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[entremet]

The thing is most men can't make the NBA. Even those with extensive experience from HS, College, Overseas.

Prosports is a completely different animal. And the NBA has the smallest rosters in pro sports.

When you average that, even a very talented and physically gifted female player, and you have a lot of disadvatanges already apparent just based on the elite level of that tier of play.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I had to look it up but the player who led the WNBA in 3pt % is 5'8. And even playing against people more in line with her physically she only shot 49%. How would that translate over playing in a league where everyone is at least 6 inches taller than her?

 

[Ferrio]

Fugu was just straight up trolling right? Riles you guys up then bails?

 

[Dragonborn]

It makes sense that they get paid so littlr compared to the NBA. I mean, does anyone even watch WNBA? I tried once but it was just boring. I remember having more fun watching some games back in high school (and I'm not a big sports fan to begin with)

 

[Fjordson]

I had to look it up but the player who led the WNBA in 3pt % is 5'8. And even playing against people more in line with her physically she only shot 49%. How would that translate over playing in a league where everyone is at least 6 inches taller than her?

Yeah, ain't happening.

Some of the top shooters in the NBA right now:

Wes Matthews (6-5, 220)
Kyle Korver (6-8, 212)
Klay Thompson (6-7, 215)
Steph Curry (6-3, 190)

And again, Curry is really an outlier in the NBA when it comes to overall size and physical build.

 

[PhoenixDark]

I had to look it up but the player who led the WNBA in 3pt % is 5'8. And even playing against people more in line with her physically she only shot 49%. How would that translate over playing in a league where everyone is at least 6 inches taller than her?

Not well.

When did acknowledging the realities of biology become discriminatory/anti woman. No one is saying women can't play sports. I've been to college women's basketball games and enjoyed myself. I agree with the argument that there is a lot of fundamentals awareness in women's basketball. But at the end of the day they simply don't compare to professional men's teams. There are high school teams that could beat WNBA teams.

 

[FyreWulff]

So basically we need a pro basketball league not affiliated with the existing basketball monopoly to actually put up the money to keep stars and not just do 'enough', but actually recruit.

 

[turtle553]

So basically we need a pro basketball league not affiliated with the existing basketball monopoly to actually put up the money to keep stars and not just do 'enough', but actually recruit.

First you need people willing to run that league at a great financial loss like the Russians are doing.

 

[FyreWulff]

First you need people willing to run that league at a great financial loss like the Russians are doing.

So basically every sports ever that happened

You're not going to attract top talent without top pay. From any gender. For any sport.

 

[tarheel91]

She would be too much of a defensive liability, that is assuming she could get her shot off which is the hardest part of being a sharpshooter. Also please note that Kapono, Novak and Korver were all college stars on their respective teams.

Jason Kapono lead UCLA in scoring 4 straight years.

Steve Novak was an integral player on a very good Marquette team. Put up a 41 and 16 performance against an excellent UConn team his senior year.

Kyle Korver was an excellent college player at Creighton and was the best player in MWC during his junior and senior year.

Point being, they are specialist in the NBA but in college their skill set made them elite players.

There's no way they get a shot off. First she'd have to get separation from someone who is bigger, stronger, and faster than her, and then she'd have to somehow get a shot off. Even if the defender was out of position, NBA defenders have incredible closing speed and would likely have a solid 8-12" height advantage in addition to being able to jump higher, which makes getting usable separation even harder. All one has to do is look at Kentucky's success in the NCAA over the last decade to see how big of an impact size and athleticism play. Kentucky has basically become a school largely for one and dones who haven't yet developed the technical skills of many elite college players, but make up for it by being athletic freaks of extraordinary size. Kentucky has used that formula for great success.

 

[turtle553]

So basically every sports ever that happened

You're not going to attract top talent without top pay. From any gender. For any sport.

Some sports actually attract people willing to pay to watch them. The Russian in question who runs her team doesn't even charge admission.

 

[Little Green Yoda]

Is professional women's basketball that much more popular in Russia than here in the U.S.?

Nvm, just read that the owners there throw money at their teams without caring about profit margins.

 

[FyreWulff]

Some sports actually attract people willing to pay to watch them. The Russian in question who runs her team doesn't even charge admission.

Sounds like they have shit promoters.

edit: but even the male sports over here still paper a town to fill seats.

 

[Kill3r7]

Why is there so much more money in women's basketball in Russia than the US? Why are we so apathetic here?

If they're throwing out money without a proper return... What's the point? Are they just trying hard to establish the sport over there, like that Jai Alai dude from Mad Men?

Because owning a top notch men's team would be a lot more expensive.

 

[ISWThunder]

So basically every sports ever that happened

You're not going to attract top talent without top pay. From any gender. For any sport.

But hasn't the WNBA had the best talent in the world for its entire existence? The WNBA's problem has not been attracting talent, it's been about attracting viewers.

You can attract the best female athletes in the world to play basketball but they still have to compete for viewers with the NBA & college basketball. Both of those organizations are exponentially more talented.

 

[someday]

But hasn't the WNBA had the best talent in the world for its entire existence? The WNBA's problem has not been attracting talent, it's been about attracting viewers.

You can attract the best female athletes in the world to play basketball but they still have to compete for viewers with the NBA & college basketball. Both of those organizations are exponentially more talented.

I'm going to take some exception to the notion that women basketball players have less "talent" than the men. I'm not saying that women are biologically equal to the men at all, that is a ridiculous argument, but the talent is there. These women are at the top of their game and most have been playing most of their lives (just like the guys).

Also, many of the top women's players play overseas in the off-season. It isn't just Russia that recruits but they do pay very well. The Seattle Storm routinely had it's starters playing in Italy and Russia and other countries during the WNBA off-season.

 

[Nesotenso]

I am more surprised that a Russian Women's basketball team can afford to pay someone that much.

 

[FyreWulff]

But hasn't the WNBA had the best talent in the world for its entire existence? The WNBA's problem has not been attracting talent, it's been about attracting viewers.

You can attract the best female athletes in the world to play basketball but they still have to compete for viewers with the NBA & college basketball. Both of those organizations are exponentially more talented.

while the WNBA has some great talent, sports DO compete with each other for potential talent. If another sport pays better and has more visibility, like say tennis, then you're going to be taken that way.

It's sort of like how stuff like the other sports have taken a lot of guys that would have usually ended up in boxing because they pay more, and more reliably.

Being capped at around 100k makes your sport unable to compete with other sports with bigger payouts and endorsement deals, it's barely competing with non-sports jobs you could get while playing sports for a college.

 

[Syph Medwes]

What's stopping them from forming an integrated NBA league with both men and women?

Because they're simply not good enough? I don't care if I get shit on, the reality is they can't compete at the highest level. Arguably the greatest female hockey player of all time, Hayley Wickenheiser, was allowed to play with men. You know where she ended up? The second league in Finland. (Technically she started in the third league then got promoted, then eventually demoted, but anyway) Now, admirable? Yes, definitely, and she broke barriers. However, this is the best player we're talking about, and she was physically inadequate. Now, that isn't a knock on her, on the contrary, it was gutsy to even ask to play with players she knew would dominate her, and yet she did; however, the reality is there are separate leagues for a reason. Simply put, a level physical playing field.

edit: this post pertains to the sentence I'm quoting, not the WNBA or anything else. Just addressing the integration of sport leagues.

 

[patapuf]

while the WNBA has some great talent, sports DO compete with each other for potential talent. If another sport pays better and has more visibility, like say tennis, then you're going to be taken that way.

It's sort of like how stuff like the other sports have taken a lot of guys that would have usually ended up in boxing because they pay more, and more reliably.

Being capped at around 100k makes your sport unable to compete with other sports with bigger payouts and endorsement deals, it's barely competing with non-sports jobs you could get while playing sports for a college.

i might be uninformed but in which women's sports in the US (or anywhere, really) is there prospect for more than 100k a year for a star player?

Tennis, soccer and?

 

[Tallshortman]

Sounds like they have shit promoters.

edit: but even the male sports over here still paper a town to fill seats.

Have you ever been to or seen a WNBA game? Even good teams have laughable attendance compared to low attendance NBA teams. In fact the average good college women's team has many more fans and interest partly due to the shared college fan base.

Besides, the money comes mainly from TV deals, not tickets. People would rather watch a Minnesota or milwalkee by a large marigin. Promoters will not make up the difference in the excitement and quality of athleticism on the floor.

 

[ISWThunder]

I'm going to take some exception to the notion that women basketball players have less "talent" than the men. I'm not saying that women are biologically equal to the men at all, that is a ridiculous argument, but the talent is there. These women are at the top of their game and most have been playing most of their lives (just like the guys).

Also, many of the top women's players play overseas in the off-season. It isn't just Russia that recruits but they do pay very well. The Seattle Storm routinely had it's starters playing in Italy and Russia and other countries during the WNBA off-season.

Very true, skill was the wrong word for it. Perhaps talent describes it better. The on-court product is just far better because the college and pro players are bigger, stronger, faster and can make more athletic moves.

while the WNBA has some great talent, sports DO compete with each other for potential talent. If another sport pays better and has more visibility, like say tennis, then you're going to be taken that way.

It's sort of like how stuff like the other sports have taken a lot of guys that would have usually ended up in boxing because they pay more, and more reliably.

Being capped at around 100k makes your sport unable to compete with other sports with bigger payouts and endorsement deals, it's barely competing with non-sports jobs you could get while playing sports for a college.

As far as women's sports go, that's a competitive salary. Plenty of LPGA and WTA players make a ton more than that, but I cant think of many more female athletes that can. Danica Patrick in racing. Ronda Rousey in the UFC

And what college athletes/students are even knocking on the door of 6 figure salaries?

 

[Mesoian]

if by "vast" you mean every single one of them, then yes.

Eh, I bet there are a few WNBA players that could outplay Elliot Williams.

But yeah, by vast, I mean 95%.

 

[Kusagari]

I want to see the top WNBA players take on Whiteside

 

[Le_Samourai]

For all the dumb people saying that they want women competing against men, why don't you go with the actual female athletes and tell them that they should be mixed leagues so you get laugh in your face, only someone who never compete at a high level could be that ignorant to suggest that.

 

[Diprosalic]

Eh, I bet there are a few WNBA players that could outplay Elliot Williams.

But yeah, by vast, I mean 95%.

no. not a chance in hell.
Elliot Williams would be the best player in the WNBA by a huuuge margin.
you seriously underestimate how good you have to be to even go to the NBA for a 10 day contract as a bench warmer.

it's 100%, always was and always will be.

 

[soundahfekz]

Fugu was just straight up trolling right? Riles you guys up then bails?

I hope so, but as of late it's really hard to tell

 

[scabro]

no. not a chance in hell.
Elliot Williams would be the best player in the WNBA by a huuuge margin.
you seriously underestimate how good you have to be to even go to the NBA for a 10 day contract as a bench warmer.

it's 100%, always was and always will be.

people just really want to believe hard work and will power will overcome the huge disparity between men and women in athletics

Has anyone posted the article of the Williams sisters challenging a guy who was ranked like outside the top 300 in mens tennis to a match, and getting their assess handed to them back to back with the guy not taking it seriously at all and smoking in between sets?

 

[agrajag]

ITT: testosterone, how does it work?

 

[HolyBaikal]

I love women's sports. :<

I would watch a lot more of it. But I don't watch TV channels. And they never seem to show women's sports. It's almost always men's sports they show.

If there were youtube channels dedicated to sports. I'd watch lots of WNBA games.