Interest growing, but can the WNBA keep pace?
Women’s basketball is coming off one of the most-watched NCAA Tournaments in history, with South Carolina coasting to a win over UConn to give coach Dawn Staley her second national championship.
With the WNBA season beginning in May, the league’s draft is Monday, eight days after the NCAA championship game. That means fans could watch their favorite prospect flourish in the tournament before being drafted. Or maybe not.
The WNBA draft is three rounds, with 12 players in each round. The league released the early-entry list of 108 players this past week — for a 36-player draft.
And that does not count college seniors and international prospects.
There is no minor league or G League for women’s basketball, so many of those early entries won’t be drafted and will begin their careers overseas or as undrafted free agents. And while WNBA salaries have increased, it is not as financially feasible for women to leave school early as it is for men, who have the G League as an option if they want to remain in the United States.
The number of early-entry candidates is bloated this season because many players are bypassing the additional year of eligibility awarded them because of the abbreviated 2019-20 season.
“I totally understand players that felt like, ‘Hey, I’ve done my time in college, don’t necessarily want the extra year,’ ” ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson said. “But yeah, I think everyone wants to see the WNBA expand and for there to be more teams.”
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said expansion is being considered. Until then, there will be 144 roster spots in the WNBA. That does not seem nearly enough given the boon of talent and interest in the sport.
“There’s definitely a lot of talent overall in the women’s game,” Robinson said. “But I think before we even start having the conversation about expanding the league ... I think roster spots are a value.
“These rookies having an opportunity to make a roster,
come in and be developed, is the most important aspect of this because it’s a huge jump from college to the WNBA.”
And the failure rate for high WNBA picks is higher than their NBA counterparts. The Las Vegas Aces on Friday waived former Arkansas standout Destiny Slocum, who was selected 14th overall just a year ago.
“I tell people all the time they’re two different games, in my opinion, because of the speed and the quickness,” Robinson said. “You’re playing against women who have been playing in foreign countries, internationally, against different styles, and have had to adapt and play multiple positions. So their games are just grown.
“So it’s a big jump . ... The most important aspect of that is making sure they’re ready and developed.”
The WNBA needs to devise a system to develop prospects, perhaps those who may have entered the draft too early or may be a year or two from making a roster. Those players, if unable to make a roster, are relegated to go overseas.
Robinson suggested players stay in college for as long as they can.
“Something I often say is that the majority of college players can’t spend enough time in college diversifying their games because when you get to the WNBA, it’s just another level,” she said. “So stay, work on those perimeter skills, if that’s what it is, get stronger, do whatever you need to do
because it’s incredibly hard to make a roster in this league.”
Former UConn All-American and WNBA standout Rebecca Lobo said the league’s financial issues have forced teams to reduce rosters, making it harder for prospects to succeed.
“We certainly would love to see the roster size expanded,” Lobo said. “Only three teams are going to be at 12; the other nine will most likely be at 11. I covered a game last year where Washington had six healthy players for a game on television. We showed the layup lines at the beginning of the game because it was just so striking how few players they had.
“I think the next step for the league [is] maybe you add two roster spots for practice players that you can dip into when you get to that situation when you have injury. You have those players who continue to develop.”
Lobo also pointed out that the uneasy situation in Eastern Europe, which has flourishing women’s leagues, could make it more difficult for prospects to find teams.
“I think every general manager and coach, when it’s not coming out of their own pocket and paycheck, would love to have a bigger roster,” Washington Mystics coach Mike Thibault said. “I think that’s a safe thing to say.
“But we don’t write the checks. We don’t have to balance the books.”