Lakers' LeBron James Questions Why WNBA Players Have to Stay in College for 4 Years

Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James questioned the WNBA's draft eligibility policy on Twitter Tuesday:

Per WNBA.com: "The league requires draft entrants to be at least 22 years old during the year in which the draft takes place and has no remaining college eligibility or renounces any future college eligibility."

On one hand, women's college hoops has players with eligibility remaining who could star in the WNBA this year.

Three of the six players on the Associated Press' first team—South Carolina's Aliyah Boston, Iowa's Caitlin Clark and Stanford's Haley Jones—will be back in school next season

That group doesn't even include UConn's Paige Bueckers, the 2020-21 consensus National Player of the Year who sat most of this season with a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear before leading the Huskies to the national title game.

Other players still in college appear destined for WNBA success, such as Stanford rising junior Cameron Brink, DePaul forward and National Freshman of the Year Aneesah Morrow and Kansas State center Ayoka Lee.

The problem with opening up the draft pool to underclass players (and high schoolers) is that there are only 144 roster spots in the 12-team league, and there isn't a developmental league like the NBA's G League that can act as a safety net for players looking to improve their games and make their jump to the W.

Women's basketball is overflowing with potential professional talent relative to the number of spots available in a 12-team WNBA that's had the same number of teams since 2010. Opening the floodgates prematurely could lead to an overabundance of undrafted underclass players put in a difficult spot, though.

It's tough enough for players in the league to stay there, both on and off the court. Almost half the league plays overseas to supplement their income, per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press.

The supply of good professional players is simply too much for the lower demand given the amount of roster spots, and that's with the draft pool being so restricted.

Per Erica L. Ayala of the New York Times.

"Each season, players are caught in a revolving door of contracts for 144 W.N.B.A. roster spots. Many people inside and outside the league believe now is the time to expand team rosters or teams in the league, or both. With only 12 teams and 12 roster spots on each team, the W.N.B.A. is harder to get in, and stay in, than the N.B.A., especially with most players’ contracts not being guaranteed. The relatively low salaries also push players to make tough choices about when and where to play."

The connecting issue is expanding the league, which saw an increased viewership of 49 percent in 2021 (compared to 2020), per The Athletic. That could hypothetically put the WNBA in a better position to accept underclass players, or at least welcome more WNBA-ready talent on the outside looking in.

The WNBPA is obviously in favor of it, and the organization made its thoughts clear with this Jan. 20 tweet in response to Delta:

Regarding expansion, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that's "part of a transitional plan" but not on the table as of now.

"If you want to broaden your exposure, probably need to be more than 12 cities in a country with 330 million people," Engelbert said to Ayala.

"We’re going to absolutely expand down the road, but we don’t just expand for expansion’s sake until we get the economic model further along."

For now, the WNBA is ready to welcome a new group of rookies led by No. 1 overall pick Rhyne Howard, a shooting guard of Kentucky who will suit up for the Atlanta Dream. This year's season starts Friday, May 6.