2025 WNBA Off-Season | Page 4 | The Boneyard

2025 WNBA Off-Season

Basingstoke said:
I would substitute "forthright and honest" for "hostile." If Engelbert said the things that Phee referenced, I think that it's reflective of the league's of a league attitude that doesn't value their most valuable human assets. I'm afraid that it's going to be a difficult road ahead in negotiating a new CBA, and the league isn't doing itself any favors in trying to win fans over to their side.
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The comment about Clark being "grateful" to have the WNBA to give her access to the reach she has. Really??????
 
BRS24 said:
Per Skim Milkey (didn't want to kludge up the thread with > 1 twitter link):

"Weaponizing the Caitlin Clark fanbase is a rather smart and good move by Napheesa."

"Napheesa uniting Paige Beuckers fans, Angel Reese fans, and Caitlin Clark fans against the WNBA will likely forever change the WNBA forever.This day will be looked back on as hopefully the date where positive change started to occur."

On edit - the masterclass of uniting the Angel vs Caitlin and Paige vs Caitlin fanbases, is, chef's kiss.
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Good on Phee--that was a well thought out attack at Cathy. I hope this creates a ripple effect as players back her up and putting it all on blast forces the front office into a tough corner. Glad to see this.
 
Why wait til now to drop these excerpts that Cathy said last year ? Is it another bargaining chip or i mean what's the purpose is my wonder ?If anything this made a league lockout even more viable to the WNBA offices.
 
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BRS24 said:
Don’t believe so. Phee wants both the W and Unrivaled to succeed. The former is bigger and has a market opposed to all the other Hoop leagues, pro and college. Unrivaled is there in winter for those that don’t or can’t go overseas.
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What will you all say next year if all we get in 2026 is unrivaled ? Phee is god for these comments ? I just dont understand the purpose , this is not going to cause any difference in negotiating in good faith one could said these comments could open the door for even more foul play .
 
Englebert seemed like a great get coming as CEO of Deloitte in 2019 and I’m not sure I can assess the job she’s done overall without looking back at the details but she’s certainly had her share of public fumbles and bad decisions. The New York dress during Game 5 of the Finals last year was highly embarrassing for the league, the officiating has been inept for years, and the WNBA’s social media has been a disaster which is paramount during a growth period like the league is in now.

This is really bad, though. Nothing Collier said jumps out at me as anything but pierced delivery of overdue truths. The fact she went as far as to disclose private comments the commissioner made show that she’s fallen through the thin ice she was on with players.

I think we’re headed for a lockout and it’s a shame because 1) these women deserve to be paid for the value they’ve created and 2) nothing can kill the league’s momentum more than a missed season.
 
Englebert's handling of the CT Sun has been awful: "You can't sell to the highest bidder, you can't keep the team in-market, and you have to accept 20% less that market value and sell it to the league." I'm surprised the other owners have not been in more of an uproar about that.
 
"I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA," Engelbert said in the written statement. "Together, we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game.
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"I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver."
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As I said over in the other forum, I really hope Lasry and a bunch of other hedge fund owners see this as an opportunity to start a whole new league with players as co-op style partners. Do it right this time, the fan base is there, and the true fans will appreciate a game that's well-officiated and well run. Money will follow the players to a new league, no one cares who an individual team owner is or what streaming deal they have. And Englebert is a perfect example of why you don't have an accountant as a talking head, they're basically clueless.
 
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Dogdude said:
As I said over in the other forum, I really hope Lasry and a bunch of other hedge fund owners see this as an opportunity to start a whole new league with players as co-op style partners. Do it right this time, the fan base is there, and the true fans will appreciate a game that's well-officiated and well run. Money will follow the players to a new league, no one cares who an individual team owner is or what streaming deal they have. And Englebert is a perfect example of why you don't have an accountant as a talking head, they're basically clueless.
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No way the NBA is gonna let a competing league form.
 
Vowelguy said:
Englebert's handling of the CT Sun has been awful: "You can't sell to the highest bidder, you can't keep the team in-market, and you have to accept 20% less that market value and sell it to the league." I'm surprised the other owners have not been in more of an uproar about that.
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I think the tribe should be furious. There is about to be a lockout. And their $300M sale has effectively been blocked.
 
Dogdude said:
As I said over in the other forum, I really hope Lasry and a bunch of other hedge fund owners see this as an opportunity to start a whole new league with players as co-op style partners. Do it right this time, the fan base is there, and the true fans will appreciate a game that's well-officiated and well run. Money will follow the players to a new league, no one cares who an individual team owner is or what streaming deal they have. And Englebert is a perfect example of why you don't have an accountant as a talking head, they're basically clueless.
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No other league will outshine the WNBA. The NBA will make sure of that regardless if Engelbert or Collier stick around . We have seen it done before ruthlessly .
 
I think the timing just should have been better , saying all these old things Cathy said seems as though Phee waited til mad day after her team got eliminated without a championship to say all things bad about Cathy without including the good things shes done for the growth of this league versus any other Prez since Val Ackerman . How this helps them get a big payday idk , but i hope the players do but not by attacking someone's character . Whether Cathy said those words verbatim or not why wait til now to bring it up ?
 
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the message was impactful but coming from Collier ...ehhhh this proves the conflict of interest theory that was out there from day 1 . Comparing her husband to the WNBA business model & CEO is just obserd. 6 teams in 1 venue cannot and will not compare nor compete with the corporate juggernaut of the WNBA/NBA ever . One may think Collier has had this day and plan all along and compiled a story with her husband aka the CEO of Unrivaled .
 
Not to mention Collier hold a stake in a competitor league while negotiating the CBA of the WNBA in itself opens the ground for legal issues .
 
WFFL said:
Not to mention Collier hold a stake in a competitor league while negotiating the CBA of the WNBA in itself opens the ground for legal issues .
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The players can choose whoever they want to represent them. Her involvement with Unrivaled is not a secret. If the players were concerned that this creates a conflict of interest, they could’ve made someone else VP.

What exactly is the “legal issue” here?
 
Vowelguy said:
The players can choose whoever they want to represent them. Her involvement with Unrivaled is not a secret. If the players were concerned that this creates a conflict of interest, they could’ve made someone else VP.

What exactly is the “legal issue” here?
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she was elected before unrivaled became a thing.
 
Vowelguy said:
The players can choose whoever they want to represent them. Her involvement with Unrivaled is not a secret. If the players were concerned that this creates a conflict of interest, they could’ve made someone else VP.

What exactly is the “legal issue” here?
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Exactly, there is none. And there's no issue with starting a competing league, either. Any attempt to stop it other than outright buying a competing league out would be an immediate antitrust suit. I absolutely doubt anyone would seriously try it, but between Phee's comments generating so much positive feedback, and the handling of the Sun generating so much negative feedback, there are some eggshells that need walking on. Oh, and if you don't think a competing league could get going? Remember the ABA and Dr. J. A few folks with sacks o' dough and it's game on.
 
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Vowelguy said:
The players can choose whoever they want to represent them. Her involvement with Unrivaled is not a secret. If the players were concerned that this creates a conflict of interest, they could’ve made someone else VP.

What exactly is the “legal issue” here?
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Who's her husband again ?
 
I agree with collier's words im just afraid this is going to turn into an Unrivaled vs the WNBA/NBA thing and i dont see Collier's league or well her husbands league winning that battle. Sure lets pay the players 1 million dollar salaries BUT there's a clause you can't play in Unrivaled at all . Sincerely - Cathy's hardball ass face lol .
 
WFFL said:
I agree with collier's words im just afraid this is going to turn into an Unrivaled vs the WNBA/NBA thing and i dont see Collier's league or well her husbands league winning that battle. Sure lets pay the players 1 million dollar salaries BUT there's a clause you can't play in Unrivaled at all . Sincerely - Cathy's hardball ass face lol .
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Respectfully, I feel like you're the only one turning it into the W vs. Unrivaled. I haven't seen anyone in the media suggest this, and the players who have spoken up all seem to be pretty uniformly in support of Phee.
 
TheFarmFan said:
Respectfully, I feel like you're the only one turning it into the W vs. Unrivaled. I haven't seen anyone in the media suggest this, and the players who have spoken up all seem to be pretty uniformly in support of Phee.
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If you think this then i will allow you to live there lol. Everyone knows whats going on here but turn a blind eye its not my head lol . No one is saying what she said was wrong at all , i just think the timing especially while trying to play hardball with a corporation who has the NBA's hand is just not smart. Yeah the top 36-48 players or however unrivaled allows will benefit from this chess move but the remaining 100 wnba players who dont get the invite to unrivaled will struggle while the top players play hard ball until they can cash out.
 
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