Tales of WNBA 2024 have been told enough to know things are looking up for the players. Viewership, media deal, soon-to-transpire CBA negotiations, and more recently, Unrivaled that came to the rescue. “The world has evolved since 2020, and we cannot afford to stand still,” Nneka Ogwumike had asserted, opting out of CBA, and it was evident they’d had enough. The players have been loud and consistent– well, even Family Guy picked it up. But in case anyone missed it, Caitlin Bickle is here to remind the absolute necessity for the change.
The Connecticut Suns forward recently sat down for a virtual interview with EssentiallySports’ own Andrew Whitelaw. Speaking of Unrivaled, he’d ask whether this was the most exciting era of women’s basketball, thanks to the arrival of growing interests, new initiatives, and new leagues. This led Bickle to confess.
“Yeah… It’s so hard because so many players have had to go overseas, you know, especially because the payment isn’t always great in the W,” she started. That’s a matter widely known because the W players have ensured to keep us in the loop. Angel Reese, for one, took it to X to reveal that her rookie-year salary hardly covered her rent. The Chicago Sky star is on a 4-year, $324,383 rookie contract that earned her $74,909 in the first year. For Bickle, it was even less, at $66,079. Even the highest-paid WNBA player, Jackie Young, is playing under a 2-year, $504,900 contract. But the real sting is the measures the insufficient salary has pushed players into.
“It’s been growing, and it’s been getting better, but so many players had to basically spend seven to eight months out of the year, in a different country across the world, not being around family, not doing anything,” adds Bickle on ES Exclusives. “And then you spend the other four or five months stressing to make sure you’re still on a team, you’re living in different states, you’re traveling every, you know. It’s just, it’s so much stuff.”
Bickle has herself traveled across Greece, Mexico, and Italy to know a fair bit of challenges playing overseas. This off-season, she played for the Italian club, San Martino, averaging 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. While she will be returning for the 2025 season with the Sun after accepting a qualifying offer in Jan, she knows the struggles of inconsistency and uncertainty. The 2019 NCCA champion has appeared in 8 games so far. But she speaks of a whole lot when she addresses overseas challenges.
Back in February 2024, it was reported that roughly half the WNBA’s 144 players competed internationally. Sure, notable names like Diana Taurasi have earned a geat deal, with the Russian Premier League reportedly offering 14 times more, but there have also been cases like that of Brittney Griner and Aisha Sheppard.
The former LV Aces star had to take it to social media to bring to light the poor conditions she’d had to deal with. “The daily realities of life abroad can be difficult-living in subpar conditions like mold, unreliable appliances, and lack of basic amenities,” she had stated. Sheppard would further reveal that there were times when she wasn’t compensated for months and was in a legal battle for $30,000 in salary back in November.
Staying away from family as Bickle, a Chicago-native, notes then only adds on to the issue. That’s something Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier has spoken about often. A mother herself, she has admitted to the struggles of long stays abroad and the possibilities of a player’s brand going dark once there. It is hence no wonder why Phee was struck with the idea of Unrivaled. Bickle is all here for it and she is seeing more than just money-making opportunities there.
Caitlin Bickle is all in for the newness that Unrivaled brings for players
It was back in 2022 that Napheesa Collier decided she wasn’t going to be playing abroad anymore. Griner’s detention sort of pulled the plug for her. “For me, it’s just not worth it,” she’d say. And here we are, with an all-new 3×3 league that prioritizes its players before all else. An estimated salary of $220,000, facilities considerate of players with kids, and around-the-clock access to training rooms– Phee and Breanna Stewart have ensured to hit the mark.
Sep 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) reacts during the first half against the Connecticut Sun of game one of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
“These great players are in a great facility, getting the treatment that they need. Like being surrounded by those that are going to make them better,” Caitlin Bickle adds in conversation with Whitelaw. But it isn’t all about the facilities at hand. It is the stage the league sets for growth with its format. The pace, the competitiveness, and an opportunity to compete alongside the W’s best, it is just the perfect off-season setting.
“And having that opportunity….. three on three is a completely different game than five on five, you know? Like, I don’t think people get that. It’s like not even close to being the same. And so I think that creates a little bit more of like a challenged time for some players… And so I think that’s like it’s a great time for growth for those players, and to be able to hone in on certain skills, or work on other ones that maybe you haven’t worked on before,” Bickle doubles down.
Angel Reese, might perhaps be one of the better examples of how the league worked wonders. The 2024 rookie, who ended her first W season on a disheartening note, showed what growth was on Unrivaled. The Chi-Town Barbie ended her season as the Defensive Player of the Year, a second-team All-Unrivaled selection, leading the league in rebounds, and recording the first 20/20 game in Unrivaled. She also took home an extra $50,000 bonus thanks to the Rose BC’s championship wining game.
Unrivaled may be the beginning of other domestic options helping WNBA players add to their net worth. Whether we see Bickle herself participate in the 3v3 competition in the future remains to be seen.
Stay tuned for more such updates, and here’s WNBA prodigy Caitlin Bickle’s candid take on the intense Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese rivalry and a lot more!
The post Connecticut Sun’s Caitlin Bickle Vents Difficulties of WNBA Salary & Rejoices Unrivaled’s Arrival (Exclusive) appeared first on EssentiallySports.