2023 NCAA Women’s Tournament

[uh_no]

Less than 24 hours after being sent back home, Aliyah Boston has declared for the WNBA draft.

A totally expected move (she could have used her 5th year), the women's draft is only 10 days away. She'll likely go #1.

no surprise. IMO kind of lame the draft is so close to the tournament. at least give these athletes some time to decompress...

[brevity]

no surprise. IMO kind of lame the draft is so close to the tournament. at least give these athletes some time to decompress...

Kind of unavoidable, given how soon the WNBA season starts.

NCAA Title Game: April 2
WNBA Draft: April 10
WNBA Training Camp: April 30
WNBA Preseason: May 5
WNBA Opening Night: May 19

[DoubleBlue]

Caitlin Clark is a Junior and has 2 more years of eligibility including the covid year. Will she declare for the WNBA Draft this year? I don't think her stock could go any higher and she would be risking injury if she delays. Unless there is NIL money that would rival the WNBA pay.

[dukelifer]

Caitlin Clark is a Junior and has 2 more years of eligibility including the covid year. Will she declare for the WNBA Draft this year? I don't think her stock could go any higher and she would be risking injury if she delays.

The highest paid player in the WNBA make 250K- she could make 4 times that in NIL deals.

[DoubleBlue]

I'm reading that the WNBA has a minimum age of 22 years old in the year of the draft, which eliminates most college juniors and below, including Clark. She is eligible next year, if she forgoes her extra covid year.

[brevity]

Caitlin Clark is a Junior and has 2 more years of eligibility including the covid year. Will she declare for the WNBA Draft this year? I don't think her stock could go any higher and she would be risking injury if she delays. Unless there is NIL money that would rival the WNBA pay.

I don't think she can, according to last year's WNBA Draft Rules (I'm changing 2022 to 2023):

All NCAA players who are graduating seniors or turning twenty-two years old in [2023] are eligible to renounce any remaining NCAA eligibility (including extra eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the pandemic) in order to opt in to the [2023] WNBA Draft.

Candace Parker declared "early" in the sense that she passed up a 4th year of eligibility, but she was injured as a freshman and then played 3 full seasons. That's not too different from Aliyah Boston, or any other senior who gave up an extra COVID year of eligibility.

Caitlin Clark is in her 3rd year of eligibility as a true junior, and doesn't turn 22 until January 2024.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm reading that the WNBA has a minimum age of 22 years old in the year of the draft, which eliminates most college juniors and below, including Clark. She is eligible next year, if she forgoes her extra covid year.

Given the higher rate of injury in women, I wonder what the reasoning is behind that age limit. She has a higher chance of having a shorter career, it's a shame to not allow them make the most of it while they can. Looks like it only applies to domestic players though; the international ones can be just 20.

Of course as y'all have pointed out, if a player is WNBA draft ready and likely to go in the lottery, she's likely to make more money by staying in school and earning NIL endorsements.

[DoubleBlue]

Given the higher rate of injury in women, I wonder what the reasoning is behind that age limit. She has a higher chance of having a shorter career, it's a shame to not allow them make the most of it while they can.

Do women athletes actually have higher injury rates than men? I believe they have a lower threshhold of pain so it looks like they get hurt a lot, but do they actually have more serious injuries? Men are stronger but can also inflict much more force/impact on each other.

[ClemmonsDevil]

I believe they have a lower threshhold of pain

You never been in deliveries then. Only a woman who has given birth can understand the agony of a man with the common cold.

[Skydog]

You never been in deliveries then. Only a woman who has given birth can understand the agony of a man with the common cold.

Yes, research has repeatedly shown women have a higher pain tolerance.

[Phredd3]

Do women athletes actually have higher injury rates than men? I believe they have a lower threshhold of pain so it looks like they get hurt a lot, but do they actually have more serious injuries? Men are stronger but can also inflict much more force/impact on each other.

I don't know about injuries in general, but it is well-documented that women have more knee injuries then men, especially ACL tears. I've seen figures anywhere from 1.5x to 5x times as often.

[DoubleBlue]

I'm reading that the WNBA has a minimum age of 22 years old in the year of the draft, which eliminates most college juniors and below, including Clark. She is eligible next year, if she forgoes her extra covid year.

Celeste Taylor was born June 20, 2001 and will be 22 this calendar year, making her eligible for the WNBA Draft this year, if she were to forgo her extra covid year eligibility. That makes it even more incredible that she has chosen to stay at Duke for another season!

[ClemmonsDevil]

I don't know about injuries in general, but it is well-documented that women have more knee injuries then men, especially ACL tears. I've seen figures anywhere from 1.5x to 5x times as often.

This is correct. And a major issue in women's college basketball (Shea Ralph famously comes to mind). This has nothing to do with pain tolerance though, which is what I pushed back against. I was shocked to see that posted.

[dudog84]

So arbitrary.

I was curious about this as well and looked into it a few days ago, because I think she would be picked ahead of Boston. From memory:

The above posters are correct. She was born in January, and if she had been born a few weeks earlier she could go pro.

Paige Bueckers is also a junior, but was born in October, so she could declare for this year's WNBA draft.

The current agreement runs to 2027, and I believe it was Sue Bird (who helped negotiate on behalf of the players) who said it was just not something they thought about arguing over. Though I'm not sure there would be much argument from the WNBA. But basing it on DOB instead of class is just stupid.

Re those who say she can make more money in NIL, I think WNBA players are also allowed endorsements.

[dudog84]

This is correct. And a major issue in women's college basketball (Shea Ralph famously comes to mind). This has nothing to do with pain tolerance though, which is what I pushed back against. I was shocked to see that posted.

I have often said that if men gave birth instead of women, the human race would have been snuffed out long ago. And yes, I am male.

[Phredd3]

This is correct. And a major issue in women's college basketball (Shea Ralph famously comes to mind). This has nothing to do with pain tolerance though, which is what I pushed back against. I was shocked to see that posted.

Agreed, but I thought it was also worth re-iterating that the injury frequency is real and quite well-documented.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Agreed, but I thought it was also worth re-iterating that the injury frequency is real and quite well-documented.

Oh definitely. Also I have no ACL in my right knee from an injury that cost me most of my senior year of high school. ACL injuries are brutal. I never had surgery and have to play in a big brace with metal on each side of my knee to stabilize.

[dudog84]

If you needed another reason to root for Caitlin Clark and Iowa today, here's Angel Reese:

“I think LSU, by itself, has put women’s basketball on the map."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/oth...14f895b6&ei=81

[CameronBornAndBred]

If you needed another reason to root for Caitlin Clark and Iowa today, here's Angel Reese:



https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/oth...14f895b6&ei=81

The comments are gold.

[75Crazie]

If you needed another reason to root for Caitlin Clark and Iowa today, here's Angel Reese:

I'm trying to find a way to give her the benefit of the doubt and attribute her quote to an inability to find the proper words to define her point ... but I cannot do it. No matter how you look at it, it's a blindingly inappropriate quote.