Since its inception, the WNBA has been a work in progress and is just now starting to shine like a miracle, courtesy of all the trailblazers old and new present in the league and high-profile international players like Gabby Williams and Emma Meesseman. However, not all is rainbows and sunshine when it comes to the league’s prioritization rule.

But, what does it do? Why do players show such displeasure towards it? Turns out, this rule requires the players to prefer the WNBA over the international leagues, which explains why this could be a major issue for them. So, let’s take a deep dive into the matter.

What exactly is the prioritization rule?

As a part of the league’s latest CBA signed in 2020, the prioritization rule came into existence and is here to stay through 2027. As WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert described it, “The owners really stepped up on the compensation side for the players in this collective bargaining cycle, and I think the kind of quid pro quo for that was prioritization, showing up on time for our season.”

Precisely, the rule is covered in Section 9 of Article XIV Subsection b, which covers this season as well. It states, “Subject to subsection (d) below, with respect to any Season hereunder after the 2023 Season, any player who is not a Pre-Training Camp Contracted Player and who does not fully complete any Off-Season Playing Obligation prior to the start of any such Season shall not be eligible to sign a Player Contract covering all, or any part, of such Season.”

The reason behind its implementation is that when players fly and compete overseas, it has become a common practice that some of them would arrive late to the WNBA training camps or miss the camp in its entirety. More so, other players would arrive when the season had already started.

In the 2021 season, around 35 players joined the camp late and 12 missed some starting games of the season. Hence, the league felt the need to codify their presence in time.

The WNBA and WNBPA negotiated the CBA with a simple goal in mind – to get the best deal possible for all players. Although, the agreement is taken upon in a similar fashion every four years, however, this one has become a real sting for the players as it pushes them to put the WNBA as their priority to compete. Why?

Things on the other side

It is related to the players on both ends of the pond. As soon as the WNBA players are done with their regular season, they flock away to play in international leagues like, the EuroLeague, and UMMC Ekaterinburg, which deliver a large payday for them.

For instance, in 2022, Breanna Stewart signed a super-max one-year deal with the Seattle Storm, worth $228,094, which clearly faded in front of the $1.5 million/ p.a. she received for playing overseas. International players like Gabby Williams and Emma Meesseman carry a lot more significance and the rule makes it a career juggle for them as they either choose their home team or opt to play for the WNBA.

As for the league, they will not create a new off-season playing obligation after the season has taken off just to make a player ineligible for that season and focus only on the ones who start during the preceding off-season.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger