The WNBA will begin enforcing its prioritization clause for the 2023 season, but Las Vegas Aces signee Candace Parker is waiting to assess the viability of the new rule.
The prioritization clause requires players to prioritize the WNBA over international leagues for which they suit up in the offseason. The rule was part of the collective bargaining signed in 2020 but goes into effect for the first time this year.
If WNBA players with at least two years of experience do not report to their teams by May 1, they will be fined. If they miss the start of the regular season on May 19, they will be suspended for the year.
In 2024, the consequences will get even harsher. Players will be suspended for the whole season if they do not join their WNBA teams by May 1 or the start of training camp, whichever is later.
“I think it’s going to be next year where we’re really going to see if this is something that the league is going to be able to sustain,” Parker told Yahoo Sports. “I, myself, would have had a huge decision to make in my fifth year being 26 [or] 27 years old deciding whether or not to come back to play with the WNBA or go to Russia and make 10 to 20 times what I’m making in the WNBA.”
The 36-year-old forward played for…
