Phoenix vs Chicago

[Coler]

Call me an old fogie, or whatever, but.....when your team is losing by as much as Phoenix was, why the need for the overly theatrical, basket-hanging dunk by BG?
Dunk, fine. But, sheesh, it didn't help the score very much. It just said "lookatme!!!". Act like you are a professional....(yes, the crowd loved it, but it was all they had to love in that game.)

I said pretty much the same thing while watching.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Call me an old fogie, or whatever, but.....when your team is losing by as much as Phoenix was, why the need for the overly theatrical, basket-hanging dunk by BG?
Dunk, fine. But, sheesh, it didn't help the score very much. It just said "lookatme!!!". Act like you are a professional....(yes, the crowd loved it, but it was all they had to love in that game.)

Because this is PROFESSIONAL sports, which is about entertainment, highlights, media exposure, and corporate revenue. Those dunks have been played on SportsCenter over and over...and they are being discussed on men's basketball message boards, Twitter, etc. How often does that happen?

There is no Title IX mandate for professional sports. The league needs as much exposure as it can get to draw in paying fans and advertisers. That dunk will go much further toward achieving those goals than just about the entire 2012 WNBA regular season did collectively.

 

[msf22b]

I think dunks are boring and debase the game; men and woman.

And dunking in garbage time, when the outcome is long decided (not in your favor) and showing off by hanging on is
beyond ignorant.

And if someone 6' 8" couldn't dunk, then that would be news.

But if MoJeff dunks, that would be just fine…and that kid can really leap!

 

[easttexastrash]

Because this is PROFESSIONAL sports, which is about entertainment, highlights, media exposure, and corporate revenue. Those dunks have been played on SportsCenter over and over...and they are being discussed on men's basketball message boards, Twitter, etc. How often does that happen?

There is no Title IX mandate for professional sports. The league needs as much exposure as it can get to draw in paying fans and advertisers. That dunk will go much further toward achieving those goals than just about the entire 2012 WNBA regular season did collectively.

I agree. I don't understand the negative comments about the dunks. EDD played very well but the average fans has little appreciation for the beauty and elegance of EDD's game, which is a shame.

Would a rookie in the NBA be criticized for dunking just because his team was behind by 20 points? Absolutely not. Those dunk meant more than just dunks, they established the kind of aggression that Griner needs to bring every night. If she starts out in the next game like she finished against Chicago, watch out.

Phoenix apparently did figure out how to guard EDD in the second half, holding her to 2 of 11 shooting, and a big part of that was Griner's presence. It was not a coincidence that Chicago scored 39 points in the one quart that BG was not on the court and that EDD and Fowles were limited to a combined 3 field goals in the second half, each getting two shots blocked by BG.

Yes, Fowles had to sit twice after fouling Griner to pick up her 4th and 5th fouls. But Fowles did play the majority of the 4th quarter and was held in check by Griner with the exception of one nice shot.

BG''s presence is still a bigger factor than mere numbers would suggest unless you analyze the game flow.

 

[easttexastrash]

Yes, but if the Sky weren't up 20 she would have played with those fouls instead of sitting almost the entire 3rd and a chunk of the 4th. Anyone that watched that game saw Griner's life get more difficult once Fowles returned in the 4th.

Fowles would have fouled out had she been left on the floor with 4 fouls and almost two full quarters to play. She was pulled from the game exactly like every player is when picking up their 4th foul barely into the second half.

 

[easttexastrash]

I think dunks are boring and debase the game; men and woman.

And dunking in garbage time, when the outcome is long decided (not in your favor) and showing off by hanging on is
beyond ignorant.

And if someone 6' 8" couldn't dunk, then that would be news.

But if MoJeff dunks, that would be just fine…and that kid can really leap!

This is one of the ways that BG fires herself up and established her aggression. Thise two dunks did more for her than anything else she did in that game and it will carry over to the next game. And hopefully it will encourage her teammates to get her the ball more.

Maybe you had to have played sports to grasp to understand.

 

[easttexastrash]

I think dunks are boring and debase the game; men and woman.

And dunking in garbage time, when the outcome is long decided (not in your favor) and showing off by hanging on is
beyond ignorant.

And if someone 6' 8" couldn't dunk, then that would be news.

But if MoJeff dunks, that would be just fine…and that kid can really leap!

You may want to avoid watching Phoenix play because there's gonna be a lot of ignorant dunks, very possibly multiple dunks a game. I really enjoyed the looks on the faces of Cash and Fowles when BG threw down the one hander with them standing helplessly in the lane.

 

[rocky rococo]

There can be a good reason to hang on the rim after a dunk. It depends on whether anyone else has come under the basket. If they have, then for both their safety and the dunker's, it's not showing off but precluding injury to hang on the rim. I suspect female players will naturally be less familiar with the protocol of clearing out under the hoop after a dunk.

 

[easttexastrash]

There can be a good reason to hang on the rim after a dunk. It depends on whether anyone else has come under the basket. If they have, then for both their safety and the dunker's, it's not showing off but precluding injury to hang on the rim. I suspect female players will naturally be less familiar with the protocol of clearing out under the hoop after a dunk.

BG was asked about the two handed dunk after the game and she said the it was mostly out of frustration. I would rather see her hang on the rim than punch someone.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Fowles would have fouled out had she been left on the floor with 4 fouls and almost two full quarters to play. She was pulled from the game exactly like every player is when picking up their 4th foul barely into the second half.

I was at the game, in the arena, rather high up in the lower bowl, behind the Chicago bench.

The above is correct, re: Fowles. Prince and EDD were twin daggers to Pheonix at a time when DT - for whatever reason - wasn't scoring and Griner was sitting with foul trouble. Those 2 facts, as well as the odd scoring attempts by "Sammy" P pretty much did the Mercury in. By the time DT began scoring and Griner became effective, I think Chicago just had too much of a lead. Then the bogus foul call (at least it looked bogus at the arena - with Ref Michael Price announcing the call over the PA - took the wind out of the comeback sales, as Piph hit a couple of key baskets for Chicago as well.

The dunks - well the over-acted one anyway - were crowd pleasers and exactly what Cameron says. And I don't think even Geno himself would have a problem with a dunk in pro ball with your team way behind, however, I expect the W will send an advisory about rim-hanging (there was no one underneath).

 

[easttexastrash]

The thing is that on a two handed dunk you cant see who is behind you. That slight hang on the rim gives everyone enough time to move and give you space to come down.

Also, if you watch the dunk in real time the hang was minimal. It looked much longer when they kept shpwing it in slomo. I would be stunned if the WNBA says anything at all. They need fans so hopefully the have the common sense to stay quiet on that one.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Let's be honest here...the fact that there is no protocol or procedures in the women's game with respect to dunking, hanging on the rim, etc., shows how EXTREMELY rare it is...and how special of a talent Griner is and what she will bring to the WNBA as far as entertainment value.

 

[msf22b]

Let's be honest here...the fact that there is no protocol or procedures in the women's game with respect to dunking, hanging on the rim, etc., shows how EXTREMELY rare it is...and how special of a talent Griner is and what she will bring to the WNBA as far as entertainment value.

Let's not get over the top on this.
We have a reasonably athletic woman in the prime of her life who is 6/8 and not 300 pounds.
Is it such a big deal that she dunks?
To my thinking it would be a big deal if she couldn't.
I've seen the videos of Stewie doing it and she's a whole lot smaller.
It has no consequence, especially in a losing cause.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Let's not get over the top on this.
We have a reasonably athletic woman in the prime of her life who is 6/8 and not 300 pounds.
Is it such a big deal that she dunks?
To my thinking it would be a big deal if she couldn't.
I've seen the videos of Stewie doing it and she's a whole lot smaller.
It has no consequence, especially in a losing cause.

Yes, dunking is a big deal. Before Monday, it had happened a total of three times in the WNBA since 1997. Griner did it twice in her first game, and they were featured on SportsCenter. So yes, it is a big deal.

 

[easttexastrash]

Let's not get over the top on this.
We have a reasonably athletic woman in the prime of her life who is 6/8 and not 300 pounds.
Is it such a big deal that she dunks?
To my thinking it would be a big deal if she couldn't.
I've seen the videos of Stewie doing it and she's a whole lot smaller.
It has no consequence, especially in a losing cause.

It's not only a big deal, it's ground breaking. Griner will likely dunk hundreds of times during her WNBA career. And her basketball skills are still developing. She has the potential to do things that no other has and probably never will again. It's a shame that you can't enjoy what we are all privileged to get to witness.

 

[Coler]

It's not only a big deal, it's ground breaking. Griner will likely dunk hundreds of times during her WNBA career. And her basketball skills are still developing. She has the potential to do things that no other has and probably never will again. It's a shame that you can't enjoy what we are all privileged to get to witness.

Some people may not like dunking, or they may not think it's all that and a bag of chips. That's perfectly alright if they don't.

 

[Icebear]

The thing is that on a two handed dunk you cant see who is behind you. That slight hang on the rim gives everyone enough time to move and give you space to come down.

Also, if you watch the dunk in real time the hang was minimal. It looked much longer when they kept shpwing it in slomo. I would be stunned if the WNBA says anything at all. They need fans so hopefully the have the common sense to stay quiet on that one.

Hanging, yes, chinning up not necessary.

 

[easttexastrash]

Some people may not like dunking, or they may not think it's all that and a bag of chips. That's perfectly alright if they don't.

That wasn't in reference to just dunking. Some people just dislike her to the point that they can't appreciate the beauty of her athleticism at 6-8. She is a specimen like we may never see again. I'm glad I'm a fan and not a hater. It's much more fun on this side of the fence.

 

[Coler]

That wasn't in reference to just dunking. Some people just dislike her to the point that they can't appreciate the beauty of her athleticism at 6-8. She is a specimen like we may never see again. I'm glad I'm a fan and not a hater. It's much more fun on this side of the fence.

True, that's she's athletic, and we might never see someone like her at her size. I like her as a person. Really I do, I think what she's personally is really beautiful.

That said watching her play is like blah to me. I'm not a big fan of dunking, so forgive me if that doesn't excite me about her. I agree that it, and she will be good for the women's game, and helping the game and the league grow into what it should be.

But these are my opinions, and my other half doesn't even agree with me. He really likes her, and wants the Mercury to do well. He was completely torn while watching the game on Monday, but he did want the Sky to win, but he wanted Brittney to do well, and wanted the Mercury to do better then they did.

Hopefully I'm not considered a hater, just because I don't worship the ground she walks on. She has ESPN to do that.

 

[msf22b]

Trash: I am absolutely not a hater, just like good, clean BB.

Others certainly can dunk, just didn't find it necessary.
Maya for example.

But the hype (is it ESPN) with snakes and the lot seems silly.
Let's let her have a few dominating weeks, win a few games, a championship or two
and then I'll be as convinced as you.

Until then, I'm on the EDD bandwagon (of the 3 to watch)
She's had her share of disapproval here as well.
And watch out when Ms Skylar gets into a rhythm with the big girl from the Antipodes
Might get interesting.

 

[Icebear]

BG is the first WBB player for whom the dunk is a high % shot.

 

[easttexastrash]

True, that's she's athletic, and we might never see someone like her at her size. I like her as a person. Really I do, I think what she's personally is really beautiful.

That said watching her play is like blah to me. I'm not a big fan of dunking, so forgive me if that doesn't excite me about her. I agree that it, and she will be good for the women's game, and helping the game and the league grow into what it should be.

But these are my opinions, and my other half doesn't even agree with me. He really likes her, and wants the Mercury to do well. He was completely torn while watching the game on Monday, but he did want the Sky to win, but he wanted Brittney to do well, and wanted the Mercury to do better then they did.

Hopefully I'm not considered a hater, just because I don't worship the ground she walks on. She has ESPN to do that.

LOL. I never thought of you as a hater

And I am a huge fan of EDD's. She plays with such ease and grace and to top it off is a genuinely nice person

BG and EDD may have careers like Navratilova and Evert. One the big, unlikeable lesbian and the other the blonde, petty, All American girl. Even back then the lesbian was my favorite.

 

[VAMike23]

BG is the first WBB player for whom the dunk is a high % shot.

Quite true. It's not like Maya and others are 'tastefully eschewing' the dunk every time they have a clear path to the rim. (Maya *may* try one someday but it would have to be a perfect breakaway, and she'd have to be really pumped up because her pride would take a huge hit if she missed ....)

 

[FairView]

BG was asked about the two handed dunk after the game and she said the it was mostly out of frustration. I would rather see her hang on the rim than punch someone.

I would rather she understand that both are out of line.