No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show

Episode: Will Unrivaled Reach New Heights In Year 2?

Date: January 6, 2026
Hosts: Zena Kaeda, Sabrina Merchant, Ben Pickman
Special Coverage: NCAA conference play, Unrivaled’s second season, and key stories in women’s basketball

Episode Overview

This episode marks the return of "No Offseason," jumping straight into the chaos and excitement of women’s basketball in early 2026. The hosts provide insights on major upsets in NCAA conference play and pivot to a comprehensive preview of Unrivaled’s second season—covering its expansions, roster moves, format tweaks, and the profound absence of co-founder and reigning MVP Nafisa Collier due to injury. The conversation balances player analysis, league structure developments, and the ongoing evolution of women’s pro basketball, interwoven with signature wit and deep fandom.

Key Topics & Discussion Highlights

1. NCAA Conference Play: Early Season Chaos

(02:20 – 14:02)

• Major Upsets & Parity Emerging:

  • Four previously-undefeated teams remain out of 12 after a shake-up.
  • Sabrina Merchant (03:26): “TCU really seemed like they had a lot of structural advantages against Utah ... and yet just one thing that stood out to me was how not deep TCU is.”
  • Utah’s perimeter shooting and TCU’s lack of depth spotlighted as deciding factors.

• Signature Win for Vanderbilt:

  • Vanderbilt took down LSU after LSU previously lost a buzzer-beater to Kentucky.
  • Ben Pickman (05:04): “Michaela Blakes, you know, is the star of the Commodore. She scores 32 in that win and that's against a very talented LSU team.”

• LSU’s Struggles & Tough Schedule Ahead:

  • Defensive inconsistencies and lack of preparation through a soft non-conference schedule noted.
  • Zena Kaeda (07:44): “Maybe they should have played some tougher competition to prepare them for the start of SEC conference play.”

• Iowa State & The Value of Losing Early:

  • Discussion on learning from losses, referencing Audi Crooks’ post-loss quote:
    “You don’t want to be a monster in January, you want to be a monster in March.” (10:33 – Zena Kaeda quoting Audi Crooks)

• Poll Volatility & Difficulty Ranking Teams:

  • Numerous blowouts, unpredictable losses, and incomparable resumes make for a turbulent top 25.
  • Sabrina Merchant (13:21): “With all that data, I mean, I still feel like I don’t know a lot about most of these teams...”

2. Unrivaled Year 2 Preview: Growth, Change, and Nafisa Collier’s Absence

(17:51 – 24:32)

• Nafisa Collier Injury Update:

  • Collier is out this season with double ankle surgery; recovery estimated at 4-6 months.
  • Ben Pickman (19:26): “She sprained her right ankle ... and continued to play ... Seemingly, there were issues with her right ankle that lingered and now she’s going to need surgery.”
  • Injury traces back to August’s record-setting Minnesota vs. Las Vegas game, compounded by further damage in the playoffs.

• Impact on Lunar Owls and the League:

  • Sabrina Merchant (22:44): “It’s an incredibly different roster. No more Courtney Williams, no more Shakira Austin—Temi Fagbenle is not carrying the scoring load Collier was.”
  • Collier might appear on broadcasts/social but leaves a star-power vacuum.

• Opportunity for New Stars & Depth:

  • Ben Pickman (24:32): “Anytime there’s an injury, it leaves an opening for somebody else ... to assume that role of ... the face of the league.”

3. Unrivaled’s Evolution: Format, Structure & Social Presence

(25:00 – 37:14)

• League Expansion & Player Development:

  • Expansion to eight teams (from six), 56-game regular season, a fourth weekly game night, and a tour stop outside Miami.
  • Addition of developmental “injury relief” player pool (notably: Haley Van Lith, Haley Jones, etc.) to ease the strain of back-to-backs.
  • Player-centric changes: dedicated trainers/development coaches (now one per team), expanded facilities.

• Social Media & Audience Engagement:

  • Sabrina Merchant (29:47): “The social experience ... had to have been the number one success story ... the branding for the teams, the fact that they already had a fan name...”
  • Unrivaled’s social strategy and "fan identity" garner major engagement but need to translate social attention into regular basketball viewership.

• Viewership & Business Growth Metrics:

  • ~220k average viewers on TNT/TruTV/Max last year, matching or exceeding NWSL and NHL regular season numbers.
  • TNT’s renewed investment and extra game night demonstrate network confidence.

4. Building Identities, Creating Rivalries & Navigating Competition

(37:14 – 43:55)

• Team Loyalty & NCAA Roots:

  • Dialogues on how to develop deeper team identities (e.g., Lunar Owls linking to Notre Dame fanbase).

• Competition from Project B and Overseas Options:

  • Discussion of Project B as rival league but Unrivaled’s U.S. base, branding, and college-to-pro funnel maintains appeal.
  • Zena Kaeda (38:32): “Basketball brands still are built in the United States ... Unrivaled very much continues to build on top of that.”

• CBA, Labor Tensions, and Offseason Solidarity:

  • Unique scenario—many W players and key union voices centralized at Unrivaled as CBA renegotiations loom.
  • Concerns about WNBA executives’ access if a work stoppage occurs; what intra-league solidarity or divisions might arise.

5. Roster Revamps, Team-by-Team Analysis & Player Highlights

(44:44 – 49:58)

• Roster Movement & Team Previews:

  • Lunar Owls’ loss of Collier and roster reshuffle leaves them outside the title favorites.

  • Breeze: Youth-filled, starring Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink, Dominique Malanga. Heavy Sparks flavor.
    Sabrina Merchant (45:19): “If you’re a Sparks fan ... a lot to like for the Breeze ... A lot of talent, even if it’s young.”

  • Mist: New look with Veronica Burton running point; Alicia Gray, Alanna Smith, Arike Ogunbowale, Brianna Stewart are central. Ben Pickman (46:46): “Alana Smith looks still as dominant defensively as she did during the WNBA season ... Mist looks solid.”

  • Rose: The “continuity” team with six returners including Chelsea Gray, Kalia Copper, Azura Stevens, and strong title defense prospects. Zena Kaeda (47:14): “The team with the most returners ... defending champs ... continuity could be very important.”

  • Vinyl: Features Ryan Howard, Dearica Hamby, Brittney Griner, Ray Burrell, with Courtney Williams in the guard mix.

  • Phantom: Stacked with Kelsey Plum, A’ja Boston, Natasha Cloud, Dana Evans—injury to Satou Sabally but Tiffany Hayes added. Ben Pickman (48:45): “Plum/Boston duo sounds scary ... Cloud’s defense ... that trio scares me.”

  • Hive: Ezzy Magbegor, Monique Billings, Lexie Brown, and others.

  • Laces: Defensive juggernaut with Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young, Brittney Sykes.

• Returning Themes:

  • Massive roster churn except on Rose; rookie influx; each team’s new “MO.”

6. Awards, Season Bets & Season Predictions

(52:58 – 61:11)

New for 2026: Free Throw Challenge (53:24)

• $50,000 prize for top FT% over five games (must play ≥3 games, ≥6 FTAs).

Panel Picks for Major Awards:

• MVP

  • Alicia Gray (Mist) – Zena, Ben
  • Chelsea Gray (Rose) – Sabrina

• Defensive Player of the Year

  • Alyssa Thomas (Laces) – Zena
  • Ezzy Magbegor (Hive) – Ben
  • Jackie Young (Laces) – Sabrina

• Free Throw Challenge

  • Paige Bueckers (Breeze) – Sabrina
  • Kelsey Mitchell (Phantom) – Ben
  • Veronica Burton (Mist) – Zena

• One-on-One Challenge

  • Rikeya Jackson – Zena
  • Arike Ogunbowale (Mist) – Sabrina
  • Kalia Copper (Rose) – Ben

• Title Picks

  • Rose – Sabrina (“I like the continuity. They won last year and historically I’ve not done well betting against Chelsea Gray.” 58:48)
  • Mist – Zena, Ben (“I am a prisoner of the moment and I like what I saw yesterday...” 59:33)

• Coach of the Year

  • Andrew Wade (Laces) – Sabrina

Panel discusses the cases, their logic, and gives shoutouts to notable individuals such as Veronica Burton’s FT% and the defensive grit of the Laces. Playful self-awareness about being “prisoners of the moment” after watching opening games.

Notable Quotes & Fun Moments

• “You don’t want to be a monster in January, you want to be a monster in March.”
  — Audi Crooks after Iowa State loss, via Zena Kaeda (10:33)

• “Rose would be the first ever back-to-back champion in Unrivaled’s second season.”
  — Zena Kaeda (59:01)

• “If we [the podcast hosts] were gonna play an Unrivaled-style 3 on 3 game, I do like our chances...”
  — Ben Pickman joking about the hosts’ basketball prowess (60:50)

• “Alex Bazzell told me he is proud...he used the word ecstatic when thinking about their TV media rights deal with TNT.”
  — Zena Kaeda on league’s growth and business partnerships (34:34)

• “The way the league works, they need to build more in the viewership side and the basketball part of it.”
  — Sabrina Merchant (29:47)

Timeline – Key Segments

• 02:20–14:02 – NCAA Conference Play chaos & early upsets
• 17:51–24:32 – Unrivaled Year 2 kickoff & Nafisa Collier’s injury
• 25:00–37:14 – Expansion, logistics, player pool, social presence, and business growth
• 37:14–43:55 – Team/brand development, competing leagues, CBA talks
• 44:44–49:58 – Roster breakdowns and team-by-team analysis
• 52:58–61:11 – Awards, free throw challenge, MVP/DPOTY picks, title favorites

Summary Takeaways

• NCAA Conference Play: Upset mania as few teams remain unbeaten; depth/defense issues in top programs scrutinized; Vanderbilt and Utah impress.
• Unrivaled Season 2: Expanded roster/team pool, real push on player welfare, brand identity, and a TV deal competing with established women’s leagues.
• Injury Impact: Nafisa Collier’s absence creates new dynamics for both Lunar Owls and overall league star-power; possible mid-season return to WNBA uncertain.
• Growth Areas: Social engagement outpaces pure basketball interest; league now seeking deeper fan connections and team/brand loyalty.
• Panel’s Picks: Rose, Mist, Laces considered title favorites; Alicia Gray and Chelsea Gray as MVP favorites; spotlight on both steady vets and dynamic newcomers.
• Ongoing Tensions: How NCAA roots, competing leagues, and imminent CBA negotiations intersect with Unrivaled’s trajectory.

Closing Thoughts

This episode captures the feverish new-year energy in women’s hoops—uncertainty, bold experiments, shifting stars, and the relentless drive of players and league-builders alike. Whether you’re tracking emerging NCAA juggernauts or watching Unrivaled’s innovative bid to fill the basketball calendar (and build a business), the No Offseason crew delivers nuanced discussion and entertaining banter that makes sense of a fast-evolving sport.