INDIANAPOLIS — Wednesday’s announcement that the WNBA regular-season schedule would be expanding to 50 games beginning next season was to be expected. There’s more money flowing into the league and higher salaries for the players, so of course they’re going to be expected to play more games, Indiana Fever stars Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham said in separate interviews.
“It’s exciting. I think it’ll be fun,” Clark said ahead of Thursday’s loss to the Atlanta Dream. “The more we can play, the better. For myself, I don’t play in the offseason, so this is an exciting thing for me. When I first came in, it was 40 games, so (50) is a big jump.”
In an interview with USA Sports on Wednesday, Cunningham said she is “all for it,” jokingly adding: “My knees are already starting to hurt a little bit more. I’m just gonna say that.”
“But I do say, if we’re going to be getting paid that amount of money, you’re expected to play more games,” she continued. “I think it’s fair, I think you’re going to see the season expand into November.”
Coach Stephanie White also viewed the expanded schedule as an inevitability — “Everyone expects our footprint to continue to grow,” she said — and highlighted what it means for the long-term health of the league.
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“It’s a product and a game that people like to watch and when that happens, there’s more money involved and opportunities involved,” she observed. “Thinking back to when this league started, we never envisioned it only being a 32-game season. Every year, we have an opportunity to expand.”
But while the league’s latest development was expected, there are questions coupled with it, specifically how the league calendar will be adjusted with the extra outings — the “cadence” of games, as White described it.
“You have to prioritize schedule building and making sure it’s done in a way that’s best for the player, too, to get the best product on the floor. Hopefully they take that into consideration,” Clark said. “I don’t think it’ll be the same exact timeframe. I think this season will stretch a little bit, so it’s not like they should be adding six more games into the schedule we already play.”
Something else coaches and players hope to see: expanded rosters. Echoing comments made Wednesday by longtime Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, White said that as coaches, they “always want larger roster sizes.”
“We want the ability to have players there and the ability to go a little bit deeper and ‘manage minutes’ if you’re playing a longer season so you’re not running your players into the ground,” she continued. “I’m always going to be a proponent of having larger rosters.”
Added Clark: “More than anything, I’m excited. More opportunities to play basketball and that’s what you love to do. I’m excited.”
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark wants to ensure ‘best product’ is considered with WNBA schedule expansion
Reporting by Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
