Is Women’s College Basketball Entering A New Era of Parity?

Zena and Sabreena start their discussion by evaluating Rebecca Lobo and Sue Bird’s view that the league’s offer to players is favorable. They then break down the weekend’s biggest upsets—from Kansas State’s surprising win over Texas Tech to the coaching decisions and team chemistry that made the difference. The duo also dives into the Coretta Scott King Classic, unpacking must-see matchups like Ohio State vs. TCU and Vanderbilt vs. Michigan, where strengths were tested and flaws exposed. They step back to assess UConn’s continued dominance, Notre Dame’s challenges, and the bigger question looming over the season: is women’s college basketball finally leveling out? Plus, Chantel Jennings returns as she takes the hot seat for a game of Two Truths and a Lie. No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/ 00:00 Intro 00:52 WNBA star and UConn legend Rebecca Lobo weighs in on ongoing CBA negotiations 03:38 Is public sentiment waning on what players deserve? 15:51 Texas Tech suffers its first loss of the season 17:40 What did the win against Texas Tech tell us about Kansas State? 21:48 Recapping the 2nd annual Coretta Scott King Classic 23:16 Ohio State pulled out a 71–69 win over TCU 25:15 Michigan takes Vanderbilt down to the wire 28:05 Aubrey Galvan has been a shining presence for Vanderbilt 31:34 Another dominant game for UConn 31:43 Sarah Strong reaches 1,000-point milestone in her career 33:38 The changes at Notre Dame are evident on the court 34:49 Is there a team that can challenge UConn? 36:59 Are we witnessing a shift toward parity in women’s college hoops? 47:57 Have a minute? Fill out our survey at theathletic.com/survey26 Related links and articles: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6979561/2026/01/17/kansas-state-texas-tech-first-loss/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6984543/2026/01/20/womens-college-basketball-power-rankings-south-carolina-texas/ by Sabreena Merchant 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 -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