COOK

Losing Big Oh absolutely sucks but this isn't a bad roster by any means.

IF*** Caldwell makes even some minor tweaks to this system I think Tennessee is gonna be just fine. But it was very clear the living in the past of the program needed to die. It just happened louder than we thought.

Kim Caldwell has a pretty nice roster now.

Amazing what happens when you don't have assistants poisoning the well and fans that hate you because of reasons.

Five Out: Million Dollar History, Azzi Fudd's Weird Week, and Endangered Mid-Majors WNBA training camps are already underway and there's a lot of women's basketball news to reflect on and even more to look forward to.

This week's Five Out is here!
- Fudd's Weird Week
- The Winners of a Transformational WNBA Free Agency
- Which Owners are Ready for the New WNBA
- The Death of the Mid-Major Tourney Run?
www.nocapspacewbb.com/p/five-out-million-dolla...

Ultimately, some of it is inherently problematic. Are you going to stop hiring attractive women because of their propensity to attract similarly attractive men? No. That’s discriminatory on its face.

There’s just some middle ground that feels impossible to find here and that in itself is tough

Now the bigger task is how we figure out how to use Russini as a way to destroy newsbreaker/stenographer culture entirely.

But you know how you won’t break it? By circling the wagons in the bullshit way everyone is doing now.

Ultimately I don’t know what the fix for the Russini problem is. But the bigger problem is that there a legit problem to fix. It isn’t just bad apples here. This happens a lot.

And yeah, there’s more Russini’s out there. People wanna hold it tight but they exist.

Personally, my rule was always “if they’re not on your beat, I don’t care” when it came to dating within the reporter - athletes/coach sphere.

But the defense/silence around this is preposterous.

Is it bullshit that Schefter and Shams are agency flacks that get off Scot free? Sure.

But this circling of the wagons around Russini is utterly ridiculous.

She deserves to be cast out. So do the other guys. But I’m seeing a lot of folks defending this because they don’t wanna out their friends

Look man, this is all bullshit.

Steph Noh wrote a great column that women sports journalists shouldn’t be treated as a monolith.

But this idea that the dynamic is somehow unequal rings a bit hollow to me. Russini wasn’t a student to Vrabel’s teacher. They’re adults. They CHOSE to do this.

I think it’s pretty funny how a lot of sports reporters joked about the people defending Nuzzi as some smol bean who couldn’t make choices for herself are now twisting themselves into knots to doing the same thing for Russini.

Las Vegas Signs Chennedy Carter To Training Camp Deal, First Time Back In WNBA Since 2024 With Sky YouTube video by No Cap Space WBB

Las Vegas announced today that Chennedy Carter has signed a training camp contract.

The guard was last in the WNBA in 2024 with the Sky where she averaged 17.5 points per game.

Tyler and Greer breakdown what she can provide for the reigning champs: youtu.be/bBt5O0ME5V4

Golden State Trading Flau'jae Johnson To Seattle Becomes Instantly CONFUSING Move With Explanation YouTube video by No Cap Space WBB

Last night, Golden State drafted Flau'jae Johnson and traded her to Seattle with a return that left fans confused.

GM Ohemaa Nyanin's comments post draft added to the confusion further.

@tylerdeluca.bsky.social calls the iso on the NCS YouTube: youtu.be/LcEJ785ChG0

GM needs to be able to answer the phone in a timely manner in order for that to happen lol

Wow.

Huge play by Washington on draft day. So now what do you do if you’re Michael Winger…?

Friends, I am thrilled to introduce you to Valkyries Beat.

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The FINAL 2026 WNBA Mock Draft: Where Will Azzi Fudd, Lauren Betts and Olivia Miles Land? YouTube video by No Cap Space WBB

It is WNBA Draft Day!

Our Rashard Hall dropped his final mock draft yesterday, today @aghaubner.bsky.social and @tylerdeluca.bsky.social bring their reactions to it on the NCS Youtube!

Where do we think Azzi Fudd, Lauren Betts, Olivia Miles, and more land? youtu.be/8fkmjRr-FBk

Azzi YOU are a Dallas Wing lol

RICKEA JACKSON TO THE CHICAGO SKY? Trade Sending Ariel Atkins to Los Angeles Is Imminent YouTube video by No Cap Space WBB

Rickea Jackson to the Chicago Sky for Ariel Atkins is a trade on the horizon, reports Annie Costabile.

@aghaubner.bsky.social and @tylerdeluca.bsky.social react to the news of the Sparks young star likely being on the move: youtu.be/OopxzrKg8UA

Appreciate this always, my man!!

What is frustrating is this conversation about who picks up the phone and for whom. The assumption seems to be there’s no money in it (and time for reporters) for anything other than A-tier scoops and the numbers just demonstrably prove that that’s wrong now.

Angel Reese's Atlanta Fit + Top Realistic WNBA Free Agents and Where They Might Land YouTube video by No Cap Space WBB

We are officially into the WNBA Free Agency period!

@tylerdeluca.bsky.social and @aghaubner.bsky.social put a bow on their thoughts on Angel Reese's fit in Atlanta plus dive into their most exciting realistic free agent fits! youtu.be/vz_jRrK7EYc

Rough Notes: Holding Chicago Sky Ownership Accountable with Andrew Haubner A candid dive into the franchise's present + past.

"I think Jeff Pagglioca has a belief that he’s unimpeachable because he helped bring the championship to Chicago. I don’t think that’s necessarily a unique story in business or sports... The Chicago Sky story right now, more than anything else, is one of stubbornness." - @aghaubner.bsky.social

Seerat and @aghaubner.bsky.social were pounding nails with this podcast. The Dream IS the SEC WNBA team. The culture fit. Smesko. It all reminds me so much of the OG Comets.

The real problem is that we don’t have any Seth Wickersham or Ramona Shelburne types yet.

The need for immediacy is such a stupid sports media drug we’ve gotten fans addicted to.

But it also lays bare that YOU CANNOT REPLACE MEDIA WITH INFLUENCERS OR PLAYER LED MEDIA.

The dream system for these athletes actually sucks for the health of the leagues conversation

Yeah 10 million in a down year tells me that this baseline is noticeably different. Sport is in a completely different place culturally.

The Sky Make the Worst Trade in WNBA History, Angel Reese's Fit in Atlanta, and Why the Mystics Fired Jamila Wideman

Chicago is again on the losing side of an awful trade. So why does the Sky GM still have a job? And why did the Mystics GM lose hers? Power struggles, pressure and self-sabotage with @aghaubner.bsky.social Plus, Angel Reese’s fit, on and off the court, in Atlanta.

open.spotify.com/episode/0WlD...

Warzel Banger. God damn.