The AP Poll lets in new teams when the WNBA won't
So thankful BG is finally safely home.
The News
Cathy Engelbert reined in the WNBA's position on expansion this past week, frustrating some fans while feeding a litany of social media accounts that now get even more bites at the "Where should the WNBA expand to?" apple.
The update of course fueled talk about what it cost to bring in the league's most recent expansion team, the Atlanta Dream, who joined the W starting in the 2008 season. Reporting at the time from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (and again a couple years later at the time of his desire to sale) indicated the cost to original owner Ron Terwilliger was $10 million total, with an up-front cost of $1 million, another $1 million over the course of the first four years, and the remaining balance in installments from then on out, based on the "team's financial performance."
Since then, the maximum player salary has more than doubled, and seemingly the WNBA's value has grown too. It's probably not a coincidence that Cathy's new expansion target of 2025 happens to coincide with what would be the beginning of a new media rights deal for the women's NCAA Tournament and the end of the WNBA's current deal with ESPN, so it would be expected that the league already established a new media rights deal well before that point.
The AP Poll
- South Carolina stayed at No. 1 in the AP Poll this week, marking their 26th consecutive week there, tied for 5th-longest all-time, matching the Texas Longhorns' run at the top across nearly all of 1985 and 1986.
- This week St. John's joined the Top 25 for the first time since 2015, making them the 34th team to be ranked at least once this season. With still one more poll left in 2022, only three seasons have seen more programs ranked before January.
- 2012-13: 36
- 2016-17: 36
- 2001-02: 35
- 1991-92: 34
- 2008-09: 34
- 2009-10: 34
- 2022-23: 34
The Timeline
There's no way to overstate what Ari Chambers brings to and out of the basketball world:
https://twitter.com/ariivory/status/1603484897749917696
https://twitter.com/ariivory/status/1603832210397622272
Ben Pickman is doing incredible stuff with his overseas work:
https://twitter.com/benpickman/status/1603493677585817624
How about Drexel's Keishana Washington?
https://twitter.com/HighlightHER/status/1604640211123806209
https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessWBB/status/1604662312480411648
And One
It was 30 years ago today Amy Lundquist set the NCAAW (all divisions) record with 15 blocked shots in a game while playing for Loyola Marymount. During the 1994 offseason she transferred to DePaul to be closer to home (Wisconsin) and play for Doug Bruno and alongside some future pros including Latasha Byears, Mfon Udoka, and Kim Williams.
Her 15 blocked shots stood as the single-game record until 2005, when Sandora Irvin notched 16 as part of a record-setting triple-double while playing at TCU.
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