WBB, Catching Up?

[BenEClone]

Previous comments seem to suggest that the ideal for WBB is to approach the level and style of play of the men's game. If that were the case, then the critics of the game would be right; it would be a slower, less athletic, inferior form of the same. Absent serious genetic engineering women will not have the same abilities as men. Consequently, the women's game shouldn't aspire to be like the men's game. This difference in approach is evident within the women's game itself. Some coaches and teams seek to emulate the men's syle, others aspire to perfect the women's game. (I've tried to state the differences, but, couldn't to my satisfaction. The difference in style of play leads to a difference in how a team prefers officiating which can favor one style over another.) I prefer the women's game.

[HuskerFan86]

In another topic when I said that WBB is catching the mens game I meant it more in the sense of improved skill, more exposure, increased attendence, and better overall entertainment value.

I don't want the womens game to become like mens game either, they are a different animal. If both MBB and WBB were the same, there would be no point to having both. Womens' basketball has its own unique identity, and it always will. Bigger, faster, more explosive athletes won't change this identity, they will only improve the level of competition.

The way I see it, Better Athletes=Better Competition=Better Game=Better Attendence

I personally would love to see more dunks in WBB, because dunking in no way hurts the quality of the game. Lisa Leslie dunking last year was a milestone, and if there was a dunk every once in awhile it would only gain more exposure for WBB. Some people are against women dunking in a game, but if no one gets hurt, what harm does an occasional dunk do?

WBB and MBB will always be two completely different things, but if the attendence, athleticism, and skill level can somewhat mirror the mens game I think that is a positive thing. I would love it if the womens game had the parity of its male counterpart. Wouldn't it be exciting to go into a season where there are 20-30 teams who could possibly win the national championship?

The key for the future of the womens game will be maintaining the attributes that have made it popular with its fans (Sportsmanship, intelligent play, etc.), while also improving its level of athletes.

[35TangoTango]

Right! The women's game doesn't have to be like the men's game, but it does need to be at the same level of play. A good example is Pro Tennis. No one will argue that the women are quicker, hit harder, or are more athletic than the men. But they are as proficient at their game as the men are at theirs.

The result? Women's tennis now outdraws men's.

I recently watch two games that went down to the wire, with two highly rated teams playing to packed houses. One was the Texas-KState women's game, the other was the Texas-Kansas men's game. Those two games, IMHO, were equally worthy as great examples of the sport!

Sadly, we also have games like the OU-KU women's game played at a level of ineptitude hard to find in the men's game today, and highly unlikely to attract new fans to WBB.