January 5, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: 2024 bold predictions
By The Next
Jackie Powell and Alex Simon discuss WNBA free agency, the NCAA Tournament and more
On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, Jackie Powell and Alex Simon discussed their bold predictions for 2024. The two discuss several potential storylines including WNBA free agency, the NCAA Tournament and even the WNBA Finals, where Alex correctly predicted the Las Vegas Aces’ back-to-back titles a year ago.
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Alex presented his free agency prediction first, which involves at least one player signing a rare three-year contract. As he explains, the time period for most current contracts aligns with the end of the league’s collective bargaining agreement in 2025.
“The argument you can make is that if a team is willing to overpay a player relative to what they would otherwise be making in these two seasons, with the caveat that we will pay you to guarantee the third year, that’s the way that a deal could happen in this way,” Alex explained. “I think that’s what we might see somebody who you’re like, they shouldn’t be, you know, relative to what the league market and everything says, that seems like a lot of money for them and you’re wanting to, but the caveat is the team wants the third year at whatever number that is before the CBA changes.”
Jackie got more specific, proposing possible changes to the Washington Mystics lineup in 2024.
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In the second segment, Jackie presented her bold predictions that UConn will return to the Final Four despite a litany of injuries and that Baylor will advance to the Elite Eight.
“I listened to something that Geno Auriemma said postgame and it was something along the lines of ‘we have reliable scoring inside and outside,’ Jackie said. “Those are two tenants to every very successful team. But you have a very good point. You know, their their depth is decreasing by the moment in another year where we thought oh, wait, they’re going to be really they’re going to be so deep because Azzi [Fudd] is going to be there and Paige [Bueckers] is going to be there.”
That smoothly transitioned into Alex’s next pick, which you will have to tune in to hear. Plus, predictions for who will be selected in the WNBA Draft and who will make the WNBA Finals.
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