Swish Happens Here: No Rest for the Weary and From Community to Controversy

The bright lights of WNBA All-Star weekend have come and gone as the second half of the 2025 season kicked off this week.

From the No. 2 Liberty in the standings down to the 10th-seeded Golden State Valkyries, only five games separate eight teams jockeying for seven playoff berths. Buckle up because we are surely in for a treat like no other.

You have a select few at the top of the league, like the Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury, and the previously mentioned Liberty squad. They have legitimate paths to a Finals appearance in hopes of hoisting the Tiffany & Co.-designed championship trophy.

The next pack of teams features the Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream, who have been swapping the fourth and fifth spots in the standings recently. Both are standing in the green room’s door frame for legitimate contenders, but have yet to enter it with widespread confidence. As for the rest, some have an uphill battle ahead. Others are just happy to be here, but must wake up and smell the coffee brewing in 2026.

With half of the schedule finished at this point, here are 10 storylines to keep an eye on:

1.) No Rest for the Weary

After the All-Star Game, players and staff most likely flew home to their respective markets on Sunday. The only thing is that 19 of the 21 All-Stars were on track to play in the five games scheduled Tuesday night as play resumed, which puts 10 of 13 teams on the court in 72 hours, give or take, since the game on Saturday.

Liberty All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu called it for what it is: a “grueling second half of the season.”

“Obviously, it’s fun. I think it would’ve been a little bit more competitive if teams didn’t play in such a short amount of days. That’s something as we’re talking, obviously, into our CBA and understanding, like, All-Stars don’t really have a break. We finish and we get on a flight the next day. We’re here, jam-packed weekend wanting to pour into the fans, show up to events, do three-point contests, skills contests, and play in a game and fly right back to practice and play in three days. That’s something, obviously, as players, we want to come out here during this time and put on a great show for the fans, but also take care of our bodies because we don’t have time. We enter now a grueling second half of the season and teams are trying to make playoff pushes and players are trying to get back from injury. That’s something as players that we have to continue to stand on is maybe trying to get a few more days to where we can have a little bit more of a competitiveness in these games.”  — Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu to reporters after the All-Star game.

One of the worst-kept secrets during CBA negotiations in Indianapolis was the players’ frustration with a condensed schedule this year, especially around the All-Star break. Participating in any capacity is an honor, but it isn’t a “break” by any stretch of the imagination. While other players are recharging their batteries after a jam-packed first half, All-Star weekend participants have schedules filled to the brim with social appearances, media obligations, practices, and the game itself to complete while the rest of the league is on hiatus.

At practice earlier this week, Liberty star Breanna Stewart sounded off on the lack of rest for players and making the All-Star Game better for everyone involved.

 

“If we want the product in the All-Star Game to be better, then we have to have more time in between the games. There’s no way that you’re going to have a super competitive All-Star game with a [Liberty] game on Tuesday.” — Liberty forward Breanna Stewart on league issues

 

The regular-season schedule expanded to 44 games this year — up 40 from 2024 — and how it has affected player health and performance is evident. With most teams having played at least 22 games, The Next’s injury tracker recorded 144 injuries across the WNBA so far, compared to the 203 from all of last season. It’s unclear how four extra games will impact player health and safety first, and the trajectory of playoff contention. What is clear is that players are fed up, including WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, who utilized her postgame presser on Tuesday to clear the air with Qasim Ali of Everett Sports and me. 

Given the nature of Ionescu’s comments about adequate rest, I followed up with Ogwumike for specifics on how it was addressed during the meeting with league officials and the WNBPA:

“Yeah, that’s something that was touched upon as we were trying to figure out how we wanted to present our proposal, you know, the cadence of games, along with the limited number of available bodies over the course of the season to play these games. That’s very much a part of the conversation, you know. Prioritizing player health and safety in that way as its reflected in the season’s footprint.”

Ali continued the line of questioning with Ogwumike on the difficulty of this season’s length and the quick turnaround after the All-Star break. She did not hold back.

“I don’t think it was okay for anyone,” Ogwumike laughed dryly. In my 10 All-Stars that I’ve been to, this was by far the most minimal turnaround that every team has ever had.”

It may seem like common knowledge that players have grievances on several fronts about the 44-game schedule, but as media members, our job is to ask the questions, especially if they can be formed differently for additional context. As someone who spent a season-and-a-half on the Storm beat, this never hurts, especially with an important figure like Ogwumike.

Most teams will have resumed play at this point, I find it imperative to show the speed of the turnaround players are facing. The start of the second half has a brutal stretch for eight of the 13 teams starting from Tuesday, as shown below:

 

• Atlanta Dream – The WNBA’s only team in the Southeastern United States faced the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday, then traveled immediately after the game (shoutout to charter flights) to Phoenix to complete a back-to-back with three days off following. Then they play five games in eight days with another back-to-back from San Francisco to Dallas, with one day off before two games in three days.

 

• Golden State Valkyries — Before the All-Star break, the Valkyries kicked off a stretch of games that will see 10 of their next 12 on the road. The Bay Area team doesn’t start their second half until Friday, when they face the Dallas Wings at Chase Center. Then they take a cross-country trip to Uncasville for a 12 PM ET start versus the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, which is one of their six games in the next 10 days.

 

• New York Liberty -The defending champions have one of the toughest schedules to start the second half, playing 12 games in just 22 days. On a smaller scale, they play their next seven games in 12 days. Although reports say that Belgium superstar Emma Meesseman intends to sign with New York, there hasn’t been an official signing as of yet, and there is no timetable set for it, according to Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb. This is another wrinkle to keep an eye on over the back nine of the season.

 

• Phoenix Mercury – The Mercury have been riddled with injuries this season. Satou Sabally has missed four games, All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas missed five games, and guard Kahleah Copper has only played six games in total. None of this has stopped a Phoenix team built through intentional depth with an advantageous mix of veteran players and rookies. Their start may not be as tough as others, but three games in five days is nothing to sneeze at.

 

• Seattle Storm – The northernmost WNBA team in the Pacific Northwest is the oldest team in the league, with an average age of 30.6. The first half of the season had its fair share of struggles with windows for rest in between games, and the second half shows no signs of slowing down with four games in seven days.

 

• Washington Mystics: After five-tool wing Brittney Sykes was named as a replacement player in the All-Star Game, that gave the Mystics three All-Stars, including rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. They all played in a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. Washington is off until Saturday, where they face the Storm. That starts a four-game stretch in six days. 

 

• Los Angeles Sparks: The Sparks arguably have the hardest second-half start with three games in five days on the road.

 

2.) StudBudz Controversy

Credit: StudBudz on instagram

As a straight-presenting man in a male-dominated women’s sports space, there is a certain privilege I possess that is not taken lightly, nor will it ever be. It is a responsibility that should be cherished, as well as the privilege to share this community with others by doing what I love and benefiting from it financially. I also know my place when it comes to a plethora of issues. In the same breath, it would be remiss of me and a disservice to those whom I love, respect, and admire without touching on this, especially in a time where women’s basketball (the WNBA in particular here) is reaching record-highs across the board in attendance, ticket sales, and general interest in the sport.

As many would attest, the “StudBudz” stream, hosted by Minnesota Lynx guards Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, carried All-Star weekend like A’ja Wilson does several times a week for the Aces. The dynamic duo took fans behind the scenes for 72 straight hours in Indianapolis, giving scores around the world an inside look at their day-to-day lives during the event. Fans who have grown with the league since its inception have been asking for this kind of content, where players are at ease.

As a longtime lover of women’s basketball, it was refreshing to see two players rewrite several moronic narratives about their peers and the pioneers who made this possible. With their influence, quick-witted humor, and friendships made through competition, they showed the world that women athletes are just athletes living their lives as other professionals do.

For the most part, it was an incredible experience seeing WNBA stars in a relaxed environment and enjoying each other’s company, which I am sure is not the case for 40 minutes a game. It was like being a fly on the wall in rooms previously unseen. To that point, there were several that we probably should not have been privy to. Players are people at the end of the day and are entitled to their privacy. Unfortunately, during All-Star weekend, this privacy was violated because Williams and Hiedeman were accused of outing (at least) one couple on the stream.

Reasons why players choose not to publicize their relationships are none of our business, so to see this so openly disregarded was a bit troubling. The league’s history is not an answer as to why in this scenario, but it does lend valuable context.

“There are players around the league who have identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community but have not always felt accepted or that the workplace was an inviting place to be able to share that,” former Connecticut Sun guard Jasmine Thomas told ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel in 2022. “It felt at one time like they were afraid to share that part of our experiences. Now they’re embracing it.”

The WNBA has made strides in the right direction in the last decade in terms of policing players and how they present themselves to the world, but there is still work to be done.

As the new kid on the block in the late ’90s and 2000s, the league made a clear attempt at over-feminizing athletes to appeal to the male gaze at their expense. From unwritten dress codes at events like the draft to players feeling the need to stow away their true identities for the sake of marketing purposes, the reasons were numerous, and none of them justified by any stretch of the imagination.

In the same ESPN article, Storm legend Sue Bird confirmed as much.

“Earlier, I think we fell into a trap with this idea that only a certain kind of femininity and sexual orientation sells. We’ve learned that it’s authenticity that draws people in.”

“Nobody ever said it to me directly, but I understood,” Bird said later in the article. “If you wanted endorsements, you had to look and present yourself a certain way.

Given the league’s history, this is why moments on the stream were a bit uncomfortable, as well as a host of others. It may seem like fun and games to some, but players living their lives the way they want in their own space should be respected.

StudBudz Controversy Part Deux

Other than a few cringeworthy moments, the StudBudz 72-hour live stream was a massive success. Clips of it made their rounds for several days afterwards, raking in millions of views across multiple social media platforms. It quickly became the talking point of All-Star weekend on ESPN across multiple broadcasts and in print.

On Wednesday, the fun and good feelings took quite the unexpected turn after Williams said the duo was open to bringing Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on their show. If you do a Google search with the keywords “WNBA” and “Dave Portnoy”, you should understand immediately why this unforced declaration was the end of no return for fans.

Throughout his career, Portnoy has made it clear he is many things, and none of them are a warm-hearted, thoughtful human being. In 2021, two women accused him of sexual misconduct. In

When it comes to women’s basketball, he has no issue letting it be known where his hate is directed.

Since her college days at LSU, Portnoy has had a one-sided beef with 23-year-old Sky star Angel Reese and has openly admitted to hating her as recently as July 19.

Credit: Angel Reese on instagram

Portnoy is a fan of Caitlin Clark, and his disdain for Reese stems from the so-called “rivalry” between the two. Since Clark was drafted by the Indiana Fever, Portnoy has led a widespread conspiracy theory that WNBA players hate Clark and referees allow them to defend her in a way that isn’t regularly permitted. Outside of fandom, which is supposed to be about sports, it is reprehensible for a 48-year-old man to feel so comfortable disrespecting a 23-year-old woman. With a platform viewed by millions, Portnoy has played a sizable role in the racist and misogynist rhetoric hurled in Reese’s direction.

Despite standing by his previous statements because he believes they were not “malicious”, Portnoy took responsibility for his role in egging on the hateful diatribe in an interview with Shannon Sharpe in May.

“I ignited to a degree, I wanna say the race aspect of Angel Reese versus Caitlin.”

It shouldn’t be hard to see why fans would take issue with Williams and Hiedeman for announcing their interest in having Portnoy on their platform. Everything he and his company stand for goes directly against what 99.9% of WNBA fans believe.

Williams took to X/Twitter  to let fans know that all was well, but is it?

“The Studbudz have talked to Angel and she knows we don’t play about her AT ALL  End of Story,” wrote Williams.

Whether they spoke to Reese or not, that doesn’t change much, considering the damage is already done. Barstool consumers have already started blaming W fans for not wanting Portnoy on the stream, claiming that they can’t deal with a difference of opinion. This may just be me, but racism, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny were never debatable with me and shouldn’t be to any person with a heart pumping blood. The StudBudz created a community where members of the LGBTQ+ felt was made for them. Two active players who fans felt like saw them through representation, creating their own lane with relatable content. In less than a few days, that changed expeditiously.

When responding to the backlash on Wednesday, they appeared to lack any resemblance of understanding or compassion, simply telling their fan base not to watch them if this is what their support looks like. Another issue at hand is that Williams’ beliefs may align with the type of person who consumes Barstool content. During the live stream, Williams mentioned that her partners had to cook and clean to be with her. After she said that, comments flooded the stream commending her for saying it. That in and of itself is a problem. Whether she believes this or not, admitting it draws in a crowd of eyes that don’t have their best interests at heart, which is the nicest way to put it.

The factors at play concerning the StudBudz and Portnoy are numerous, but there are a few that stick out from the rest. In an attempt to monetize what started as a fun thing to do, Williams and Hiedeman are creating new avenues away from basketball that could have the potential to support them financially while building out their marketability. Considering how the Portnoy interview idea came out of the blue, it’s not too far-fetched to believe that they seek a business opportunity with Barstool.

The only thing is that many WNBA players don’t have sufficient management teams and representation to do so. If this were commonplace, this blowback from this situation could have been mitigated with professionalism to some degree, given the duo’s response to criticism. Players have every right to cash in on their celebrity status. The time to do so is fleeting because being a professional athlete doesn’t last forever. However, fans also have the right not to support a venture that doesn’t align with what they believe.

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Born and raised in Chicago, Christan Braswell is a women’s sports journalist with a focus on the WNBA and women’s college basketball. He’s an avid fan of elevator screens and stuffed crust pizza. Outside of sports, he’s an avid cook and lover the great outdoors.

 

Tagged as: Christan Braswell,  studbudz,  WNBA.