What the WNBA can learn from the NWSL CBA + Here come the Aces (and Violet!)
Zena, Sabreena, and Ben start with a temperature check of the WNBA. They dive into the Las Vegas Aces five-game winning streak and what their latest win over New York tells us about each of the rival squads. They also share their thoughts on the hatching of Violet, the new mascot of the Valkyries, and the increasingly complicated potential sale of the Connecticut Sun . Then, Meg Linehan (womens sports lead at The Athletic) joins Zena and Sabreena for a conversation about labor across womens sports. They talk about the NWSL CBA, what the WNBA players association could learn from that document, and how this rapid growth in womens sports is affecting soccer and basketball. Finally, Ben comes back with Zena and Sabreena to set their screens as the race for the postseason tightens up. REFERENCES: 00:47 Liberty-Aces highly competitive battle 03:05 Liberty's challenges without key players 07:16 Breanna Stewart potential return 08:07 Jewell Loyd off the bench is working 09:44 Valkyries make history on Wednesday night 10:05 Valkyries unveiled new mascot 16:41 Does the Connecticut Sun have their eyes on Houston? 19:50 CBA negotiations in the NWSL 22:53 The NWSL had the players involved early in the negotiations 25:10 Lessons for the WNBA from the NWSL 27:59 Revenue share and financial transparency 30:23 Public sentiment and its impact 37:20 What can we learn from the NWSL CBA negotiations? 39:21 Injury concerns and player load 43:06 WNBPA taping into other leagues 45:47 Who is the NWSL transcendent player? #wnba #nwsl #aces Thumbnail: David Becker, Ethan Miller via Getty Images Follow and listen to the audio podcast: Leave a comment wherever youre listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com. You can also find us on socials: -Instagram: @tanooffseason -TikTok: @no_offseason -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports Hub: Full Episodes Playlist: Shorts Playlist:
