WNBA Only Hurting Itself with Public Fights
Since she came into the league in 2013, Skylar Diggins-Smith has been one of the WNBA’s most marketable and best players. Her alleged mistreatment by the Phoenix Mercury has been an unnecessary ongoing saga that is only hurting the league’s reputation among potential fans and investors. During my first interview with her in her rookie year season, we talked about her modeling deals, signing with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation the importance of Black studies in universities and more. Always pleasant and professional, the now married mother of two, turned 33 on Aug. 2nd.
It is disappointing to say the least to see the WNBA and some of its marquee players constantly being in the press fighting over working conditions. The latest public fight involves All-Star guard Skylar Diggins-Smith and her team. Diggins-Smith has yet to return to play after she and husband Daniel Smith welcomed their second child. Diggins-Smith claims that she has been banned from her team’s facilities. She also stated she and the Phoenix Mercury have an understanding where she is only tied to the organization by her paycheck. She took to social media the day after her 33rd birthday to blast the Mercury organization, responding to a fan who criticized the team for not wishing Diggins-Smith a happy birthday.
“They’re not gonna acknowledge me this year and it’s ok guys. We’re not affiliated unless it’s the checks….per management. I can’t even use the practice facility or any resources. But I still love the X-Factor!!,” Diggins-Smith tweeted out.
“It was all good when I was leaving for personal time!! But when I’m leaving bc (because) I was having complications and scared of risking my child….while leading the league in minutes (pregnant). Trade her?”
Diggins-Smith dispute with the Mercury comes on the heels of the Seattle Storm’s Gabby Williams criticizing the WNBA’s prioritization restrictions last month. Williams, a former guest on my “What’s Up Cuz?!” podcast back in 2020, was candid with her thoughts on the WNBA’s policy.
"I still think the prioritization thing is ridiculous. I'm sorry, I'll say it. Like literally, I'm only here because I got concussed," Williams told reporters on July 9th. "Something has to give. France needs to have shorter seasons, or the WNBA needs to [allow players] to make money and do both. And no, this doesn't give me any hope that I can do both."
When Diggins-Smith abruptly left the team last year, there were all sorts of rumors swirling around on her absence. Speculation that she wasn’t getting along with teammates or former coach Vanessa Nygaard dominated the public conversation. She also was starting to get the reputation of being difficult, something many now believe the Mercury wanted the narrative to be. Later the public was informed she was pregnant and Diggins-Smith said she was experiencing complications. On Wednesday, she revealed more about her arrangement with the Mercury and believes the public is now seeing what has been going on behind the scenes for over a year now.
“But I’m fine with being distanced….bc (because) now I can’t possibly be the villain anymore,” Diggins-Smith wrote. “Sadly, no…or any massage therapists, chiropractor, chefs, strength and conditioning, nutritionist accessibility, etc… they(sic) EVERY other player has access to. However, I’m still down 48lbs on my own and I’m feeling great!”
In my two or three interviews with Diggins-Smith since she came into the league, I’ve always found her to be approachable, intelligent, professional and accommodating to any journalist who was looking to promote her and the sport. Having gotten married in Chicago and taken courses in African American Studies in college, which was also my major, we share many of the same social philosophies and understand the significance of Black culture throughout the diaspora.
Fans have rallied to Diggins-Smith side. Twitter user @trulyerebo stated:
“How disgraceful is it that the @PhoenixMercury handle couldn't even pretend to wish @SkyDigg4 a happy birthday. Such an irresponsible action that could have been avoided.”
Another user that goes by the name @TheAfrocentricI responded with the following, which was retweeted by Diggins-Smith.
While I understand the WNBA players frustration, negotiating in the public is probably not the best way to go about this. Taking your case to the public has the potential to turn the public against you, which in many circles has already started. Fans are starting to feel like they are being forced to choose sides, as it seems like weekly, in addition to keeping up with what is going on during games, fans are reading about the latest labor struggles the league is having. Many already side with the league and ownership on some points, stating the league is not profitable enough for the players to expect many of the amenities and salaries they are seeking. Golden State Warrior Draymond Green, one who is never afraid to speak his mind, said this about WNBA players in 2021.
"I'm really tired of seeing them complain about the lack of pay, because they're doing themselves a disservice by just complaining,” Green said. “They're not laying out steps that they can take to change that. It's coming off as a complaint because the people that can change it are just going to continue to say, 'Well, the revenue isn't there.’”
The NBA subsidizes a lot of the WNBA, to the tune of about $15 million. The league has yet to turn a profit in its 25+ years of existence, according to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, although that could be changing soon. While viewership, attendance and the popularity of the league is at an all-time high, the WNBA still has a long way to go to be able to sustain itself without assistance.
However, hope is on the horizon. According to a report by Bloomberg, the WNBA is projected to have record growth in 2023. Profits this year could double revenue from 2019. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert described the league’s 27th season as “a growth story.”
While the WNBA is still not bringing in enough money to trigger revenue sharing with the players, it is not that far off. In order to reach the revenue sharing threshold, the league would have to see 20 percent revenue growth each year, according to the Bloomberg report. That means the WNBA would need to bring in an additional $30 million to trigger the revenue sharing clause of which 17.5 percent would go towards player compensation.
So, you see players are taking a serious risk in publicly lambasting the league at a time when it is getting more attention than ever before and is seeing the best income in league history. In assuming that everyone agrees with the player’s complaints, players can miscalculate a finicky public sentiment, that changes seemingly by the hour. The reality is that there are some, no matter what, who will never support the WNBA game because they just don’t like the women’s basketball product and are taking joy in watching the public fights. They have every right to make a personal choice whether or not to support the league, but in this age of social media and bots, the league and its players are gambling that they will be known more for labor strife instead of the beautiful game that women’s basketball is. Already the butt of the joke for many comedians, I don’t want to see the WNBA cease to operate nor do I want to see the players suffering with traveling issues, low-pay and any of the other issues that have been made public. We have seen other sports leagues close its doors overnight, sending workers to the unemployment line without warning. The USFL (1985), ABL (1998), NFL-Europe (2007), Alliance of American Football (2019) are all leagues in which owners pulled the plug for lack of profitability and mismanagement. WNBA players would be mistaken in thinking this could not happen to them too.
No matter how much publicity we give the league, some people just won’t watch or attend a game unfortunately and they are missing out. However, this is a reality we must accept, so the players and the league must work TOGETHER to continually grow the league, by solidifying its fanbase, while trying to bring in new revenue streams and reach new fans from various demographics. The public fighting is only hurting us all, including the journalists like myself who have been covering the league for years. We all either live together or we die together.