(Dec. 29, 2025) The South Carolina Gamecocks could be forced to play without their most reliable scorer after Ta'Niya Latson suffered a lower left injury Sunday. Plus, Mesa, Arizona, wants to be home to a soccer team — could the NWSL expand to the city?

Welcome to our last podcast before 2026: the year of review in women’s sports! Join our hosts Howard Megdal, Jackie Powell, Kathleen Gier and Maya Smith for an episode where the quartet goes through the most important and their favorite stories across the women’s basketball, women’s soccer and women’s hockey universe that defined 2025. Later on, each of our hosts announces their fearless predictions for their sport in 2026 which includes Howard and Jackie arguing about if the WNBA players end up striking in 2026.

Thumbnail Photo Credit: Left to Right- John Hefti-Imagn Images, the PWHL and Domenic Allegra

Links to click that are referenced throughout the show:

Read Maya Smith’s work at the Ice Garden here:

https://www.theicegarden.com/author/maya/

Watch Kathleen Gier’s latest podcasts about women’s soccer here:

https://www.theixsports.com/features/the-ix-sports-podcast-nwsl-unveils-new-roster-rule/

https://www.theixsports.com/features/the-ix-sports-podcast-high-impact-players-and-others-to-watch-in-2026/

Howard Megdal’s final basketball column of the year at The IX Sports:

https://www.theixsports.com/features/after-the-big-bang-womens-basketball-in-2025-live-from-sienna-betts-debut-for-ucla/

Jackie Powell’s observations of Becky Hammon’s growth from earlier this year:

https://www.theixsports.com/basketball/the-undeniable-complicated-influence-las-vegas-aces-wnba-becky-hammon/

At last Jackie Powell and Howard Megdal talk about women’s college basketball in this week’s IX Sports Podcast Basektball Edition. In the pair’s final women’s basketball show before the new year, the co-hosts take you inside what they noticed at Barclays Center during the second annual Shark Beauty Championship Classic. Why did defense stand out for both UConn and Iowa? And how exactly did Louisville, behind the strong play of senior transfer Laura Ziegler, trounce a Tenneesee team still trying to find its footing? Later in the show, Jackie breaks out a powerpoint to explain two key terms that have been prevalent in coverage of the on-going WNBA CBA negotiations. What are net and gross revenue sharing models and what’s the difference between the two? Thumbnail Photo Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn ImagesVideo Credit: Gabby AlfvebyLinks to click that are referenced throughout the show: Stephanie Kaloi writes about Ruby Whitehorn’s dismissal from Tennessee: https://www.thenexthoops.com/features/ruby-whitehorn-dismissed-lady-vols/Natalie Heavren introduces Laura Ziegler prior to her arrival at Louisville:https://www.thenexthoops.com/features/early-success-and-a-family-away-from-home-laura-zieglers-journey-from-denmark-to-saint-josephs/Jacob Mox’s CBA coverage: https://www.thenexthoops.com/wnba/wnba-cba-negotiations-hit-milestone-with-a-catch-salary-cap-revenue-share/Reporting from The Athletic, ESPN and Front Office Sports about Gross and Net revenue sharing: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6889889/2025/12/15/wnba-union-labor-cba-revenue-share/https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/47360397/wnba-players-ready-do-takes-get-fair-cba-dealhttps://frontofficesports.com/adam-silver-says-he-could-join-wnba-cba-negotiations/