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A32 sports
Diamars 19 OctOber 2021
WNBA looks ahead to 2022 season with potential changes
(AP) - Candace Parker Chicago will have choices to Allie Quigley.
made the biggest move make if it wants to become
last offseason choosing to the first repeat champion Besides Chicago, the rest of ed overseas at some point this
return home to Chicago. since the Los Angeles Sparks the WNBA could have a dif-
The decision paid off as did it in 2001-02. WNBA Fi- ferent look next year with league team.
the WNBA star led the nals MVP Kahleah Copper is potential movement as some
Sky to the franchise’s first an unrestricted free agent, as of the league’s biggest names Many of the WNBA’s players
championship. are married Sky teammates are available.
Courtney Vandersloot and
In the past, many of the rewards the top teams with
WNBA’s top players didn’t byes until the semifinals and
move too often, but the col- has single elimination games
lective bargaining agreement in the opening two rounds.
that was ratified in 2020 has
allowed for more player This season marked the
movement by reducing the first time that neither one
number of times teams could of the top two teams made
potentially force their top the WNBA Finals since the
player to stay by coring them. league changed its postsea-
While it’s unlikely, regular- son format. Chicago was a six
season MVP Jonquel Jones seed and Phoenix a five. The
of Connecticut and former Sky won the championship
top award winners Breanna in four games to cap off the
Stewart of Seattle and Tina league’s 25th season.
Charles of Washington all
could change teams this off- “I’m sure whatever we
season. change it to in the next three
to five years, we’ll be looking
Stewart just recently had sur- at it again because there’s pros
gery for a minor repair and and cons to every different
reinforcement of the Achil- playoff format,” Commis-
les tendon in her left leg, the sioner Cathy Engelbert said
team announced Thursday. It during her state of the league
wasn’t the same Achilles she address at the Finals. “So we
tore overseas a few years ago. want to be very thoughtful
She potentially will be head- about what we do.”
winter to play on her Russian EXPANSION
The WNBA is also looking
into adding more teams.
have already headed overseas “Expansion is on the hori-
to play in their winter leagues zon,” Engelbert said.
to supplement their incomes.
She said that the league is
League greats Sue Bird and conducting a data analysis to
Diana Taurasi will also have find potential expansion cit-
to make choices whether ies using about 15 metrics to
they want to come back and evaluate different locations
play. Bird, who turned 41 and hopes to have a more
over the weekend, said she’ll concrete answer during the
sit down with her family and 2022 season.
discuss whether she wants to
play another year in Seattle. “The data looks like it’s go-
The Storm will be back in ing to read out some inter-
their new renovated home esting information for us to
arena next year which could start having exploratory dis-
be a huge reason for the cussions with certain cities,”
league’s all-time assist leader Engelbert said, “Make sure
to return. that we can find great own-
ership groups to support a
Taurasi has one year left on WNBA team and great fan
her contract in Phoenix, and bases. So that’s why I think
said that she’ll sit down with looking at how those cities
her wife Penny Taylor and are already supporting the
figure out what she wants WNBA, whether it’s view-
to do. The couple just wel- ership, merch sales or other
comed their second child be- things or whether they’re
fore the WNBA Finals. supporting women’s sports
or women’s college basket-
Here are a few other things ball are great indicators of
that could change next year: how it would get supported if
a WNBA team were to go in
SEASON FORMAT that market.”
The WNBA continues to
grow with strong ratings and HEALTHY RETURN
social media engagements. Elena Delle Donne missed
Next season will potentially most of the season while re-
have a 36-game schedule covering from a back injury
— the most the league has as she played in only three
played. There’s also discus- games. The Washington
sions of a new playoff format Mystics star is hoping to be
that’s supported by players ready to go for 2022 after also
and coaches, as well as some missing 2020 because of fear
league executives. The cur- of complications from get-
rent structure, which has ting the coronavirus.
been in place since 2016,