Okay, name the top 30 players. Now ask them if they'll opt-out of playing overseas to join this new league?
From the article:
“The players they've approached so far have shown enthusiasm for the idea, provided Unrivaled can deliver on the promised salary and vision for the single-site league.
One of those is Las Vegas Aces point guard Chelsea Gray, who has either played overseas or done broadcasting during her offseasons.”
Sounds like if they can get the salaries they want, they’ll come. I assume they already have their list of players that will be there, and they are just finalizing the details.
formerly pickdiamondmillerchallenge lol formerly dmillerturnprochallenge ha formerly bostonturnprochallenge lol
As is often the case, it will come down to dollars. That said, though, I think the amount just has to be close rather than match the Euro salaries. The travel, the inconvenience, etc., would make staying in Miami for a couple months a lot more attractive.
as pilight said, this whole thing is an interesting response to Prioritization. it certainly has evoked quite a bit out of Breanna Stewart specifically. 🤭
As is often the case, it will come down to dollars. That said, though, I think the amount just has to be close rather than match the Euro salaries. The travel, the inconvenience, etc., would make staying in Miami for a couple months a lot more attractive.
They probably won't get WNBA max level salaries. But if everyone can get $100k for 3 months of work, that would be very solid. Of course, that's the most important detail is how they'll get paid and from whom.
But why Florida, considering the sh!tshow the governor is turning that state into?
After Ice Cube's latest media appearance, I wonder if they are just going to play by the established FIBA 3x3 rules. FIBA seems to let pretty much anyone put on a regular 3x3 event, but apparently were treating Big 3 like an unsanctioned pro league. Presumably Unrivaled will not be trying to obtain sanctioning from USA Basketball or in a position to strike a deal with FIBA like the NBA universe so they should probably make sure that nothing they do will get players kicked out of the Olympics.
it'll be interesting to see where prominent overseas leagues go from here, if Unrivaled can keep the top-tier WNBA talent stateside this upcoming winter as well as consistently each winter over time if it is able to continue its existence. how much do top overseas teams & leagues genuinely care about the fact that they could be losing entirely the top talent they're accustomed to getting year in & year out?
on the other hand, how many of the middle-to-lower-tier WNBA players which make up its majority will continue to play overseas and thus potentially be subject to Prioritization? Unrivaled isn't going to have all the W's vets in it, i'd imagine. especially with 2024 being an Olympic year where the W schedule may start earlier, i have to think a few bigger names than Gabby Williams will effectively end up on the outside looking in.
it'll be interesting to see where prominent overseas leagues go from here, if Unrivaled can keep the top-tier WNBA talent stateside this upcoming winter as well as consistently each winter over time if it is able to continue its existence. how much do top overseas teams & leagues genuinely care about the fact that they could be losing entirely the top talent they're accustomed to getting year in & year out?
on the other hand, how many of the middle-to-lower-tier WNBA players which make up its majority will continue to play overseas and thus potentially be subject to Prioritization? Unrivaled isn't going to have all the W's vets in it, i'd imagine. especially with 2024 being an Olympic year where the W schedule may start earlier, i have to think a few bigger names than Gabby Williams will effectively end up on the outside looking in.
The 2024 rules are different than the 2023 rules so players have to be available May 1st or the start of training camp if it is after that date. So far we know that Spain's semifinals will run into May. France is reported to be the same. Italy's regular season runs until April 20th, so that would probably also push the semifinals into May. Players subject to prioritization are going to have to find teams that accept them leaving before May, which would mean taking less money.
Maybe a few teams would care about not having WNBA veteran types, but most are just going to settle for whoever is available. An issue that was apparently cropping up in Italy and Spain was that the non-WNBA players complained that last season was too rushed so leagues are unlikely to try to accommodate a small group of players. A lot of younger WNBA players seem not to take overseas as seriously as their predecessors so I could see teams preferring Americans who are proven vets in the European game over bigger name players recently finishing college. Nothing on the horizon seems to suggest that China, Russia, or South Korea will return as big money options either. The hard part is the players who know that they are only borderline in the WNBA. Assuming that professional basketball is their big aspiration, they are going to want to establish themselves overseas so that they have a fallback if they get bounced out of the league.
Mexico's league could turn out to be the G League of the W. Players who take less money to play in Europe to avoid prioritization and then get cut could find a home on a Mexican team until the inevitable hardship opportunities emerge.
But Mexico would need money to make that happen -- maybe the W could invest in the league?
Mexico's league could turn out to be the G League of the W. Players who take less money to play in Europe to avoid prioritization and then get cut could find a home on a Mexican team until the inevitable hardship opportunities emerge.
But Mexico would need money to make that happen -- maybe the W could invest in the league?
Mexico pays pretty well, as evidenced by the midlevel Europeans that they have been able to attract, but that is more on a monthly basis than a full season basis, kind of like Puerto Rico. Both countries have fairly short seasons for their men's and women's leagues and do not run them against each other so they are pretty locked into the schedule.
I am not sure sure how the teams would feel about NBA/WNBA involvement. The NBA is interested in exploring an expansion team in Mexico, which is obviously a big threat to the local league and increases the possibility of political conflict and the team owners probably feel played by the group that entered a team there to prove that they could run it and then moved it to the G League.