Congratulations to the Seattle Storm, the 2010 WNBA World Champions. Whoooooooooooooohuuuy! Go Ladies, you’ve turned the sports world on its ear.   Well, given the fact they went the entire season undefeated at home and swept through the playoffs undefeated, they should have- but I don’t believe it is the case.

But why not?  It is true the W of the NBA stands for a purer version of play relative to their W-less counterparts (the men’s game). But it’s also true, the physical aesthetics and quasi-And 1 presentation of the men’s game, makes it (for the average fan) more enjoyable to watch. On the surface, the female game seems  to lack the athleticism necessary to keep a highlight-hungry fan base on the edge of their seats. However, a closer look reveals a great deal of acrobatic activity in the women’s game, but it goes without notice because the game (outside of an occasional above the rim assault) is still played below the basket.

I’ve theorized for years that lowering the basket in the women’s game would revolutionize the sport – at least from a marketing standpoint. Now we’d be able to see varying degrees of athleticism amongst the women and eventually, Doctor J and MJ like figures would emerge. Along side of outstanding fundamental play, would be “high-flying” and memorable facials just like the fellas. The game would capture the imagination of a new legion of fans who need that level of entertainment to be happy and revenues would soar.  A new generation of female hoopers would become “ballers” right before our eyes literally, as endorsements deals would keep pace with burgeoning contracts.

Of course, with a new lease on the highlight life, the women’s game would eventually suffer the same malady as the men’s game-from a purist or Hi-sci (highly scientific) standpoint. Young girls will become enamored with dunking ( just like the boys) and pin-point shooting and fundamental applications in  play will become “old” school, sooner rather than later.

What the heck… at some point the game will transition on its own (physically), so why not lower the basket for higher appeal now and get it over with already? After all, it’s a small price to pay for entry into the “big-time” with increased revenues worldwide and an expanded fan base … right?

Tags: basketball shooting, Fundamentals, hoop gurus, Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm, Sue Bird, WNBA

This entry was posted on Friday, September 17th, 2010 at 11:52 am and is filed under New Posts, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.