Levels to This with Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby

On this episode of Levels to This , Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby cope with the fact that Athletes Unlimited basketball is paused for 2027. It's a bummer! They also weigh in on DeWanna Bonner signing with the Dream (LOVE it) for another title run, and turn to the ridiculous criticism of A'ja Wilson's and Kelsey Plum's stepping away from FIBA. What's with people still scrutinizing players' personal needs? No is a complete sentence. Take the note: FIBA break is a break, and Terrika means it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This , Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby set the table for the playoffs: all eight teams are in, but the seeding fight is where it gets interesting, and a potential Atlanta–Indiana matchup has both of them poppin' popcorn. They get into Angel Reese's 26 rebounds (breaking Chamique Holdsclaw's 23-year-old record), why Minnesota is Terrika's pick to win it all, and who's got the most to lose in the first round. The duo also opens their early awards ballots — A'ja Wilson for MVP, Olivia Miles for Rookie of the Year, Janelle Salaün for Sixth Player of the Year — and a true toss up for Coach of the Year. Before tip-off, they shout out Natasha Cloud, check in on Gary, Indiana, and say goodbye to THE Dolly Parton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This, Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby sit down with Shaniqua McClendon, Senior Vice President of Political Strategy (you heard that "senior" here first) at Crooked Media, for a conversation that is equal parts eye-opening and unfiltered. It's primary season and we've still got a long way to go until November. The trio digs into what sustainable civic engagement looks like for Black women who are... exhausted. Shaniqua doesn't hold back on what accountability must look like in a post-Trump America — and spoiler: somebody needs to go to prison. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This , Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby take issue with the people driving the "WNBA is Drama" storyline—even though they seem like they've never even watched a game. That includes the manufactured debate about transgender women "taking over" a league that hasn't had one in 30 years. Terrika shares a personal story and the receipts on how few trans athletes exist anywhere in sports. They also break down DiJonai Carrington's ejection, the history behind the "white privilege" post that followed, and why outside uneducated commentary is fueling an already lit fire. Sheryl and Terrika keep coming back to the same thing: the basketball stories are piping hot and not enough people are talking about them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This, Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby break down the two moves that shook up the WNBA trade deadline: Aneesah Morrow heading from the Connecticut Sun to the Toronto Tempo, and All-Star guard Kelsey Plum getting dealt from the Sparks to the Phoenix Mercury. Sheryl admits she was already picturing Morrow in a Houston uniform, while Terrika digs into why a double-double machine kept riding the bench in Connecticut. They also try to make sense of the Plum move: why L.A. would break up a team it just built, whether Plum wanted out, and what both trades signal about which franchises are suddenly in win-now mode. Plus, the duo comes to the defense of analyst Monica McNutt, who caught heat for doing a TV hit from a pedicure chair ON HER DAY OFF— and they're not having the "unserious" talk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This, hosts Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby are joined by Dr. Bettina Love, renowned public speaker, educator, and New York Times bestselling author of Punished for Dreaming. Dr. Love breaks down why "reform" is a word Black and brown communities should be skeptical of, and why America's racial inequities aren't a crisis — they're a continuation. Dr. Love brings real joy to the conversation, breaking down what black joy actually means: the spades table where nobody's thinking about white folks, the sundress that needs no explanation, the McDonald's money question that transcends generations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This, Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby kick off All-Star week by addressing the controversy that almost overshadowed it: Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello's one-game suspension for calling Angel Reese a "protected species" during a game. Sheryl and Terrika break down why the phrase landed the way it did regardless of intent, why Angel always seems to absorb the most heat in this league, and why the people defending Brondello should probably take a cue from Brondello herself. Then the duo pivots to Chicago: they revisit their All-Star mock drafts (closer than you'd think), break down the six-player three-point contest field — and make a case for why Marina Mabrey might have this thing locked up before halftime — and share their picks for All-Star Game MVP. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This , Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby run their own All-Star draft — going pick-by-pick through the full 2026 roster to build their dream squads ahead of All-Star Weekend in Chicago. They break down the snub conversation too, with Kamilla Cardoso, Chelsea Gray, Veronica Burton, and Carla Leite among the names they felt deserved a nod, and weigh in on whether Kelsey Plum will be healthy enough to suit up. The duo also takes a moment to honor the lives of Nolan Wells, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and Johan Sebastian Guerrero, and to speak plainly about the violence and ICE killings that made for a heavy week before All-Star. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This , Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby break down something that's been building all season: the state of WNBA officiating. From the Angel Reese–Laeticia Amihere foul controversy to GMs going on record saying the refs are as bad as they've ever been. What would accountability for officials actually look like? Then, the sky is falling (again) in Chicago, where Skylar Diggins found out she was coming off the bench and used Instagram to blow her own whistle on being extremely unhappy about the way it went down. Sheryl and Terrika get into the dynamics of coach-player communication when the news isn't good, and what all this reveals about the Sky organization. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This , Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby break down the 2026 WNBA All-Star race heading into Chicago — and the fan voting results already have them raising eyebrows. Aliyah Boston at number one? Surprising. Jackie Young not cracking the top 20? Unacceptable. Terrika shares her full media ballot and the real stress behind it — Natasha Howard vs. Gabby Williams, Allisha Gray vs. Rhyne Howard — while Sheryl puts together her own hypothetical 10-player All-Star team and makes the case for why Jessica Shepard should be in the MVP conversation. They also get into what happens to players like Kelsey Plum and Brittney Sykes when injury collides with All-Star eligibility — and whether the league's position-based voting system has simply run its course. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this rerun of Levels to This , hosts Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby are joined by WNBA All-Star and Project B co-founder and Chief Basketball Officer Alana Beard. In light of the arms race between Project B and Unrivaled, Alana breaks down her vision for Project B, a new global, touring basketball league built around player ownership. Tipoff is November 2026—don't miss it! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This, Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby start with the very rude UFC fighter Josh Hokit's post-fight comment about Michelle Obama at the White House, and the myriad ways being Black in America is not only infuriating, but dangerous. They also break down the WNBA's Commissioner's Cup race, where the red-hot New York Liberty are making a case for themselves, and get into Isabelle Harrison's flagrant foul on Angel Reese, and why it's ridiculous that physical play in the W sparks so much speculation online. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This , Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby take stock of the WNBA one month in. They break down what in the world is going on in Chicago. Skylar Diggins-Smith called out the staff... maybe the organization has driven out too many stars for anyone to keep pointing at the players. On the other side of that coin is Indiana, who responded to their team meeting with a defensive performance that told you everything — holding Atlanta to 71 and then riding Caitlin Clark's deep three to a win over Washington. The duo also makes the case for Minnesota as the team that's already figured out what everyone else is still trying to solve, even without Napheesa Collier on the floor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This, Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby break down why the WNBA's surprise teams are surprising (Toronto and Portland winning without a so-called superstar) and what that says about coaching and buy-in. Contrast that with Phoenix's stunning fall from the Finals to two-and-eight. Has a roster that beat the defending champs by 33 tuned its coach out? They also get into the Stephanie White–Caitlin Clark sideline moment and the impossible scrutiny of coaching the most-watched team in the league, then run down their early Coach of the Year ballots. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This , hosts Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby are joined by veteran play-by-play analyst Cindy Brunson, who heard "no" for seven straight years before the Phoenix Mercury finally let her into the booth. By then she'd hosted WNBA Studio at ESPN, taught herself play-by-play "in the dark" at the Pac-12 Network where nobody could find the channel... and watched NBA guys with no W experience get handed the jobs she was chasing. The trio discuss the evolved landscape of WNBA broadcast coverage and why this year’s Finals will mean so much. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This, Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby break down the opening weeks of the WNBA season, starting with the devastating news that Rickea Jackson is out for the year with a torn ACL, and what that means for a Chicago Sky team that's been one of the early surprises at 3-1. They get into A'ja Wilson's 45-point masterclass against the Sun (she missed three shots, period), why Kennedy Carter has the Aces looking scary, and the case for the Washington Mystics as the most underrated team in the league. Then they get into the fun stuff: way-too-early picks for MVP, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Player, Most Improved, and a champion — and Sheryl makes it very clear that if anyone wants the trophy, they're going to have to go take it from A'ja. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This, Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby were joined by Clare Hamill, Interim President of the Portland Fire. We're running this one back because the Fire just returned to the floor for the first time in over two decades this past weekend as one of two new WNBA expansion franchises in the league's 30th season. They're off to an explosive start, setting a new WNBA attendance record for an expansion team opener! Listen back to the conversation that laid out the vision. Original run-date: August 21, 2025 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This , Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby take the show live to the Sigma Gamma Rho Boulé in Springfield — Terrika's home chapter energy on full display, and Sheryl one year into her own neo season as a new soror. With a room full of sisters in the audience, they break down what spring cleaning really means: clearing out old clothes, old ideas, and maybe even some old "friends." Especially the friendships where only one person is building the bond. Sorors on the mic bring the bars too — including one line that needs to be a t-shirt: "your disrespect is my closure." Sheryl and Tee close it out with what's worth making room for on the other side of the cleanout. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This , Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby continue their live conversation at the Lighthouse with Flagrant and Funny co-hosts Cari Champion and Jemele Hill. The four get into who actually gets the credit in women's sports media — and why the reporters who've been on the ground for years keep getting passed over when the big news breaks. Jemele calls out the double standard directly: men can openly admit they know nothing about the WNBA and still get a platform, while outspoken Black women get scrutinized for having opinions rooted in decades of institutional knowledge. The crew also breaks down their favorite and least favorite WNBA free agency moves, from Chicago's Baddie Bunch to questions about Golden State and Portland's direction. They close out with a raw audience Q&A on pivots — Cari on trusting your body when it's time to move, Jemele on the real cost of entrepreneurship and leading people into a burning building, Sheryl on staying ready when teams keep saying no, and Terrika on what it means to bet on yourself when nobody else will. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Levels to This , Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby are joined live at the Lighthouse by Flagrant and Funny co-hosts Cari Champion and Jemele Hill. The four break down the 2025 WNBA Draft — from Azzi Fudd going first overall to the Dallas Wings, to the implications of Raven Johnson landing in Indiana alongside Caitlin Clark. The conversation shifts to the backlash against the UCLA women's basketball team after their NCAA championship run, and what it really means to interrupt a narrative when you're not who people expected to win. All four women get honest about the specific, grinding ways Black women in sports media are pushed to be something other than themselves, and what it looks like when Black women in the same space actually choose to go to bat for each other. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.