HANDLING BUSINESS

As we wait for the WNBA CBA situation to sort itself out, there’s still plenty of important business to tend to.

On the latest edition of Tempestade Talk, Erica L. Ayala, Roberta F. Rodrigues, and I spanned the women’s basketball globe

We spent some time discussing the latest in negotiations. Things are at a standstill, and as we wait, our WBB Crew took a look at the road up to this point and what may be coming down the line.

There was also some discussion around Project B, which we will delve more into in future editions of the Women’s Basketball Roundup.

Throughout the show, we discussed an interesting report from Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports. Costabile reports that Unrivaled’s television ratings are down from 2025, amid an incredibly competitive sports landscape.

Even amid the dip, the league is confident it is on the path to success.

“We’re building Unrivaled for the long game and we’re confident in our outlook, keeping in mind the same core principles and goals we set forth when establishing the league,” Unrivaled CEO Alex Bazzell said.

Everyone wants large audiences engaging with their work. In any setting, you have to make sure your core fans are engaged and feel like the essence of what brought them to you isn't lost. It’s a delicate balance, and something we’ve seen the WNBA have to figure out in real time.

For Unrivaled, they have to figure out the best way to expand their reach while ensuring the basketball is A+ and their core fans feel a connection to the players and the games. They have time to get things right, but a big showing would alleviate any concerns fans may have.

TWO FINAL FOUR CONTENDERS FACE OFF IN PRIMETIME

One of the biggest stories in college sports throughout the 2020s has been conference realignment. We’ve seen conferences come and go, taking on shapes that seemed impossible not too long ago. In its wake, we have a lot of top-heavy conferences that feature some of the game’s heavy hitters duking it out to see who can survive the gauntlet.

We usually think of the Southeastern Conference as the toughest conference for football, but they have a great case for being the toughest basketball conference as well. It Just Means More, after all. And the SEC's scheduling has drawn the ire of one of its preeminent powers.

In the January 14 edition of the Women’s Basketball Roundup, we discussed Texas taking its first loss of the season against LSU. For Texas, it was a close loss that could have gone their way if a few things had broken in their favor.

Following that loss, Texas went back on the road and faced an even more challenging opponent. Throughout the week, Texas’s schedule was a point of discussion and a point of contention for the Longhorns.

“Of 16 games -- there's 16 games this year -- I have to play South Carolina on the road this year, as well as LSU, I get 'em back-to-back in the same week,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said.

“Like I told our kids all the time, it's us against the world a lot of times, and we have to embrace that."

On January 15, it was Texas against the entire state of South Carolina in primetime. It was their first meeting in conference and a rematch from their thriller in the Players’ Era Festival semifinals. The game was another close one, and for South Carolina, they got some payback from their only loss of the season so far.

In both meetings, Texas could not find any success from three point range. In Game 1, Texas took a season low of six three-point attempts. In Game 2, they attempted only 9 and had a season-high 22 turnovers.

The Gamecocks are top five in the nation in defensive rating and their tenacity on defense combined with a tremendous fourth quarter from star guard Raven Johnson powered SC to a much needed victory.

“It came down to will and grit. I think we did a good job at the end of executing the things that coach wanted. We didn’t want to lose in the CLA in front of all these fans,” the South Carolina senior guard said postgame.

“We dug deep, and we got to win,” she added.

Johnson is one of South Carolina’s most dependable players. Throughout her time on campus, she’s been a steady presence and someone Dawn Staley can trust to make the right plays. As she prepares for the WNBA, her defense and good decision-making will help her immensely.

In both losses, Texas struggled to protect the ball. Against elite competition, they can’t afford to make those mistakes.

They’ll get a chance to see where they stand against great teams when they begin a three-game homestand in February against Oklahoma, LSU, and Kentucky before back-to-back road games at undefeated Vanderbilt and then Tennessee.

There are no easy nights in the SEC. The conference is incredibly deep and has a bevy of Final Four contenders. As teams like Texas and South Carolina position themselves for March Madness, games like these serve as perfect tests for when the stakes are at its highest.

BIG TROUBLE IN BIG D

Things appeared to be looking up for the Dallas Wings. Paige Bueckers had a tremendous rookie season and has the number one pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft. They were also expecting to open their new practice facility in 2026, but that has hit a major snag.

On January 15, the Dallas Morning News reported that construction had not begun on the Wings’ facility. It’s a gigantic setback, and when paired with the news that their new arena won’t be ready until 2027 due to the arena being used for the FIFA World Cup, the progress Dallas had been making has been set back.

The hope now is that everything can be ready by the start of 2027.

The WNBA is looking to get into larger spaces. With those spaces come more fans, sponsorships, and ultimately, more money.

Not having a new facility and arena ready by its original deadline sets the WNBA back and throws a wrench in the league’s hot streak.

For the Wings, they have to figure out how to ensure everything is built on time so fans and players can reap the rewards of increased interest in the WNBA. All isn’t lost, but time is of the essence.

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