On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the latest in the growing battle for women’s soccer supremacy between the NWSL and England.
First, however, they talk about the biggest NBA story of the offseason. Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was reportedly promised $28 million as part of a sponsorship deal with a startup backed by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Journalist Pablo Torre, who broke the story, said the endorsement piece was an attempt at salary cap circumvention by the NBA team. In response, the NBA hired a law firm to conduct an investigation.
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The hosts mull over the big questions. Would Ballmer try something so brazen? If so, how big of a deal is it for the NBA? Is salary cap circumvention common in the league? And if the investigation exonerates Ballmer, will fans accept that outcome?
Next they talk about Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, raising money at a $340 million valuation. Heading into its second season, Unrivaled has already disrupted women’s basketball, with the league’s specter looming large in WNBA labor talks. They compare the $340 million with the WNBA’s $1 billion valuation from 2022.
They close with a discussion of the NWSL vs. WSL. Alyssa Thompson, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NWSL draft, recently left Angel City for Chelsea. Trinity Rodman could soon follow. Thompson’s move highlights a growing battle in the growth of women’s soccer. Both leagues are vying to be the best women’s soccer league in the world, and the NWSL’s salary structure—even with the new CBA—may make it harder to compete for top-tier talent moving forward.
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