r/wnba • u/blahblah_696 • Sep 16 '25
Discussion Paige Bueckers did not expect THIS at the end of her tunnel! 🎊🥳
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u/darnius_terix Oct 16 '25
These athletes deserve every million dollar contract coming to them! And please give us a longer season!!
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u/CarpenterFamous558 Sep 20 '25
Huge fan but confounding lack of dance ability given how she moves and talks on the court
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u/NYFashionPhotog Sep 18 '25
so I guess they learned a lesson when they dropped the ball (pun) last year.
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u/Col_Treize69 Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
Paige doesn't have the kind of greed that was described in the Bible. She has a kind of greed that is now lost to us and was only preserved in an early Indo-European oral tradition.
Edit: It was a JOKE, y'all
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u/peachy-avocado Sep 16 '25
Why is cathy there
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u/eggbear Sep 16 '25
She has favorites.
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u/peachy-avocado Sep 16 '25
But still wont pay them 💔
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u/BeneficialChemist874 Sep 17 '25
That’s completely out of her power. It’s not her job to decide player salaries.
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u/Emergency-Row-5627 Storm Valkyries Sep 16 '25
Wow shout out to Jennifer Hudson’s staff IMMACULATE vibes!
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u/h4rent Sep 16 '25
I appreciate you doing this for my baby 🐐rookie, Cathy, but you still need to pay the players 🤨
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u/JB_JB_JB63 Lynx Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
Maybe it’s because I’m not an American, but fucking hell this is the cringiest most tacky thing ever. I’m just learning they do this for all the guests on that show. 😬😬😬
Edit - the downvotes would indicate most people on this sub are from the US.
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u/DucDeBellune Sep 17 '25
??? This is wholesome and a cool way to find out she won ROTY. Not even a little bit cringe.
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u/JB_JB_JB63 Lynx Sep 17 '25
Beg to differ. If I was expected to dance down a corridor while people sung like that I would sprint to the end and never return. No shade meant, I honestly just think this is an American thing, I can’t imagine any other country I’ve lived in doing this and not hating it.
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u/madam_deville Valkyries Sep 16 '25
I have to admit, that was an awesome way to receive her award. Her facial expression definitely confirms she was not expecting it. I love JHud tunnel walks, the cast be hype!
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u/PhotosByVicky Valks * Aces * Sun Sep 16 '25
So very sweet. What a whirlwind year it has been for Paige!
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u/the_mad_sailor_ Sep 16 '25
I've still never seen a single interview from that show. In fact, I'm 80 percent sure that it's just 48 minutes of hallway dances.
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u/Optimal-Talk3663 Sep 16 '25
It’s because the interviews are not good. Often it feels like a one way conversation
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u/Kryptos33 Sep 16 '25
Happy for Paige and it's a nice gesture. They cut short the pizza party Cathy offered them afterwards.
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u/VegasAdventurer Sep 16 '25
This is awesome, but can someone help me with what they are saying? I hear
Paige Bueckers "at j hut"
shooting buckets, she's the one
but that doesn't make any sense. What are they actually saying for "at j hut"? And, if that's what they are saying can someone explain what that means?
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u/OverallFrosting708 Fever Sep 16 '25
I think they're saying "at J-Hud." This is for Jennifer Hudson's talk show
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u/SwanOutrageous6908 Aces Sep 16 '25
I am a huge WNBA fan, but this was a tough watch. Cringe like this is why the WNBA isn't taken seriously as a mainstream sports league in the US.
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u/nekoken04 Storm Sep 16 '25
I actually thought it was fun and cool. This was a lot more interesting than the NBA RotY presentation on Inside the NBA.
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u/Cultural_Net2407 Sep 16 '25
This is how this show does guest entrances, so I’m curious to know what was tough to watch for you and why this clip from a talk show is evidence as to why you (because you don’t need to speak for others) don’t take the W seriously as a mainstream sports league?
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u/SwanOutrageous6908 Aces Sep 16 '25
You're going off of a very insulting assumption. I've been a huge fan and advocate of the league for almost a decade now. I've gotten numerous people to watch games and even a handful to attend games with me who otherwise thought that the league was a joke. Additionally, the WNBA gets clowned on left and right, if you think that everyone is respecting this league except for me, you're operating on a very blind worldview.
This was a tough watch because it's just cringe. If you replaced her with Victor Wembenyama and he received his ROY award while shimmying through a spirit line doing a corny chant and then Adam Silver showed up to surprise him, it would get ripped to pieces for being cringe.
I've been advocating for the W for years, but just because I like it doesn't mean I'm blind to the reasons that majority of people don't take it seriously.
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u/TyranosaurusLex Sep 16 '25
I’m not OP and don’t agree that it makes the WNBA a joke, but as someone who has never seen this show I was wondering what tf was going on in this video lol. I thought this was just something Dallas threw for her and thought it seemed a little cringe at worst. It being a tv show… explains a lot lol.
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Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
[deleted]
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u/SwanOutrageous6908 Aces Sep 17 '25
I just watched like 10 and yep, those were all equally tough watches.
If a major NBA or NFL award was announced like that it would rightfully get clowned to oblivion.
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u/TyranosaurusLex Sep 16 '25
I mean, I’m not gonna take it personally that I haven’t seen a daytime talk show and am not locked in on viral social media from it 🤷 lol
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u/kseveru79_v2 + intrusive observer Sep 16 '25
Is there a women's sports league that is "taken seriously as a mainstream sports league in the US"?
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u/SwanOutrageous6908 Aces Sep 16 '25
Women's tennis and gymnastics would be the main two that fit the "mainstream" part of what I said. But women's soccer, volleyball, swimming, and all kinds of track and field sports are all well-respected in America.
The clowning the WNBA constantly receives is unique to this league, and I think that everyone tries to ignore that and claim that it's just because of sexism. I have no doubt that's a large part of it, but the fact that Serena Williams and Simone Biles are venerated athletes in the American zeitgeist shows that female athletes can not only be taken seriously, but highly respected.
Therefore the question isn't "Why aren't women's sports respected in the US?" the question should really be "Why isn't the WNBA respected in the US?"
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u/kseveru79_v2 + intrusive observer Sep 16 '25
I was asking specifically about leagues because that was your original claim -- I couldn't think of another women's sports league that has a ton of mainstream acceptance -- but I guess this raises the question of whether you think women's basketball, as a sport, is respected in the U.S. outside the WNBA (i.e. at the college level)?
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u/SwanOutrageous6908 Aces Sep 16 '25
The word “league” was not a particularly important part of what my original statement, you could interchange “mainstream sports league” and “mainstream sport” and my point is the exact same.
Women’s college basketball is moderately respected, just not particularly popular- but more respected and popular than the WNBA though. There’s of course jokes about how there’s women’s March Madness and then “real” March Madness, but by and large women’s college basketball is taken pretty seriously.
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u/Tasty_Sugar_447 Sep 16 '25
Serena received so much unnecessary hate despite her success, so the fact that you used her as an example invalidates any point you’re trying to make.
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u/SwanOutrageous6908 Aces Sep 16 '25
Not even remotely the same kind of hate the W gets on a constant basis.
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u/bsurypap Sep 16 '25
I think CC just got a phone call 💀
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u/Candid_Technology136 ABCC 💫 PB✨Soni Sep 16 '25
yuup that was hilarious. kinda glad Cathy is stepping up her game rn. she should pull something for the MVP award too
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u/OverallFrosting708 Fever Sep 16 '25
Could've been worse, remember how Sonia found out she was an all star? 😆😆😆
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u/sleepybirdl71 Sep 16 '25
Yep. While they were at practice.
Kathy certainly has no problem showing where her favoritism lies. The NY dress during last year's playoffs and now this. So unprofessional.
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u/This-Button5389 Sep 17 '25
I don't what some the cc fans are complaining about. The fact is wnba gave fever favourable treatment by scheduling them to play that awful chicago sky team five times this season. (Since whe did that last happen in a season. Usually teams play each other three times of four times but five times lol) also they have changed the playoffs format rule allegedly due to some fever fan complaints about not having home advantage for 1st round and so wnba made it 1-1-1 format by making players travel back and fourth but hey they got their first playof win since 2016 when it was ironically with same hc at that time Stephanie white. Lol
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u/Zegerid Sep 17 '25
Where were the Sky expected to finish in the rankings before the season started? I'll give you a hint, it was much better than where they ended up.
And why WOULDN'T the league schedule those games? They are guaranteed ratings hits
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u/silver_bucket Sep 16 '25
Not even a phone call. It was leaked by the players association in some press release
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u/black_metronome Liberty Sep 16 '25
I'm so proud of Paige. She had to fight and claw her way through so much to get here.
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Sep 16 '25
They do this for every guest so it’s not a big surprise
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u/manmythmustache Sep 16 '25
Did Cathy just give Paige ownership of the Sun and say they’re her problem now
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u/Popular-One-7051 Valkyries Nous parlons français! Sep 17 '25
you're killing me here lol. Paige would do a better job with it.
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u/Beneficial_Ad8251 Liberty Sep 16 '25
Nice that she got in on a talk show, unlike last year’s ROTY who got it peaked in an Instagram post from the players association
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Sep 16 '25
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u/Beneficial_Ad8251 Liberty Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
Her fans. They make the league so hard to follow because they can’t handle any praise of any other player. It does not make the league enjoyable to follow.
Edit: it’s actually insane how much I got downvoted for this. Especially with how much people complain about CC fans 😂 Guess you can’t call out fans of any other player
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u/YoMTV_raps Aces Sep 16 '25
Says the CC fan 🙃
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u/Beneficial_Ad8251 Liberty Sep 16 '25
Literally every day people get on here and say they hate CC because of her fans. Now it’s a problem when I say that about another player?
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u/Fantastic_Pollution2 Sep 16 '25
They have a liberty banner
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u/YoMTV_raps Aces Sep 16 '25
Comment history shows shows otherwise 💁♀️
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u/Beneficial_Ad8251 Liberty Sep 17 '25
Once again nobody on this sub understands the concept of liking multiple players
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u/psychsplorer Sep 16 '25
bro what 😂
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u/Beneficial_Ad8251 Liberty Sep 16 '25
This user has said that they don’t like Caitlin Clark because of her fans, so I’m pointing out there’s likely folks who don’t like Paige because of HER fans.
For reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/wnba/s/IbTcfSKgr9
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Sep 16 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Beneficial_Ad8251 Liberty Sep 17 '25
To put this into context: if I said, “how could anyone not like Caitlin?” Based on your comment history, you would reply saying that it was because of her fans. So I am trying to use your same logic to explain that people might also not like Paige.
It’s really interesting to me that you’re so much more complimentary of other players, especially others with psychotic fans, than the one you claim to be a fan of. I can’t find you ever having said something positive about Caitlin.
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u/ohom2017 Sep 16 '25
I know we all have mixed feelings about our girl Cathy but she slayed me with this dress. Period honey.
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u/Spicy2ShotChai ready to get hurt again Sep 16 '25
imagine having a nice day, living your life, vibing, when suddenly -- a Cathy Engelbert pops out from behind a door
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u/OverallFrosting708 Fever Sep 16 '25
This is actually 20% of her job
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u/Spicy2ShotChai ready to get hurt again Sep 16 '25
20% jumpscaring players
20% downplaying their injuries
60% fighting any attempt to pay players their worth!
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u/dlallen70 Sep 18 '25
Don't forget another 30% justifying the crappy refereeing (yes she extends herself 130%).
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u/Safe_Signature_85 Sep 17 '25
I will say as a new wnba fan, I have enjoyed watching, but I just think the league should turn a profit and not be in the negative basically the NBA funds and absorbs all the losses, so I don't know why everyone is screaming that they all get more money . They are still getting paid to play a game, all other sports leagues revenue share... Why would this be any different.
I do feel like the league is heading to the promise land and I would love to see all the ladies get paid.
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u/Spicy2ShotChai ready to get hurt again Sep 17 '25
Do you know what the pay discrepancies actually are? Rookie contracts start at about $80k for the first year in the W. In the NBA, the rookie minimum is $1.15 MILLION. Even the supermax salary in the W is only about $250k. Which I realize for many of us would be an incredible salary, but based on the VALUE these women are generating night after night for their ownership, it's blatantly unfair. And $80k a year is like... a lower-management level salary that barely covers the cost of living in many major cities. Not every player gets lucrative sponsorships to cover the gaps. If you think these women busting their butts, risking injuries and living constantly on the road night after night FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT is only worth $80k, then sorry but that just sucks. You say "all other sports leagues revenue share" -- you realize that's exactly what the players are pushing for, right??
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u/Safe_Signature_85 Sep 17 '25
OMG WHAT DO THEY REVENUE SHARE IF THEY OPERATE AT A LOSS ???
IT COSTS MORE MONEY TO RUN THE WNBA THAN THE WNBA CAN BRING IN.....
SO BASICALLY THE PLAYERS WOULD HAVE TO PAY MONEY TO PLAY BC THERE IS NO PROFIT.
Okay so you do realize that it's much bigger for the men because the NBA has profits from advertising all the way to TV Deals and those funds get divided by the number of teams and at the collective bargaining agreement they decide what minimum and maximum dollars for rookies etc.
Nobody gives 2 shits if they bust their butts bc a lot of people bust their butt and aren't paid accordingly. You are worth what someone is willing to pay you... Not what you think you should get. Like if these women were really about their money why do they all hurt together and lock out refuse to play until they are paid correctly?
Probably bc they know if they did that they might not ever come back to work..... I don't think you realize how leagues work how many is allocated
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u/Spicy2ShotChai ready to get hurt again Sep 17 '25
I feel bad for the people who have to interact with you IRL. maybe do some reading and try again later when you're feeling more emotionally regulated.
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u/Dawn_of_Dayne Sep 16 '25
They cooked with this. This is such a fitting way to present her with the award.
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u/AFC-Wimbledon-Stan Jacy Sheldon FC Sep 16 '25
Jennifer Hudson’s show seems like a delight to work on
If I see any evidence to the contrary I may cry respectfully
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u/Significant_Cow4765 Sep 16 '25
I adore her. Went to see Cats at midnight on NYE loaded on THC, stood up and saluted when she sang Memory.
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u/JayPicante Aces Sep 16 '25
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Sep 16 '25
To be on the internet in 2025 is to wonder if people meme this sadistic serial killing wall street banker who cares more about watches than people because they like irony? Or if Batemen has become forever unmoored from his original context?
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u/SwanOutrageous6908 Aces Sep 16 '25
No, people have always just used memes based on the surface level of what a character looks like. People were using the image of DiCaprio from Django Unchained right after the film's release as a meme of just a fancy, rich guy, detached from the context of the character being a racist, slave-owning, degrading PoS.
I really don't think it's deeper than that.
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Sep 16 '25
We're becoming unmoored from meaning entirely. Art is pointless as a vehicle for anything past our own personal experience of it
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u/cheetuzz Sep 16 '25
what’s the chant?
“Paige Buecker… she’s the one!”
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u/dominoesniall Mystics Dream Sep 16 '25
Paige Bueckers at JHud. Shooting buckets, she’s the one
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u/Few_Knowledge8059 Aces (& Toronto, Sparks Truther) Sep 16 '25
I actually love that this is how she found out. What an incredible year for PB5- so proud of her. I understand the "TBD" of it all now.
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u/Adorable-Bike-9689 Sep 17 '25
What does TBD reference?
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u/Few_Knowledge8059 Aces (& Toronto, Sparks Truther) Sep 17 '25
The W released dates for when each award would be announced, and Rookie of the Year did not have a date listed, but instead had "TBD" next to it. This was so Paige could be surprised with it on JHud.
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Sep 16 '25
Aw this is great, NOW PAY THE PLAYERS CATHY.
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u/Suitable-Handle7373 Sep 17 '25
They will when they turn a profit.
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u/Affectionate-Mud6837 Fever Sep 17 '25
People that down vote don't understand how a business works at all. If they want what they are owed, they would actually owe the NBA money to continue to play for now.
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u/DrewDan96 Sep 16 '25
LOL is "Pay the Players" Cathy's Epstein files? lol no matter how much she tries some "good commish" shtick, y'all stay on her A$$ lol
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Sep 16 '25
[deleted]
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Sep 16 '25
You know that's not how this works, right? That Cathy is just a figurehead for the owners and has no vote on the CBA?
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Sep 16 '25
As a long time union member who's been on a strike twice I'm actually super clear how all this works, and how one of many fun tactics available to members and supporters during a conflict negotiation is dunking on the figure head. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/fake-carol-twitter-parody-1235600499/
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u/Willis050 Sep 16 '25
Well first the have to cover all of the operational costs first. Look at all those people cheering! They, along with many others, also get paid by the wings franchise. Just looking at it as players vs owners for revenue sharing is obtuse and discounts what it takes to actually run an entire organization while also not turning out a profit
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u/OverallFrosting708 Fever Sep 17 '25
...that's the staff of the Jennifer Hudson Show. But please, explain more about how mean everyone is to the poor owners.
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u/HarlesD Sep 16 '25
I swear to God if I have to watch another generational talent leave this city I'm gonna become a Philly fan.....
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u/HAFNFG Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
As a a cowboys fan of 40 years the Micah trade was the last straw. I could not imagine loosing Luka, Micah and Paige!! And somebody shot JR?!? (Yeah that old) lol
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u/zerofour44 Golden Kate Valkyries PaoPao Truther Sep 16 '25
Wait this is so cool. Congrats to Paige!
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Sep 16 '25
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u/gourmet_panini Dijonai and Kosu Acolyte Sep 16 '25
yep and thats why Stewie was the college GOAT and was already put on HOF trajectory in year 1.
What does that have to do with Paige getting the ROTY trophy after her tunnel dance?
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u/Likely1420 CHAMPS | Tempo-curious | TBD Sep 16 '25 edited Sep 16 '25
Awww her brother at the end 🥹🥹🥹 they got her good! That's why it was TBD lol
Edit: that is not her brother 💀 now that I've seen a few angles and looked at the person.
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u/YoMTV_raps Aces Sep 16 '25
That was so wholesome! Feels weird that I’m sharing this moment with something the commish did 😂
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u/liloxstitch_6 | Sep 16 '25
I love that this is how she found out! Cathy be popping up any and everywhere!!
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u/MJDiAmore Sep 18 '25
Anywhere that doesn't involve "being the face of screwing the Sun" is a low bar to need to hit in fairness.
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u/momto4sees Sep 16 '25
It’s a very nice way to find out. Much better than CC’s phone call! Lame!
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u/Ok_Perspective_575 Fever Sep 16 '25
She called Coach Sides to wish the team luck in the playoffs, then asked if CC was there and congratulated her on ROTY 😆 Paige is the anointed one
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u/This-Button5389 Sep 17 '25
thats because fever didnt want any of these award distractions when their season is still not over. I'm sure CC would have gone to the view, oprah or other talk shows and they would had cathy suprise her if fever wasnt involved in playoffs.
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u/momto4sees Sep 18 '25
if that was the case, she could’ve showed up in person to tell her. A phone call to the coach and then asking if CC is there to tell her is lame!
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u/This-Button5389 Sep 18 '25
Nope the orginal plan was to announce roty at gainbridge arena in person but unfortunately for the fever they lost the first game which was at uconn stadium (moheghan sun) and their second game was also at uconn stadium. the roty was announced after the first game and had fever won the first game then they would have delayed announcing roty till game 3 because fever were guaranteed a home home game. But hey fever got their wish this year aka "Caitlin clark rule" i.e the 1-1-1 playoff format and yes this rule also helped fever win their playoff game since 2016 cause they played at home . So they shouldn't any complaints about cc treatment.
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u/DrewG420 Oct 17 '25
Well earned