In the words of the immortal Frankie Vallie, '“Oh, What a Night”. But instead of late December back in 1963, it was mid-September in the WNBA. The first night of Game Two matchups in the opening round of the Playoffs brought us even more intrigue than we originally thought. Both the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm managed to keep their seasons alive as the third game, a pivotal elimination matchup, goes back to Atlanta and Las Vegas, respectively. Over on our YouTube page, we’re live every night of the playoffs. You can find last night’s video here or, if you want to listen to the recap in podcast form, you can listen to it above or on any podcast platform. Now, let’s get to previewing! Phoenix Mercury @ New York LibertyNYL Leads Series 1-08:00 PM ET, ESPNA Quick Overview:We got some good news on the injury front. While Breanna Stewart disclosed to media this morning that she has a sprained left MCL, she went through shootaround and feels capable of playing tonight. That’s huge news for New York, who rely on her to be a defensive anchor who can handle the likes of Satou Sabally on the wing while providing help on the interior. Before her injury took her off the floor, Stewie put up a solid 18-6-4 line on 7/14 shooting from the field. Phoenix lost the opportunity to retain homecourt and now have to entire what will likely be a raucous Barclays Center environment hoping to keep their season alive. While general rules of sports momentum would tell you that being on the road in this scenario makes winning extremely difficult, the Mercury don’t have much statistical drop-off when away from PHX Arena. If they want to prove they have championship bonafides, then this is the time to prove it. Make-or-Break Matchup:While some Mercury players struggled from the field in Game One, no one had a tougher night than Satou Sabally who finished with 9 points on 2/17 shooting and 1/10 from beyond the arc. Quite simply, you can’t put up that kind of line and expect your team to win. Remarkably, in spite of a really off night, the Mercury were one Alyssa Thomas layup from winning in regulation. Asking their MVP candidate to carry them in that way again will be hard unless she has some help from the supporting cast and Sabally is the singular player that can make-or-break the game. On the other hand, Phoenix caught a lucky break with a great defensive performance from their bench and an awful shooting night by the Liberty’s rotation players. I don’t think Emma Meesseman and Kennedy Burke will combine for 1/11 shooting again so something will have to give on either end of the floor. Players To Watch (Phoenix):Alyssa Thomas is the engine of this Phoenix team and this is going to come down to her. Yes, Sabally needs to shoot better and you need a bit more from rookie Monique Akoa Makani and bench sharpshooter Sami Whitcomb (both combine for 4/18 from the field and 3/8 from deep). But this Mercury squad goes as far as AT does considering she is the system. While her near-triple-double is impressive, I still need to see some more finishing around the rim even in substantial traffic. Some of it can be chalked up to officials not properly being able to assess her because of her physicality (she can play through *a lot* of contact) but some of it comes down to the 33 year old point forward. You don’t necessarily need the range and three levels of scoring to be an MVP candidate. But when you are asking everyone to respect your ability as a top player in the league, you gotta be more efficient inside 10 feet. 7/18 isn’t going to cut it if you want to advance against this team. Players To Watch (New York):While Stewie is likely to be attacked defensively due to her injury and potentially limited mobility, the person I am watching closely is Jonquel Jones. The 6’6 former league MVP went 3/7 from the field but grabbed 12 rebounds in the game one victory. She’s impressive and maddening at the same time because you know she has these 25 point, 12 board performances in her. It just comes down to game flow and how much she’s factoring into the offense that day. Natasha Cloud was in a flow state on Sunday (9/12 FG and 3/6 3PT) so she understandably got a ton of touches but I really believe that New York’s equalizer is Jones. A dominant home performance from her, especially considering Phoenix doesn’t have a lot of size to counter with, feel like it could propel the Liberty to a win and sweep of the Mercury in the opening round. Minnesota Lynx @ Golden State ValkyriesMIN Leads Series 1-010:00 PM ET, ESPNA Quick Overview:Minnesota rode a second quarter surge to a game one win in Minneapolis and now heads to some unusual territory: the SAP Center in San Jose, a replacement venue to adjust for some scheduling conflicts at the Chase Center. Considering the smashing success of Ballhalla this year, it feels like the move will actually help the Lynx, who may benefit from a semi-neutral venue. But Golden State is expected to come out swinging, echoing the passion of head coach Natalie Nakase who called out the officiating after the first matchup. While the final foul counts were pretty even, that second quarter saw the Lynx go to the line 11 times which disrupted the Valks defense, sent some players to the bench and allowed Minnesota to claw back into the game after being down seven at the end of the first. Will Nakase get the fair fight she asked for after the loss on Sunday? I guess we’ll find out. Make-or-Break Matchup:The Valkyries, even with the foul trouble in mind, had a tough shooting night. As a team they went 30/59 from the field and 9/31 from beyond the arc. They were outrebounded by Minnesota and their top players simply didn’t shoot the ball very well. It’s not necessarily surprising, given that’s what the Lynx have done to teams all season long but they’ll need a bit more from their key contributors while forcing their bench to defend Natisha Hiedeman a bit better. The Lynx’s rotational star went 7/15 from the field and finished with 18 points and a remarkable +32 in plus-minus. If the Valks are able to contain the Minnesota bench a bit better while improving their percentages, they have a shot to make this series a bit more interesting. The big question, to me, will be if they’re able to stay mentally engaged if they do run into foul trouble again. That kind of thing can take teams out of their game, as Nakase alluded to after game one. If they’re able to stay composed even through potential disruptions to their rhythm, then we may get a team something a bit more consistent. Players To Watch (Minnesota):Napheesa Collier is Minnesota’s constant and guarantees you a high floor pretty much any game she’s playing in. Which is why I think Courtney Williams is the player I’m most interested in watching this game. She finished with a good-but-not-great line in game one, scoring 11 points while adding 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals to her box score. But she is a much different player on the road. According to WNBA Stats, her shooting averages drop by 7% from the field and 9% from deep when away from the Target Center. With that said, she’s active in other ways, seeing no drop off in assists and an increase in activity on the boards. If they’re able to get her going while still getting strong production from Hiedeman off the bench, the Lynx will be who they’ve always been: a team of excellent players that just overwhelm you with numbers and talent. Players To Watch (Golden State):Veronica Burton gets her chance to cement herself as a potential all-star caliber talent tonight. She had a poor shooting performance in game one, going 3/13 from the field and 3/9 from three and the hope is that she’ll be able to pick up those percentages a bit. Her ball security (7 turnovers in game one) also has to be substantially better. The SAP Center is going to be different than Chase so while it’ll be a home crowd it won’t be a home hoop. Personally, I’m interested in seeing how Golden State shoots in general knowing that playing in San Jose isn’t the same as being in their normal arena. Beyond their point guard, Temi Fagbenle and Janelle Salaun are being asked to do a lot in this matchup against an elite Minnesota frontcourt. While you can only hope to contain Collier, I thought they did a good job limiting Alanna Smith and Bridget Carlton. The challenge is being able to anchor the pain enough that the Lynx’s guards don’t have a field day driving to the hoop. No Cap Space WBB is a reader-supported publication. 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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, the world appears to be falling apart at the seams but we have the WNBA playoffs and I guess that’s the bread and circuses we all need in our lives, right? All kidding aside, I’ve thought a lot about the state of the world, what we do here at No Cap Space and the idea of sports as distraction while everything around us feels like it’s burning down in some form or fashion. On some level, there is merit to the idea that games placate us and create environments that inoculate us to the very real problems that exist in the world. But, on another, it allows us to remember the things that give life meaning. Whether or not we feel this way all the time or not, sports allows us to the ability to feel during a time when nihilism feels like the emotion du jour. Nothing matters and everything does at the same time. I spent last Wednesday covering the Evergreen High School shooting in Colorado for CBS News here in Denver. I’ve covered all of the 2020 summer civil unrest in Oregon, wildfires in four different states in the last five years and the truly awful terrorist attack that took place in Boulder a couple months ago. All of that paled in comparison to a singular moment that I saw that is seared into my brain forever: a mother hugging her high school aged daughter after not seeing her all day. As her mother wept on her shoulder, the daughter looked completely disassociated and in a state of shock at what her life now was. All day, you sit and wait for your live shot and wonder ‘Is this really the country we want to live in? Where parents and students know that this type of event can be an eventuality regardless of where they live?’ It was a hard day, to say the least. Working in general assignment news desensitizes you to a lot, to the point that the gallows humor you employ to make it through your day can become foreign even to yourself. But the joy of what sports gives us is a reminder that there is still a space to feel. It’s okay to protect oneself from the horror that we see unfold every day while allowing yourself, every now and then, to indulge in the kinds of things that give life meaning. Namely, the feelings of joy, shock, sadness and awe without the sheer weight of the world attached to them. So yes, while sports is a little meaningless in the grander scheme of things, it also means everything for us in this current moment. It’s a place where we can feel authentically without many strings attached. The games end and we go on with our lives. But we had the moment to feel. And right now, that moment, that freedom to feel, means everything. Now, to the column… 1. Day One Playoff TakeawaysInstead of a big paragraph about the first day of the WNBA playoffs, let’s run you through each matchup and a couple big conclusions we can draw through one game… New York vs. Phoenix - The entire complexion of this series, as well as New York’s hopes to repeat as WNBA champions, hinges on what exactly the status of Breanna Stewart’s injury is. The New York superstar went down with a non-contact left knee injury with about three minutes left in overtime and we’re waiting on a prognosis. Clearly, her absence would change the calculus of the postseason. On Phoenix’s end, you simply can’t have Satou Sabally shoot 2/17 and 1/10 from 3. But in addition to her, Alyssa Thomas can’t smoke game winning layups. As dominant as she is, this is always the knock on her as a true MVP candidate. You can get away with not having a perimeter shot but if you’re going to operate mostly within 10 feet then you have to be more efficient than 7/18. Minnesota vs. Golden State - Simply put, the Lynx look ready. This was a team effort across the board as five Minnesota players finished in double digits, led by Napheesa Collier’s 20. Natalie Nakase had a lot to say about the officiating in this one and I get it to a point. A game needs to be called consistently and if you’re letting physicality slide in the first quarter then you can’t start tightening up in the ensuing quarters. At the same time, the Lynx shot three less free throws than the Valkyries so it wasn’t a case of lopsided opportunity for Minnesota. What this game really came down to was the Lynx swinging the ball well (25 team assists), shooting efficiently (51.5% FG) and looking like the title team we’ve expected them to be from day one. Indiana vs. Atlanta - This was another one where the foul discussion overtook what actually happened in this game. And the thing that people didn’t notice as much was that Bri Jones was given the assignment to defend Aliyah Boston and it paid dividends for the Dream. Boston went just 3/9 from the field and Indiana shot 2/15 from 3 as a team. That isn’t going to win you any games no matter how messy the fouls are on either end. I can understand coaches being frustrated about bad calls and how it disrupts the rhythm and momentum of a matchup. But the fact of the matter is you’re going to lose when you shoot 13.3% from beyond the arc no matter what happens. I expect Gainbridge to be rocking and would be a little stunned if this didn’t go back to ATL for a Game 3. Las Vegas vs. Seattle - The title series sure feels like Vegas vs. Minnesota at this point. The Aces are as dominant as they’ve been at any point since this run really got started in 2022. Now they got some help courtesy of the Storm chucking up some absolute garbage, especially in the first quarter, but the way this Vegas team has rallied around each other is remarkable. NaLyssa Smith has been exactly what A’ja Wilson has needed and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus returned after giving birth to a whole child and going 3/3 from the field. One thing we don’t talk about in this league enough is how utterly remarkable that is. If you get combined 10/20 shooting performances from Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans off the bench, the Aces are going to be really hard to beat this postseason. It may be presumptuous but it sure feels like we’re going to get the Minnesota - Las Vegas title fight we’ve been asking for since the Aces winning streak started in earnest. 2. Jeff Pagliocca Is Realizing The Motion Is Not Sold Separately… Tyler hit the nail on the head when we spoke last weekend about Angel Reese and the evolving situation with the Chicago Sky… The currency is different in the WNBA. Because, frankly, motion in the WNBA is the biggest currency of all right now. And Angel Reese has the motion to go up against everybody right now and to that point. Take a bow, my friend. The chants in Wintrust Arena weren’t deafening by any means but they were loud enough to send the message to the Chicago Sky organization and anybody watching: this is Angel Reese’s team and that’s who the fanbase is here for. Maybe that’s why Courtney Vandersloot looked so surprised on the bench and why Jeff Pagliocca is suddenly so willing to work with Angel publicly. Whether or not the message came down from owners Michael Alter or Nadia Rawlinson is irrelevant. Even if they wanted to back Pagliocca and his way of doing things, the fans have spoken. In fact, they’ve yelled and chanted it over and over. Pags can say that he speaks to Angel every day and that this chapter of what’s been a messy year in the Windy City has closed. But even he knows that his authority is as brittle as a crystal wine glass. It is worth noting that in one of his last interviews of the regular season, Pagliocca still asserted that Courtney Vandersloot will return, that he has the ear and respect from ownership and that Tyler Marsh is the guy for the job. I have no doubt that Marsh is probably safe, given the mess this year was. But Vandersloot and Pagliocca’s continued insistence that this can work with Reese while they’re there feels like the power struggle isn’t done yet. It takes an awful lot of confidence to feel like you’ve got the leverage in a situation where tens of thousands of fans are chanting for you to be fired but since you’ve already burned the bridge by arbitrarily suspending Reese for one half, leading to her not playing for the rest of the year, but that’s sort of in line with how the Sky’s General Manager has conducted himself this year. This offseason, provided there is no work stoppage (which isn’t a guarantee, mind you), will be a huge one for Chicago. If they aren’t able to get serious free agents to play alongside Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, I don’t know how you can salvage this moving forward. Pagliocca seems committed to doing so, as long as he’s the man with the final say. But he may come to learn that his word may not travel as far as he thinks when it’s being drowned out by the voices of a bunch of pissed off Chicagoans who are tired of their WNBA franchise being run like Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Stand. 3. Thanks for Reading No Cap Space, Cathy Engelbert…It’s a glib headline, yes. I don’t actually think that Cathy Engelbert is a regular NCS reader (although we do have some important people that are, and we very much appreciate your patronage!). In an interview with Khristina Williams on her podcast, In Case You Missed It, the WNBA commissioner had this to say about the Connecticut Sun and their potential sale and/or relocation. A lot’s been written about what’s going on. I wouldn’t believe everything you read in this case. We want the best success for the Mohegan, for the Connecticut Sun and for the team. They’re still looking at their strategic options and what they want to do and we’ve been in touch with them periodically. The fake news angle really is timeless, isn’t it? What’s remarkable is that Engelbert immediately gives up the game just a couple sentences later. You need a process because it would be chaos if you let anybody move to anywhere they wanted to go. In the most Regina George voice possible, so you’re saying you are influencing the Mohegan’s selling process… Mind you, this isn’t the Mohegan Tribe asking the WNBA to let them sell the team to an ownership group that will relocate the
Welcome to Ball Up Top, a weekly podcast from No Cap Space WBB. Every Wednesday, you can find a show in your emails or social feeds that touches on all the trending topics in women’s basketball. The crew will rotate based on availability, whether it’s Tyler, Andrew, Chauny, Greer or Rashard.The WNBA regular season is coming to a close which means the award campaigns are in full swing. How do we think the teams are doing? Plus who has the best case for Coach of the Year and to make All-WNBA appearances?If you love the show, we’d love and appreciate a five star rating on Apple podcasts as well as a kind review if you’ve got the time! We’re also on the road to 5,000 subscribers on YouTube and 2,000 followers on TikTok so if you enjoy our content here, tell a friend to tell a friend to follow us on their preferred platform!Scroll Ahead to Hear…0:00 Intro2:35 Team Award Campaigns43:31 Coach of the Year56:29 All-WNBA TeamsBall Up Top: A WBB Podcast is brought to you in part by Homefield. Just this past week they revealed the full Can’t Miss Kickoff release schedule with hundreds of new football themed products to get you ready for the fall! Want some women’s hoops merch instead? Check out our No Cap Space WBB collection, a curated page of all of Homefield’s best WBB shirts, jackets, jerseys and more!Our intro music is made by Denver’s own DLZMKSBTS, the King of Mile Hi-Fi. Check out all his music on Spotify here and on Instagram here.No Cap Space WBB is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
What a week, huh…For those that are just finding us at No Cap Space through yesterday’s column on Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky (which you can read here in case you missed it), welcome! We’re a collective of five journalists, each with our own backgrounds in local TV/newspapers/digital, covering women’s basketball the way we feel it ought to be covered. Whether you’re just joining us or you’ve been a Ball-Knower for a while, we’re glad to have you in our community all the same.If you missed any of our Sunday wrap show on YouTube, you can access it at this link or listen to it in podcast form above.Five Out is a weekly column that runs every Monday here, touching on five big things that caught my attention in the last seven days. It can be things on, off or around the floor. And this past week, there was plenty of action everywhere to make a nice, meaty Monday column.Let’s get to it…1. Indiana Has Somehow Built A Culture With Caitlin Clark On The Bench.Despite winning a WNBA championship in 2012 and pushing a legendary Minnesota Lynx to a Game 5 in 2015, the Indiana Fever have been in the wilderness for the better part of a decade. Draft picks didn’t pan out, coaches didn’t work and there just seemed to be a collective shrug by everyone in the league that “yeah, I guess Indiana kind of stinks now.”Kelsey Mitchell stuck it out through the worst of this era while Aliyah Boston joined up in 2023 after being drafted first overall. The expectation in 2024 was that Caitlin Clark would take this team to the playoffs and she did. But there was still a lingering question among longtime WNBA media about whether or not the Fever remembered how to win as an organization.Given everything they faced this year, on and off the floor, I think it’s fair to say that that dormant institutional knowledge came back to the forefront this year and has powered an improbable playoff run while their superstar has nursed one of the trickiest injuries in sports. Indiana managed to stay afloat amid turmoil, turnover and trades and have clearly built a culture that is sustainable with or without Caitlin Clark on the floor. They managed to navigate the disaster that was the DeWanna Bonner signing and exit, kept their heads afloat as guard after guard went down with injury and relied on their stars — Mitchell and Boston — to live up to their draft status and prove they could establish a playoff floor without Clark in the mix. The fact that they accomplished that should make any Fever fan optimistic about the future when their star guard comes back fully healthy.There were plenty of times this year where the team could’ve fractured, packed it in or started to look towards the paycheck that the 2026 offseason promises. Instead, Stephanie White managed to keep the core together, Clark remained an active participant from the bench and the team coalesced around each other in a way that indicates they are built to last. If you’re a fan of Clark and are invested in her success, this is the best case scenario. Not only is it clear that she has a playoff team around her, it also indicates the organization is built and prepared to do what they need to do to maximize her window. That’s all you can really ask for from any organization. Some do, some don’t. But we all see the difference when it’s done right versus when it’s not.2. Balhalla Is A Story of Success In Sports and Finding Joy In ResilienceIs there a better sports story this summer than Balhalla? The Golden State Valkyries, an expansion team with no superstars to speak of, operating on heart and guided by a Coach of the Year contender, have captured the hearts of WNBA everywhere. You couldn’t write a script more heartwarming than this. There’s Natalie Nakase, finally getting her first opportunity to run a team as one of the first Asian-American head coaches in the league’s history in a region with a deep and proud AAPI heritage. There’s journeywomen like Veronica Burton who have proven themselves to be legitimate starters in this league. There’s also international youngsters like Carla Leite and Iliana Rupert who are displaying just how global the game is becoming. And then you have Ballhalla.Hail, Balhalla.From the very beginning, Golden State’s management made a concerted effort to strike out on their own. It would’ve been extremely easy to try and lean into their connection to the Warriors and try to peel off the NBA fanbase that already exists in the Bay. Instead, the Valkyries let their own fans lead the way. San Francisco’s vibrant and historically significant LGBTQ+ population have been a driving force in building ‘Balhalla’ into an inclusive, fun, lighthearted and generally great fanbase. Everyone on the ground says that the atmosphere of Valks games is very different relative to the Warriors, and that may be a good thing. Our buddy maya goldberg-safir over at the wonderful rough notes had it pegged early on, writing the following about Balhalla back in June…I can’t wait to better understand how these ‘vibes’ turn into memories, into traditions, into lore. Who will be our Heroes and Villains? Will whimsical fans start to stack rocks at select points along the route to Chase, like warriors marking the trail through Bay Area traffic? What love stories will unfold on the super gay Valkyries ferry? How far will our enthusiasm take us, and will fans ever chafe at the business decisions of this corporate league, betrayed to find it’s not actually the Bay Area’s latest grassroots community collective?Chef’s Kiss.Three months since that travelogue was published, Balhalla has already started to answer these questions. Sports, and the business alongside it, is all done in the shadow of capitalism. Just ask Liberty fans. But ultimately, we as fans find love in the small things. In the escape, the adrenaline of a buzzer beater or the anxiety of a final possession. It’s what makes us feel alive amid the unrelenting nihilism that permeates our current moment. As Dan Savage once wrote, it’s the dance that keeps you in the fight because it’s the dance you’re fighting for.Golden State’s story is one of business and sporting success, sure. But it’s also a wonderful story about the cultivation of a fanbase — be they LGBTQ+, a Person of Color, or a mix of both — that dances all night amid unrelenting attacks on many of their personhoods. In every way, they’re worth rooting for, and I plan on doing that this postseason. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone that isn’t.3. A’ja Wilson Is Having A Legacy Moment.A’ja Wilson wanted that game against Minnesota. You don’t need to be an insider to know that. Becky Hammon came into the pregame press conference feeling loose and ready to engage with the press in the way that I personally really enjoy.In her pregame press conference last Thursday, I asked her how she balances the idea of wanting to win this game while also knowing A’ja’s MVP case can be bolstered by a good individual game.“Are you a voter?”, she asked me.“I am not, which is why I have no skin in this and can ask you right now,” I quipped back.What came next was a Becky Hammon special, in which she referenced Wilson playing hotter than a Wingstop frying pan, praising the chain’s fries and ranch while dropping this gem of a quote.“I think at the beginning of every year, every voter starts with ‘who is better than A’ja Wilson?’”, she said.It’s a good question, one worth a legit discussion up until about two days ago. The tricky thing about this year’s MVP race is that Napheesa Collier hasn’t necessarily done anything to lose the award. She’s been consistent and on top of her game in every matchup she plays in. When Phee is off the floor, the Lynx are still a top four unit but with her, they’re a finals team that borders on a different level of greatness. There’s just one problem.When A’ja Wilson is on and her team is clicking, the Aces are the same kind of team.You can argue there’s a recency bias in what A’ja is doing but a 14 game sample in which the Aces haven’t lost a single game is a little bit more than making a snap judgement based on one individual matchup at the end of the year. Was it a symbolic statement to the world that Vegas dominated Minnesota in T-Mobile Arena with Wilson completely taking over the game to the tune of 31 points and 8 rebounds? Sure. But to try and water it down to recency bias over one game discounts the run Wilson has been on since the All-Star break.In the 19 games since the league returned to play, Wilson has averaged 24.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.1 blocks per game on 52% shooting from the field.Not bad, right?And even with Wilson’s performance in June, a below-average-by-her-standards month in which she averaged 20.4 points and 9.1 rebounds on 40.6% shooting, you can probably throw that out alongside the games Collier missed due to injury. If that’s an equalizer, then who would you say has been better this season across the sample?I understand that there may be some degree of fatigue, a desire to see Collier finally get her recognition and moment for the player that she’s become. But we can’t let the need for sharing the spotlight obfuscate the obvious fact: A’ja Wilson is in the midst of the type of moment that creates all-time legacies. This is an MVP run, a 14 game win streak that has completely turned around the fortunes of the Aces as a franchise. They looked dead in June, a formerly great team that won a pair of championships before age and the rest of the league caught up. Instead of going quietly into that night, Wilson pulled her team together, started to play at a level we simply don’t see often (if ever) in the WNBA and now Las Vegas looks like they could be a contender to win title number three.That’s greatness. The kind of greatness that we tell our kids about when we’re old. It would be malpractice to watch it pass by in the moment and not understand its significance. Might it result in Wilson’s fourth MVP, a feat never accom
Welcome to Ball Up Top, a weekly podcast from No Cap Space WBB. Every Tuesday morning, you can find a show in your emails or social feeds that touches on all the trending topics in women’s basketball. The crew will rotate based on availability, whether it’s Tyler, Andrew, Chauny, Greer or Rashard.With the WNBA regular season wrapping up in just eight days, Chauny and Greer take over the podcast to break down the scenarios and worst possible matchups for the top seeded teams. Who should be worried about whom and what series combinations could give us the most chaos? Our duo takes a look at all of them and what it means for each team. The pod also touches the competitive advantages of some of the inconsistent late season scheduling by the league, the Dallas Wings deciding to try and push Arike Ogunbowale for First-Team All-WNBA and how real the Phoenix Mercury are as they head into the postseason. If you love the show, we’d love and appreciate a five star rating on Apple podcasts as well as a kind review if you’ve got the time! We’re also on the road to 5,000 subscribers on YouTube and 2,000 followers on TikTok so if you enjoy our content here, tell a friend to tell a friend to follow us on their preferred platform!Scroll Ahead to Hear…0:00 - Show Introduction.2:40 - The WNBA’s late season scheduling and competitive advantages…7:35 - Dallas Advocating For Arike Ogunbowale as 1st Team All-WNBA? 11:36 - Who is making the WNBA playoffs? 31:25 - Worst possible first round matchups for top teams? Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast is brought to you in part by Homefield. Just this past week they revealed the full Can’t Miss Kickoff release schedule with hundreds of new football themed products to get you ready for the fall! Want some women’s hoops merch instead? Check out our No Cap Space WBB collection, a curated page of all of Homefield’s best WBB shirts, jackets, jerseys and more!Our intro music is made by Denver’s own DLZMKSBTS, the King of Mile Hi-Fi. Check out all his music on Spotify here and on Instagram here.No Cap Space WBB is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
There are five games or less in the WNBA regular season and we are being set up for one of the best finishes we’ve had in recent league history. There’s a fight for the second seed, the sixth seed and the eighth seed. No more than two games separate the groupings of teams in the mix for those positions so, naturally, that means there are a lot of games with stakes this upcoming weekend. In keeping with our end-of-season content offerings, we’ve got our Thursday recap and weekend preview available on podcast and video form on YouTube (you can watch it at the bottom of the email here if you prefer in video form).It’s been a little light this week on the paid tier content, I know. But rest assured, this week was about getting interviews and the legwork to make sure your September is stuffed to the gills with insider content, analysis and some fantastic guests and profiles. If there were ever a time to get a free trial or hop on the Ball-Knower tier for a month, now is the time!Now, let’s get to the Watch Guide! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
Welcome to Ball Up Top, a weekly podcast from No Cap Space WBB. Every Tuesday morning, you can find a show in your emails or social feeds that touches on all the trending topics in women’s basketball. The crew will rotate based on availability, whether it’s Tyler, Andrew, Chauny, Greer or Rashard.Tyler, Greer and Chauny are back on the pod this week with a couple broader topics as the regular season winds down in the WNBA. The show opens with a discussion about Candace Parker’s Chicago Sky jersey retirement and some of the simmering beef between her and Angel Reese. After a conversation about the concept of standing on business and when to do it, the discussion turns towards the WNBA playoffs. With so many teams clogging the top six seeds, regularly jockeying for position, the show turns to a relatively simple question: who is the toughest matchup for each playoff team? If you love the show, we’d love and appreciate a five star rating on Apple podcasts as well as a kind review if you’ve got the time! We’re also on the road to 5,000 subscribers on YouTube and 2,000 followers on TikTok so if you enjoy our content here, tell a friend to tell a friend to follow us on their preferred platform!Scroll Ahead to Hear…0:00 - Show Introduction.3:05 - Candace Parker’s Jersey Retirement and the Game Within the Game…18:20 - Toughest Matchup For Each Playoff Team…Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast is brought to you in part by Homefield. Just this past week they revealed the full Can’t Miss Kickoff release schedule with hundreds of new football themed products to get you ready for the fall! Want some women’s hoops merch instead? Check out our No Cap Space WBB collection, a curated page of all of Homefield’s best WBB shirts, jackets, jerseys and more!Our intro music is made by Denver’s own DLZMKSBTS, the King of Mile Hi-Fi. Check out all his music on Spotify here and on Instagram here.Additionally, we’ve gotten some requests recently about additional donations for the NCS crew. If you don’t want to do a full subscription but want to support our work in any capacity, we are also opening up donations via Venmo as well. For those that have asked, we can’t tell you how much we appreciate and rest assured it is going back into the company to provide you with the best WBB coverage you can find! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
To quote the venerable Steve Miller Band, ‘Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’…into the future.’ Most teams have somewhere between six and seven regular season games left on their schedule while the difference between playoff qualification and elimination is one win or loss. If that doesn’t get you out of bed and ready to watch the WNBA, I don’t know what will. Add in a couple of increasingly compelling award races and we’ve got plenty to talk about going into the postseason. All season long I’ve been wondering how long it would take for the discourse to return to (semi) normal in the W and it feels like right now there’s no think pieces, no agitation outside the usual suspects and a chance to let the basketball do the talking. It’s kind of nice, isn’t it? If you missed any of our Sunday wrap show on YouTube, it’s here available as a podcast. We’re also expanding our coverage with Ball Up Top on Wednesdays, a Thursday night recap and weekend preview pod on Fridays and the Wrap on Sundays. Right when you need it, we’re ramping up for the stretch run as well. So tell a friend to tell a friend so you can stay up to date on all the action as we barrel towards one of the most fun Finals chases we’ve had in the W in the last four or five years. Now, to the column! 1. Phee vs. A’ja For MVP. Buckle Up, Folks. Guys, it’s okay to debate about awards. We don’t need to kumbaya and treat this like everyone gets a trophy at the end of the year. It’s sports. It’s competitive. As long as things stay within the lines (a big ask, I know), we should be comfortable standing behind our faves and their on-court cases for major awards. It’s part of what makes the game fun! To that end, the race for MVP is officially on. After A’ja Wilson’s 36 point ,13 rebound performance against Washington I opined on Bluesky that eventually the multi-time MVP had to be taking the lead in the race if she continued to do this. It was out of Napheesa Collier’s control, being injured and all, but if another player is repeatedly putting up guady statlines in your absence we’ve gotta have the conversation at some point, right? Well, Phee returned to the Lynx lineup after 22 days out and put up 32 points and 9 rebounds on 11/16 from the field, 2/3 from deep and 8/9 from the line. Game on. With just seven or so games left in the regular season, and one matchup against each other, this MVP race is shaping up to be one for the ages. To put it in historical context, we’ve had two truly close battles for the award in the last 15 years in the W. In 2023, Breanna Stewart edged out Alyssa Thomas by just seven total votes and Wilson by 13 to win. Ten years earlier, Candace Parker outlasted Maya Moore by a mere 16 votes. It wouldn’t surprise me if this season is just as close. Wilson has been the engine of a Las Vegas Aces turnaround that no one seemed to think was possible. Since the All-Star break, the reigning MVP is averaging 24.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game all while propelling the Aces to a 10 game winning streak. Collier has been the difference between the Lynx being a very good finals team and a historically great one. She’s having her most efficient shooting year ever, is flirting with a 50-40-90 season (currently 54.3% FG, 37.8% 3PT, 90.7% FT) and still remains one of the top defensive players in the league. You can’t really go wrong with either and if I bristled at the notion of pre-emptively awarding Wilson the MVP last season after just one month of play, I have to be consistent and say the same about Collier now. It’s a legit race and that September 4th matchup between the two may just be a Game of the Year contender. 2. Dominique Malonga For Sixth Woman of the Year? It’s Not That Crazy When You Think About It… One of my favorite things to do is watch team social media accounts towards the end of the year. Subtly, you start to see little posts and pieces of content that range from subtly including historical context in stats to outright announcing MVP candidacies. On Saturday, Seattle Storm PR put out a curious tweet that led me to believe they’re trying to quietly push a narrative to the forefront… Kind of interesting to make sure to include two Sixth Player of the Year winners, eh? Almost as if the wheels are turning to try and make a push for French rookie Dominique Malonga to be involved in the race. On the surface, one might think that it’s a bit late for this. I even wrote the other week in Five Out that Malonga was a lot like Rickea Jackson in that they came on extremely strong late in their rookie seasons but they hadn’t been out-front early enough to be in contention for an honor like Rookie of the Year. But when I started to dive into the Sixth Woman of the Year numbers, I realized the Storm may actually have a point. Since the All-Star break, Malonga has averaged 12.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on just 20.5 minutes per game. Her field goal percentage sits at around 57% from the field while she’s also become quite a prolific offensive board getter. Anyone watching her can see the potential, from her length to her defense down to the little things like her ability to reset screens and be an effective roller. When you start to find statistical equalizers, like Per 36 Minutes numbers, Malonga’s average skyrocket to 19.9 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. Compare that to Naz Hillmon, the Sixth Woman of the Year frontrunner, whose Per 36 averages come out to around 12.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. I can understand the argument that arriving late to the party can take you out of contention for a seasonal award and that it can sometimes be the fault of a coach rather than a player. But Sixth Woman of the Year is one of those rare awards where minute variance may actually be somewhat acceptable. After all, it’s an honor for the best bench player in the league. You could make an argument that Malonga isn’t your normal rotational center but, as of now, she hasn’t started in a single game this year. Maybe she should be getting a little more play than we’ve given her this year? 3. Are The Liberty Too Hurt To Contend? After a dreadful two-loss weekend, the New York Liberty have now lost four of their last five and are now in a dogfight to keep a top four seed in the playoffs. Keep in mind, the difference between No. 4 and No. 5 is home court advantage in the best-of-3 opening round. To say that it matters a bit more in the WNBA would be an understatement. For example, if you’re New York wouldn’t you rather get Phoenix or Seattle at home rather than on the road in an elimination game? But my concern is that this has just been the year from hell in terms of injuries. I know Indiana fans can relate. The Liberty are down basically their entire bench frontcourt plus Breanna Stewart and now Sabrina Ionescu has picked up an injury that sidelined her in a pivotal Saturday matchup against Atlanta. At this point I’m genuinely not sure who else they can lose and still remain competitive.The belief is that Ionescu’s injury isn’t long term and that Stewart is aiming to be back before the playoffs but that still doesn’t solve the issue of Nyara Sabally (knee injury) and Izzy Harrison (concussion), two vital rotational pieces for New York. You saw it against Chicago, in which Emma Meesseman and Jonquel Jones were simply outrun by the trio of Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso and Elizabeth Williams. Against the best and deepest frontcourts in the league, how long can you expect to reasonably hold out before the dam breaks? New York’s greatest asset last season was their depth and the ability to throw out talented and versatile defenders at any point in the game. They legitimately ran 8 deep with 6’1+ long defenders that could also shoot. Those players are still on the roster, the issue is that a good chunk of them are in street clothes. With just a couple weeks until the playoffs, the Liberty are caught between two hard places: they need to win games but also need to be patient with their stars to prep for a long postseason run. I don’t envy Sandy Brondello but if you dig deep and prove your championship bonafides with a skeleton crew roster, you’ll be set up well to win it all when you get everybody back. 4. The WNBA’s Treatment of the Mohegan Tribe Is As Bad Optically As It Is Economically…I have a video coming on YouTube today that explores this more in depth but the gist of it is this: the WNBA is screwing up the Connecticut Sun deal to a point where I genuinely am wondering if the only route to true success for this league is to divest from the NBA entirely. For those that need a quick refresher: the Sun were going to sell the team for about $325 million to a former Boston Celtics minority owner named Steve Pagliuca. His idea would be to buy the team, relocate them to Boston and play some games in Providence on the dates that conflicted at TD Garden with the Celtics and Bruins. The WNBA, more or less, spiked that deal, hoping to entice the Mohegan Tribe to sell the franchise to the league for roughly $250 million so they could relocate it to a market of their choice, preserving Boston as an expansion franchise that could fetch a hefty fee. This past week, further reporting came out that the Sun are considering taking the team completely off the market with an added revelation that the WNBA had come to the Tribe with an offer to buy the team and relocate them to Cleveland once before. I’m no Juris Doctor but it feels like messing with someone’s business like this constitutes some type of tortious interference. If the argument is “well the Tribe aren’t owners but instead Governors of a franchise that is owned by the league thus they can set the market”, are we not talking about a monopoly? Let’s face it: the economics here are terrible. I’ll eventually have a full column about why the W would be foolish to follow the NBA’s business practices of short-term gains at the expense of long-term fandoms but let’s focus on the Sun for now.
As the WNBA regular season prepares to make way for the playoffs, we at No Cap Space WBB wanted to do something for the fans that just can’t get enough. On Friday mornings here and on YouTube, we’ll have a recap of Thursday’s game action as well as the Watch Guide in video and podcast form. Now, you’ll get the best of every world: A week recap/weekend preview on Friday, a weekend recap/week preview on Monday and the biggest topics in the game on Wednesdays for Ball Up Top. Today we’re discussing Angel Reese’s impact now that she’s fully healthy for Chicago, the Aces complete turnaround and where Phoenix goes from here. After the review, we look at the week ahead. The Watch Guide remains the same, giving you even deeper dives on what to watch for as the standings get tighter and the stakes higher. We’ve gotten some requests recently about additional donations for the NCS crew. If you don’t want to do a full subscription but want to support our work in any capacity, we are also opening up donations via Venmo as well. For those that have asked, we can’t tell you how much we appreciate and rest assured it is going back into the company to provide you with the best WBB coverage you can find!Friday, August 15Minnesota Lynx (28-7) vs. Indiana Fever (19-16): 7:30 PM ET, IONWhy It’s Worth a Watch: Minnesota is on the final leg of a three game road trip that included New York and Atlanta (both losses). Oh, and it’s a back-to-back tonight against the Fever who are coming off five days rest. Tired legs vs. fresh legs. You do the math. Yet in spite of that disadvantage, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Lynx made this a game. Matchups like this are the difference between playoff contenders and champions. Meanwhile, Indiana is fighting for their postseason lives. A win here could get you closer to Phoenix and New York, but a loss brings you a bit too close to the 8th or even 9th seed. There’s your stakes. What to Watch For: Jessica Shepard had a phenomenal night against Brittney Griner and Bri Jones, pacing Minnesota with 15 points and 16 rebounds so I’m interested in her upcoming battle with Aliyah Boston. Courtney Williams will probably want a bounceback game after a 3-14 performance in the loss to Atlanta. For the Fever, I’m watching how Odyssey Sims plays given her ever increasing significance. They need to start fast because Minnesota won’t let them back into a game the way Connecticut did. Must Watch Score: 8.5/10Seattle Storm (18-18) vs. Dallas Wings (9-27): 7:30 PM ET, IONWhy It’s Worth a Watch: The Storm, like the Fever, are trying to stave off postseason elimination. With about eight or nine (depending on the team) games left in the regular season, every win counts. Seattle has just a half game lead on Los Angeles who don’t play again until next Tuesday. All the pressure is on them in this matchup as Dallas just plays for the end of the year. What to Watch For: Paige Bueckers went thermonuclear against L.A., setting multiple records en route to a 44 point performance, and I’m curious how she follows that up. Skylar Diggins and Brittney Sykes are much better defenders than Kelsey Plum and Julie Allemand, so how will Bueckers adjust? In light of her performance, will Chris Koclanes decide to empower her by running things through her more? There’s a lot of cool to follow there. Unfortunately, I have a feeling the Storm frontcourt is going to tear the Wings apart. To that end, Dominique Malonga may have herself a game. If we get big minutes from her, this game turns into a really fun future superstars showcase. Must Watch Score: 7.5/10Golden State Valkyries (18-17) vs. Phoenix Mercury (21-14): 10:00 PM ET, IONWhy It’s Worth a Watch: This game has some of the highest stakes of the weekend from a postseason positioning standpoint. The Mercury were run out of the gym on Thursday night against Las Vegas and now welcome in a Valkyries team that has the capability of doing the same. Golden State, for their part, wants to keep pace with Indiana and can draw level with them if the Fever lose to Minnesota. What to Watch For: The Mercury started to flow in the second quarter when they ran the offense a little less through Alyssa Thomas. The unintended consequence was Thomas looking visibly frustrated at times. I can attribute that to a fierce competitor who really wants to win but sometimes it feels like Kahleah Copper needs to be a bit more than a spot up shooter. How this big three of AT, Kah and Satou Sabally handle these big moments is important to understanding just how far they can this postseason. Must Watch Score: 9/10Saturday, August 16New York Liberty (22-14) vs. Atlanta Dream (23-13): 2:00 PM ET, CBSWhy It’s Worth a Watch: I think Phoenix is fading a bit so I’d argue that New York, Atlanta and Las Vegas are the three teams vying for that second seed. Right now, the Dream hold a half game lead on the Aces and a full game lead on the Liberty. You see where I’m going with this? One game can be the difference between 2nd and 4th. Every single game matters especially in the W’s playoff format. A top four seed has home court advantage for the Best-of-3 first round. If you’re Atlanta or New York and drop one too many, you might end up in a much harder do-or-die playoff situation if it comes to that. Plus, we get some amazing individual matchups. Game of the Season candidate if both teams play to their potential. What to Watch For: Sabrina Ionescu and Rhyne Howard feel very similar in that they can run hot and cold as shooters. When they’re on, the 2020 and 2021 number one picks are top 8 players in the league. When they’re off, it can look like Spice Adams shooting threes in open gym. If even one is cooking on Saturday, we’re in for a treat. Natasha Cloud vs. Allisha Gray is a great defensive stopper vs. dominant scorer matchup while the chess match between Sandy Brondello and Karl Smesko should be a blast for scheme scholars. Must Watch Score: 9.5/10Las Vegas Aces (23-14) vs. Washington Mystics (16-20): 3:00 PM ET, League PassWhy It’s Worth a Watch: The Mystics are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs but that doesn’t mean they’re completely out. All it would take is a couple wins to be right back in the mix. The only tough part is they’re facing off against the hottest team in the WNBA right now. Could it get out of hand? Maybe. But there’s a cool narrative thread happening with these two teams. Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen bear some resemblance as players to Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson which gives us this cool young team vs. what-they-can-be story. What to Watch For: A’ja Wilson has been on fire this August which will make this game a great test for Kiki Iriafen. In a lot of ways, it’s A’ja vs. Baby A’ja. A matchup of single-leg-sleevers. Potentially great television. Speaking of must-watch players, Chelsea Gray has successfully turned the clock back three years. The Point Gawd has returned to form at last and looks as good as she looked in the 2022 Conference Semifinals vs. Seattle. If you’ve been around, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, here you go. Enjoy. How Sonia Citron handles her and Jackie Young will be a fun storyline as well. Must Watch Score: 7.5/10Connecticut Sun (8-27) vs. Chicago Sky (9-26): 4:00 PM ET, CBSSNWhy It’s Worth a Watch: Both the Sky and Sun have been eliminated from the playoffs so you’d expect this to be a pair of teams that are just going through the motions before the year is out. Right? Wrong. Tyler Marsh and Rachid Meziane are building cultures in their respective cities and a game like this matters. It’s why you see the Sky beating New York and the Sun winning three in their last four. I expect the players to come out with the same energy they have all season and treat this like something it may not even be. That’s what makes both teams fun future buys… What to Watch For: This frontcourt battle is going to be a blast. Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who has come on strong late in the year, and Tina Charles taking on Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese. Size, scoring, versatility, intensity. You get it all. There’s also a fun LSU vs. LSU story with Reese meeting Sun rookie Aneesah Morrow. Connecticut’s backcourt duo of Saniya Rivers and Leila Lacan is quickly becoming one of my favorite tandems in the league and when they’re shooting well it’s legitimately a treat to watch. Must Watch Score: 7/10Sunday, August 17Seattle Storm (18-18) vs. Washington Mystics (16-20): 3:00 PM ET, League PassWhy It’s Worth a Watch: Not only is this Brittney Sykes’ first trip back to Washington since they traded her, this one feels like a bit of a make-or-break for the Mystics. A loss to the Aces will put them right on the edge of the cliff but a second loss to Seattle would tip them off the rocks and into the water. The schedule feels ripe for the Storm to rip off two wins before the last two games (Indiana, Minnesota) of their five game road stand. Can they do it against a Mystics team — one that’s won the previous two matchups against Seattle, it should be noted — that will probably be fighting for their playoff lives? What to Watch For: I don’t even know if we’d get it but I want to see Dominique Malonga vs. Kiki Iriafen minutes. Those two are, to me, future All-WNBA forwards. In the backcourt, Brittney Sykes sees her old Mystics teammate in Sonia Citron. Given that the trade was, on some level, motivated by Washington going all in on Citron and Iriafen and letting Sykes go to a win-now team, will there be any added intensity? Especially given that the playoffs are more or less on the line? I would like to see it! Must Watch Score: 7/10Golden State Valkyries (18-17) vs. Dallas Wings (9-27): 4:00 PM ET, League PassWhy It’s Worth a Watch: These are the exact games that no playoff hopeful should drop if they want to stay in the hunt. Dallas is inconsistent but has shown the ability to scare the hell out of (or even beat) teams that are better than them on-paper. Golden State is also a somewhat streaky t
Welcome to Ball Up Top, a weekly podcast from No Cap Space WBB. Every Tuesday morning, you can find a show in your emails or social feeds that touches on all the trending topics in women’s basketball. The crew will rotate based on availability, whether it’s Tyler, Andrew, Chauny, Greer or Rashard.It’s Tyler, Chauny and Greer on this episode of Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast, recording on a Wednesday morning to make sure you got all the most recent reactions to a stacked Tuesday night of games. The Liberty defeated the Lynx, the Sun upset the Mystics while the Sky showed some fight and the race tightens between Las Vegas, Phoenix and Atlanta. Our crew discusses all the major WNBA action from last night while taking a look at some of the more macro stories in the league as well. Is A’ja Wilson really making an MVP push? What do we make of the Connecticut Sun’s franchise sale troubles and how much much tighter can the seeding race get in the WNBA? If you love the show, we’d love and appreciate a five star rating on Apple podcasts as well as a kind review if you’ve got the time! We’re also on the road to 5,000 subscribers on YouTube and 2,000 followers on TikTok so if you enjoy our content here, tell a friend to tell a friend to follow us on their preferred platform! Additionally, we’ve gotten some requests recently about additional donations for the NCS crew. If you don’t want to do a full subscription but want to support our work in any capacity, we are also opening up donations via Venmo as well. For those that have asked, we can’t tell you how much we appreciate and rest assured it is going back into the company to provide you with the best WBB coverage you can find! Scroll Ahead to Hear… 0:00 - Show Introduction.2:05 - Lynx vs. Liberty Recap.17:10 - The Race For A Top 4 Seed.20:53 - The Aces Late Season Surge.28:40 - How For Real Is Phoenix? Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast is brought to you in part by Homefield. Just this past week they revealed the full Can’t Miss Kickoff release schedule with hundreds of new football themed products to get you ready for the fall! Want some women’s hoops merch instead? Check out our No Cap Space WBB collection, a curated page of all of Homefield’s best WBB shirts, jackets, jerseys and more!Our intro music is made by Denver’s own DLZMKSBTS, the King of Mile Hi-Fi. Check out all his music on Spotify here and on Instagram here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
While Five Out can sometimes venture out into the world of sports business, society and culture, it is occasionally fun to have a column that is just WNBA-centric.After a week of great games, jockeying in the standings and some MVP caliber performances from some of the top players in the league, we get five topics that are as hoop-heavy as you can get.In case you missed our Sunday wrap show, you can access it here as a podcast or below on YouTube. Be sure to like, share and subscribe or give us a five star rating and review on Apple if you enjoy the show! We always appreciate it and the growth of No Cap Space WBB doesn’t happen without you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
Now that we’re in the swing of Wednesday podcasts, we hope you’ve all been enjoying the double dose of our crew every week. If you missed our Sunday live show (or Monday morning pod, if you read Five Out), you can see it at the link below on YouTube. You can also see Ball Up Top in full over there in video form as well! Just be sure to like, share and subscribe if you do!Chauny, back by popular demand, is in the host seat once again. One might say that in a group where everyone eats but there’s a clear star, she’s the Paige Bueckers of this ship. After a bit of internal crisis at such realizations, the show opens with a simple question: is there anyone in the same tier as the Minnesota Lynx right now? Andrew argues that Atlanta and New York could still get the best of them in a multi-game series and the debate ensues. After touching on Alanna Smith’s Defensive Player of the Year candidacy, the crew discusses the mess happening in Chicago and where the fault lies for an organization that feels caught in a death spiral. The show wraps with a look at another team in turmoil, the Seattle Storm.Scroll ahead to hear…0:00 - Show Introductions4:59 - Is Minnesota in a tier of their own?22:17 - Alanna Smith’s Defensive Player of the Year candidacy…24:04 - The Sky is…falling…43:31 - Storms in Seattle…Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast is brought to you in part by Homefield. Just this past week they revealed the full Can’t Miss Kickoff release schedule with hundreds of new football themed products to get you ready for the fall! Want some women’s hoops merch instead? Check out our No Cap Space WBB collection, a curated page of all of Homefield’s best WBB shirts, jackets, jerseys and more!No Cap Space WBB is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
Without being too hyperbolic, this has been one of the better WNBA late season playoff races I can remember. While there’s been plenty of jockeying in the standings at this point in prior years, there’s something about there being three (maybe even four) true Finals contenders in the mix. But before we dive into that, let’s welcome you back to Five Out now that we’re reformatted and back to our normal style.As we mentioned last week, the column will now include a Monday podcast that comes from our Sunday live wrap shows on YouTube. It’ll cover the biggest games of the day and some of the biggest news items between Thursday and the end of the week. Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast will now be dropping every Wednesday morning instead of Tuesday to give you two evenly spaced out podcasts that talk women’s basketball!Keep an eye out for more Overtime Select coverage this week as well. Chauny was down in Atlanta for the weekend getting you caught up on the next generation of women’s hoops stars and the WNBA legends they’re working with this summer (and that’s before we start to get into NCAA previews). In short, it’s a great time to be a women’s basketball fan! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
A quick programming note for you loyal podcast listeners. Ball Up Top is moving to Wednesdays full-time! We will now have a second show for you that will be a live weekend wrap up that will air on Sundays on YouTube and edited into pod form for Monday morning. That will push Ball Up Top to Wednesdays so you now get two chances to listen to some women’s basketball a talk a week with us!Chauny is in the host chair with Tyler and Andrew as the trio discusses the recent action near the WNBA trade deadline. Brittney Sykes is now in Seattle and the pod breaks down how the move benefits both teams. The discussion then covers the hottest teams in the league right now including the Los Angeles Sparks who continue to surge towards a playoff spot before wrapping up with a discussion around DeWanna Bonner, Sophie Cunningham and how rivalries grow organically in the WNBA.Scroll ahead to hear…0:00 - Show Introduction6:11 - Trade Breakdowns…25:30 - What is L.A.’s ceiling?46:05 - Connecticut Sun/WNBA sale drama.53:10 - One last look at DeWanna Bonner’s Indiana exit.Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast is brought to you in part by Homefield. Just this past week they revealed the full Can’t Miss Kickoff release schedule with hundreds of new football themed products to get you ready for the fall! Want some women’s hoops merch instead? Check out our No Cap Space WBB collection, a curated page of all of Homefield’s best WBB shirts, jackets, jerseys and more! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
Some news on the home front. Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast is moving to Wednesdays so we can get you two pods per week. On Sundays, our No Cap Space WBB team will be live on YouTube breaking down the biggest WNBA games of the weekend and biggest news items headed into Monday. Ball Up Top will be each Wednesday previewing the week ahead. It's all a part of our desire to get you a little more content and women's hoop talk! Be sure to subscribe, like and rate us five stars on Apple, Spotify or wherever you're listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
While the injury bug continued to hit the New York Liberty, the L.A. Sparks finally got one of their young superstars back after a 13 month recovery. Tyler, Greer and Andrew take a look at Cam Brink’s ceiling and what it could mean for a late season playoff push from Los Angeles.The trio open the show with news of Kennedy Burke’s injury and how the short turnaround times are hurting the WNBA as a league and may become a source of contention at the CBA Bargaining table. The show wraps up with a discussion on the upcoming trade deadline and some of the best moves top teams can make.Scroll ahead to hear…0:00 - Show Introduction2:15 - The WNBA’s Injury Issue & The Effect on CBA Negotiations15:00 - Cam Brink’s Return and What It Means For L.A.36:50 - One Move We Want To See At The Trade DeadlineBall Up Top: A WBB Podcast is brought to you in part by Homefield. Just this past week they revealed the full Can’t Miss Kickoff release schedule with hundreds of new football themed products to get you ready for the fall! Want some women’s hoops merch instead? Check out our No Cap Space WBB collection, a curated page of all of Homefield’s best WBB shirts, jackets, jerseys and more! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
Welcome to Ball Up Top, a weekly podcast from No Cap Space WBB. Every Tuesday morning, you can find a show in your emails or social feeds that touches on all the trending topics in women’s basketball. The crew will rotate based on availability, whether it’s Tyler, Andrew, Chauny, Greer or Rashard.In longtime WNBA fan circles, there is a term called ‘Messy Monday’. Effectively it means that at the start of the week, we’re due for some fun things to talk about. Instead of a Messy Monday, we got a Meesy Monday this week with Belgian superstar Emma Meesseman joining the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty. Tyler, Chauny and Greer are on the pod this week opening with the implications of the move and what it means for the rest of the league. The conversation then moves to the WNBA players and their ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ shirts at the All-Star game as well as the CBA negotiations continuing with the league. After a quick piece on the impact of the Studbudz 72 hour stream in Indianapolis, the crew takes a look at the season ahead and some predictions for the second half of the year. Scroll ahead to hear… 0:00 - Show Introduction1:39 - Emma Meesseman joins New York Liberty6:55 - Are the Liberty the best starting five in WNBA history? 22:06 - The future of the WNBA/WNBPA CBA negotiations…39:30 - Buy/Sell for the second half of the WNBA season…Summer is here so get fitted for all your functions with Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! Check out their new ‘Summer School’ hat series and rock your favorite school in style as well as our No Cap Space WBB collection. In partnership with Homefield, we’ve curated all their women’s basketball merch into one place here.' This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
It wasn’t as messy of a Monday as last week was but we still got plenty of interesting storylines and topics to discuss on Ball Up Top. Andrew and Tyler hold down the fort, opening the show with a quick hitter on DeWanna Bonner’s move to Phoenix (the full reaction vid is available on YouTube here) before running through the finalized All-Star game lists. After that, the two discuss their biggest surprise storylines of the WNBA season so far before wrapping the show with a quick chat about Team USA’s championship win in the FIBA Americup.Scroll ahead to hear…0:00 - Show Introduction1:27 - DeWanna Bonner to Phoenix reactions…6:30 - All-Star roster reactions…25:30 - Biggest surprises halfway through the WNBA season.45:00 - Team USA/FIBA Americup takeawaysSummer is here so get fitted for all your functions with Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! Check out their new ‘Summer School’ hat series and rock your favorite school in style as well as our No Cap Space WBB collection. In partnership with Homefield, we’ve curated all their women’s basketball merch into one place here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
Welcome to Ball Up Top, a weekly podcast from No Cap Space WBB. Every Tuesday morning, you can find a show in your emails or social feeds that touches on all the trending topics in women’s basketball. The crew will rotate based on availability, whether it’s Tyler, Andrew, Chauny, Greer or Rashard.To say this was a Messy Monday in the WNBA might be an understatement. Expansion franchises, a big trade as well as All-Star starter announcements? That’s basically asking for a packed Ball Up Top on a Tuesday. Tyler and Chauny have the wheel and dive into everything that happened this past week and in the past 36 hours to get you ready for another slate of games in WNBA world. Scroll ahead to hear… 0:00 - Show Introduction2:47 - Expansion Thoughts and Reactions.21:37 - NaLyssa Smith Trade Reactions.38:16 - All-Star Starters Reactions.Summer is here so get fitted for all your functions with Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! Check out their new ‘Summer School’ hat series and rock your favorite school in style. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe
Well, glad the schedules didn’t align and we recorded this after our usual Monday night time slot. With so much happening in the last 18-24 hours in the WNBA world, this week’s Ball Up Top is up to date and ready to roll. Andrew, Chauny and Tyler are on hand to dissect the DeWanna Bonner situation and Aari McDonald’s signing to the Indiana Fever as well as wondering aloud what’s happening with Caitlin Clark, who is in a 3 point shooting slump over three games.The pod continues with a discussion about the Los Angeles Sparks and whether or not the team can do a bit better than one of the worst in the western conference. While looking at the free agent possibilities, it opened up a discussion surrounding the Washington Mystics and their potential frontcourt duo of the future.Scroll Ahead to Hear…0:00 - Show Introduction2:31 - DeWanna Bonner and the Fever break up.21:46 - What to make of Caitlin Clark’s shooting slump…39:27 - Is this a lost season for the L.A. Sparks?49:34 - Is Kiki Iriafen/Shakira Austin the frontcourt of the future for the Mystics?Summer is here so get fitted for all your functions with Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! Check out their new ‘Summer School’ hat series and rock your favorite school in style. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nocapspacewbb.com/subscribe