East Texas Trash: a couple of questions for you

[Blakeon18]

ET: you are clearly our LoneStar one seed so I ask for your wisdom on the following:

Your last dollar on the line...who gets the Texas job?

We have read that EDD/Diggins and Griner are all eligible to go to the WNBA
next year. EDD says she isn't going. I wouldn't be shocked if Diggins did leave...win or lose the ring this time round.

Do you have any sense about Brittney? I have no idea about her financial situation but she clearly would make a lot of money in the league and overseas...probably with some endorsements thrown in. I suspect she is close enough to a degree that she could get her senior year credits in the off-seasons.

Might she leave if Baylor wins this year? If they lose [uhhh...say to UConn!] might that increase her chances to stay?

Part of me thinks that her return would be great for the college game...with the Baylor at UConn game being THE game of the regular season. Part of me thinks it would be nice if she left .... given our incoming class of frosh....including your very own MJ....our possible run to the ring next year would be a whole lot easier with Brittney making bucks in the pros.

Got any sense of what she might do?

BTW: should Baylor meet LadyVol herself come Monday....good luck!

 

[sarals24]

I didn't know Diggins was eligible next season...is she older? No way she leaves. I don't think Griner will leave either, unless she is graduating this year. Even so, she could stay and get a free Master's degree.

I would think women would be more reluctant to leave early than men, mainly because the fan support is probably better at the college level than the pro level, the college experience sounds like more fun than living abroad by yourself to play for a team in a country where you might not know the language, playing in the WNBA for peanuts...etc. if I were a DI pro prospect I would milk my time in college as long as possible. Plus, Griner and Mulkey seem to have a great relationship, and I know she is really popular on campus, so I don't see her leaving.

Diggins can leave, if she wants Go get that CoverGirl contract. Or stay and get pummelled by UConn all year.

 

[doggydaddy]

I didn't know Diggins was eligible next season...is she older? No way she leaves. I don't think Griner will leave either, unless she is graduating this year. Even so, she could stay and get a free Master's degree.

I would think women would be more reluctant to leave early than men, mainly because the fan support is probably better at the college level than the pro level, the college experience sounds like more fun than living abroad by yourself to play for a team in a country where you might not know the language, playing in the WNBA for peanuts...etc. if I were a DI pro prospect I would milk my time in college as long as possible. Plus, Griner and Mulkey seem to have a great relationship, and I know she is really popular on campus, so I don't see her leaving.

Diggins can leave, if she wants Go get that CoverGirl contract. Or stay and get pummelled by UConn all year.

Why would Diggins leave?

- all her buddies are graduating. Novosel, Mallory, Peters. And because of that, ND takes a step back. Can she deal with that?
- Uconn is only losing Hayes and bringing in one of the best classes EVER. Does she want to lose to UConn 2-3 times by 30-40 points?
- While she will certainly retain AA status, what does she gain by staying? College experience?

I'm now not sure what I think she will do. I felt for sure she will come back, but who knows?

 

[alexrgct]

With all due respect to ETT, I don't think a Baylor fan is going to have a good handle on who gets the Texas job. I don't know that anyone does at this point.

My suspicion is that we'll know soon. Texas will want to announce while WBB is generally still part of the news cycle because of the tournament (if possible).

 

[sarals24]

I don't know either, but she's from South Bend and may want the opportunity to play in front of her friends and family for one more year. Will she have a degree at the end of this year? She might want to cement her status as one of ND's best ever. Have any players other than Candace Parker left before using up their eligibility?

 

[alexrgct]

I'll be surprised if Diggins leaves unless she has companies telling her she'll get serious money in endorsements if she leaves now. And it would have to be serious money.

 

[msf22b]

I think the serious money is likely and will be bandied about and Doggy's point of her being crushed next year will seal the deal; she goes!...And Notre Dame subsequently is barely a top-ten as will Baylor be when Brit leaves. But UCONN...all-world

 

[AboutWeston]

Skylar can't leave, I thought (and play in the WNBA - maybe in Europe) - she is only a junior, like Kelly.

 

[JimGunther]

I'll be surprised if Diggins leaves unless she has companies telling her she'll get serious money in endorsements if she leaves now. And it would have to be serious money.

Decision may hinge on whether ND wins the NCAA Championship or not.
If they DO, Skyler's "stock" would be at an all time high. If not, it's moot.

In any event, 2012-13 wouldn't appear to be a great year for ND.

 

[sarals24]

I think you can leave if you are 22 in the calender year or have graduated. LINK

Still don't think she goes.

 

[Blakeon18]

Unless I am wrong, there is an age-level you need to attain to play in the WNBA and that Diggins has attained it. I would guess that most college juniors have done so.

While we know that the WNBA salaries are not much compared to the NBA the stars can get serious money [mid to high 6 figures] overseas. I would think that both Griner and Diggins would fall into that category.

 

[Blakeon18]

That link has Renee Brown contradicting herself. Someone asks if a young woman can leave school early and play in the WNBA. Brown says 'no'. She then outlines the conditions which permit a woman to play in the league and one of those conditions is turning 22. You in fact CAN leave college early and play in the WNBA....her 'no' is simply inaccurate.

On a related topic...a repeat observation here: while I want all high school grads [men and women] to go to college if they so choose and are qualified to do so, my desire for their career path is irrelevant. If a high school grad is a wonderful basketball player and wishes to immediately pursue playing in the WNBA or the NBA I think they should be eligible to do so.

If a particular team feels that the young adult is not mature enough or good enough for their team then pass on them in the draft. Might be a smart move....might not.
But they should be eligible. The same young adult is eligible to be hired to sweep up after the game....to be a computer wiz in the office....but they are not even eligible to bounce a ball for a living?

I would love to hear David Stern or the Commish of the WNBA explain why the same 18 year high school grad is eligible to join the armed services and fight and possibly die in Iraq or Afghanistan for his/her country....allowing Mr. Stern and LeBron James and Dee and Candace and Coach Pat and Coach Geno to make huge salaries....but they are not mature enough to even be eligible to play hoops for a living? I guess it is 'legal' as of now.....but it isn't ethical....even a little bit.

College generally is a wonderful choice for the vast majority of the basketball elite
but if the young adult wishes to try out for a team and skip college due to lack of academic ability or lack of academic interest....so be it.

The NBA and the WNBA have a really nice 'farm system' that they don't have to pay for. I can sure understand their self-interest in keeping the current system....that doesn't make the current system 'right'....imo.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Skylar could leave because of her age. One factor will be how important education is to her.

If she gets Final Four exposure this year, her stock will be really high. Even though she will probably be a better player next year, the team probably will not be as good and will almost certainly be behind UConn (plus Baylor, Duke, Stanford, Maryland, et al.). I would not pick ND for the Final Four next year. So this year's exposure--win or lose--might be better than next year's.

In draft status, she could be #1 or #2 this year. (I'd take Nneka 1st in a heartbeat). Next year, she is clearly behind Griner and Elena and perhaps others.

I think it makes sense for Skylar to leave. In terms of competition, it also makes sense for Griner to leave. In her case, though, she has a much better shot at a championship in 2013 than Skylar does. Elena has already said that she will be back. She is enjoying college, loves her team, and may need an additional year to prepare to separate herself from Lizzie.

If Sklyar leaves, who will become the "face" of WCBB? I'm thinking this kid, who lights up a room, a gym, and the other team:

 

[Tonyc]

The money is big overseas, for the top players. I would think that would have something to do with it. The question is is that enought to lure the top girls over their allowing them to finish their education in the off season. Opportunities to earn alot of money arent their if your injured. You can always finish your education but you cant always get a big paycheck. Tuff decsion.

 

[DobbsRover2]

It's a complex situation, and it's one that doesn't necessarily make the right and principled choice always the most effective one. For the NFL and NBA and their position to their respective college sport, the answer is a lot easier. Yes, there are many pro and college teams making a lot of money off the sweat and blood of athletes. Forcing a BB player to be a one-and-done mercenary is a little hypocritical, though it often serves as a nice showcase for an athlete. On the other hand, where do you draw the line? If some 7-foot 15-year-old was allowed to be persuaded to sign with an NBA team and given a development routine he wasn't ready for, would there be a lot of Freddie Adu type arrested development scenarios before the player learns to work with less hyped expectations?

For the women BB players, the situation is different because of the paucity of money and publicity relative to the men. The WNBA gets a pittance of the attention of the NBA and relies on the college fan connections for much of its publicity. If Maya had been a one-and-done at UConn, the situation for her, the WNBA, and her fans would be a lot different. The rules for men and women in college have to be basically the same, though pro leagues can set their own rules, but though what's good for the goose is good for the gander, women's BB players cannot afford to do anything that might kill the goose, especially since it's not a particularly well-fed one. And yes if a woman can serve in the military in Afghanistan she should be able to play ball professionally in Turkey, but there are hazards there too like incompetent drug testers. Chasing money overseas is just not a sure thing for all players.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

Don't understand this leaving college early speculation. When did a top WCBB leave early to join the WNBA? I can't think of anyone that didn't use their 4 years of eligibility umless they were injured, suspended or flunked out.

 

[alexrgct]

One other complication for the women is that there is not a good model for just how much money you can make. With the different teams and different leagues, salaries vary wildly. Endorsements also vary on a case-by-case basis. And because of this, insurance is not avalable in the way it was for Matt Leinert when he stayed for his senior year at USC. No one really knows what Skylar's career is worth sufficient to insure it.

With respect to BG, she can probably make money overseas, but I wouldn't expect her endorsement opportunities to be that significant for reasons that are self-evident without me having to be a jerk about it.

 

[UConnCat]

Don't understand this leaving college early speculation. When did a top WCBB leave early to join the WNBA? I can't think of anyone that didn't use their 4 years of eligibility umless they were injured, suspended or flunked out.

Candace Parker left with one year of eligibility left. She earned her degree but could have played one more year at Tenn. No one questioned that she made the correct decision. She was ready for the WNBA, was leaving with back-to-back NCs and would have ended up playing with a bunch of freshman had she stayed at Tenn.

 

[doggydaddy]

With respect to BG, she can probably make money overseas, but I wouldn't expect her endorsement opportunities to be that significant for reasons that are self-evident without me having to be a jerk about it.

Not probably. Absolutely.

She will be one of the highest salaries in the overseas leagues.

500K-1M. Enough to make the move if she wants. I don't think Diggins will command that much. But more in endorsements.

 

[doggydaddy]

Don't understand this leaving college early speculation. When did a top WCBB leave early to join the WNBA? I can't think of anyone that didn't use their 4 years of eligibility umless they were injured, suspended or flunked out.

And times change. It's not just the WNBA. It's endorsements and overseas salaries.

Griner could earn close to 1M in a season. She is that unique.

 

[alexrgct]

I think, even, in Griner's case, she should consider the value of a degree. Overseas teams are unpredictable. Crazy Russian owners. Incompetent Turkish doping testers. Hungarians who decide they're just not going to pay you. What happens if you suffer a career ending injury in your first season? You have (heavily taxed) salary for a partial season and a year of college to pay for. The money will be there in a year. Griner is reportedly a bit of a homebody anyway. I'd think she'd take the next step of going to the Olympics, spreading her wings a little bit more in the process, and then finish her career at Baylor with a degree in hand before seeking her fortune.

Of course, should she eschew my approach in favor of bolting now, thereby making UConn the prohibitive favorite for the 2013 NC, I won't exactly complain. Would make that home game against Baylor next season less exciting, however.

 

[easttexastrash]

Griner has said point blank that she will not leave school, regardless of what happens this season. She was asked if she won a NC and gold medal if she may consider and she said no, that when she makes a commitment that she sticks with it and she is very loyal to Mulkey. ZERO chance that she goes pro.

I think that Texas will go after Walz. There is some discussion that Gary Blair would prefer to stay in the Big 12 and may be courted, but that is a long shot. I also think that they may look at Dan Hughes from the San Antonio Silver Stars.

However, the problem with those hires would be that they are all men and Plonsky is big on having female coaches for the women's programs, which could alter all plans, at which point maybe Melanie Balcomb could be a target.

 

[doggydaddy]

Griner has said point blank that she will not leave school, regardless of what happens this season. She was asked if she won a NC and gold medal if she may consider and she said no, that when she makes a commitment that she sticks with it and she is very loyal to Mulkey. ZERO chance that she goes pro.

I think that Texas will go after Walz. There is some discussion that Gary Blair would prefer to stay in the Big 12 and may be courted, but that is a long shot. I also think that they may look at Dan Hughes from the San Antonion Silver Stars.

However, the problem with those hires would be that they are all men and Plonsky is big on having female coaches for the women's programs, which could alter all plans.

I was just listing possible reasons for her to leave. I don't think she will either.

I'm wavering on Diggins, based on her teammates graduating, how much weaker ND will be and her ego not allowing her to live through another year like her freshman season.

 

[FairView]

Candace Parker left with one year of eligibility left. She earned her degree but could have played one more year at Tenn. No one questioned that she made the correct decision. She was ready for the WNBA, was leaving with back-to-back NCs and would have ended up playing with a bunch of freshman had she stayed at Tenn.

But didn't Parker redshirt one year? So while she still had a year of eligibility left, she did leave with her four-year graduating class.

 

[Kibitzer]

But didn't Parker redshirt one year? So while she still had a year of eligibility left, she did leave with her four-year graduating class.

Yes, Parker red-shirted a year, so that made her eligible to go pro. And Pat didn't like it. The other notable player to leave school early was Prince of RU. She went overseas to play, strictly for the money.

We have to hope that Heather and Caroline are immune to the lure of the WNBA. Both are eligible, having red-shirted.