Episode 185 - "65-Game Snubs & WNBA Draft Fire: Fudd to Dallas, Johnson Trade Drama & Big Grades"
From In The Zone With Anthony by Anthony Smith
April 15, 2026 · 26 min
About this episode
Anthony Smith discusses the NBA's 65-game rule and analyzes the WNBA Draft, including player selections and trades.
In this jam-packed episode of In The Zone, Anthony Smith breaks down the NBA’s controversial 65-game rule and which superstars got left out of end-of-season awards contention — including Luka, LeBron, Giannis, Cade Cunningham, and more. Then we go full WNBA Draft mode: Azzi Fudd taken No. 1 by the Dallas Wings, the Flau’jae Johnson pre-draft trade to the Seattle Storm, Olivia Miles to Minnesota, Lauren Betts to Washington, full ESPN report card grades, winners & losers, and why several teams aced this draft. Plus, listener Q&A, Azzi Fudd’s perfect fit analysis with Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale, and closing thoughts on where the league is headed. 🎧 Tune in for sharp hoops analysis, draft breakdowns, and real talk on the biggest stories in basketball right now. Drop your thoughts in the comments — who had the best draft? Should the NBA change the 65-game rule? New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe, rate, and stay In The Zone! 🏀 Available now on all platforms. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-zone-with-anthony--4399324/support .
People in this episode
Host: Anthony Smith
Topics covered
- NBA 65-game rule
- WNBA Draft
- player analysis
- trade drama
- listener Q&A
- draft grades
Keywords
- NBA
- WNBA
- draft analysis
- Azzi Fudd
- Flau’jae Johnson
- player trades
- 65-game rule
- basketball
- listener questions
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Dallas Wings, Seattle Storm, Minnesota, Washington, ESPN
More episodes of In The Zone With Anthony
- Episode 191- "The NCAA's Power Struggle, The Cost of Sports, and the Wemby Factor" · June 9, 2026 · 22 min
- Episode 190- Spats, Bags, and the End of an Era · June 4, 2026 · 33 min
- Episode 189 - Rodgers' Last Dance, AFC North Chaos, and Historic Postseason Masterclasses · May 21, 2026 · 29 min
- Episode 188 - Pressure, Power Moves & Playoff Separation · May 8, 2026 · 28 min
- Episode 187 - Boston Backlash, NBA Playoff Madness & The Big 12’s Big Money Shift · May 5, 2026 · 44 min
- Episode 186 - Contracts, Controversy & Playoff Pressure · April 24, 2026 · 26 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the In The Zone With Anthony podcast page.