On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, include some big developments in the WNBA labor fight.
On Monday, prior to the Unrivaled semifinals, a number of players discussed the ongoing labor battle with a notable change in rhetoric. Sparks guard Kelsey Plum said she believed the latest proposal from the league, specifically its revenue-sharing piece, was a “significant win;” Liberty star Breanna Stewart said she agreed. Then on Tuesday, the pair wrote a letter to union leadership saying they didn’t believe players had an “adequate seat” in the negotiations.
It’s a big shift in how players have talked about the labor battle, and it comes at a bad time for the union. Next week’s league-imposed “deadline” may not be real, but at some point soon, the ongoing negotiations will start to infringe on plans for the 2026 season. And if this week has been any indication, the players may be closer to conceding ground than owners. The hosts discuss all that, plus the extent to which any of this matters in actual negotiations.
Next they discuss a growing debate in NBA circles about an upcoming promotional event being held by the Atlanta Hawks. On March 16, the Hawks are celebrating Magic City, a local strip club that has been a cultural touchstone for the city’s hip-hop and trap music scene. While the in-arena plan does not include dancers, the promo has polarized the industry, with some arguing that the celebration is distasteful. Spurs center Luke Kornet wrote on social media that the league “should desire to protect and esteem women” and that this event did the opposite. The hosts debate whether the plans reflect poorly on the Hawks.
They close by talking about a trio of stories, all broken this week by Sportico, about investments in major U.S. sports. Billionaire Lin Bin is buying into the Dolphins at a $12.5 billion valuation; billionaire Marc Lasry is buying into the North Carolina Courage at a $155 million pre-money valuation; and billionaire Rob Walton, the richest owner in U.S. sports, bought into the Arizona Diamondbacks at a $2 billion valuation.
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