The Indiana Fever are back in action Tuesday night, just three days after this year's WNBA All-Star weekend festivities. If that sounds like a short break, it is, and Fever guard Sophie Cunningham issued a strong demand to commissioner Cathy Engelbert to do something about it.
Cunningham spoke to reporters during Sunday's practice media availability and echoed what a few other WNBA players have said regarding All-Stars' jam-packed schedule.
“I think they need to find a way to give us a little bit more of a break. You know, Kelsey (Mitchell), AB, and Caitlin (Clark), they didn’t really ever get a break," Cunningham said, at the 1:45 mark in the video. "They still had to go to practice, they had to do all that. These are the top players in our league. That’s what All-Star is all about, right? So, you kind of want to give them a break so you can get a good product out on the court. For me, I think they can find and cut two extra days somewhere for us to just relax and sleep.”
The elongated 44-game season in the W isn't doing players any favors, either. This year, Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has missed the most games (12, counting Tuesday's matchup against the New York Liberty) in her previously healthy career due to one injury after another. While the issue may be less about load management and more about bad luck, giving players a much-deserved break for All-Star weekend could be in commissioner Cathy Engelbert's best interest.
Cunningham also issued a stern message directed at the commissioner: "You can just tell Cathy to pay us, and then we can have discussions," when asked about playing 44 games.
WNBA All-Stars memorably stood together in an act of solidarity over the weekend amid ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations with the league. The players are seeking higher salaries and a bigger piece of the W's revenue—and they might be adding mandated rest during the All-Star break to the agenda, too.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sophie Cunningham Pitches All-Star Weekend Tweak to Help Caitlin Clark, Other Stars.
