WNBA is Back

Yeah, that's right. You read it correctly. This is a post on the WNBA. The season starts tomorrow as the defending champs Seattle Storm host the Phoenix Mercury.

I get it that no one likes the WNBA and up to now, I have been afraid to admit to anyone that I actually do enjoy watching. I mean, The Wife knows and so does the family, but it's not exactly something I talk about around the poker table. I mean, it's just easier to go along with the crowd and rip on the WNBA.

Truth be told, I do watch a lot of Storm games and on occasion I'll even watch a random weeknight game with Phoenix and LA. Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson have been a part of my life for nearly 7 years now. They are perfect for this city and perfect examples of what is so good about the league. But they are not the only ones to follow. I love Candace Parker even though she plays for stupid LA. I respect Diana Taurasi, Simone Augustus, Maya Moore, Lindsey Whalen, Angel McCoughtry, Tamika Catchings, Tina Charles and a slew of others. Don't know those names? Well, look them up. They are ballers.

At my old site, I wrote a review of my first WNBA game in 2004. I proclaimed my love for the sport, but I think 5 people may have read it. I want to take this opportunity to restate my feelings (although if I can find the post I will certainly link to it):

I like the WNBA because it is everything the NBA is not. I suppose that is a little unfair considering how much I am enjoying the NBA these days, but for every team play you see on Sportscenter you see 4 individual plays. The NBA is still an individual league. You can win with two stars and a bunch of role players. In the WNBA, teams run sets every time down the court. Ultimately the ball will get into the hands of the best player, but unlike the NBA, that player probably won't be going one-on-one. There will be no isolation. Instead, screens will be set. Cuts will be made. Jump shots will be taken.

Men love to rail on the fact that the women can't dunk and that they are less athletic. Playing below the rim is boring. You know what? It's a perfectly legit opinion. Athleticism is what makes the NBA exciting (I know there are so many haters out there, but honestly, is there a more exciting play than seeing LeBron drive the lane or get an oop from Wade?), but it also turns me off a lot of times. I think the WNBA provides a nice balance. Their might be less time spent in the air, but to me, the WNBA is basketball at it's purest form. I love watching actual offenses and not just playground stuff.

The other underlying reasons I like the WNBA is that I have always been a bit of a feminist and that I have a daughter. I love the fact that women not only play sports, but they can be paid to play and that there games are shown on tv. As a father of a daughter who may or may not be into sports when she gets older, I love the fact that she can have someone like Maya Moore to look up to. Kevin Durant is a great baller and from what I hear a really solid human being, but the fact is that he is a man. My daughter shouldn't have posters solely of him, Lebron, Derrick Rose and Deron Williams on her wall (do kids even still have posters?...man, I don't know). No, she needs to be able to look up to the likes of Moore and Bird as well as to Durant. She needs to know that it is ok for her to be athletic. She needs to know that it is ok for her to not fit the stereotypical mold of what a female should look like and dress like...that is, she doesn't have to look like a wafer-thin pop star. Instead, she can be ok with sweating and being athletic. And just as important, she needs to know that it is ok to aspire to greater things than just playing high school hoops. If she has the talent (she probably won't considering her parents) she needs to know that there is life after high school.

Now I'm sure a lot of fathers feel that way, but at the end of the day, they are not willing to support the WNBA. 'Let someone else buy tickets or watch it on tv' they figure. Well, I am willing to back it up. I support not only its existence, but I will watch the games and do my part to make sure it is around in 15 years. If you get a chance, I suggest you try a game out (preferably one with Phoenix, Seattle or LA involved). You might actually come to like it.

So there you have it. I just aired one of my big secrets. Take it or leave it.