Raising the Game: a WNBA podcast that follows the whole season
Raising the Game is a weekly women's sports podcast hosted by Caitlin Tripp and Alex Tripp, and the WNBA has been in nearly every episode since we launched in January 2026. We don't just react to the week's box scores — we've followed the league's biggest stories from start to finish: the CBA negotiations from the missed deadline to the signed deal, the expansion draft and the free agency chaos that followed, and the officiating debate that's dogged the league all season.
New episodes every Wednesday.
Watch the latest WNBA episode
What our WNBA coverage actually includes
Most weeks, our WNBA section covers standings, trades, and individual performances the way any recap show would. What sets it apart is that we treat WNBA stories as ongoing, not one-off news items. If we cover something one week, we come back to it — the CBA talks, the officiating changes, a team's slide down the standings — until it actually resolves.
We also try to bring some rigor to arguments that usually stay at the take level. When the WNBA released its 2026 All-Star voting data, we pulled the fan, media, and player rankings apart stat by stat instead of just reacting to who made the team. When the league's fouls-per-game numbers jumped, we went and got the actual figures instead of relying on vibes.
The 2026 CBA: from missed deadline to a $7 million cap
We covered the WNBA's collective bargaining fight from the first missed deadline in January through the deal that finally landed in March. The union and league went from a standoff so tense we spent an episode asking if a strike was actually coming, to a marathon stretch of "crunch time" negotiations, to a seven-year agreement that raised the salary cap from $1.5 million to $7 million and pushed the league average salary from roughly $120,000 to about $583,000. For the first time, player pay is tied to 20% of league revenue.
We also broke down the details that got less attention than the headline numbers: the new EPIC rule that lets All-WNBA players renegotiate up to a max contract in year four, and lets MVPs reach the super max even earlier. If you want the full arc of the biggest labor story in women's sports — not just the day the deal was announced — that's what our CBA episodes cover.
Short on time? Our 2026 WNBA CBA explainer puts the whole negotiation, the final numbers, and every related episode on one page.
Expansion, free agency, and A'ja Wilson's record deal
The CBA deal set off a chain reaction we covered in real time: an expansion draft that stocked rosters for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, followed by free agency for more than 80% of the league. In the middle of it, A'ja Wilson signed a $5 million, three-year deal with the Aces — the largest contract in WNBA history — and we walked through what it means for the rest of the market. We also spent real time on the Connecticut Sun relocation controversy, which got tangled up in the same offseason news cycle.
The officiating story we haven't let go of
This has been one of our most-discussed WNBA threads all season. Coming into 2026, the league convened an officiating task force of players and coaches to address physicality. What followed was a jump from 17.5 fouls and 18.2 free throws per game in 2025 to 22.3 fouls and 23.1 free throws in 2026 — a shift big enough that by midseason, 12 of 15 teams were averaging more fouls per game than the league leader had the year before. We covered the head of WNBA officiating's explanation that nothing had technically changed, and Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve's response that the task force never asked for more marginal fouls to be called.
That tension boiled over in July, when a loose-ball play between Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark went uncalled on the floor, went viral as a still frame, and was upgraded to a flagrant foul and a one-game suspension the next day — after Thomas and her family received a wave of online threats. We covered the incident directly: what the video actually showed, why the league's after-the-fact review process is part of the problem, and why we think WNBA fans' selective outrage says as much about the discourse as the officiating does.
Season 30: the Lynx, the Fever, and the MVP race
We tracked the WNBA's 30th season from tip-off. The Minnesota Lynx spent most of the year as the league's best team, while the Indiana Fever's early-season struggles — and the scouting report teams built around attacking Caitlin Clark defensively — became one of the year's bigger storylines. We covered it as a basketball question first: what Clark's opponents figured out, how the officiating changes affected her foul trouble, and what her team needed to fix.
When All-Star selections came out, we went through the fan, media, and player voting splits stat by stat — A'ja Wilson's MVP-caliber across every category, the case that Angel Reese and Jackie Young were snubbed, and why we think weighting the fan vote at 50% skews who actually makes the team.
Start with these WNBA episodes
Five entry points, depending on what you're most interested in:
The CBA deal, explained (Episode 12)
The week the WNBA finally got its seven-year deal, we walked through every number: the cap jump to $7 million, the $270,000 minimum salary, and the new EPIC rule that lets young stars renegotiate early.
Expansion draft and free agency chaos (Episode 14)
The offseason cascade in full: the expansion draft that stocked Toronto and Portland, the free agency wave that followed, and the Connecticut Sun relocation mess.
Season preview and A'ja Wilson's record deal (Episode 16)
Our full preview of the 2026 season, built around the largest contract in WNBA history and what it signals for the market underneath it.
The WNBA's whistle problem (Episode 20)
The episode where we first laid out the foul and free-throw numbers behind the league's officiating shift, before it became a national story.
All-Star snubs and the officiating firestorm (Episode 27)
The Alyssa Thomas–Caitlin Clark incident, the All-Star voting breakdown by the numbers, and why we think the discourse around both got out of hand.
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe to Raising the Game wherever you listen.
If you'd rather read, the blog has written recaps of every show, including the WNBA episodes above.
Latest WNBA episodes
Episode 44 - Golden State Valkyries Win the WNBA Title in Year 2
The Golden State Valkyries are 2026 WNBA champions, and they did it in year two of the franchise's existence.
Episode 43 - A WNBA Title Could Be Clinched at 12:30 in the Afternoon
Game six of the WNBA Finals tips at 12:30 Eastern because of an arena conflict, the Indiana Fever lost their team president and general manager in the same day, and the last NWSL playoff spot comes down to three teams on decision day.
Episode 42 - Nobody on the Valkyries Can Slow Down Angel Reese
Angel Reese put up 30 points and 16 rebounds to even the WNBA Finals, the league handed out a six-player All-Rookie Team, and the USWNT came back from two down against Spain without answering the question of who actually starts.
Episode 41 - A'ja's Fifth MVP, Two Sweeps, and a Finals Nobody Predicted
A'ja Wilson won her fifth MVP, and Golden State and Atlanta swept their way into a Finals between the league's highest-revenue team and its lowest-attended one. Plus Spain exposed a real problem in the USWNT midfield.
Episode 40 - The College Sports Bill's Title IX Loophole, Angel Reese's DPOY, WNBA Semis
The Protect College Sports Act cleared the Senate with a Title IX workaround buried in its language, Angel Reese won Defensive Player of the Year, and the WNBA semifinals delivered the best basketball of the season.
Episode 39 - The Lynx's Playoff Wake-Up Call, PWHL's First All-Star Game, NWSL Tiebreak Chaos
The Lynx dropped game one at home, none of the four WNBA playoff openers were close, and the PWHL announced the first all-star game in women's professional hockey history.
Episode 38 - WNBA Seeding Chaos, Records Falling, and a Report the NWSL Can't Wave Off
The WNBA regular season ends with five teams fighting over four seeds, records fall everywhere, and a Defector report on how the NWSL handles misconduct.
Episode 37 - Team USA Sets the Standard, and the WNBA Playoff Math Gets Real
Team USA's fifth straight FIBA World Cup title, a third-quarter masterclass against France, WNBA playoff seeding math, and our USWNT roster picks for Spain.
More WNBA episodes
- Episode 36 - Jeff Goldberg on the UConn Dynasty
- Episode 35 - We Did the Me-Bounds Math, and the NWSL Playoff Line Keeps Moving
- Episode 34 - The Facility Boom, the Playoff Logjam, and Getting the Clowns Out
- Episode 33 - Cameroon Makes History and Kayla McBride Makes Records
- Episode 32 - Women's Pro Baseball Is Back After 70 Years, Plus the Playoff Races Get Real
- Episode 31 - FIFA's $20 Billion World Cup Plan Collapses in Three Days
- Episode 30 - Record Crowds and a Messy All-Star Game, Plus the Fight Over Title IX
- Episode 29 - Does the WNBA Need New Leadership? Plus the Queen's Classic and an All-Star Draft Preview
- Episode 28 - Is It Still Fair to Assume the USWNT Wins? Pay-to-Play, Global Parity, and a WNBA Roundup
- Episode 27 - All-Star Snubs, an Officiating Firestorm, and NWSL's Big Return
- The Door Part Two: Ann Meyers Drysdale, Lisa Leslie, and the Doors They Kicked Open
- Episode 25 - Serena Returns, NWSL Comeback, and a WNBA Heat Check
- Episode 24 - Marketing Women's Sports and the New Fan Economy
- Episode 23 - Hilary Knight's Sign-and-Trade, Olivia Miles MVP Watch, and USWNT Gets Schooled in Brazil
- Episode 22 - Dense Week: Transfers, Transparency, and the Fever's Cracks
- Episode 21 - Montreal Raises the Walter Cup, PWHL Goes to 12, and the WNBA Heats Up
- Episode 20 - PWHL Finals Heat Up, Four New Teams Confirmed, and the WNBA Has a Whistle Problem
- Episode 19 - Ottawa Upsets Boston, Detroit Joins the PWHL, NWSL Week 7, and WNBA Season 30 Is Here
- Episode 18 - PWHL Playoffs Heat Up, Expansion Plans Drop, WNBA Season 30 Arrives
- Episode 17 - PWHL Playoffs Set, NWSL Week 5, and WNBA Preseason
- Episode 16 - WNBA Season Preview, A'ja Wilson's Historic Deal, and Emma Hayes' Masterclass
- Episode 15 - The $3 Billion Moment: Women's Sports Is No Longer a Bet, It's a Buy
- Episode 14 - NCAA Championship, WNBA Free Agency, and Why Connecticut Can't Have Nice Things
- Episode 12 - The WNBA CBA Is Here, Women's Tackle Football, and March Madness Magic
- Episode 11: WNBA CBA Crunch Time, NWSL Is Back, and the PWHL Playoff Race Heats Up
- Episode 9 Recap: The Olympic Effect Is Real, the CBA Might Actually Get Done, and We Have Thoughts on That Phone Call
- Episode 8 Recap: USA Olympic Hockey Gold, She Believes Cup Roster & WNBA CBA Drama
- Episode 7 Recap: USA Women's Hockey, WNBA CBA, Angel Reese Returns to Unrivaled & NWSL Roster Moves
- Episode 6 Recap: 2026 Winter Olympics, Lindsey Vonn, & Team USA Hockey
- Episode 5 Recap: WNBA CBA Deep Dive: Is a Strike Coming?
- Episode 3 Recap: NWSL "Rodman Rule," WNBA Moratorium & 2026 Winter Olympics Preview
- Episode 2 Recap: WNBA Labor Standoff, Unrivaled’s Electric Debut, & Volleyball’s Big Business
Frequently asked questions
Is there a podcast dedicated to the WNBA?
Raising the Game isn't exclusively a WNBA podcast — we also cover the NWSL, PWHL, USWNT, and college sports — but the WNBA has appeared in nearly every episode since we launched in January 2026. We've covered the league week by week through a full CBA negotiation, an expansion draft, free agency, and an entire season, which is more consistent WNBA coverage than most dedicated shows manage.
Do you cover the WNBA CBA and free agency?
In depth. We followed the 2026 CBA negotiations from the missed January deadline through the seven-year deal that raised the salary cap to $7 million, and we broke down the expansion draft, the wave of free agency that followed for over 80% of the league, and A'ja Wilson's record-setting contract with the Aces.
Do you talk about WNBA officiating and controversies?
Yes, extensively. We tracked the jump in fouls and free throws per game after the league's officiating task force, and we covered the Alyssa Thomas–Caitlin Clark incident and the discourse around it in detail, including the parts other coverage left out.
How often do new WNBA episodes come out?
Weekly, every Wednesday, with a dedicated WNBA section in nearly every episode. The show has published every week since January 2026, aside from a short midseason break.
Do you cover every WNBA team, or just the popular ones?
We try to cover the league, not just the storylines that trend. That means Minnesota Lynx standings talk gets the same attention as Indiana Fever headlines, and we've flagged when we think fan and media attention is skewed toward one team or player over the stats.
Where can I listen to your WNBA podcast episodes?
Full video episodes are on YouTube. Audio is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and every major podcast app. Every episode also gets a written recap on our blog.
What makes your WNBA coverage different?
We follow stories across months instead of treating each week as a clean slate. We also don't shy away from the league's harder storylines — officiating, harassment of players, governance — alongside the growth story, which most WNBA-adjacent coverage picks one side of.
How do I suggest a WNBA topic or guest?
Email us at raisingthegamepod@gmail.com or reach out on Instagram. Several of our deep dives, including the officiating breakdowns, started as listener questions.