Who Will Claim the Final No. 1 Seed?

The WNBA has reached its revenue-sharing target for the first time. Chantel and Sabreena break down what that milestone means and explore its potential impact on the ongoing CBA negotiations. They then turn to college basketball, taking a look around the country and analyzing the performances of the TCU, Minnesota, and Kentucky as they approach the NCAA tournament. Next, they break down the race for the final No. 1 seed, explaining how the selection committee evaluates teams. They discuss strengths and weaknesses of Texas, Vanderbilt, and other SEC and Big Ten contenders, emphasizing the importance of head-to-head matchups and the implications of the SEC tournament. To close the show, we take an early look ahead and discuss where Paige Bueckers might rank in 2026. No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/ 00:00 Intro 00:34 WNBA reaches revenue-sharing goal 06:38 WNBA submits counterproposal in CBA talks 08:59 Why is housing a major sticking point for players? 10:08 Sabreena’s Scale 11:02 What's clicking for TCU? 16:13 What’s working for Minnesota? 19:53 The interesting thing about Michigan State 20:23 Could Minnesota host the tournament? 21:24 Does Kentucky need a strong finish to avoid dropping in the seedings? 26:01 Breaking down the key factors for a No. 1 seed 26:38 WAB: Wins Against the Bubble 26:54 Breaking down wins against the bubble 28:19 A look at the last top seed spot 30:52 Recency may matter for the election committee 33:11 Why an SEC team could get the final No. 1 seed 34:05How can LSU enter the No. 1 seed conversation? 35:34 The importance of the fourth No. 1 seed 37:25 The SEC championship could secure No. 1 seed 40:56 listener question Related links and articles: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7062643/2026/02/21/wnba-housing-cba-counterproposal/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7066988/2026/02/23/wnba-march-deadline-cba-term-sheet-schedule/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7065074/2026/02/23/womens-college-basketball-rankings-duke-louisville/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7064004/2026/02/22/iowa-michigan-womens-basketball-win/ by Chantel Jennings __ 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