SOME ADVICE FOR THE WNBA

UPDATE: SHE DID IT AGAIN -- THIS TIME EVEN LESS CLEAN






As most of you probably know, oh wait, who am I kidding? Nobody follows the WNBA.

Ok, so the Los Angeles team is called the Sparks. They have this rookie named Candace Parker. From the little I've seen and what I've heard, she's pretty good. A few days ago she dunked in a game, which is only the second time that's happened in league history. The first was also by a Sparks player named Lisa Leslie.

This made national news, but really, who cares? It's not like it was that clean of a dunk and she just went straight up.

The WNBA has been showing these commercials with some of their "star" players where they say things like "girls can't play," "nothing exciting ever happens," "you couldn't pay me to watch," etc. The campaign is called "Expect Great Things" and wants people to view the league in a positive light. Well, anyone who knows me knows I'm no sexist, but let's face reality. The WNBA blows.

I love basketball and I love women even more, but the combination doesn't work. Why, you ask? Well, the problem is simple. They are playing a men's game. What the WNBA fails to realize is their version needs to be adapted to fit their players. For example, the league uses a smaller ball than the NBA. Makes sense, right? So why not apply that logic to more than just one aspect of the game.

For starters, you want to see more dunks? Lower the freakin' basket a foot. Men play on 10-foot rims, but there's no reason why the women should have to. Make the court smaller. Bring in the three-point and free-throw lines a foot or two. Do something. Anything.

Collegiate teams don't play the NBA rules. Why? Because their governing body knows two important things: 1. The players have different bodies than those in the NBA. Forcing them to play the same style creates for a worse game. 2. The NBA is the pinnacle of American basketball. Any other league that attempts to mirror the NBA will be viewed as lesser in comparison. Make your game different and people will watch.

Congrats Candace Parker. The closest I ever got was dunking a softball the summer between eighth and ninth grades. I doubt I can touch the rim anymore. But that's because I'm not a pro. The rules are different for people who aren't.