Walker in WNBA

[Dokey]

So what did Megan Walker gain from forgoing her final year of eligibility— a minute or two of mop-up in losing games? A rookie salary? If there is a college season, she lost the opportunity to refine her game by playing meaningful minutes, she lost the chance that is given to only a very few—to hold a national championship trophy.

 

[Geew1992]

Ummmm.... ya need to get over this. No one knows her reason for leaving early. And it was her decision. She was also affected by Covid. Time to move on

 

[Argonaut]

Sometimes you make decisions for personal reasons.
Sometimes you make decisions for professional reasons.
And regardless of the reason, you never owe strangers an explanation.

People would have crucified Megan for publicly announcing any displeasure with the program, and now we’ll have people coming out to crucify her for making what they perceive as a bad business move.

Nothing worthwhile comes from this ifs-and-buts conversation.

 

[Plebe]

Sometimes you make decisions for personal reasons.
Sometimes you make decisions for professional reasons.
And regardless of the reason, you never owe strangers an explanation.

People would have crucified Megan for publicly announcing any displeasure with the program, and now we’ll have people coming out to crucify her for making what they perceive as a bad business move.

Nothing worthwhile comes from this ifs-and-buts conversation.

The begrudgers will not be denied their grudge.

 

[Dokey]

Well, I use Megan only as an example of athletes who leave early. The men’s one and done in BB is especially irksome. College football players who leave a year early for what may be a questionable NFL future. I think you honor contracts and a scholarship is a contract. That’s the discussion.

 

[Plebe]

Well, I use Megan only as an example of athletes who leave early. The men’s one and done in BB is especially irksome. College football players who leave a year early for what may be a questionable NFL future. I think you honor contracts and a scholarship is a contract. That’s the discussion.

I don't agree at all, but to the extent that a scholarship can be creatively construed as a contract, it certainly isn't a 4-year contract.

Megan isn't every athlete who's ever left early. She's just Megan. One individual. We don't know everything about her, her feelings, her experiences in college and beyond. Many fans tend to project their own set of aspirations and expectations as fans onto the players. And god help them if they are perceived to fall short of said A&E.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I give Meg a total pass on this year. Covid slowed her down. Because of that, I don't think we have any idea how well she will do.

I think she should have stayed, but I accept her decision to go pro this year.

 

[Geew1992]

Well, I use Megan only as an example of athletes who leave early. The men’s one and done in BB is especially irksome. College football players who leave a year early for what may be a questionable NFL future. I think you honor contracts and a scholarship is a contract. That’s the discussion.

I may be wrong, but I believe scholarships are renewed yearly. And you pretty much threw meg under the bus. As has a lot of posters

 

[Reypl21]

I don't think I've ever seen her actually happy at UConn. She set her expectations too high. There was talk that she could be the next Maya Moore, and she said she wanted to be as good if not better than her. A lot of people thought she would be that talented. Obviously how things played out,she wasn't Maya. But I think that's fine, I just don't think she thought it was.

 

[and one]

Meg, along with every other college athlete, is under no legal, ethical or moral obligation to stay at their program. An athlete may want to talk about why they are leaving or not.

Dokey questioned whether Meg might have benefited from another year at UConn and opined that there are many examples of college athletes going pro after a year or two that in retrospect may have left early.

It is obvious that Dokey doesn't know why Meg or any of the other athletes go pro early - money, issues with the program, ego, personal considerations - but there is nothing wrong with asking if another year in college might have been best. I've seen a bunch men's bball and football players go pro early that didn't do well as pros and I never felt I was out of bounds to question the decision.

 

[cbraarj]

She would have benefited IMO
I really don't understand the women leaving early for their small contracts. Again just my opinion.

 

[Plebe]

She would have benefited IMO
I really don't understand the women leaving early for their small contracts. Again just my opinion.

The overseas contracts aren't small. Even players who fail to make a roster in the W can clear 6 figures in one season overseas. Let's say as a very conservative estimate that Megan only gets 150k her first season overseas. That plus her rookie salary in the W would still total $218,000 in her first 12 months as a pro. Compare that to the grand total of zero dollars and zero cents that awaited her as a college senior.

I really don't understand all the people who poo-poo someone's decision to enter the workforce at the time of their choosing in a field that pays extremely well, especially by the standards of what's available to most people in their early to mid-20s.

 

[Watchdog]

Meg, along with every other college athlete, is under no legal, ethical or moral obligation to stay at their program. An athlete may want to talk about why they are leaving or not.

Dokey questioned whether Meg might have benefited from another year at UConn and opined that there are many examples of college athletes going pro after a year or two that in retrospect may have left early.

It is obvious that Dokey doesn't know why Meg or any of the other athletes go pro early - money, issues with the program, ego, personal considerations - but there is nothing wrong with asking if another year in college might have been best. I've seen a bunch men's bball and football players go pro early that didn't do well as pros and I never felt I was out of bounds to question the decision.

I agree and don't see how it's "offensive" to state opinions on whether she made the correct decision. Seems short term it's not, but if this year turns out to be reflective of the effect of the virus and she blossoms in the next year or two we'll know the answer.

While she didn't live up to the National Player of the Year hype, neither have a number of the others that came to UConn in the last ten years (Mosqueda-Lewis, Samuelson and, so far, Williams).

Not unusual though. For those who recall Tamika Williams, she was the National Player of the Year but Swin Cash turned out to be the better player and Sue Bird and Asjha Jones weren't too bad.

Recruiting story on Tamika: Ohio State arranged for a private jet to fly Williams from her home in Dayton to Columbus, approximately 70 miles away. She mentioned this to UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who responded by mailing her a little wooden plane, explaining, "Sorry, Tamika. This is the best we can do".

And, according to Wikipedia, Sue Bird considered UConn the favorite, but she began to waver when Keirsten Walters and Brianne Stepherson, both point guards, announced commitments to UConn. She worried that there might not be room for her to play. However, when Stepherson changed her mind and committed to Boston College, Bird committed to UConn.

 

[cbraarj]

The overseas contracts aren't small. Even players who fail to make a roster in the W can clear 6 figures in one season overseas. Let's say as a very conservative estimate that Megan only gets 150k her first season overseas. That plus her rookie salary in the W would still total $218,000 in her first 12 months as a pro. Compare that to the grand total of zero dollars and zero cents that awaited her as a college senior.

I really don't understand all the people who poo-poo someone's decision to enter the workforce at the time of their choosing in a field that pays extremely well, especially by the standards of what's available to most people in their early to mid-20s.

Just gave my opinion. Megan said she was leaving to enter the draft. WNBA is what I talked about. So don't stretch something out of nothing! I could careless about what they do overseas! It's the minor league for the WNBA with the minor league players making more money than the pros! LMAO

 

[j66kicker]

Just gave my opinion. Megan said she was leaving to enter the draft. WNBA is what I talked about. So don't stretch something out of nothing! I could careless about what they do overseas! It's the minor league for the WNBA with the minor league players making more money than the pros! LMAO

Unfortunately that's not the case. As DT said, the WNBA is a "summer rec league" the players use to get free health insurance in the offseason from their real jobs, where they earn their livings during basketball season.

 

[cbraarj]

Unfortunately that's not the case. As DT said, the WNBA is a "summer rec league" the players use to get free health insurance in the offseason from their real jobs, where they earn their livings during basketball season.

I'm talking talent wise!

 

[j66kicker]

I'm talking talent wise!

Of course there's no way to settle it, but I'm sure a lot of those DT/Sue Spartac Moscow and UMMC Ekaterinburg teams could handily crush the WNBA champions from the same year. Check out this talent:

UMMC Ekaterinburg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[donalddoowop]

She would have benefited IMO
I really don't understand the women leaving early for their small contracts. Again just my opinion.

She would have benefitted but would UConn have benefitted?

 

[Kmoney]

Of course there's no way to settle it, but I'm sure a lot of those DT/Sue Spartac Moscow and UMMC Ekaterinburg teams could handily crush the WNBA champions from the same year. Check out this talent:

UMMC Ekaterinburg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Wow. What a roster! They would beat this years WNBA champ by 20 points.

 

[Plebe]

Just gave my opinion. Megan said she was leaving to enter the draft. WNBA is what I talked about. So don't stretch something out of nothing! I could careless about what they do overseas! It's the minor league for the WNBA with the minor league players making more money than the pros! LMAO

Okay, so you're arbitrarily moving the goalposts all over the place now.

Your original statement was, "I really don't understand the women leaving early for their small contracts." You clearly made contract size the issue, not talent level or location of play.

Now you're presented with an estimate of how much Megan will likely make within her first 12 months as a pro, and then you try to change the topic entirely and invoke some strange bias against overseas leagues.

Here was Megan's choice vis-a-vis "size of contracts":

Choice A: Stay at UConn for senior season. Make no money until 2021 WNBA season.
Choice B. Go pro. Make 200-300k by the time she would have finished her senior season.

 

[Argonaut]

Okay, so you're arbitrarily moving the goalposts all over the place now.

Your original statement was, "I really don't understand the women leaving early for their small contracts." You clearly made contract size the issue, not talent level or location of play.

Now you're presented with the fact, not opinion, of how much Megan will likely make within her first 12 months as a pro, and then you try to change the topic entirely and invoke some strange bias against overseas leagues.

Here was Megan's choice vis-a-vis "size of contracts":

Choice A: Stay at UConn for senior season. Make no money until 2021 WNBA season.
Choice B. Go pro. Make 200-300k by the time she would have finished her senior season.

Do you have details on her overseas contract? I’m not doubting this number, I’m just curious if she really signed for that much. I don’t think I’ve seen any high-profile endorsements...

 

[Plebe]

Do you have details on her overseas contract? I’m not doubting this number, I’m just curious if she really signed for that much. I don’t think I’ve seen any high-profile endorsements...

I do not. I stated above that I believe 150k to be a conservative estimate for what she can get overseas. I believe her WNBA salary this year is 68k. If I'm wrong on either count, I trust someone will correct me.

Edit to clarify: I see that my wording may have given the false impression that I know more than I do. I'll reword that. My apologies.

 

[and one]

She would have benefitted but would UConn have benefitted?

An entirely different question DDW. Nonetheless... assuming she was on the team because that was what she wanted, and knowing that Meg isn't a superstar but is a very good scorer and has a solid game (plus some not so good traits such as not being good at getting her own shot and disappearing from the offense a bit too often) were she part of this year's team she would not only be a starter but the best player on the team until someone else showed otherwise. On the other hand, were she back it would cause issues in getting the frosh minutes, of which 2 or 3 may be good enough to deserve more than 4 or 5 minutes of court time. But with her we would have better odds of winning a NC so I'd rather she were in the team.

 

[Steelerone]

If there are one hundred people there will be one hundred opinions on this subject. The simple truth is that she had every right to make the decision she made and that was the one she made. Do I wish she would have stayed. Yes. For the simple reason that I feel in today's marketplace a degree is a clear advantage over a competitor without one. But young men and women decide to join the service, go out into the job market, perform some type of public service, or, to the consternation of their parents, live at home for a few years while "deciding what to do". Let us wish her well and thank her for the three years she contributed to the program. Like the first wife who hired "Jaws" for a divorce attorney and got everything, "She ain't coming back".

 

[DeeHusky]

Personally I don’t think staying would’ve made that much of a difference. I don’t see her being a star. She’s more of a complementary player. Yes, she would’ve probably been picked earlier in the next draft but to me, whether she’s #1 pick or 6. No team is going to be built around her.