A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart Make Clear Request to WNBA Following Paris Olympics

As the WNBA resumes after the Paris Olympics, players such as A'ja Wilson from the Las Vegas Aces and Breanna Stewart from the New York Liberty are advocating for a longer break following major international tournaments like the Olympics and the All-Star break.

The swift transition from the Paris Games to the WNBA's 40-game season has ignited conversations about the necessity for increased rest and recovery time, particularly in upcoming collective bargaining agreements.

Wilson, who played a pivotal role in Team USA securing its eighth straight gold medal, has voiced the strain that the demanding schedule imposes on the athletes.

“I definitely needed some time to decompress,” Wilson said, as reported by Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. “Playing USAB (USA Basketball) is a whole other thought and mind process that you might not necessarily have to exert that much energy when you play with your respective team.”

Wilson highlighted the significance of granting players additional days to rest, recuperate, and reintegrate into the rhythm of their WNBA season.

“I think if it is a chance for us to go to the table and say, ‘Hey, we should get more rest time,’ even if it’s … just a couple of days. It’s crazy to see players play fresh off of a plane in a sense. So yeah, I don’t mind asking for that.”

Wilson's sentiment is mirrored by Stewart, who is also a member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. women's basketball team at the Paris Olympics. Stewart highlighted the distinct challenges arising from the overlap of the Olympic schedule and the WNBA's prolonged season.

“I think that even in a non-Olympic year, you think about All-Star, it’s like, everybody needs some time after All-Star break, or it’s not a break. So trying to kind of push that into the CBA, I think would be really important.., Especially following the Olympics, because we’ve never had an Olympics in a 40-game season, except this season,” Stewart said.

The WNBA's choice to restart a mere four days following the conclusion of the Paris Games has sparked worries among athletes. Stewart pointed out the physical and mental toll of journeying from Paris to the West Coast for a game in Los Angeles, which involves a nine-hour time difference from France.

“From the W’s perspective, I’m sure they’re like, well, we don’t want to be not showing games for an entire month or a month plus. But at the same time, understanding the players’ perspective I think is really important … It’s wild, from Paris to the West Coast, so it’s just like, not an ideal situation,” Stewart said. “It’s like, onto the next, onto the next, onto the next, where we kind of even really celebrate what we did, of winning a gold medal, as much as you would want to.”

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