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Top WNBA star being paid by her Russian team to sit out the WNBA season

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C

Cloudy

Banned
Her open letter to fans:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...open-letter-to-phoenix-mercury-fans/22808453/

The year-round nature of women's basketball takes its toll and the financial opportunity with my team in Russia would have been irresponsible to turn down. They offered to pay me to rest and I've decided to take them up on it. I want to be able to take care of myself and my family when I am done playing.
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ESPN article about it:

http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/12272036/diana-taurasi-decision-sit-spark-wnba-salary-changes

But when Taurasi announced Tuesday that she has decided to sit out the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, it wasn't just about rest; it was also about money. Sure, Taurasi has been going full speed for more than a decade, but she wouldn't sit out this upcoming season if the move didn't make financial sense.

That's where the club Taurasi plays for overseas, UMMC Ekaterinburg, comes into play. The team has offered Taurasi a deal: more than her WNBA salary to not play at all this summer.

For the 2014 WNBA season, the 33-year-old made just under the league maximum of $107,000. But she makes 15 times that -- approximately $1.5 million -- playing overseas. Now she'll make even more, as UMMC is essentially compensating Taurasi her WNBA salary and then some, to not play in the WNBA at all.
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This past WNBA season, 36 players made approximately the same amount as Taurasi, who will likely finish her career as the league's all-time leading scorer. Another six players made just under $100,000. This means each team had three to four players making "max money." Although listing names would be gratuitous, common sense says not all of those 40-plus players are as valuable to their teams -- or the league as a whole -- as Taurasi is to Phoenix.
Click to expand...

In the WNBA, most coaches make more than double the salaries of their star players. Numerous coaches in the league are making in the range of $250,000 -- some as much as $300,000. Think about that for a second. That's the equivalent of the Cleveland Cavaliers paying coach David Blatt something like $40-50 million, while LeBron James makes $20 million. (Most NBA coaches make about a quarter of what their star players make.)
Click to expand...

This story is really interesting. It'd be like LeBron sitting out the year after winning a title.

Big embarrassment for the WNBA but the truth is there isn't much interest in the league and it's propped up by NBA money (that's why the salary system is so messed up). I can't think of another unisex sport where the female version is so less popular than the male version..
 
C

Chesskid1

Banned
very interesting stuff, thanks for posting.

i remember reading a huge debate about if the average high school male basketball team could take a WNBA team.
 
M

markot

Banned
Cloudy said:
http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/12272036/diana-taurasi-decision-sit-spark-wnba-salary-changes







This story is really interesting. It'd be like LeBron sitting out the year after winning a title.

Big embarrassment for the WNBA but the truth is there isn't much interest in the league and it's propped up by NBA money (that's why the salary system is so messed up). I can't think of another unisex sport where the female version is so less popular than the male version..
Click to expand...

Soccer?... um... pretty much every female sport? outside of hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing and such and such.
 
C

Cloudy

Banned
jwk94 said:
What's stopping them from forming an integrated NBA league with both men and women?
Click to expand...

Nothing but I personally don't see how that could happen on the pro level without MAJOR rules changes. I feel such a league would be more popular than the WNBA though
 
C

Cloudy

Banned
markot said:
Soccer?... um... pretty much every female sport? outside of hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing and such and such.
Click to expand...

I would say female soccer is a lot more popular than female basketball relative to their male counterparts
 
benjipwns

benjipwns

Banned
jwk94 said:
What's stopping them from forming an integrated NBA league with both men and women?
Click to expand...
Nothing, but you aren't going to see any* women players in the NBA at all unless there were quotas.

*At most a couple. And they'd have to learn new positions probably.
 
F

Fotheringay

Member
The WNBA has been subsidized forever by the NBA. I wonder if this will force a re-thinking of the current salary structure if all of a sudden the top 10 stars are no longer playing.
 
C

Cloudy

Banned
numble said:
If they integrated the sexes, that would just mean there are no professional basketball spots for women in the U.S. + Toronto.
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I think jwk94 was thinking of a separate integrated league from the NBA. Taurasi would be one of the few women who could play offense in the NBA but she would be destroyed on defense unless rules were changed
 
BadAss2961

BadAss2961

Member
For the 2014 WNBA season, the 33-year-old made just under the league maximum of $107,000. But she makes 15 times that -- approximately $1.5 million -- playing overseas. Now she'll make even more, as UMMC is essentially compensating Taurasi her WNBA salary and then some, to not play in the WNBA at all.
Click to expand...
$107K is near the league's maximum? Damn, the WNBA is real small potatoes.

The NBA's biggest scrubs make it rain on Taurasi.
 
D

demolitio

Member
It's kind of sad to hear that's considered max money in the WNBA but I can't remember the last time I've seen a game on TV. It's been a long time.

Edit: Actually, do any teams have TV deals anymore? I don't have a local team so I wouldn't know but I only remember watching WNBA games in the early 2000's and it was mostly just playoff games.

OpinionatedCyborg said:
the patriarchy
Click to expand...

You mean the absolute overall skill differences that would mean a woman would only play on an NBA team if the league mandated a certain amount of playing time for them?

Some of the best college males can't even play in the NBA. The best male college team couldn't beat the worst NBA team that's trying to tank for a draft pick. The smallest player on your team makes 98% of the world look tiny and I'd be lucky to even play a PG when I was a PF in High School. Why would the WNBA stars stand a chance? They're very skilled and could kick my ass, but the NBA is way too damn competitive.

I can't believe people think that would work and I definitely can't believe you think the reason you just mentioned is why.
 
O

OpinionatedCyborg

Member
demolitio said:
It's kind of sad to hear that's considered max money in the WNBA but I can't remember the last time I've seen a game on TV. It's been a long time.



You mean the absolute overall skill differences that would mean a woman would only play on an NBA team if the league mandated a certain amount of playing time for them?

Some of the best college males can't even play in the NBA. The best male college team couldn't beat the worst NBA team that's trying to tank for a draft pick. Why would the WNBA stars stand a chance?

I can't believe people think that would work and I definitely can't believe you think the reason you just mentioned is why.
Click to expand...
Those differences in skill exist due to prevailing subversive gender norms, not inherent biological differences.
 
X

xbhaskarx

Member
"the league maximum of $107,000. But she makes 15 times that -- approximately $1.5 million -- playing overseas."

If the difference in pay is that massive, what's to stop the Russian league from signing all the top WNBA players and paying them to play in Russia and not in the WNBA, basically reducing the WNBA to a feeder league?
Prove yourself in the WNBA and you too can leave to go make millions in Russia.
 
S

SatoAilDarko

Member
Can't believe I didn't recognize the name at first. She was huge here in Connecticut during the NCAA title runs. I remember my high school had a height poster of her and Emeka Okafor. She's 33? Man I feel really old.
 
benjipwns

benjipwns

Banned
OpinionatedCyborg said:
Those differences in skill exist due to prevailing subversive gender norms, not inherent biological differences.
Click to expand...
It's starts early too, how often do you hear hype about 12 year olds who identify as female like you do about males like O.J. Mayo and Sebastian Telfair in basketball circles.
 
BadAss2961

BadAss2961

Member
SatoAilDarko said:
Can't believe I didn't recognize the name at first. She was huge here in Connecticut during the NCAA title runs. I remember my high school had a height poster of her and Emeka Okafor. She's 33? Man I feel really old.
Click to expand...
I also remember when she was the big star coming out of college. Time flies.
 
C

Cloudy

Banned
xbhaskarx said:
"the league maximum of $107,000. But she makes 15 times that -- approximately $1.5 million -- playing overseas."

If the difference in pay is that massive, what's to stop the Russian league from signing all the top WNBA players and paying them to play in Russia and not in the WNBA, basically reducing the WNBA to a feeder league?
Prove yourself in the WNBA and you too can
leave to go make millions in Russia.
Click to expand...

Most of the top players also play overseas already to make the big bucks
 
D

demolitio

Member
OpinionatedCyborg said:
Those differences in skill exist due to prevailing subversive gender norms, not inherent biological differences.
Click to expand...

Or the fact that the average WNBA player is only 6 feet tall when the smallest player on an NBA is at least 3 inches taller than that usually?

Like I said, they would have to have some sort of rules guaranteeing play-time or else it'd be pointless. Some of the best college athletes have to go overseas to play because the NBA is on an entirely different level.

My edit addressed the height issue specifically since that's the biggest issue I was getting at.

I mean, some WNBA players could be the Muggsy Bogues-type players in the NBA if they had insane ball-handling, but the physicality makes an integrated league so far-fetched that I'm surprised this is actually a conversation. I was considered tall in H.S. but nothing compared to the NBA outside of PG.
 
benjipwns

benjipwns

Banned
Cloudy said:
I don't think the problem would be skill. It'd be physicality. Most of the smaller guys in the NBA are bigger than most WNBA players
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But that becomes a skill problem. When players are "power forwards" at 6-4 in the WNBA, it's going to be hard for them to transition to combo guard. Same with 6-6 centers, they've spent their entire careers developing in that role, they'd have to become perimeter based in the NBA.

Cloudy said:
Most of the top players also play overseas already to make the big bucks
Click to expand...
And it works out with the WNBA's summer season, since they can play all year round.
 
F

Fotheringay

Member
xbhaskarx said:
"the league maximum of $107,000. But she makes 15 times that -- approximately $1.5 million -- playing overseas."

If the difference in pay is that massive, what's to stop the Russian league from signing all the top WNBA players and paying them to play in Russia and not in the WNBA, basically reducing the WNBA to a feeder league?
Prove yourself in the WNBA and you too can leave to go make millions in Russia.
Click to expand...

All the top women's basketball players already play in Europe. Taurasi's just the first one who's been offered a substantial enough sum to take the WNBA season off. The WNBA is a 2nd job for the top players.

demolitio said:
Or the fact that the average WNBA player is only 6 feet tall when the smallest player on an NBA is at least 3 inches taller than that usually?

Like I said, they would have to have some sort of rules guaranteeing play-time or else it'd be pointless. Some of the best college athletes have to go overseas to play because the NBA is on an entirely different level.

My edit addressed the height issue specifically since that's the biggest issue I was getting at.
Click to expand...

Dude come on, how do you not hear the whooshing sound?
 
N

Ninja Scooter

Member
jwk94 said:
What's stopping them from forming an integrated NBA league with both men and women?
Click to expand...

Reality.

A high ranking boys High School team would beat the WNBA champions by 20+ points.

The WNBA exists as corporate welfare. The thing should be dead and buried by now.
 
C

Cloudy

Banned
benjipwns said:
It's starts early too, how often do you hear hype about 12 year olds who identify as female like you do about males like O.J. Mayo and Sebastian Telfair in basketball circles.
Click to expand...

You don't cos there just isn't that much interest in women's basketball from most fans of the sport.
 
D

demolitio

Member
Fotheringay said:
All the top women's basketball players already play in Europe. Taurasi's just the first one who's been offered a substantial enough sum to take the WNBA season off. The WNBA is a 2nd job for the top players.



Dude come on, how do you not hear the whooshing sound?
Click to expand...

Hard to assume that considering some of the shit I've read on here, but I sure hope so.
 
T

t26

Member
xbhaskarx said:
"the league maximum of $107,000. But she makes 15 times that -- approximately $1.5 million -- playing overseas."

If the difference in pay is that massive, what's to stop the Russian league from signing all the top WNBA players and paying them to play in Russia and not in the WNBA, basically reducing the WNBA to a feeder league?
Prove yourself in the WNBA and you too can leave to go make millions in Russia.
Click to expand...

According to the article all 15 Team US players got offer not to play in WNBA. Taurasi is just the first to take it.
 
benjipwns

benjipwns

Banned
t26 said:
According to the article all 15 Team US players got offer not to play in WNBA. Taurasi is just the first to take it.
Click to expand...
Women's basketball must be a lot bigger in Russia, etc. Especially since these teams aren't getting subsidized...or are they?
 
F

Fotheringay

Member
benjipwns said:
Women's basketball must be a lot bigger in Russia, etc. Especially since these teams aren't getting subsidized...or are they?
Click to expand...

They might be getting subsidized from the men's soccer teams over in Europe. It's the same with women's volleyball. During the olympics they kept talking about how all the top talent from these different countries were teamates in Turkey, Russia, Greece etc.
 
A

Acinixys

Member
Ninja Scooter said:
if they didn't do this no females would ever get to play sports ever.
Click to expand...

Really

What a disgusting thing to say

Are you honestly implying that woman are so shit at everything that is not cooking and child rearing that they could never ever compete on the same level with men?

I am 100% anti feminism and all that stuff but saying that woman are inherently weaker than men just because they are woman is very small minded
 
breakfuss

breakfuss

Member
Acinixys said:
Really

What a disgusting thing to say

Are you honestly implying that woman are so shit at everything that is not cooking and child rearing that they could never ever compete on the same level with men?

I am 100% anti feminism and all that stuff but saying that woman are inherently weaker than men just because they are woman is very small minded
Click to expand...

Goddamn it GAF it's too late for this shit. I can't tell what's real.
 
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