Paige Kicks Up One And Done Debate

[Fairfield Fan]

The state of women's basketball in the U.S. seems akin to the situation with professional soccer. Really talented American players almost all decamp for Europe to play in the top leagues with the biggest salaries, rather than play in the U.S. pro league. Many either ignore the college game altogether, or leave early to get paid in Europe. And let's not forget that there essentially is no "college game" in European soccer. Great soccer talents are signed to contracts with junior teams of the professional franchises. They are developed by professional coaches employed by the big league clubs. So the kids get paid from early on. None of this wasting time with college, while, I might add, usually coming out without degrees, or having majored in highly suspect disciplines like "recreation management."

I don't think it's so much a question of whether to come out of college early for the WNBA, but whether to turn pro and earn big bucks in Europe. The WNBA, after all, is just a summer league. Not the Big Time in terms of money.

The excellent point was also made that the WNBA is far too small to accommodate all of the top talent that's coming out of American colleges. And having even more talent flood in in the form of undergrads seeking places on WNBA rosters would prove even more dysfunctional for the WNBA.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Disagree. The players aren't kids. All of them are adults that sometimes have to make tough life decisions. Paige will be 20 in a few months, and athletes have a relatively short window in which to capitalize on their fleeting peak physical condition. Paige could always earn her degree online during down time or go back to school when she's done playing. What she can't do is turn back the hands of time. It's why I think one and done makes a lot of sense for the best players who can make that jump because they are so much better than their peers.

Let's consider some other sports like golf and swimming. Katie Ledecky turned pro while in college, as did Tiger Woods. No one seemed to bemoan the fact that they left their college teams high and dry. So if these superstars in other sports have the right to earn big bucks early on in the pros, why not women basketball players? I think the early exit for WCBB is right around the corner. Just can't keep a great talent like Paige sitting around Storrs forever. Change is almost here.

 

[wolfe613]

Let's consider some other sports like golf and swimming. Katie Ledecky turned pro while in college, as did Tiger Woods. No one seemed to bemoan the fact that they left their college teams high and dry. So if these superstars in other sports have the right to earn big bucks early on in the pros, why not women basketball players? I think the early exit for WCBB is right around the corner. Just can't keep a great talent like Paige sitting around Storrs forever. Change is almost here.

as much as ppl would like to see her in the pros, I don't think even if she was eligible to go she would go. She seems like she is enjoying college with her friends. After this season there will only be one more yr to go where she is eligible assuming she wants to leave after 3 yrs. I think also with the support of her parents and being able to still live with her dad makes it easier to enjoy where she is at. Some others unfortunately go to pros early or overseas cause their parents they see them struggle and they have to find a way to provide for them