Every WNBA season starts off with the anticipation of the draft, where fans eagerly await the selection of their favorite college stars, fresh from March Madness. However, this excitement often becomes disappointment as training camps end and teams announce their final rosters. Instagram feeds suddenly become a scroll of waived players, including familiar names who led their teams to deep NCAA tournament runs or are just fan favorites. The reality of the WNBA's competitiveness, and with it the limited roster spots, quickly sets in.
With only 13 teams (welcome, Valkyries!) and 12 roster spots per team, this means around 156 slots are available. Additionally, league salary cap restrictions often mean some teams carry only 11 players, further minimizing chances for young players to break through. Teams then face a difficult choice to prioritize immediate impact or invest in the development of promising but perhaps not yet "prime time" players.
This past week served as another reminder of this reality, with the news of No. 17 pick Shyanne Sellers being waived by two teams, the Golden State Valkyries and then the Atlanta Dream, before the season even began, a blow to her dedicated fanbase from her time as a Maryland Terrapin star. For many players who don't immediately make a WNBA roster, the primary option for continuing to get game experience is overseas. While playing internationally offers great opportunities to improve skills, play game minutes, and potentially catch the eye of WNBA coaches, it also has its own challenges.
Players have to navigate unfamiliar environments and cultures and are removed from the infrastructure and visibility of the United States’ basketball scene. Some players also choose to stay home, working with trainers and hoping for a call-up should injuries or other circumstances create an opening on a roster. This current system is fragmented and incredibly reactive, with a lack of consistent and structured pathways for player development within the United States beyond the college game.
What if a better solution existed?
What if the WNBA established its own true G-League? This would be a dedicated "minor league" system designed to develop talent, provide consistent playing time, and create an available pool of skilled players for WNBA teams when injuries inevitably occur. While expanding WNBA roster sizes and increasing the salary cap are necessary short term goals, especially with the new CBA in development, let's explore the impact and potential structure of a WNBA G-League, including its benefits not only for the professional league but for the broader landscape of women's basketball.
Proposal: Establish WNBA G-League teams in college towns nationwide, with their season running concurrently with the WNBA
This model leverages existing infrastructure and die hard, passionate fan bases. Each WNBA franchise would operate its own G-League affiliate, creating a direct pipeline for player development and connection with the parent team. The groundwork for this is already clear. Recent preseason games hosted at the University of Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena and the University of Oregon's Matthew Knight Arena showcased the powerful collaboration between college basketball's dedicated support and the WNBA. Attendance to see Caitlin Clark return home to Iowa saw a sellout crowd of 14,998 people. Imagine expanding and capitalizing on this connection beyond just one preseason game.
The ever changing landscape of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in college athletics, while offering benefits, is also creating increased player movement and will eventually weaken the long-term connection between fans and collegiate teams. For years, the stability within women's college basketball created deep fan loyalty, with fans invested in following players through their (ideally) four-year (sometimes more) journeys and championship pursuits, instead of the one and done seen with the most talented men's college players. The transfer portal and NIL opportunities are likely to make this much less common since there’s usually a monetary benefit to leaving a team.
A WNBA G-League offers a bridge, providing a familiar environment for player development and maintaining the visibility of talented players at home. It also allows fans to continue following their favorite athletes as they transition to the professional game, creating a stronger connection to the WNBA, instead of losing them while fans try to keep track of various leagues abroad. Of course, the option for players to compete overseas should remain, but the key is to provide options, as seen with the success of offseason leagues like Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled.
What's Needed? The primary requirement is investment from WNBA owners. This should be viewed as a strategic and forward-thinking investment. College towns have deeply passionate and loyal basketball communities. Offering them the opportunity to witness high-level basketball during the summer and early fall would result in revenue from ticket sales, merchandise, local sponsorships & partnerships, and media rights. More importantly, it creates more loyalty and attention towards the players who will eventually compete in the WNBA, strengthening the league's overall fanbase.
WNBA teams would use their G-League team as a true minor league system, with the ability to "call up" players on short notice when needed due to injuries or other roster considerations. The WNBA should also consider implementing a "two-way contract" system, similar to the NBA model. This allows teams to carry a few additional players who move between the WNBA team and its G-League affiliate, giving roster flexibility without significant salary cap implications. This also enables teams to invest in developing talent while still maintaining their competitive edge at the WNBA level.
One might ask why would owners want to spend more money, especially on a “minor league” team? I am admittedly biased, but this is a key investment that would pay off rather quickly given the amount of interest in the sport and available talent. Not having to build new arenas reduces some costs but talent development should also be part of the overall landscape of having a “major league” team.
Even a G-league team would attract new investors to get in on ownership, since it seems that investing in women’s sports is the hottest thing on the market these days. As fan ownership models also gain traction, further partnerships become a promising avenue.
Women's basketball is experiencing an undeniable surge in talent and popularity, and it will not slow down any time soon. While the WNBA's current product is incredible, showcasing the best players in the world, the league risks missing opportunities to deepen fan engagement, generate further revenue, and fuel continued growth by not having a true developmental system between college and the professional league. While expansion is an important long-term goal and a clear priority for the commissioner, it is a complex and time-consuming process. New teams require significant investment and time to become competitive and attractive destinations for top talent.
Establishing a WNBA G-League creates another pathway for that talent, offering long-term benefits to individual teams. Simultaneously, it builds a consistent pipeline of skilled players and anchor women's basketball in the United States, guaranteeing its continued growth and success for generations to come. Obviously, this is a grand idea (and a fun thought exercise) that will require a lot of details to be hammered out, but I think it might be a serious solution on the horizon as more and more talent comes with fewer roster spots available.