garnett_21
09-28-2009, 06:18 PM
by Nathan Loewy, aka garnett_21
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Basketball is a very popular sport in the United States. Fans of the game have many choices to watch, whether you prefer professional or college, in all months of the year. You can find games from the NBA, NBDL (National Basketball Developmental League), NCAA college basketball, and even some high school basketball, all on a number of different channels on TV, or streaming online, for about nine months out of the year. But, there is one league that does not get the recognition it deserves, and it is played during those three off months of the year - the WNBA.
The WNBA was incorporated in 1996, with the first game played in 1997. Seasons run from June thru September, with the playoffs played from September thru October. The league currently has 13 teams, and the season lasts 34 games. Most of the rules are the same, or very similar to NBA rules, but the WNBA has a much smaller fan base. That is one thing that I don't understand. My thought is if you are a fan of professional basketball, it shouldn't matter whether it's professional men or professional women playing, as it's still basketball being played. Regardless of that, there are several misconceptions about the WNBA, that I will attempt to disprove.
Could the lack of a fan base be the scoring averages? Definitely not. If that is a reason for people deciding not to tune in to games, then they need to watch a game! The Phoenix Mercury scored the most points per game ever in the history of the WNBA, averaging 92.8 points per 40-minute game, which is higher than the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns scoring average of 109.4 points per 48-minute game. If you convert it to points per minute, the Mercury scored 2.32 points per minute, compared to the Suns 2.28 points per minute. Yes, a WNBA team scores more than any team in the NBA. So, that basically eliminates scoring as a deterrent.
Could it be the lack of flashy plays? Possibly, because the WNBA doesn't show off as much as the NBA, but again, if you think the WNBA doesn't have any flashy plays, you definitely need to watch a game! Sure, there aren't the 360 dunks, or alley-oop's, but who says that passes and layups can't be flashy? Look to Steve Nash and Chris Paul for an example of that. Moreover, passing and layups get back to the fundamentals of the game, which are essential to basketball. You can't have a game of all dunks, as I believe that would become quite boring. Plus, there are a few players in the WNBA who do dunk - Candace Parker, of the Los Angeles Sparks, threw down a dunk twice during her rookie season! So, I don't believe that this would be a real reason for someone not watching the WNBA. This would be more of an excuse for someone who has predetermined thoughts about it prior to even experiencing it.
Another aspect that surprises me about the lack of fans is the ticket prices. You can go to a WNBA game, in the lower level, for under $20 in most cases. The Minnesota Lynx had meal deals, in which you would get a few concessions, along with a lower level ticket for $13! Yes, that is cheaper than most upper level tickets at any NBA arena. The reason behind cheaper tickets is the fact that the WNBA's salary cap is under $1 million. For 2009, the cap stood at $803,000, with the maximum salary for any player for a season standing at $99,500. This allows the WNBA to be more family orieted and kid friendly, but games rarely, if ever, sell out, and most games have less than half their capacity.
So before you say, "No, I don't want to watch it", or "No, I don't like it", give it a chance! Watch it again, or for your first time! I would bet that you will enjoy it.
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Basketball is a very popular sport in the United States. Fans of the game have many choices to watch, whether you prefer professional or college, in all months of the year. You can find games from the NBA, NBDL (National Basketball Developmental League), NCAA college basketball, and even some high school basketball, all on a number of different channels on TV, or streaming online, for about nine months out of the year. But, there is one league that does not get the recognition it deserves, and it is played during those three off months of the year - the WNBA.
The WNBA was incorporated in 1996, with the first game played in 1997. Seasons run from June thru September, with the playoffs played from September thru October. The league currently has 13 teams, and the season lasts 34 games. Most of the rules are the same, or very similar to NBA rules, but the WNBA has a much smaller fan base. That is one thing that I don't understand. My thought is if you are a fan of professional basketball, it shouldn't matter whether it's professional men or professional women playing, as it's still basketball being played. Regardless of that, there are several misconceptions about the WNBA, that I will attempt to disprove.
Could the lack of a fan base be the scoring averages? Definitely not. If that is a reason for people deciding not to tune in to games, then they need to watch a game! The Phoenix Mercury scored the most points per game ever in the history of the WNBA, averaging 92.8 points per 40-minute game, which is higher than the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns scoring average of 109.4 points per 48-minute game. If you convert it to points per minute, the Mercury scored 2.32 points per minute, compared to the Suns 2.28 points per minute. Yes, a WNBA team scores more than any team in the NBA. So, that basically eliminates scoring as a deterrent.
Could it be the lack of flashy plays? Possibly, because the WNBA doesn't show off as much as the NBA, but again, if you think the WNBA doesn't have any flashy plays, you definitely need to watch a game! Sure, there aren't the 360 dunks, or alley-oop's, but who says that passes and layups can't be flashy? Look to Steve Nash and Chris Paul for an example of that. Moreover, passing and layups get back to the fundamentals of the game, which are essential to basketball. You can't have a game of all dunks, as I believe that would become quite boring. Plus, there are a few players in the WNBA who do dunk - Candace Parker, of the Los Angeles Sparks, threw down a dunk twice during her rookie season! So, I don't believe that this would be a real reason for someone not watching the WNBA. This would be more of an excuse for someone who has predetermined thoughts about it prior to even experiencing it.
Another aspect that surprises me about the lack of fans is the ticket prices. You can go to a WNBA game, in the lower level, for under $20 in most cases. The Minnesota Lynx had meal deals, in which you would get a few concessions, along with a lower level ticket for $13! Yes, that is cheaper than most upper level tickets at any NBA arena. The reason behind cheaper tickets is the fact that the WNBA's salary cap is under $1 million. For 2009, the cap stood at $803,000, with the maximum salary for any player for a season standing at $99,500. This allows the WNBA to be more family orieted and kid friendly, but games rarely, if ever, sell out, and most games have less than half their capacity.
So before you say, "No, I don't want to watch it", or "No, I don't like it", give it a chance! Watch it again, or for your first time! I would bet that you will enjoy it.