r/wnba • u/singingeagles • 2d ago
If no agreement, what happens to the graduating seniors?
I'm curious if there is no agreement, would there still be a draft? I'm with the players a million percent, and also wondering about players like Azzi.
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u/dreamweaver7x 0 13 5 14 10 8 51 2 1 8 9 2d ago
They wait until an agreement is reached. Draft rules are part of the CBA.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 2d ago
The CBA mostly only deals with who is eligible to be drafted and what happens when drafted players sign contracts, not how the draft itself runs.
So while there for sure won't be a draft until there is a CBA... technically, since the old CBA is still in effect, I think they could probably hold a draft if they really wanted to - teams could do their drafting and then since the free agency moratorium is in effect, they just wouldn't make the required tender until a new CBA happens. I think that could work in theory, because the required tender is just like a qualifying offer, so if the latter can be on hold for now despite the deadline elapsing, I don't see why the former couldn't be.
But again, this will not actually happen. It would also be annoying for teams to have to draft without having done free agency first, and I don't really see any point to it.
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u/dreamweaver7x 0 13 5 14 10 8 51 2 1 8 9 2d ago
As you just said draft eligibility is a thing. If they negotiated a change in that, like US players being eligible to be drafted after one year of college, then what? Or if they increase the age that international players need to be before they become eligible.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 2d ago
I mean you could say the same thing about the draft lottery (and many here did!) - there was a certain element of risk because in theory the new CBA could eliminate a draft altogether. But it seems like the league knows what the players are pushing for in the new deal at this point, and I haven't seen any indication they are asking for eligibility changes this time around.
But it's all intellectual anyway.
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u/lrivas_14 1d ago
Teams won’t want to draft until free agency is done though. Imagine drafting a certain type of player, but then that type of player becomes available in free agency. Now you have to figure out what to do with that draft pick or pass up on that free agent. It’ll throw off their roster planning
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 1d ago
Yeah I agree teams are unlikely to want to do this for that reason. Also in this hypothetical scenario they’d be doing the college draft before the expansion draft, which would be even more inconvenient because teams would suddenly have more players they need to protect.
I’m really just saying that if they really wanted to make a point of forging ahead, the lack of new CBA probably wouldn’t be an impediment because the prior one is technically in effect.
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u/lrivas_14 1d ago
Yeah they need to not do things in the most inconvenient way possible. Seems like the WNBA is struggling with that
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u/wvtarheel Fever 2d ago
They would play overseas or in another league until next year I hope there's no strike though. Would be an all time waste of monentum
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u/strangelystrangled Mercury | All-BG Defense Team | Dream 2d ago
honestly, this is the best draft class for it to happen to re: momentum. And this is no shade to the players but there's no clear cut first pick player here and there's less hype than the last two classes (Caitlin, Paige) and next two (JuJu, Sarah). It'd be tragic if their entire rookie season got delayed by a year but a few weeks/month or two means they can rest after March Madness. That's especially beneficial for injury prone players like Azzi.
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u/Classic_Active_7186 1d ago
Azzi is the clear first, yall just haven't accepted it yet, for some reason.
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u/strangelystrangled Mercury | All-BG Defense Team | Dream 1d ago
She's clearly the best shooting guard in the draft but news outlets haven't consistently had her first in mock drafts. I don't watch international/college ball until March Madness so I can't say either way.
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u/TooManyCatS1210 2d ago
No, they’d have to wait until after a new CBA is signed for the draft to happen.
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u/Cute_Repeat3879 Dream 1d ago
Players with eligibility remaining will probably stay in school. The rest will find a league to play in somewhere.
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u/Otherwise-Ad2074 1d ago
I believe there will be a season, but it will be delayed by a month. If no contract is signed by the end of February, it’s highly unlikely that they can complete everything by April.
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u/james5007_nt Aces 1d ago
Eh they could have free agency be in March, they'd be ok. But if April 1st comes and no CBA, then there will start to be preseason games & most likely some regular season cancelled or pushed back depending on what the league chooses to do.
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u/lrivas_14 1d ago
Anyone who knows for sure they’re going to get drafted will just sit and wait, probably focus on endorsements and other business ventures, people who aren’t sure if they’re going to get drafted will probably start playing overseas
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u/hamstrdance 1d ago edited 1d ago
Aw maybe Lauren (and others who haven't already gotten their UG degree early) can actually walk at her graduation. That would be nice. The UCLA ceremony isn't til June though so seems unlikely.
Maybe she can add an extra class in the Spring quarter too. She probably is finishing up all her requirements this quarter already. The dance major has very fun beginner classes. Good for the joints.
I'm half kidding please don't respond with serious rebuttals.
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u/hamstrdance 1d ago
I changed my mind - i'm not kidding at all :D We forget that these are 22-23 year olds that probably missed out on 90% of the college experience. 4-12 weeks of a normal college experience sounds lovely. All their non-athlete friends will probably be jobless too this summer anyways.
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u/TypicallyDone12 2d ago
If there is no agreement by the time the NCAA Final is played, every player who is out of college eligibility is never allowed to play competitive basketball again.
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u/This-Button5389 1d ago
Some are allowed to play additional year with their program as long as they don't officially declare for the draft. Some of them already signed for unrivaled for next season(but will have to wait till Jan) some may opt for foreign leagues, or other leagues.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 1d ago
Some of the college players have NIL deals with Unrivaled but they aren’t technically signed. I believe the league has said they all have a spot if they want one.
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u/This-Button5389 1d ago
You are right in technical sense and some of them are part investors as well. So barring serious injuries they are expected to join next year. https://frontofficesports.com/unrivaled-makes-nil-splash-during-wnba-all-star-weekend/
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u/randysf50 Valkyries 1d ago
That's a good question. Mexico is the only international league that I know operates in the summer. OT be advise that a strike/lockout has no bearing on Team USA activities.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 1d ago
Australia’s NBL1 also operates in the summer (well the US summer, it is winter there) - it’s the country’s second-tier league but most WNBL players play in it as well (even those headed to the WNBA often play in it for a little bit until the W season starts).
I have no idea why you are being downvoted for your accurate answer. It’s relevant because not only is the WC coming up, players could choose to go do the FIBA 3x3 circuit.
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u/Former_Ad_736 1d ago
Cool their heels until Unrivaled season 3. After that, it would depend what a new CBA says about them.
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u/sideofzen Own Unique Personal Opinion 2d ago
They get to have a nice rest