WBB: Chyra Evans to Portal
So. I’ve watched exactly 0% of women’s college basketball this year. But I have noticed all these transfers. Someone in the know tell me: is this bad and what does this mean for Michigan?
Bad, and Bad
Then what’s going on?
You can see if there are opportunities to get more playing time, to make more/some money, or have a better shot at championships. If nothing better comes along, you can decide to come back. In most cases there isn't much of a drawback to putting your name in the portal.
I said something similar in the Phelia thread. I’m honestly shocked we don’t see more players entering the portal just to see what other programs are willing to offer and maybe take them up on that offer.
I don’t think most fans realize that a lot of these players don’t grow up with the same emotional ties to the university that many of us have. I don’t know Laila Phelia’s background, but being from Cincy there’s a fair chance she didnt grow up rooting for UM and dreaming of playing here. So it’s unlikely she’s going to be very broken up about it if she takes a decent chunk of money to the bank to play elsewhere
For those with serious WNBA aspirations, I get it. But this is still a world class university with a world class alumni base we're talking about these young women potentially walking away from. When I faced that issue in the 90s, I had to have an honest conversation with myself about my future, and I knew I better secure it academically.
The value of a college degree has changed significantly over the past few decades as hiring practices have changed. It’s not as regional as it used to be. For a female basketball player, saying they went to Michigan for a year or two and then graduating from UConn, Baylor, South Carolina, Iowa, etc isn’t going to significantly change their job prospects if they are unable to go pro.
I hate to break it to you, but the world-class university stuff is largely just for narrative purposes. The actual value of a Michigan degree compared to a degree from say UConn or Tennessee isn’t all that different in the job market. It’s not like she’s going to end up flipping burgers if she goes to a school that isn’t UofM.
Catlin Clark from IOWA the #1 pick says what?
I don’t think most fans realize that a lot of these players don’t grow up with the same emotional ties to the university that many of us have.
Fair point. However, many Michigan athletes didn't grow up with UM ties, yet they became ardent UM supporters during their time here. They may not have been born one, but they became one.
So if Phelia hasn't become one after three years of wearing that uniform, and playing with teammates who are busting their butts in front of the crowds at Crisler, she ain't going to become one. If she doesn't want to be here, then leave.
I’m sure she loves the school, her teammates and her time here. But being that it’s only been three years of her life there’s probably a dollar amount that would take her elsewhere, especially if it meant competing for a title.
As much as you can point to former players starting to bleed maize and blue, it’s still different when you compare them to teammates who grew up bleeding maize and blue. Not everyone is as emotionally invested in the school as some of us are, especially 18-22 year olds and that’s okay.
Once you enter the portal, your spot on the team is up for grabs. There are def draw backs if you go in without a plan or a place you know you can transfer.
Does this basically mean no women's NIL? Because the women's team is competitive and generally, competitive plus good academics plus some NIL will keep 80% of players. Something seems amiss.
The problem is that the only way these women get NIL is if it’s legitimate NIL, like how it was intended to be used, i.e. Caitlyn Clark being in State Farm commercials.
People might not like it and might even see it as sexist but there is no good reason to pay any WBB player NIL from a collective. The WBB program brings in less money than they spend already. Even men’s basketball barely turns a profit at most schools. Now are we supposed to siphon away money that could go to football or men’s basketball for a net negative sport?
The truth is, is that there are very few teams in the country that are paying women’s basketball players NIL. I don’t know why so many of these players are leaving but most if not all of them will end up at place that will pay them virtually nothing.
Where does it end? Does the school need to tap into the collective funds to make sure we don’t lose a star field hockey player?
What NIL has now become is incredibly stupid. If somebody has legitimate marketability and can use that to make money, then more power to them but pretending like us fans need to donate money to a collective so that our women’s basketball team can maybe make it to the second weekend in March is stupid.
It’s already stupid that you have to do it for the football team, but at least with them they are making the university money and bringing the school recognition and applications. So there is a decent return on the NIL investment.
So there is a decent return on the NIL investment.
How is NIL an "investment" for most of these collectives and mega-donors? How are they getting anything *back* for their "investment" for the most part? Yes, there are instances of companies actually using these students as part of their *legitimate* marketing (e.g. the State Farm Caitlyn Clark and the Dr. Pepper Caleb Williams commercials), but most NIL is not so straightforward.
You are getting a return in that a product you enjoy becomes better and therefore more enjoyable which will also have the effect of more people donating. Women’s basketball, which doesn’t have a lot of fans, has less of a pool of people who might be interested in seeing them succeed and therefore doesn’t raise much money.
To put it simply:
more football success= more NIL donations = better players = more football success
You forget that the majority of NIL is given to collectives who distribute the money in the way they best see fit.
Giving money to a WBB player does not have a good ROI because a much smaller amount of people care about the success of the WBB team. People, by and large, do not donate to collectives in order to pay the women’s basketball team.
I’m sorry if some people don’t like it but it’s the truth.
NIL isn’t an infinite pile of money that anyone can reach into and grab out of. It’s a limited resource that has to be used wisely in order to make our most important teams successful.
Would you rather have our elite defensive players return to the football team or would you rather us keep the WBB team together? Who should we be willing to give up on the football team in order for us to have a first weekend exit in the women’s tournament? Should we sacrifice Kenneth Grant for the WBB team?
That’s essentially what people are asking when they wonder why we don’t have any WBB NIL.
April 11th, 2024 at 11:03 AM ^
You are getting a return in that a product you enjoy becomes better and therefore more enjoyable which will also have the effect of more people donating.
That is not ROI (which is explicitly the financial return from a financial investment). What you describe is still just donations towards a sport program, only using a different mechanism.
I HIGHLY doubt Evans is looking for a “bag” in the portal. Plus she’s from Australia so I don’t think she’s even eligible for NIL dollars. Players are departing at a rapid rate! Either KBA has an ace up her sleeve or things may be rough next season.
That’s the point I made in my first reply. There aren’t that many programs who are actually paying NIL for WBB players. Even CC wasn’t making much of anything from NIL collectives(Granted she is making a ton from actual NIL like State Farm).
It doesn’t make sense that this would be an NIL issue because there isn’t that much WBB NIL out there.
Wonder about those two great commits. Will they back out? Who are they going to play with???
By total minutes played:
Laila Phelia 1160 (junior, 6-0 guard, portal)
- Jordan Hobbs 989 (junior, 6-3 guard)
Lauren Hansen 963 (graduate school, 5-9 guard - out of eligibility)
Elissa Brett 850 (graduate school, 6-0 guard - out of eligibility)
Chyra Evans 731 (sophomore, 6-2 forward - portal)
Cameron Williams 608 (senior, 6-3 forward - portal - still has COVID year)
Elise Stuck 306 (senior, 6-1 swing - portal - still has COVID year)
- Greta Kampschroeder 293 (junior, 6-1 guard)
Taylor Woodson 280 (freshman, 6-0 forward - portal)
Taylor Williams 274 (graduate school, 6-2 forward - portal - still has COVID year)
- Alyssa Crockett 200 (sophomore, 6-2 forward)
- Macy Brown 121 (freshman, 6-0 guard, didn't make rotation)
- Whitney Sollom 75 (senior, 6-4 forward - still has COVID year, but has never made the rotation)
Down to five players on the roster, assuming Sollom didn't receive the handshake. That's 1678 minutes returning from 34 games (49.4 per game), Hobbs being the only player with starting experience last season (she started all 34 games).
What was looking like a team that could challenge for the Big Ten title lost two starters today and a key reserve a few days ago. Hopefully, the top recruits aren't answering the phone right now, because other coaches must be sensing an opportunity.
We talk about teams making the jump to serious national threat. Michigan seemed to have that opportunity, but without Phelia and Evans back, obviously that's not happening.
Stop the bleeding!
Get KBA some NIL for petes sakes and STAT!
Fallout
Fallout from what is the question.
April 10th, 2024 at 12:54 PM ^
Maybe KBA is heading to Stanford and that's why all the girls are heading to the portal?
April 10th, 2024 at 12:59 PM ^
They've long had her replacement in waiting on staff at Stanford, thankfully. I wondered this last night, but then read the press release Stanford put out.
"Negotiations are underway with Kate Paye, who played under VanDerveer from 1991-95 and has been a member of her staff for the past 17 seasons, to become VanDerveer's successor. Paye would become the program's fifth head coach beginning with the 2024-25 season"
I hope her van DoERsn't veer that way