Caitlin Clark and the Talent Conundrum Facing the W.N.B.A.

Without a developmental league like the N.B.A.’s G League, players who have factored significantly into the 2023 tournament’s biggest moments and most significant victories, like L.S.U. guard Alexis Morris and Iowa center Monika Czinano, may have to play professionally outside of the W.N.B.A.

“We have all these people growing and mastering their craft, with no place to go in the United States,” U.C.L.A. Coach Cori Close said. “It’s just really sad that those are the conversations we’re having to have with our league and our college game being so healthy and vibrant and growing.”

Expansion would appear to be the easy fix, and there have been many calls for the W.N.B.A. to add more teams. But the league, which is partially funded by the N.B.A., has moved slowly on expansion because of financial concerns. The W.N.B.A.’s commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, said the league wants to add two to three teams in the next two to four years.

But expansion of the W.N.B.A. could cause other problems, in the minds of some college coaches.

“It does need to expand,” Arizona coach Adia Barnes said, “but right now, a lot of college kids aren’t good enough.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/02/sports/ncaabasketball/womens-basketball-caitlin-clark-angel-reese.html