DT Talks WNBA and Pay

[RockyMTblue2]

She's pretty blunt. Other things here too. Liberty, WCC, slap in the face. D is D. Her WNBA pay is maybe 9% of her compensation but it is beating a dead horse.

 

[Rixxx]

I think I could listen to her all day.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

She does have a way with words. A clarity of thought and a rejection of politic speak. WNBA pay: it's not my fight anymore. 50% of revenues to the players: owners would walk. It goes by real fast but she says her WNBA pay is about 9% of her income. Superstars getting minimum wage for their careers. Yup, she gets to the point.

 

[Bezzz]

She is awesome. The greatest woman basketball player in the world is "just playing for the health insurance now".

 

[Rb335]

To me a big issue is that the depth of talent in the league has never been good enough to put a really good product on the floor. It’s been improving as of late, but as D said, the quality of play goes down when you compact a schedule for an international competition. Does the WNBA even value the WNBA?

Unfortunately most sports fans are men, and if they can watch a higher level of basketball in the G league, why watch the WNBA? As a women’s basketball fan, I’ve come to appreciate the fundamentals of the game, but you can’t argue that even the best athletes in the WNBA have the same athleticism as summer league men’s players. It’s two completely different products.

If the WNBA could appeal to more female fans, (or figure out a way to gain respect in the male demographic) maybe that would be a solution. But until the WNBA can find a way to sell out arenas and increase revenue, they are never going to catch up in pay. They are having a hard enough time keeping owners at this point. How many franchises have folded or relocated in its 20ish years? A lot.

I hope they can figure it out because these players deserve much better.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

To me a big issue is that the depth of talent in the league has never been good enough to put a really good product on the floor. It’s been improving as of late, but as D said, the quality of play goes down when you compact a schedule for an international competition. Does the WNBA even value the WNBA?

Unfortunately most sports fans are men, and if they can watch a higher level of basketball in the G league, why watch the WNBA? As a women’s basketball fan, I’ve come to appreciate the fundamentals of the game, but you can’t argue that even the best athletes in the WNBA have the same athleticism as summer league men’s players. It’s two completely different products.

If the WNBA could appeal to more female fans, (or figure out a way to gain respect in the male demographic) maybe that would be a solution. But until the WNBA can find a way to sell out arenas and increase revenue, they are never going to catch up in pay. They are having a hard enough time keeping owners at this point. How many franchises have folded or relocated in its 20ish years? A lot.

I hope they can figure it out because these players deserve much better.

I never minded the quality of play on the floor, although I did regret how ragged the season always started as players did not have enough training camp together.

But I have been reflecting on the "W" and how they lost me as a potential attendee, and I came up with a few things -

1 - the strictly personal - which I am trying to ignore in the rest of the analysis - currently, we can't possibly attend any games (well, we might be able to make a single game) because of my wife's health. But personal reasons probably affect others as well, from the limited pool of folks who, at least initially, have an interest.

But after having season tix for the Lib for more than the 10 first seasons, and partials for 2 seasons of the Merc after we first moved out here, these are all true:

2 - One of the reasons we gave up our Liberty tickets was the timing. It isn't a bad time for a season (and not that there's a choice), but I think for some folks it inhibits following the game. For us, summer was always catch-up time after devoting quite a bit of time to following our college sports (whether on TV or in person) Nice to have a sport of interest, but could never quite devote the same energy as we did to college. Not because we liked it less, just because of "sports fatigue".
3- With relatively few games and few locations, it is hard for a lot of people to make games. And it just isn't the same when you don't get to see some games in-person. That's why for 2 years we drove 2+ hours to Phoenix and stayed overnight in a hotel 3 or 4 times a season. Lots of fun, but not easy.
4 - Part of why it is hard to follow is the lack of games on TV. Yes, I know they are on the internet. But I'm sure I'm not the only person who prefers TV to internet sources. And I'm not not 65 yet.
5 - I don't like the WNBA web site. Maybe its better now, but I tend to find it not-well-kept, sometimes difficult to use . . .
6 - And finally, while I sometimes see a blurb in the Tucson paper, most often regarding the Mercury, it isn't like there is anything except to Boneyard to casually remind me of a game.

In other words, it is disappointingly frustrating to follow the WNBA, at least for me. And I'll be blunt - they couldn't even keep up the interest of 2 fans who love women's sports, particularly love WBB, were never bothered by the differences to the college game, and had lots of folks from their college team (Rutgers) playing in the league. And it isn't that the WNBA was not fan-friendly or anything, it was just that they couldn't keep us interested. Sad.

 

[stwainfan]

I agree that WNBA players should make more. I think better tv coverage is also needed.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Wow!!! She says that the WNBA players need to be prepared to strike! The NBA did it, the NHL did it. She left out the baseball strikes. So, in her opinion, these players need to put it all on the line and strike. Maybe 50% of the gross isn't realistic, but more than they have now.

D's WNBA pay is less than a tenth of her total income. Right now she's playing in the WNBA "for health insurance," for dental. What a disgrace for the NBA, which owns this league.

She says that the New York franchise's playing in Westchester "is a slap in the face."

She says that the NBA promotes its "D" (Development) League and its Summer League is if they are the greatest leagues in the world. But the WNBA can't even get 20 minutes of highlights for the week.

So D is a labor activist. She's been pushing for pay increases and better conditions (she called the fact that Phoenix has been on the road for 20 of the past 25 days "a slap in the face" of Phoenix fans).

Goes to support my contention that the low pay isn't a result of a bad product, but more a result of a controlling NBA that just doesn't give a fig about the women's league, and refuses to promote it in any meaningful way.

Keep fighting, ladies!! You deserve so much better!!!!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Wow!!! She says that the WNBA players need to be prepared to strike! The NBA did it, the NHL did it. She left out the baseball strikes. So, in her opinion, these players need to put it all on the line and strike. Maybe 50% of the gross isn't realistic, but more than they have now.

D's WNBA pay is less than a tenth of her total income. Right now she's playing in the WNBA "for health insurance," for dental. What a disgrace for the NBA, which owns this league.

She says that the New York franchise's playing in Westchester "is a slap in the face."

She says that the NBA promotes its "D" (Development) League and its Summer League is if they are the greatest leagues in the world. But the WNBA can't even get 20 minutes of highlights for the week.

So D is a labor activist. She's been pushing for pay increases and better conditions (she called the fact that Phoenix has been on the road for 20 of the past 25 days "a slap in the face" of Phoenix fans).

Goes to support my contention that the low pay isn't a result of a bad product, but more a result of a controlling NBA that just doesn't give a fig about the women's league, and refuses to promote it in any meaningful way.

Keep fighting, ladies!! You deserve so much better!!!!

So you're saying I shouldah used more words in my first post?

 

[Fairfield Fan]

So you're saying I shouldah used more words in my first post?

Uh, yep! She said a mouthful, and what she said deserves a lot of discussion and wide dissemination.

 

[CL82]

Add me to the list who love listening to Dee. She's a very bright, poised and genuinely funny woman.

She does cut the chase, when she says if if you took 50% of the profits and allocated them to the players, the owners "wouldn't be there anymore." I've posted the specific numbers before. WNBA players get paid less because the WNBA makes only a fraction of what the NBA does.

Unfortunately most sports fans are men, and if they can watch a higher level of basketball in the G league, why watch the WNBA?

This is an interesting question. I took a quick look and it didn't see average G-league numbers but, from the numbers I did see, it does appear that G-league has a higher attendance. That surprises me.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

DT is the GOAT!!

They players should push for better marketing and promotion, a better schedule, and other perks. However, the League simply doesn't make enough money for much higher salaries. If they get the 50/50 split, they may run a couple of owners out of the League.

 

[CL82]

We should have a July Madness competition of which UCWBB player coach would you most want to have dinner with. My final four would be Dee, Geno, Rebecca and Bird. (Honorable mention CD)

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I agree that WNBA players should make more. I think better tv coverage is also needed.

You know who could get it done? Oprah. We need a network dedicated to women's sports.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Wow!!! She says that the WNBA players need to be prepared to strike! The NBA did it, the NHL did it. She left out the baseball strikes. So, in her opinion, these players need to put it all on the line and strike. Maybe 50% of the gross isn't realistic, but more than they have now.

D's WNBA pay is less than a tenth of her total income. Right now she's playing in the WNBA "for health insurance," for dental. What a disgrace for the NBA, which owns this league.

She says that the New York franchise's playing in Westchester "is a slap in the face."

She says that the NBA promotes its "D" (Development) League and its Summer League is if they are the greatest leagues in the world. But the WNBA can't even get 20 minutes of highlights for the week.

So D is a labor activist. She's been pushing for pay increases and better conditions (she called the fact that Phoenix has been on the road for 20 of the past 25 days "a slap in the face" of Phoenix fans).

Goes to support my contention that the low pay isn't a result of a bad product, but more a result of a controlling NBA that just doesn't give a fig about the women's league, and refuses to promote it in any meaningful way.

Keep fighting, ladies!! You deserve so much better!!!!

I'm a feminist and pro-labor, but I'm also a banker by trade. There are a few problems with the WNBA players going on strike:

A) The league loses money when they're playing, whereas the men's leagues lose a fortune when their players are on strike;
B) Attendance already sucks and even if a small reduction occurred due to a strike, it could be fatal.

We need Oprah to create a women's sports network and promote the heck out of it.