2025 WNBA Regular Season Discussion Thread

[MrDollarBills]

The worst 3 point shooter in the contest (now that Caitlin Clark dropped out) wins the 3 point contest.

I mean, Sabrina was a large betting favorite before the contest. The best scores ever in the NBA contest were 31 out of 40 (same format as current WNBA) by Steph and Haliburton (and Buddy Hield, but not in the final round). Sabrina put up a 37 two years ago (25 out of 27 shots, IIRC the most contest makes ever regardless of format, the next best being Craig Hodges with 21) and won with 30 tonight (better than the 29 Steph scored to beat her in their head to head). She also holds the WNBA record for three point makes in a season (just ahead of you know who, the formerly worst shooter in the contest).

Sabrina Ionescu has a case for the best contest shooter ever, men or women. Calling her the worst shooter in the contest is certainly a take. Or is it just an excuse to take a shot (pun intended) at Clark?

By percentage on the season she's the worst of the participants and i wasn't crapping on Sabrina either, just making an observation that wasn't meant to be that deep.

And I wasn't taking a shot at Clark either. I like Clark and am sad that she wasn't able to get into rhythm because of injuries this season. Hope she gets well soon.

I think that, and this is just baseless speculation...CC's body has not adapted well to the added muscle. Multiple soft tissue injuries, two groins pulls, a quad...something ain't right man.

[Green Chile]

Such a fun game.

[ellobo]

I like the three point contest because it's a real competition, a showcase of an important and exciting skill, and the players usually put up solid to great scores. The skills competition is okay too, although the format is kind of artificial.

But as with most all-star games, the actual game is an uncompetitive bore. I still watched it for the personalities and the celebratory vibe, but didn't really enjoy it as a basketball game (I don't even bother with the men's all-star game).

I mean, the highlight was Elle Duncan saying on the air that "Like a girls' trip to Cancun, right now there's no D."

[Green Chile]

I like the three point contest because it's a real competition, a showcase of an important and exciting skill, and the players usually put up solid to great scores. The skills competition is okay too, although the format is kind of artificial.

But as with most all-star games, the actual game is an uncompetitive bore. I still watched it for the personalities and the celebratory vibe, but didn't really enjoy it as a basketball game (I don't even bother with the men's all-star game).

I mean, the highlight was Elle Duncan saying on the air that "Like a girls' trip to Cancun, right now there's no D."

It's funny how the game itself had a pretty different vibe than last year.

Last year they had a good time but there was still that Olympic stuff. Arike, CC, and the eternal Olympic snub, Nneka, clearly weren't screwing around.

This year everybody was screwing around, and the best way possible. You had Angel out there with AT trying to recreate the neck throw down from Angel's rookie year.

Two very different games but both a good representation of what's great about the league, I think.

[Green Chile]

I hate to get into this stuff to even feed this stupid narrative, but I hope the same media outlets that spend so much time trying to convince people that the other players in the league hate Caitlin will pay attention to all the evidence from this weekend showing otherwise. Studbudz, and the game, and all of it. Court shut a fan down that tried to come at Sophie over tribal crap

Individual players have beefs sometimes ,of course, because they're human, but the league as a whole is as tight-knit as you will ever find. They've had to be.

This is a league of players that fight like hell when they're on the court. But it's a beautiful sisterhood off the court.

But I know nobody in the mainstream media paid attention. I'm sure they'll find a way to go back to selling their same garbage headlines. It's lazy and it gets eyeballs.

[Green Chile]

Also, it's awesome to see Indiana legend, Skylar Diggins, become the first player to get a triple-double in the All-Star Game in Indiana.

[MrDollarBills]

I hate to get into this stuff to even feed this stupid narrative, but I hope the same media outlets that spend so much time trying to convince people that the other players in the league hate Caitlin will pay attention to all the evidence from this weekend showing otherwise. Studbudz, and the game, and all of it. Court shut a fan down that tried to come at Sophie over tribal crap

Individual players have beefs sometimes ,of course, because they're human, but the league as a whole is as tight-knit as you will ever find. They've had to be.

This is a league of players that fight like hell when they're on the court. But it's a beautiful sisterhood off the court.

But I know nobody in the mainstream media paid attention. I'm sure they'll find a way to go back to selling their same garbage headlines. It's lazy and it gets eyeballs.

The Studbudz did more marketing for the league than the league has itself over the last 20 years.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

ESPN will not show their footage of what happened this weekend, they have an agenda to stoke racial animosity for clicks and views anytime CC gets a hard foul (while ignoring the fact that everyone is getting beat up because the officials are trash).

These women/people are hardcore competitors on the court but off the court it's 100% love.

[MrDollarBills]

The game itself was ass but it was good to see the players having fun and supporting each other.

Whatever the media is trying to do, it's not working.

[BlacJacMac]

Phee is just on a mission this year.

Dropped 36 points (13-16, 4-5, 6-6) with 9 rebounds in 19 minutes...

[rmontro]

They all wore those "Pay us what you owe us" shirts. I'd love to see the players make more money. But I wonder what they are owed when the league lost $50 million last year, even with the Caitlin Clark effect. Serious question.

[hermes]

They all wore those "Pay us what you owe us" shirts. I'd love to see the players make more money. But I wonder what they are owed when the league lost $50 million last year, even with the Caitlin Clark effect. Serious question.

what the league made last year isn't really material. the league's new tv deal kicks in next year, so a lot more money will be coming in (apparently going from about $25m to $200m a year)

[Green Chile]

They all wore those "Pay us what you owe us" shirts. I'd love to see the players make more money. But I wonder what they are owed when the league lost $50 million last year, even with the Caitlin Clark effect. Serious question.

what the league made last year isn't really material. the league's new tv deal kicks in next year, so a lot more money will be coming in (apparently going from about $25m to $200m a year)

Also, that $50 million figure keeps getting thrown around by people that have never seen the books.

It really feels like that number is being fed to the media by someone.......... In the middle of a labor dispute. Labor Negotiations 101 is to cry poor.

It's not a good look for the owners and NBA to cry poor themselves. But it's very easy to try to get the media to do it for them.

I'm also pretty sure the NBA takes a cut off the top of the revenue, which would also make it hard to turn a big profit on paper.

Either way, I don't know the numbers. But neither does anybody else saying they do right now.

[rmontro]

what the league made last year isn't really material. the league's new tv deal kicks in next year, so a lot more money will be coming in (apparently going from about $25m to $200m a year)

That makes sense, that will give them some extra revenue. The "Pay us what you owe us" shirts make it sound like they're being cheated, which really hasn't been the case. Whatever the numbers are, there isn't any dispute that I'm aware of that they haven't been profitable. But I hope they all get a big, hefty raise. It's probably that or a work stoppage of some type.

[AI_Efficiency]

They all wore those "Pay us what you owe us" shirts. I'd love to see the players make more money. But I wonder what they are owed when the league lost $50 million last year, even with the Caitlin Clark effect. Serious question.

what the league made last year isn't really material. the league's new tv deal kicks in next year, so a lot more money will be coming in (apparently going from about $25m to $200m a year)

Also, that $50 million figure keeps getting thrown around by people that have never seen the books.

It really feels like that number is being fed to the media by someone.......... In the middle of a labor dispute. Labor Negotiations 101 is to cry poor.

It's not a good look for the owners and NBA to cry poor themselves. But it's very easy to try to get the media to do it for them.

I'm also pretty sure the NBA takes a cut off the top of the revenue, which would also make it hard to turn a big profit on paper.

Either way, I don't know the numbers. But neither does anybody else saying they do right now.

Yea, who knows what the numbers say, but a few expansion teams just paid $250 million to join which to me would suggest that the league is trending towards being a good investment. So the same way like an early tech company employee wants to get paid working at a company they know isn’t turning a profit now, but will soon, I get players wanting to cash in.

That said, I saw a figure I’m assuming is accurate that ratings across the board are down 50% this year when Clark isn’t playing. I know I’m usually not watching when she’s hurt. It is somewhat a risk for everyone involved to have so much viewership tied to one player. You just never know what could happen. But again, the owners of these new expansion teams seem to think things will work out for them.

[TheSuzerain]

How is Meesemans to Liberty even possible.

Fever need to to step up questionable practices/Nike dark money to build a super team.

[TheSuzerain]

what the league made last year isn't really material. the league's new tv deal kicks in next year, so a lot more money will be coming in (apparently going from about $25m to $200m a year)

That makes sense, that will give them some extra revenue. The "Pay us what you owe us" shirts make it sound like they're being cheated, which really hasn't been the case. Whatever the numbers are, there isn't any dispute that I'm aware of that they haven't been profitable. But I hope they all get a big, hefty raise. It's probably that or a work stoppage of some type.

The money the league had been making is absolutely material.

When a business has been in losses for decades, the equity owners usually expect to recoup their losses and they very well may play hardball to do so.

[MrDollarBills]

Liberty signed Stephanie Talbot and Emma Meesemen today

[MrDollarBills]

They all wore those "Pay us what you owe us" shirts. I'd love to see the players make more money. But I wonder what they are owed when the league lost $50 million last year, even with the Caitlin Clark effect. Serious question.

what the league made last year isn't really material. the league's new tv deal kicks in next year, so a lot more money will be coming in (apparently going from about $25m to $200m a year)

Also, that $50 million figure keeps getting thrown around by people that have never seen the books.

It really feels like that number is being fed to the media by someone.......... In the middle of a labor dispute. Labor Negotiations 101 is to cry poor.

It's not a good look for the owners and NBA to cry poor themselves. But it's very easy to try to get the media to do it for them.

I'm also pretty sure the NBA takes a cut off the top of the revenue, which would also make it hard to turn a big profit on paper.

Either way, I don't know the numbers. But neither does anybody else saying they do right now.

Right. That 50 mil number has never been proven and the book keeping between the league and the parent operation isn't exactly open for public review.

The league just got multiple buy ins for expansion teams. All metrics are up across the board. Anyone trying to justify paying the players 9% of revenue when the players could all leave and make more money elsewhere has an agenda.

[MrDollarBills]

Crazy how people are pro labor until it's women involved, then the goalposts start shifting.

[MrDollarBills]

what the league made last year isn't really material. the league's new tv deal kicks in next year, so a lot more money will be coming in (apparently going from about $25m to $200m a year)

That makes sense, that will give them some extra revenue. The "Pay us what you owe us" shirts make it sound like they're being cheated, which really hasn't been the case. Whatever the numbers are, there isn't any dispute that I'm aware of that they haven't been profitable. But I hope they all get a big, hefty raise. It's probably that or a work stoppage of some type.

The money the league had been making is absolutely material.

When a business has been in losses for decades, the equity owners usually expect to recoup their losses and they very well may play hardball to do so.

That's fine. They just won't have any labor to short change in the process.