Is the “W” dead?
- Thread starter Amahawk
- Start date
What is the W. WNBA? They had life given to them and they are choking in their own drllesion
Maybe, but their playing russian roulette right now. Whether it be by strike or lockout if they don't play this year the whole thing gets blown up. The owners are clueless and the players have an inflated sense of themselves. I mean if you take out the top 10-15 women out of the 144 players they're all faceless. You could replace the entire remaining group with the next group and no one would even know. As usual CC22 seems like the only one with the business sense to understand that while they want to make headway here for the players a strike would cripple all the momentum of the last 2 years.
The WNBA "leadership" is a joke. Most knitting circles are administered with more intelligence. Players should boycott and start their own league with all new administrators, refs, rules . . . everything. The WNBA deserves to fold into oblivion but, of course, it probably won't.
While I get your point, step back and understand WHO the W actually is. The league is funded in large part by the NBA. Most of those teams are actually owned in large part by the NBA's owner in those cities. The players certainly bare a large part of the blame here. I get that they want to "strike while the irons hot" and get paid now and in the future, but the rev share model they want isn't there, because their still LOSING money. They can start their own league, but who is going to provide the capitol? The leagues like unrivaled are a side show act, and not traditional basketball. Can they convince Peter Silver to become more involved and replace Englebert and put his own person in place? Something certainly needs to be done at the top of the W, but the players will need to understand they can demand themselves right out of a league as well.
The big issue is the NBA makes about 10 billion in revenue and they have much more room to work with paying 53% to the players the W made about 60 Million (but much of their operating budget is I believe still paid by the NBA). The women make about 20% of the revenue and they want closer to what the men get in share, but theres just not much left over to increase their share.
The players are convinced that they have "value" that simple doesn't exist financially. Since Caitlin arrived, the dominant media narative is that CC's success is derived entirely from a WNBA platform built on the back of mostly black basketball players. This is a lie, of course. But it is driving the players union into delutional demands based on emotions and equity, rather than economic facts. Add to that, that the league has been a subsidized money loser from its inception, so the players have never had to deal with reality.
But, on the other hand, in CC's first year she made $70,000 or so, while Christie Sides took home $500,000. So there are real issues.
If both sides could take the emotion and hurt feelings out of the negotiations, they should be able to agree on a CBA based on strictly financial fairness. However, both side seem to lack maturity.
But, on the other hand, in CC's first year she made $70,000 or so, while Christie Sides took home $500,000. So there are real issues.
If both sides could take the emotion and hurt feelings out of the negotiations, they should be able to agree on a CBA based on strictly financial fairness. However, both side seem to lack maturity.
I think the NBA should end all subsidies and connections with it . Then say, “women, it is all yours, good luck”.
Maybe true, but the players have to shoulder a lot of the blame. The W has never been more popular. More players are getting endorsement deals. Attendance has doubled since 2023. Up 32% from 2024. But it can only be sustained if they keep playing.
I assume that it's ticket selling season right now. The players need to get over themselves and assure the fans that they will play this year.
Another thing is that 3 of the players who are the voices/decision makers in the union own stake in Unrivaled. Stewart, Collier and one more. So those 3 will benefit if Unrivaled grows, due to the death of the W. Like my brother says, "I'm constantly hearing about how things would be better if women ran things...well here you go."
Unrivaled is their bargaining chip? A league that employs a quarter of the players the WNBA does?
Let the W die and then recruit CC to come home and be an ASST coach.
Guessing she might be ok as a recruiter?
Guessing she might be ok as a recruiter?
The league leadership seems to make decisions based on entitlement vs. actual survival.
Guessing she might be ok as a recruiter?
Doubtful.
I don't know. Like I said these 3x3 leagues are a sideshow, and a poor one at that. Its not real basketball, I'd I'll bet their attendence is crap, and Its hard to believe their going to continue getting any major TV time. Supposedly they're paying way more then the women make in the W. I don't know how long that could go on. Remember the W is subsidized by the NBA. They aren't going to back any of these "startups" replacing the W. Most all of those teams majority owners are the NBA owners.
I wonder why all that happened suddenly. The league's been around for THIRTY years, yet most sports fans either didn't even know it existed or knew it but didn't give a damn. Then CC shows up, and just like that, over night, the WNBA is everywhere.
Most of those players are so jealous of CC they can't stand it. CC has turned their glorifed rec league into an actual thing. If CC hadn't happened, the league would still be as popular as professional frisbee and as unknown as a grade school guitarist. I watch ONLY when CC is on the court. Otherwise, it's about as entertaining as a drive through Nebraska.
Do the owners make a profit from wnba?
If they don’t, are the players actually wanting more money from the nba?
if the owners make a profit, how much are they willing to share.
I need to know the truth from question 1 via a bean counter to form a decent opinion.
I can tell you this, outside a couple markets this thing will drop out of the consciousness of the public quicker than a failed tetherball league.
If they don’t, are the players actually wanting more money from the nba?
if the owners make a profit, how much are they willing to share.
I need to know the truth from question 1 via a bean counter to form a decent opinion.
I can tell you this, outside a couple markets this thing will drop out of the consciousness of the public quicker than a failed tetherball league.
Over the last few years, more teams have made a profit, but I doubt any owner or ownership group is living off their WNBA earnings. What owners are seeing is increased wealth. Franchises are valued much higher today than 5-10 years ago.