maya goldberg-safir
@roughnotes.bsky.social
maya (she/her) / independent women's basketball writer I subscribe to my newsletter/blog WNBA ROUGH NOTES https://wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/ I i love queer community, adventures & audio I between oakland & chicago I reach me: [email protected] <3
Pinned
Rough Notes: Official Predictions For Unrivaled's 1-on-1 Tourney
All of these predictions will prove correct :)
wnbaroughnotes.substack.com
all of my unrivaled 1-on-1 predictions will prove 100% correct ;)
marina > sonia (relates to betrayal & siblings & lovers)
rhyne > rae (very close one, but there's twitter beef)
laeticia > aliyah (oh yeah, the hot take)
marina > sonia (relates to betrayal & siblings & lovers)
rhyne > rae (very close one, but there's twitter beef)
laeticia > aliyah (oh yeah, the hot take)
all of my unrivaled 1-on-1 predictions will prove 100% correct ;)
marina > sonia (relates to betrayal & siblings & lovers)
rhyne > rae (very close one, but there's twitter beef)
laeticia > aliyah (oh yeah, the hot take)
marina > sonia (relates to betrayal & siblings & lovers)
rhyne > rae (very close one, but there's twitter beef)
laeticia > aliyah (oh yeah, the hot take)
Rough Notes: Official Predictions For Unrivaled's 1-on-1 Tourney
All of these predictions will prove correct :)
wnbaroughnotes.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:09 PM
all of my unrivaled 1-on-1 predictions will prove 100% correct ;)
marina > sonia (relates to betrayal & siblings & lovers)
rhyne > rae (very close one, but there's twitter beef)
laeticia > aliyah (oh yeah, the hot take)
marina > sonia (relates to betrayal & siblings & lovers)
rhyne > rae (very close one, but there's twitter beef)
laeticia > aliyah (oh yeah, the hot take)
i wrote about the beauty and ugliness of basketball as an american-born game, used as a means of carceral control, but ultimately designed for disruption: wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/p/the-great-...
February 6, 2026 at 12:15 AM
i wrote about the beauty and ugliness of basketball as an american-born game, used as a means of carceral control, but ultimately designed for disruption: wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/p/the-great-...
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
Unapologetically Angel is back with Teresa Weatherspoon!
Live Now. Season 2, Episode 15. Tap In:
taap.it/AngelEP15
Live Now. Season 2, Episode 15. Tap In:
taap.it/AngelEP15
January 30, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Unapologetically Angel is back with Teresa Weatherspoon!
Live Now. Season 2, Episode 15. Tap In:
taap.it/AngelEP15
Live Now. Season 2, Episode 15. Tap In:
taap.it/AngelEP15
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
"We are standing firm in our feet and 10 toes down, there is a reason, and we will not move until y'all move …
“We will not (expletive) move until y'all move.”
More on the WNBA-CBA negotiations:
“We will not (expletive) move until y'all move.”
More on the WNBA-CBA negotiations:
WNBA, players' union to meet on Monday to continue CBA talks
It's been over a month since the WNBA and the WNBPA talked about the CBA, but the next opportunity will be the Monday, according to Kelsey Plum.
www.usatoday.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:34 PM
"We are standing firm in our feet and 10 toes down, there is a reason, and we will not move until y'all move …
“We will not (expletive) move until y'all move.”
More on the WNBA-CBA negotiations:
“We will not (expletive) move until y'all move.”
More on the WNBA-CBA negotiations:
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
In solidarity with all those standing up for our communities against the brutality of immigrant detention and ICE occupation, we're offering free ebooks of three crucial books about migrant justice and border abolition.
Free Ebooks: Abolish ICE, Abolish the Border
In solidarity with all those standing up for our communities against the brutality of immigrant detention and ICE occupation, we're offering free ebooks of three crucial books about migrant justice an...
www.haymarketbooks.org
January 30, 2026 at 3:50 PM
In solidarity with all those standing up for our communities against the brutality of immigrant detention and ICE occupation, we're offering free ebooks of three crucial books about migrant justice and border abolition.
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
I’ve been thinking about Dan non-stop, and what I’ve come to understand is just how much I admired him. Dan built his life and moved through the world in a way I wish I could emulate more easily. I’ll keep trying, and in moments when I succeed I’ll think of him again. defector.com/dan-mcquade-...
Dan McQuade, 1983–2026 | Defector
Dan McQuade, our friend and colleague, died this week at the age of 43. He is survived by his wife and young son. At the end of 2024, Dan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. The news of his diag...
defector.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:24 AM
I’ve been thinking about Dan non-stop, and what I’ve come to understand is just how much I admired him. Dan built his life and moved through the world in a way I wish I could emulate more easily. I’ll keep trying, and in moments when I succeed I’ll think of him again. defector.com/dan-mcquade-...
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
Dan was a friend and a legend, and it’s been extremely touching to read everyone’s remembrances of him; Dan forever. defector.com/dan-mcquade-...
Dan McQuade, 1983–2026 | Defector
Dan McQuade, our friend and colleague, died this week at the age of 43. He is survived by his wife and young son. At the end of 2024, Dan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. The news of his diag...
defector.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:05 AM
Dan was a friend and a legend, and it’s been extremely touching to read everyone’s remembrances of him; Dan forever. defector.com/dan-mcquade-...
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
Screw giving the cheeto's Houston buddy a WNBA team, we need the Albuquerque Carols post-haste!
albuquerque is a women's basketball city:
The Great Basketball Escape: Albuquerque, New Mexico
The howl of women's basketball, past & present, is right here.
wnbaroughnotes.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Screw giving the cheeto's Houston buddy a WNBA team, we need the Albuquerque Carols post-haste!
albuquerque is a women's basketball city:
The Great Basketball Escape: Albuquerque, New Mexico
The howl of women's basketball, past & present, is right here.
wnbaroughnotes.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 7:20 PM
albuquerque is a women's basketball city:
i really want everyone to experience the greatness of the #gramfam so i unlocked my essay about traveling to grambling, louisiana for a showdown between hbcu rivals, one of my fave wbb experiences in recent memory & featuring reporting by @knoxrob1.bsky.social for the next @howardmegdal.bsky.social
The Great Basketball Escape: Grambling, Louisiana
Ready to dive into the lore of Exit 81?
wnbaroughnotes.substack.com
January 23, 2026 at 4:04 PM
i really want everyone to experience the greatness of the #gramfam so i unlocked my essay about traveling to grambling, louisiana for a showdown between hbcu rivals, one of my fave wbb experiences in recent memory & featuring reporting by @knoxrob1.bsky.social for the next @howardmegdal.bsky.social
this was a super special stop on the great basketball escape: grambling louisiana, for the 'bayou classic on hardwood.' this was my first experience watching a game at an hbcu, and i'm fully converted to the gram fam @grambling1901.bsky.social
The Great Basketball Escape: Grambling, Louisiana
Ready to dive into the lore of Exit 81?
wnbaroughnotes.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:23 PM
this was a super special stop on the great basketball escape: grambling louisiana, for the 'bayou classic on hardwood.' this was my first experience watching a game at an hbcu, and i'm fully converted to the gram fam @grambling1901.bsky.social
my latest from The Great Basketball Escape, hope you follow along <3:
The Great Basketball Escape: New Orleans
Is it possible to watch a women’s basketball game at any ‘ol bar?
wnbaroughnotes.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 6:34 PM
my latest from The Great Basketball Escape, hope you follow along <3:
my most essential kim mulkey thought? full post: wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/p/the-great-...
January 14, 2026 at 5:31 PM
my most essential kim mulkey thought? full post: wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/p/the-great-...
just wrote a whole big thing about lsu's upset over texas, kim mulkey, spectacle, mikaylah williams' greatness & more curiosities from the tiger's den. its the 1st installment of 'the great basketball escape' (aka my cross-country road trip + writing residency), and i hope you'll follow along! <3
The Great Basketball Escape: Baton Rouge
Stop #1: A showdown at LSU's Tiger's Den, the palace of Kim Mulkey
open.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:41 PM
just wrote a whole big thing about lsu's upset over texas, kim mulkey, spectacle, mikaylah williams' greatness & more curiosities from the tiger's den. its the 1st installment of 'the great basketball escape' (aka my cross-country road trip + writing residency), and i hope you'll follow along! <3
ok so this is 'status quo' / the next step for labor negotiations but also has never happened in the history of the wnba before....... right? or do i be lying
Still no CBA deal, but the players union and the WNBA have agreed to a moratorium that will suspend free agency until a new agreement is signed.
January 12, 2026 at 11:45 PM
ok so this is 'status quo' / the next step for labor negotiations but also has never happened in the history of the wnba before....... right? or do i be lying
im on a women's basketball road trip writing residency? (aka on my bullshit)
Rough Notes: The Great Basketball Escape Begins
A winter road trip of basketball & making sense.
wnbaroughnotes.substack.com
January 11, 2026 at 6:16 PM
im on a women's basketball road trip writing residency? (aka on my bullshit)
today in rough notes, i wrote about the faces of women's basketball now & back in 1995-1996, another moment taut with questions, when NO ONE knew how the ABL vs. WNBA dynamic would shake out. thinking about how players navigate new pathways during my own small drama of moving cities & lingering 🥹💙
Rough Notes: Ambassadors of the Unknown
On transitions, the ABL vs. WNBA & sticking together.
wnbaroughnotes.substack.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:35 PM
today in rough notes, i wrote about the faces of women's basketball now & back in 1995-1996, another moment taut with questions, when NO ONE knew how the ABL vs. WNBA dynamic would shake out. thinking about how players navigate new pathways during my own small drama of moving cities & lingering 🥹💙
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
the BASKETBALL FEELINGS FEELING OF THE YEAR returns! friends and contributors share the moments, people and memories that stood out to them most in basketball and beyond for 2025
The Basketball Feelings Feeling of the Year (FOTY), 2025
The annual year-in-review of the moments, people and memories that stood out to BASKETBALL FEELINGS friends and contributors.
www.basketballfeelings.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:11 PM
the BASKETBALL FEELINGS FEELING OF THE YEAR returns! friends and contributors share the moments, people and memories that stood out to them most in basketball and beyond for 2025
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
Honored to be asked to participate. I definitely had some basketball feelings this year.
the BASKETBALL FEELINGS FEELING OF THE YEAR returns! friends and contributors share the moments, people and memories that stood out to them most in basketball and beyond for 2025
The Basketball Feelings Feeling of the Year (FOTY), 2025
The annual year-in-review of the moments, people and memories that stood out to BASKETBALL FEELINGS friends and contributors.
www.basketballfeelings.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Honored to be asked to participate. I definitely had some basketball feelings this year.
im in this & abruptly emo, at the end!
the BASKETBALL FEELINGS FEELING OF THE YEAR returns! friends and contributors share the moments, people and memories that stood out to them most in basketball and beyond for 2025
The Basketball Feelings Feeling of the Year (FOTY), 2025
The annual year-in-review of the moments, people and memories that stood out to BASKETBALL FEELINGS friends and contributors.
www.basketballfeelings.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:45 PM
im in this & abruptly emo, at the end!
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
"The Valkyries’ boldest leader has always been its shortest member: head coach Natalie Nakase."
omg @roughnotes.bsky.social YESSSS
omg @roughnotes.bsky.social YESSSS
December 17, 2025 at 9:22 PM
"The Valkyries’ boldest leader has always been its shortest member: head coach Natalie Nakase."
omg @roughnotes.bsky.social YESSSS
omg @roughnotes.bsky.social YESSSS
this was so fun to write!
There are a ton of incredible pieces in here that I DID NOT write, but I'll just call out two. We were so lucky to have @roughnotes.bsky.social share her Valkyries fandom with us:
fansided.com/fandoms-of-t...
fansided.com/fandoms-of-t...
The Golden State Valkyries were powered by the fans who filled Ballhalla
An expansion roster, a fearless coach and a fanbase ready to erupt turned Ballhalla into one of the most powerful new homes in sports fandom.
fansided.com
December 17, 2025 at 9:03 PM
this was so fun to write!
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
There are a ton of incredible pieces in here that I DID NOT write, but I'll just call out two. We were so lucky to have @roughnotes.bsky.social share her Valkyries fandom with us:
fansided.com/fandoms-of-t...
fansided.com/fandoms-of-t...
The Golden State Valkyries were powered by the fans who filled Ballhalla
An expansion roster, a fearless coach and a fanbase ready to erupt turned Ballhalla into one of the most powerful new homes in sports fandom.
fansided.com
December 16, 2025 at 5:15 PM
There are a ton of incredible pieces in here that I DID NOT write, but I'll just call out two. We were so lucky to have @roughnotes.bsky.social share her Valkyries fandom with us:
fansided.com/fandoms-of-t...
fansided.com/fandoms-of-t...
find the queer sportsy love/friend/penpal of your life:
Shoot Your Shot: Personal Ads Are Here!
Old-school classifieds for queers who love sports, from Out of Your League + Rough Notes
wnbaroughnotes.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
find the queer sportsy love/friend/penpal of your life:
Reposted by maya goldberg-safir
The first round of personal ads for queer sports lovers is here! Everyone sounds so cool, go out and make some connections! @roughnotes.bsky.social and I have loved putting these together. We’ll have two more rounds coming so stay tuned:
Shoot Your Shot: Personal Ads Are Here!
Old-school classifieds for queers who love sports, from Out of Your League + Rough Notes
www.thefrankiedlc.news
December 3, 2025 at 5:16 PM
The first round of personal ads for queer sports lovers is here! Everyone sounds so cool, go out and make some connections! @roughnotes.bsky.social and I have loved putting these together. We’ll have two more rounds coming so stay tuned: