Is South Carolina Destined to Return to the Title Game?

There was no shortage of women’s hoops news this weekend! Zena, Chantel, and Sabreena kick things off with the news of Breanna Stewart signing with a EuroLeague Women team and what it means as she plans to join after Unrivaled. Then they break down Adam Silver’s latest comments on the WNBA CBA negotiations. From there, the crew shares their thoughts on Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tournament final and the league’s plan to add a postseason tour stop. Next, we take a look at the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee’s Top 16 reveal and what it signals about the selection process and evaluation criteria. Afterwards, it’s all about the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball. The trio breaks down how the Gamecocks have navigated challenges this season, highlighting the team’s flexibility as a defining strength. They discuss a frontcourt that has exceeded expectations despite key absences, the pivotal contributions of Raven Johnson, Joyce Edwards, and Madina Okot, the impact of new additions, and Dawn Staley’s masterful in-game adjustments. They also examine South Carolina’s reimagining following last season’s title loss — and whether a return to the championship game is within reach. To close things out, we wrap up with a fun, Dawn Staley–inspired game. No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/ 00:00 Intro 00:48 Breanna Stewart has signed with Opet 05:22 Chelsea Gray wins Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tournament 05:55 Unrivaled adds Brooklyn as a postseason tour stop 08:19 Adam Silver speaks on WNBA CBA talks during NBA All-Star Weekend 11:14 Breaking down the delays caused by the CBA negotiations 14:25 What does the WCCB committee Top 16 say? 16:45 How the SEC tournament could affect the standings 17:36 How will the Big Ten shake out in the standings? 20:58 What makes South Carolina so impressive? 23:19 How has South Carolina’s identity shaped their success? 24:19 What’s different about South Carolina this year? 27:18 How Raven Johnson boosts South Carolina 35:13 How do SC’s bigs measure up against the competition? 36:02 ​​A look at the shift in SC’s frontcourt 38:19 Is SC’s frontcourt the best in WCCB? 41:46 What impact have SC’s newcomers made? 44:12 South Carolina has remained consistent 47:01 Will this year’s SC team be a stiffer challenge? 47:46 Can SC and UCLA take down UConn this year? Related links and articles: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7047115/2026/02/14/adam-silver-wnbpa-cba-all-star-weekend-2026/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7043511/2026/02/13/unrivaled-schedules-postseason-games-in-new-york/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7051296/2026/02/16/breanna-stewart-euro-league-wnba-unrivaled/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7051730/2026/02/17/womens-college-basketball-power-rankings-south-carolina-sec/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/28/travel/driving-my-life-my-mercedes-cl500.html by Dawn Staley __ 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