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Brittney Griner’s homecoming underlines WNBA’s perpetual offseason struggle

Brittney Griner was arrested in February while traveling to join her Russian club, UMMC Ekaterinburg. (BSR Agency/Getty Images)

After 294 days in Russian custody, Brittney Griner began her journey home Thursday.

With Griner safely on her way back to the United States, the focus for WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA shifts to supporting the 32-year-old and her family – and to ensuring that Griner’s ordeal doesn’t happen again.

The Phoenix Mercury center was released in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout after months in custody and “painstaking and intense negotiations,” President Joe Biden announced Thursday.

Engelbert learned earlier in the week that negotiations were “intensifying” and that a “solution might be on the table,” but she didn’t feel any relief until she heard the news this morning, she told reporters Thursday.

“A deal is not done until it actually gets executed and transacted,” she said. “So it wasn’t until this morning that we really knew that Brittney was actually on a plane, coming to the United States.”

Griner was arrested in February while traveling to rejoin her Russian club. Prior to her detainment, she had spent eight seasons with UMMC Ekaterinburg, winning the Russian Championship every year.

Despite Griner’s plight, the draw of international leagues remains strong for players, even as the WNBA tries to keep them in the United State in the offseason.

For years, WNBA players have headed overseas in the offseason to make up for the U.S. league’s low salaries and short season. Russia became a popular destination for many players due to the high salaries its teams can offer. The maximum salary a player could make in the WNBA in 2022 was $196,267, while players can make a million dollars or more in Russia.

High-profile players including Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi all have spent time with UMMC Ekaterinburg in seasons past.

Griner’s detainment highlighted the offseason struggle for WNBA players, some of whom choose to put their safety on the line to provide for themselves and their families. Countries such as Russia can be particularly dangerous for women, the LGBTQ+ community and people of color.

The WNBA is increasing its slate of games in hopes of also increasing salaries and benefits, Engelbert said. During the 2023 season, each team will play a record 40 contests.

The league also will have a prioritization rule starting with the 2023 season, which will require players to report to their team by the start of training camp or by May 1, whichever is later. If they miss the start of training camp, they will be fined. If they miss the start of the regular season, they will be suspended for the year.

“We have to build an economic model,” Engelbert said. “We are only 26 years young. We aren’t 75, or 100 or 110 like some of the men’s leagues are. So we are working on that and studying history. We are building rivalries. We are building household names.”

Players do have opportunities to expand their careers in the United States during the offseason, Engelbert said. She cited marketing campaigns and broadcasting deals as two options.

But if athletes still choose to play overseas, it’s important that they know the risks, the commissioner said.

“I think our players are going to do what they think is best for themselves and their families,” she said. “But we definitely inform them all the time of the security risks of where they might be playing.”

Some WNBA players who do choose to stay in the United States in the offseason have to get creative. After all, marketing and broadcast opportunities aren’t available to everyone, particularly for younger players or role players who may not have the same name recognition as established stars.

For example, Chiney Ogwumike works as a commentator for ESPN, and A’ja Wilson has an advertising gig with Ruffles. But young Atlanta Dream guard Aari McDonald is spending the offseason as Director of Recruiting Operations at her alma mater Arizona.

Players in need of options could look into offseason opportunities that prepare them for “life after basketball,” Engelbert said.

“There are also internship opportunities that aren’t part of big marketing agreements like the stars might get or endorsements from corporations,” she said. “But there are internship opportunities to hone their skill set for what they do in life after basketball.”

That is one of the reasons she took the commissioner job, Engelbert said. Her goal is to set players up to be able to pursue other work opportunities when their playing careers are over.

“We need to do a better job as a League of placing them in internships and apprenticeships for their skill sets,” she said, citing Nike as a company that has given opportunities to former players. “Now, they’re focusing on playing basketball during their young years, but not everybody’s body is going to hold up like Sue Bird’s did for 20 years.

“We are providing more and more opportunities, should the players want to take those opportunities.”

Engelbert added that she understands the difficulty of convincing players to do something other than play basketball because of the passion they have for the game.

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Gotham, USWNT forward Midge Purce out with ACL tear

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Midge Purce announced on Wednesday that she has torn her ACL. 

The Gotham FC and USWNT forward went down with the injury on Sunday during Gotham’s 1-0 win after tweaking it earlier in the game. Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós did not have any immediate updates following the match, with further evaluation revealing the tear. 

“It’s a reality I’m still struggling with and has left me with not too much to say,” Purce wrote in a statement on social media. “I’m heartbroken to no longer be available for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT – know I’m rooting for you both all year long. 

“Though you may not see it, I’ll be doing everything I can to get back on the field.”

Purce is just the latest women's soccer star to tear her ACL, and joins USWNT teammate Mia Fishel in having torn her ACL in the last couple of months. Other notable players include Catarina Macario and Christen Press, with Macario only just returning to the USWNT lineup after tearing hers in 2022. 

International stars such as Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson have also suffered ACL tears. 

Purce’s injury caused Amorós to call out the international schedule, which has been a growing point of concern as more players fall victim to injuries and the playing schedule becomes more packed. Kansas City’s Debinha suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s opening game, while both Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle have yet to play for Gotham due to injuries picked up during the W Gold Cup. 

“We lost Midge during the game which for me is a bittersweet flavor,” Amorós told reporters after Sunday’s game. “By the way, it’s another player that came from the Gold Cup. Last week, it was Debinha. We are paying the consequences of a tournament that shouldn’t have happened.”

“We’re talking about protecting the players, [who shouldn’t] go to play an international competition after one week of preseason,” Amorós continued. “We’ve seen the consequences now. We’ve got Rose, Lynn, last week it was Debinha in Kansas [City] and now we have Midge. From my experience, the clubs are going to keep paying for that competition."

In her statement, Purce said that “so many friends, teammates and even players I’ve only ever competed against” reached out to offer support. 

“I am so blessed,” she wrote. “Your messages have meant so much to me throughout this process, you have consoled what, for a moment, felt inconsolable. Thank you for reminding me that our football world is not only full with incredibly talent but also, incredible kindness.”

Lauren Jackson included on Australia Olympics roster

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 01: Lauren Jackson of Australia celebrates with team mates after playing her final Opals game during the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 3rd place match between Canada and Australia at Sydney Superdome, on October 01, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Lauren Jackson has come out of retirement once again to compete for a spot on Australia’s Olympic roster. 

Jackson was included on the 26-player roster named by coach Sandy Brondello on Tuesday that will take part in training camps, tours and games in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. The roster will eventually be whittled down to just 12 players selected from the 26 named on Tuesday.

Jackson helped Australia qualify for the Olympics with a win over Germany in February. After that, she announced her retirement, revealing that she struggled to spend so much time away from her two young children. 

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported that Jackson and the basketball federation had come to an agreement in which they would help cover costs for her children to travel with the team for training camps and the Olympics. 

She’s largely expected to make the Opals’ Olympic roster. 

"It's always an exciting time to announce an Olympic squad and I congratulate all the athletes," Opals coach Sandy Brondello said. "They all know what it means to play for Australia and they all want the opportunity to represent their country at an Olympics. Our squad is full of exceptional talent and they will make the decision to pick a final 12 very difficult."

At the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Jackson helped Australia win a bronze medal with 30 points against Canada. She had previously retired in 2016 due to knee injuries, but slowly made a return in a domestic Australian league the last few years.

Jackson has won four Olympic medals, including three consecutive silver medals starting with Sydney in 2000 when she was a teenager. 

First two rounds of NCAA tournament boast record attendance, viewership

(David K Purdy/Getty Images)

The first two rounds of the women’s NCAA tournament broke attendance and viewership records set just last year – and it wasn’t even close. 

The NCAA announced on Tuesday that attendance for the first two rounds of the tournament was more than 292,000 – up from last year’s record, when almost 232,000 fans attended the first two rounds.

Among the host sites, Iowa had the biggest crowds with nearly 29,000 fans packing Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the first and second rounds. 

"We expected the historic success and quality of play and high level of competition from the regular season would carry through into March Madness. Our championship is again delivering," NCAA vice president of women's basketball Lynn Holzman said in a statement. "Record crowds, ratings, incredible performances and evolving storylines will continue to make the next two weeks a must-see for fans across the world."

And for those that couldn’t attend the sold-out Iowa games, they watched on television. Monday’s matchup between Iowa and West Virginia drew 4.9 million viewers, setting a record for a women’s D-I tournament game prior to the Final Four. 

It is also the third most watched tournament game in the last 20 years, behind last year’s national championship between LSU and Iowa (9.92 million) and Iowa’s Final Four win over South Carolina (5.6 million).

Iowa’s game against Holy Cross in the first round drew 3.23 million viewers. 

But it wasn’t just Iowa drawing big viewership. ESPN’s five games on Monday averaged 2.25 million viewers. UConn and Syracuse drew 2.05 million viewers while LSU and Middle Tennessee on ABC drew 2.01 million viewers on Sunday. 

The full, 16-game slate for the second round averaged 1.4 million viewers – a 121% increase from last year and the highest average ever for the second round.

The full tournament so far is averaging 812,000 viewers per game, a 108% increase from last year.

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