WNBA Rookies - preparation, responsibility & reality

[BRS24]

As the WNBA rosters are trimmed and the season gets underway, a few comments weeks ago of in regards to rookies and preparation came to mind. Who is responsible for preparing rookies for the W, whether it be daily routines, style of play, getting and staying in W shape, rehab, regimens, you name it? I am not the only one who believes that UConn is one of the best programs to prepare players for the next level. W coaches have stated that they know what they are getting when they draft a UConn player.

This started with a quote and video from Alexis Morris, “In order to grow the league, you have to prep the players for what’s to come … So that the adjustment and transition for women’s college players to the WNBA won’t be so difficult.” I wasn’t the only one that thought, hmmm, so is this a generic statement felt by some rookies that they are not ready? Is the short timeframe from the NCAA tourney to the draft to training camp a bigger challenge than realized? Is there or should there be a 1-1 mentor match to make the transition easier? Or, were her comments specifically related to where she went to college and what kind of prep was provided by the coaching staff?

Morris’ comments may have instigated a twitter poll by a former SC player, in regards to who is responsible for player prep for the W. There were a few thoughtful responses, with 79% saying it was both the player and coaches responsibility. “Alrighttttt let’s talk about it! If WBB players have aspirations to play professionally (WNBA, Overseas, etc.) Whose responsibility is it to prepare that player for the process to become a professional?”

A few days after Morris was cut from the Sun, she tweeted “If we can’t make roster spots for the rookies, cut the vets”. Satire or serious? It was deleted, however, brought in some interesting dialogue, from current, former players, fans, others. Kelsey Bone pointed out something that Geno has opined for years, that HS players are different today, and some not as prepared for college as in years past:

"I hope there’s expansion in the W soon, but I also hope somebody steps in and brings back TRUE player development in grassroots and college basketball! There’s a trend with these top picks getting cut in the last 5/6 years that expansion won’t help.​

​

You used to walk into these Summer tourneys and know immediately who would play in the W in the future. NOW you’d be lucky to see one! These kids aren’t ready or prepared for pro life and that’s why they are getting cut not because it’s not enough teams or spots.​

​

They just aren’t good enough and in most cases shouldn’t have been drafted where they were!"​

Lastly, a UConn fan posted a video of Sue and Diana, I think during the pandemic, where D said “every time you played rookies, you wanted to kill them,” and I get this mentality. Pro athletes only have a certain window of time to make money. The W is D’s job, and it’s her job to keep her job, no matter what, and if rookies aren’t ready, then so be it.

And after last night’s opening games, there were some tweets referencing Bonner’s stats, D’s plays, making the case for vets to be on rosters.

 

[TexRon]

Maybe if Morris had stayed at one school, she may have developed a consistent foundation and work habits. She's a terrific player but one year each at Baylor, Rutgers, A&M and LSU never gave her a chance to really settle into a solid developmental routine...She was obviously too busy packing and heading for her next stop....Ultimately, she found a National Championship, reuniting with Mulkey at LSU, but was cut in WNBA camp...Her Twitter remarks didn't make her a lot of friends among 'vets' in the W, suggesting they be cut to make room for rookies...(Maybe they need a rookie league..!!)...She played for great coaches, Mulkey, Stringer, Blair....Perhaps if she had spent 4 years with any one of them, her preparation for the W may have been more solid...Poor Alexis.....you reap what you sow..!!

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Maybe if Morris had stayed at one school, she may have developed a consistent foundation and work habits. She's a terrific player but one year each at Baylor, Rutgers, A&M and LSU never gave her a chance to really settle into a solid developmental routine...She was obviously too busy packing and heading for her next stop....Ultimately, she found a National Championship, reuniting with Mulkey at LSU, but was cut in WNBA camp...Her Twitter remarks didn't make her a lot of friends among 'vets' in the W, suggesting they be cut to make room for rookies...(Maybe they need a rookie league..!!)...She played for great coaches, Mulkey, Stringer, Blair....Perhaps if she had spent 4 years with any one of them, her preparation for the W may have been more solid...Poor Alexis.....you reap what you sow..!!

She played 3 years under one coach though.

 

[EricLA]

Maybe if Morris had stayed at one school, she may have developed a consistent foundation and work habits. She's a terrific player but one year each at Baylor, Rutgers, A&M and LSU never gave her a chance to really settle into a solid developmental routine...She was obviously too busy packing and heading for her next stop....Ultimately, she found a National Championship, reuniting with Mulkey at LSU, but was cut in WNBA camp...Her Twitter remarks didn't make her a lot of friends among 'vets' in the W, suggesting they be cut to make room for rookies...(Maybe they need a rookie league..!!)...She played for great coaches, Mulkey, Stringer, Blair....Perhaps if she had spent 4 years with any one of them, her preparation for the W may have been more solid...Poor Alexis.....you reap what you sow..!!

It's one consistent comment that almost every HC or GM in the WNBA has said at one time or another - "when a player comes from Connecticut, you know they are ready for the pros".

I don't know if Alexis wasn't ready for the pros, or if she's just not that good. Destini Henderson was also cut - a player who torched UCONN in the NC game a few years back, but who never really found her groove in the W. And she was cut from Indiana - a bottom dweller in the league. At least for Morris, the Sun are a legit playoff team.

Clearly she could have used a dose of CD class and judgment - she blasted this nugget on social media:

“The vets gotta know when to cut the net, and pass the torch bro,” she wrote. “If you knocking at 35, hang it up and I mean WIRED HANGER ‘Hang it up.'”

YIKES

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Small rant after being tied up with work and life for a few weeks after season's end:

No pro league has enough spots for the number of players who want in. The WNBA especially has a small number of teams and even smaller rosters so the competition for spots is insanely competitive. However, just because some potential rookies who are just coming off the immediate high of being FF and NC participants don't make a team doesn't mean there is a problem with the league. I think most of us would love to see the more teams to help grow the game but the reality is ownership isn't a money making proposition right now. It could be later on and it would be good to get the league to 16 teams where it was for a few years in the early 2000s.

I still remember when the league launched in 1997 most of the players, and in the defunct ABL, were so happy to have an opportunity to play in the US and be closer to family and friends and play in front of "home" crowds. For the past several years I've heard a significant amount of bickering from many players about the travel, salaries, number of spots, the ever present "marketing" boogeyman. All of these criticisms have some merits but some of the players just come off as ungrateful or entitled, which is a quick way to turn off a potential audience or alienate some fringe fans.

Morris of course has the right to be frustrated about her inability to latch on but so far her public tweets have been about expansion, veterans, and coaches getting players prepared, all of which are directed at others. It smacks of a lack of self awareness and places the blame on others.

 

[oldude]

The economics and timing of professional WBB in the US is extremely limiting when it comes to opportunities for college players to make it in the W. There are 12 teams, 144 roster spots, and that’s it. No expansion. No G-League to develop players. It is survival of the fittest.

In addition, after a grueling college season, you have to immediately prepare for the pros. No time to heal, get stronger or work on your game. I understand the frustration of some players who can’t quite make the grade in the pros. But it is what it is.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

One thing I wanted to add:

I like the idea Lobo tweeted about teams having 2 contingency players on contract to be available for injuries, illness, etc. It gives the player a little more security and keeps them ready to go rather than someone stringing together a series of 7 day contracts.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

As the WNBA rosters are trimmed and the season gets underway, a few comments weeks ago of in regards to rookies and preparation came to mind. Who is responsible for preparing rookies for the W, whether it be daily routines, style of play, getting and staying in W shape, rehab, regimens, you name it? I am not the only one who believes that UConn is one of the best programs to prepare players for the next level. W coaches have stated that they know what they are getting when they draft a UConn player.

This started with a quote and video from Alexis Morris, “In order to grow the league, you have to prep the players for what’s to come … So that the adjustment and transition for women’s college players to the WNBA won’t be so difficult.” I wasn’t the only one that thought, hmmm, so is this a generic statement felt by some rookies that they are not ready? Is the short timeframe from the NCAA tourney to the draft to training camp a bigger challenge than realized? Is there or should there be a 1-1 mentor match to make the transition easier? Or, were her comments specifically related to where she went to college and what kind of prep was provided by the coaching staff?

Morris’ comments may have instigated a twitter poll by a former SC player, in regards to who is responsible for player prep for the W. There were a few thoughtful responses, with 79% saying it was both the player and coaches responsibility. “Alrighttttt let’s talk about it! If WBB players have aspirations to play professionally (WNBA, Overseas, etc.) Whose responsibility is it to prepare that player for the process to become a professional?”

A few days after Morris was cut from the Sun, she tweeted “If we can’t make roster spots for the rookies, cut the vets”. Satire or serious? It was deleted, however, brought in some interesting dialogue, from current, former players, fans, others. Kelsey Bone pointed out something that Geno has opined for years, that HS players are different today, and some not as prepared for college as in years past:

"I hope there’s expansion in the W soon, but I also hope somebody steps in and brings back TRUE player development in grassroots and college basketball! There’s a trend with these top picks getting cut in the last 5/6 years that expansion won’t help.​

​

You used to walk into these Summer tourneys and know immediately who would play in the W in the future. NOW you’d be lucky to see one! These kids aren’t ready or prepared for pro life and that’s why they are getting cut not because it’s not enough teams or spots.​

​

They just aren’t good enough and in most cases shouldn’t have been drafted where they were!"​

Lastly, a UConn fan posted a video of Sue and Diana, I think during the pandemic, where D said “every time you played rookies, you wanted to kill them,” and I get this mentality. Pro athletes only have a certain window of time to make money. The W is D’s job, and it’s her job to keep her job, no matter what, and if rookies aren’t ready, then so be it.

And after last night’s opening games, there were some tweets referencing Bonner’s stats, D’s plays, making the case for vets to be on rosters.

All Star post @BRS24

 

[BRS24]

I went back and looked at the draft results this year, as I started thinking about which rookies made a 12 roster. As Geno has said, it's more about what team picks a player (needs, etc) rather than when a player is picked. Unlike the NBA, there's no G league for the women, so after the 1st round, lots of unknowns and no guarantees.

Round 1 - 9/12 on rosters, 2 draft and stash, and 1 cut (Meyers)
Round 2 - 4/12 on rosters, 8 cut
Round 3 - 2/12 on rosters, 10 cut

Dallas seemed to be stockpiling "similar" skill players, and Meyers was the lone out. Dorka, on the other hand, was drafted in 2nd round where the fit seemed good. For Dallas to use #5 on Lou means they were high on her potential, regardless of injury status and are willing to wait. For a W team to use that high of a pick, and place on a roster, is a bit surprising, as the W has a short season/win now mentality.

 

[Beemer]

@MSSportsGuy is right on IMO.

Today's players grew up with the WNBA. They can't remember a time when there was no women's pro league in the USA. One problem as I see it is they compare the W unfavorably with the NBA. They see the guys making obscene amounts of money to play, the amenities (private first class charter planes vs commercial etc) and wonder why the W doesn't offer the same. What many of them don't understand is it wasn't always like this in the NBA, that it took decades to develop the league to what it is today. Also, they may not like it but the truth is the WNBA is still in the pioneering stage of its development and the kind of money these athletes want/expect simply isn't available right now. It is getting better though.

 

[Rowdy831]

The WNBA needs their Jordan to launch it to the next level of interest. The game for the most part is a watered down version of the NBA and somehow they need to figure out how to make the WNBA different. I enjoy watching the college game but the pro game doesn't interest me too much. But if I think about it I really like watching UCONN because the try to reach perfection on how they run their sets.

As long as the interest is as low as it is now they will never have more than 12 teams and 144 spots. Imagine how competitive the NBA roster spots would be if they only had 144 players total or any other sport for that matter. The WNBA needs leaders that realize they won't make it as an imitation NBA and they need to figure out what they could do to create their own identity.

 

[Lynx23]

I went back and looked at the draft results this year, as I started thinking about which rookies made a 12 roster. As Geno has said, it's more about what team picks a player (needs, etc) rather than when a player is picked. Unlike the NBA, there's no G league for the women, so after the 1st round, lots of unknowns and no guarantees.

Round 1 - 9/12 on rosters, 2 draft and stash, and 1 cut (Meyers)
Round 2 - 4/12 on rosters, 8 cut
Round 3 - 2/12 on rosters, 10 cut

Dallas seemed to be stockpiling "similar" skill players, and Meyers was the lone out. Dorka, on the other hand, was drafted in 2nd round where the fit seemed good. For Dallas to use #5 on Lou means they were high on her potential, regardless of injury status and are willing to wait. For a W team to use that high of a pick, and place on a roster, is a bit surprising, as the W has a short season/win now mentality.

I agree regarding Lou. She may very well have been able to play on a bum knee for Dallas, likely as she did for UCONN for at least one game if not many more. Obviously the Wings see the same thing in her determination and grit that we all did this past year and are willing to wait until she is fully recovered from injury. Having said that, it also makes sense from a marketing and fan development standpoint to keep her on the roster given she is Mexican-born and of course Texas is a border state. Really a win-win for everybody.

 

[boontonbomber]

Alexis Morris needs to stop yapping, and start trying to figure out where she can play overseas. Good examples of players who really matured their games in Europe are Gabby and Katie Lou. They were on WNBA teams, but little playing time. The college game is just not a place where most of the players can develop their games to compete in the WNBA.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Expand. The. League.

The game in Canada proved there's a market.

 

[BRS24]

Expand. The. League.

The game in Canada proved there's a market.

And let teams either draft and stash 2 rookies, or existing vets on roster for a minimum salary that would not necessarily make the final 12, and use as hardship when needed. This is a very micro micro G league. Also gives them more practice players.

 

[oldude]

And let teams either draft and stash 2 rookies, or existing vets on roster for a minimum salary that would not necessarily make the final 12, and use as hardship when needed. This is a very micro micro G league. Also gives them more practice players.

While this suggestion sounds good in theory, the underlying problem is still economic. The W has never made money. The league loses approximately $10 million per season. Those losses are largely subsidized by the NBA.

So if you add another 24 players to a WNBA “taxi squad” or “G League” someone has to step up and agree to take on the burden to pay for these additional players.

 

[BRS24]

While this suggestion sounds good in theory, the underlying problem is still economic. The W has never made money. The league loses approximately $10 million per season. Those losses are largely subsidized by the NBA.

So if you add another 24 players to a WNBA “taxi squad” or “G League” someone has to step up and agree to take on the burden to pay for these additional players.

Fair point. However if the NBA is subsidizing the G league, and I cannot imagine that it is making a huge profit, then smaller support for 24 extra players is possible. There's more $$$$ spent on the G minor league so that teams can stash players not yet ready for the NBA, as there are 27 teams with 12 players = 324 players, average salary of $40k = $13 million.

WNBA first rounders #9-12 earn $68.3k, 2nd rounders $65.3k, and 3rd rounders $63.3k. If you took the 18 2-3 round players that were cut, that amounts to $1.1 million. Add 6 more former players at even the high end of 1R ($74.3k) brings the total to $1.6 million, a far cry (12%) from the G league, however this small amount may go a long way to keep players engaged with the league, and also earn incremental fan interest. Every little bit helps.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

@MSSportsGuy is right on IMO.

Today's players grew up with the WNBA. They can't remember a time when there was no women's pro league in the USA. One problem as I see it is they compare the W unfavorably with the NBA. They see the guys making obscene amounts of money to play, the amenities (private first class charter planes vs commercial etc) and wonder why the W doesn't offer the same. What many of them don't understand is it wasn't always like this in the NBA, that it took decades to develop the league to what it is today. Also, they may not like it but the truth is the WNBA is still in the pioneering stage of its development and the kind of money these athletes want/expect simply isn't available right now. It is getting better though.

A large national audience of men will never develope for the WNBA. As Bill Burr with harsh comedic truth says it is the women who have let the WNBA down. And do you know why? Because, with a scattering of exceptions, women in the general population are simply uninterested in sports. Now, should a whole host of transgendered basketball players of A league ability show up and take over the All Star positions and more, what do you think would happen? I suspect it would quickly destroy the WNBA. The loyal fans would depart together with the TV contract. I assert this ridiculous fantasy (I hope) to hopefully interject a little perspective on the WNBA and the seemingly endless wailing about why don't we have more? Why? The league hasn't earned it and the perpetual claim that it/they are not equitably treated is unattractive, counterproductive noise.

 

[Zonepress]

You Baumé it not much more to say

 

[BRS24]

An update. I'm hoping a mentor sat with Morris and had some long, intense conversations about why her tweets were disrespectful to both the league and the veterans. I'm also thinking that she realized that her comments would hurt her future opportunities in the W.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

When you're stung, no deeply hurt, because the dream you've held for ages just might be dashed that's not the time to get chatty on social media. However, it is for us to have enough awareness to be compassionate and supportive if given the opportunity and Twitter certainly does that. It's up to you.

 

[awhom111]

Different parts are on the players and on the college coaches. Setting that professional goal early is important when evaluating programs for college. DiDi Richards apparently said to the media early in her career that she was unaware that the WNBA even existed until Kalani Brown was drafted, which I somewhat find hard to believe. Even if I can buy that Baylor was not highlighting their reasonable number of professional players, no other coach recruiting her tried to sell their WNBA success stories to a highly rated recruit?

Obviously the UConn WNBA history speaks for itself, but plenty of other programs also have a track record of helping players start professional careers of some kind. At Duke, every entering freshman from 2006 to 2014 who finished their college career without severe injury limitations played professional basketball for at least a little while and that 2015 player went straight into other positions in the basketball universe. That streak could start up again through the 2018 group, but my other main takeaway is that we had a lot of players have their careers ended by injury.

Players need to take the initiative on continuing to work on areas of their game that they will need later, but not necessarily in college, like extending their shooting range each offseason. Conditioning, especially for that WNBA training camp so soon after the college season is also something that they can control. Based on some of the responses to the roster crunch, it also seems like a good idea for them to seek out WNBA players, especially veteran or retired ones who are not having their spots threatened by younger players to get an idea of the mental step up that is required for playing at a higher level. Also based on comments from WNBA players, it sounds like there are a lot of college programs that are not using common terminology or running such unstructured offenses that some rookies are not able to run basic sets or run plays on verbal instructions without having a diagram.