The arrest of Brittney Griner and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have thrown women’s pro basketball and its money-making ecosystem into flux. The only thing anyone is sure of, howardmegdal reports, is that everything is about to change:
That gives the WNBA a window of opportunity to convince players they are better off staying home—an outcome, incidentally, that the players would like, as well, though not at the expense of their economic earning power.
Another factor will be the ripple effect of Russian and Chinese leagues falling off the table. Suddenly, the overseas market is without its crown jewels, which moves everyone up a peg, from Turkey to Australia. But between the missing top teams and the resulting more players available, the financial incentives are likely to change dramatically. Top players may not have the same level of financial incentives at the top of the market.
Lynx forward Aerial Powers says the WNBA’s compensation just needs to get close to what players can earn by supplementing with overseas play to get them to stay—a feeling that, in SI’s conversations, represented something of a consensus. There is also a looming financial windfall coming, one that could fundamentally change the economics of the entire league: a new media rights deal. The current agreement with ESPN dates back to the middle of the last decade and pays a pittance compared to virtually any parallel contract—just $25 million a year. One league source tells SI the WNBA will shoot for $100 million per year for the new deal, which would begin in 2024.
Kelsey Plum, an Aces guard who has played overseas in the past, is paying close attention to all of it. Like her USA Basketball teammates, she’s watching the Griner situation, frustrated that she cannot do more or know more.
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