The Next Gen WNBA Podcast covers the players, prospects and teams shaping the future of women’s basketball. Hosted by Hunter Cruse, the show focuses on in-depth conversations about the WNBA’s rising stars, top draft prospects, team building, analytics, Xs and Os & more.
New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
7. WNBA Superlatives: Most Clutch Players, Best Bargain Free Agent Steals + More
Paige Bueckers is destroying opponents late in games, but who are the other best late game performers in the league? Today, host Hunter Cruse answers that question, and dives into some other fun superlatives around the 2026 WNBA season.Timestamps0:00 Intro0:53 Clutch Player of the Year6:46 Best Passer 7:40 Best 1-on-1 Defender9:04 Best Bargain FA Signing11:28 Least Improved Player15:12 ‘I Owe You An Apology’ Award18:01 Best 3-Level Scorer19:59 Most Average Player22:34 Outro
30 Jun 2026
6. The Race For JuJu Watkins & Ranking WNBA Lottery Team's Futures
JuJu Watkins is one of the greatest prospects in WNBA history. On this episode, host Hunter Cruse breaks down what team needs the No. 1 pick the most, and then moves to ranking WNBA lottery teams with the brightest future.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:43 Lottery Standings
5:17 Ranking WNBA Team's Futures
17 Jun 2026
5. Revisiting The 2025 WNBA Draft
In this episode, Hunter Cruse dives deep into the 2025 WNBA draft class through player's first year (and some change).
0:00 Intro0:29 Paige Bueckers2:17 Dom Malonga5:15 Sonia Citron7:28 Kiki Iriafen9:01 Juste Jocyte11:23 Georgia Amoore13:39 Aneesah Morrow15:16 Saniya Rivers17:18 Sarah Ashlee Barker19:27 Aziaha James21:20 Anastasiia Olairi Kosu23:16 Te-Hina Paopao25:14 Makayla Timpson26:23 Aicha Coulibaly27:28 Kaitlyn Chen28:05 Revisiting My 2025 Board
9 Jun 2026
4. Grading Every WNBA Team After One Month
In this episode, Hunter Cruse grades every WNBA team's season through the first month.
Timestamps:0:00 Intro0:25 Golden State4:29 Washington7:52 Minnesota12:33 Indiana16:15 Chicago18:56 Phoenix20:25 New York22:38 Las Vegas24:14 Los Ángeles26:46 Dallas28:30 Toronto29:37 Portland30:29 Atlanta31:42 Seattle33:33 Connecticut
2 Jun 2026
3. Checking In On The 2026 WNBA Rookie Class
In this episode, Hunter Cruse goes through an early-season check-in on the 2026 WNBA Draft Class, then discuss potential first-time All-Stars and Leïla Lacan's return to Connecticut.
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
1:49 Azzi Fudd
3:44 Olivia Miles
5:39 Kiki Rice
8:29 Awa Fam
10:35 Flau’jae Johnson
12:33 Mystics Rookies
16:52 Gabriela Jaquez
18:32 Sun Rookies
21:22 Raven Johnson
22:47 Other Rookies
26:05 First Time All-Stars
28:48 Weekly Flowers
26 May 2026
2. Atlanta's Hot Start & Don’t Overlook Cheryl Reeve
In this episode, Hunter Cruse dives into the Atlanta Dream's 4-1 start, why you should never doubt Cheryl Reeve and Minnesota, and more.
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:52 Atlanta Looks Dangerous
9:56 Don't Overlook Minnesota
16:24 The Good & Bad For Las Vegas
20:00 Players Struggling Early...
24:45 Weekly Flowers
19 May 2026
1. Early 2026 WNBA Surprises, Breakouts & Concerns
In this episode, Hunter Cruse breaks down some of his early takeaways from the 2026 WNBA season, including Chicago’s impressive start, Los Angeles’ defensive struggles, and why international scouting is becoming more important across the league. He also talks about why you should buy stock in the Portland Fire long-term and other league-wide trends.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:20 Chicago
7:27 Los Angeles
13:34 Intl. Rookies
20:00 Portland
26:34 Fouls Up
28:38 Post-Ups Down
32:14 Weekly Flowers
9 May 2026
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4 ratings
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