WNBA thread… 28.5 ain’t your pay cut

[HanSenSE]

Glad I didn't wear new shoes while reading this. Not sure he did himself any favors.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

I was thinking about what the WNBA needs - and it is a) never refer to them as "girls" - imagine someone trying something similar in the NBA....whoa. b) the basketball isn't going to cut it. But don't worry, actual coverage of the games isn't what creates fan interest - whether its the NBA, MLB or NFL, what drives coverage is who is pissed with who, who is following who on IG, which star wants a coach fired or a trade or a new contract, etc. etc. A good fight in the WNBA in an early game would do a lot for the league - and I'm not kidding. Clark drives to the hoop and gets hammered the the rest of the Fever start going five-on-five hockey style. Maybe a gambling scandal, shady refereeing,

Man, just don't.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

So he wants us to believe he would tell Anthony Richardson to make the heart sign and "we'll get along just fine"? The problem is he treated Caitlin Clark just like he would treat a male athlete?

Yeah, good luck with that, Gregg.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

A'ja Wilson not enjoying the latest Nike signature shoe.

 

[YMCA B-Baller]

I was thinking about what the WNBA needs - and it is a) never refer to them as "girls" - imagine someone trying something similar in the NBA....whoa. b) the basketball isn't going to cut it. But don't worry, actual coverage of the games isn't what creates fan interest - whether its the NBA, MLB or NFL, what drives coverage is who is pissed with who, who is following who on IG, which star wants a coach fired or a trade or a new contract, etc. etc. A good fight in the WNBA in an early game would do a lot for the league - and I'm not kidding. Clark drives to the hoop and gets hammered the the rest of the Fever start going five-on-five hockey style. Maybe a gambling scandal, shady refereeing,

Eyeroll.

 

[justgladtobehere]

The WNBA is always going to have trouble because of its schedule. It goes against baseball, its playoffs are during football season, and the World Cup, Euros, Olympics happen in the middle of the season.

 

[Pilot]

The WNBA is always going to have trouble because of its schedule. It goes against baseball, its playoffs are during football season, and the World Cup, Euros, Olympics happen in the middle of the season.

Going against baseball in 2024 and a couple of irregular, often weirdly televised events like the World Cup (often not primetime matches) and the Olympics (when the league will break anyway) seems like about the best case scenario on the sports calendar.

 

[poindexter]

The WNBA is always going to have trouble because of its schedule. It goes against baseball,

Baseball games would kill for WNBA draft ratings.

 

[mateen]

If they get the popularity boost it looks like they will, is it possible the WNBA will someday shift to a more traditional basketball schedule, rather than running it in the summer? This would prevent players from double-dipping overseas out of financial necessity, but salaries might rise enough that it would no longer be necessary.

 

[justgladtobehere]

Going against baseball in 2024 and a couple of irregular, often weirdly televised events like the World Cup (often not primetime matches) and the Olympics (when the league will break anyway) seems like about the best case scenario on the sports calendar.

20,000 people a night show up for baseball. A few hundred thousand more are watching or listening.
That's not considering that the WNBA plays in the summer when people are on vacation. I don't think people are going to see the Connecticut Sun instead of heading to the Cape.

 

[justgladtobehere]

If they get the popularity boost it looks like they will, is it possible the WNBA will someday shift to a more traditional basketball schedule, rather than running it in the summer? This would prevent players from double-dipping overseas out of financial necessity, but salaries might rise enough that it would no longer be necessary.

The NBA and WNBA aren't going to compete. There is no other time to play the season.

 

[MisterCreosote]

The Indiana Fever draw about 4,000 a game. Let's say Clark's mere presence doubles that number:

— It would still be about 2,000 less than the average attendance of the lowest-drawing MLB team (the A's).
— It's still less than half the average attendance of the lowest-drawing NBA team (the Hornets).