[BillBradley]

Agree also, but I don't think it happens. There is a financial element to getting a player of this caliber, just like Betts. I don't think she gets the financial reward for coming to Stanford. Maybe Tara has put her foot down after losing Betts and the powers that be have changed their ways, but I doubt it. On top of that, there's admissions. Has she already been accepted? Otherwise, she wouldn't put the do not contact out there. Seems like a long shot.

So here's a question. Apologies if someone else has already asked it. Would Cam hit the portal after her senior year to go pick up a year of big NIL money? She'd make more than going to the WNBA for that year. Go buddy up with a couple besties in a system where she can play on the perimeter, make a run at the title, work on a masters, and make a bunch of money doing it?

I doubt it. Why are we assuming the national brands wouldn’t go with the player to the WNBA? If you have a Nike, Adidas, Puma, Bose deal, etc., these deals will follow you to the WNBA plus your salary in the WNBA or in Turkey. You’d have to be making a lot of money via the college collective to justify it. I don’t know UConn’s or LSU’s deal. S.Carolina and Texas Tech publicly disclosed the $25,000/player minimum numbers. Cori indicated her top players (Charisma, Kiki) could receive upwards $70,000 but I imagine most players are on the low end of her scale. UCLA probably has great alumni support but when I lived in Los Angeles many moons ago, you could jump seat to seat at every USC and UCLA home game and not encounter too many fans (and they had very competitive teams then). Maybe fan engagement and $$$ potential has changed dramatically? LA is a tricky market for pro or collegiate teams other than the Lakers and USC.


Re: Tara putting her foot down after Betts departure

Seems pretty clear Tara was the problem not $$$ or Stanford or her teammates who she just vacationed with

I think your $$$ info is dated. Agree the problem wasn't Stanford or her teammates, which is what I said. I also don't think it was Tara because as expressed earlier I'm pretty sure she knew all about Tara and her system and Cam and her PT before she signed. Sure they are all factors, but there's a lot of money to be made and that's a major factor as to why these star players are transferring. 

Totally agree, Nike isn't going to leave her. But the NIL collective deal is only a part of the transfer equation. The other part, that is potentially way more valuable, is the actual popularity/exposure. You just don't get much of that at Stanford. Cam has a few hundred thousand followers, playing in the sports fan echo chamber of Stanford and the Bay Area. Paige Bueckers has over a million on Instagram alone. Imagine the effect on Cam's NIL deals if she transfers to UConn. The transfer alone is worth way more than her first year WNBA salary. And this is from someone who wants, and is, a social media influencer. Plus, those followers aren't just there for a year. For an influencer, they are an ongoing river of gold. Look at Bueckers - she makes over a million a year in NIL. It was really hard for me to get my mind around it, but this stuff is real.

[BillBradley]

Agree also, but I don't think it happens. There is a financial element to getting a player of this caliber, just like Betts. I don't think she gets the financial reward for coming to Stanford. Maybe Tara has put her foot down after losing Betts and the powers that be have changed their ways, but I doubt it. On top of that, there's admissions. Has she already been accepted? Otherwise, she wouldn't put the do not contact out there. Seems like a long shot.

So here's a question. Apologies if someone else has already asked it. Would Cam hit the portal after her senior year to go pick up a year of big NIL money? She'd make more than going to the WNBA for that year. Go buddy up with a couple besties in a system where she can play on the perimeter, make a run at the title, work on a masters, and make a bunch of money doing it?

I doubt it. Why are we assuming the national brands wouldn’t go with the player to the WNBA? If you have a Nike, Adidas, Puma, Bose deal, etc., these deals will follow you to the WNBA plus your salary in the WNBA or in Turkey. You’d have to be making a lot of money via the college collective to justify it. I don’t know UConn’s or LSU’s deal. S.Carolina and Texas Tech publicly disclosed the $25,000/player minimum numbers. Cori indicated her top players (Charisma, Kiki) could receive upwards $70,000 but I imagine most players are on the low end of her scale. UCLA probably has great alumni support but when I lived in Los Angeles many moons ago, you could jump seat to seat at every USC and UCLA home game and not encounter too many fans (and they had very competitive teams then). Maybe fan engagement and $$$ potential has changed dramatically? LA is a tricky market for pro or collegiate teams other than the Lakers and USC.


Re: Tara putting her foot down after Betts departure

Seems pretty clear Tara was the problem not $$$ or Stanford or her teammates who she just vacationed with

I think your $$$ info is dated. Agree the problem wasn't Stanford or her teammates, which is what I said. I also don't think it was Tara because as expressed earlier I'm pretty sure she knew all about Tara and her system and Cam and her PT before she signed. Sure they are all factors, but there's a lot of money to be made and that's a major factor as to why these star players are transferring. 

Totally agree, Nike isn't going to leave her. But the NIL collective deal is only a part of the transfer equation. The other part, that is potentially way more valuable, is the actual popularity/exposure. You just don't get much of that at Stanford. Cam has a few hundred thousand followers, playing in the sports fan echo chamber of Stanford and the Bay Area. Paige Bueckers has over a million on Instagram alone. Imagine the effect on Cam's NIL deals if she transfers to UConn. The transfer alone is worth way more than her first year WNBA salary. And this is from someone who wants, and is, a social media influencer. Plus, those followers aren't just there for a year. For an influencer, they are an ongoing river of gold. Look at Bueckers - she makes over a million a year in NIL. It was really hard for me to get my mind around it, but this stuff is real.