The WNBA preseason starts tomorrow! With games on the horizon, let’s move on to the second part of the mailer, with questions about some potential suitors as well as a dive into the economics of the WNBA. Here’s part one, in case you missed it.
Connecticut sunshine predictions? DB, AT and Bri Jones are back, do they have the supporting cast to take them to the finale? Assuming this year is their last chance together due to free agency. -Patrick C.
The Sun has a frontcourt that can compete with anyone, with DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas returning to Connecticut and Brionna Jones on track to start the season after tearing her Achilles tendon last year last. The question, as always, is whether the backcourt can keep up. The retirement of Tiffany Hayes is a huge loss, as is the departure of Rebecca Allen, which leaves the Sun with some spacing concerns since they will often have two non-shooters in Thomas and Jones on the court.
Tyasha Harris and DiJonai Carrington improved their 3-point accuracy last season; they will need to maintain these brands at higher volume. Leigha Brown has had interesting flashes in 2023, and she gives Connecticut some versatility as a big guard. Someone in this group of guards will need to emerge as a one-on-one scorer for the Sun to have enough offense to make the Finals. Ultimately, I still think they’re a little below New York – and everyone is chasing Las Vegas – but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Liberty at No. 3 or No. 4 in the rankings at the end of the year.
Do we think more teams will have a real chance this season compared to last season? –David H.
The WNBA does not enter 2024 with the same duopoly of superteams as in 2023. In addition to the Liberty, who will seek to avenge their defeat in the Finals, Seattle and Phoenix have loaded up during the offseason. The Storm have four All-Stars in their starting lineup, and the Mercury have three, plus a stronger supporting cast than in previous years with Natasha Cloud and Rebecca Allen. Dallas might struggle to start the year with Satou Sabally not expected to return until after the Olympic break, but the Wings have a young core that challenged Las Vegas in the 2023 playoffs. The Aces remain the team to beat, and it would be surprising to see them lose in the playoffs, but there are more teams that could contend than last season.
When it’s time to lock up, it’s time to lock up 🔒@_ajawilson22 // #ALLINLV pic.twitter.com/k5mfkLybeZ
– Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) May 1, 2024
How exactly does the NBA provide “support” to the WNBA? Direct cash injections? Matching funds? Access to resources and personnel? Could it be possible for the W to be included in the new TV contract? If the NBA leaves TNT, could the W step into the void? Is there a chance of a Big3/WNBA collaboration? -Barron H.
The NBA owns approximately 42 percent of the WNBA, while the WNBA’s owners collectively own the same percentage. The league sold about 16% of its equity for a $75 million capital raise in 2022. Some NBA owners also own the WNBA, and others participated in the capital raise, the percentages are therefore not exact.
Individual WNBA teams fund the operations of their own franchises, meaning that NBA owners who have teams in both leagues (including Indiana, Minnesota, Phoenix, New York and Washington) directly provide funding. money to the W. At the league level, there is more direct synergy with the NBA. The W League offices are located in the NBA’s New York office and Cathy Engelbert reports directly to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Engelbert usually makes independent decisions regarding the W, but theoretically the NBA could step in. Silver suggested it would be beneficial for both leagues to negotiate their new media rights agreements togethersince it offers media companies year-round programming.
The Big3 calendar directly competes with the WNBA since it is a summer league. There is a three-on-three women’s league called Unrivaled that is expected to launch in early 2025. Unrivaled will have its season during the WNBA offseason, allowing American players to supplement their salaries in the United States. Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are the first names attached to this project.
Looking at the last two seasons and the upcoming season, do you think the Mystics are heading in the right direction? What can you say Mystics fans should be optimistic about? -Jean T.
The last two seasons have made it pretty clear that the Mystics needed an overhaul to get back into title contention, and that decision was essentially forced on Washington when Natasha Cloud left in free agency and Elena Delle Donne chose to not play in 2024. The Mystics can build a new core around Shakira Austin and rookie Aaliyah Edwards, who project to be a dynamic frontcourt duo. Austin has been an exceptional young center when healthy and bet against the UConn bigs at your own risk.
It may be unfair to not include Ariel Atkins in this group, but she has regressed since making the Olympic team in 2021 and does not satisfy Washington’s need for perimeter offensive firepower. The Mystics probably need another high draft pick to get a shot-creating guard (Paige Bueckers in 2025?), so it’s on the team to end up in the lottery this season. If Washington can find some capable role players during this reorganization period — Emily Engstler and Karlie Samuelson have always been personal favorites — and get some luck in the lottery, the rebuild could be quick.
The turnaround time from college to training camp in the WNBA is very short compared to other leagues. Is there a chance the league will consider changing its schedule to give teams more time to integrate their rookies? Additionally (building on the season ticket question), do you have any word on the league considering expanding its season beyond 40 games with more teams selling their season tickets? –Lexi A.
One of the problems with giving rookies more time is that it pushes the end of the regular season into NBA and college basketball territory. Matchups with the NBA are a problem because of shared facilities, and the NCAA is simply a more popular entity: The WNBA doesn’t want its playoffs to compete with college games on television. Additionally, ending the season in November would also conflict with the overseas schedule, and many WNBA players must supplement their income in those leagues.
The WNBA could shorten its season to avoid these challenges, but it doesn’t make sense for a growing league to reduce its inventory, especially when ticket sales make up a large portion of team revenue and a new media rights agreement is currently being negotiated. As revenues and salaries rise, limiting the need for players to go overseas, the WNBA could extend into November and trust its fan base to stay through its most important period of the year while other sports are just getting started. However, this would most likely be due to the league adding more games rather than starting later. Unfortunately, it seems like a quick transition is something newbies will have to deal with.
After Brittney Griner’s horrific incarceration experience in Russia and the league’s increased visibility, is the league considering limiting the countries players can go overseas to? –Lexi A.
Even while Griner was detained, the Americans traveled to Russia to play in their national championship, including 2022 No. 8 selection Mya Hollingshed. The WNBA cannot restrict the free agency of individual players. The league may require them to return to the United States by a certain date to participate in the WNBA season, but I don’t think it’s possible to rule out where players can suit up. The league can give recommendations, as it did in February 2022 when it advised players to leave Russia as quickly as possible. However, players must ultimately decide what is best for them, based on their salary, role, level of competition, quality of life and a number of other factors.
GO FURTHER
Griner discusses the ‘mental failure’ that led to the Russians’ detention
The best way for the WNBA to encourage players not to go overseas is to increase their compensation domestically. In AthleticismAccording to an anonymous 2019 survey of WNBA players, only 21% said they would continue to play overseas if salaries were higher.
What is the estimated current value of WNBA media rights in 2025? – Christopher K.
The WNBA has a number of television deals with various partners, including ESPN (and its family of networks), CBS/CBS Sports Network, ION, NBA TV and Amazon Prime Video. ESPN owns the rights to the biggest games in the league, including the regular season marquee games, the All-Star Game and all playoff contests. That package — 25 regular-season games plus the All-Star Game and 20 playoff contests — cost ESPN about $30 million in 2023 and will reach $33 million in 2025, according to The IX Newsletter.
The league reached a three-year deal with ION last year that pays it $13 million annually. ION had 15 Friday night windows this year, each showing one or two games. Each of those nights cost more than what ESPN paid for individual contests — admittedly, some of those windows contained two games — despite being on Fridays with only regular-season games.
As it stands, the W will make about $50 million total in 2025. That’s less than the $60 million the NWSL will make each year under its last deal. It’s also far less than the $3.1 billion the NBA will earn in the final year of its current television deal. Engelbert says the league hopes to get $100 million a year in its next contract (the current deal ends in 2025), but given the NWSL’s precedent and the increase in viewership in women’s basketball , the WNBA can order a lot more.
Some quick hitters to close us out:
Which major face of a new team has the biggest impact?
Among the lesser-known rookies, who is the biggest surprise? –Sarah M.
Skylar Diggins-Smith (Seattle) and Charisma Osborne (Phoenix).
With all the attention on this year’s rookie class, which second-year player has the best chance of breaking in? – Kevin H.
I mentioned earlier that Leigha Brown was a potential jumper to Connecticut. Maddy Siegrist also has an opportunity in Dallas with Sabally’s absence, and Dorka Juhász can take a step forward in Minnesota without any other true centers on the roster.
Besides the obvious in Caitlin Clark, who do you see as the most likely candidates for ROY? – Christopher K.
Aaliyah Edwards (Mystics) and Cameron Brink (Sparks).
(DeWanna Bonner Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)