WNBA Draft Thread

[TheRef]

Alright, it's LIVE on ESPN2 right now. Draft is being held in New York City.

[TheRef]

Tori is the #7 rated prospect for the draft

[TheRef]

A'ja Wilson to the Las Vegas Aces as the #1 pick

[TheRef]

Victoria Vivians selected at #8 to the Indiana Fever

[preachermatt83]

Proud of Tori. Representing Scott Central, Mississippi, and our beloved bulldawgs!!

[skadoosh14]

Victoria Vivians selected at #8 to the Indiana Fever

That is so awesome. So proud of her.

[Hypnodawg]

Hope we seem some billboards

[RocketDawg]

Do they get first round signing bonuses like NFL and presumably NBA players do?

[TaleofTwoDogs]

WNBA pays ridiculously low salaries. A 1st round pick will get less than $50K, a 2nd round $40K and a 3rd rounder will be in the $30's. The top salary in the WNBA for a veteran is $115K. The Queen should use her degree and make more money and help kids.

[yjnkdawg]

Congrats to Tori, a great Bulldog, and another well deserved accomplishment in her basketball career.

[deadheaddawg]

WNBA pays ridiculously low salaries. A 1st round pick will get less than $50K, a 2nd round $40K and a 3rd rounder will be in the $30's. The top salary in the WNBA for a veteran is $115K. The Queen should use her degree and make more money and help kids.

That's crazy. $50k isn't a bad starting salary after college. You never know how long a professional sports career will last. She has worked her ass off to be one of the very best at it. If she still likes playing it would be foolish to give it up.

I don't know what her degree is in, but starting at $50k and if she keeps up her pace she will get to 6 figures before a lot of college graduates.

It's unfortunate they don't make the big bucks, and they never willake what the men make, but she can help grow the sport and make it better for the next generation

Much congrats to her. She earned it

[SailingDawg]

WNBA pays ridiculously low salaries. A 1st round pick will get less than $50K, a 2nd round $40K and a 3rd rounder will be in the $30's. The top salary in the WNBA for a veteran is $115K. The Queen should use her degree and make more money and help kids.

Truth, but she loves the game. She has the degree for a few years down the road. Starting in the 50s is better than where teachers begin.

Think of the athletes who have no degree and nothing to fall back on after a few years in the pros!

[Quaoarsking]

Most WNBA players also play in Russia (for a higher salary) in the offseason, so it's not like her annual salary will be in the 50s if she doesn't want it to be

[RocketDawg]

That's crazy. $50k isn't a bad starting salary after college. You never know how long a professional sports career will last. She has worked her ass off to be one of the very best at it. If she still likes playing it would be foolish to give it up.

I don't know what her degree is in, but starting at $50k and if she keeps up her pace she will get to 6 figures before a lot of college graduates.

It's unfortunate they don't make the big bucks, and they never willake what the men make, but she can help grow the sport and make it better for the next generation

Much congrats to her. She earned it

I'm sorta watching the LPGA women's tournament in Hawaii now and they just mentioned that Shenshong Feng (I think that's her name ... the Chinese gal that's been such a good golfer) has made $9.3M in her career. While that's not chump change, many, many men golfers have made more than that. But ... it's because they don't get the attendance and sponsorships that men do, just like the WNBA and the NBA are. I suspect that the WBNA has very few paying spectators.

[RocketDawg]

Most WNBA players also play in Russia (for a higher salary) in the offseason, so it's not like her annual salary will be in the 50s if she doesn't want it to be

Is being in the WNBA a full time job? I have no idea. Could she do that plus a career in whatever she studied for at the same time?

[TaleofTwoDogs]

That's crazy. $50k isn't a bad starting salary after college. You never know how long a professional sports career will last. She has worked her ass off to be one of the very best at it. If she still likes playing it would be foolish to give it up.

I don't know what her degree is in, but starting at $50k and if she keeps up her pace she will get to 6 figures before a lot of college graduates.

It's unfortunate they don't make the big bucks, and they never will make what the men make, but she can help grow the sport and make it better for the next generation

Much congrats to her. She earned it

What I was trying to point out is that the WNBA is not the road to riches like the men's game. I was also trying to stress that even though the 36 women taken in the first 3 rounds of the WNBA draft are the best of the best in their sport they still make workmen like wages. Obviously, the economics of the sport does not justify higher salaries at this time. At my company we routinely pay 1st year graduates in the $50 - $80K range in finance and the sciences. That is pretty much the norm in large cities for exempt degreed employees.

Vivians is majoring in Human Sciences which is in the Department of Agriculture at State. I believe she is in the child development field. So all I'm saying is she will have to decide what is her first love because the difference in money is not that great especially if she wants to work with kids immediately or pursue a masters.

[Fred Garvin]

She is getting to play pro basketball. Good grief.

[Ari Gold]

I have a feeling Viv will make more cash from endorsements , commercials , Ect...
She has the look. Congrats to th Queen...

[msstatelp1]

Is being in the WNBA a full time job? I have no idea. Could she do that plus a career in whatever she studied for at the same time?

Their season runs roughly May thru September so she should be able to play overseas if she wants or work another job. 50k for 5 months work ain't bad.

[Liverpooldawg]

The economics of the WNBA does not enable huge salaries. It likely never will.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Most can double or even triple their salaries by playing in Russia or China after the WNBA season is over. I believe Diana Taurasi actually skipped the WNBA season a couple of years ago because her Russian club team paid her more to stay