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Could Athletes Unlimited be the ‘G League’ of the WNBA?

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In October of 2021, Athletes Unlimited, a player driven all-new model for pro athletes and sports, announced the launch of a new basketball league for women set to begin later this week. Received with great enthusiasm, the league will run for about a month from January 26th to February 26th, 2022. The first season is being held at Athletes Unlimited Arena at the Sport Center of Las Vegas. AU’s season doesn’t conflict with the WNBA’s season which usually kicks off in May. This allows current WNBA players to compete in the AU league. Instead of a league counter to the W, which isn’t the goal, Athletes Unlimited has the potential to serve as a ‘G-League’ for women to develop and display potential talent for future opportunity in the WNBA.

The league started with the signing of current Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud and former WNBA players Sydney Colson and Tamara Young. Since its announcement, the league has grown to include 11 current WNBA players and 16 who have WNBA experience. 44 total players will compete in the league where there are no set teams; instead, each week four players draft their squads for the week in a fantasy sports format that awards individual points.

This unorthodox approach to a professional league just may bring the added attention and opportunity women’s basketball continues to garner. It will afford players the chance to stay home and compete instead of playing abroad during the WNBA off season. More importantly, Athletes Unlimited could be used as a steppingstone for players to showcase their talent to WNBA General Managers and Head Coaches. If there were some sort of collaboration in the future between the WNBA and AU, W teams could assign players to the AU league to allow time for development. This would alter the history of players basically being dismissed from the radar of the W if you don’t make a roster during training camp.

The WNBA has 12 teams for a total of 144 players. With the league being the size that it is, for now, many talented players don’t have a real shot at making a team. This is especially the case for players who may not be WNBA “ready” but have great potential. Look at Shay Peddy, current Mercury guard who found success in the league seven years after playing overseas. Imagine if there was an opportunity for her to develop stateside with the eyes and expertise of the W.

Of the 11 WNBA players competing next week, several are currently free agents. AU could also be a platform for players on the market to display their talents to other teams during Free Agency. Courtney Williams, who last played for the Atlanta Dream, is on the market for a team and although her game speaks for itself, it would be an opportunity for her to wow a team with her play and perhaps convince them to take a chance on a player who has had a few controversies off the court in the past.

Tianna Hawkins who also played for the Dream last season was recently waived and is on the market for a new team. AU would give her the chance to display her skills beyond what she was able to contribute last season. Hawkins started 8 games for the Dream and averaged 5 points per game and 3 rebounds per game; a far cry from some of the success Hawkins had in the past where she played a major role during the Mystics championship season in 2019.

Odyssey Sims, is another former Dream player who is an Unrestricted Free Agent and will compete in the AU league. Restricted Free Agent Lexie Brown, who recently re-signed with the 2021 WNBA Champs Chicago Sky has also signed up. Mercedes Russell, who Seattle is expected to re-sign has the opportunity to show more than the role she was assigned to with the Storm. Potentially, Russell can display a skillset unseen which may bring more suitors to the table. In addition to current W players, you have Imani McGee-Stafford who hasn’t played in the W since the 2019 as she pursues her law degree. Dallas has her rights but being away from the game will give her the opportunity to get back into the swing of competing on a team.

There are also non-league players competing who are certainly hoping it may lead to a training camp contract this summer. Although most women take their talents overseas to compete in European and Asian leagues during the off-season, AU could potentially create a space for players to stay stateside and continue to play the game they love in the U.S.. I’ll refer to a tweet recently sent by Dallas Wings forward Isabelle Harrison who has been interning with the Dallas Mavericks this fall and will compete in the AU league where she had 20 & 12 in her scrimmage debut last weekend lightheartedly said;

Although said in jest, I can assure you that if given the opportunity, along with financial incentive, WNBA players would much rather compete stateside than be away from friends and family for months at a time to play the game they love. Athlete’s Unlimited will play nationally televised basketball games on CBS Sports Network, Fox Sports 2 ,and on Bally Sports’ regional sports networks be sure to tune in!

 

-Monique Currie

WNBA Free Agent List 2019!

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January 12, 2019

WNBA Free Agency is just around the corner! Teams can officially begin to contact players and their representatives beginning the 15th of January. In the past it’s been difficult to gather a list of who is available but we’ve exclusively obtained this year’s free agency list. There are four different types of free agents. Below is an explanation of the different designations in free agency.

CORE PLAYERS – The Core designation gives that team exclusive negotiating rights with the player. Players can receive a Core designation only four times in their career.

RESERVED PLAYERS – Players with three or fewer years of service are considered to be Reserved Players. The player’s prior team has exclusive negotiating rights.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS – Players with four or five years of service are considered to be Restricted Free Agents. Restricted free agency gives the player’s prior team the right to keep the player by matching a contract offer the player signs with another team (Right of First Refusal). If the player signs a contract offer with another team, the player’s prior team has four days from the date it receives the offer to determine whether it wishes to match. If the offer is matched, the player will remain with her team. If the offer is not matched within the four-day period, the player will be under contract with the offering team.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS – An unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any team provided that she is not designated as a Core Player by her prior team.

See the list of free agents below and head over to our facebook page to discuss who you want your team to sign…

[Read more…]

WNBA Free Agency Signings…

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February 2, 2016

Players were able to sign contracts beginning February 1st and the biggest announcement of the day came from the New York Liberty as they announced the signing of Shavonte Zellous to a multi-year deal. Zellous will leave the Indiana Fever after playing there for the past five seasons. Zellous was a member of the Fever’s 2012 WNBA championship team and collected several accolades while a member of the Fever. She was a WNBA All-Star in 2013 and also won the WNBA Most-Improved player award that year.

New York did excellent in making this move as they will be without Epiphanny Prince for at least the first half of the season. Prince suffered an ACL injury while playing in Russia this off season. Zellous will have huge shoes to fill but if she can get her game back to her 2013 season where she averaged 14.7 ppg New York should pick up where they left off. The Liberty also re-signed restricted free agent Carolyn Swords.

We will update this post as signings are announced. There will be a * next to players who change teams.

2016 Free Agency Signings;

*Shavonte Zellous —> New York Liberty

Carolyn Swords —> New York Liberty

Mistie Bass —> Phoenix Mercury

Crystal Langhorne —> Seattle Storm

Shenise Johnson —> Indiana Fever

Lynetta Kizer —> Indiana Fever

Tiffany Hayes—> Atlanta Dream

*Deveraux Peters—> Indiana Fever (sign and trade w/ Indy)

Sylvia Fowles—> Minnesota Lynx

*Natasha Howard—> Minnesota Lynx (sign and trade w/ Minny)

Renee Montgomery —> Minnesota Lynx

Latoya Sanders—> Washington Mystics

*Elizabeth Williams—> Atlanta Dream (traded for the #4 pick in the 2016 draft)

Alysha Clark—> Seattle Storm

Jenna O’hea—> Seattle Storm

Shekinna Stricklen—> Connecticut Sun

2016 WNBA Free Agency Key Dates

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wnba logoKEY DATES:

January 1: WNBA Salary Cap Year begins. Qualifying Offers can be made.
January 14: Deadline for Teams to make Qualifying Offers.
January 15: Players may negotiate with any team or accept a Qualifying Offer.
February 1: Players may enter into contracts.
February 15: Deadline for Qualifying Offers to be unilaterally withdrawn (if not, must remain open through March 7 unless player consents to withdrawal).
March 7: Qualifying Offers may no longer be accepted.
April 3-5: NCAA Women’s Final Four.
April 8-17: Local team tryouts.
April 12-13: Player Orientation.
April 14: 2016 WNBA Draft (on ESPN).
May 13: Regular Season Begins.

WNBA Free Agency 2016; Washington Mystics

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Our last team to cover in our WNBA Free Agency outlooks are the Washington Mystics. The Mystics have made a playoff appearance three years straight although each time they have been knocked out in the first round. They finished the 2015 season in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 18-16 and faced the top seed New York Liberty in the first round of the playoffs. In what was one of the most exciting series in the 2015 playoffs the Liberty won 2-1 and sent the Mystics home. Head coach Mike Thibault has really made his mark on this franchise when he took over in 2013 after leaving the Connecticut Sun. He is the all time winningest coach in the WNBA and has brought his winners mentality to a franchise that has struggled in that department. With a promising group of players the Mystics will again be in playoff contention next season.

There are only two free agents on the Mystics roster this year and they are both unrestricted. Kara Lawson and Latoya Pringle-Sanders will both be up for grabs this off season. Lawson who came to her hometown team after winning a championship with the Sacramento Monarchs and being a key player for the Connecticut Sun has battled injury since coming to Washington. This past season she missed a total of 12 games and the season before she sat out six. In what will be her 14th season in the WNBA if she decides to return, Kara Lawson brings leadership and experience. In addition, she is also a capable scorer where throughout most of her career she has averaged at least 40% shooting percentage from the three point line. I don’t see Lawson joining another franchise this offseason, if anything, she will finish her career a Washington Mystic.

The Mystics will also be making a decision on Latoya Pringle. Washington has had the rights to Pringle for several years but it wasn’t until the 2015 season that she decided to join the team. She’s actually only played four seasons in the WNBA after being drafted in 2008. In her first year with the Mystics she averaged 5 points and almost 7 rebounds in 18 minutes per game. Pringle has shown herself to be one of the best forward/centers in Europe where she holds a Turkish passport. She is a great shot blocker and has good moves around the basket. She is also capable of knocking down mid range shots. If the Mystics can lock her up I think they should definitely go for it. She only competed in 23 games last season for Washington and a full season with the team could make the difference.  Other teams will be after a player with her size and skill so there may be a bidding contest to sign her.

The Mystics have their inside covered with Dolson and Messeman holding down the block. With nothing lost when Kia Vaughn enters the game. Natasha Cloud, who was a rookie last season, started 22 games for the Mystics. Tayler Hill who returned from giving birth to her son the previous season will have to step up this season and make her mark on this team and the league. Bria Hartley, who struggled with an injury for part of the season where she missed 9 games will return healthy and ready to compete for a spot in the starting lineup. Those players in addition to the Latta should again compete for a Eastern Conference Championship however I think Washington needs to add a piece or two that can complement what they already have on the roster. What do you think Washington needs to do to improve from last season? Do they have what it takes? Will they sign a free agent this off season? Let us know.

 

 

 

WNBA Free Agency 2016; Seattle Storm

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Free agency will start next month in the WNBA and Seattle will be a team that will surely make a few moves during this off season. Whether it be resigning their key unrestricted free agents or making the decision to build up their youth, many will be watching to see what they will do. There is no debating that the Seattle Storm will draft Breanna Stewart with the first pick in the WNBA draft. She is a special player and one that should make an immediate impact for the Storm. The storm finished in fifth place in the Western Conference with a record of 10-24 bur despite their record there was a bright spot for Seattle in Jewell Loyd who was named the WNBA’s 2015 rookie of the year. Her alongside Stewart will definitely be a back court worth watching.

One of the biggest free agent’s not only in Seattle but in the WNBA is Sue Bird. Sue is an unrestricted free agent this off season. Bird has spent her entire career playing for the Storm and it’s hard to imagine her suiting up for anyone other than Seattle. It would be my guess that she will finish her career with the Storm. It would be great to have a player with the credentials and experience that Bird has to help bring along the younger players. I am certain that she had a hand in the development of Loyd throughout the season. Sue can be a player-coach on the floor and and on the sidelines and keeping her in Seattle should be a priority for the team.

Also unrestricted is Crystal Langhorne. Langhorne who was traded to Seattle from Washington a few years ago has shown well for the Storm. This past season she averaged almost 13 points and 7 rebounds per game. She is one of the better power forwards in the league and will definitely get attention from other teams looking to bolster their front court. My guess is that Langhorne will listen to what other teams have to offer and then make the best decision for her career. With the success of Japanese forward Ramu Tokashiki and Australian Abby Bishop it may be a good time for Langhorne to look elsewhere. We will be watching to see what happens with Crystal as she will be a huge asset to whatever team she suits up for next season.

The Storm will also be making decisions on Quanitra  Hollingsworth and Alysha Clark who are also unrestricted free agents. Clark has been a key piece for Seattle for several seasons and Hollingsworth has size that is not often matched. Jenna O’Hea is their only restricted free agent who I think will be back with the Storm next season if she doesn’t have National Team Commitments for the Rio Olympics this summer.  Seattle may be a new looking team in 2016. Look for their to be some shake up in the roster. Jenny Boucek will be entering her second season as the head coach of the team  and should definitely have a better showing this coming season. What should the Storm do in free agency? Do you think they will go young and build up their squad? What kind of impact with Stewart have for the Storm? Let us know what you think.

 

 

 

WNBA Free Agency 2016; Phoenix Mercury

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mercury champs

The Phoenix Mercury finished the 2015 WNBA season with a 20-14 record which was good enough for second place in the western conference behind the Minnesota Lynx. After both Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor opted to take the season off many didn’t know how the defending champions would fare without the services of two of their key players. In addition to being without those two, the Mercury’s starting center Brittney Griner was suspended for the first seven games of the season after being involved in a domestic violence (ready more news about domestic violence here) dispute with her now estranged wife Glory Johnson. Despite their absence, Phoenix went on the play in the Western Conference finals in which they lost to the Lynx after a controversial foul call gave Minnesota two free throws to win the game and move on to the WNBA finals which they eventually won. With a bad taste in their mouth after the way the season ended the Mercury will be looking forward to getting back on the court and chasing championship number four. It is expected that Diana Taurasi will be returning to play for the Mercury for the 2016 season. With 2016 being an Olympic year it is not certain that Taylor will be back since she has national team commitments in Australia for Rio. However, with the return of Taurasi, Bonner, Dupree and Griner the Mercury will be the team to beat in the Western Conference despite the Lynx being the defending champions.

The Mercury do not have any restricted free agents this off season. They have three unrestricted free agents in Mistie Bass, Shameka Christon, and Leilani Mitchell.  Christon, who is a ten year WNBA veteran, alluded to retiring after the end of last season as stated by Gianni Karmily, PLLC Law Firm. Mitchell, who has Australian citizenship, will have commitments to the Australian National Team as she fights for a spot to head to Rio this summer. This leaves Bass, who was a member of the 2014 Mercury championship team. Mistie, who is a veteran in the league, may not have large numbers on the stat sheet but she provides a presence that is felt on and off the court. She is proven role player that has found her niche in the WNBA. She started the seven games in place of the suspended Griner where the Mercury went 3-4 during that stretch. Bass and Francis, who is another Australian vying for a spot on the national team this summer were backups in the post. The Mercury definitely need a consistent post presence that can give both Griner and Dupree rest. Im pretty sure Bass would love to make another run at a title with the Mercury this summer. We will see if the two sides will come together and extend their relationship. Can the Mercury win the 2016 WNBA championship? What difference will Taurasi’s return make? Any other moves you think Phoenix needs to make this off season? Chime in.

 

 

 

WNBA Free Agency 2016; LA Sparks

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After Candice Parker decided she would sit out at the start of the season so that she could give her body a chance to rest and get 100% healthy after years of playing year round many were worried how the Sparks would turn out. Those worries were valid as the Sparks started out the season 3-14. Many thought they didn’t stand a chance to make the playoffs and were already looking forward to the 2016 season. With a new coach at the helm in Brian Agler who has proven success during his tenure in the WNBA the Sparks never counted themselves out. The team turned their season around after winning 11 of their last 17 games and securing the fourth and final seed in the playoff race. This resurgence can definitely be credited to the return of Parker and a healthy Alana Beard. The Sparks finally showed signs of being one of the best teams in the Western conference.  [Read more…]

WNBA Free Agency 2016; Indiana Fever

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The Indiana Fever were one of the best teams in the WNBA this past season. Although they finished third in the standings in the Eastern Conference regular season, they made it out of the Eastern Conference as champions and faced the number one seed out of the West, the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA finals. In Stephanie White’s inaugural season she led the Fever to a 20-14 record and an appearance in the WNBA finals where they took the series to five games and were on the brink of bringing home the championship trophy. Disappointed to have lost in the finals the Fever are looking forward to getting back on the court next season and fighting for another chance at a second championship for the franchise.

Tameka Catchings has announced that the 2016 season will in fact be her last as she plans to retire upon its conclusion. Catchings, who is superstar and future hall of famer will have one last chance to cut down the nets. She has a great supporting cast around her who were a huge part of the teams success this season. Bringing in Shenise Johnson from San Antonio proved to be a great move by the Fever in the offseason as she played an integral role throughout the season. She is currently a restricted free agent and I imagine the Fever are eager to extend a contract with her. [Read more…]

WNBA Free Agency 2016; Dallas Wings

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The newly named and relocated Dallas Wings (formally the Tulsa Shock) will look to pick up where they left off last season. Tulsa was one of the best teams in the WNBA last season despite losing their all-star guard Skylar Diggins to an ACL injury. A bitter departure for the fans of the Shock as their team FINALLY clinched a playoff spot after missing out in all of their years in the city.  The Shock finished third in the Western Conference with a record of 18-16 and took on second placed Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the playoffs. The Shock, full of young talent, started the season off strong and went on a eight game winning streak in June which tied the franchise record all time win streak. However, this success was short lived. Shortly after losing Diggins the Shock lost ten games in a row and looked to be defeated. Luckily for the Shock, their heroics to start the season kept them in playoff contention despite the losing skid. They eventually were swept by Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs but have much to look forward to next season. With Diggins returning to the line up along with Sims, Williams, and Pierson, who was named to her first all star team, the Wings should do some damage in the west.  [Read more…]