DiMauro: Mercury's whining is a bit too much

[pap49cba]

Vegas would have made it a pick 'em Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena as to the bigger disgrace:

The conduct of the Phoenix Mercury players, who acted as though bitten by a forest animal at the very whisper of contact … or the officials who were dumb enough to fall for it.

LINK

 

[magic]

Sorry, but I thought the home job was a little too absurd for my liking last night !

 

[tomcat]

I have no knowledge of what dd or did not happen at the game, and don't care one whit about the WNBA, but (unlike many here) I really like what I've seen of DiMauro's writing lately.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I'm not sure why (opposing) players are not allowed to be demonstrative about officiating but (home) players are, (home) fans are and (home) sports writers are...

 

[VAUConnFan]

I have no knowledge of what dd or did not happen at the game, and don't care one whit about the WNBA, but (unlike many here) I really like what I've seen of DiMauro's writing lately.

There is some good basketball being played in the WNBA; A lot of it by UConn alums. You should check it out.

 

[Sonny44]

There is some good basketball being played in the WNBA; A lot of it by UConn alums. You should check it out.

Not me. When they leave here, they're just a sweet memory. They're playing for money and that makes it ugly - for me.
Besides I have all the new ones to fall in love with. Call me one dimensional; I won't be offended.

 

[Striper69]

There is some good basketball being played in the WNBA; A lot of it by UConn alums. You should check it out.

Some of the best basketball being played in the world is in the WNBA right now.

And it's just going to get better and better...

 

[Striper69]

Not me. When they leave here, they're just a sweet memory. They're playing for money and that makes it ugly - for me.
Besides I have all the new ones to fall in love with. Call me one dimensional; I won't be offended.

They have to play in college for free and up until this year some of them had to go hungry? On top of that they can't hold a part-time job to earn spending money?

That's ugly to me.

If they can make a decent living playing a sport they love then I'll support them.

 

[sarals24]

Wow...you don't watch our former UConn players because they are playing for money? We are so lucky to have a league where we get to see all our favorites every year. In the past they just went overseas and we wouldn't see them until the Olympics...

 

[jcoton56]

Vegas would have made it a pick 'em Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena as to the bigger disgrace:

The conduct of the Phoenix Mercury players, who acted as though bitten by a forest animal at the very whisper of contact … or the officials who were dumb enough to fall for it.

LINK

Given that Mike is an elite whiner in his own right, I'll trust his judgement

 

[psconn]

The Mercury have been whiners for years lead by Bonner, DT and Dupree. I was at the game and re-watched it on line afterward. The officiating was really awful... both ways. But the Sun kept their composure better than the Mercury... that is a very positive accomplishment for a team so young. Good win.

 

[JoePgh]

Not me. When they leave here, they're just a sweet memory. They're playing for money and that makes it ugly - for me.
Besides I have all the new ones to fall in love with. Call me one dimensional; I won't be offended.

As Geno has said, his UConn players play for money also: the value of college tuition is $40,000 per year or so, and the economic value of a Bachelor's degree in the job market is far greater than that. And their level of commitment is also just as high as that of any pro.

The difference is that basketball in the W is much better and more competitive than even the elite levels of college basketball.

 

[tomcat]

Wow...you don't watch our former UConn players because they are playing for money? We are so lucky to have a league where we get to see all our favorites every year. In the past they just went overseas and we wouldn't see them until the Olympics...

Nope, it's not the money. If they played Genoball and got paid for it, I'd watch them. But from what I've seen, while watching WNBA is not as painful as watching the NBA (which is a cross between rollerball and the WWE, IMHO), the WNBA product is not the same as WCBB.

I think some of it is because everyone in the WNBA (and maybe this is why I hate NBA basketball, now that I think of it) is so damn good that there is no real margin for failure. Similarly, there is no real opportunity, most of the time, for someone to overcome the odds, to far exceed her expected potential. In the midst of all the UConn winning (make no mistake -- I love the winning) those moments are what I look for and remember.

So Diana scores 30 in a game and gets 12 assists. Is anyone really surprised? or Maya averages 30 over a period of 5-6 games. That's great and all, but we all knew she could do that. I'm just using UConn players as well-known examples. You get the picture. It's just as true of McBride or Parker or Griner.

And the game itself is different. There is, it seems to me, more emphasis on what I would call athleticism and less on what i would call finesse. The WNBA, being the product of the NBA, is designed to stress the parts of the game that the NBA loves best -- the flash, the power drives, the acrobatics. It's almost as if the people who came up with the formula for the game thought they could treat women like they were men with breasts, or something. Okay, that's an exaggeration. But if they could, they would have the women emulate virtually every aspect of the men's game because, to their way of thinking, the men are financially successful, and the women, not so much.

I guess that if what you want to see is the Clash of the Titans, well, WNBA can be fun, but that's not why I watch WCBB. Geno's attempts to instill perfection, the amazing times when, for example, MoJeff scores a bunch of points in addition to a bunch of assists, those times when an opposing player scores 20 against UConn and we all say, "Wow! Who's she?" and follow that player for the rest of the season -- those are the irreplacable parts of WCBB that I just don't thunk you see enough of in the WNBA to make it worthwhile.

 

[Sonny44]

As Geno has said, his UConn players play for money also: the value of college tuition is $40,000 per year or so, and the economic value of a Bachelor's degree in the job market is far greater than that. And their level of commitment is also just as high as that of any pro.

The difference is that basketball in the W is much better and more competitive than even the elite levels of college basketball.

As Geno has said, his UConn players play for money also: the value of college tuition is $40,000 per year or so, and the economic value of a Bachelor's degree in the job market is far greater than that. And their level of commitment is also just as high as that of any pro.

The difference is that basketball in the W is much better and more competitive than even the elite levels of college basketball.

Like I said guys I won't be offended. It's not the money itself, I've just become so unenamored by pro sports. I believe our gals play for the love of the game. If I'm naive please don't tell me.

 

[Striper69]

Like I said guys I won't be offended. It's not the money itself, I've just become so unenamored by pro sports. I believe our gals play for the love of the game. If I'm naive please don't tell me.

What's wrong with loving the game and getting paid for it?

Michael Jordan and Bird loved the game and got paid for it. LeBron and Durant love the game and get paid for it.

Most women only get to play the game a few years and they're having to "play" all year (although it sounds more and more like work). I think the WNBA means a lot to them.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Nope, it's not the money. If they played Genoball and got paid for it, I'd watch them. But from what I've seen, while watching WNBA is not as painful as watching the NBA (which is a cross between rollerball and the WWE, IMHO), the WNBA product is not the same as WCBB.

I think some of it is because everyone in the WNBA (and maybe this is why I hate NBA basketball, now that I think of it) is so damn good that there is no real margin for failure. Similarly, there is no real opportunity, most of the time, for someone to overcome the odds, to far exceed her expected potential. In the midst of all the UConn winning (make no mistake -- I love the winning) those moments are what I look for and remember.

So Diana scores 30 in a game and gets 12 assists. Is anyone really surprised? or Maya averages 30 over a period of 5-6 games. That's great and all, but we all knew she could do that. I'm just using UConn players as well-known examples. You get the picture. It's just as true of McBride or Parker or Griner.

And the game itself is different. There is, it seems to me, more emphasis on what I would call athleticism and less on what i would call finesse. The WNBA, being the product of the NBA, is designed to stress the parts of the game that the NBA loves best -- the flash, the power drives, the acrobatics. It's almost as if the people who came up with the formula for the game thought they could treat women like they were men with breasts, or something. Okay, that's an exaggeration. But if they could, they would have the women emulate virtually every aspect of the men's game because, to their way of thinking, the men are financially successful, and the women, not so much.

I guess that if what you want to see is the Clash of the Titans, well, WNBA can be fun, but that's not why I watch WCBB. Geno's attempts to instill perfection, the amazing times when, for example, MoJeff scores a bunch of points in addition to a bunch of assists, those times when an opposing player scores 20 against UConn and we all say, "Wow! Who's she?" and follow that player for the rest of the season -- those are the irreplacable parts of WCBB that I just don't thunk you see enough of in the WNBA to make it worthwhile.

A lot of your points are quite valid from your POV.

I do think from what I have been told, the game that is seen in the W is what the game is when it is being played by elite athletes, which, while there is certainly differentiation, are all players with high level skill. And all on the floor at one time. I don't think the NBA specifically drove what kind of BB is played, although the (relative) success of NBA coaches in the league probably did have an effect.

I don't currently follow the WNBA particularly closely and don't see very many games (still less in person, although went to 5 Merc games last year) because I do prefer the college game, both to root and follow, as well as watch. That said, I find the WNBA exciting for what it is.

 

[Striper69]

You should get the All-Access. Just about about every game is interesting in one way or another.

Correct me if I'm wrong but this season seems to be pretty extraordinary in the number of rookies making an impact on their respective teams and the league in general.

Also, this year there doesn't seem to be a 2013 Conn. Sun team where it seemed the team was in "limbo". I was new to watching the league and wondered what the heck was going on there.

This year although some teams may be having problems with injuries etc. they all seem to have some hope in making the playoffs.

I'm watching quite a few WNBA games this season. In contrast to the NBA- I didn't watch any regular season games but have watched a few playoff games and am hoping the Spurs win tonight.