Los Angeles Lakers star
LeBron James believes the structure of women's college
basketball is set up to continue building on the
explosion in popularity the sport has enjoyed this season. On his Mind the Game podcast with JJ Redick, James pointed to how stars are required to spend four — in some instances just three — years in college before they can move on to the WNBA. He also pointed to the frequency of transfers in the men's game, which makes it more difficult to follow individual players. "In the women's game, you have the ability to build your legacy and build your rapport and brand with that fanbase, with that community," the four-time NBA MVP said before listing off a number of legends. "... You're watching these girls year after year after year continue to grow." Whenever an underclassman in women's basketball emerges as a star, a common lament expressed by many fans, including James, is that players don't have the same career flexibility as their men's peers. I'm sitting here after watching the WNBA draft the other day and wondering WHY THE HELL do those young ladies have to stay in school for 4 years before being able to go pro??!!! I'm CONFUSED 🤔 A significant reason for the WNBA's age minimum is the scarcity of roster spots. There are only a maximum of 144 slots in a given year, and the actual number is typically lower than that because teams will carry 11 players instead of 12 due to the league's hard salary cap. It's not uncommon for a first-round draft pick in the WNBA to get cut after just one season or not even make the final roster as a rookie. Adding more college players to the pool would only exacerbate an already difficult situation. James hit on some other positive effects of the WNBA's age limit. The college game is simply better, both in terms of quality and from a narrative view, when a Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese stays for four years instead of bolting for the pros after one. Rivalries grow and individual schools can build their own identity. The players, meanwhile, benefit from the visibility they receive thanks to the broad reach of college basketball, which is achieving a critical mass . Whereas they once had nothing tangible to show from that, the biggest stars can earn significant sums through NIL deals. Maybe there comes a time when the WNBA relaxes its age minimum or goes all the way to a one-and-done rule like the NBA. For now, the status quo isn't too bad.