Sports really ran me through the emotional gamut this week. First, USWNT and NWSL legend Tobin Heath returned for one last day as a Portland Thorn, and I remembered exactly why I fell for her game: the creativity, the footwork, the sense that she saw a play before anyone else did. Adidas kept the throwback energy going when it reissued Billie Jean King’s iconic blue suede tennis shoes, complete with little pieces of history etched into them. Then Lindsey Vonn had to go and hit the road on her bike for the first time since her Olympics-ending injury six months ago. So much for my excuses to skip PT exercises. After all that, I was ready for a little levity. Enter: the butter bench I now desperately need. Balance restored. Now, on to the rest of the sports headlines.
— Mallory Simon / New York City / New York
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Playing the Long Game
What’s going on: There’s never been a better time to be a fifth-year senior… at least if you play sports. Revenue sharing and NIL, which lets college athletes cash in on their name, image, and likeness, have upended the assumption that going pro means making more money. The NCAA’s new “5-for-5” model could make staying in school even more valuable. Instead of four seasons to compete over five years, many college athletes can now play all five. Take Carson Beck: The former Miami quarterback reportedly landed an NIL package worth at least $3 million for his final college season before going 65th overall to the Arizona Cardinals. There he’ll make an estimated $885,000 base salary as a rookie. Yep, it looks as if Beck essentially took a pay cut to turn pro. That helps explain why athletes whose eligibility expired just before the new rule took effect have recently challenged the NCAA for a fifth season.
The bigger play: For female athletes, that extra year could be even more worth it. We’re not talking about the Caitlin Clarks of the world, who can leave college with major deals and a clear path to the pros. Only .8% of eligible NCAA women’s basketball players are drafted into the WNBA, and across women’s sports, going pro can mean entering a much smaller market — and taking a much smaller paycheck. Texas Tech softball star NiJaree Canady reportedly made more than $1 million annually through NIL before she signed with Athletes Unlimited Softball League where average salaries are around $45k. Meanwhile, athletes like Livvy Dunne and the Cavinder twins (Hanna and Haley) have shown that college can be a launchpad for businesses and careers that last long after their final season. A fifth year doesn’t just give female athletes more time to play. It could give them more time to build what comes next — and less pressure to decide when, how, or whether to go pro.
“It’s funny how simplifying can help open things up.” — World No. 3 Jessica Pegula shares the strategy she uses when things start to go sideways. (We can see why Coco Gauff says she’d trade lives with her.)
