By admin 
Put the NBA and the WNBA side by side, and the gaps show up fast. One stood out recently on the “No Hesitation” podcast, where Drew Hanlen broke down the load management divide between the two leagues for co-host Sophie Cunningham and listeners.
Read more Biggest Criticism of Kubiak’s Raiders Offense Is One Word: Preposterous
The numbers? Pretty stark. Twenty-eight of the WNBA’s top 30 scorers have played at least 90 percent of their games. In the NBA, that number drops to six.
You’d think that gap narrows once the NBA season tips off again. Don’t bet on it, though. You’ll see why once you hear what Hanlen revealed next.
Cunningham was baffled by NBA load management claim
NBA basketball is just around the corner. With that said, fans will finally get to see their favorite players back in action. However, just because those players are healthy by the time fans are watching doesn’t mean they’ll compete.
The trend of players voluntarily sitting out? It has become commonplace in recent years. Nothing unusual about that. What stands out, though, is what Hanlen laid out during the episode.
“There’s already scheduled rest days for players,” the NBA skills trainer
“Before the season starts, they already know a couple games that they’re sitting out, because they’re trying to manage their load.”
Just how spicy was that remark? It showed on Cunningham’s face. Her eyes went wide. The Indiana Fever guard then questioned the validity of it.
“I know you’re going to say it’s smart, because the end goal is to get the championship, but like, is that fair?” she asked her co-host.
Hanlen had already warned fans probably wouldn’t like the “crazy thing” he was about to share on the new form of load management. Turns out, he wasn’t a fan of it either.
He said he’s fine with it when a heavy stretch of games hits and a guy who is already dealing with some wear and tear then “strategically picks one or two” games to sit out.
When it comes to actually “pre-planning” load management like this, though? Hanlen doesn’t support it.
Related: “6’4″ isn’t that tall” – Sophie Cunningham on how tall her boyfriend needs to be
Read more How Aaron Judge’s Injury Affects Yankees’ AL East Pursuit
The case for trimming schedules
What Hanlen described, if true, is a big deal. The old-school NBA generation has ripped into load management plenty of times. Much of that criticism comes from the belief that players once wanted to spend every second competing on the hardwood.
Hearing how far load management has gone now? A real backlash could be brewing.
Zoom out, though, and it’s actually a pretty predictable move for superstars and their teams.
In the association, everything comes back to maintaining the standard, which takes strategic planning. That, in turn, beats scrambling in the middle of the season.
Why have the same conversation every few weeks about whether a player needs a night off? He’ll load manage anyway, so it’s better to go a different route. That means mapping out the schedule once, deciding where the tough stretches fall, and making sure everyone is on the same page about when a franchise player will rest. Talk about effective communication.
You can’t simply play hard every night without taking breaks. Nobody can. Cunningham alluded to the same thing. She said that, as a player, you want to feel “healthy,” “refreshed,” and “ready to go when it matters.”
In her opinion, that would be easier if her team simply trained a little less. Thirty minutes less per practice, for instance.
It can also be applied to the broader scheduling debate.
If both the NBA and WNBA simply trimmed their schedules, players wouldn’t have to consider stuff like training less, cutting their minutes or sitting out voluntarily.
Ultimately, that’s important to recognize before bashing this alleged new wave of load management – though everyone’s still free to do that anyway.
Related: “Why are girls mad? That is literally what she does” – Sophie Cunningham defends Sydney Sweeney amidst women hating her nude gambling ad
Read more Inside the 49ers’ Trip to Australia and How They Defeated Jet Lag and the Rams
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published September 18, 2026 at 3:44 AM.