flirting with the panic button. When you look at them right now, they're not exactly where they were supposed to be. But again, it's still only May and we don't want to completely light up their hopes for the entire rest of the regular season. But let's start with the team in your neck of the woods. Annie, the New York Liberty, you mentioned them as a team that maybe is hitting the panic meter so far. What exactly is causing the Liberty to be in a panic situation, you know, at this part of the regular season?

[Annie Costable]

I know we're using the word panic, which I think is fair. When you have a team that has title expectations that got rid of their championship coach to hire, you know, a new guy that was brought into again, first time head coach. Right. First time head coach who was brought in to uphold that championship standard. You have arguably, you know, the best, one of the best rosters in the wnba. So we're using panic and I think that's fair, but they are not using panic. So I want to be clear here.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So no off season panic meter.

[Annie Costable]

This is a no offseason panic meter. And I think where they have some room and why it's not yet, you know, a panic mode or shouldn't be a panic mode for this team is they have not been at full strength. The reason why I hate this argument in defense of a team, especially one, again, that's as deep as the Liberty is every team's dealing with this. Every team's dealing with late additions, early season injuries. So the best teams are the ones that despite those things, piece together wins. And even if you're not piecing together wins, you're taking steps that are getting you closer to that winning standard that you're again in pursuit of. So for the Liberty, I think their win against the Phoenix Mercury was that step. There was a moment in the game where DeMarco called a timeout and just laid into the team and was like, I'm paraphrasing. But he said something along the lines of, and this came from multiple people, post game play defense. That was like a moment that shifted the entire game. He held them accountable in that way and they had not, I guess, had that accountability. And they went on a 23 to O run. And so it's like they needed that. They needed kind of a wake up call like that. Satu Sablee and Sabrina Ionescu still being out is, you know, I think, not concerning, but just what's going on exactly with Satu is something that is curious considering, you know, she sustained that concussion in Game three of the WNBA Finals last year with the Mercury and then has dealt with lingering effects in the postseason or in, excuse me, the off season. And then coming into this season has not been fully available with the Liberty. Her. She was out early with assist. She missed yesterday's game with an illness. She left early against the Portland Fire with an illness. And so not having her fully available is again, delaying what I think is possible. And so that's, yeah, that's, that's been a lot for them to navigate.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I think it's, it's good that you are saying that, like, these are just not excuses that a championship contender can, you know, bank on. Because, like, like we just mentioned earlier, the Minnesota Links are number one in the WNBA standings right now and they don't have Nafisa Collier. Right. When you're at the New York Liberty and you have had Brianna Stewart for all eight games, you have had Jonquil Jones available for all eight games. These are people who have won MVPs in the WNBA. You would expect a team of this talent level, even with the absences to Sabrina and Satu and Leo Feebich, like, this is a team that should not be tied for eighth place in the WNBA standings, even if that does mean they're like, you know, one and a half games behind the leader. Because, again, it's only May. So I think it is important to set that layer of context because, yeah, there are just higher expectations. And you think about how New York's season in 2025 went. Like, they had to deal with these injuries over the course of the year, and that led them into a situation where they opened the playoffs on the road and they had to play a decisive game in Phoenix. And like, you might want to believe that things would go differently if they got to play that first round, you know, with Game three in Barclays, as opposed to having to, you know, play a closeout game in Phoenix. So.

[Annie Costable]

Right.

[Sabrina Merchant]

All of this stuff matters, right. Like, just because, you know, they're. They've lost the season series for the Portland Fire, which I'm sure nobody had, you know, as one of their outcomes of the 2026 season heading into this year. Like, those wins and losses matter when the top of the WMA standings are probably going to be as tight as, like, you know, they are right now, like Vegas, Indiana, Atlanta, Golden State, Minnesota, like They're all going to be in this situation of trying to get home court advantage in the playoffs and New York has to, like, you know, collect wins when they can and they haven't been able to. To me, like, that 230 run was so interesting because, like, watching New York over the course of the first seven games of the season, up until that Phoenix game, their offense was like very hit or miss sometimes, right? Like, they couldn't score for long stretches against Portland. They had difficulty putting up points against the Valkyries. Like, and even though the offense looks really pretty when the ball is moving and Marines hitting her jumpers and like, there's ways that it all looks like, oh, this is why they brought Cristo Marco in. And there's also these stretches where they're just getting bogged down in the half court and like, things aren't happening. And then you see that 23 run and it's like, oh, maybe the key to their offense is the fact that, like, they just have not been forcing live ball turnovers. And you see that stretch against Phoenix where I think Phoenix committed five consecutive turnovers to end the third quarter. And you have this lineup for the Liberty where it was Jonquil Jones, Leo Fibich, I think Rebecca Gardner, Rebecca Allen and a mix of. I think Benijah was in for part of it and Stewie was in for part of it. That defensive potential is insane. Like, and they don't need a healthy Sagu or Sabrina even on the court to make lineups like that happen. Like Rebecca Gardner, one of the peskiest defenders at the point of attack, Rebecca Allen, Leo Febich, Stewie or Laney, like, whoever you're talking about in that 3, 4 position, that length is like obscene, right? Like, to have all of that defensive talent on the lineup at once. Like, I almost wonder if that's what New York should be leaning into most. More like, we saw so much of these, like, Marine and Pauline SDA lineups and like a lot of Honshu and like, yeah, there's a lot of scoring potential there. They can shoot the three really well. I kind of just want to see how ridiculous New York can get defensively before I get too worried about like their long term prospects. Because my goodness, like, that level of talent. I'm not sure I've seen a defensive lineup like that in some time on a WNBA court.

[Annie Costable]

Yeah, but that even adds to the fact of, like, why there shouldn't really be panic when talking about the Liberty because Leo just got back. And so to your point, it's like she does bring something defensively, like when she got back, Stewie put her hands together in prayer that Leo would be back in the lineup and available for last night's game. And so to your point, absolutely. Like that, that is going to, I think, be their, their secret sauce is how they play on defense as, as threatening as they are offensively. It's their defense that I think can, can take over games or help them take over games. But I mean, Leo said it herself, like they have to want to play that way for a full 40 minutes. Like that's, it's, it's not easy being that aggressive at the point of attack for 40 minutes. That's when they're going to need to rely on their depth to take, to get breaks to, to head to the bench for moments to kind of recoup, come back and, and be able to put that pressure on teams. And so again, even just building up to that level of conditioning as well takes a minute. So I think June's going to be a really interesting month for the Liberty in terms of determining how much panic really needs to be realistic. But there's another team that I want your opinion on, how much panic is deserved that's closer to your neck of the woods, and that is the Phoenix Mercury.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, it's interesting because when I saw Phoenix to start the season in Las Vegas, you know, we had this conversation before the year where we had some questions about Phoenix's roster and so many new pieces. How is this going to work? And I was like, well listen, Thomas is on this team, they're going to make the playoffs. I want to point my flag here. Like, I have no questions about this. And then they opened the year with this 33 point victory in Las Vegas. Just everything looks exactly as you would hope it would. Right? Like the defense is clicking. Alyssa Thomas is, you know, doing her playmaking mastery, setting the tone on defense. Yovana Nogic, like first WNBA game just splashing from everywhere. And then nothing has worked since then.

[No Off Season Podcast Host]

Right.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Like this team is now 14th in the WNBA standings. They're 2 and 6 at the time of this recording, I think, yeah, 2 and 6 before they play New York on Friday. And there, it's not like there are a lot of reinforcements coming in. Like we can talk about the Liberty and they're still reintegrating Leo, you know, they're still waiting on Sabrina and Satu to be healthy, which incidentally, I have some questions about how that's going to affect the defense, but for another time. And Phoenix doesn't really have that right. Like they have a lot of new pieces. So you can say that they're still working on developing the chemistry. Right. Like they've had a bunch of different starting lineups to start the year. Ivana Nogic was in for part of it. Then they tried Noemi Rochant. Duana Bonner has been removed from the starting lineup. They just welcomed Monika Koamakhani back to their team on Wednesday against Liberty. So yeah, maybe like we should be giving this team some more time just because there are all these new pieces. But like they played the fourth quarter essentially with a lineup of players who went to the finals last year with Phoenix and they still could not break through this double digit deficit against the New York Liberty. And that is.

[Annie Costable]

But you know who's very concerning, you know, you know who's missing, you know who's missing from that finals lineup?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, yeah, the unicorn.

[Annie Costable]

Right.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Missing from both lineups, incidentally, as you read about on the Athletic yesterday. But yeah, I. Looking at Phoenix, I think there is reason to panic. Like, I know a lot of people in and around the team will say like, you know, you got to give us some time. All of these new faces need at least a month to figure out what's, you know, the new rotations, new schemes, all of that sort of thing. I look at a team that just like cannot defend Monika Komakhani being back, like was this welcome breath of fresh air. And like Nate Tibbets has talked about how she was, you know, one of the best pick and roll defenders in the WNBA last year, but we can't rely on her to be the only one to fix our entire defense because, I mean, I look at the box score on Wednesday and I think Mo was like a plus 10 in that game and they still lost by double digits. So, yeah, maybe more. Monika Ko Makhani is the key to just like settling them. But the fact that like every guard that Phoenix has played this year is just like license to cook, you know, I think it's a real problem. Like Marie Johanna setting her career high in three pointers. I don't think that's an accident that it came against the Phoenix Mercury. This is a team that's just been hemorrhaging three pointers. Right. And it's just not the type of, you know, identity that you generally associate with Melissa Thomas team. Which is why I think there's real reason to panic here.

[Annie Costable]

Yeah, it's funny because I now feel comfortable giving my take that I gave in an earlier podcast That I was

[Sabrina Merchant]

like, oh, actually guys, I don't know

[Annie Costable]

if this is accurate, but one of my first podcast tapings we talked about the Phoenix Mercury and I was like, is this team gonna make the playoffs? And I brought this up last night with a couple people at the game. And to your point, it's, it's actually, I think a worthy debate at this point, especially because of the injuries and them not having what they expected maybe to have when they, when Nick Uren was putting this roster together. Like, this team just looks nothing like the one that we saw make it to the finals last year. And that's not even just because they're, they're missing Satu Sablee. The defense has been abysmal. And I think what's interesting is the dismissiveness that we kind of heard from Alyssa Thomas about where the league or where the team is currently at. You know, myself and Maddie Kenney were talking to her before the game on Wednesday and she was like, we know all you guys like to make this a storyline, but there's nothing to it. And this is your guys storyline. We don't worry about this stuff. And it's like, okay. Like, okay. But I think the lack of cohesion is something that other people addressed. Alyssa didn't talk about any lack of cohesion, but Kalia Kopper mentioned, like, this is what we need to work on right now is figuring out who we are and coming together and establishing kind of a standard and an identity. Nate Tibbets talked about that as well. Those that naturally takes time. So we can, we can acknowledge that that naturally takes time. But in terms of what they looked like in the finals last year and what we're seeing now, especially a team led by Alyssa Thomas, that warrants concern in my opinion.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah. And you know, I probably am over indexing a little bit too much on this Liberty game because it's the one you were just at. It's the one that like sort of inspired this two roads conversation between the Liberty and the Mercury. But you know, like they played the tempo and they had no answers for, let alone Brittany Sykes. Like they had no answers, no answers for Kiki Rice in that game. Right. Like they played the Sparks and the Sparks are reeling heading into that game. Right. Like one in three really bad losses at home to start their season and they go in and steal a win against Phoenix, putting up 60 points in the first half of that game. Like in a 20 minute half, you should not be allowing 60 points and a half. Like, that's just not the type of level that Phoenix is accustomed to. I mean, like their defensive rating is what, six and a half points at this point, worse than it was last season. They're like we mentioned earlier, they're giving up a ton of threes. Their size like last year it was okay. I think that they didn't have a traditional like center size player, even though Natasha Mack plays that position. Like she's a little bit shorter than most of this centers in the W. But they had so much perimeter size with Sassy with the three that it sort of allowed for this like reinforcement before you got to that last line of defense. And they just don't have that right now. Like they're not as big at every other position. Leah's shooting, I think 34% on about 14 attempts per game, which is just not good enough for your number one offensive option. Right?

[Annie Costable]

Yeah. And that's that I will say too was acknowledged. And players go through some like that's natural. So you kind of wonder, okay, if she figures that out, how, how does that change things for this team? But again, when that's your go to score, you don't have the production from SATU anymore. It creates a more glaring perspective in terms of how you fix some of this stuff.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Right. And I think that's where, you know, we kind of have to look at their off season because, you know, they're coming off a finals appearance. Right. Kind of a surprise finals appearance. Right. I don't think a lot of people pick them to beat even New York, let alone Minnesota and the semifinals to get to the finals. And yeah, they didn't acquit themselves all that well in the finals, but Vegas was just on a run and two of those games could have gone either way in game one or three. Right. And then we're talking about a different series, but they go into the offseason and they appear to come to this decision that the SATU Alyssa Thomas fit is not tenable going forward and that causes them to prioritize Alyssa Thomas. And then even though they had the option to core SATU Savile, they just let her go. Right. They let her walk in free agency, no assets acquired, you know, for coring her, which like, just for people who aren't as familiar with like the WNBA free agency mechanisms, if Phoenix had decided to core Satus Abili, then they could have traded her in a sign and trade to another team and gotten something back, you know, just for having her. And you think a team that like traded away a lot of pieces to bring Satus Abli to Phoenix in 2025 would want to recoup some of those assets. Like you think about Chicago, where they weren't going to bring Ariel Atkins back, but they cord her and then you're able to use that to trade for Rekia Jackson. Right. And that's a huge piece for your future even if Rekia is out for the season. So it was so strange to me that they, I guess like assessed the market and decided that they couldn't get anything of value for Satu, which seems strange to me because again, we're talking about their leading scorer a year ago.

[Annie Costable]

Yeah.

[Sabrina Merchant]

A player who like is called the unicorn for good reason. Like a former first team all WNBA player who was an all star last season. So they take this risk that they can find a better roster balance without Satu. And I don't think the risk is paying off right now. Right. Like that's a huge talent loss that they've tried to build back in pieces, you know, with Yovana Nogic or Noi Roshan or, you know, Valu AI. But like, none of those players are the type of singular talent that you're hoping to get from Satu. None of them can defend like Sato. I can tell you that right away like that. And I don't know, like, should we be questioning more of what they did during the offseason?

[Annie Costable]

Yeah, I think questioning, especially not coring Satu is like the biggest question, especially when you consider you just let her go for nothing. And I know there's strategy behind every decision and we obviously are not in these rooms and privy to every single detail that goes into this strategy. So my mind immediately wonders is like, was there a question as to whether or not they'd be able to move Satu at the, you know, core qualifying offer that it comes with of that supermax salary, would that have limited their ability to move her? And then if you don't move her, was it understood that this, you know, again, dynamic in Phoenix was not beneficial moving forward? And so, you know, you can't bring her back. But if you core her, does that limit in some way. Yeah. Your potential to actually move her? I don't know the answer to that, but it seems really hard to believe that you couldn't get something in return. And the other thing to note too is the core qualifying offer can be negotiated. It comes with that qualifying offer of a supermax contract, but it can be negotiated.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Right. So that's not give Ariel Atkins a supermax. They gave her significantly less than that.

[Annie Costable]

Yeah, right, exactly. And so that's where even that theory for me doesn't totally hold up either, because you're telling me something couldn't be negotiated with New York. You know, there was nothing that you could get in return for Coring satu. So I think it's a really interesting situation, and it's going to continue to be interesting because of what's going on with SATU now and how she left Phoenix. And we spoke with her yesterday and there were some new details as far as why she wanted to leave. And she herself said that part of it was about making a decision and being with a franchise where she felt protected. She didn't elaborate on what she meant by that, but that's a really bold statement to make. And again, the Mercury have always stood by how they've handled, or they, excuse me, handled, her concussion, everything that transpired following Game three. But between that And. And, you know, again, this sense that it was not a successful pairing between SATU and the Mercury, one that could not move forward, there's just. There's questions about why things were handled the way they were handled. And, I mean, I also wonder how

[Sabrina Merchant]

they came to that decision, that it wasn't a successful pairing. Like, they got to the Finals, I realized they weren't like the number one seed over the course of the regular season. But in year one of that experiment of pairing Satsu and Alyssa and Kalia Kopper, to have that level of playoff success to get better as the season went along, to me that would suggest, like, oh, we have the foundation of something here. We should continue to build on that foundation. Not like, oh, that was a bad idea. It didn't work out because we got swept in the Finals. That conclusion is strange to me considering every other team in the league other than Vegas would have killed to be in that position last year.

[Annie Costable]

Yeah, I think when you see this happen, from my experience covering other teams where there is an abrupt departure from a player, where it seems like there was potential to continue to your point, building versus now, all of a sudden you've got a player that is leaving prematurely. I think you gotta look at the dynamics within the team, naturally. And was everyone on the same page? How was everyone feeling in that locker room? Was there cohesion amongst, you know, their biggest stars? And I think while no one's really commenting on that and whether there was kind of a dividend within some of the Mercury's biggest stars, I think you can take a lot from what isn't said. And something that I found interesting from Alyssa Thomas was she Was asked if she was surprised by Satu's departure. And she kind of gave a non answer there and was like, everyone has a decision to make, and I'm just happy for her. And following up to that, I asked, well, what conversations were had amongst your guys unit, Kalia, at and Satu? And she was like, again, a non answer and said, well, without a cba, it's hard to have conversations. So we were talking about, you know, like, we weren't talking about. That is basically what she said. And to me, that says a lot because when you compare that to what happened in New York, Stewie, Jonquill and Sabrina, I talked to all three of them about their, you know, collective decision to re sign for multiple years. They had an understanding before free agency even began, like, there was an understanding they were all coming back. They didn't need to talk about it. In fact, like, that was something that stood out so much to me about how everything happened, transpired with New York is like, they had so much confidence in each other that we were all coming back. They didn't feel the need to bring it up again. But that is not how it was described. You know, that was not the assessment. Yeah. That Alyssa Thomas gave. And so, yeah, I think the divide maybe wasn't in how they played together, but how they actually felt playing together.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah. And that's why it's not always results driven, you know, analysts.

[Annie Costable]

Right.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Like, we have to think about all of the other things that go into the process. But again, reason why there is panic in Phoenix, because it's not as if they have this huge cavalry coming in to save the day. Whereas in New York, like, we've already seen a lineup that could work in that stretch against Phoenix, and we haven't even gotten to all of the potential other players who could still make an impact for this roster. I have. I'm not, like, completely sold on New York's prospects as a championship contender yet, just because I think it's a lot of effort to figure out how to work all of that together. Right. Like, you have a bunch of players who have been in really big roles on good teams before, and they're not all gonna have that same level of opportunity because of this depth of talent. And, yeah, everybody can say what they want about sacrificing for the good of the team and, like, doing what it takes to win. It is hard to sit there and, like, be on the bench while your team is having a great run and just be okay with it, knowing that, like, you could be contributing somewhere Else. And I'm not saying that, like, people can't sacrifice like that, that they can't have that level of humility and, you know, togetherness. It's just. It is harder. It is easier said than done is

[Annie Costable]

what I'm gonna say, 100%. And the messaging to all of us is gonna be, yeah, we're like, we're gonna set aside the me for the we or whatever. You know, the egos will be left at the door. But it's like, does that actually happen? And is an excellent point in terms of what's required for these deep rosters, is you have to have players that are willing to sacrifice for each other. And that can be the biggest hurdle when you have a stacked roster with talks of, you know, competing for a championship. The last thing I want to say about Phoenix, though, is they, in my opinion, are doing one of the best jobs in terms of evaluating international talent and going after international talent. And so we'll see what transpires this season in terms of, you know, whether this comes together. But I do think that is something that could, you know, could be a huge benefit to the Mercury in the future is the way that they've successfully evaluated international talent.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I agree. Also, a win for New York, that's a very international roster, and one of the reasons they've been able to accumulate all the depth that they have. But we've gone pretty deep onto these two teams. I'm just wondering, big picture, taking a look at the other 13 teams in WNBA standings, anyone else stand out as someone that we should potentially have? I don't know, maybe like, not the panic meter at 5, but like 1 or 2 at this point of the season.

[Annie Costable]

Two, I think the Chicago sky and the LA Sparks without Kelsey Plum, which. I know it's just an ankle sprain. I was told she had an mri and that was evaluated as just an ankle sprain, which is a positive. Without her, that team is just entirely.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I don't know what it looks like.

[Annie Costable]

Right, right. So, again, at this point, she's being evaluated in a week. So the assumption is she's only going to miss. What is it tomorrow or how many games do they play in this window?

[Sabrina Merchant]

It's three games, at least. Before the reevaluation. Yeah.

[Annie Costable]

Yeah.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So Washington, Connecticut, and then Commissioner's cup against Las Vegas.

[Annie Costable]

Right. So assuming she's out for that entire week and doesn't come back early, three games right there. That's. That's going to be tough for this team to produce without not only their Leading scorer, but just the motor behind everything that they do on offense. So definitely thinking about them when it comes to early panic. And then the Chicago Sky, I mean, they looked like a different team this year than. Than last year. They looked like a competitive team that was going to cause problems, but the second Rekia Jackson went down, it changed everything. And that's so unfortunate. Like some of these. Any injury, it's just so unfortunate to see. But obviously ACL injuries, it's just. Oh, it's like the worst. And so that just changes the dynamic of their entire team. And now with Gabriela Hawkez out too, with a knee injury, like, they do not look like a team that's got it together offensively. And Camila Cardoso's inconsistencies, like, yeah, I've got some early panic for them as well.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah. So what. What number on the scale are we putting the Sparks in the sky at? From one to five. How much should we panic? We panicking here.

[Annie Costable]

And five is the most, right?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I think five is the most. Yeah. Yeah, we're doing like the opposite of defcon here.

[Annie Costable]

For the Sky, I would put it at a 3.5. For Sparks, I would put it at a 2.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Interesting. I'd probably reverse those.

[Annie Costable]

I think the. I think the. But I think the thing with the sky is we know how quickly things can get out of hand. We've seen how quickly things can get out of hand.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Right. Because the Sparks are just a beacon of stability over the last five years.

[Annie Costable]

You know what? You know what? You're right. You're right. You have more insight into the instability within the spark. So I'm gonna let you talk there. But the sky, to me, it's like things can get out of hand quickly. And I think this is going to be the time to show whether or not these vets on this team really are ones that are going to keep the seas smooth. I know Elizabeth Williams is like, you know, excellent at doing so, but everybody else, it's like, what is. What is that roster going to do when they continue to face challenges?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, I was pretty impressed with their, you know, recent performances, even without Rekia, like, some losses, but, like, competitive losses, you know, And I thought Sidney Taylor looked amazing in that game against the Tempo, but, yeah, I just wonder, like, with their expectations, if the losses continue to pile on, how do you react? Like, do you make another panic move? You know, like, that's, I think, something that Chicago is well known for doing.

[Annie Costable]

Yeah. And that's the thing with the competitive losses for me, again, especially seeing what's happened with the Chicago sky over the years is you can't hang your hat on a competitive loss and if you don't at some point turn a competitive loss into a, a tight win like, then you're just stacking up and it swiftly gets out of control. So, um, yeah, I think I, I stand on 3.5.

[Sabrina Merchant]

The good thing is, is I don't think they can actually trade away any more first round picks because they've already given up the 2027 swap to Washington and the 2028 to Washington. So, you know. Yeah, hold on to that, sky fans. Oh man, I really hate to end on such a downer here, but such is the the stage for the panic meter. So, you know, next week we'll have more positive things to talk about before we head out. We're gonna tell you what we're watching for the weekend. A more more uplifting note to end the show on.

[Babbel Ad Speaker]

Par le tu francais Hablas Espanol Parliament if you've used Babbel, you would Babbel's conversation based technique teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world. With lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers, Babbel is like having a private tutor in your pocket. Start speaking with Babbel today. Get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription right now at babbel.com acast spelled B A B B E L.com acast rules and restrictions may apply.

[Taylor from Total Soccer Show]

Hey everybody, this is Taylor from the Total Soccer show and this episode is brought to you by Hotels.com the summer of soccer is right around the corner, and if you aren't using hotels.com to book the experience of a lifetime, it's worth asking why? As a member, you save up to 20% on hundreds of thousands of hotels around the world and earn rewards on every single stay. Which means the trips you're taking now help pay for the ones you're already dreaming about. So whether you're following your team across North America this summer or planning a well earned escape after being glued to football for weeks on end, make sure you book on hotels.com and start earning rewards. Because when it comes to hotels, it's all in the name. Hotels.com when you manage procurement for multiple

[Grainger Ad Speaker]

facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for Shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery. So you can keep your facility stocked, safe and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Sabrina Merchant]

All right, Annie, it is time to set our screens. What games are you going to be tuning into this weekend?

[Annie Costable]

I mean the one in person is the Liberty taken on the Phoenix Mercury again on Friday and then because again based in New York so I'll be able to clock that in person. We're recording this on. God, what day is it? Thursday. So this game will have already happened but the Indiana Fever against the Valkyries, I'm sure we're all watching that. But thinking ahead to the weekend, I would say the game that I'm not most excited about but reasonably excited about watching is the Storm in the Toronto Tempo.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I feel like we need to scale like a 1 to 5 scale of all of the the emotions you have watching these games too.

[Annie Costable]

I'm an emotional girl. I need a better way to describe my emotions than I'm just really excited. How excited are you, Annie? Okay. What about you, Sabrina?

[Sabrina Merchant]

Number one item on my list is going to be Aces Valkyries on Sunday. I just love Becky Hammond against her former proteges and at the beginning of last year's season, I think this was sort of the coming out party for the Valkyries when they played the Aces on national TV on this weekend matinee game. Absolutely blew them out and it was like, oh, maybe Golden State's kind of good. And the Aces have been on the losing end of all of their national TV games so far this season. So I would hope that they come out with a little bit more oomph in this particular matchup. Yeah, I don't know, I'll have to figure out a way to describe my emotional intensity for that game, but something to tune into for next next week. Set your screens.

[Annie Costable]

We're going to properly describe an emotion.

[Sabrina Merchant]

We're going to properly describe it. Yeah. All right. Until then, that is all we have for today. We'll be back next Tuesday with more WNBA and women's hoop stuff. If you haven't, please sign up for the Athletic Snow off season newsletter that drops every Annie and I write that we've been having a lot of fun with it and we've really enjoyed all of the feedback that has come our way. So please continue to read and subscribe to that and be sure to follow our show. If you're watching on YouTube, please subscribe. Tell your friends to check us out and while you're at it, give us a rating. Drop a comment. We read all of it. I promise. We love to hear from you. On behalf of the Athletic and Annie Costable, I am Sabrina Merchant. Thank you for listening and we will see you next time.

[No Off Season Podcast Host]

No Off Season is hosted by Xenia Katie with Chantelle Jennings, Sabrina Merchant, Blasia Clarendon and Annie Costable. It's produced by Tanika Burrell. Our executive producer is Andrea B. Scott. Monica Compton is our video editor. Our theme music is by Marcus Bagala. Shannon Ryan is managing editor of Women's Basketball at the Athletic. Be sure to like and subscribe. We drop new episodes every Tuesday, Thursday and.

[Babbel Ad Speaker]

Par le tu francais hablas espanol? Parl Italiano? If you've used Babbel, you would Babbel's conversation based technique teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world. With lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers, Babbel is like having a private tutor in your pocket. Start speaking with Babbel today. Get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription right now at babbel.com acast spelled B-A B-B-E-L.com acast rules and restrictions may

[Grainger Ad Speaker]

apply when you manage procurement for multiple facilities. Every order matters, but when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Granger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery so you can keep your facility stocked, safe and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Hi all, this is Kim and Penholderness from Laughline.

[CarGurus Ad Speaker]

Summer is here, which means it's officially

[Sabrina Merchant]

travel season, and when you're out there

[Grainger Ad Speaker]

making plans, you need some somewhere reliable to stay.

[CarGurus Ad Speaker]

That's why Best Western is such a

[Sabrina Merchant]

solid option this summer.

[Grainger Ad Speaker]

Get 1,000 bonus points and a chance to win 250,000 bonus points.

[CarGurus Ad Speaker]

So wherever you're headed, make it count. With this limited time offer, life's a trip.

[Grainger Ad Speaker]

Make the most of [e-mail] no additional

[CarGurus Ad Speaker]

purchase necessary for sweeps, see bonus points, T's and C's and sweeps rules for details and visit bestwestern.com for complete terms and conditions.