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Lexie Hull Thinks Offseason Basketball Leagues Could Eventually Merge
TL;DR
Lexie Hull believes that various women's basketball leagues may eventually merge as the WNBA expands. She highlights the need for consolidation to provide players with more offseason opportunities.
Key points
- Lexie Hull thinks women's basketball leagues may merge in the future.
- She has played in Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled.
- The WNBA has limited roster spots and a short schedule.
- Offseason leagues provide players with more playing opportunities.
- Consolidation may be needed as the WNBA expands.
Athletes UnlimitedUnrivaledLexie HullIndiana Fever
Several professional women’s basketball leagues have emerged since the WNBA’s recent rise. Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull thinks those leagues will merge in the future.
Hull, who has played in Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled, tells Front Office Sports that the schedule and structure of the different offseason leagues work at the moment because of the WNBA’s limited roster spots and relatively short schedule.
But as the WNBA continues to expand, the Stanford graduate believes other leagues may need to consolidate.
“It is great to have other options in Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled to give players the opportunity to play in the offseason,” Hull said. “I think down the line, I would envision some of those leagues merging together and giving players the opportunity to actually have a full offseason.”
The WNBA season currently runs from May to September. Both Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled run near the start of the calendar year. Athletes Unlimited runs for about a month, and Unrivaled lasts for about two months.
“The length of those leagues and the length of those seasons are short in the whole scheme of things that we still do get a good amount of time off,” Hull said. “We get a chance to rest our body and recover … I think in the foreseeable future, they’ll definitely still be around and bringing in a lot more eyes for the offseason people that want to watch.”
The WNBA season can be pushed into late November under the new CBA. After this year’s 44-game season, the schedule can max out at 50 games in 2027 and 2028, and 52 games from 2029 to 2032.
Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled are inherently different leagues. The former plays a traditional 5-on-5 format, while the latter is 3-on-3 basketball. And they also have differences from two other leagues launching this year: The Upshot League and Project B.
Startup League Boom Continues
The Upshot League is a professional league launching May 15 and will run simultaneously with the WNBA season. The four-team league will play in cities without a WNBA franchise: Jacksonville, Savannah, Greensboro, and Charlotte. It’s already been announced that two expansion teams will be coming next year in Baltimore and Nashville.
Q&A
What does Lexie Hull think about the future of women's basketball leagues?
Lexie Hull believes that the various women's basketball leagues will eventually merge to provide players with more opportunities.
Why are offseason leagues like Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled important for players?
These leagues provide players with additional playing opportunities during the offseason due to the limited roster spots and short schedule of the WNBA.
How might the expansion of the WNBA affect other women's basketball leagues?
As the WNBA expands, Lexie Hull suggests that other leagues may need to consolidate to better serve players' offseason needs.
What are the names of the leagues Lexie Hull has played in?
Lexie Hull has played in Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled.