WNBA vs. NBA
By: Brooke (14 years old)
One of the most frustrating things for me is how the WNBA is not as “popular” as the NBA. I can beat more than half of the boys in my school in basketball, and there are other girls I know who can too. So why is it that mens basketball is so much more famous than womens?
For one thing, men can dunk the basketball a little more than women. But the game is not played all by “dunking”. Games are won by defense, offense, team work, talent, dribbling, running, foul shots, 3 pointers, glass shots, layups, the list goes on. Dunking is a popular way to score in basketball, but have you ever been watching a game and you see this 7 foot tall dude/girl block a layup with NO foul? I think that’s amazing! And women, I know for a fact, can do plenty of the same things as men!
One day I would like to see the WNBA be as popular or even more popular than the NBA. Dont get me wrong, I LOVE the NBA, but I am a girl and would like to play pro ball one day and I would like the WNBA to be as good as the NBA!!!
36 Comments to “WNBA vs. NBA”
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Of course women can do the same things as men. They can both shoot free throws, shoot 3’s and dribble. But there’s more to it than that, my 6 year old nephew can do the same but it’s about the level you do it at.
There’s a reason high school sports aren’t as “popular” as college either. Both are regional but one gets far more fans… why? Because of speed, overall skill and competition. Maybe you are beating your schoolmates now but do you really think Lisa Lesly could play with men?
No. Men are quicker, stronger and overall more skilled than WNBA players. That is why the games in the WNBA aren’t watched by as many people.
It’s frankly not as entertaining.
One of the problems with womens basketball is, it isn’t as “watchable” as mens basketball. Some sports like tennis, volleyball and gymnastics, the womens teams are, in my opinion, more fun to watch than the men’s version.
Especially in watching the NBA vs WNBA, the difference in athletic ability is tremendous. The ball handling, shooting technique, leaping ability etc is such a large gap, it’s very noticeable. But for the same reason, I prefer the NBA vs mens college basketball, unless it’s a local team I’m following.
The nice thing is, with all the specialized cable outlets, you can watch what ever you want!
Jazzaholic
Brooke, I think that the best thing you can do is keep playing! What an awesome goal for you to play in the WNBA. The WNBA will become more popular when more girls like you play basketball and push the competition even further. I was a sophomore in high school when my team played against Natalie Williams and the Taylorsville Warriors. None of us even came close to her level. Now, there are girls all over Utah who are at or above that level. Thanks to women like Ann Meyers Drysdale, GM of the Phoenix Mercury and VP of the Phoenix Suns, there is a WNBA. We didn’t have the WNBA when I was in school (and it wasn’t that long ago)!!!!! So, keep working and keep your dreams and goals, you’ll achieve them.
Brooke……..There was an WNBA team in Salt Lake but they didn’t have enough people come to the games to make it worth the expense. Too bad there were’nt more girls like you and your friends at that time! Keep your dreams high and remember that the only way dream come true is thu hard work.
In response to nks, yes, Lisa Leslie could play with men. In fact, there are at least a few WNBA players who would be capable of contributing on an NBA team. Diana Taurasi is another example of a WNBA star who could play in the NBA with her skill, athleticism, and strength. And hey, Reggie Miller has admitted before that his sister, Cheryl, was a better basketball player than he was. Yes, on the whole, NBA players are better than WNBA players, and for the most part (in my opinion), they are also more entertaining to watch (although the Cleveland-New Jersey series in last year’s playoffs wasn’t even close to the entertainment level of most WNBA games) . But the gap between men and women in basketball isn’t as large as you think it is.
In response to Brooke’s main question:
Why men’s basketball is more famous than women’s does have something to do with the overall talent and athleticism of each gender, but a lot of it also has to do with familiarity. I grew up as a Jazz fan, and fell in love with the franchise almost immediately. When the Starzz came around way back when, it was harder for me to get excited about them because I was less familiar with those players than I was with Stockton and Malone, for example. It’s a similar situation today–the Jazz (and the other NBA teams) get far more exposure than any WNBA team, and so it is much easier to be passionate about them and their players than it is to get excited about a WNBA team when I only know a couple of players on that team. But women are closing the gap on men, and as the overall talent of the women’s game increases, it will get more exposure, and that exposure will breed more familiarity and more passion about the women’s game. It’ll take time, though.
Keep up the hard work, Brooke. Some day, people will appreciate the women’s game more. Having talented and passionate people like you playing the game will certainly hurry that day along. Best of luck!
Brooke, WNBA is boring. There’s no excitement. No flashyness. I’ve tried watching WNBA games and I last about 3.2 minutes before changing the channel to golf. GOLF BROOKE!!! That tells you how boring WNBA is if I’d rather watch Golf! I think it’s awesome you want to play in the WNBA, but woman’s sports will never come close to men’s sports. I know women that can kick several guys butts, but you don’t see them playing football do you? Woman are lucky to have the WNBA. If they start a WMLB I’m going to shoot myself.
Some of the things you all said I dont agree with and I know that mens basketball is more fun to watch. But to JT, I can play football. And I play volleyball too. But you can all just watch as I reach my goals and one day (though you may be laughing now)I will achieve them and who knows?! Maybe the next generation of THE GREATEST basketball players happens to be women. All I’m saying is WNBA may not beat out NBA, but the women who are on the team have to be great women players. And some (not all) pro women players could beat out men players. Oh and also to JT, shooting yourself just because they start a WMLB is dumb. It may not be as interesting to watch, but it gives great baseball women a chance to show their talent.
Thanks for reading!
From Megan (mom)
My argument for womens basketball is this. Have you watched mens basketball tapes from 20 years ago? Seriously, I watch them and think they look like they are just standing around. Mens basketball has evolved over time because they had the opportunity, training and facilities to raise the bar. Womens basketball and many womens sports for that matter, are relatively new. For crying out loud, early female basketball players wore skirts!!!! SKIRTS??!!! In the past there haven’t been many parents pushing their daughters into sports because social attitudes said that girls should dance and play the piano. But that is changing. Womens basketball will evolve and raise the bar as well. Women need to make basketball their own, instead of trying to duplicate what the men do. The athleticism of NBA men is fabulous and they are fun to watch. But women will get there and I will go so far as to say, we will get there faster than men did. It will be years before we will catch up, but women will make basketball their own. The womens basketball of the future may not be dunks and power; but it will be finesse and strategy and just as fun to watch! And hopefully, Brooke will be part of that
!!! Thanks for the comments . . . it was fun to see her rededicate herself to be part of the solution.
ya i kno the wnba has only 14 teams while the nba has 30!!! it sucks so much that even if ur a great player u have like a 1 n 604 chance to be in the wnba! but maybe if we fight this we can make a difference in how much the wnba games r on t.v as much as thw nba n all things like dat!
To me, what makes any sporting event interesting, is to know someone playing the in the game. If my daughter played for a WNBA team, I would be there watching. If you were my daughter, I would be your biggest fan.
In high school, there are many activities for kids. You can swim, debate, play chess or enter something in the science fair. But the only activities that attract much of an audience is boy’s basketball and boy’s football.
Not many people watch high school baseball and even fewer watch girls basketball.
Why? Because they don’t want to.
Let me make this clear. If you make it in the WNBA only a small amount of people will know your name.
On the other hand, if you were a boy and made it into the NBA, people would brag about the time they got to speak to you in the hall. If an NBA player returns to his hometown, people clamor all over him.
I went to one WNBA game. There was a group of boys sitting in front of me. They weren’t rooting for the home team. They were making fun of the players. To them, it was a joke.
I don’t like the NBA. Most of the players seem like thugs. If I had to pick a next door neighbor from a list of WNBA and NBA players, I would pick the girl.
WNBA players may be better people. But NBA players are much much better athletes. And no one really questions that.
I think that girls can be as jsut as good as guys. Just because they can dunk it doesnt mean anything. Some girls can dunk to. Most of the guys at my school are not even good they jus wanna show off there dumb moves. I want to also play pro ball one day and i understand where ur comeing frum.
There is no reason why the NBA is more watchable than the WNBA. I mean come on…. thats very discriminating. Women can be just as good as men if not better. “You dont have to be a man to INTIMIDATE!”
If you pick the wnba’s best player in Lauren Jackson, and match her up with the NBA’s Kobe Bryant, i mean com on! it would be a total slaughter! the men’s athleticism is astronomical compared to women in the Wnba. i know some girls can dunk, but i’ve seen jordan dunk from the foul line so what excitement will a girl dunking do for me? people just want to see flair, not just fundamental ball. sometimes, that’ll just be boring and i want to see behind-the-back passes, tommahawk dunks, acrobatic layups and killer blocks. sorry, as a fellow ball player myself, the NBA will always be the dominant sport and that’s the truth.
Ummmm I would just like to say that I have faced the same problem you have. Every day I hear abot how little Women’s basketball matters, & frankly I am sick of it. It is such BS! Yeah some men may be faster, stronger, and taller than some women, but the keyword is SOME!!! And maybe if some of you that have some sexist feelings would do a little research you would know what we are talking about. Yeah its true, men games have higher scores than Women’s games 99% of the time, but did you ever stop to think that just maybe its not because they are better at scoring but because women play better defense and have a better work ethic? Of course you didnt! Noone ever does. But I can promise all of you out there that are sexist when it comes to Women’s basketball, there is an evolution coming. And we are changing the history books of women’s basketball…. One woman athlete at a time!
i think that women should be paid the same as men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i do think that women should be paid more but consider the following: average NBA attendance is about 17,000 per game, while the WNBA brings in 10,000. The average NBA ticket price is over $45, the WNBA just $15. women are just as good as men. (=
There is a difference in athleticism between men and women when it comes to sports such as football, basketball, and wrestling. There are a couple of gender neautral sports such as golf, cheerleading, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. Those sports require more thinking than athleticism and therefore making it more evenly matched. For example compare the new basketball female phenom Candace Parker and the new male basketball phenom Lebron James. There is a completely different level of skill there and there is only a couple of years in age difference.
This is a response to Steve O.’s comment above:
Those aren’t “gender neutral” sports. Golf is dominated by men for the simple fact that they drive the ball MUCH further on average than women do. Yes, I know Annika Sorenstam is one of the few females playing on the men’s tour, but she cannot compete with superior ATHLETES (that’s right, golfers are athletes) like Tiger Woods. The man routinely drives the ball close to 400 yards off the tee - something the sporting world has never seen a woman come close to doing. Tennis? This is absolutely ridiculous. Professional men’s tennis players routinely serve the ball 120+ mph. They hit the ball much harder and they cover more ground on the court. Name a woman that could even take one set out of 20 from Roger Federer let alone win a match against him.
You all should be ashamed of yourselves for letting this young woman think that women can do the same things as men and vice versa. Here’s to another generation of women feeling victimized for no reason despite reality and common sense.
Not liking the WNBA doesn’t equate to having a problem with women in sports. Basketball has evolved to be played a certain way. What makes the NBA exciting and draw casual fans cannot work for the WNBA. Brooke, just because you can beat a few random boys in your school doesn’t change nature. Please do aspire to be a professional athlete and maybe with patience people like you can make the WNBA grow and be successful.
WNBA defense is not better than NBA defense. Put a random NBA player in a WNBA game, and I guarantee he will score 40+ (that is, if he adjusts to the smaller ball-size).
And to the person who said that WNBA basketball is still in its “early stages.” The game of basketball is NOT. And that is all that matters, really. If an NJB league started up today, and the players looked kind of goofy out there, would it be because the league just started? No! That doesn’t make any sense. It’s becuase the players just aren’t very good.
(WNBA players are good, but not compared to NBA players)
For some reason, NBA-haters seem to criticize dunking. I can’t really think of an explanation. What’s not to like? But then the funny part is that they go on to say, “And some girls can dunk, too!” Kind of contradictory.
In response to “ljhvljhxfc”s statement, it would be great if women earned the same as men in sports wouldn’t it? But here’s the reality of it, men’s sports leagues like the NBA bring in more of a fan base and with that crowd comes more money. Seriously, do the math it’s not hard to see that the more people coming to see the games means more money to pay the players. You can’t be serious to think WNBA players should get the same earnings as the NBA ones. That’s just lame.
Also, all this talk about how women can beat men at sports…yes this is true. It has and does happen all the time. But an NBA player will always beat a WNBA one. These are the best of the best in the country, and men are better at basketball. Sorry, but that’s the cold hard truth. I’m not trying to come arcoss as being sexist because I’m not. You just can’t compare these two leagues.
I think the WNBA will be popular one day. I believe that day will come when there will be that 1 woman who will be able to play as strong as any NBA player and especially be able to dunk with ease. When that day comes I’m sure all eyes will be on that 1 woman with the interest of her games and then more fans will follow.
Just my 2 cents.
It’s good to have dreams. It’s better to be realistic. You said the men dunk “a little more than the women”. I think there have been less than 5 dunks in the WNBA’s history. Dwight Howard usually does that in 1 QUARTER. Ok fine, it isn’t about dunking. It’s about fundamentals and teamwork. But you conveniently ignore sheer athleticism. Nothing can touch what NBA players are capable of. Even Candace Parker “dunking” a ball is really just an aggressive layup because she can’t get her wrist over the rim, which is essential in dunking. My question to you is, why do you want to compare the two? Men’s and women’s basketball are two different animals altogether. Enjoy the WNBA game for the reasons you state, but don’t envy the NBA. It took them 50 years plus for them to get as popular as they are, and even today, the NBA is not as popular as it was when Jordan was playing. The WNBA is in year 10. Not bad. As for equal pay, there are a couple of WNBA players i.e Parker who will make millions in endorsements. But salary-wise, the revenue isn’t there. The league hemorrhages money every year. If you are a female athlete and want to make the big bucks, I suggest TENNIS!!!!!!!!!!!
one word…testosterone
Did you guys see that the WNBA got their 2nd dunk a bit ago? The first one happened in 2002, so with the current trend I think I’ll start watching again in 2014 to see the 3rd one.
Seriously,,, 2? How in the world can there only be 2?
I guess the answer to Brook’s question can be summed up like this, in 11 years (1997-2008) they have managed only 2 dunks, and who wants to watch a league that averages 1 dunk every 5.5 years?
hey…
brooke i feel yah..
women should get paid on there skill level..men dont really get that much money from fans..that go’s to the arena and coaches and staff…players get paid becuz they get offered that much to go play a team….
and men need to stop acting like babys and just admit women can play…and fyi..parker has been dunking since high school…
and yea we have been around 10 yrs…but that is becuz guys think they have to own the world..and if they arent in it..they cry and complain about it…
and i wanna play pro to..maybe i will see you there…
women are remarkable players…we use heart and soul and he shed blood…men are lazy players…you know how many guys that are in the league who warm the bench and get paid millions…that isnt fair…and you need fundamentals to play bball..what do you think guys learn..and most people learn to dunk playing street ball or learning it from seeing it…and since girls don’t grow as tall as guys…of course we aren’t going to dunk often…so stop saying it..we get it…
and you cant compare kobe to anybody..one he isn’t all that great on defense…he doesnt do blank on that end…at least girls do…
nba focus more on offensive and money…..
wnba focus on work offense,defense,teamwork,heart,and community….
nba barley started doing that
If you took the worst NBA team (probably the heat) and matched them up against the top WNBA team (san antonio), it would be an absolute slaughter. First of all, none of the women would be able to stop Dwayne Wade. San Antonio’s tallest player, the center, Ruth Riley is 6-5 and 198 lbs. Compare that to Miami’s center, Mark Blount, who is 7 feet and 250 lbs. Do you really think that Ruth would have any chance against someone 7 inches taller and 52 lbs heavier than she is? Its really like comparing college players vs. professional players.
Sure, the WNBA can be interesting, I’m not saying it can’t be. I’m just saying when you comparing the WNBA to the NBA, there’s no way you can look at it objectively and believe that a WNBA team could beat an NBA team. That’s also the main reason why the NBA is more popular. People like to pay to watch the best basketball players in the world, who happen to be in the NBA. I actually think that the WNBA has a better concept of teamwork and desire, and I wish more NBA players had those concepts. However, the WNBA players lack in size, strength, speed, and athleticism.
And for the person who wrote about beating her 14 year old male counterparts… It’s nice that you’re able to beat them now, but in another 4 years in your senior year of high school its likely that they will have outgrown you in size and have become much stronger, just because the average male is bigger than the average female. Great for you if you can still beat them.
During my senior year of track and field, the girls team’s all star runner, who went on to run at a D1 college, practiced with us instead of the girls in order for better competition. However, every race she ran with us in practice, she finished around last every single time. Only one of us guys ever went on to run during college, out of the 6 or 7 who raced her.
WNBA uses shorter periods, smaller balls, shorter 3 point lines. Why? Because the NBA has stronger, faster, and more aggressive players. Bottom line is its more diffcult to play and much more exciting to watch. Sorry but if any lady in the WNBA could really contribute to an NBA team that lady would do it in a minute because she would make history and make about 100xs the money. In fact one of the best kept secrets is that the WNBA is not about making money or even about promoting girls basketball but is really a marketing tool for the NBA to get more female fans. The WNBA has never turned a profit and was started and continues to be supplemented by the NBA. Without the NBA the WNBA would not continue to exist. I’m sorry if the truth hurts but reality is men and women are different and basketball is one of those sports that clearly shows the physical differences.
brooke..its because the women cant dunk!
ok ok im a male i admit i there are some great female players out there, like Candace Parker but even then could she keep up with an NBA Squad or even her brother Anthony Parker who plays for the Raptors? and you beating you boys is good its great keep it up but will it last when they hit growth spurts and dunk?
although dunking isnt require as they often say about Lebron James (who i hate btw) his dunks will errupt the house as if he scored a million points it pumps up everyone for a comeback or w/e and you wont see that in the WNBA hence low attendence
and learning to dunk in basketball is a right of passage because not everyone can do it so you show it off, theres even a event for it, compare the ratings for NBA All-star game vs WNBA all -star and they cant compare and thats where marketing comes in no one wants to market what no one watch one of the main reason no wears a WNBA signature shoe but the wear the Air Jordan all the time and the reason why men get paid more
and the alley oop yea girls can dunk but thats not happening for a looooooong time mainly because the WNBA 2nd dunk just happen lik 5 years after the 1st, girls dunking is good but NBA dunking is good because of people doing drinks, distance or dunking over someone
and Yes body size does matter i would love to see any of the women take on Shaq
The Mens game will always be the more dominate and interesting to watch it doesn’t mean the women aren’t good, its just the way it is and probably always will be
This is why. Plain and simple.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OJNCqkKJbBc
We are all witnesses!
Seriously, girls/women……….drop this debate. You will never win. NBA is fast, entertaining, very profitable, and men know how to play the game. WNBA is boring. BORING. Stop thinking that the WNBA should get paid the same, that girls are better then guys at basketball, that they should bring more teams to the league and that WNBA will someday be larger then the NBA. Because it won’t. Ever. Girls should stick to Golf & Tennis. It’s great that you guys can cheer for the WNBA, but this debate is retarded. Just stop. Stop. Stop it now. No more please. Seriously. Lame.
ok well obviously JT is seriously mistaken!!
how can you possibly say that the WNBA is sooooo much better than the NBA???
that is the stupidest thing that I have EVER heard in my LIFE!
i really would like to see you play since you seem to be such an amazing basketball player. yes right now the NBA is better than the WNBA but the WNBA is getting better and better. It is true that women started playing basketball not so long ago and because of this they have not had as much time as the NBA. So we are only getting better every year. And dunking and getting into fights should not be a big part of basketball, yes it is true it might be more entertaining but women are also very skilled at ball handling and defense, so just because the WNBA does not dunk as much does not mean that they are not as good! More people are starting to watch the WNBA and they are getting better players. And you are soooo obnoxious and EXTREMELY rude to say that we are lucky to have the WNBA and that we should stick to golf and tennis!!
HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!! You need to get over yourself and the image you have in your head of women being weaker than guys!
To Ms. Andy-
I’m sure a WNBA could kill me on the court. But am I a professional basketball player? No. Do I get paid to play ball EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE? No. I’m saying that WNBA will NEVER be what the NBA is. That’s simple to understand. You know what else is simple to understand? Woman are weaker than guys. It’s how God made us. I’m not saying I hate woman. I’m not saying that woman can’t play basketball. I’m just saying, a National Basketball League for Woman (a.k.a. WNBA) is completely and entirely boring and shouldn’t be aired. That’s all. But it’s not just because woman are weaker than guys, it’s because the WNBA is so lame. It’s because it’s not entertaining at all. In any aspect.
However, you know what I do like watching, is woman’s beach volleyball. It’s not that these woman have a pretty physically strong body, because we all know they do. It’s because it’s entertaining and I found myself cheering loudly for the USA Olympic Beach Volleyball teams the whole time in Beijing. It was awesome! Them and the gymnastic teams! I enjoyed that. I really did. But basketball is like football. It’s just a physical man’s game that woman will never be able to match. Oh and I even enjoyed watching the woman’s softball team play in the Olympics. Those pitchers that can throw that ball underarm like that, at that speed, is amazing. It’s true.
There’s just something about manly looking woman running up and down the court with their hair flipping and flopping and chucking the basketball up no matter where they’re at on the court, oh, and no good dunking……that is not entertaining to me. Nor is it entertaining to 90% of the rest of America. Hate me for what I wrote. I don’t care. It’s my opinion. And what is the definition of “Blogging” Andy?
blog (blŏg) Pronunciation Key
n. A weblog.
intr.v. blogged, blog·ging, blogs
To write entries in, add material to, or maintain a weblog from your own personal life and experiences. To share opinions via the internet by weblogs.
It’s simple to understand.
Quickly Andy, re-read what Jeff said about 4 comments up. I agree completely. It’s just the way it is, so accept that.
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