The Impact of NIL Deals for Women's College Basketball Players on the WNBA: Opportunities & Considerations
Image: CNK Daily
**UPDATE: Since this article was written, Haley Cavinder has decided to play college basketball again, and will join TCU for the 2024-25 season.**
The recent implementation of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies in college athletics has opened up new possibilities for all athletes. These policies allow athletes to monetize their personal brands through endorsement deals and sponsorships, and have reshaped the landscape of collegiate sports.
With the Women’s NCAA National Championship drawing in an astronomical 9.92 million viewers, according to ESPN, it has become apparent that women’s athletics are on an upswing. It also, along with the help of viral clips of gymnasts and TikTok fame of a few athletes (see Cavender Twins), catapulted the women’s sports from a bit of a niche to a worldwide audience, causing the young ladies involved to take the monumental leap from great players/participants to faces of the sport.
Looking deeper into the numbers, two LSU women athletes, namely gymnast Olivia Dunne and hooper Angel Reese, are in the top 5 of On3’s list of NIL Athlete Valuations.
That’s ALL athletes. Men and Women. ALL SPORTS.
Angel Reese of LSU has become the face of Reebok Basketball’s resurgence
One of the key benefits of NIL deals for women's athletes is the potential for increased visibility and exposure. We’ve seen some of the ladies on the pages of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit edition, and on numerous shows across all platforms. By leveraging their personal brands through social media, endorsements, appearances, and partnerships, these athletes can reach broader audiences and expand their personal fan bases. This increased visibility can also generate greater interest in women's sports as a whole and foster a stronger fan base while attracting more sponsorship opportunities for their professional endeavors or league. A larger following translates to higher viewership, increased attendance at games and events, and heightened interest from potential sponsors.
Increased exposure creates a clear path to the most obvious benefit: Money. Cash. Cheddar. Chicken. Guac.
FROM THE HANDSPRING…
But beyond the dollar and cents, athletes are now able to earn a large amount of money while maintaining their amateur status, which is a vital decision for gymnastic and track athletes, specifically. Prior to NIL implementation, athletes participating in “Olympic Sports” like the aforementioned, had to choose to go to college or sign contracts that made them a professional. These contracts would oftentimes include contingencies on them making their respective Olympic teams. Injuries, a bad day, or any other subjective feeling could go into the athlete not making the team, which diminishes, if not completely eliminates, their chance to make a living in that sport (see Vanessa Atler). Now, athletes like Dunne, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey can have $200k+ NIL valuations as collegiate athletes while pursuing Olympic dreams and possibly greener pastures, with that green being that of dollar bills.
Jordan Chiles has an NIL deal with Pottery Barn Teen amongst many others
…TO THE HARDWOOD
Furthermore, players who have already established their personal brands in college can seamlessly carry that momentum into their WNBA careers, creating a more marketable product for the league. As these athletes transition to the professional ranks, their increased visibility and fan bases could also contribute to the growth of the women's professional league as a whole.
…Or so it would seem… The spike in popularity and NIL valuations among women’s collegiate basketball poses an interesting dilemma for the WNBA.
There are numerous benefits associated with implementation of NIL deals into women’s amateur athletics, but one can only wonder what role this will play in the future of women’s professional sports.
Time will tell the impact that the lucrative NIL deals will have on the professional leagues.
Granted, NIL deals provide a platform and empowers women's college basketball players to gain financial independence and recognition for their skills and dedication. However, the challenge of inserting bonafide, multi-millionaire making stars may prove to be a hurdle when entering the pros.
In a Sporting News article published in May, the highest paid WNBA player in 2023 will earn just shy of $235,000 this season. In contrast, you would have to get to the eighth women’s collegiate athlete on On3’s list to find one with a valuation less than $235k. Players who achieve significant success in college may face high expectations and pressure to maintain or exceed that level of marketability in the WNBA, which, in turn places their market attraction in jeopardy if expectations are not met.
The ugly truth is there are currently only 144 roster spots in the entire WNBA. In 2023, less than half of the 36 ladies drafted were on opening day rosters. From a marketing standpoint, even if the ladies that were waived find their way back in the WNBA, which some have, their star power is decreased, at best. One can only hope that moving forward, players will have language in their contracts that allow the income from their deals to transition with them into the WNBA, and leave room for increase. We won’t see that until this current crop of collegiate, money making athletes hit the pros.
Popularity is a fickle metric. It is hard to gauge or maintain, and even more difficult to predict. At some point, the production on the field of play, or perception thereof, will either amplify or reduce an athlete’s impact in the marketplace. With social media and NIL deals, though, brands have the potential to provide remarkable opportunities for women athletes by enhancing their financial prospects and raising the profile of the sport. Though this will undoubtedly help the WNBA and other professional entities, how are these players earning potential protected? Is that the job of the leagues? Will more athletes see the writing on the wall, and take the route of the Cavender twins and leave to more lucrative, entertaining pastures outside of basketball?
The Cavinder Twins, Haley and Hanna, have capitalized on their immense popularity as collegiate athletes.
The advent of NIL deals for college athletes has revolutionized the landscape of women's sports by empowering athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness. These policies create a pathway for financial stability, increased visibility, and, hopefully, professional success. As the momentum of women's sports, specifically college basketball and the WNBA, continues to grow, it is essential to support and nurture these athletes' personal brands, and help solidify a bright future for women's sports on all levels.
While we celebrate the growth, it is also vital to examine and address potential effects NIL poses to the transition to professional career for the ladies. By proactively addressing these challenges, women's sports, especially the women’s basketball community, can harness the benefits of NIL deals while fostering an environment that supports the holistic development and success of the athletes.
