“As you can probably tell from the tone here, this is our last show here at Locked On Women’s Basketball,” Megdal explained. “I am immensely grateful to my incredible team who has worked with us together through the years, [from] the great Jackie Powell, … to our team of hosts, Chelsea Leite, and Missy Heidrick, and Emily Adler and Hunter Cruse and Lincoln Shafer, Natalie Heavren, who’s done such incredible work for us, as well all the hosts we’ve had the privilege of working with through the years. … we’re going to continue all the incredible work we are doing, of course, and that’s going to extend into the audio-video space as well. So can’t wait to share what’s ahead for us as well.”
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“This is a place where you’ve had the opportunity to meet all of the vital people in the women’s basketball space,” Megdal continued. “[In 2016] it was a very different time in women’s basketball and women’s sports, and so I’ve been very proud of … [The IX] Basketball reaching 30 million people last year, and our email list, 55,000 strong and growing. The fact that we have an audience that cares … we’ve been able to tell these stories and give you guys insight and context and analysis, not about what’s the biggest thing to click on today, but about a greater understanding. Light rather than heat. It’s something that we’re dedicated to.”
Then, Powell and the New York Post’s Madeline Kenney joined the show to discuss the New York Liberty’s recent struggles. The Liberty are currently sitting at No. 5 in the league, after missing star forward Breanna Stewart for the past month:
“At a practice this week, I asked [Stewart], … ‘What is the narrative surrounding this team right now?’” Powell said. “And she said, ‘We are stacking wins. We want to be our best by the time the season ends.’ No hesitation. She knows what needs to get done when it comes to so shifting into, I guess, the defensive chemistry and the rebounding issues that we’ve seen.”
“I think also [Stewart] is the motor of this team, which we’ve discussed in length,” Kenney said. “Without having that motor, that leader, that person, … it’s not that players aren’t trying hard, necessarily. It’s just there’s another level. There’s another gear that can be reached when [Stewie] is on the floor. And we’ve seen that the last few games, with her being back [Aug. 28 against the Washington Mystics]. You know, the Mystics win was her second game back after missing that month absence. … once you’re out of position, it’s hard to get back into position. Once you have a defensive breakdown, it’s hard to fix it. And there are certain players, Breanna is one of them, who can kind of make lemonade with oranges, so to speak. She’s one of the few players that is excellent at seeing a defensive breakdown within her team, and being able to help fix it. … Obviously, she’s one of the league’s best defenders, but it’s also knowing and understanding her team.”
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Tune in to the final episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball hosted by The IX Basketball to learn more about how the Liberty are re-adjusting to Stewart’s return to the court. Watch out for more audio-visual content coming from The IX Basketball, and check out our other WNBA content!