Right Move at the Right Time

[diggerfoot]

I see that opinions of dunking have cropped up again. I have yet to see the pros and cons that come up in these discussions directly express why I enjoy watching UConn women's basketball, or what constitutes an enjoyable game for me. Both boil down to the percentage of right moves done at the right time. You know, those times when from your broader and unencumbered vantage point you can see what ought to be done and, lo and behold, the players do it!

That happens quite a bit with UConn, not so much with other teams. That accounts for why I enjoy watching UConn even in blowouts, up until the last ten minutes or so I get the feeling of "Hey! They did what they were supposed to!" Granted, closer games are more enjoyable still, simply because the other team is doing more of the right moves, and in the process forcing the Huskies to continue doing the right moves as well.

Obviously the right move usually depends on great teamwork, save for plays like Jefferson breaking away with a steal in the open court. As to this, I see no handicap in dunking; it takes even greater teamwork to get a player open for a dunk than a three point shot. Yet dunking for women is seldom the right move as it is for men.

Some men can get high enough to make dunking a higher percentage shot than a layup. Quite apart from the showmanship, I can appreciate a male dunking simply because it is the right move to make for some men on most plays. The same can be said for only a very few women.

Auriemma has said that if a player dunks, she better make it. That suggests to me that his feelings on the matter may be similar. He wants his players to always make the right moves at the right times or, in other words, he simply wants perfection.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Sure, if every halfway capable player started to try to dunk and there started to be a lot of misses, that would be a different situation. But I see it as a "for the good of the game" situation that a few high-profile players can help to get both WCBB and themselves a little more publicity to help promote the sport. It seems to me like reverse-sexism to say "just leave the stuff for the men, because it's a man's thing" if a few women are comfortable enough attempting a dunk in a noncritical game. Sure, it might be a little embarrassing to miss one and have your coach glowering at you, but if your team is in a blowout and the sportscasters are talking about what they ate for breakfast a week ago, why not take on the challenge of throwing one down?

And I believe it's silly to say a few dunks will ruin the game. At this point there's just not going to be enough of them to have more than an infinitesimal impact on the pass-oriented below-the-rim nature of WCBB play.

 

[Bayareahusky]

I do not have a problem with women actually dunking as I do with the announcer's emphasis on whether or not a women's player has the ability to dunk..... it is like missing 3 steps along the road of ability.... and the steps you miss are the very things that make WCBB what it is..... To me, the focus on dunking and the ability to dunk is a setback to the entire women's game in ann era when we are trying to gain traction on our popularity.

 

[Oldbones]

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville has a dunking "honor roll" list with about 8 names. They believe that the names and accomplishment are worth highlighting.....

 

[Striper69]

I think one of the most exciting players to watch in WCBB right is Maryland's Walker-Kimbrough. She may not dunk but she does these Jordan-like drives and ends up way above everybody else (even players taller than her). Her hands are right up by the basket and she can finish. Watching her in person at ground level is best.

Who needs dunks?

 

[Buzzyboy]

I personally think dunks take away from the game. What it does is emphasize athleticism over basketball skills and it's more about showing off or showing up someone. Throwdowns aren't about scoring but some MACHO thing and when you start to shift the focus from the skills part to the athleticism part, it detracts heavily. Our Huskies display the type of team skills that were evident in the pro game of the fifties and sixties with crisp passing and team play the key element before it got to be a one on five type playground game. I love the purity of a game played BELOW the rim.

 

[Orangutan]

I'm fine with dunking if you can do it in the flow of the game rather than as a circus trick. Griner, for example, can dunk flat-footed or off just one or two steps. It's an efficient way for her to finish a play. Most others who are capable would have to measure steps and time it up just right. Fun stuff for instagram or fooling around after practice but pretty pointless to try in a game just to get some media attention.