The WNBA dropped a bomb this morning that three new expansion franchises would be joining the league in the coming years plus a whole lot more in the column...
Feels like the bigger issue for the Fever thus far has been an injury to its star player and a free agency signing that missed numerous games and was a poor fit. If they had won a couple of these close games without Clark, they'd have about the same record at the Libs or Dream and I think there'd be a lot less concern about whatever Sophie says. But right now they are a middling team and there's no Clark to write about so off-court nonsense is being given outsized attention again.
This expansion plan is so predictable and boring to me. It feels like non-NBA cities shouldn't even bother at this point -- you're just being used to drive up the bidding price.
I haven't had time to read the expansion news more fully, but I'm curious about the conferences -- will that still be a thing? Because adding the Fire to the West makes 8 teams; Toronto to the East makes 7 teams. Then Philly, Detroit, and Cleveland all to the East and does Chicago get shuffled to the West to balance things out? Does that matter?
"As we prepare for multiple expansion drafts in the coming years, I’d urge everyone to enjoy what we’re watching in Minnesota this year because we truly might not see a team this deep for a while once rosters start to be spread out across five more teams in the next five years."
As a Lynx enjoyer, both of the current Five and the Dynasty years, expansion is a double-edged sword for me. There's so much unknown on how a new CBA might affect the way an expansion draft/protection is carried out. There's a real question whether the MN Five stick. Me, I'd love to see a core built around the 28-year Olds (Collier, Smith, Carleton, Hiedeman) to bring on Lynx Dynasty 2.0...but who knows?
Yeah it's very likely this is the last season we get this iteration of the Lynx and they'll have some tough choices as Phee rounds the corner on 30. But for this season? We may be looking at legit historical greatness.
Would you care to explain your beef with Christine Brennan? She's writing a book about Clark, and so I'd hope she's got some people in the organization talking to her. She's a legitimate journalist so far as I can tell. Why is this a bad thing?
Brennan has started to become a bit of a caricature of herself. The way she discusses Clark borders on parasocial and is unprofessional, in my opinion. Clark didn't even sit for the book Brennan is writing which speaks volumes to me. The choice to go on Outkick to discuss it also tells me that she clearly is ensconced in the culture war of it all which makes this whole crusade on Clark's behalf all the weirder.
"The rumors bubbling under the surface of all of this was that many NBA owners felt owed due to their financial support of the WNBA during its hardest periods."
This is so rich, especially because several franchises folded prematurely during that early-2000s expansion period you mentioned, when they removed the requirement to have an NBA "brother" franchise and allowed expansion to non-NBA cities, which put the financial onus on the NBA teams to choose to support their WNBA counterpart rather than the NBA itself, which is how it was originally. Now that it's profitable, they want back in.
Yup, and the issue with the combined model is that it's hard to say no. The only plus is that you know the money is there with all these teams so the spend isn't a concern when it comes to long term viability. Just sucks that other good markets got jumped because of it.
Feels like the bigger issue for the Fever thus far has been an injury to its star player and a free agency signing that missed numerous games and was a poor fit. If they had won a couple of these close games without Clark, they'd have about the same record at the Libs or Dream and I think there'd be a lot less concern about whatever Sophie says. But right now they are a middling team and there's no Clark to write about so off-court nonsense is being given outsized attention again.
This expansion plan is so predictable and boring to me. It feels like non-NBA cities shouldn't even bother at this point -- you're just being used to drive up the bidding price.
I haven't had time to read the expansion news more fully, but I'm curious about the conferences -- will that still be a thing? Because adding the Fire to the West makes 8 teams; Toronto to the East makes 7 teams. Then Philly, Detroit, and Cleveland all to the East and does Chicago get shuffled to the West to balance things out? Does that matter?
"As we prepare for multiple expansion drafts in the coming years, I’d urge everyone to enjoy what we’re watching in Minnesota this year because we truly might not see a team this deep for a while once rosters start to be spread out across five more teams in the next five years."
As a Lynx enjoyer, both of the current Five and the Dynasty years, expansion is a double-edged sword for me. There's so much unknown on how a new CBA might affect the way an expansion draft/protection is carried out. There's a real question whether the MN Five stick. Me, I'd love to see a core built around the 28-year Olds (Collier, Smith, Carleton, Hiedeman) to bring on Lynx Dynasty 2.0...but who knows?
For this season anyway...it's good to be us.
Yeah it's very likely this is the last season we get this iteration of the Lynx and they'll have some tough choices as Phee rounds the corner on 30. But for this season? We may be looking at legit historical greatness.
Would you care to explain your beef with Christine Brennan? She's writing a book about Clark, and so I'd hope she's got some people in the organization talking to her. She's a legitimate journalist so far as I can tell. Why is this a bad thing?
Brennan has started to become a bit of a caricature of herself. The way she discusses Clark borders on parasocial and is unprofessional, in my opinion. Clark didn't even sit for the book Brennan is writing which speaks volumes to me. The choice to go on Outkick to discuss it also tells me that she clearly is ensconced in the culture war of it all which makes this whole crusade on Clark's behalf all the weirder.
Who doesn’t get caught up by Love Island? It’s peak reality television!
"The rumors bubbling under the surface of all of this was that many NBA owners felt owed due to their financial support of the WNBA during its hardest periods."
This is so rich, especially because several franchises folded prematurely during that early-2000s expansion period you mentioned, when they removed the requirement to have an NBA "brother" franchise and allowed expansion to non-NBA cities, which put the financial onus on the NBA teams to choose to support their WNBA counterpart rather than the NBA itself, which is how it was originally. Now that it's profitable, they want back in.
Yup, and the issue with the combined model is that it's hard to say no. The only plus is that you know the money is there with all these teams so the spend isn't a concern when it comes to long term viability. Just sucks that other good markets got jumped because of it.
Even tho Miami didn’t get a team, I think it’s time to dust off that Sol history I reported earlier this year and haven’t published yet…
I'm ready to read!!