Over/Under for WNBA Players Opting Not to Play in 2020?

[WestCoast]

I will set the over/under number at 6. So far, one player from the Lynx and Renee Montgomery from the Dream have made their decisions to not play in 2020 public. I speculate that a few more players will elect by June 25 not to play in 2020 for their own personal reasons.

Players have received two paychecks so far for the 2020 season. To receive a third paycheck for 2020, players must commit to playing beginning with the practices in Florida in early July.

 

[j66kicker]

Over

 

[TheFarmFan]

Over

+1. Weren't there already three drafted players who were waived for this season due to opting not to play? I know Mikayla Pivec was one of them, and I think there were two others. If so, that's 5 already.

 

[eebmg]

Would think the more interesting question is the number who opt out for a specific reason

1) Social Justice
2) Covid19. Players who do not feel the procedures are safe enough or that they are too restrictive

I will say 5 for each reason. as my baseline. Edit. Maybe with FL spiking, make this 10

If players opt out, can teams add replacement players? Would it be a pure free agent type of scenario?

 

[j66kicker]

Would think the more interesting question is the number who opt out for a specific reason

1) Social Justice
2) Covid19. Players who do not feel the procedures are safe enough or that they are too restrictive

I will say 5 for each reason. as my baseline. Edit. Maybe with FL spiking, make this 10

If players opt out, can teams add replacement players? Would it be a pure free agent type of scenario?

I predict more will opt out giving (1) as a reason, but some of these may actually fall into a third category:

3) In reality opting out for reason (2), but under the auspices of (1), or at least using (1) as a great excuse/reason to skip this season.

(Actually thinking more about the NBA than WNBA on this)

 

[Carnac]

My tea leaves, crystal ball, Ouija board and envelopes all point to “over,”...........way over!

 

[WestCoast]

+1. Weren't there already three drafted players who were waived for this season due to opting not to play? I know Mikayla Pivec was one of them, and I think there were two others. If so, that's 5 already.

Good point. I should have been more clear.

Let's only include those players who have received paychecks from the WNBA this season and weren't in a suspended status. Those 139 players (5 teams only had 11 players on their rosters) were among the active players on rosters at the time that the players voted 77% in favor as a collective group in playing in Florida beginning in July 2020.

So far, I only aware of two players in the league that have made their decisions public. More will likely follow by June 25, creating WNBA roster opportunities for those willing to commit to playing in July.

I will keep that over/under at 6, but am starting to get a sense from others that perhaps 10 should have been a more likely starting over/under line.

 

[Blueberries]

over

 

[eebmg]

For all those saying over (including perhaps me), the deadline to decide is June 24 and no one else after Renee has opted out yet. I would have thought a few may have announced by now.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[eebmg]

That is a big one.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Seems like a no brainer at this point for any foreign players. With a few exceptions, every G20 country in the world seems to be handling the pandemic better than we are, so not only are you making more money overseas (as always), you’re also less likely to get sick.

 

[DaBball]

Seems like a no brainer at this point for any foreign players. With a few exceptions, every G20 country in the world seems to be handling the pandemic better than we are, so not only are you making more money overseas (as always), you’re also less likely to get sick.

 

[WestCoast]

Seems like a no brainer at this point for any foreign players. With a few exceptions, every G20 country in the world seems to be handling the pandemic better than we are, so not only are you making more money overseas (as always), you’re also less likely to get sick.

That may be true, but there really is no other quality league for foreign women's players to play in during July and August that I am aware of right now. The full (non prorated) salaries for the WNBA players for a 22-game season plus playoffs will be appealing to the majority of the players, including those players who typically have clauses in their international contracts that they have 10 days after their WNBA season is over to report unless there are COVID issues that preclude a timely arrival in the foreign country.

A total of 23% of the active WNBA players who voted earlier this month voted no to having a season in 2020, equating to 30+ "no play" votes if 132 or more of the 139 active roster players turned in a vote. So, we may see a lot more WNBA players officially declare that they will not be playing prior to the June 25 deadline.

Would the WNBA pull the plug on its 2020 partial season plans if 20+ current roster players decided to sit out? Or, would it simply instruct all 12 teams to fill rosters to a minimum of 11 players and hope that the product on the court is not too diluted?

I'm certainly hoping for a WNBA season in 2020, but I am a bit worried that the next three days may yield a significant number of 2020 season opt outs just like Jones' announcement today.

We are now at 3 with Jones. Who will be next to opt out for 2020?

 

[TheFarmFan]

Two thoughts on that one:

1. More tempting when you're returning to the defending champion; and
2. Her Euro gig is in Russia, one of the few countries that's handling the pandemic as poorly as the U.S.

Also, there is talk on our Stanford board that several of our Australian student-athletes are being given indications they will not be allowed to leave the country due to the quarantine order in effect there. I don't know how that plays out elsewhere, but our star soccer player is apparently not going to be able to join the team in time for the start of summer training, and Agnes Emma-Nnopu's status is also up in the air.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[Shades]

I guess he forgot about somebody. I’m up to 5.

 

[bballnut90]

Still think there's no chance of a season happening, especially based in Florida which is blowing up right now. I dont see how they can enforce a bubble and itll be messy if a player/coach/trainer contracts covid. Id still like to see basketball if they can safely make it happen but logistically it makes more sense to just can 2020 and aim for 2021.

 

[WestCoast]

Yep. 5 it is. Some people are also including Maya Moore in their counts. However, for the purpose of this over/under, only the 139 players on active rosters when the vote was taken to play in 2020 earlier this month are among those to be counted as potential opt outs.

I anticipate that the over at 6 will be blown by as early as tomorrow. Or perhaps even later today via Tweets by other players.

 

[j66kicker]

Still think there's no chance of a season happening, especially based in Florida which is blowing up right now. I dont see how they can enforce a bubble and itll be messy if a player/coach/trainer contracts covid. Id still like to see basketball if they can safely make it happen but logistically it makes more sense to just can 2020 and aim for 2021.

Even the NBA which, on the surface, appears to have a real bubble set up, is concerned. Although players, coaches, etc., will not be allowed to leave/return, the Disney service workers at the hotels and complex will be coming and going. (Coming and going into the Orlando virus breeding ground)

 

[j66kicker]

Yep. 5 it is. Some people are also including Maya Moore in their counts. However, for the purpose of this over/under, only the 139 players on active rosters when the vote was taken to play in 2020 earlier this month are among those to be counted as potential opt outs.

I anticipate that the over at 6 will be blown by as early as tomorrow. Or perhaps even later today via Tweets by other players.

Over/under on when we get to 7? Midnight tonight?

 

[bballnut90]

Even the NBA which, on the surface, appears to have a real bubble set up, is concerned. Although players, coaches, etc., will not be allowed to leave/return, the Disney service workers at the hotels and complex will be coming and going. (Coming and going into the Orlando virus breeding ground)

Agreed. I just dont see how all hundreds of people are going to avoid the virus when Florida is booming with covid and it isnt close to being a real bubble

 

[TheFarmFan]

Over/under on when we get to 7? Midnight tonight?

How depressing that the only basketball related betting we have been able to do over the past 3+ months is how many players are skipping the (reduced) season to (a) deal with BLM-related advocacy given the major major issues in our country right now; or (b) avoid the risk of serious illness due to the major major issues related to the ongoing global pandemic.

2019, why did I ever complain about you?!?! Will you take us all back?

 

[Argonaut]

Two thoughts on that one:

1. More tempting when you're returning to the defending champion; and
2. Her Euro gig is in Russia, one of the few countries that's handling the pandemic as poorly as the U.S.

Also, there is talk on our Stanford board that several of our Australian student-athletes are being given indications they will not be allowed to leave the country due to the quarantine order in effect there. I don't know how that plays out elsewhere, but our star soccer player is apparently not going to be able to join the team in time for the start of summer training, and Agnes Emma-Nnopu's status is also up in the air.

Interesting. Jessie Rennie, also from Australia, has made her way back to Knoxville for her sophomore season at Tennessee.

Wonder what hurdles Stanford players are facing that she didn’t...

 

[UConnCat]