On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Missy Heidrick gives listeners a recap on all things women’s basketball. Heidrick covers Team USA’s progress so far at the Paris Olympics, in both the 3-on-3 and the 5-on-5 tournaments. She also covers the NCAA’s antitrust lawsuit and what it could mean for college basketball. Heidrick wraps things up with a discussion on the WNBA’s new media rights deal.
Heidrick starts out by expressing her appreciation for the Olympic games, and she anticipates that Team USA’s first match against Japan will result in a USA victory (an accurate prediction – Team USA beat Japan 102-76). She also breaks down some of the dynamics of this year’s Team USA. “There was lots of conversation and consternation about how this team looks,” Heidrick says. “But it’s a greatly experienced squad, with a handful of newcomers as well. Heidrick also gives a special shout-out to veteran Diana Taurasi, who is currently playing in her last Olympics.
Later on, Heidrick opens a conversation about the NCAA antitrust lawsuit making headlines. “We’ve talked about how this was coming down the pipeline,” Heidrick says. “But now we have gotten there. The NCAA and its Power 5 conferences are going to reshape everything in terms of college sports going forward.” Heidrick offers more analysis of the lawsuit and shares some opinions on not only the details of the suit but where she thinks it’s headed.
Heidrick closes out the episode by discussing the new 11-year media rights deal that the WNBA struck with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC. In addition to the details of the deal, however, Heidrick makes sure to acknowledge the people who worked hard to make this happen. “Now the W stands on its own,” Heidrick says. “It’s something a lot of people have been working towards … we need to give credit to the trailblazers.”
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