Rae Burrell Update from Kellie

#429
#429
Vols2015 said:
I may be wrong, but I think Rae will come back next year. I think she feels like she missed a lot of this season. I’m okay with that. 😄
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Selfishly, I agree.

Does the WNBA, like the NBA, draft for development? Or does a player need to be a more finished product? Alot will depend on how she closes out the year, but do we think present day Rae will be a high draftee? If not, maybe Europe would be an option for her. I wish her the best but sure hope she comes back!
 
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#430
#430
glv98 said:
Selfishly, I agree.

Does the WNBA, like the NBA, draft for development? Or does a player need to be a more finished product? Alot will depend on how she closes out the year, but do we think present day Rae will be a high draftee? If not, maybe Europe would be an option for her. I wish her the best but sure hope she comes back!
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I find that they need to be ready to play. They will not hesitate to cut first round draft picks. Staying on the roster is like a blood bath. I'd say it's one of the most difficult leagues to make a team.

This is a fairly weak draft, so it might be a stretch for anyone outside of the top 10 or so to make a team.
 
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#431
#431
IMO Rae needs to come back and work on some things, if she is serious about making a WNBA roster.
 
#433
#433
And1 said:
IMO Rae needs to come back and work on some things, if she is serious about making a WNBA roster.
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It's a double edged sword. Even with improvement, she's likely a second round pick next season with all of the talented players that will be entering the draft. Even though she's not playing that well, she's still pretty much a first round lock this season.
 
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#436
#436
Amb3096 said:
It's a double edged sword. Even with improvement, she's likely a second round pick next season with all of the talented players that will be entering the draft. Even though she's not playing that well, she's still pretty much a first round lock this season.
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I realize how little I know about the WNBA! Is there a signing bonus for being a first rounder? I know, as you said, first rounders get cut and roster spots are hard to come by. So what advantage is there to being a first rounder this year as opposed to being a better player in the second round next year with a better chance to make a team?
 
#437
#437
Amb3096 said:
I find that they need to be ready to play. They will not hesitate to cut first round draft picks. Staying on the roster is like a blood bath. I'd say it's one of the most difficult leagues to make a team.

This is a fairly weak draft, so it might be a stretch for anyone outside of the top 10 or so to make a team.
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This is actually something I feel that some people either overlook, make assumptions about, or even willfully ignore when talking about someone "going to the WNBA." I think a lot of the misunderstanding people have comes from assuming it's similar to the NBA draft, in both its rookie pay structure, the appetite teams have to sink money into potential future performance, the stability of teams, etc. I don't think that going pro early in the women's game is as clear cut a decision as people think it is. Well, unless they're going for that overseas money. I recall they can double or triple their pay by going overseas.
 
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#438
#438
Voltopia said:
Well, unless they're going for that overseas money. I recall they can double or triple their pay by going overseas.
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At this point, overseas may be Rae's best option. I guess it depends on whether she's just ready to move on from college life.

Silly me keeps having visions of Horston, Rae, and Rickea Jackson dancing in my head . . .
 
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#439
#439
glv98 said:
I realize how little I know about the WNBA! Is there a signing bonus for being a first rounder? I know, as you said, first rounders get cut and roster spots are hard to come by. So what advantage is there to being a first rounder this year as opposed to being a better player in the second round next year with a better chance to make a team?
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$70K top money 💰 for draftees.
 
#441
#441
glv98 said:
Does 70K start with the #1 Draftee and work it's way down? Is that a bonus or the salary?
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Someone posted a chart recently. It was graduated slightly, every five picks or so, but all were within about $2K, and the scale escalated about +1 K over the next couple of years.
 
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#442
#442
The salaries for the first three years in the WNBA are $60K to $72K/yr. No signing bonuses. Rennia Davis signed for $64/K. Aja Wilson made $70K during her recent third year as a pro. Very few players make over $200K/yr. The top players can obviously take home a lot more due to endorsements, but most of the others have to play overseas in the winter to make a decent living. The average career of a WNBA player is about 5 years. The salary cap for each team is $1.3M, which is one reason teams often carry a roster of eleven players even though they're allowed twelve.
 
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#446
#446
glv98 said:
I realize how little I know about the WNBA! Is there a signing bonus for being a first rounder? I know, as you said, first rounders get cut and roster spots are hard to come by. So what advantage is there to being a first rounder this year as opposed to being a better player in the second round next year with a better chance to make a team?
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What I meant about 1st rounders being cut is with regards to team's willing to invest. It's rare that they will cut them the first year during the season, except in extenuating circumstances. But they will have no issue waiving you in the off season if you aren't meeting their needs. Being a first rounder will at least give you that sense of security the first year. 2nd/3rd rounders have an uphill climb to make a roster, especially if the team's have multiple 1st round picks. They're competing with the first rounders and all the players that were waived the previous season that went overseas and got stronger. It's a vicious cycle, because unless you are someone like a Bueckers or Boston, you probably don't have enough built-in goodwill where management will be forgiving if you are having a hard time adjusting. Look at Charli Collier from last season. She was the #1 pick, and I wouldn't be surprised if Dallas waives her this season.

Voltopia said:
This is actually something I feel that some people either overlook, make assumptions about, or even willfully ignore when talking about someone "going to the WNBA." I think a lot of the misunderstanding people have comes from assuming it's similar to the NBA draft, in both its rookie pay structure, the appetite teams have to sink money into potential future performance, the stability of teams, etc. I don't think that going pro early in the women's game is as clear cut a decision as people think it is. Well, unless they're going for that overseas money. I recall they can double or triple their pay by going overseas.
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Yup, but I think that there are a ton more international opportunities, even for "reasonably good but middle of the pack" players. The money won't be great unless you have some serious WNBA credentials to back you up, but it's better preparation for taking another shot at the WNBA if you have more time to dedicate to conditioning and skills and not be burdened by academic obligations. I'm sure there are those that want to be done with school and start earning. Even if you're getting say 60-70k for the WNBA and that same amount overseas, that's not a bad living for a 23-year old. It's physically demanding and will be intense, but could open the door to more money later down the road.
 
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#447
#447
Amb3096 said:
'm sure there are those that want to be done with school and start earning.
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Thanks for all the great info. Sounds like as of now, international play would be Rae's best bet if she does feel done with school and college basketball.

It's also possible, and probably my selfish point of view taking over, that Rae will feel there was something left undone in this crazy season and want to make it right next season.
 
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#448
#448
glv98 said:
Thanks for all the great info. Sounds like as of now, international play would be Rae's best bet if she does feel done with school and college basketball.

It's also possible, and probably my selfish point of view taking over, that Rae will feel there was something left undone in this crazy season and want to make it right next season.
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The biggest risk Rae has with the WNBA is her plummeting stock, falling to the 2nd round and then getting cut in training camp. Then she'd go international. If she gets drafted in the first round, I could see her sticking on a roster.

I agree that a lot times we hope that the players will take the team's best interest vs. theirs in deciding if they should move on. Realistically, the best unfinished business for Rae is finishing 2nd in the SEC, maybe an E8. SC will still be the prohibitive favorite next season. I can see if she thought that Tennessee had a puncher's chance at a NC, but that's a longshot at best.
 
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#449
#449
Amb3096 said:
The biggest risk Rae has with the WNBA is her plummeting stock, falling to the 2nd round and then getting cut in training camp. Then she'd go international. If she gets drafted in the first round, I could see her sticking on a roster.

I agree that a lot times we hope that the players will take the team's best interest vs. theirs in deciding if they should move on. Realistically, the best unfinished business for Rae is finishing 2nd in the SEC, maybe an E8. SC will still be the prohibitive favorite next season. I can see if she thought that Tennessee had a puncher's chance at a NC, but that's a longshot at best.
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Idk about you guys but I couldn’t wait to graduate college and start making money.
 
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#450
#450
stlvolsfan said:
Idk about you guys but I couldn’t wait to graduate college and start making money.
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I'm wondering how many would feel that way if it involved leaving all family and friends, moving overseas where you don't speak the language, and put into whatever housing you're given, all during a pandemic with uncertain travel.

Also, the WNBA's most recent CBA has complicated phased-in prioritization requirements whereby players who've been in the league >2 years have to report by the beginning of training camp or they're fined a substantial amount or suspended for the season. Since the playing seasons of many overseas leagues run into the beginning of the WNBA season, it's going to be more difficult to combine overseas play with a WNBA career.
 
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