The Tip Off: A beginner's guide to the WNBA

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There's been a recent boom in interest in women's basketball from the NCAA to the WNBA, but coming into a new realm of interest can sometimes be overwhelming to know where to begin. Don't worry; PRIDE has you covered with some basic things to know to prepare you to be a well-equipped new WNBA fan.

Why the draft is important

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Commissioner Cathy Engelbert poses with draftees prior to WNBA Draft Brooklyn Academy of Music New York City

The WNBA draft is the annual draft held by the WNBA for teams to select new players from a talent pool of college and professional women's basketball players. The WNBA draft has existed since the inaugural draft in 1997.

The 2024 WBNA draft was a milestone success for the league, with a record 2.45 million viewers tuned in thanks to rookie talents such as Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, Cameron Brink, and more.

Finances and the Pay Gap Disparity

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Aja Wilson Las Vegas Aces autographs fans

One of the significant conversations newer fans may have noticed is about the WNBA salary vs. the NBA salary. In 2023, a WNBA player made an average $113,295 base salary, compared to an average NBA base salary of $9.7 million. The pay-gay disparity has been a long discussion. Still, there are several complex factors to consider.

The WNBA players understand that their league is 50 years younger than the NBA, has a smaller revenue pool, and aren't asking to be paid an equal dollar amount. Instead, WNBA ballers want a fair chance to grow and negotiate for better broadcast and advertiser contracts. Broadcasters and advertisers have historically paid the WNBA less than the NBA.

The NBA has more than double the number of teams and games in a season, bringing in $10 billion a year compared to the $200 million for the WNBA. This stark contrast in revenue pool means the percentage players receive would be much less. Women receive about 10% of the WNBA's overall revenue; the NBA collective bargaining agreement gives players 50%.

There is only one real solution that fans can contribute to, and that is helping increase the league's revenue: attending games, purchasing merch, and embracing fandom on the same level as the NBA (boycotting the WNBA hurts the leagues more than some think don't do that if you care about its growth).

When the season starts and how to watch

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Allie Quigley Chicago Sky Megan Walker Phoenix Mercury tip off after loose ball

The 28th WNBA season tips off on May 14, 2024. As you can imagine, finding where to watch sports in an era of streaming and blackout broadcasting can be challenging. Sports blackouts, mainly, are when a sporting event scheduled to be televised is not aired in a specific media market. Luckily, we have this resource from the WNBA for the national broadcast and streaming schedule for the 2024 regular season.

Players to know

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(L-R) Diana Taurasi Jewell Loyd Angel Reese Rickea Jackson

The vets and MVPs:

Deemed one of the greatest players of the WNBA, Diana Taurasi is a 10-time WNBA All-Star and guard for the Phoenix Mercury. In 2004, Phoenix drafted her as the first overall pick in the WNBA draft. With a 20-year career in the league, Taurasi is a five-time scoring champion, Six-time ESPY award winner, and Three-time WNBA Champion. Beyond the WNBA, she is a five-time Olympic gold medalist, playing with the U.S. women's basketball team.

A'ja Wilson, a superstar forward of the Las Vegas Aces, has been in the WNBA since 2018. She entered the league making waves as Rookie of the Year. Wilson holds immense career highlights as a two-time WNBA champion, a two-time MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year winner, and a five-time All-Star. Off the court, Wilson is an NYT Best Selling author and a 2024 TIME 100 Most Influential People recipient.

Another baller to know is Jewell Loyd, a guard for the Seattle Storm. She was drafted first overall in the 2015 WNBA draft and is a five-time WNBA All-Star and a two-time WNBA Champion. Beyond the WNBA, she is a 2020 Olympic gold medalist with USAB. Given the nickname "Gold Mamba" by her mentor, Kobe Bryant, Jewell embodies tenacity, grace, and pure athleticism, making her career enjoyable to follow.

The Rookies:

For many of you, Caitlin Clark may have been your entry point into the WNBA. The number one first-round draft pick joined the Indiana Fever for her rookie season. She played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes and is regarded as one of the greatest female collegiate players and is currently a media darling in women's basketball.

Another 2024 WNBA rookie to keep up with is the number seven first-round draft pick Angel Reese. The former NCAA women's basketball champion landed on the Chicago Sky as a forward. Some of you may recognize Reese, who played college basketball at LSU and Maryland and picked up the Bayou Barbie nickname during her tenure at LSU.

The number four first-round WNBA draft pick Rickea Jackson (and my favorite style icon of first-round draft night) is a rookie you should follow as she embarks on her professional basketball journey with the Los Angeles Sparks. The Detroit native split her college basketball career at Tennessee and Mississippi State.

WNBA voices and Pundits

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As more folks begin to catch on to the greatness of the WNBA, it takes a lot more work to gauge what experts and pundits to follow for the latest basketball news on and off the court. These three individuals are good starting points in women's basketball.

Arielle (Ari) Chambers is the founder of HighlightHER and a multi-media journalist who utilizes storytelling to amplify women's voices across sports. She's become a respected figure in the WNBA space, coining the phrase THE WNBA IS SO IMPORTANT, which ultimately became Twitter Sports' WNBA 25th Anniversary campaign. Chambers is also the host of the WNBA's digital series Off Top.

Mark Schindler is an excellent resource for all things basketball, draft, and scouting news. He currently works at Seven Star Digital for the WNBA Digital team and has done previous work for The Athletic covering women's college basketball. Beyond his reporting chops, he offers a measured take on WNBA trending topics and issues, breaking them down in a simplified way.

Last but not least, Jackie Powell covers women's basketball across college, WNBA, and international and high school prospects. Her expertise has led to a lengthy portfolio of work appearing in Bleacher Report, The Next, Sports Illustrated, Hartford Courant, SLAM, Harper's Bazaar, and the Locked on Women's Basketball podcast.