The WNBA didn’t waste anytime returning to the courtroom after the Paris Olympics and the fast turnaround following the Summer time Video games is one thing gamers could look to alter within the subsequent collective bargaining settlement.
Groups began taking part in video games 4 days after the Paris Video games ended, together with Breanna Stewart and New York Liberty, who opened up in Los Angeles — a nine-hour time distinction after her time in France.
“I feel that even in a non-Olympic yr, you concentrate on All-Star, it’s like, all people wants a while after All-Star break, or it’s not a break. So attempting to form of push that into the CBA, I feel can be actually essential,” she informed The Related Press. “Particularly following the Olympics, as a result of we’ve by no means had an Olympics in a 40-game season, besides this season.”
Gamers or the league may decide out of the present CBA on the finish of this season.
The fast turnaround, nonetheless, didn’t appear to harm New York, which had 4 gamers and its head coach competing within the Paris Video games. The Liberty swept a pair of video games from Los Angeles and Las Vegas to stay solidly atop the standings and clinch a playoff spot.
Stewart understands the league, which has all this momentum behind it, doesn’t need to go longer with out having video games after taking the break.
“From the W’s perspective, I’m positive they’re like, properly, we don’t need to be not displaying video games for a complete month or a month plus. However on the identical time, understanding the gamers’ perspective I feel is basically essential,” she stated. “It’s wild, from Paris to the West Coast, so it’s similar to, not a perfect scenario.”
The Liberty ahead stated “sadly” gamers are put in conditions like these rather a lot.
“It’s like, onto the following, onto the following, onto the following, the place we form of even actually have a good time what we did, of successful a gold medal, as a lot as you’d need to.”
Las Vegas Aces cut up its first two video games and A’ja Wilson would have beloved just a few extra days to get well after serving to the U.S. win it’s eighth consecutive gold medal. Las Vegas was one of many fortunate groups that didn’t begin play till Saturday.
“I undoubtedly wanted a while to decompress. Taking part in USAB (is) an entire different thought and thoughts course of that you simply won’t essentially need to exert that a lot vitality if you play together with your respective staff,” Wilson stated. “So undoubtedly wanted simply a few days simply to form of decompress, whether or not that’s simply get again into the stream of issues, or simply get my toes beneath me, as a result of that was a very long time away with plenty of simply backwards and forwards.”
Wilson stated she’d be in favor of the gamers discussing getting extra day off.
“I feel if it’s a likelihood for us to go to the desk and say, ‘Hey, we should always get extra relaxation time,’ even when it’s … simply a few days. It’s loopy to see gamers play contemporary off of a aircraft in a way. So yeah, I don’t thoughts asking for that.”
Phoenix, Chicago and Los Angeles all performed three video games in a four-day span to tipoff the second half of their seasons.
Thankfully from the Olympics standpoint, the following one is in Los Angeles, so journey will likely be much less of a problem for USAB gamers.