Who Will Survive the Sweet 16?

Chantel and Sabreena dive into the implications of the newly ratified WNBA CBA, exploring its impact on player contracts and how teams may approach free agency moving forward. Then the duo take an in-depth look at the Sweet 16, analyzing the matchups and standout player performances while examining how crowd dynamics influence outcomes. They also explore the representation of different conferences in the tournament, highlighting trends, surprises, and potential upsets, giving fans a comprehensive view of what makes this stage of March Madness so exciting. Lastly, they wrap things up with “And One More Thing,” discussing the hiring of Tammi Reiss at Florida and how she might go about restoring the program. No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/ 00:00 Intro 00:33 Catch us live on YouTube this Saturday after the Sweet 16 01:16 Latest updates from the ratified CBA 03:49 The WNBA season may run as late as November 21 04:58 Inside the 2026 rookie contracts 06:31 How teams might approach free agents 07:54 Explaining the rules around supermax contracts 10:46 Which free agents might be moving? 14:09 Sweet 16 Preview 15:14 (4) Oklahoma vs. (1) South Carolina – Sweet 16 15:29 (10) Virginia vs. (3) TCU – Sweet 16 15:49 (5) Kentucky vs. (1) Texas – Sweet 16 15:58 (4) Minnesota vs. (1) UCLA – Sweet 16 18:23 What will the scene be like in Sacramento for the tournament? 25:09 Should we view the ACC differently? 25:47 (4) North Carolina vs. (1) UConn – Sweet 16 26:12 Can North Carolina challenge UConn? 28:29 Could there be any potential upsets in the Sweet 16? 29:11 (6) Notre Dame vs. (2) Vanderbilt – Sweet 16 29:56 (3) Duke vs. (2) LSU – Sweet 16 31:17 And One More Thing 32:18 How can Tammi Reiss turn things around at Florida? Related links and articles: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7138313/2026/03/22/caitlin-clark-paige-bueckers-rookie-salary-cba/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7141131/2026/03/23/wnba-players-vote-labor-deal-approved/ by Sabreena Merchant  https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7145136/2026/03/24/wnba-term-sheet-cba-details/ by Sabreena Merchant and Chantel Jennings  https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7142805/2026/03/24/womens-sweet-16-matchups-predictions/ by Sabreena Merchant, Chantel Jennings, Grace Raynor, and Cameron Teague Robinson  https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7148091/2026/03/26/virginia-womens-…s-ohanian-reddit/ 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 Thumbnail: Johnnie Izquierdo / Stringer / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images