Lynx basketball could be a reality in a little more than a month
Some sports leagues, like NASCAR, have already gotten off the ground in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but nearly every single one is working on building plans to safely return in some capacity. The WNBA announced Monday it’s setting its sights on a late-July start with a 22-game regular season at a single site in Florida.
IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla, would host training camp and games and house players and staff starting in early July. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told the Associated Press she’s eyeing a July 24 start date. Players will be paid in full with full health benefits, “assuming the league is able to complete both the regular season and playoffs,” according to the New York Times.
There is no firm start date for either training camp for regular season games. Details for broadcasts have also not been revealed. Teams would compete in the 22 games over about two-and-a-half months, or roughly three games a week. Players with five or more years of experience can bring a plus-one, like a spouse, but have to pay for that person’s lodging and food. Once the WNBA semifinals start, every player is permitted a plus-one.
While the league’s 12 teams are proudly proclaiming, “We’re back,” Lynx head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve explicitly stated that players will continue to focus on social justice and activism as basketball gets underway. Just as protesters in Minneapolis say their presence and voices to apply pressure to elected officials to make significant change will not wane, the same goes for the Lynx.
“We are excited to learn more details on the footprint of the 2020 WNBA season and look forward to getting started,” Reeve said in a statement. “Though we will soon be starting the WNBA season, our team is committed to continuing the conversation around the racial injustice issues that permeate our society. It is important that we use our voices to amplify the inequities that black and brown people face every day and we will work tirelessly to address these issues, particularly, issues pertaining to police brutality, especially in Minneapolis.”
WNBA players have been leaders in sports in speaking out against racism and injustice. Four-time WNBA champion with the Lynx, Maya Moore, is continuing her sabbatical aimed at criminal justice and prosecutorial misconduct reform into her second year. It’s possible players, like the ones included on a conference with the NBA’s Kyrie Irving, could decide that this watershed moment in addressing racial inequality could be too compelling to continue playing basketball under coronavirus circumstances.
Players have until June 25 to let their teams know if they are opting into playing the 2020 season. It’s unclear if, let alone which, players could be sitting out; 77 percent of players voted in favor of the agreement
The 2020 WNBA season was projected to be one of growth and harnessing momentum. Star players like Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird and Angel McCoughtry were slated to return from injury to make a championship run that much more challenging. The league was also coming off what officials hope will be a transformative collective bargaining agreement that increased total compensation by 53 percent and added protections and support services players had long advocated for.
The Lynx were originally scheduled to start the 36-game regular season May 15 vs. the Chicago Sky. They have made the playoffs nine straight seasons and finished with a +.500 record over the same span.
