Afleveringen
-
Andrew, Greer and Tyler are back on Ball Up Top after a long week unveiling the new Ball-Knowers tier on Substack and launching the first installment of the ‘No Cap Covers’ series. And there’s plenty to talk about. The crew first touches on Marina Mabrey’s trade request out of Connecticut and the Sun’s decision to reject it. What does it mean for the WNBA veteran and the perception of the franchise? That conversation then turns to a chaotic NBA All-Star weekend that Greer just returned from so the gang has their best and worst ideas for the WNBA’s future All-Star games.
Andrew has to cut out of the pod early but that gives plenty of time for Greer to take the ISO and announce to the world that UConn might finally be back as a regular title contender. The pod wraps with Tyler and Greer’s Final Four projections with just a couple of weeks left before Tournament season starts.
Ball Up Top is brought to you in part by Homefield. Prepare for Tourney Season with some gear from Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! A new No Cap Space collection is coming soon on the side so stay tuned and get your merch while you can!
And a big shoutout to DlzMksBts, who provides our intro and outro music on podcast platforms. Check out his new project, ‘Bough’ by Deca & Dealz available on Youtube and Spotify.
Scroll Ahead to Hear…
0:00 - Show Introduction.
3:18 - Marina Mabrey trade request reactions.
17:44 - WNBA All-Star: Should we be worried about the NBA’s flop and what are the best and worst ideas for the W’s All-Star Week?
36:15 - Is UConn officially back? Does South Carolina’s ceiling look different?
1:00:07 - Final Four Projections
Be sure to visit us on NoCapSpaceWBB.com and subscribe to the Substack for all our news and content right into your email inbox!
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 -
After an insane week of WNBA Free Agency, Tyler DeLuca finally catches a break. Andrew and Greer take the lead on the podcast to run through the early winners and losers of the first set of sign-and-trades as well as major signings. Then the gears turn towards the college game as we prepare for a big slate of games this week, including UConn vs. Tennessee. Andrew and Greer discuss the re-emergence of the Lady Vols under Kim Caldwell and debate whether or not the biggest rivalry in women’s basketball is finally going to return to form. Huskies forward Sarah Strong will be an important part of that game and leads the final segment, where the National Freshman of the Year race is examined.
Ball Up Top is brought to you in part by Homefield. Prepare for February and the NCAA Tournament season with some gear from Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! A new No Cap Space collection is coming soon on the side so stay tuned and get your merch while you can!
Scroll ahead in the podcast to hear…
0:00 - Show Introduction.
4:01 -WNBA Free Agency Winners & Losers
35:43 - Is the UConn - Tennessee rivalry finally coming back to prominence?
53:22 - The National Freshman of the Year race: Who leads? Who will win? Who is in the Top 3?
Be sure to rate and review the podcast on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your pods. It’s much appreciated!
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 -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
WNBA Free Agency, at long last, is promising the chaos longtime fans of the league have hoped for. Major stars leaving their teams, testing the markets and large scale turnovers that change the balance of power in the league. Who won early in a wild Tuesday of moves? We break down some of the biggest ones here…
You can also listen to it in podcast form above or on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to rate, review us (and give us five stars!).
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 -
Tyler and Andrew hold down the fort this Tuesday and get to react in real time to No. 2 South Carolina’s win over No. 18 Tennessee. They discuss the hallmarks of the Gamecocks greatness as well as Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell getting her team up to speed in the SEC a bit earlier than expected. The pod then touches on the blockbuster three team trade in the WNBA and what domino will fall next in free agency before discussing whether or not the Seattle Storm still could select Olivia Miles with the number two pick. They wrap the show with a chat about what’s to come in NCAA women’s basketball in February and what teams have the most pressure to perform. Be sure to rate the podcast five stars and leave a (hopefully good!) review on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!
Scroll ahead in the recording to hear…
0:00 - Show introduction
1:50 - Game reactions: South Carolina.
11:45 - Game reactions: Tennessee.
25:40 - What is the next WNBA Free Agency domino?
38:25 - Should the Seattle Storm still select Olivia Miles with the No. 2 pick?
52:06 - What NCAA program has the most pressure in the home stretch?
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 -
The first domino of the WNBA offseason has fallen. The Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks and Las Vegas Aces have agreed to a three team trade that will send Jewell Loyd to Vegas, Kelsey Plum to L.A. and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft to Seattle.
Here is the full breakdown of who gets what…
Los Angeles: Kelsey Plum, No. 9 Overall Pick
Seattle: No. 2 Overall Pick, Li Yueru
Las Vegas: Jewell Loyd, No. 13 Overall Pick
On a special emergency pod, Tyler, Chauny and Andrew break everything about the trade down and who wins, who got better and what it means for the rest of the season ahead.
Be sure to rate the podcast five stars and leave a (hopefully good!) review on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!
Get ready for the year ahead with some gear from Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! The new Homefield knit sweaters and bomber jackets are perfect gifts to kick off your new women’s basketball year in style.
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
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 -
This week, Andrew and Tyler hold down the Ball Up Top fort to discuss a variety of topics. We receive more information on Chennedy Carter’s split with the Chicago Sky, talk about the marketing of bigs like Lauren Betts, look at NCAA Bracketology and look at the surprises and success of Unrivaled up to this point. Be sure to rate the podcast five stars and leave a (hopefully good!) review on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!
Scroll ahead to hear…
0:00 - Show Introduction.
1:20 - Chennedy Carter’s split with the Chicago Sky
16:56 - Unrivaled Surprises.
39:20 - NCAA Bracketology Thoughts
1:09:20 - Lauren Betts, Player of the Year Race and How to Market Bigs
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.
Chauny, Tyler, and Greer are holding it down for this week’s edition of Ball Up Top as WNBA core and restricted contract conversations opened up. Notably Chennedy Carter hasn’t received her qualifying offer which the crew dives into. Plus following South Carolina’s dominant win against Texas, have they made a case for #1? Lastly, a look ahead to the official start of Unrivaled.
Ring in 2025 and get ready for the year ahead with some gear from Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! The new Homefield knit sweaters and bomber jackets are perfect gifts to kick off your new women’s basketball year in style.
Scroll ahead in the pod to hear…
0:00 - Show Introduction
1:17 - Chennedy Carter’s Free Agency and Chicago Sky decision making.
18:06 - South Carolina’s case to be #1 in the nation.
30:27 - NCAA Title Odds and how the media talks about contenders midseason.
29:54 - Unrivaled preview
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
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 -
WNBA fans are entering into what may be the most exciting free agency period in league history.
We’ve got premiere talent names and thanks to interviews coming out of Florida for Unrivaled, we know some of them are looking or may be looking for new homes. The rumor mill is churning at peak efficiency and this is all before we get to a very loaded 2025 WNBA draft.
A storied franchise is at the heart of all this excitement as the Los Angeles Sparks are looking to get back to their winning ways and are in a good position to do it with the #2 draft pick to go with an already talented core.
Sparks assistant general manager Eli Horowitz sat down with No Cap Space WBB to discuss all the buzz surrounding the exciting young team, the changes being made and the blueprint they’re looking to follow in order to get back to true Hollywood form and hang yet another banner from the rafters at now Crypto.com Arena.
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
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.
Ring in 2025 and get ready for the year ahead with some gear from Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! The new Homefield knit sweaters and bomber jackets are perfect gifts to kick off your new women’s basketball year in style.
Scroll ahead in the pod to hear…
0:00 - Show Introduction
2:49 - Examining the Kiyomi McMiller situation unfolding at Rutgers.
15:38 - Three hot takes about WNBA Free Agency (starts January 11th).
30:27 - NCAA Title Odds and how the media talks about contenders midseason.
43:45 - Unrivaled preview and who the most intriguing 3x3 player will be.
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 -
Happy New Year, loyal column readers! We at No Cap Space WBB hope you had a lovely holiday and new year. Plenty of resolutions, things to look forward to and actions to take in 2025 especially for us here on Substack. We’ve got a lot of great stuff coming down the pipeline this coming year and we can’t wait to share it all with you in due time.
In the meantime, enjoy a nice audio addition to the column. On Sundays, our team will be live on Youtube for what we’re calling ‘Tonight in Women’s Basketball’. It’s a working title, so it’s subject to change. But effectively it’s a wrap of the biggest games of the weekend and some true hoop analysis. That is followed up every Monday morning with this column which examines five big storylines in the past week of the sport and how those intersect with our broader culture. Then, on Tuesdays, you get ‘Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast’ that takes three topics that are currently dominating the discourse in women’s basketball.
We’ve got something for everyone and that’s just the start. The Legendarium also returns from its’ winter break this Wednesday and there’s some upcoming features we’re really excited to bring you as well. But for now, let’s get to the column…
Complete this sentence: This is the most wide open Naismith WBB Player of the Year Race since _____ …
I’d say it was 2019. Each season we’ve had, at most, a two horse race for women’s basketball’s highest honor. In fact, you could make an argument that since 2007, we’ve only had a couple of seasons where the race hasn’t been somewhat predetermined. I mean, just look at the past winners.
2024: Caitlin Clark (2nd)
2023: Caitlin Clark
2022: Aliyah Boston
2021: Paige Bueckers
2020: Sabrina Ionescu
2019: Megan Gustafson
2018: A’ja Wilson
2017: Kelsey Plum
Prior to 2017, Breanna Stewart won three straight which was preceded by Brittney Griner winning two straight, Maya Moore winning two and Candace Parker as well as Tina Charles winning one. In short, there was a best player and we knew pretty early on who that would be. In 2018 and 2020, Wilson and Ionescu led the pack pretty much wire-to-wire. 2021-2024 was mostly two person races.
But this year? It feels a lot like 2019, in which you had Gustafson, Ionescu, Arike Ogunbowale and Asia (now AD) Durr named as finalists. Any one of them could have taken the award home that year and it feels like the field might be even deeper in 2025.
There’s NCAA leading scorer Ta’Niya Latson, who has scored less than 20 points in a game once this year and that came when she left after 11 minutes with an injury. She’s scored over 30 points six times through 15 games. Behind her on the list is Hannah Hidalgo, who has systematically ripped the soul out of damn near every top 25 team the Irish have played this year. Then there are stat stuffing superstars like LSU’s Aneesah Morrow (18.1 PPG, 14 RPG) and Vanderbilt’s Khamil Pierre (22.8 PPG, 10.9 PPG). Harvard senior Harmoni Turner is lighting the world on fire in the Ivy League. And that’s before we get to JuJu Watkins, the prohibitive favorite coming into this year. Or maybe Lauren Betts, the best player on the best team in America with the stats to match (19.8 PPG, 10 RPG). Paige Bueckers? Raegan Beers? The list is quite literally 10 deep.
The hardest challenge this year might not be in picking a Naismith winner but in picking finalists. It’s indicative of talent dispersal via NIL and the transfer portal (a net good for the game) but also how deep the pool of talent is getting in the sport, a result of the last decade of increased investment in women’s basketball at all levels. In short, the college game has never been in a better place than it is now and I can’t recall a more open race for the top player in America. That, in itself, is worthy of celebration.
Olivia Miles has made the leap and it suddenly makes the WNBA Draft very interesting…
Guys, it’s time to talk about Olivia Miles. The knock on the senior point guards’ game for years was whether or not she had the goods against top end competition. Even for the most ardent Miles stan, it was hard to defend when you looked at the numbers. In games vs. Top 25 opponents in 2022-2023, Miles was regularly under 15 points with low to mid efficiency shooting nights and hunted a bit defensively. The advanced analytics didn’t necessarily support the idea of her as a potential star at the next level.
What a difference a year makes.
In what is the greatest three point shooting glow up since Jackie Young magically came alive in Las Vegas, Miles has completely transformed herself from a near career 25% three point shooter to ripping off a ridiculous 48% clip 14 games into the season. With enough games for an effective sample, it appears that the range and deep ball efficacy is here to stay. What stood out to me in the Irish’s win over No. 17 North Carolina Sunday was the method in which she got her shots. These weren’t pick and pops or spot up threes. She was creating space off the dribble and hitting stepbacks with Lexi Donarski (a solid defender at this level) waving a hand in her face. It didn’t matter. Miles is playing with a confidence we haven’t seen her play with before.
And it opens up the question: does Curt Miller at least consider her at number one?
I know what you’re thinking.
“What a stupid hot take, Andrew. I come here for nuance not nonsense!”
But hear me out. Maybe I am truly nuts but I see shades of Arike Ogunbowale in Hannah Hidalgo. The pairing of Miles and the latter aforementioned ND superstar has paid dividends beyond belief. If you can get this kind of production out of Miles and make it work with a high energy, somewhat ball dominant guard, who is to say you can’t at the next level with arguably an upgraded version? The way she hits the lane and almost picks her passes in slow motion feels very Chelsea Gray-esque and I feel like the more I watch Miles play, the more that feels like the comp. Everything about Olivia’s game has improved and, had she not had an injury last year, I’d say it’s worth an even closer look given Paige Bueckers’ history with being sidelined herself. That’s not to neg Paige by any means. Instead, Miles is playing so well — and against top competition at that — that it’s worth warranting a bit more litigation at the top pick. Obviously there’s motion and marketing to consider but I’ll leave you with this: Miles is a fantastic personality, great with the media (check out our Luxury Tax episode with her to see firsthand) and already has something that can be branded and packaged. After all, who doesn’t love the goggles!?
Players have arrived in Miami for Unrivaled. What is the most exciting thing to watch for?
The players are in town, the jerseys have been unveiled and it’s time to get prepared for the inaugural season of Unrivaled. I personally can’t wait to see what’s in store. We’ve written pretty exhaustively about how the league’s business savvy is worth emulating if you’re a person working in the WNBA offices. The 3x3 league unveiled Sephora as the league’s official and exclusive beauty partner, also outfitting the league’s glam room. Opill, which is an over-the-counter contraceptive, will also be a league partner.
What I love about these additions is that they are exactly the kind of partnerships longtime WNBA fans have been clamoring for. Essentially, go find the brands that are utilized by your players, that they’ll be passionate about pushing and it will make for a seamless collaboration. Unrivaled seems to understand on a grass roots level what the fanbases are asking for and how to leverage that into marketing dollars. There’s something to be said about the comparative youth of the league’s executive management relative to the W’s and it’s being put on full display. If Unrivaled is a success in year one, I’d be throwing bags from the big orange to entice c-suiters in Miami to come to New York.
The games themselves are also going to be a lot of fun. The thing we’re going to explore in Ball Up Top and what I’m most curious about is what players games’ translate best to 3x3 and who might take a second to get acclimated. Ironically, the best player in this format isn’t going to be playing (Kelsey Plum) but I think there are others with 3x3 international experience like Dearica Hamby and Azura Stevens that are going to surprise some people with how dominant they can be. With an emphasis on player development, I’m also curious how that shows up on the court over the course of the protracted season. Will we see Angel Reese, for instance, work on her mid range jumper since the format is more conducive to trying it? The win for Unrivaled is it feels interesting on a number of levels. When you’re just trying to break into an already crowded American sports landscape, that’s a win before you even tip off the first game.
WNBA Free Agency “begins” on Saturday…
WNBA Free Agency starts on February 1st if you consider the starting point when players can officially sign contracts and offer sheets. But realistically, it begins on Saturday, the 11th. From that day until January 20th, teams can make qualifying offers and core certain players that they want to exclusively negotiate with. Expect players like Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever to get cored and set the stage for what free agency will look like moving forward.
The craziness will come with who doesn’t get cored, who wants to maximize a one year deal before the next collective bargaining agreement is signed and what qualifying offers are made. While I don’t expect top end players like Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart or Kelsey Plum to change teams even for a season, I think the middle ground of the W is going to change substantially. Arguably the most interesting thing to watch in that nine day span is what the Connecticut Sun will do. They’ve got a really great young core in place and two aging superstars who, I would argue, have topped out in terms of their contributions. That’s not to say Alyssa Thomas and Dewanna Bonner can’t still lead a playoff contender but I think the championship window might be closed on them at this stage of their careers. Does Connecticut run it back for one more season or do they allow the duo to go to open market? My hot take is that depending on how competitive Golden State wants to be out of the gate, they could be an interesting fit for both to jumpstart a new franchise.
There’s also a good chunk of ‘reserved’ players — those who have less than three years of service and thus would negotiate exclusively with their previous team if given a qualifying offer — that can be legit pieces to any team. Veronica Burton, Emily Engstler, Natasha Mack and Li Yueru are on this list, for instance.
With interest in the W at an all-time high, expect plenty of discussion over the course of the next month. It’s gonna be a doozy.
The System vs. The Player: Where the column stands on the Dawn Staley - Milaysia Fulwiley discourse.
So I’ve started to see this discourse pop up since the UCLA vs. South Carolina game online and, admittedly, I’ve contributed to it a bit myself. Those that have watched South Carolina this year have been expecting Milaysia Fulwiley to fully break out and assert herself as a player on the level of a Hannah Hidalgo or JuJu Watkins. After all, she really is the third figure in that high powered recruiting class. But, unlike the previous two, Fulwiley has been mainly playing a bench role for South Carolina, having some good games and some quiet games here and there. In spite of that, the Gamecocks are back to being the war machine that they’ve been the past four-plus years and will likely be right back in the national title conversation.
So who is right here?
It turns out, everyone and no one. Because when it comes to South Carolina, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The system vs. the star is quietly one of the major schisms in sports fandom that divide a lot of our values and viewpoints.
Do I personally want to see Fulwiley unleashed? Where she may play you out of certain possessions because of lax defense or a turnover but can make you double take with an insanely acrobatic finish at the rim or a dime to set up a three on the perimeter? Absolutely. To me, Fulwiley is one of the most exciting players in women’s college basketball so of course I, the consumer without a vested rooting interest in South Carolina’s success, want to see that. But just because that’s what I want doesn’t mean that it’s best for the team.
Dawn Staley’s job is to win games and develop her players into future pros. She isn’t here to market kids and make the motion. Could she do that? Sure. But the system is what wins at South Carolina. Everyone eats, minutes go to the hot hands and those that commit to the system and to winning are rewarded. Fulwiley, for her part, is a hardworking player with her own agency. A lot of women’s basketball fans want her to transfer because they want to see her cook but it’s pretty clear that Milaysia wants to stay at SC, learn under Staley and be a better version of herself as a player. Folks trying to force a transfer (partly because they don’t like South Carolina too) are going to be disappointed because she isn’t going anywhere.
The trick of this dance is that South Carolina fans also have to understand that player motion and system is an either/or proposition in today’s world. Criticism of ‘Dawn Staley is the star of the program’ is kind of b******t considering we never levied that same critique on Roy Williams or Bill Self, who are multi time national champions that don’t have a ton of bonafide NBA or NCAA superstars to point to. I mean, Tyler Hansborough is one of the most accomplished players in UNC history. Systems exist and in those systems, coaches fit players into it and they win a ton of games. Staley isn’t unique in that way and frankly doesn’t warrant the criticism for doing what successful coaches have been doing for decades.
But within that, fans need to understand that it does mean the potential for diminished publicity for their players. Caitlin Clark or JuJu Watkins is the system. Hannah Hidalgo is allowed to play through her mistakes. That may not mean a championship ring in April but it does mean some more column inches or talk show minutes. If you have a system like this that values the whole, it means you’re going to win but potentially at the cost of superstardom. Sometimes it feels that the only thing acceptable for some in the Gamecock fanbase is to have *everything*. When you’ve seen UConn receive that same treatment for years, it’s an understandable impulse when it’s your team at the mountaintop and you don’t receive the same promotion. But ultimately, it wasn’t good for the game when UConn dominated the discussion to that degree. Was a post Pat Summitt world where the Huskies crushed everyone en route to four straight titles interesting basketball? I’d argue no. But it won. So what matters more? The ecosystem is more healthy now. That does mean there is more to go around and if the system prevails, you might have to be okay arguing rings while others argue motion. That’s just the way it goes. So, in that respect, there won’t necessarily be a situation in which you get *everything*.
It dovetails with the situation unfolding in Rutgers right now with Kiyomi McMiller, the uber talented Allen Iverson-like freshman guard who may on her way out of the program. She released an Instagram post on Sunday announcing she wouldn’t be playing against No. 4 USC and NJ.com later reported that it stemmed from a locker room altercation that occurred after the Scarlet Knights loss to Maryland. As we get back to the system vs. the player, this is an example of how it can go wrong in the latter situation. Rutgers doesn’t stand to win many games without McMiller but they haven’t necessarily been winning with her either. But she’s undeniably watchable and to some, that’s all that matters.
Like I said, it’s in the eye of the beholder. What each side needs to know is that they need each other. System fans need fans that prioritize players to be able to drive engagement towards the game in a crowded ecosystem. But player fans need the system folks to be able to provide champions and dynasties that drive the same type of discussion. In this case, everyone has a point and, past it all, Dawn Staley keeps winning and winning and winning. Tough gig.
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
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.
A special end of year Ball Up Top is here! As you get ready to pop some champagne, hit the club or just hang at home and relax, we got you covered with the best moments in women’s basketball this 2024 season, a New Years resolution for the sport and one hot take for 2025.
Ring in 2025 and get ready for the year ahead with some gear from Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! The new Homefield knit sweaters and bomber jackets are perfect gifts to kick off your new women’s basketball year in style.
Scroll ahead to hear on the pod…
0:00 - Show Introduction.
2:58 - Best Moments of 2024.
23:35 - Women’s Basketball New Years Resolutions for 2025.
40:40 - One Hot Take Prediction for 2025.
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
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.
News was dropping all over the place on Monday with the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics filling their head coaching vacancies and Unrivaled completing their roster with Sabrina Ionescu. With some of these moves and trends shifting the landscape of women’s basketball, Tyler, Chauny, and Greer dove in with their thoughts on this week’s Ball Up Top.
The holiday season is here and there’s no better present than some gear from Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! The new Homefield knit sweaters are a perfect winter gift for the college ball-knower in your life…
0:00 Intro
0:52 Dallas Wings coaching hire and the trends of this WNBA Coaching Carousel
19:54 Sabrina is Unrivaled
28:58 Are guards the future of women’s basketball?
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
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 -
On this week’s edition of the Luxury Tax podcast, the No Cap Space WBB welcomes back Florida State guard Ta’Niya Latson, the current NCAA scoring leader in women’s basketball. She talks with Tyler and Andrew about a host of topics and shares her thoughts on being one of the most underdiscussed star players in the nation this year.
Editor’s Note: This episode was recorded before Florida State’s December 19th win over Jacksonville. Latson rolled her ankle in that game but head coach Brooke Wyckoff told the media that her star guard will get some time to rest before ACC play starts. Wishing her a speedy recovery!
Tap in to hear…
0:00 - Show Introduction
0:52 - Ta’Niya’s summer offseason work and her mindset around scoring.
5:47 - Being invited to Kelsey Plum’s ‘Dawg Camp’ and what she learned there.
9:46 - Dream NIL deal ideas and Ta’Niya’s love for legos and its’ influence on her game.
13:41 - Her upbringing and how being a military kid made her a better basketball player.
18:00 - How to leave a legacy at Florida State and Latson’s status as a standard bearer for Florida high school girls basketball players.
You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you get your pods. All of our Luxury Tax episodes are also in video format on YouTube along with our post-games and video essays. Subscribe to be get notifications of live shows and updates on new content when it comes out. And follow along with us on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
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 -
The Luxury Tax podcast is back with new episodes spotlighting the brightest stars, best coaches and biggest influences in women’s basketball. This week, the No Cap Space WBB crew is joined by Harvard guard Harmoni Turner who has set the world on fire following a hot start to the NCAA season.
On this episode you’ll hear…
3:30 - Summer of preperationand USA Basketball
11:30 - Harmoni’s charity foundation
16:30 - Why Harvard and why stick with them the whole way as other schools approached?
25:40 - What has made start to this season so special and WNBA aspirations
You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you get your pods. All of our Luxury Tax episodes are also in video format on YouTube along with our post-games and video essays. Subscribe to be get notifications of live shows and updates on new content when it comes out. And follow along with us on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
The holiday season is here and there’s no better present than some gear from Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! The new Homefield knit sweaters are a perfect winter gift for the college ball-knower in your life…
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
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.
After a big week of NCAA women’s basketball agendas, Chauny, Greer and Tyler are in the booth with another episode of Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast. The three topics this week touch on a couple of different subjects across the sport. Chauny opens the show with an ISO of her own, putting a cap on the Caitlin Clark TIME Athlete of the Year discussion while expanding on Andrew’s points in Five Out. Afterward, the trio discuss who the top three contenders are for the NCAA Player of the Year as we prepare to turn the page into 2025. The show wraps with a conversation about the teams in the NCAA Top 25 and who is worth buying and selling.
Skip ahead to hear…
…an ad! The holiday season is here and there’s no better present than some gear from Homefield! Use promo code NOCAP15 for 15% off your first purchase here! The new Homefield knit sweaters are a perfect winter gift for the college ball-knower in your life…
Now onto the show…
0:00 - Show Introduction and a special thanks from the No Cap Space WBB crew.
6:25 - A Chauny ISO and the TIME Athlete of the Year discussion…
24:00 - Who are the top three contenders for NCAA National Player of the Year?
37:30 - Buy or Sell: NCAA WBB Top 25 Week 7.
And now…a special ISO from Chauny…
Another week, another news cycle filled with unproductive dialogue surrounding Caitlin Clark.
The rookie phenom made headlines after being named Time’s Athlete of the Year and gave the quotes that many had been asking for throughout the season to quell any rumors about whether or not she was ok being an extreme right-wing avatar. This led to a bizarre response from Washington Mystics co-owner Sheila Johnson in which she asked “why couldn’t the entire WNBA been put on the cover and said ‘the WNBA is the league of the year’?”
Ok.
My immediate reaction to the soundbite was why? Why are we taking this moment to make this argument again, why? Especially when she acknowledged how race and privilege play a part in media coverage, a la Paige Bueckers at the ESPYs. What was supposed to be accomplished with this very public interview that once again put a damper on the achievement of one of the most popular representatives of the league? A player that six of the 12 GMs voted in poll this past April saying they would take in a heartbeat if they were starting a franchise. How do you think this particular strategy will get the legends the flowers they deserve? I've said this before on Twitter that our black legends deserve so much more than to be trotted out every time Caitlin accomplishes something in an attempt to browbeat new fans into caring about them.
It especially irks my last good nerve when the league itself has done literally nothing to tell its own story when given the chance, but a 22-year-old is expected to carry the league history around in her Prada bag and pull it out any and every time she receives any type of recognition.
We are about four years removed from the WNBA’s 25th season that took place in 2021 and let me tell you something America, the league give an absolute piss poor effort to commemorate that milestone. There was no tribute to fallen franchises, specifically the iconic Houston Comets, there were no games featured on ESPN Classic (instead me and the Bonnet Gang crew were trying to watch old games Youtube with Twitter friends via spaces and it was pretty much a disaster). Reader, we were in the trenches.
Fast forward to today and we still have to rely on a sort of digital oral history via old fans online to keep narratives straight, highlight different players, and disperse the lore of the league because the WNBA still won’t invest in storytelling and capitalize off this moment by really showing new fans why they should love the game as a whole instead of just chastising them for not doing the leg work before they came in.
Case in point, our own Andrew Haubner just wrote another banger for The Legendarium on Pearl Moore and really dug into what made her run so special. While we here at No Cap Space will always answer the call to do the work to cover the game, it would be nice if the entity with significantly more resources and connections could make more of an effort to do the same as well.
It is my prayer that the league makes the decision to be a protector of its own brand next year as we all will get a season of peace because let’s be honest, Paige ain’t got the motion to cause all this fuss. Apologies, that hate slipped out before I could stop it. But in all seriousness, we had a season of growing pains, now grow up and get in the booth!
You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you get your pods. All of our Luxury Tax episodes are also in video format on YouTube along with our post-games and video essays. Subscribe to be get notifications of live shows and updates on new content when it comes out. And follow along with us on X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
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.
This week, it’s Andrew, Greer and Tyler. After a busy WNBA week capped off by the Golden State Valkyries expansion draft, the crew looks into what the free agent market might be moving forward. Andrew argues that the W’s newest franchise holds all the cards while Greer and Tyler discuss some of the most intriguing possibilities to join up in the Bay Area.
Afterwards, the three discuss the NCAA tiers list from this week’s Five Out column. Each brings a different team from the list and places them where they think it’s best. Plus, a special spotlight on one team in particular: the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. Is Kim Caldwell bringing the swagger back to Rocky Top? It’s all in this week’s pod, available wherever you get them!
Skip ahead to hear…
0:00 - Show Introduction
1:58 - Will Golden State go star hunting in free agency or build organically after their expansion draft?
23:10 - Is Tennessee back? Or at least moving in that direction?
30:45 - NCAA Tiers
You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you get your pods. All of our Luxury Tax episodes are also in video format on YouTube along with our post-games and video essays. Subscribe to be get notifications of live shows and updates on new content when it comes out. And follow along with us on X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
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 -
After the reveal of the Golden State Valkyries first roster, Tyler and Greer hopped on YouTube live to discuss their immediate thoughts.
You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you get your pods. All of our Luxury Tax episodes are also in video format on YouTube along with our post-games and video essays. Subscribe to be get notifications of live shows and updates on new content when it comes out. And follow along with us on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
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 -
Jewell Loyd sets the WNBA world on fire with a trade request from the Seattle Storm. What do we think happens next?
You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you get your pods. All of our Luxury Tax episodes are also in video format on YouTube along with our post-games and video essays. Subscribe to be get notifications of live shows and updates on new content when it comes out. And follow along with us on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
Thanks for reading No Cap Space WBB! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
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 new 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.
This week it is Tyler, Chauny, and Greer on deck following a full week of Thanksgiving Hoops chaos. Do the rankings reflect where teams should be? Who is currently in the lead for the National Player of the Year? Plus a dive into the WNBA schedule release and the upcoming Golden State Valkyries expansion draft.
You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you get your pods. All of our Luxury Tax episodes are also in video format on YouTube along with our post-games and video essays. Subscribe to be get notifications of live shows and updates on new content when it comes out. And follow along with us on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
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 new 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.
If you want to skip ahead to specific topics…you can check out the time codes.
0:00 - Show Intro and
3:00 - Who is the number one team in NCAA women’s basketball right now?
16:35 - The questions surrounding USC and South Carolina.
35:45 - Is the analytics movement coming for the WNBA?
You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you get your pods. All of our Luxury Tax episodes are also in video format on YouTube along with our post-games and video essays. Subscribe to be get notifications of live shows and updates on new content when it comes out. And follow along with us on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
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 - Laat meer zien
