The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has significantly accelerated during the off-season with the addition of two new franchises and a substantial surge in player salaries following a new collective bargaining agreement.
“Overall, it’s a very good thing,” Rachid Méziane commented in an interview with La Voix du Nord. “It reflects the League’s growth, which is entering a new dimension in terms of market, visibility, and revenue. It also provides more opportunities for players to sign with clubs, meaning less talent is wasted. This expansion also reshuffles the deck slightly each year, as new franchises are allowed to recruit one player from each opposing team to build their rosters. Furthermore, it will introduce different playing styles with new coaches, some of whom are coming from the NBA.”
However, there is a downside: the depletion of talent in European leagues and the Euroleague.
“There are indeed fewer players available on the European market with these new franchises being created, not to mention the ‘development player’ system. In addition to their limited 12-player roster, each franchise can have two additional players, serving as training partners who are permitted to play in up to twelve games each per season. This is a double blow for Europe, as conversely, this wider opening to the WNBA sends more players to the United States, and they are not hesitant to recruit young French talent.”