No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show

Episode: WNBA Coaching Carousel Shockers, CBA Future?
Release Date: October 24, 2024

In this comprehensive episode of "No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show," hosts Zena Keita, Chantel Jennings, Sabreena Merchant, and Ben Pickman delve into pivotal developments within the WNBA. The discussion spans the New York Liberty's championship parade, a significant wave of coaching changes across the league, and the impending negotiations surrounding the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Additionally, the hosts touch upon the expansion of the league with new 3x3 teams. Below is a detailed summary of the episode's key segments:

1. New York Liberty's Championship Parade

The episode opens with a vibrant recounting of the New York Liberty's first-ever WNBA championship parade, held at the iconic Canyon of Champions in New York City.

• Parade Details:
  Ben Pickman describes the parade route and atmosphere:

  “This parade was in the Canyon of Champions, starting down by Battery Park City, working its way up to City Hall... there were 10 floats in all today, and players scattered across them.”
  (Timestamp: [06:13])

• Notable Floats and Attendees:
  The hosts highlight branded floats, including Brianna Stewart on the "Stew York City" Puma float and Sabrina Unescu on a Nike float. Alicia Clark shares a personal anecdote about local fans:

  “My little niece and nephew go to the Battery Park City School... making signs for the New York Liberty... it's a great time.”
  (Timestamp: [07:12])

• Historical Acknowledgments:
  The parade paid homage to the franchise's history, featuring retired stars like Teresa Weatherspoon, Kim Hampton, Crystal Robinson, and Vicky Johnson. Ben Pickman emphasizes the significance:

  “They did a really cool job acknowledging their history in their past. So Teresa Weatherspoon was there... bridging history in the past to the present.”
  (Timestamp: [09:04])

2. WNBA Coaching Carousel: Recent Firings and Implications

A major focus of the episode is the recent spate of coaching firings within the WNBA, particularly among the league's lower-tier teams.

• Overview of Firings:
  Sabrina Merchant outlines the recent coaching changes:

  “Five coaches, two GMs, all of the lottery teams undergoing major shakeups.”
  (Timestamp: [15:58])
  The specific firings include:

  • Kurt Miller (Los Angeles Sparks)
  • Teresa Weatherspoon (Chicago Sky)
  • Tanisha Wright (Atlanta Dream)
  • Latricia Trammell (Dallas Wings)
  • Eric and Mike Tebow (Washington Mystics)

• Reasons Behind the Firings:
  Derek Gumike speculates on the motives:

  “More people are paying attention, more ownership groups are paying attention. There might be higher expectations.”
  (Timestamp: [18:04])
  Additionally, the hosts discuss the varying contexts of each team’s decisions, noting that each firing stems from unique organizational needs and performance metrics.

• Challenges in Hiring New Coaches:
  The panel debates the difficulty in sourcing qualified coaching talent:

  “Are they going to get filled by former WNBA players who are still coaching on WNB staff? Are they going to get filled by NBA coaches?”
  (Timestamp: [21:26])
  Alicia Clark adds insight into potential candidates and the limited pool of standout coaches:
  “Are they going to get filled by former WNBA players who are still coaching on WNB staff? Are they going to get filled by NBA coaches...”
  (Timestamp: [21:26])

• Bold Predictions:
  The hosts make speculative predictions about future coaching hires:

  • Ben Pickman: “I think Teresa Weatherspoon ends up on Becky Hammond's staff in Las Vegas.”
    (Timestamp: [30:28])
  • Alicia Clark: Suggests Stephanie White might take the Indiana Fever coaching job, a move that would mark a significant shift in the league.
    (Timestamp: [31:34])
  • Derek Gumike predicts Katie Smith becoming the head coach of the Dallas Wings.
    (Timestamp: [33:40])

3. Future of the WNBA CBA: Players Opt Out and Upcoming Negotiations

A critical segment of the episode addresses the players' decision to opt out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), setting the stage for new negotiations.

• Opt-Out Implications:
  Derek Gumike explains the technicalities:

  “The last CBA was signed in January 2020 and set to expire on October 31, 2025 if players opt out.”
  (Timestamp: [40:28])
  By opting out, the CBA will expire, initiating a renegotiation phase for the 2026 season.

• Negotiation Priorities:
  The hosts discuss potential focus areas for the new CBA:

  • Player Salaries:
    Alicia Clark highlights the push for a new economic model to enhance salary structures:

    “Player salary is a new economic model that ideally changes the way the salary cap works and allows players to again make more money...”
    (Timestamp: [42:28])

  • Retirement Benefits and Family Planning:
    Derek Gumike points out the need to revisit and improve existing benefits:

    “Players are really stressing that like the league and the WNBA can't afford to stand still... introducing an equity-based model...”
    (Timestamp: [44:25])
    The current CBA's requirement for players to have eight years of service to access certain benefits, like egg freezing, is seen as restrictive.

• Timeline for Negotiations:
  Ben Pickman clarifies the negotiation window:

  “They have 17 months to work out an agreement... Both sides appear willing to enter these talks with good faith.”
  (Timestamp: [50:25])
  Alicia Clark emphasizes the importance of timely negotiations to handle league business smoothly:
  “Just the longer this takes, the more league business gets crunched into a smaller amount of time...”
  (Timestamp: [52:12])

• Involvement of Various Stakeholders:
  Derek Gumike discusses the diverse composition of the negotiation committee, including economists, auditors, and sports business professors, ensuring a well-rounded approach to the new CBA.
  (Timestamp: [49:16])

4. Expansion of the WNBA: New 3x3 League Teams

The episode briefly touches upon the introduction of six new teams in the upcoming 3x3 league set to launch in January.

• Team Names and Branding:
  The hosts comment on the creative team names:
  • Ben Pickman: “The six clubs are going to be called the Laces, the Mist, the Rose, the Lunar Owls, the Phantom, and the Vinyl.”
    (Timestamp: [56:54])
    Alicia Clark shares her thoughts on the uniqueness:

  “Just feel like that's partial to any logos that actually have a basketball in them. So the Vinyl, the Lunar Owls, and the Laces are all instantly, you know, up on my list.”
  (Timestamp: [57:06])
  The panel expresses excitement and curiosity about how these teams will integrate into the broader WNBA ecosystem.

5. Conclusion and Future Topics

As the episode winds down, the hosts preview upcoming content and emphasize the continuity of their coverage into the college basketball season.

• Upcoming Episodes:
  Zena Keita announces a full debrief of the WNBA and a transition to college basketball content:

  “We got one more show. We're going to do a full debrief, postmortem, if you could say, of the WNBA... college fans, I promise you we're going to be getting to that.”
  (Timestamp: [57:49])

• Encouragement to Listen:
  The hosts encourage listeners to subscribe for ongoing coverage and to engage with topics of interest:

  “Keep listening, keep watching, keep learning and keep loving the game because that's the only way we're going to keep growing it.”
  (Timestamp: [62:05])

Notable Quotes

• Ben Pickman on the Parade:

  “This parade was in the Canyon of Champions, starting down by Battery Park City, working its way up to City Hall... there were 10 floats in all today, and players scattered across them.”
  (06:13)

• Alicia Clark on Player Benefits:

  “Player salary is a new economic model that ideally changes the way the salary cap works and allows players to again make more money from what the league is clearly doing.”
  (42:28)

• Ben Pickman on WNBA's Evolution:

  “The WNBA has arrived, folks. Now it's Caddy, now it's Messi... this new era just stepping up its grittiness.”
  (32:18)

• Derek Gumike on Negotiations:

  “Players are really stressing that like the league and the WNBA can't afford to stand still... introducing an equity-based model.”
  (44:25)

Key Takeaways

• New York Liberty's Triumph: The Liberty's first championship win was celebrated with a grand parade, marking a historic moment for the franchise and the league.

• Coaching Instability: A notable number of coaching changes across the WNBA indicate a league in flux, with teams striving for competitive edge amidst heightened expectations and scrutiny.

• CBA Negotiations: The players' decision to opt out of the current CBA paves the way for substantial negotiations aimed at improving salaries, benefits, and overall player welfare, reflective of the league's growth and increased financial backing.

• League Expansion: The introduction of new 3x3 teams showcases the WNBA's commitment to expanding its footprint and embracing diverse formats within basketball.

• Future Content: Listeners can anticipate detailed analyses of player movements, team strategies, and an extensive focus on the upcoming college basketball season in future episodes.

This episode offers an in-depth exploration of the current state and future direction of the WNBA, providing listeners with expert insights and thoughtful analysis on the evolving landscape of women’s basketball.