Geno: Paige Bueckers should be able to enter WNBA draft, but staying helps her 'build a brand' | The Boneyard

Geno: Paige Bueckers should be able to enter WNBA draft, but staying helps her 'build a brand'

Kaizen

Kaizen

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SAN ANTONIO -- UConn coach Geno Auriemma said he would support a one-and-done environment in women's college basketball, saying that student-athletes like his freshman star, Paige Bueckers, "should have choices to how they want to live their lives and how they want to take control of their own lives."

Draft-entry restrictions are part of the WNBA's current collective bargaining agreement. Unlike in the men's game, in which players can turn pro after one season, most women's players are not eligible for the WNBA draft until after their fourth year in college. There are some exceptions for juniors: if they have been in school for four years, if they turn 22 during the year of the draft, or if they graduate within three months of the draft.

www.espn.com

UConn's Geno Auriemma: Paige Bueckers should be able to enter WNBA draft, but staying helps her 'build a brand'

UConn coach Geno Auriemma said freshman star Paige Bueckers should be able to enter the WNBA draft after one season, but he also sees the benefits of staying in school.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
The WNBA is desperate for a new marketable star and is desperate for Paige to enter.
They are going to change the rules to get her early.
 
I think this is the best ever Geno praising about a freshman. Cannot wait what he will say about Azzi next year ...:)
 
.-.
my2cents said:
The WNBA is desperate for a new marketable star and is desperate for Paige to enter.
They are going to change the rules to get her early.
Expand ...
I think Sabrina could be that 'it' player. Before her injury, she was becoming a superstar. But I guess, she would be limited being on the limited Liberty.
 
I gotta believe all other opposing coaches would be "highly" in favor if the WNBA had a "1-and-Done" in place right about now. Geno grudgingly has to say it but deep down I have to believe he would like to hold on to Paige as long as possible.
 
mbr33ct said:
I gotta believe all other opposing coaches would be "highly" in favor if the WNBA had a "1-and-Done" in place right about now. Geno grudgingly has to say it but deep down I have to believe he would like to hold on to Paige as long as possible.
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Geno also said he is in favor of NIL so staying at STORRS but being able to monetize her worth would be the best of both worlds although he of course was not looking forward to dealing with student agents.
 
When a player is eligible to enter the WNBA is a collectively bargained item between the players and the owners of the WNBA. If I'm a player in that league, I'm okay with the rule that forces players to wait before declaring for the draft. If players have to wait longer then job security for players in the league already is protected better. Meanwhile, what owner wouldn't want to get a Paige or Caitlin Clark on the floor to sell tickets? They will never admit it, but this is probably more a players issue then it is the owners.
 
Kaizen said:
SAN ANTONIO -- UConn coach Geno Auriemma said he would support a one-and-done environment in women's college basketball, saying that student-athletes like his freshman star, Paige Bueckers, "should have choices to how they want to live their lives and how they want to take control of their own lives."

Draft-entry restrictions are part of the WNBA's current collective bargaining agreement. Unlike in the men's game, in which players can turn pro after one season, most women's players are not eligible for the WNBA draft until after their fourth year in college. There are some exceptions for juniors: if they have been in school for four years, if they turn 22 during the year of the draft, or if they graduate within three months of the draft.

www.espn.com

UConn's Geno Auriemma: Paige Bueckers should be able to enter WNBA draft, but staying helps her 'build a brand'

UConn coach Geno Auriemma said freshman star Paige Bueckers should be able to enter the WNBA draft after one season, but he also sees the benefits of staying in school.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
Expand ...
Not to mention that she has a paid for college scholarship. That's not nothing. Meanwhile, if she left and went to the WNBA, there is a veteran player in the league that is out of a job while Paige doesn't bother utilizing that scholarship
 
my2cents said:
The WNBA is desperate for a new marketable star and is desperate for Paige to enter.
They are going to change the rules to get her early.
Expand ...

If Page does the smart thing she'll continue with her once in a lifetime college life. Nothing the WNBA offers can replace what she has at this moment or can have
in the three years left of her college experience.
 
.-.
Geno compared the backgrounds of Jalen and Paige, very similar. Jalen is going to make millions and millions and Paige is going back to UCONN. Just a small point, the WNBA doesn't pay millions and millions. Plus a pro's career is relatively short (Sue and DT being outliers). Nice to have that college degree to assist in getting a job when it's all over.
 
martyn said:
If Page does the smart thing she'll continue with her once in a lifetime college life. Nothing the WNBA offers can replace what she has at this moment or can have
in the three years left of her college experience.
Expand ...
...maybe 4 more years.
 
I disagree with Geno. How many 4th year all Americans can’t even make a WNBA roster. 1st round picks can’t make a roster. There was a girl from SC just a few years ago, as a top pick, that didn’t even make it through camp. It’s not that Paige isn’t WNBA ready, it’s the 10 other girls that think they are. You can’t dilute Women’s college basketball of its top talent and expect it to keep growing. Following the model of the men’s game is suicide for women’s college basketball and the WNBA. For every inexperienced 19 year old that you keep on your WNBA roster based on her potential, you have to let go an experienced veteran. Foreign leagues generally are only looking for “ready to play” Americans.
Plus, the WNBA doesn’t really pay well enough to give up your education. I don’t profess to know what the answer is but i know what’s not going to work and is doomed to failure.
the men’s ratings are way down and I think will continue to fall. I’ll watch Gonzaga or Villanova sometimes, because their players stay around long enough for me to learn their names.
my last thought on this is, I think USA basketball should get involved. They should start a commission and submit recommendations for what is best for the game of basketball and the players involved.
 
martyn said:
If Page does the smart thing she'll continue with her once in a lifetime college life. Nothing the WNBA offers can replace what she has at this moment or can have
in the three years left of her college experience.
Expand ...
Maybe if they could start making a little money while in college it would make jumping to the pros early less attractive. In fact I think that a college player would find that to be the optimal solution. As they find out once they get to the WNBA, things are different in the pros, but that's the tradeoff they have to make that allows them to start earning money to play their sport. It's true some players would still go to the pros as soon as possible because they just don't want to be in college, but I think a lot of them do like the college experience and would stay all four years if a compromise on getting paid could be reached.
 
The thing is, there isn’t really an incentive for Paige to leave early. So she can have a roommate in a crappy hotel, fly in a crowded plane, be on tv and sports center half as much, lose twice as much, have a worse coach, and make 50,000 a year.

sure, she should have the choice...but why on earth would she make that choice?

building her brand is the most important thing she can do right now - because her popularity will drop significantly once she leaves UConn.
I hope they change the rules on “likeness” in college soon, so players can make money and Paige can learn how to best utilize her social media for that purpose..because that’s where her money is going to be made in her career.
 
.-.
Think of those athletes who come from poor families. Think of Charde Houston, whose mother was living in her car. I believe a Rutgers girl left early because she needed the money. (The one who scored 113 points in a H.S. game, can't remember her name.) It all depends on your circumstances.
 
my2cents said:
Sue Bird. She said two things on her USA call.
1) The WNBA was meeting to discuss eligibility rules.
2) PB would be a #1 Pick

Not hard to figure out.
Expand ...
Ok.
 
Kaizen said:
I think this is the best ever Geno praising about a freshman. Cannot wait what he will say about Azzi next year ...:)
Expand ...
What is it about everyone pivoting to someone who isn't even here yet?
 
Kaizen said:
SAN ANTONIO -- UConn coach Geno Auriemma said he would support a one-and-done environment in women's college basketball, saying that student-athletes like his freshman star, Paige Bueckers, "should have choices to how they want to live their lives and how they want to take control of their own lives."

Draft-entry restrictions are part of the WNBA's current collective bargaining agreement. Unlike in the men's game, in which players can turn pro after one season, most women's players are not eligible for the WNBA draft until after their fourth year in college. There are some exceptions for juniors: if they have been in school for four years, if they turn 22 during the year of the draft, or if they graduate within three months of the draft.

www.espn.com

UConn's Geno Auriemma: Paige Bueckers should be able to enter WNBA draft, but staying helps her 'build a brand'

UConn coach Geno Auriemma said freshman star Paige Bueckers should be able to enter the WNBA draft after one season, but he also sees the benefits of staying in school.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
Expand ...
One of the reasons I don’t follow the men’s game is “one and done.”
 
Paige and Caitlyn's response when asked by Doug Feinberg. Title seems a bit misleading in Paige's case the common theme is having the choice.

www.startribune.com

Paige Bueckers would like option to turn pro this year, a choice she doesn't have

Talented freshmen Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark wouldn't mind having the option to enter the WNBA draft later this month. But rules don't allow it.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

"I'm a believer in living in the now and right now I don't have that choice," said Bueckers, the UConn phenom and former Hopkins High School star who was honored Wednesday as the first freshman to be named The Associated Press women's basketball player of the year. "I'm focused on college right now. In the future, I feel like that option for future college students might be there."

Clark, who led the NCAA in scoring this season and was second in assists, feels that the women's players should be allowed to turn pro after their freshman year, like the men can.

"Boys have it, so why can't the women's game have it as well?" the Iowa freshman said. "It's not something I've thought about a lot since it's never been something for women."
 
.-.
Kaizen said:
SAN ANTONIO -- UConn coach Geno Auriemma said he would support a one-and-done environment in women's college basketball, saying that student-athletes like his freshman star, Paige Bueckers, "should have choices to how they want to live their lives and how they want to take control of their own lives."

Draft-entry restrictions are part of the WNBA's current collective bargaining agreement. Unlike in the men's game, in which players can turn pro after one season, most women's players are not eligible for the WNBA draft until after their fourth year in college. There are some exceptions for juniors: if they have been in school for four years, if they turn 22 during the year of the draft, or if they graduate within three months of the draft.

www.espn.com

UConn's Geno Auriemma: Paige Bueckers should be able to enter WNBA draft, but staying helps her 'build a brand'

UConn coach Geno Auriemma said freshman star Paige Bueckers should be able to enter the WNBA draft after one season, but he also sees the benefits of staying in school.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
Expand ...
I think it is ridiculous for anyone to start talking about these young freshman going pro. Let them mature and grow before talking about them going Pro. I know allot of fools like bringing it up but im surprised to hear Geno mention that too.
 
Kaizen said:
SAN ANTONIO -- UConn coach Geno Auriemma said he would support a one-and-done environment in women's college basketball, saying that student-athletes like his freshman star, Paige Bueckers, "should have choices to how they want to live their lives and how they want to take control of their own lives."

Draft-entry restrictions are part of the WNBA's current collective bargaining agreement. Unlike in the men's game, in which players can turn pro after one season, most women's players are not eligible for the WNBA draft until after their fourth year in college. There are some exceptions for juniors: if they have been in school for four years, if they turn 22 during the year of the draft, or if they graduate within three months of the draft.

www.espn.com

UConn's Geno Auriemma: Paige Bueckers should be able to enter WNBA draft, but staying helps her 'build a brand'

UConn coach Geno Auriemma said freshman star Paige Bueckers should be able to enter the WNBA draft after one season, but he also sees the benefits of staying in school.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
Expand ...
A one and done platform would damage Women's College Basketball....I hope it never happens.
 
I agree that players should have a choice, but by having that choice, they have the ability to make the wrong one. Yes, Bueckers could enter after this season and likely go #1, but I am skeptical how effective she would be in the W at this age. Those players are A LOT stronger, quicker, and experienced. Would she learn and grow and become an all WNBA type player, absolutely. But if players go one and done on the women's side, I think you would see fewer WNBA ready players from day one. Stewart is an example of a player who could have been one and done, but I'm not so sure how effective she would have been. By the time she left Connecticut, she developed into a player ready to play at close to MVP level from day one.

The other side would be the diluted talent in the college game. Bueckers and Clark are going to be staples in the WCBB world until they graduate. If they left, that would be two superstar shoes that needed to be filled. You'd likely see a lot of mid-majors be more competetive by putting out more senior laden teams compared to the P5 schools with younger rosters. It would mimic more of what you see on the men's side with the issue being that the overall talent pool for women is smaller at this point.
 
Rblack335 said:
I agree that players should have a choice, but by having that choice, they have the ability to make the wrong one. Yes, Bueckers could enter after this season and likely go #1, but I am skeptical how effective she would be in the W at this age. Those players are A LOT stronger, quicker, and experienced. Would she learn and grow and become an all WNBA type player, absolutely. But if players go one and done on the women's side, I think you would see fewer WNBA ready players from day one. Stewart is an example of a player who could have been one and done, but I'm not so sure how effective she would have been. By the time she left Connecticut, she developed into a player ready to play at close to MVP level from day one.

The other side would be the diluted talent in the college game. Bueckers and Clark are going to be staples in the WCBB world until they graduate. If they left, that would be two superstar shoes that needed to be filled. You'd likely see a lot of mid-majors be more competetive by putting out more senior laden teams compared to the P5 schools with younger rosters. It would mimic more of what you see on the men's side with the issue being that the overall talent pool for women is smaller at this point.
Expand ...
Yes, there are complex arguments on both sides but in the end, a player should have choices in how to further their career and hope all those around them will help navigate the choices to make the best decision for them.
 
In Jan of last year the WNBA and the players came to an 8 year bargaining agreement. They are not going to re-open bargaining over this issue. The next time they will have a chance to change the draft eligibility rules is 2027. BTW - don't think Geno doesn't know this fact well when he is asked about when college players should be eligible. It's easy for him to be totally pro one and done when he knows for a fact he may never have to deal with this issue at all before he retires.
 
Most young BB players do not make life changing decisions by themselves. Parents, agents, friends and others are people who are directly or indirectly involved. One and done is about letting women young BB having a choice. WNBA and the Players Union are negotiating a CBA which should benefit both and hopefully all women BB players old or young. IMHO, PB will not leave UConn for the WNBA tor the once in a life opportunity for a college education and experience. But she should have that choice.
 
.-.
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