Agreed, The WNBA Is A Dumpster Fire, But Not Over This Trade

When a sports league is so inept that it constantly trips over itself, even when it doesn’t do anything wrong, it gets bad press. No one is denying that the WNBA is the poster child for dumpster fires, but a recent trade between the Dallas Wings and the Las Vegas Aces is not one of those fires.

The fact that anyone even cares about the WNBA is because of one reason and one reason alone, and her name is Caitlin Clark. The WNBA has always been inept, losing millions of dollars every year, but nobody knew because nobody cared.

That would all change when Clark arrived, but the league did nothing to prepare for her arrival. The WNBA knew that Clark was going to be a big deal. Granted, they couldn’t have guessed that her arrival would be met with so much fanfare, but they knew she was going to be a major fan favorite.

So, what did they do? They gave the Indiana Fever, the team that drafted her, an incredibly tough schedule. They also did nothing to police the roughshod fouls that she was constantly exposed to. I’m not talking about the overzealous fouls that she was exposed to during the games, I’m talking about the fouls committed after the play. The truth is that the league did nothing to protect its cash cow.

Since Clark entered the league, she has sold out arenas and increased TV revenue by fifty percent. Teams now enjoy chartered flights rather than flying commercial, and with a new TV contract looming, salaries are bound to be on the rise. The league is even considering expansion, an idea that was previously nonexistent before Clark entered the league.

Clark has been a lightning rod of good fortune for the league, but they, like all dumpster fires, have continued to look that gift horse in the mouth. That said, even a broken clock is right twice a day, and the league is being criticized in this case for something it has no control over.

The Dallas Wings traded Nalyssa Smith to the Las Vegas Aces for a 2027 first-round pick. There is nothing unusual about the trade that I can see, except for the players’ reaction and the response by some people, which I believe is unwarranted.

This year, Smith is averaging a career low of 19 minutes per game. In those 19 minutes, she has averaged only 6.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.4 steals. Nothing mind-boggling at all. However, Smith then complained about the trade, something that is not usually done in basketball. After the trade, she posted on X:

“Sick to my stomach dawg, never saw this coming but .. i love you dallas nation, thank you 4 everything.”

According to Sports Illustrated, Smith felt sick because she’s in a relationship with Wing Guard Dijonai Carrington, who was also saddened by the trade. Even more puzzling than Smith, who in reality has been a non-factor for the Wings, speaking out, was the reaction of Tomi Lahren, who had this to say:

“I don’t care what any of y’all say, the WNBA is never going to be successful.” Adding that Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark, “can’t save it. Nobody can, so embarrassing.”

I respect Tomi Lahren, but what is she talking about?

One of the criticisms about the WNBA’s treatment of Caitlin Clark is that many of the players are lesbians and black, while Clark is a straight white girl. Whether the league wants to admit it or not, that tension is real.

It’s apparent that what Smith is most upset about is being traded away from her girlfriend. That cannot be allowed to play into the way a team conducts its business. Lahren’s statement is not only surprisingly out of place, it’s also disingenuous to criticize the league over Smith being upset over not being on the same team as her lesbian lover.

While the league can’t be criticized for this, it does expose yet another potential issue that the league may have to deal with. If the league does have a high percentage of lesbians, this may not be the only time a trade splits up lovers. This is not an issue that other sports are burdened with, and the last thing the WNBA needs is another minefield to navigate.