The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 1: Wemby’s Coming Out Party, Women’s Tourney Controversy
Date: March 24, 2026
Podcast: The Dan Patrick Show (iHeartPodcasts & Dan Patrick Podcast Network)
Hour 1 Summary

Episode Overview

This episode of The Dan Patrick Show centers on two major themes:

1. The meteoric rise of San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama ("Wemby") as a legitimate NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year candidate—termed here as Wemby’s “coming out party.”
2. The controversy swirling around the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, particularly complaints from Syracuse’s head coach about having to face UConn and the broader implications for competitive balance in women's college hoops.

Dan and the Danettes provide sharp commentary, insider stats, humor, and take listener calls, dissecting what Wemby means for the NBA’s present and future, while also weighing fairness and perception in women’s college basketball.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NBA MVP Race & Victor Wembanyama’s Ascent

(Main Discussion: 04:00–21:00)

• Wemby’s Impact and Numbers

  • Dan notes Wembanyama’s stat line from the previous night (26 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks).
  • Over the past three years, only 11 NBA games have included those numbers—Wemby accounts for six of them, with Anthony Davis being the only other player with more than one (08:00).
  • “He’s making a late run for MVP. Now, I’ve been a pretty staunch supporter of SGA, but you have to decide what your definition of value is.” – Dan (05:30)
  • On defense: “He is going to be the Defensive Player of the Year. So, at one end of the floor, he's the best player in the game, no doubt.” – Dan (06:50)

• Wemby’s Case for MVP (Clip Played)

  • [08:33] Victor Wembanyama:
    “My first one would be that defense is 50% of the game and that is undervalued so far in the MVP race because I believe I'm the most impactful player defensively in the league. Second argument would be we almost swept OKC in the season and we dominated him three times with the real team...My third argument would be that offense impact is not just sports...”
  • Dan highlights the maturity: “He’s just kind of matter of fact, pragmatic, just like, hey, should I be the MVP? Here’s why…” (09:10)

• Wemby Compared to NBA Greats

  • Dan compares Wemby’s defensive/offensive blend to historic and current players, declaring:
    • “He’s Kevin Durant plus seven inches. At the other end, he’s the best defensive player in the game.” (11:00)
  • Wemby’s offseason work with Jamal Crawford to improve his handle gets praise: “…a 7’5” guy wanted to improve his handle. And he has.” (10:15)

• Unique Value and Position in the League

  • Dan and the Danettes discuss the uniqueness of Wemby—a player who can defend everywhere, shoot threes, and attack the rim.
  • “You can't be like Wemby. Maybe Wembanyama changes your game because you have to play defense completely different on him, your offense, you can't take normal jumpers.” – Paulie (14:32)

• Playoff Implications and Rivalries

  • The burgeoning rivalry between Wemby’s Spurs and SGA’s Thunder is seen as must-watch TV, with Wemby apparently “hungry” to play OKC in the playoffs (18:41).
  • “You think he hated OKC before. He's going to go nuclear on OKC in the playoffs if he sees them.” – Marvin (18:41)

• Notable Stat/Quote

  • “This is truly, truly unique what we’re seeing. I thought Ralph Sampson could be like this…Sean Bradley…This is different. This is unique.” – Dan (13:19)
  • “Is he going to be the best player in the game? Yes.” – Dan (10:40)

Key Segment Timestamps:

• 04:00 – NBA odds and MVP conversation begins
• 08:33 – Wembanyama 'Should I be MVP?' Quote
• 13:07 – Historic perspective & Wemby’s uniqueness
• 16:51 – Defensive impact and comparison to Rudy Gobert

2. NCAA Women’s Tournament Controversy

(Main Discussion: 26:47–35:30)

• Syracuse Coach’s Complaints

  • Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack voices frustration over always having to travel to UConn:
    • [27:07] “For us to do what we've done, to continuously have to come to UConn and every single school that I go to from Buffalo, it's unfair to the young people...After being in this business for 37 years. And to have to come and be in this particular bracket every freaking year is unacceptable.”
  • Dan empathizes with her emotion but is blunt about UConn’s dominance:
    • “You got humiliated. It didn’t matter where you were playing. You got to be honest about that… Did you have your team prepared?” (27:55)

• Home Games and NCAA Strategy

  • Dan explains the rationale for women’s sites not being neutral, to maximize attendance and atmosphere (29:00).
  • “There is no other women's team in America that comes close to [UConn’s] fan base...Connecticut’s just different.” (30:32)

• Dominance and Competitive Gap

  • Yukon has defeated Syracuse by an average margin of 31 points across their last four matchups since 2016.
  • Discussion shifts to the talent gap in women’s hoops and how only a handful of teams (UConn, South Carolina, LSU, Texas, UCLA) contend each year (32:51).
  • “That's the kind of score you would see in high school...UConn is just in a different stratosphere here.” – Dan (30:32)

• Talent Distribution & NIL

  • Marv points out that elite recruits all go to just a handful of powerhouse programs:
    • “When there's 24 girls [McDonald’s All-Americans] and they're going to seven schools…You're not even spreading out the talent.” (33:05)
  • Dan notes the lack of NIL parity in women’s hoops.

• Humor Amid the Blowout

  • Paulie jokes about in-game sideline interviews when the halftime score was 65–12, bringing laughs amid the serious discussion (35:02).

Key Segment Timestamps:

• 26:47 – Women's tournament topic begins
• 27:07 – Felisha Legette-Jack (Syracuse) quote
• 30:08 – Discussion on tournament structure and blowout scores
• 33:05 – Talent pipeline & historic perspective

3. Listener Calls and Fun Segments

(35:42–40:00)

• Wemby Cares T-shirt Idea

  • Caller Jesse in Florida suggests a “Wemby Cares” T-shirt—a nod to Wemby playing hard and caring deeply about basketball. (35:42)

• Comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain

  • Danette suggests we’re seeing something as singular in Wemby as early NBA legends like Wilt Chamberlain (20:30).

• The "Unicorn" Factor

  • Comparison threads: Wemby in the NBA; Ohtani in MLB; speculation on NFL’s version of such a unicorn (36:18).

Key Quote:

• “I think you just created a nice new T shirt. It's gonna be simple. It's a black tee, silver script. Wemby Cares. Because I think he does care, and I would wear that proudly.” – Jesse in Florida (35:42)

4. Brief MLB Parallels: Mike Trout, Ohtani, and Stardom

(44:47–48:28)

• Fragility of Stardom
  • Dan recalls Mike Trout’s career trajectory after signing a $426M deal in 2019, comparing 'can’t miss' stardom potential with how quickly a player can fade from national conversations if their team loses or they get hurt.
  • Discussion sets up a recurring poll on “whose career would you want”: Ohtani, Wemby, or other (44:47).
  • “Mike Trout's first eight years…first ballot hall of Famer. Three MVPs…The last seven years, he's finished top five for MVP once.” – Paulie (46:29)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Dan on Wemby’s Personality and Media Treatment (LeBron Comparison):
  “If LeBron had said something like this, you know, the media would be crushing him. But [Wemby’s] 22, he’s stating his case. And he’s right.” (09:09)
• Paulie on UConn-Syracuse Blowout:
  “I was hoping, weirdly, because a little sadistic, that the. I think, as Holly Roe was doing the sideline, that on the way to the locker room, she would interview the Syracuse head coach.” (34:53)
• Marv on Defensive Disruption:
  “Is there a stat for shots altered? Because it's almost like Max Crosby with hurries. He might win defensive player of the year just off the shots that he alters, never mind the shots that he actually blocks.” (16:51)
• Callers reflect on Wemby as a once-in-a-generation type, and what that means for the NBA’s future.

Table of Key Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | Highlight | |-------------------------------------|-------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | NBA Odds & MVP Talk (Wemby Rising) | 04:00–13:00 | Dan breaks down MVP debate, Wemby’s stats, and uniqueness | | Wemby’s Own MVP Case | 08:33 | “Defense is 50% of the game and that is undervalued so far in the MVP race…” | | UConn–Syracuse Women’s Hoops Clash | 26:47–35:30 | Coach Legette-Jack’s post-game frustration; Dan & Danettes on talent disparity | | Callers: “Wemby Cares” & More | 35:42–37:43 | Listener engagement, Wemby T-shirts, unicorn storylines | | MLB: Trout & Ohtani Star Parallels | 44:47–48:28 | Examining how fast stardom and relevance can change in pro sports |

Summary

Dan Patrick and the team weave together sharp analysis, humor, compelling stats, and authentic basketball passion.

• They champion Victor Wembanyama as a generational NBA talent whose defensive impact and work ethic defy precedent—and whose humility sets him apart, even drawing comparison to LeBron's early scrutiny.
• The episode deftly handles the sensitive topic of NCAA tournament “fairness,” explaining the realities of powerhouse programs like UConn while not shying from the emotional impact on coaches and players from less dominant schools.
• Light moments mix with deep dives, from “Wemby Cares” shirt ideas to sharp analogies about the nature of stardom, creating an engaging and comprehensive look at the day’s sports issues.

For more analysis, tune in to Hour 2 for interviews with Clark Kellogg and Reggie Miller, extended college hoops insight, and—of course—continued Wemby hype.