Women’s game has surpassed the men’s, by far
Apr 9, 2023 1:41:36 GMT
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Post by Marco on Apr 9, 2023 1:41:36 GMT
Excerpt:
Did you catch the comment from UCLA coach Cori Close? Interviewed by the New York Times, Close said she spoke with an unnamed WNBA coach on the subject of Charisma Osborne, who plans to leave the Bruins’ program early and enter the draft. “Does Charisma want to make more money and stay in college and get massages, fly charter, have everything paid for, have a nutritionist and have her own trainers that are paid for?” the coach told Close. “Or does she want to have none of those things and fly Southwest with us?”
NCAA Tournaments made it clear: Women’s game has surpassed the men’s, by far
Bruce Jenkins April 8, 2023 Updated: April 8, 2023 10:11 a.m. Comments
Somewhere along the line, the significance was lost. The fabulously successful women’s basketball Final Four has been condensed into a single gesture, sent Caitlin Clark’s way by a triumphant opponent, and that’s how we’re supposed to remember it.
In the halls of perspective and common sense, this is complete nonsense.
Something far more important took place last weekend, mirroring the NCAA Tournament and regular season. The women’s collegiate game hasn’t just caught up with the men’s, in terms of popularity and fan appeal. It has taken the lead, by miles, with staying power.
I tried to follow the men’s tournament closely, as I do every year, but with nearly a week gone by, I can’t remember a single thing from the entire event — save that game-winning shot for San Diego State against Florida Atlantic in the semifinals. Contrast that to last Sunday, when the Iowa-LSU final marked the climax of a tournament that was, at least from this viewpoint, twice as interesting.
Granted, when LSU’s Angel Reese tossed her postgame gesture toward Clark — who has been known to do a bit of taunting herself — it stole the headlines and kept the talk shows thriving for days. But that’s strictly after-the-fact stuff. People seem to forget that the game was a sellout in Dallas (19,482), that the cheapest ticket cost more than $500, that ESPN’s television audience peaked at a record-shattering 12.6 million viewers.a list that goes on forever.
It’s gravely disappointing, when you think about it. You sign up for “The Godfather” trilogy and get stuck with 12 minutes of “Log Rolling in Wisconsin.”
Let’s not even get into the comparisons in talent. There are no high-flying Ja Morants in the women’s game, no dunkers who truly throw it down, nothing to match those crazy sequences from the most graceful and skilled athletes in the world. And here’s how much that matters: zero.
The most relevant category is theater, pure entertainment, and that’s where the women crashed a longstanding barrier last Sunday. For the first time ever, a women’s basketball game was easily the most important and cared-about American sports event of the day — on a weekend, no less. And the following day brought the least-watched men’s NCAA Tournament championship game in history.
There are so many good reasons for women to prolong their collegiate careers. For one, as Clark said, it’s just plain fun. The current structure of NIL endorsements hasn’t done enough for women’s sports in general, and that needs to be fixed, but basketball has been something of an oasis, ranking only behind football and men’s basketball in total earnings through 2022. (Reese already has a dozen-odd contracts locked up, and by next season, the deals for Clark and Bueckers are expected to surpass $1 million each.)
The most stable programs, such as Stanford and Iowa, generally give their fans a four- or five-year taste of the best players. (All seven of Iowa’s top players played their entire career there.) But the transfer portal offers all sorts of possibilities. LSU coach Kim Mulkey simply went shopping for her championship roster, dominated by players who transferred from Maryland (Reese), Texas A&M (Alexis Morris), Missouri (LaDazhia Williams), Ohio State (Kateri Poole) and West Virginia (off-the-bench sensation Jasmine Carson).
The WNBA looms and, of course, it’s the ultimate honor to take the court with Candace Parker, A’Ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu and the rest. Really, though, if you have a chance to stay with a successful collegiate program, what’s the hurry?
Eventually, the WNBA will expand by at least two teams — the Bay Area looks like a lock — and give more players a chance to turn pro. In time, the horribly unprofessional air-travel setup (almost no charter flights) will be resolved. Players will earn enough money so they don’t have to spend months overseas trying to earn a decent year-round living. But none of that is happening right now.
Did you catch the comment from UCLA coach Cori Close? Interviewed by the New York Times, Close said she spoke with an unnamed WNBA coach on the subject of Charisma Osborne, who plans to leave the Bruins’ program early and enter the draft. “Does Charisma want to make more money and stay in college and get massages, fly charter, have everything paid for, have a nutritionist and have her own trainers that are paid for?” the coach told Close. “Or does she want to have none of those things and fly Southwest with us?”
In proper time, Clark will be flying up and down the WNBA courts, thinking pass, firing precise bullets to her teammates, driving for inside buckets on the strength of her will, or maybe just pulling up from 30 feet with a long-range accuracy comparable to Stephen Curry’s. “God, she’s special,” Mulkey said after the championship game. “I’ve never seen a player that can do what Caitlin does. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.”
Nor can thousands of young girls with their special, attainable dreams. They’re out there dribbling with both hands, seeing just how far a 3-point curiosity might take them, boxing out opponents on the boards like Reese or owning the trenches like Aliyah Boston. Consider not the limits, but the vast landscape of possibility.
Bruce Jenkins writes the 3-Dot Lounge for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: jenksurf@gmail.com Twitter: @bruce_Jenkins1
Did you catch the comment from UCLA coach Cori Close? Interviewed by the New York Times, Close said she spoke with an unnamed WNBA coach on the subject of Charisma Osborne, who plans to leave the Bruins’ program early and enter the draft. “Does Charisma want to make more money and stay in college and get massages, fly charter, have everything paid for, have a nutritionist and have her own trainers that are paid for?” the coach told Close. “Or does she want to have none of those things and fly Southwest with us?”
NCAA Tournaments made it clear: Women’s game has surpassed the men’s, by far
Bruce Jenkins April 8, 2023 Updated: April 8, 2023 10:11 a.m. Comments
Somewhere along the line, the significance was lost. The fabulously successful women’s basketball Final Four has been condensed into a single gesture, sent Caitlin Clark’s way by a triumphant opponent, and that’s how we’re supposed to remember it.
In the halls of perspective and common sense, this is complete nonsense.
Something far more important took place last weekend, mirroring the NCAA Tournament and regular season. The women’s collegiate game hasn’t just caught up with the men’s, in terms of popularity and fan appeal. It has taken the lead, by miles, with staying power.
I tried to follow the men’s tournament closely, as I do every year, but with nearly a week gone by, I can’t remember a single thing from the entire event — save that game-winning shot for San Diego State against Florida Atlantic in the semifinals. Contrast that to last Sunday, when the Iowa-LSU final marked the climax of a tournament that was, at least from this viewpoint, twice as interesting.
Granted, when LSU’s Angel Reese tossed her postgame gesture toward Clark — who has been known to do a bit of taunting herself — it stole the headlines and kept the talk shows thriving for days. But that’s strictly after-the-fact stuff. People seem to forget that the game was a sellout in Dallas (19,482), that the cheapest ticket cost more than $500, that ESPN’s television audience peaked at a record-shattering 12.6 million viewers.a list that goes on forever.
It’s gravely disappointing, when you think about it. You sign up for “The Godfather” trilogy and get stuck with 12 minutes of “Log Rolling in Wisconsin.”
Let’s not even get into the comparisons in talent. There are no high-flying Ja Morants in the women’s game, no dunkers who truly throw it down, nothing to match those crazy sequences from the most graceful and skilled athletes in the world. And here’s how much that matters: zero.
The most relevant category is theater, pure entertainment, and that’s where the women crashed a longstanding barrier last Sunday. For the first time ever, a women’s basketball game was easily the most important and cared-about American sports event of the day — on a weekend, no less. And the following day brought the least-watched men’s NCAA Tournament championship game in history.
There are so many good reasons for women to prolong their collegiate careers. For one, as Clark said, it’s just plain fun. The current structure of NIL endorsements hasn’t done enough for women’s sports in general, and that needs to be fixed, but basketball has been something of an oasis, ranking only behind football and men’s basketball in total earnings through 2022. (Reese already has a dozen-odd contracts locked up, and by next season, the deals for Clark and Bueckers are expected to surpass $1 million each.)
The most stable programs, such as Stanford and Iowa, generally give their fans a four- or five-year taste of the best players. (All seven of Iowa’s top players played their entire career there.) But the transfer portal offers all sorts of possibilities. LSU coach Kim Mulkey simply went shopping for her championship roster, dominated by players who transferred from Maryland (Reese), Texas A&M (Alexis Morris), Missouri (LaDazhia Williams), Ohio State (Kateri Poole) and West Virginia (off-the-bench sensation Jasmine Carson).
The WNBA looms and, of course, it’s the ultimate honor to take the court with Candace Parker, A’Ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu and the rest. Really, though, if you have a chance to stay with a successful collegiate program, what’s the hurry?
Eventually, the WNBA will expand by at least two teams — the Bay Area looks like a lock — and give more players a chance to turn pro. In time, the horribly unprofessional air-travel setup (almost no charter flights) will be resolved. Players will earn enough money so they don’t have to spend months overseas trying to earn a decent year-round living. But none of that is happening right now.
Did you catch the comment from UCLA coach Cori Close? Interviewed by the New York Times, Close said she spoke with an unnamed WNBA coach on the subject of Charisma Osborne, who plans to leave the Bruins’ program early and enter the draft. “Does Charisma want to make more money and stay in college and get massages, fly charter, have everything paid for, have a nutritionist and have her own trainers that are paid for?” the coach told Close. “Or does she want to have none of those things and fly Southwest with us?”
In proper time, Clark will be flying up and down the WNBA courts, thinking pass, firing precise bullets to her teammates, driving for inside buckets on the strength of her will, or maybe just pulling up from 30 feet with a long-range accuracy comparable to Stephen Curry’s. “God, she’s special,” Mulkey said after the championship game. “I’ve never seen a player that can do what Caitlin does. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.”
Nor can thousands of young girls with their special, attainable dreams. They’re out there dribbling with both hands, seeing just how far a 3-point curiosity might take them, boxing out opponents on the boards like Reese or owning the trenches like Aliyah Boston. Consider not the limits, but the vast landscape of possibility.
Bruce Jenkins writes the 3-Dot Lounge for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: jenksurf@gmail.com Twitter: @bruce_Jenkins1
