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Megdal and East open the show by talking about some of the most straightforward stuff that came out of media day. “Caitlin [Clark] made it very clear what her expectations are for the Indiana Fever this season,” East says. “She thinks they are a championship level team, title or bust.”
East agrees that the team has a lot of talent, but he hesitates a little bit when reflecting on Clark’s expectations. “I think that’s quite a high bar,” East says.
Later on, the two discuss another obvious factor in the Fever’s environment right now — all of this newness. “Their coaching staff is brand-spanking new,” East says. “Their front office is new. Like, everything is new.” But, as East elaborates, that’s not necessarily a bad thing at all. “It’s like, fresh for everybody,” he says. “That can help culturally.”
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Megdal and East end the show on a positive note. “This is by far the best Fever team I’ll have ever covered,” East says. “There’s a chance they’ll win more games than I saw for like, three or four seasons in a row. So that will be fun for me.”
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Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, released his latest book on May 7, 2024. This deeply reported story follows four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.
If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.” Click the link below to order and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.
