WNBA players’ fight for salary increases in the ongoing collective-bargaining-agreement negotiations isn’t just about getting more money. Sky center Stefanie Dolson said the women want a better quality of life.
“A lot of the things that were in the CBA were not beneficial to us. Or they thought they were, but we’re now realizing that they aren’t,” said Dolson, who’s a player representative for the Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association. “It was more of a ‘Be happy there’s a league.’ And now it’s like the league is flourishing and we should be treated this way.”
Dolson is among the players, who make up more than half the league, who spend their offseason playing overseas to supplement their income. She said it’s frustrating that players are put in a position where they have to be thousands of miles away from their friends and families for several months.
“To be away from your family in a different country, it’s hard,” said Dolson, who played in China this past offseason. “It’s hard on your body. It’s hard on your mind. You have to be really tough to play over there because you’re lonely a lot. I’m a home body, I love being in America, but we have to get through it and tough it out and do it for your family and life.”
Furthermore, playing overseas puts women at a higher risk for injuries because they don’t have time to recover from the rigors of the WNBA season. Reigning league MVP Breanna Stewart tore her Achilles tendon in a EuroLeague game this season. Sky guard Kahleah Copper was limited in training camp last month because of a hand injury she suffered while playing in Turkey.
“It is a lot of wear and tear, and I don’t think people realize it,” Dolson said. “People are like, ‘Oh, it must be so nice to be an athlete,’ but it’s literally not true. You practice, you travel, you play, one day off. You do that every day.
“And to do it 365 days and then overseas, people don’t think about: One, we don’t have a lot of off days. Two, you’re playing in China or wherever, and you’re playing three games a week. It’s nonstop. It’s insane on the body. And the older we get, the harder it gets.”
In an ideal situation, Sky trainer Meghan Lockerby said WNBA players should have a minimum of four months off between seasons to focus on injuries or isolated weaknesses in intrinsic muscle groups.
“Because WNBA players don’t have a true offseason, their bodies don’t get the time to rest, recover and make the adjustments and proper gains that their male counterparts might be able to make in the NBA,” Lockerby said.
Guard Allie Quigley took only five days off after playing overseas in Italy before joining the Sky for training camp last month. Rookie Katie Lou Samuelson also had a quick turnaround between seasons. After playing in the Final Four for Connecticut, she had about a month to recuperate before joining the Sky.
Samuelson said she would have “absolutely” liked more time off between seasons.
“Anyone would want more time off,” she said. “It’s definitely challenging, but that’s kind of what you have to get used to as a player and get accustomed to.”
In most situations, players get paid significantly more in Europe and Asia. So why even play in the WNBA?
Dolson said the answer is simple.
“For me, it was my dream,” said Dolson, who also enjoys playing in front of her friends and family. “Coming up from a small town in upstate New York, you know, nobody from my school even went to college for any D-I sport. It’s always been my career that I wanted.”
Asked if she believes that one day WNBA players wouldn’t have to play overseas, Dolson shrugged.
“Who knows?” she said. “Hopefully.”
Listen to the full interview with Dolson on the Sun-Times’ new podcast, “Catching Up with Costabile and Kenney.”
