WNBA Draft News

[Wbbfan1]

Draft Questionnaire : WNBA Draft 2016 Questionnaire - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA

 

[Charliebball]

If you look at the revenue generated by the NBA as opposed to the WNBA, then it gets a lot less depressing. The NBA completely subsidizes the WNBA, as it is a money losing operation. How much more money should they invest into it? It would be wonderful if the WNBA were a self-supporting operation and generated any revenue at all, then the players could be paid better. In Europe and Asia the teams are owned by corporations or individuals that don't mind subsidizing the sport. That's why DT3's Russian owner paid her $1.5 million not to play in the WNBA last season.

I figured that the WNBA doesn't have much financial standing..............it's just disappointing that really good women bball players can't make a living at the sport without supplementing their income.............even the last man on the bench makes a few hundred thousand dollars a year........

 

[HoopsFan21]

The draft is tonight, correct? Will ESPN have coverage? This will pretty much be the last time we see the big three together. I suppose Geno won't be able to make it due to illness, but expect a nice little group of ex-teammates there as in years past to support them.

 

[Waquoit]

Mechelle Voepel, espnW.com has:
3. Connecticut: Morgan Tuck, UConn, 6-2,
4. Connecticut: Rachel Banham, Minnesota, 5-9, G

Is the Sun that stupid? This isn't college. Do we know if they are even trying to move up and get Mo Jeff?

 

[Blakeon18]

21: round one at 7...think it is on espn2...maybe espn.
rounds 2 and 3 at 8:00...on espnu.

I figure the local beauty parlors around the Mohegan Sun will be busy today.

 

[ThisJustIn]

If you look at the revenue generated by the NBA as opposed to the WNBA, then it gets a lot less depressing. The NBA completely subsidizes the WNBA, as it is a money losing operation.

Inaccurate but consistent narrative. Do a little research and you'll see what the reality is. Sure, it's not making the hand-over-fist that the NBA is, but that's to be expected because of the various limitations/realities.

 

[UcMiami]

I figured that the WNBA doesn't have much financial standing....it's just disappointing that really good women bball players can't make a living at the sport without supplementing their income...even the last man on the bench makes a few hundred thousand dollars a year...

Just FYI - minimum wage in the NBA is $525K a little more than a few hundred thousand.

 

[Charliebball]

Just FYI - minimum wage in the NBA is $525K a little more than a few hundred thousand.

I'll take it!!!!!!!!

 

[iamcbs]

Inaccurate but consistent narrative. Do a little research and you'll see what the reality is. Sure, it's not making the hand-over-fist that the NBA is, but that's to be expected because of the various limitations/realities.

I have done the research and the statement is 100% accurate, I don't know what your reality is but if the NBA discontinued it's subsidy the WNBA would fold. Ask the Tulsa Shock if it's inaccurate, oh that's right you can't because they're in Dallas now....

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The overseas pay as Kat0189 says can be very sketchy - leagues and teams have folded mid-season, players have had to threaten withholding services to get overdue checks and in some cases have just left the teams, injured players have been cut adrift with no pay, etc. A player like Kaili who starred in a pretty low level Greek league for a number of years was probably being paid in the 50-100K range, Gardler played a few years in a low level Scandinavian league and was probably making less. There was one Uconn player who played in Ireland for part of a year trying to get back to health I believe. A lot of the overseas leagues are not dissimilar to semi-pro leagues in this country - subsistence living for a chance to continue playing. And I think a lot of players (Gardler for example) see it as a fun experience after college and before the 'real world' closes in and they have to get down to an actual career plan.
Very few players are making really serious money, and no one is likely to make more in their career than some male stars make in their rookie deals. Bird and Taurasi hit the peak period of WBB foreign pay, Taurasi may now in fact be making less than her top pay a few years out of college when there was a competition between a few fabulously wealthy Russians to see who could build the best team. The asians have gotten seriously involved in the market for USA players, offer generally shorter seasons with fewer post season tournaments, but I think also a little less money than the Europeans. But the players also get actual breaks because of the shorter seasons rather than going from European tournament to WNBA training camp, and WNBA tournament to European season.

On Edit - Bird with I believe a Israeli passport and Taurasi with an Italian one were highly sought after because they did not count against various league restrictions on 'non-european' players per team - it raised their market value significantly.

I read last year that DT was paid an added $175,000 by her Russian team not to play the WNBA season.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If this is a duplicate post, forgive me. Moriah's draft diary: "For the last four years Jefferson was known as the electrifying point guard on the UConn women’s basketball team, the motor to the most finely-tuned machine the women’s collegiate game has ever seen."

She's at orientation camp now and talking about this dream realized.

Moriah Jefferson Pre-Draft Diary: From Fan To Name On The Board - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA

One of the embedded tweets is interesting: wants to have her go to a team she has to carry?

 

[UcMiami]

Love the HS mix tape - that mad jab step, pull back, and go was already in her repertoire back in TX.

 

[Henry]

I would like to see the Sun improve. Ann Donovan helped kill the franchise. My concern is that if they take Morgan for sentimental reasons and she plays only a few years, it may hurt the franchise long term. Before you kill me, I love Morgan. If she were healthy and could stand the rigors of the WNBA, she would be a no-brainer pick for the Sun and in fact others would be trying to trade for the pick. In my opinion, if she is the best player available when the Sun pick, they should take her. If they feel there is someone better, they should take that player. People were so excited when the Sun drafted Kelly Faris but she hardly plays and has not helped the team. My fear for Morgan is that if the Sun do not take her she could slide lower.

 

[Dabber]

The draft is tonight, correct? Will ESPN have coverage? This will pretty much be the last time we see the big three together. I suppose Geno won't be able to make it due to illness, but expect a nice little group of ex-teammates there as in years past to support them.

Yes, they will. ESPN-2 at 7 p.m. followed by ESPN-U at 8 p.m.