The WNBA shoots itself in the foot with one longstanding rule
Self inflicted
The WNBA’s stock has pointed up in the last several years, and there are reasons to believe that it will continue in a positive direction for a long time. With that said, there is one rule holding the league back that could have given it an extra dose of appeal in the past, or could spice things up moving forward.
The Caitlin Clark factor
Most sports fans would point to the arrival of Caitlin Clark as the impetus for the WNBA’s meteoric rise in the 2020s. Her set of skills has put an unprecedented amount of attention on the league, and on the Indiana Fever. As noted by Just Women’s Sports, her Indiana Fever jersey sold out an hour after she was selected as the number one overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Limitations
As broken down by Keith Jenkins of ESPN, players from the United States must turn at least 22 years old during the year which the draft takes place. In lieu of that, a player could also graduate from a four-year college within three months of the draft, or be four years removed from their high school graduation. Regardless of which method of entry a player looks into, they will likely be around 22 years old at minimum when they join the WNBA, as Clark was when she was drafted.
Global rules
The protocols are a little bit different for international prospects, as they must be at least 20 years old during the year they are drafted.
Variation
The NBA’s rules are a little different. Marca notes that a player is eligible for the NBA Draft if their 19th birthday occurs during or before the calendar year of the draft, if they have graduated from high school in the United States, completed four years of college eligibility, or signed a contract for a professional basketball team outside the U.S. and played under that contract.
Bottom line
While the NBA’s rules are a little more convoluted, they’ve been much more flexible in allowing younger prospects to join the league than the WNBA.
Thought exercise
It’s interesting to think about the massive following Clark gained during her four years at the University of Iowa. Every game was must-see TV, and she had the potential to do something that had never been seen before in the women’s game. It’s interesting to wonder if Clark could’ve done the same things she’s doing now in the WNBA at age 21 or 20, or even younger.
Moot point?
Even if the WNBA changed their eligibility rules, there’s a chance it wouldn’t matter much now. Name, image and likeness rules in the college game give collegiate players the chance to earn substantial sums of money that far exceed their WNBA contract value. A change to the rule likely would have been more impactful in a previous decade, when college players were not allowed to make money in this fashion.
Waiting for Watkins
Perhaps the current women’s collegiate player that the WNBA wishes it could accelerate the clock on the most is Juju Watkins of the University of South California. Unfortunately, Watkins tore her ACL in a March Madness game in 2025, which may force her to miss most if not all of the 2026 college basketball season.
Bad Juju
It’s terrible luck for a player who was dominating the 2025 campaign along with UConn’s Paige Bueckers, who was drafted first overall by the Dallas Wings in April. It’s possible Watkins’ Southern California team would have won the title instead of Bueckers’ Huskies.
Mutual respect
While the NBA and NCAA men’s basketball have often been at odds with one another over their eligibility rules, it seems like the WNBA has a greater respect for the women’s product. Yanking players out of women’s college basketball after their freshman season would damage the collegiate product, and turn it into as much of a transactional situation as the men’s side.
Strategy
Cat Ariall of SBNation had a different take on the matter. She believes the WNBA’s rule is also in place to protect veteran players’ jobs. It might be tempting for franchises to trend towards younger players at lower salaries if the rules were different.
Sticking up for the rule
While there are many downsides that come to mind regarding the WNBA’s current eligibility rule, there is one huge plus. Generally, players who spend more time in college have a longer opportunity to hone their skills, as well as mature as people. There are a lot of examples of teenage NBA prospects who flamed out in the league not because of their skill set, but because of their approach.
