swirlspice

The bigger problem with society’s perception of the league is more complicated. With Saturday’s game between the Heat and Celtics drawing the highest ratings of an NBA playoff game since cable ratings began being recorded, society has made its statement. It loves basketball, loves watching it, talking about it, breaking it down. But then it turns to the women and their version of the sport and chastises them because they’re not the men.

It’s bad basketball. No one dunks. They’re not very strong. The nonsense accusations go on and on.

Watching the Lynx, the WNBA’s hottest and best team, it’s possible to see the genesis of this ridiculousness. These women are good at basketball. Really good. They make great shots. Their passes are crisp, on point. They’re the best the league has to offer, and their game isn’t that different from the men’s. They come so close to transcending gender, but they fall short, and because of their dominance and talent we criticize them for not playing like something they’re not.