Will the Fever & Aces Find an Upswing? Can New York Get Back on Top?

Zena is back from vacation – and stepping into a world where the WNBA dominates her social feed. She and Ben talk about All-Star Weekend, and how the W – from the StudBudz to the players’ viral warmup shirts – has moved into a new space of cultural prominence. Next, Ben shares reporting updates on the CBA – the new collective bargaining agreement being negotiated in the WNBA – including who exactly is sitting on both sides of the table, how revenue sharing actually works in the W (hint: it’s different than you think), and what the league is willing to say about its profitability. Then, Zena and Ben talk through some of the biggest questions facing the teams of the WNBA as the second half of the season gets underway. Can the Fever and the Aces make a real run for it? With some fresh faces in the mix, will the Liberty be back on top? Are there any lower ranked teams that can make it to the playoffs? Plus, what we’re watching this weekend. REFERENCES: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6512337/2025/07/24/wnba-cba-negotiations-revenue-share-salaries/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6510223/2025/07/23/indiana-fever-second-half-caitlin-clark-injury-wnba/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6506954/2025/07/21/emma-meesseman-new-york-liberty-wnba-news/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6505825/2025/07/21/wnba-second-half-season-questions/ 00:00 - Show Intro 01:11 - All-Star Weekend Brings W to New Cultural Heightsl 09:35 - CBA Updates: Who’s doing the negotiating? 14:08 - CBA Updates: Progress? Biggest Sticking Points? 17:22 - How does revenue sharing work in the WNBA? 24:42 - “The league is closer than ever before to making a profit” 29:01 - What will become of the Fever and the Aces in the second half of the season? 34:35 - Will New York make it back to the top of the W? 38:59 - Which lower ranked teams will make the playoffs? 44:05 - Set Your Screens: What to Watch this Weekend #wnba #cba #allstar Thumbnail: Catalina Fragoso, David L. Nemec via Getty Images Follow and listen to the audio podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/no-offseason-the-athletic-womens-basketball-show/id1699815468 Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com. You can also find us on socials: -Instagram: @tanooffseason -TikTok: @no_offseason -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports Hub: https://sports.yahoo.com/womens-sports/?guccounter=1