Mexico’s professional women’s basketball league has become an offspring for WNBA players to land in the summer season. In only their second season, the LNBP has landed a former number one overall draft pick (Charli Collier) and several other top picks from the WNBA.
Maximum salaries for their four-month season can top off at $25,000 (US). Additionally, the LNBP season runs almost concurrently with the WNBA season. For 2023, their season began on May 5 and will end on July 8. Their playoffs will run from July 12 through Aug. 20. The LNBP started in 2022 with eight teams and quickly expanded with three more teams for 2023.
WNBA players, or American players, aren’t typically signed to contracts prior to the beginning of the season. Lesser know players without a WNBA training camp invite tend to join the league at the very beginning of their season. There’s a likelihood of WNBA talent signing with the league once final roster cuts have been made in the WNBA. For this current season, the following players opted to sign with the LNBP following being waived: Charli Collier, Jazmine Jones, Alexis Prince, Crystal Bradford, Sparkle Taylor, Caitlin Bickle, Destiny Harden, Madi Williams, Japreece Dean, Feyonda Fitzgerald, and Damiris Dantis. Other notable WNBA veterans that are playing in the LNBP this season are: Danielle Adams, Lynetta Kizer, and Rachel Hollivay.
Opportunity
There are few opportunities for WNBA talent to go play elsewhere in the summer following being waived during WNBA training camps. Australia has its NBL1 league; there are several semi-pro leagues (WABA and WBCBL) in the United States, but not much else. This gives the LNBP an opportunity to be a landing spot for some potential WNBA talent to play in. Otherwise, players cut prior to the start of the WNBA season would have to wait to be signed by another team or hope for a hardship contract. A significant number of undrafted players also immediately sign with the LNBP.
Roster breakdown
Below is a team-by-team breakdown of notable players on each roster.
Leon Bees
- Tyler Scaife (Rutgers ’18, 20th pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury)
- Lasha Petree (Purdue ’23)
- Rachel Hollivay (Rutgers ’16, Atlanta Dream 2016-17)
Lasha Petree is heading to Mexico on a pro contract with @Abejasdeleonfem✍️
— Purdue Women's Basketball (@PurdueWBB) May 19, 2023
Good luck LP! pic.twitter.com/ATXCo4GYOJ
Adelitas de Chihuahua
- Danielle Adams (WNBA 2011-17)
- Crystal Bradford (WNBA 2015 and 2021)
- Channon Fluker (CSUN ’19)
- Tanaya Atkinson (Temple ’18)
Jalisco Astros
- Brooke McCarty-Williams (Dallas Wings 2019)
- Alexis Prince (WNBA 2017-18 and 2020)
- Chelsea Nelson (NC State ’18)
JUGADORA DEL PARTIDO 🏀#Temporada2023 #SomosImparables@LNBPfemenil @moltenmex @calientesports @sisnovamx @puntochga pic.twitter.com/ETciqx73pq
— Liga Sisnova LNBP Femenil (@LNBPFEMENIL) June 18, 2023
Fuerza Regia (Royal Force of Monterrey)
- Damiris Dantas (WNBA 2014-15 and 2017-22)
- Alexis Jones (WNBA 2017-20)
- Sparkle Taylor (Chicago Sky 2022)
- Kahlaijah Dean (Sacramento St. ’23)
- Ciera Johnson (Texas A&M ’21, Drafted 32rd overall by the Phoenix Mercury)
Freseros de Irapuato (Strawberries)
- Myah Taylor (Ole Miss ’23)
- Caitlin Bickle (Baylor ’23)
- Qadashah Hoppie (Texas A&M ’22)
Xalapa Halcones (Hawks)
- Charli Collier (#1 overall WNBA pick in 2021. Dallas Wings 2021-22)
- Amy Okonkwo (TCU ’19, Nigeria National team 2020-present)
Libertadores of Queretaro (Liberators)
- Feyonda Fitzgerald (Connecticut Sun 2017)
Panteras de Aguascalientes (Panthers)
- Sam Fuehring (Louisville ’19, Drafted 34th overall in 2019 by the Washington Mystics)
JUGADORA DEL PARTIDO 🏀#Temporada2023 #SomosImparables@LNBPfemenil @moltenmex @calientesports @sisnovamx @puntochga pic.twitter.com/kOig0xfo2a
— Liga Sisnova LNBP Femenil (@LNBPFEMENIL) June 18, 2023
Fresnillo Silversmiths
- Jazmine Jones (WNBA 2020-2022, 12th overall pick in 2020 by the New York Liberty)
- Japreece Dean (UCLA ’20, 30th overall pick in 2020 by the Chicago Sky)
- Trinity Baptiste (Arizona ’21, 24th overall pick in 2021 by the Phoenix Mercury)
- Madi Williams (Oklahoma ’23, 18th overall pick in 2023 by the Seattle Storm)
🏀 Últimos instantes del partido!
— Pedro GM * Deportes ® (@PETER_EN_TWITER) June 16, 2023
Marcador FINAL en el Gimnasio Universitario "Nido del Halcón":#HalconesXalapaFemenil 79#PlaterasFresnillo 87
🏀 Líderes anotadoras:
Khadija Brown 28 pts. / 6 reb. (PF)
Jazmine Jones 23 pts. / 5 reb. / 5 as. (PF)#LNBPF 🏀#Xalapa pic.twitter.com/UGovzvAPrn
Rojos Veracruz (Reds)
- Lynetta Kizer (WNBA 2012-18)
- Deja Church (DePaul ’22)
- Destiny Harden (Miami ’23, 27th overall pick in 2023 by the Phoenix Mercury)
- Stasha Carey (Rutgers ’19)
The remaining team in the league, the Roadrunner Basketball Club UAT Victoria, has no previous WNBA players or notable Americans on their roster.
Development league?
Could the LNBP turn into a potential developmental league for the WNBA? It’s unknown if there will be any partnership in the future. Also, both leagues play at the same time, with Mexico’s league ending earlier and having a shorter season. Additionally, could there be an issue in signing players due to the prioritization clause in the WNBA? It appears doubtful once a player has signed with the LNBP for the season, to move back into the WNBA. Could a potential summer season with Athletes Unlimited be on the horizon as a developmental destination instead? Either way, two possible options could be presented to the WNBA down the road to send waived draft picks down to.
Check out Beyond Women’s Sports for more women’s sports coverage. Todd Roman is on Twitter too. Follow Todd @TBRBWAY.
