JoePgh
Cranky pants and wise acre
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- Aug 30, 2011
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OK, for the first time in months, finally there was a discussion on another thread that really motivated me to comment. It wasn't exactly the topic of the other thread, so I decided to start this one.
It's confounding to me (but not surprising, based on reactions I've heard from other UConn WBB fans) that someone who is as interested in top-caliber women's basketball as Icebear could say that he "simply does not enjoy" the WNBA game. Ice, can you be a little more specific about why it leaves you cold? (No pun intended.)
I think I can guess, to some degree. Most people who like WCBB but not the WNBA (in my experience) say either or both of the following things:
1. "The pro players don't play with the urgency or selfless commitment of the college kids. For them it's just a job, and it shows on the court."
2. "The pro game is all about 1-on-1 play. It doesn't have the teamwork or the passing intricacy of the college game, especially at UConn. It's built around individual stars showing off."
I don't think either of these points is valid, and I base that statement on my direct observation as a multi-year Connecticut Sun season ticket holder. Regarding #1, I see pro players playing with as much urgency, and much greater skill, than top-level college players. Did you see Taj, 6-2 and 41 years old, score in the low post on Sunday? Did you ever see Tina take and hit a quarter as many jump shots in college as she does for the Sun? And speaking of commitment, before her senior year, did you ever see her play at UConn with the consistency and commitment that she has given to the Sun?
I will acknowledge that most WNBA players play nearly 12 months a year and have to take care of their bodies, so they have to be judicious about playing all-out when it isn't necessary or likely to be productive. Did you work as many hours at your job in your 30's as you did in your mid-20's? (Probably not, but because of your experience, you probably did your job better in your 30's.) Good coaches prevent excessive wear on starters by limiting their minutes to 25-30 per game, so that they don't completely wear themselves out before the playoffs. And WNBA benches are good enough to make that possible (unlike in college, typically).
Regarding #2, it's true that there is more 1-on-1 play in the WNBA than (say) at UConn. Some of that is a necessary consequence of the 24-second shot clock. The extra 6 seconds in college definitely allows for a lot of passing and probing of the defense that isn't possible in the WNBA. And pro defenses are less likely to break down under pressure as many college defenses do, even in top programs. Having said that, if you look at Sun box scores, you will see that about 2/3 of field goals are assisted, which is about the same as UConn's average. The night that Tina had 7 assists (originally thought to be 10), some of them were amazing. The interior passing by most teams in the paint is something that any UConn team would be proud of, on most nights.
Even if there is some validity in either or both of these arguments, they are offset in my mind by undeniable arguments in favor of WNBA basketball: (a) the talent level is sooooo much better; and (b) the vast majority of games are extremely competitive and not decided until the final minutes.
UConn is fun to watch because they play an entertaining style and almost always win. But over half the games are not even remotely competitive, which offsets the enjoyment significantly (at least for me). The Sun are frustrating because they never win quite enough, but the quality of the athletes and the closeness of the games makes up for it (again, obviously, speaking personally).
Are there other reasons why some UConn fans don't get interested in the Sun or the WNBA?
It's confounding to me (but not surprising, based on reactions I've heard from other UConn WBB fans) that someone who is as interested in top-caliber women's basketball as Icebear could say that he "simply does not enjoy" the WNBA game. Ice, can you be a little more specific about why it leaves you cold? (No pun intended.)
I think I can guess, to some degree. Most people who like WCBB but not the WNBA (in my experience) say either or both of the following things:
1. "The pro players don't play with the urgency or selfless commitment of the college kids. For them it's just a job, and it shows on the court."
2. "The pro game is all about 1-on-1 play. It doesn't have the teamwork or the passing intricacy of the college game, especially at UConn. It's built around individual stars showing off."
I don't think either of these points is valid, and I base that statement on my direct observation as a multi-year Connecticut Sun season ticket holder. Regarding #1, I see pro players playing with as much urgency, and much greater skill, than top-level college players. Did you see Taj, 6-2 and 41 years old, score in the low post on Sunday? Did you ever see Tina take and hit a quarter as many jump shots in college as she does for the Sun? And speaking of commitment, before her senior year, did you ever see her play at UConn with the consistency and commitment that she has given to the Sun?
I will acknowledge that most WNBA players play nearly 12 months a year and have to take care of their bodies, so they have to be judicious about playing all-out when it isn't necessary or likely to be productive. Did you work as many hours at your job in your 30's as you did in your mid-20's? (Probably not, but because of your experience, you probably did your job better in your 30's.) Good coaches prevent excessive wear on starters by limiting their minutes to 25-30 per game, so that they don't completely wear themselves out before the playoffs. And WNBA benches are good enough to make that possible (unlike in college, typically).
Regarding #2, it's true that there is more 1-on-1 play in the WNBA than (say) at UConn. Some of that is a necessary consequence of the 24-second shot clock. The extra 6 seconds in college definitely allows for a lot of passing and probing of the defense that isn't possible in the WNBA. And pro defenses are less likely to break down under pressure as many college defenses do, even in top programs. Having said that, if you look at Sun box scores, you will see that about 2/3 of field goals are assisted, which is about the same as UConn's average. The night that Tina had 7 assists (originally thought to be 10), some of them were amazing. The interior passing by most teams in the paint is something that any UConn team would be proud of, on most nights.
Even if there is some validity in either or both of these arguments, they are offset in my mind by undeniable arguments in favor of WNBA basketball: (a) the talent level is sooooo much better; and (b) the vast majority of games are extremely competitive and not decided until the final minutes.
UConn is fun to watch because they play an entertaining style and almost always win. But over half the games are not even remotely competitive, which offsets the enjoyment significantly (at least for me). The Sun are frustrating because they never win quite enough, but the quality of the athletes and the closeness of the games makes up for it (again, obviously, speaking personally).
Are there other reasons why some UConn fans don't get interested in the Sun or the WNBA?