Kim Caldwell's Tennessee Growing Pains, the Player of the Year race and a possibility of a WNBA Strike | Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast

Ball Up Top is back for 2026 and ready to roll. Tyler and Andrew are back on the show this week to discuss the recent happenings with the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement negotiation. Were the players too late for calling a strike? Is there a way that things can be salvaged for the players now that a delay to the start of the season feels inevitable?

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The show continues with a deep dive into Kim Caldwell’s postgame comments after the Lady Vols loss to South Carolina in which she said that there were ‘quitters’ on her team. Was she right to say it? Does she even have the credibility to call out her team like that? Andrew and Tyler discuss and debate.

Both hosts wrap the show with a discussion about the National Player of the Year in women’s college basketball. Does Mikayla Blakes have enough juice to catch up to UConn’s Sarah Strong?

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0:00 - Show Introduction.

3:50 - The state of WNBA CBA negotiations and if the PA was late to calling a strike.

29:00 - Kim Caldwell’s Tennessee growing pains.

51:00 - Is Mikayla Blakes vs. Sarah Strong a real Player of the Year race in women’s college basketball?

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