This season, the WNBA has not only showcased proven talent on the court, but has also given exposure to equally strong talent in the studio. The WNBA on ION Pregame Show scored a triple-double with Zena Keita, Meghan McKeown, and Autumn Johnson previewing this past week’s Minnesota Lynx at New York Liberty tilt. The flashy show open was fitting, as it introduced a program that was fast-paced and attention-grabbing. With live look-ins, fan shots, and player entrances, viewers got an inside look at what was going on at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
This has been a good year for the WNBA. Frontline players like A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, Kahleah Copper, and Angel Reese are playing at a high level. Meanwhile, multimedia personality Sophie Cunningham is generating excitement with fashion pointers, three-point shots, and simply pointing at opponents. Young, skilled, and tough players like Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles have set the WNBA up for a potentially long run of growing popularity.
Amid this exciting backdrop, ION has done a terrific job of bringing the exuberance of the league to life. Basketball is largely about battles, and in the WNBA, discord, rivalries, and heated exchanges are on the rise. The league has brought back rough-and-tumble, hard-nosed basketball, the likes of which have not been seen since the 1980s and 1990s, when teams like the Celtics, Pistons, Pacers, and Knicks played a physical brand of ball.
A Cup Run and a Rookie’s Resolve
The ION Pregame Show also looked back on the Liberty’s 2026 Commissioner’s Cup victory over Las Vegas, 93-85. The win was highlighted by a terrific performance from New York’s Sabrina Ionescu, another of the league’s superstars. Keita, McKeown, and Johnson talked about Ionescu, as well as the aforementioned Miles, who, in her rookie season with the Lynx, has not backed down from any opponent.
This on-air trio has done a terrific job of highlighting games and players all season long. The ION Pregame Show offers several segments with different perspectives on the matchups. My favorite is the opener, where Keita asked McKeown and Johnson for “one word” to describe the Lynx-Liberty game. McKeown went with “caliber,” saying this is a playoff-caliber matchup. Johnson followed up with the word “titans,” explaining that you have one of the top teams in the league in Minnesota going against the Commissioner’s Cup champion Liberty.
Keita, McKeown, and Johnson work really well together. They are all versatile, able to play the role of host, reporter, and analyst. Johnson brings a varied background to the set as an analyst for the Big Ten Network and a beat reporter for NCAA.com. She also played hoops at Kennesaw State University. Keita brings knowledge aplenty, working for NBC Sports Bay Area and hosting a number of women’s basketball podcasts. She did a nice job of breaking down Miles’ rookie season thus far, complete with stats and analysis.
Feature Stories and All-Star Buzz
This edition of the ION Pregame Show featured a cool feature story on Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez, the former UCLA star. I liked the style of this package, with no voiceover or stand-up from a reporter. The sound was provided by Jaquez herself, with video and images showing her life in basketball. The show also looked at the upcoming 2026 WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago on July 25. A graphic showed this year’s All-Star starters featuring Bueckers, Clark, Miles, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Natasha Howard, Jessica Shepard, Stewart, Gabby Williams, and Wilson.
Following the graphic, McKeown talked about Shepard’s talent finally being recognized, while Johnson discussed the fact that Reese was not named a starter despite the Atlanta Dream star’s impressive season. Johnson quoted Reese saying that the snub was a “slap in the face.” Following a break later in the show, Keita, McKeown, and Johnson rifled through some recent WNBA game highlights. Together, they have developed a really effective conversational style — each one giving input on the various plays without talking over each other.
The word chemistry is often tossed around, but with Keita, McKeown, and Johnson, it is caught and slam dunked. They know their roles on a given show and bring a dynamic feel to the broadcast.
Setting the Scene for Game Night
The players are the most important part of any sports league, but do not underestimate the impact of prepared, informed, and entertaining network broadcasters. On a pregame show especially, they are the ones who set the scene and lead into the action on the court. They create interest and anticipation. It is clear that Keita, McKeown, and Johnson get this, and they do it without becoming publicists for the league. They bring a deep knowledge of both collegiate and professional women’s basketball and specialize in opinion and candor. In short, they make you want to watch the upcoming game.
The WNBA on ION Pregame Show frequently goes back to live look-ins with both teams warming up for the game. As video isolates individual players taking layups, stretching, and taking jumpers, Keita, McKeown, and Johnson focus on those players and what they bring to that night’s game. Minnesota’s Natasha Howard and Nia Coffey were discussed, as were Ionescu and Stewart on the New York side. Ionescu has come on strong lately for the Liberty, and Keita stressed the consistent pick-and-roll threat that she and Stewart provide.
Segments, Keys to the Game, and Closing Thoughts
Another one of the many segments on the show is a play on words called “I Have My Ion,” where the panelists discuss what they are specifically looking at in the upcoming game. Johnson focused on Napheesa Collier and what she brings to the Lynx attack coming back from injury. As the WNBA on ION Pregame Show neared its end, Keita, McKeown, and Johnson moved to a stand-up segment, giving their keys to the game. This is where McKeown was at her best. This skyrocketing talent certainly has found a fine niche talking WNBA on ION, but her impressive and growing résumé also includes work for FOX Sports, ESPN, and NBC Sports. McKeown is also a former basketball player at Northwestern. I can easily see her moving on to a more substantive role in media quite soon. She combines opinion and analysis as well as anyone.
Keita brought the best out of both McKeown and Johnson on this show. I like the fun tone and attitude that she brings to the program. Johnson is adept at combining her reporting and analysis chops to present facts and opinion in a direct, unabashed manner. The WNBA on ION Pregame Show is really well formatted and directed, with Keita moving the production from segment to segment, and McKeown and Johnson understanding the pace with clear and concise thoughts. In this, its 30th season, the WNBA is finally realizing that basketball is not enough. You need to draw an audience with personality, feeling, and passion. The WNBA on ION Pregame Show does just that.
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John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.