Jose Fernandez on Coaching Paige Bueckers—and Why the WNBA Was the Right Next Step

The WNBPA has authorized its executive committee to call for a strike “when necessary” amid ongoing CBA negotiations. Sabreena and Ben break down what the authorization means, the league’s response, and how perceptions of fairness in negotiations can differ from each side. Then, new Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez sits down with the duo to talk about the evolution of college basketball, his vision for the Wings, and the thrill of coaching elite talent like Paige Bueckers. Later, Zena joins the conversation to discuss what we’ve learned about Coach Fernandez and the expectations surrounding the Wings this season. Finally, we close with Set Your Screens. No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/ 00:00 Intro 17:27 Jose Fernandez joins the show! 45:59 What We Learned + Set Your Screens Related links and articles: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6900593/2025/12/18/wnba-players-association-strike-authorization/ by Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6899487/2025/12/18/wnba-cba-breanna-stewart-adam-silver/ by Denny Alfonso Follow and listen to the audio podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/no-offseason-the-athletic-womens-basketball-show/id1699815468 Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com Show Links: -YouTube: @No-Offseason -Instagram: @tanooffseason [https://www.instagram.com/tanooffseason] -TikTok: @no_offseason [https://www.tiktok.com/@no_offseason] Credits: -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings -Produced by Taneka Burrell -Executive Produced by Andrea B. Scott Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports Hub: https://sports.yahoo.com/womens-sports/?guccounter=1 Full Episodes Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UWQzuMYdm7txmok7cpMB3YlgkwrT2E0 Shorts Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UWQzuMYdm72uhBjsd24rsh5teZtgUpS