I'm back. My college semester just ended, so I can finally actually have time to send out a new post. Thanks for being patient. My post today has to do with the WNBA. Why the WNBA when they are not in season or in training camp. Well, the days of the WNBA in the United States being a low paying league may finally caught up to them. You see, a couple of months ago, I heard about one of the star players from the Phoenix Mercury, Diana Taurasi, being held out of the entire upcoming WNBA season. This surprised me. Why would a team not have their star player participate in the upcoming season when they are under contract? The answer has to do with a league overseas. Are you confused yet? Hang in there. The WNBA players, which is a women's league DO NOT make near what the men players make in the NBA. In fact, a rookie will only start at about $35,000 dollars a year. That is to be a professional athlete in a league located in the United States. The imbalance in salaries between the men and the women is ridiculous. In the case of the Minnesota Lynx, Glen Taylor owns both the Minnesota Lynx and the men's version in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves. I know that there are rules in each league, but can't there be some profit sharing to equal things out a bit. I know the Minnesota Lynx season is only about three months and maybe a fourth with postseason play. So it's not nearly as long as the men's NBA season that can go from training camp in October to the NBA Finals in June. However, can you believe that the WNBA actually has a maximum salary in their league. The WNBA even has a daily allowance for their players. Should there even need to be a daily allowance in professional sports? That maximum salary that I mentioned is $115,000 dollars. Now don't get me wrong here, I would love to make $115,000 dollars a year, but I don't. For an athlete of the WNBA, they are clearly not being treated as an equal. Now I know it is their choice to pursue professional sports as a career, but career of an athlete has a short time span whether you're a man or a woman. This imbalance is now creating a huge problem for the WNBA. You see, many of these female athletes go overseas during the off season of the WNBA to play in their leagues to earn more money. Not just a little bit of money either, but up to as much as 10 or 11 times as much as they make in the WNBA. Maya Moore, star player of the Minnesota Lynx, went and played in a league in China. Her talents brought that team a championship, for her an MVP award for the championship, and also a salary of $600,000 dollars plus bonuses. So why even bother with the WNBA in the first place? Some WNBA athletes will admit that playing in the WNBA gives them exposure. It is being in a highly visible league that does not pay well that affords them the additional opportunities overseas. That is why they play in the United States. Where it is catching up with the WNBA is that players are now start to sit out the upcoming season. I mentioned Diana Taurasi sitting out this upcoming WNBA season. The reason why she is doing this is because her team in Russia wants her to be fresh and ready for their season. She makes a ton more money over there so it is worth it for her. The collective bargaining contract for the WNBA players states that the league can fine players under WNBA contract for missing time due to overseas commitments. Diana Taurasi is on the suspended list in the WNBA, so she can't be fined. Besides, they are not only paying her salary for their league, but they are also willing to pay her her WNBA salary in addition to sit and train. Candace Parker plays for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and has not resigned her contract yet, so she is sitting out the first half of the WNBA season and cannot be fined. Sylvia Fowles is now the most recent player, who has not resigned yet and cannot be fined, that is now not only demanding a trade from her Chicago team, but also sitting out if Chicago doesn't figure out a sign and trade deal. These are major faces of the WNBA. They are the reason that some of their fans fill the stands. If a team from overseas is willing to pay a WNBA salary to have their players opt out, doesn't that mean the WNBA is behind the times by paying chump change to the women who have committed to playing professional basketball for a career. I am lucky. I am a fan of the Minnesota Lynx who have had an outstanding team for the past few years. They have won two championships in the past three seasons. I am also happy to hear that all the stars of the Minnesota Lynx have not been mentioned or associated with a story of sitting out a season. So the team that are the ones in Minnesota professional sports to bring home a championship since 1991 is a professional women's basketball team that are the lowest paid by 10 miles. It is a great example that money not being the driving force of producing a championship. I think this is going to be a growing problem in the WNBA until the league figures something out. The ones, of course, who end up being the biggest losers in this is the fans. They will have teams with their star players sitting out because the league can't compete financially, or they don't want to compete financially.
#showthemthemoney
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