The Golden State Valkyries announced on May 7 that center Iliana Rupert would miss the 2026 season due to pregnancy. The news prompted the team to file for a replacement contract and await league approval. The situation drew attention not only because of the Valkyries’ roster consequences, but because it arrived on the opening day... Continue Reading →
The WNBA’s expansion into Toronto was a strategic business move. The Toronto Tempo’s 2026 debut as the first WNBA franchise outside the United States shows how leagues can grow revenue by entering international markets with strong unmet demand. The WNBA expanded to Toronto during a period of record growth. In 2024, viewership hit 54 million,... Continue Reading →
David Anthony Burke, known professionally as “D4vd,” built his fanbase through indie-pop songs that went viral on TikTok. Now, he is facing a three-count felony complaint in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles, with charges that expose him to the death penalty. Here is what the complaint... Continue Reading →
For the first time in the WNBA’s nearly three-decade history, players will earn million-dollar salaries. The collective bargaining agreement ratified last month is the reason why. The WNBPA and the league negotiated a new deal that dramatically restructured player compensation at every level, from rookies entering their first professional contract to veteran superstars signing extensions. ... Continue Reading →
I recently had the opportunity to interview Julia Harter, Legal Coordinator at Excel Sports Management, and 2025 Tulane University School of Law graduate. In doing so, I was fortunate to learn more about what it takes to build a successful career in sports law as a student and a new graduate. Our conversation covered Julia’s... Continue Reading →
Background The legal battle between NBA star Zion Williamson and his former marketing agency, Prime Sports Marketing LLC, began in 2019 when Williamson filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. The dispute arose from a five-year marketing representation agreement that Williamson had signed with Prime and its CEO,... Continue Reading →
Introduction The Golden State Warriors are currently experiencing one of the most devastating injury crises in the NBA. What was supposed to be a season of star-studded basketball has turned into a cascade of training staff reports, missed games, and mounting financial losses. The Warriors currently have approximately $193.5 million in player salaries sidelined due... Continue Reading →
The Negotiation History The path to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) was neither short nor simple. Players opted out of the prior CBA more than seventeen months before a tentative deal was finally struck in March 2026. From the... Continue Reading →
It was a turbulent weekend for professional basketball, as two prominent players– one from the NBA, and one from the WNBA– each found themselves on the wrong side of the law within one day of each other, raising familiar questions about athlete conduct, league responsibility, and the legal exposure that comes with a life of... Continue Reading →
The WNBA has never been more popular. In the past three years, viewership records have been broken, sponsorship dollars have flooded in, and overall status has reached an all-time high. Yet the compensation structure for its players cannot keep up. That disconnect is where Unrivaled, a player-founded 3-on-3 basketball league now in its second season,... Continue Reading →