RebKell's Junkie Boards

[so-many-pickles]

I fucking hate cheaters.

[Rock Hard]

[craigmont]

The scary thing is that right now, you couldn't assemble a starting 5 better than the Liberty or Aces comprised of any other players in the world for any amount of money.

[Spark4Life]

[canadaball]

[pilight]

[Richyyy]

Stokes also basically took what they had left. I don't think she's the primary exhibit in trying to prove illegal payments.

_________________
Independent WNBA coverage: http://www.wnbalien.com/

[canadaball]

[canadaball]

[pilight]

[canadaball]

[Richyyy]

Eh. Yeah, I think Stokes probably could've got more if she was willing to play anywhere. Probably not that much more, because she's an offensive nothing and stat production tends to be what gets you paid. Taking a bit less to play with friends, where she knows she's valued, where there's a very good chance to win, and where the bonus/CommCup money is likely to be good isn't implausible to me.

You bend the rules to sign stars and keep them happy. If you're bending them meaningfully to get Kiah Stokes instead of the 30 other players who could probably give you 90% of Kiah Stokes, you need to reexamine your policies.

_________________
Independent WNBA coverage: http://www.wnbalien.com/

[canadaball]

[willtalk]

Did it ever occur to any of you that players might take less to play for a championship team with the visability of the Aces. They could make that up in indorsements, which I believe playing in the championship series certainly gives them. Its not like every player is totally limited to the salary they make from their WNBA team. Last I heard getting endorsments was not against the rules.

_________________
No one one is ever as good as their best game, nor as bad as their worst.

[tfan]

[tfan]

[tfan]

[WfanFrJmp]

[craigmont]

The only reason Las Vegas has been singled out is that this is the first time anyone has spilled the beans. Indeed, any big deferral of pay could be regarded with suspicion.

Remember the days when people here speculated that there was one salary cap for LA, and one for everyone else?

[canadaball]

The Aces roster is littered with players taking well under their market value. All these players are missing tens of thousands each year. Last year, Riq (UFA) took only $90k; Hamby has been playing for $30k-60k under her market value (and LA won't make that up) for some time. Does not take a genius to figure Dearica spilled the beans, and it will be difficult for W to cover up when there is always the threat that she will go public with a tale of no show jobs.
Yes, one can find isolated cases (Bird) of players taking huge pay cuts, but they did this so their team roster, unlike the cheating Aces, was filled with other players earning their fair market value. Similarly, Stew and Sloot have taken less, which enabled NY to keep (and pay well) players like Dolson and Laney. NOBODY on the Aces roster has been paid close to their value. It stinks.

[J-Spoon]

read the first few paragraphs of the article in the original post

The accusation isn't about taking less pay, it is about players taking less pay because higher ups in the Aces origination have arranged with the players agent for 3rd parties to compensate the player for little or no work. Basically paying them illegally under the table and undermining the cap. Its not free hotel rooms and buffet vouchers its management actively eliciting outside companies to pay their players so they can avoid the cap.

If true (not saying it is that is why there is an investigation) Aces management, the players agent and the player all know what is going on and are culpable.

It is not the same as Sue Bird or Tina Charles taking less money to pursue a championship because they have enough other income from say commercials, broadcasting or their own production company.

If NY promised Stewart and the team chartered flights and that was why Stewie and others joined the team that is illegal and will be investigated I am sure considering NY was fined the largest fine in WNBA history when their charter flights came to light recently. Clearly after that using the promise of charter flight to lure in a player would be clearly illegal.

[craigmont]

The point is that we don't know if there have been side deals in the past and around the league. We may never.

Sure, innocent until proven guilty, but this is a big can of worms the league may not want opened.

[canadaball]

[SportsGuru]

I thought there is a former in-house Aces Whistleblower who knows the inner workings of the team. I believe the Whistleblower, the Aces have been dealing dirty.

[Richyyy]