Stop Blaming the WNBA for the NBA Lockout

False accusations.

Ignorance, as we all know, can be bliss.

When the NBA lockout officially hit last week, sportswriters across the country immediately began casting blame on the WNBA, calling it “money-bleeding” and a “bad business venture” that ultimately contributed (somehow) to the hundreds of millions of dollars the NBA is losing (supposedly) on an annual basis.

Nothing new. We’ve heard it before. And we’ve proven how false those statements and accusations are.

Time after time.

Still, that’s precisely why this so troubling. Instead of investing time and energy into the thriving WNBA (and, yes, it is thriving), writers continue to use the WNBA as a scapegoat and view the league as the NBA’s ugly step-child. Or, perhaps even more ludicrous, they make these accusations without, seemingly, performing any ounce of research. We’re a society that feels compelled to blame someone or something for everything so it’s certainly not a surprise.

Lately, the “in” thing to do is “blame the women” for the NBA lockout.

But as the great folks at DC BasketCases’s explain, Ken Berger’s (CBS Sports) and Mike Wise’s (Washington Post) logic that the WNBA somehow is contributing to the NBA’s demise isn’t just irresponsible; it’s simply not true.

“The WNBA’s salary cap per team this season is $852,000. That’s the maximum total combined salary for all 11 players on one team. (WNBA salaries are so small by pro sports standards that most players play overseas during the winter to earn their living.) The NBA’s salary cap this past season per team was $58 MILLION. The minimum a team was allowed to pay out in salaries was $43.5 MILLION. The average salary for one single NBA player this past year was a reported $6 MILLION. Kobe Bryant’s 2010-11 NBA salary was a reported $24.8 MILLION. Not to mention (but we will) that WNBA players fly coach, not plush private charters.”

Keep in mind: this isn’t their opinion; these are cold, hard facts. So, tell me again how any of this is the WNBA’s fault when Eddy Curry got paid more to NOT play than every player in the WNBA combined? Why is the WNBA “money-bleeding” when, in addition to Curry, over 30 NBA players (who actually played) can make the same claim? Or why, in one game ($307,853), Kobe Bryant makes over 1/3 of an entire WNBA team’s yearly salary?

And we’re seriously going to blame the WNBA for the NBA’s financial woes?

Please.

The argument about revenue sharing is also grossly irrelevant. Yes, obviously the NBA generates substantially more revenue and their players will naturally make more. But WNBA salaries and operating expenses are so insignificant they’re merely a drop in the pond by comparison. That’s why it is so disgusting that NBA players are “joking” about now having to buy in bulk or sending out inquiries asking if anyone is hiring.

Does the NBA invest time and money in the WNBA? Absolutely. But why is that viewed as a negative thing amongst the majority of mainstream sportswriters? Are they saying that professional women’s sports aren’t worth it? The return on investment is growing as evidenced by an increase in television ratings, in-game attendance, and official sponsorships. What does this mean? That the WNBA is well on its way towards becoming fully self-sustaining.

Regardless, it’s a troubling message these writers continue to send, whether they consciously mean to or not.

Because of their constant attack and falsely placed blame, it becomes increasingly difficult not to play the “gender” card in this situation. In spite of all of the evidence and facts that prove the WNBA isn’t (and has never) “leached” money from the NBA (as some have put it), writers still cast the WNBA as the villain.

Why?

The message being sent to the masses is that women’s basketball isn’t valuable from any standpoint and certainly not worth investing in financially or emotionally. Again, whether they mean to or not isn’t a viable excuse.

But this isn’t about your personal feelings regarding the WNBA or women’s basketball; it’s about things that are true and things that are not true. Nor does it matter if you think the WNBA will ever be a mainstream sports league or not. Or if it will ever reach levels of popularity similar to the NBA. It doesn’t matter how much you hate or love the WNBA, it has absolutely no correlation with the NBA locking out.

None.

At what point should we demand an apology or retraction? That’s what happens in every other publication when the writer makes a mistake, if facts were skewed or if people were misquoted. Why isn’t there one at the bottom of this column on CBSSports.com that said the WNBA was “money-bleeding” and a huge contributing factor to the NBA’s lockout? Again, that wasn’t just the writer’s opinion; he formulated that statement as truth and presented it as such.

But even if there was an addendum, it wouldn’t matter. The damage is already done. More people will read that column than this one and will likely believe his assertions and accusations of the WNBA’s role in the lockout.

What a shame.

So, if it makes you feel better to blame the WNBA, fine. I mean, there’s no truth to it, but whatever helps you sleep at night…

This is the NBA’s issue. Leave the WNBA out of it.

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Tags: Feature Too, Lockout, WNBA

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Joe S.

This is comically bad.

The only thing that matters is whether the WNBA is self-sustaining. Does it break even or turn a profit? If it loses money, it deserves to go under.

That’s the bottom line, Ben. That’s how the real world works.
shuref00t

I’m using the D-League as my scapegoat.
http://www.slamonline.com Ben York

@Joe S. – Okay, then. By your logic, the NBA should fold.
Joe S.

Actually, no — the NBA shouldn’t fold.

If you’d paid attention to the back-and-forth between the union and owners, you’d know that many question whether 22-of-30 NBA teams are actually losing money.

Check this out:

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/calling-foul-on-n-b-a-s-claims-of-financial-distress/

Can you say with certainty that any of WNBA’s 12 teams are profitable?
Bec T

Nicely put Ben, and yes if we go with Joe S.’s logic the NBA should fold too!
Khawk71

Agree with you 100% Ben…to Joe S. …yes, the NBA should fold or get it’s act together…just like the NFL (I am actually a big fan of the NFL, but very disappointed with the players and the owners) I think money is out of control with every league except the WNBA which is much more responsible.
http://slamonline.com Myles Brown

First: “Instead of investing time and energy into the thriving WNBA (and, yes, it is thriving),”…. Then: “That the WNBA is well on its way towards becoming fully self-sustaining.” It’s been 15 years. If it were ‘thriving’, it would be self sustaining.
http://www.slamonline.com Ben York

@Myles – I suppose it depends on how you look at it. The Connecticut Sun turned a profit last year while many NBA teams lost money. Many teams are self-sustaining. My sentence was poorly worded but the message remains the same.
http://slamonline.com Myles Brown

Haven’t you already undermined that point too? “But WNBA salaries and operating expenses are so insignificant they’re merely a drop in the pond by comparison.” If the cost of operation is significantly lower, then it’s significantly easier to turn a profit.
http://www.slamonline.com Ben York

@Myles – Maybe, but you’re assuming the market for women’s basketball is the same as men’s basketball. There is a list of other factors a mile long that make it more difficult for women’s basketball to turn a profit. Just because operating costs are lower doesn’t mean it’s any easier to turn a profit (see ‘Arena Football League’).
http://slamonline.com Myles Brown

Be that as it may, it still devalues any comparison of a WNBA team’s ability to turn a profit to an NBA team.
http://www.slamonline.com Ben York

@Myles – I disagree but I appreciate you reading. All I’m saying is it’s insane to place any blame on the WNBA for the lockout. That’s all. Even a poorly worded sentence/paragraph can’t shake that fact.
t

I. think that the whole idea of the WNBA pulling down the NBA is a stupid.Ifeel that these writers who write thsese articles slamming women’s basketball come from the June Cleaver generattion where mom stayed at home and was a homemaker so they feel that that is what women are supposed to do. What kills me also is these writerss who want to sexualize womens basketball. Since when is basketball supposed to be so sexey? If you don’t like womens basketball then don’t watch. There is always baseball,nascar, and golf. But pleasle stop slandering people who love basketball and don’t care about gender and want to support.

As for the few owners for the WNBA teams, they have been investors long enough to know that it tales time for any business venture to turn a profit. That’s why they continue to invest in the WNBA .
http://www.slamonline.com Ben York

@Joe S. – Please read: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/WNBA-hoping-to-take-lessons-apf-992698493.html?x=0&.v=1
T Bone

seriously people!!!
i cant believe that anybody can read this article, and the only thing they can comment on is to complain about Ben’s writing. who cares about the wording of the article when the facts are pointed out that there are nba players like Eddy Curry who earned more than the entire wnba player pool put together!!!
now im not particularly a fan of the wnba as such, i prefer the athleticism of the mens game etc but that is no reason be so negative. i love that women are getting more and more into basketball.
i am also far more of a fan of the wnba than i am of some other sports like lacrosse, or polo, or darts, or fly fishing, or any number of other sports. why do we complain about the wnba, but not about these other sports. here we are on a baskeball site where we supposedly all love the game, shouldnt we be encouraging women to get into the game rather than discouraging it?
Michael

I am not sure exactly what the debate is here – agreed the NBA lockout is probably not related to the WMNBA being a financial basket case or a parasite or anything like that. However, I agree with Myles – after 15 years it should be able to stand on its own. It can’t. For whatever reason, the WNBA is not sustainable as a separate league and i dont see a point when it will be. I dont see an issue with this really though – i like the fact there is a professional league for young female ballers to aspire to. I don’t like watching the WNBA but who is it harming? no one really…Also, who props up the WNBA? Is it the NBA or the individual teams? This lockout is between the teams and the players – i am sure the NBA is dfoing just fine financially. If you really want to know why some teams are (apparently) losing money, check out the contracts awarded to guys like rashard lewis, gilbert arenas, ben gordon, john salmons, travis outlaw, mike conley, emeka okafor, amir johnson etc etc etc….way too many overpaid players
Mary Hunter

One more point to consider: only half of today’s WNBA franchises are owned by NBA teams. Of the thirty NBA teams, six, or a mere twenty percent, own WNBA teams.
http://slamonline.com Allenp

I don’t know whether the WNBA is dragging the NBA down or not.
But, if the parent ship is struggling to pay its bills, as NBA owners claim, then people are going to get huffy about any expenditures that they deem frivolous. Now, the issue of whether or not the WNBA is frivolous is strictly an opinion thing. Some people think it provides real benefits, others think it doesn’t. Neither group has the cold hard facts to say their opinion is definitely right.
http://www.slamonline.com Ben York

@Allenp – I guess that’s where people will have to agree to disagree with me. Personally, I don’t think supporting and encouraging women’s athletics at a high level is “frivolous.”
http://slamonline.com Allenp

Really?
I think sports at the professional level is frivolous whether it involves men or women. It’s a game! We watch people play a game for entertainment.
Sure, it’s great to see them compete at such a high level, but at it’s core, it’s entertainment. There is no real higher purpose to most games played, just basic entertainment.
I think it’s fine to encourage young children to play sports to be fit, and develop certain good habits, but I think once it gets to the professional and even collegiate level it’s just about the public’s desire for entertainment.
wbb fan

If you look back at history, the NBA wasn’t self-sustaining in its 15th season. In fact, the NBA was considered a second-tier league by the networks as recently as the ’80′s that the playoffs and finals were on tape delay! There was a concern back then that the league could fold because of the popularity of baseball and football.

So don’t look at the WNBA by 2011 NBA standards, look at it from a historical perspective. And considering how big men’s pro sports are now compared to even the ’80s, with so much more competition for the fans’ dollar, the WNBA is doing pretty well to hold its own, self-sustaining or not.
Rita

Interesting article. I would suggest that if, in the last 15 years, the NBA ownership invested as much marketing dollar and advertising in the WNBA as it does in the NBA it would be a totally different ball game. It’s really a circular argument…few people view/follow the sport because it isn’t well known…it isn’t well known because it isn’t promoted/advertised/hyped and if it isn’t promoted few people know or follow it… and on it goes. Another factor, of course, even in this day and age, is public perception of women’s sports. Promoting team sports is a “male” thing to many folks. They prefer women cheer rather than be cheered. Again, marketing and promotion could impact this perception. I attend NBA and WNBA games and find both exciting and electrifying and a great source of entertainment. However, it’s pretty sad that WNBA players have to go to Europe to earn a decent wage and are appreciated more there then here while millions are spent promoting mediocre male talent just so NBA teams can get a return on their investment. (Also several NBA team owners also own MLB teams in the same towns and don’t really want the WNBA to compete with their baseball revenue but that’s another story).
http://dsjfklf.com Jukai

Whether the WNBA is self-substaining is irrelevant. It has nothing to do with the article. It’s not the cause of the lockout.
Mike

The sun didn’t make a profit last year. The casino that owns them did. They give tickets and firewater to the fossils that stare at the spinning numbers and they amble in to see hoops. It’s like saying a particular ride at Disney World makes a profit…it’s part of the entire park. Talk about a tired talking point.
Mike

Thriving? Really? Oh, because you say so…gotcha!
Thomas Griffith

The WNBA is far from frivolous.It means a great deal to its fans.Anyone who attends WNBA games can attest to the enthusiasm and loyalty of its fan base. And it serves as an inspiration to many young female athletes. I don’t know the precise finances of the WNBA, but it seems clear, for the reasons Ben states, that the net cost is small to the NBA. It may show a long run profit. And it may have a hidden benefit–at least a few people such as me–support the NBA in part because of its support of the WNBA. As a society we have decided in Title 9, rightly I think, that young women and girls deserve equal treatment in public education and at college. We should applaud the effort of the NBA to support the opportunity for women to play professional basketball in the United States.
http://hoopism.com airs

maybe its just me, but i haven’t seen many reports blaming the WNBA for the lockout.
its probably just me.
but i think this is more a case of a WNBA fan being too sensitive and taking any slight towards the league as an opportunity to lash out against its haters and defend the league.
i remember york writing a piece about taurasi because she was accused of PEDs, and that she couldn’t have possibly done it because he knew her to be a nice person, which i found ridiculous.
im not saying i hate the WNBA, i appreciate your love for the league, but it comes off a bit biased.
John S

To all the idiots saying “well by that logic the NBA should fail” is the NBA leaching money from some other organization? you guys suck at life.
Rob Burns

No Mike, the Sun did make a profit. Get your facts straight.
Syd Vishus

Ben…I absolutely loved your article and wished you could make other writers, write their columns about the WNBA in a positive light..like you always do!!!
I wonder…how many of them have actually seen a complete WNBA game, like you do??
I seriously blame the mainstream and local media for NOT ever really giving these ladies their props. Example: last nights awesome Mercury game vs. Washington Mystics….we had Cheryl Miller show up for the first time since she left from coaching the Mercury..and she “raised the roof”!! Her showmanship and positive energy was incredible last night with the fans…..and ONLY channel 5 highlighted her!! all of the other news channels gave the Mercury ..maybe a 10 second to 30second slot, and some didn’t even mention Millers presence!!…so unacceptable!!
WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN.. SERIOUSLY?? Are they NOT informed of these things a head of time?? How come news channels give more “air time” to high school sports??
It’s just very frustrating from a dedicated and loyal 15 year WNBA Fan…to see this repeatedly happen.
I know this went “off subject”..but none the less..it’s news worthy.
Thank you thank you thank you…for all of your hard work and research and positive WNBA articles that give these “incredible women a voice”!

It truly is a positive experience to watch the WNBA!!
acidboy

John S has it exactly right with, “To all the idiots saying “well by that logic the NBA should fail” is the NBA leaching money from some other organization?”

This is why any comparison between the financial sustainability of the WNBA and NBA is at present absurd. The NBA liberally funds the WNBA, and it’s *still* an unprofitable enterprise. The NBA funds a great deal of its advertising, etc. to the WNBA — as far as people who are fans strictly of the NBA are concerned, this is *pure loss*! There is no similar situation where the WNBA is throwing money away to some other organization to help account for their financial woes.

Apples and oranges.
Mike W

I really enjoy the WNBA alot better than the NBA, we think the ladies are better players they have to as compared to the men, I wish there were more exposure TV, etc
Girlie

To the poster that mentioned that the WNBA doesn’t get advertised is correct. I like to watch the game but it is never advertised on the showtimes. I stumble upon them while flipping through the channels.
mike

Nobody is blaming the wnba for the lockout. People are saying that the wnba is a league that needs to nba for charity and that much is true. Whether you find value in the wnba or not, that doesn’t give them the right to exist if they can’t support themselves.
Charzard

Obviously the wnba is not the reason there is a lockout but it is a fact that WNBA teams lose $1.5-2 million a year and that the NBA covers those losses. And for you who are saying that by Joe S.’s logic the NBA should fold too you must consider the fact that the NBA still covers itself and deals with its own finances whereas the WNBA is literally covered by the NBA. So why can’t the WNBA deal with its own finances? If it can’t do that (which the NBA can) then it should fold.

Stop Blaming the WNBA for the NBA Lockout

False accusations.

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