When prepping for your fantasy women’s basketball draft this season, it’s vital to consider the ramifications of the WNBA’s new “Prioritization” rule and its potential impact on the league in 2023.
It’s well known that many players in the WNBA go overseas to play in the offseason because they’ll get paid more than they do in the WNBA. Many players end up returning after their overseas season is done about two to three weeks into the WNBA regular season, especially if their team abroad made it far in the postseason.
That whole process changes now with this new rule.
What is the “Prioritization” rule and when is it being implemented?
This rule was agreed upon by the league’s owners and the players’ union in the 2020 CBA agreement to help push players to put the WNBA first. It will be implemented this year and will have a slight alteration for the 2024 seasons and beyond.
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Players beyond their third year in the league will be fined if they miss the designated start of training camp or May 1, whichever is later (fined 1% of their base salary for every day of camp they miss)
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If they miss the start of the regular season in 2023, they will be suspended for the entire season.
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In 2024, the mandatory arrival stretches to the designated start of training camp or May 1, whichever is later. If…
