WNBA and NBA?

Question

I always read questions and answers in here saying that girls are just as good, or even better at basketball than guys. My question is, if girls are so good at basketball, then why did they have to make their own league, the WNBA? If they are so talented why can't they play on the same teams and against the men?

Answer 1

I don't know what no knowledge person wrote that anyone in the WNBA could hang with anybody in the NBA but they are crazy. As far as shooting wise in an open gym some might be able to hold their own but competing against one another there's no chance.

The men are much faster and stronger and and much bigger heights. You take the smallest player in the NBA in Earl Boykins and his 350 pound bench press and he's probably stronger thananyone in the NBA. Then you take the best post player in the WNBA in Lisa Lesie at 6 foot 5 and she doesn't have a chance against any post player on offense and less than zero chance on defense.

The post players in the WNBA are the size of shooting guards. The league as a whole can't make it and the first woman to get a tryout for the NBA, Ann Meyers for the pacers, didn't come close to making it and that's out of one teams roster of 15. If by some chance a woman was good enough to make it in the NBA she'd be a deep bencher and it would be much better for the womans game for her to be a star and showcase in the WNBA.

Answer 2

Alot of people ask that question. You can't take ANYTHING away from the women who play in the WNBA. The fact of the matter is that they have maximized their potential just like the men in the NBA have. The difference however, is that their physical capabilities created different potentials. Of course the men are taller and generally faster. Dunking is basically monopolized by the men as well. Those are physical factors though. Both sides know the game and play it as best as they can. It all depends on what your preferences are. If you like NBA style or WNBA style basketball. Of course you can't put ALL of the women in the WNBA on NBA teams because of the obvious physical differences. There is no woman post player in recognized history who could gaurd Shaquille Oneal (most men can't do it). If you talk about guards and smaller players then some women would be able to play with the guys as long as they were tough and willing to take hits (see: Allen Iverson).
I think that the fact that there are 2 leagues is due to 2 reasons:
1) If the NBA was the only option for men and women alot of women would give up on basketball because they wouldn't want to risk their health and they wouldn't want to be out done because of the physical factors.
2) The NBA doesn't want to promote the idea of violence against women. People still have the impression that a man hitting a woman under any circumstances is wrong and so they wouldn't want to put the audience or the players in a position where they had to go against that idea. Personally I think that a man or woman who hits anyone regardless of there sex is wrong (not just men who hit women). But even though it is in the interest of sports, the image could be blown way out of proportion.

Alot of women are good at the game of basketball. There are just biological limitations. Those limitations don't have anything to do with whether or not you know the game and play with what you have (once again see: Allen Iverson). You make it sound as if any man anywhere in the world could beat any woman at basketball. There are plent of guys who havn't got the physical capabilities to play in the NBA. You can find them at your local park. Who knows, you may be one of them.

Answer 3

When people talk about men being better than women i just have to shake my head. Why is it a competition?

Women and men are different. They are different physically and mentally. They play basketball differently. They shouldn't have to play like the men.

Women's basketball has nothing to do with men's basketball. There is a game, it has rules, and it is played to the ability of the player who utilize their strengths to win.

When you try to say that women aren't as good, think of this.
Why are there weight classes in wrestling, boxing and in the UFC? Can men weighing 140 really beat opponents that are 280... consistently?

It's not how good women are compared to men. It's how good women are in their own league. And it's the fact that now they have their own league where they can play professionally if they choose. That's what really matters. Opportunity and choice is what makes women equal to men.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Men and women are different physically. This is not meant to be sexist, but it's simply a fact that, in general, men are more athletically talented than women.

This should not take away from the fact that there are excellent woman basketball players out there, and that the womens' game is an excellent one.

Answer 6

This is a very good question, but think what would happen if they mixed the leagues.
There would be a TON of more problems. Dont' get me wrong, because i'm a girl who plays baseball, I totally think some girls are just as good, but it's just easier to have two separate leagues.
I reall don't know how else to put it, other than one league would stir up lots of debates and problems. Why not have the same amount of competition with two leagues?

But i like your question!

Answer 7

The WNBA has a lower rim, yet there is not dunks there. Imagine Shaq or Kwame charging into one of the gals.
Yes these women can play at a very high level, but they are not close to the men.

Answer 8

First off, I don't know where some answerer's get their info but the dimensions are the exact same size as the rim in the NBA. The only "dimensional" difference in an NBA court and a WNBA court is the distance of the 3 point line. So guess there goes that whole "shorter rim theory".

And as far as playing on the same team, women can compete with men. If not 75% of Division I Women's Basketball teams wouldn't scrimmage against men in practice. The complication is that you would have so many social issues with women and men on the same team that it was easier for the NBA to create a women's league then to let women tryout. If not, whole NBA facilities would have to be restructured and there would have to be all kinds of policies in place when it comes to things like sexual harrassment and sexual equality. It's more of a male/female interaction thing then a talent thing.

And if NBA players can't handle one of their former teammates coming out of the closet, how do you they would handle playing with women? Seriously.

When it all comes down to it, it was cheaper for the NBA to just create a women's league and we know in the NBA it's all about the money.

Also, women can dunk on a 10' rim. Can anyone say Candace Parker? In 2002, Lisa Leslie became the first WNBA player to dunk in a game. The first woman to dunk in the college game was West Virginia's Georgeann Wells in 1984. North Carolina's Charlotte Smith dunked in 1994 and Tennessee's Michelle Snow dunked three times during her college career. Candace Parker actually WON the McDonald's All-American in 2004, with a one-handed, no-look jam: (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4632991/). Unfortunately, women have often been discouraged to dunk because officials are quick to throw a technical against them in college, considering it "taunting". I know that when I played in high school you weren't even allowed to dunk in the school system I played in because dunking would earn you a technical. There were girls I practiced with who could dunk, but obviously wouldn't attempt it in game if it was going to cost us two shots and the ball.

I think the reason that women are considered better is that because of the fact they're smaller and not as "physical" as men, they're forced to concentrate on things like shooting and passing to be productive. They depend on things like good form and unselfishness to put them through. It's the same style of ball played by men in the 70's when dunking was actually against the rules in NCAA in the early 70's. Women get knocked because their strengths are in shooting and passing instead of physical inside play and dunking. I think it's no coincidence that you have women who regularly beat men in shooting contests (check out the McDonald's All-American 3 point contest or college contests in march).

Women are just as good, they just have different strengths. Unfortunately they'll probably never get to show their abilites against men in my lifetime because of the social implications.

And just because someone can bench 350 pounds, doesn't make them a better shooter or defender. If it was all about strength there wouldn't be guys like Steve Nash, Pete Maravich, or John Stockton in the NBA. If it was all about height we would've never heard of guys like Spudd Webb or Mugsy Bogues (both shorter then most girls I know). So don't tell me just because guys are "stronger" they're better at ball. That cliche would work in a contact sport like football, but not in basketball.

Answer 9

Cmon, now seriously.