Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha said the WNBA survives only because it’s propped up by the NBA, comparing the league to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, where losing money doesn’t matter as long as “everything is paid for.”
Concha weighed in on the controversy surrounding a hard foul by Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington on Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Carrington was ejected and assessed a flagrant 2 after striking Cunningham across the face and neck during the first quarter of Indiana’s 90-86 win on Saturday, according to ESPN.
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“That’s not a play for the ball,” Concha said on Fox News’s Fox and Friends First on Tuesday. “You play basketball, you go for the ball. That is a play for the neck, for the head.”
Concha argued the league should have imposed a longer suspension, saying the incident required a stronger response to discourage similar plays in the future.
“You have to do something,” Concha said. “Anybody who watches that play says that that should be something where we see the player who committed the foul that was intentional with intent to harm should be sidelined for quite some time.”
Concha said failing to hand down a real punishment sends a dangerous signal to the rest of the league, one he said carries political undertones given the players involved.
When asked whether the WNBA would still exist if it continues on this path, Concha turned to the league’s finances, saying it remains dependent on the NBA.
“They’re subsidized by the NBA, right? The men’s league,” Concha said. “I think the WNBA only survives because it’s kind of like Zohran Mamdani’s New York, where as long as everything is paid for, even if you’re losing money, then you stay in business.”
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Concha noted that the WNBA has benefited from surging attention around players such as Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, pointing to sold-out arenas and strong ratings, but he questioned whether that attention can translate into a profitable league.
“Will it make money?” Concha asked. “Ultimately, I don’t think that’s the case.”
