The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

ALLEY OOP BONUS EPISODE: Paige Will Take Care of the Dallas Wings & Protect Griner at All Costs
Date: September 10, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz (with guests A and Trista Crick, “Big Dog”)

Episode Overview

This Alley Oop bonus episode dives deep into the current WNBA landscape as the playoffs approach. The hosts analyze struggling teams, highlight key players, dissect playoff matchups, discuss MVP candidates, and critique the WNBA’s scheduling decisions. Humor and chemistry abound as Trista and A riff candidly and passionately about the league's messiest franchises, rising stars, and the ongoing tug-of-war for viewers against the NFL.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

State of the WNBA: Franchises in Flux

• Dallas Wings' Struggles

  • Both hosts express strong doubts about the Wings’ current roster and their future prospects.
    • “I don’t got faith in the Dallas Wings. Hey, you talking about the Dallas Wings? Look, they better get it together too... they need a roster turnover as well soon because it’s a different day and age.” (A, 00:21)
  • Despite the hype about Paige, more organizational change is needed.

• Big Trades and Draft Picks

  • Chicago Sky’s trade with Minnesota Lynx to draft Kaylee Van Lith is critiqued for questionable value.
    • “Oh my God, bro, that's crazy.” (A, 01:14)
  • Emphasis on teams gambling on unproven talent.

• Connecticut Sun

  • Despite respect for individuals, neither host believes the Sun are genuine contenders.
    • “I also don’t have faith in Connecticut at all... it ain’t looking good to me.” (A, 01:26)

• WNBA’s “Messiest” Teams

  • Trista sums up her lack of belief: “Those three teams are the biggest messes in all of the WNBA. I don’t have faith in any of them.” (B, 02:04)

Players Who Are “Different”

• Paige versus Angel
  • Paige is painted as a leader who handles business quietly, calling her people behind the scenes. Angel, by contrast, is “one of those ones” who calls things out publicly and has no patience for dysfunction.
    • “Paige would be the one to call her folks at… WME... I'm gonna be preaching togetherness like Mr. Man Bun the head coaches. But here's what we're not gonna do.” (B, 02:04)
    • “Angel’s one of those ones. I respect the one of them ones. It's like, listen, I’m not dealing with this anymore.” (B, 02:55)

Team Deep-Dive: Washington Mystics

• A Sudden Collapse

  • Disappointing finish to the season, attributed to chronic poor starts and a lack of scoring.
    • “They just put out turd after turd, man... She don’t even wake up to the third quarter...” (A, 03:12)
  • Highlighting the Mystics' roster talent and cause for optimism as they rebuild and await a good draft pick.

• Injuries and Midseason Turmoil

  • “It's all the injuries. You’ve had a trade in the middle of the year with Brittany Sykes, who, let’s be honest, was one of their best scorers in the beginning of the season...” (B, 04:17)

Playoff Landscape and Contenders

• Momentum, Depth, and Championship Pedigree

  • Las Vegas Aces touted as the favorites:
    • “They’ve got the best player in all the WNBA in Asia Wilson... they've figured out their rotations. And Becky Hammond has sort of figured out life after her top assistants... Fourteen in a row is a lot.” (B, 05:34)
  • Minnesota Lynx respected for their franchise history, but not this particular roster.
    • “Minnesota has the championship pedigree too, just not this roster in particular... Since they got absolutely [trashed] last year in Game 5 of the Finals.” (B, 06:26)
  • New York Liberty’s struggles likened to “a plane falling apart mid-air.”
    • “The plane was together. Like they took off. And then pieces John Quell... the wing starts falling out... the engine falls out...” (B, 06:51)

• Scary First-Round Opponents

  • The Phoenix Mercury are highlighted as a “tough out” in the playoffs, especially if they have home court.
    • “If the Mercury have home court advantage, that's very, very tough.” (B, 07:28)
  • “I wish we could play them the first round. I talked myself into it... I feel like the Atlanta Dream can beat anybody in the world.” (A, 08:20)

Fan Loyalty and Team Bias

• Atlanta Dream Hype
  • A is comically biased for Atlanta’s chances, displaying the fan energy often found in the W:
    • “I feel like the Atlanta Dream can beat anybody in the world. That’s just… on everything I know and everything I love.” (A, 08:20)
  • Playful banter around Dream's confidence against legends like Cheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson.

Brittney Griner’s Resurgence

• “Not Washed”

  • Hosts insist Griner is still elite defensively and deserves respect after critics wrote her off.
    • “Everybody was saying she was cashed, cooked, washed. She was not. Yeah, she was. She wasn’t washed. She was plenty nasty, plenty dirty, plenty ready to defend the rim.” (B, 09:09)

• Protecting Griner Before Playoffs

  • Suggestion to sit Griner until the postseason to avoid injury.
    • “I think we should put her in a plastic bubble wrap until the playoffs. I mean, forget this last week, bro. We don’t need her.” (A, 09:26)

Scheduling Gripes: WNBA vs. NFL

• Criticism of Playoff Schedule

  • Frustration that WNBA playoffs begin overlapping with NFL Sundays.
    • “Don’t make me choose between my football team and watching my WNBA team today... I’m gonna choose to watch both.” (A, 11:55)
    • “We got red zone to compete with. What are we doing, bro?” (B, 12:37)

• Calls for Smarter Planning

  • Advocating for the WNBA to schedule games Friday, Monday, or Tuesday to avoid direct NFL competition.

MVP Race

• Asia Wilson's Lead Debated
  • While odds hint at Asia Wilson pulling ahead for MVP, Trista calls it “fugazi.”
    • “Or is that she hasn’t?” (B, 11:17)
    • “The odds say that she has, but I think that’s fugazi.” (B, 11:22)
    • “I think it’s fugazi.” (B, 11:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Dallas Wings and Paige (00:21–02:04):
  “Every time I turn on the TV, Paige’s page. Every time I go like, page doing page things. But... them girls, they need a roster turnover as well soon because it’s a different day and age.” (A, 00:21)

• On Paige’s Leadership Style (02:04):
  “Paige would be the one to call her folks at WME... I’m gonna be preaching togetherness... But here’s what we’re not gonna do.” (B, 02:04)

• On Washington Mystics’ Collapse (03:12):
  “They just put out turd after turd, man... She don’t even wake up to the third quarter.” (A, 03:12)

• On Griner’s Value (09:09):
  “She wasn’t washed. She was plenty... ready to defend the rim. She hasn’t been washed, folks, like not at all.” (B, 09:09)

• On WNBA Playoff Scheduling (11:55–12:37):
  “Don’t make me choose between my football team and watching my WNBA team today... We got red zone to compete with. What are we doing, bro?” (B, 12:37)

• MVP Race & “Fugazi” Odds (11:22):
  “The odds say that she has, but I think that’s fugazi.” (B, 11:22)

Key Timestamps

• 00:21–02:04: Dallas Wings’ woes & Paige’s leadership
• 03:12–05:24: Mystics’ collapse and injury woes
• 05:34–07:27: Playoff favorites: Aces, Lynx, Liberty
• 07:28–08:47: Playoff seeding fears and Atlanta Dream’s bravado
• 09:09–09:43: Griner’s comeback and the case for resting her
• 11:17–11:28: Asia Wilson’s MVP run debated as “fugazi”
• 11:41–12:40: WNBA scheduling vs. NFL and viewer experience

Closing Remarks

The episode is a lively, insight-packed ride through WNBA hot takes, player praise, and scheduling rants—peppered with camaraderie and fan bias. The hosts’ love of women’s basketball jumps through the mic, punctuated by quotable zingers and earnest pleas for the league to step up for its fans and players alike.

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