Thought Provoking: Fans Don't Follow Women To Pros

[RockyMTblue2]

"Consider this: The 2017 women’s college basketball NCAA championship game between Mississippi State and South Carolina drew 3.8 million viewers between live and streaming. But the fifth game of the 2016 WNBA Finals (which was won by the Los Angeles Sparks on a dramatic buzzer-beater tossed up by Nneka Ogwumike) drew about 528,000 viewers—a drastic gap."

http://deadspin.com/why-arent-womens-basketball-fans-following-their-player-1795024988

“You can walk up to anyone in the [Connecticut] area and mention the Sun and they will know exactly what you are talking about,” said Amber Cox, vice president of the Connecticut Sun. “Because of UConn, there is no barrier against women’s basketball that you face in other markets. In most cases, when you are selling women’s basketball you have to first explain why women’s basketball is good basketball. In this state, that conversation never has to happen.”

Cox later added: “One of the things we have working in our favor is we do have the luxury of getting great coverage. It’s not a super saturated market. The reason it’s so important to tell the players’ stories is because we need people to come out and support beyond just one game. There are so many great stories on this team that aren’t being told by traditional media.”

 

[stwainfan]

I am more of fan of players than teams in the W.

 

[BroadwayVa]

"Consider this: The 2017 women’s college basketball NCAA championship game between Mississippi State and South Carolina drew 3.8 million viewers between live and streaming. But the fifth game of the 2016 WNBA Finals (which was won by the Los Angeles Sparks on a dramatic buzzer-beater tossed up by Nneka Ogwumike) drew about 528,000 viewers—a drastic gap."

http://deadspin.com/why-arent-womens-basketball-fans-following-their-player-1795024988

“You can walk up to anyone in the [Connecticut] area and mention the Sun and they will know exactly what you are talking about,” said Amber Cox, vice president of the Connecticut Sun. “Because of UConn, there is no barrier against women’s basketball that you face in other markets. In most cases, when you are selling women’s basketball you have to first explain why women’s basketball is good basketball. In this state, that conversation never has to happen.”

Cox later added: “One of the things we have working in our favor is we do have the luxury of getting great coverage. It’s not a super saturated market. The reason it’s so important to tell the players’ stories is because we need people to come out and support beyond just one game. There are so many great stories on this team that aren’t being told by traditional media.”

Not much thought here, just observations: Baseball and Football were largely invented in the 1800s and became popular after every sandlot in the USA had football and Baseball then HS's got both and colleges--finally in the 30's radio moved the games forward--this was a 50 or 60 year period---the statement: Rome wasn't built in a day--should be remembered in terms of WBB --which is relatively new.
When WOMEN, and I've spoken to a lot about College WBB, have a key that is holding back WBB---they ignore it. Last Sat I spoke with a JMU student about JMU WBB--she didn't know it existed--I mentioned title 9--Huh??--the need to be there for the women's team and the hell women have gone thru to get this far---glazed eyes. I've spoken with Ct, USC, Okla, Ark women---few very few follow the ladies.
Women alone are not the factor --but you can bet your last pay check it's among the greatest--if Women don't follow Women--and only OLD guys do---what does that say??? Pervert????

 

[Sonny44]

I don't follow the men to the pros either.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Not much thought here, just observations: Baseball and Football were largely invented in the 1800s and became popular after every sandlot in the USA had football and Baseball then HS's got both and colleges--finally in the 30's radio moved the games forward--this was a 50 or 60 year period---the statement: Rome wasn't built in a day--should be remembered in terms of WBB --which is relatively new.
When WOMEN, and I've spoken to a lot about College WBB, have a key that is holding back WBB---they ignore it. Last Sat I spoke with a JMU student about JMU WBB--she didn't know it existed--I mentioned title 9--Huh??--the need to be there for the women's team and the hell women have gone thru to get this far---glazed eyes. I've spoken with Ct, USC, Okla, Ark women---few very few follow the ladies.
Women alone are not the factor --but you can bet your last pay check it's among the greatest--if Women don't follow Women--and only OLD guys do---what does that say??? Pervert????

Still, an impressive key count in almost mid-May Broadway.

 

[Kaizen]

I follow the players not the teams too .....
This year, Stewart, Tuck, Moriah, Tina, Maya, DT and Chong

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

For me, too little coverage on traditional TV. Sorry, but I don't want to devote time to watching the games, we watch plenty of non-sports as well. For college games (women) I get my (relatively) wide choice of (relatively) good games to watch. I survive rooting for RU and U of A without seeing very many games (as I have variously mentioned, my wife's health is limiting), but we watch a lot of WBB on TV, likewise softball. But we watch a lot of other stuff as well, and there just isn't enough WNBA to draw me in.

Back "in the day" we followed the Liberty and were inaugural season ticket holders for many seasons. It isn't that I don't "enjoy" the atmosphere of attending the game or even watching a game on TV. But to be "into" and, in a sense "up on" all things "W" is a commitment I can't make on the limited games I actually watch on TV.

 

[Lobo50Fan]

Yeah, it's unfortunate that the league's main game access player, which plays most if not all the games, is unreliable at best. I've heard from many that it's not worth the money. The fact that there are so few games on traditional tv hurts as well. People don't follow players to the WNBA because they don't make it easy to do so.

 

[tomcat]

I am one of those who follows WCBB but not WNBA. Oh, I'll take note when one of the UConn players does something amazing or gets traded or cut, but I don't watch their games. Why? To be brutally honest, a combination of my own naivete and a real dislike of anything associated with the NBA.

Start with naivete. I want to believe, despite evidence to the contrary at nearly every turn, that college basketball is pure. And for sure, women's basketball is purer than the men's, which ceased to be an amateur venture years ago. I want to believe that the players are amateurs and are recruited fairly and will stay for four years and are not influenced by commercial considerations. Sometimes, I think, these things actually happen.

Then the NBA, which I have described elsewhere as a blending of Rollerball and the WWE. It has had its influence on the women's pro game. I'll admit (based on having seen a few games, including one live) that there is more team play in the WNBA, but there is still the emphasis on the amazing one-on-one play, the circus shot, the one that draws the oohs and aahs of the fans. But to me, the "Did you see THAT?" play is the Stewie block, the Maya drive and dish, the Gabby inside intimidation, the Stef pass hat should not have worked but somehow did. In WCBB, it certainly helps if you are athletic, but you don't have to be to have an amazing college career. That kid from, I think, Washington, who was just cut by the pros proved that. But in the WNBA, you MUST be very athletic. That's simply the price of admission. It raises the bar, but it limits the kind of play to certain things, which I just don't happen to like very much.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

and there just isn't enough WNBA to draw me in.

Sorta that way for me too Knight.

 

[easttexastrash]

I follow the Phoenix Mercury pretty closely due to BG, and now Alexis Prince. I will also watch LA and Minny whenever possible this season because of Sims and Jones.

It's just not common enough for a player from a college program to play for a pro program in the same city.

 

[wbbfan]

I do prefer college basketball to pro (both men and women), but I purchase a league pass to help support the league in the way I can since I don't live near a WNBA team to attend a game.

 

[Lobo50Fan]

I still follow Seattle and Phoenix for Sue and Diana, but my favorite player in the league has always been Lauren Jackson so when she wasn't playing for a few seasons before she had to retire, it was hard for me to watch. I'd been watching since Sue's first year in 2002 and I kind of agree with Diana's position on it, in terms of the social media marketing they want the players to do...get so many 'likes' and all.

 

[huskeynut]

Like Kaizen and stwainfan, I follow individual players. Its also the same for the men's game.

I followed the Sun for a while and the wife and I even went to several games but Anne Donovan killed that one for us. BA team here to follow.

As to the men's game, when it went from Bird and Magic/ Celtics versus Lakers to run and gun I stopped watching. I don't even care who wins the NBA title anymore.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I'll admit (based on having seen a few games, including one live) that there is more team play in the WNBA, but there is still the emphasis on the amazing one-on-one play, the circus shot, the one that draws the oohs and aahs of the fans. But to me, the "Did you see THAT?" play is the Stewie block, the Maya drive and dish, the Gabby inside intimidation, the Stef pass hat should not have worked but somehow did. In WCBB, it certainly helps if you are athletic, but you don't have to be to have an amazing college career. That kid from, I think, Washington, who was just cut by the pros proved that. But in the WNBA, you MUST be very athletic. That's simply the price of admission. It raises the bar, but it limits the kind of play to certain things, which I just don't happen to like very much.

Even if I don't watch many games, I do see what you see, but yet see it differently. As you say, you can be less athletic in college - playing among more players in your conference (and there are over 30 conferences) than there are in the WNBA. Therefore, by definition, in a smaller group, you have to be "better" and more athletic is one measure of that. The emphasis on the one-on-one play and the circus shot (I don't think there is an actual emphasis on "ooh and aah" shots) are the results of the talents of the players and the way those talents can be best utilized against the skill level of the opponents.

Like you, I don't enjoy watching the NBA, or men's college basketball particularly. But the emphasis on the dunks and style of play in both cases is likewise in large part driven by the skills of the players.

 

[Lobo50Fan]

Even if I don't watch many games, I do see what you see, but yet see it differently. As you say, you can be less athletic in college - playing among more players in your conference (and there are over 30 conferences) than there are in the WNBA. Therefore, by definition, in a smaller group, you have to be "better" and more athletic is one measure of that. The emphasis on the one-on-one play and the circus shot (I don't think there is an actual emphasis on "ooh and aah" shots) are the results of the talents of the players and the way those talents can be best utilized against the skill level of the opponents.

Like you, I don't enjoy watching the NBA, or men's college basketball particularly. But the emphasis on the dunks and style of play in both cases is likewise in large part driven by the skills of the players.

I agree with both of you, and others, about the NBA. I've always thought the large sums of money they make factors in as well. It stops being about the love of the game, the kind of passion you see in college and the beauty of the game (especially at UConn), and more about money and sponsorships. It loses it's luster for me.

 

[triaddukefan]

I root for the Duke players..

I don't follow the men to the pros either.

Not that many to follow these days

 

[Roger G]

I have idiosyncratic reasons for liking women's basketball. My sister's friend was a center for UConn long ago, before Geno. My first love was a basketball player too. But while I think UConn women's basketball is the greatest basketball with its team play and great passing, I actually don't enjoy watching the other college teams much and I like the WNBA because all the players in the WNBA are really good.

Also, when I lived in the Orlando area, I lived very near the Miracle practice facility, in fact in the same apartment complex as many of the Miracle players. I used to go to the bus stop with my daughter and one of the players would be there with her daughter and we would chat. One time, I was walking through my complex and Nykesha Sales drove slowly by in her SUV. Then, when the Miracle moved to CT, it was at the same time I was moving back to CT to New London. They became the Sun and in the early years went to the finals a couple of times. Me and my family were able to go to some of those games. They were hugely exciting. And I have been to many Sun games and had so much fun, one time even sitting behind the bench. Another time standing in the will call line for tickets with a bunch of the UConn girls. I still get excited for the WNBA season and watch as many games as I can.

 

[terif831]

I'm glad that the women have a league to play in here in the U.S. of A. But I'm not a big fan of the WNBA. For one thing, the season is too short - by the time the teams are really getting it together and starting to play at their best as a team, it's time for the playoffs. For another thing - call me a major grumpy grudge-holder - but I used to love going to the ABA Blizzard games, and I'll never forget the way all THAT went down.

The Blizzard really stunk most of the time, but those games were so much fun, and the players so accessible. Jen Rizzotti was on that team, and I remember one game when she had to go out to get stitches on her face and returned to the game half an hour later. Another time, she injured her arm and insisted on continuing to play - it turned out she had dislocated her shoulder and was shooting one-armed for the last few minutes.

Another player I really liked was Carolyn Jones. One season, she was out for a long time with an injury, and my friends and I sent her a get well card via a Civic Center employee, who pointed us out to her when she delivered the card. Carolyn blew us kisses across the court.

We used to wait after the games to talk to the players, who would come back out onto the court after showering for autographs, etc. One time in particular, after an especially horrific game, the players came out and Shanda Berry looked at the waiting crowd with genuine surprise on her face. She turned to the player next to her and said, "Look! They like us even when we suck!" Yes, we did.

 

[Ralph]

Maybe we need to see a team like the Sun try to get local players, make the Sun a UConn grad school. Years ago the NHL had some sort of rule that let the teams have priority in drafting local talent. I realize the Sun would never get the league to agree to that, but imagine in the Sun tried to get UConn players. Like picking up Chong this year, maybe grabbing Dolson and Hartley a few years ago. Suppose they had traded players and draft choices, and maybe dollars for Bird and Dianna. Getting Stewart and Moore would have been really hard, but if the Sun had a team like that, maybe Stewie would have been like EDD and put some pressure on to trade me. And Mo. That might cost a lot of money, but my guess is the Sun would sell a lot more tickets. And as Geno has shown, you can win with 8 great players. Why not trade you second and third round picks for a high second or low first round pick. Then trade that and you first round pick for a high enough first round pick to get the UConn player you want. If you got one UConn player a year you would have 8 players age 23 to 32 if two dropped out to start a family, lost interest, whatever. And there are certainly enough free agents out there to flesh out the team. On yeah, we want Tina also. I am already at 9 and there are a few more UConn players to go after as well.

 

[bags27]

I try watching the WNBA (I don't watch the MNBA at all), but I don't think it's very good basketball. The reason I follow UConn is because they play an astonishingly good game of team basketball. But, as bad as the MNBA is, the WNBA may be worse, for good reason. To make financial ends meet, most of the players have to play year round, and the teams can't do a lot of preseason practice because of other commitments. I like the proportions of the women's pro game and I have far more emotional interest it that lingers from watching their college game. But I become distressed when I think back to how disciplined and cohesively UConn and other top WCBB teams play in comparison.

 

[eebmg]

Even if I often cringe at some of the WNBA games of today, I push my self (not easy for me to walk) to see at least 3-4 games (NY Liberty) a year at MSG with family (kicking and screaming a little) including tomorrow against the Stars and watch just about every game on League Pass. Of course, I fast forward through the games and watch these games with a UConn focus.

I think the WNBA game will improve as the level of three point shooting improves and the game becomes more open. Therefore, I try to do my little part to keep the league afloat with the hope that in 10-15 years, it will look alot better and maybe start to resemble our National Team. Even now, I am attracted to the way the players work as a team and enjoy good basketball (even in spurts). If the league does not succeed and continues to hemorrage, the hit to the college game will be difficult and demoralizing.

P.S. In my mind, Tina Charles and Kia Stokes are worth the price of admission and I hope Bria Hartley will become a major contributor. Basically, she needs to shoot better. Wish MJ would be ready to play but I am looking forward to seeing Kelsey Plum and McBride (Tough Kid).


Go Liberty.

 

[UcMiami]

The vast majority of people spending money and time on sports are men, and for the women who are into sports fandom, most got started down that road by following the men in their life, fathers, brothers, boyfriends, or husbands, and the sports they followed were the men's sports. A whole social scene centers around the fandom, watch parties, bar nights, and gambling (whether office pools or individual bets) and that scene is dominated by men as well. It is a very hard 'nut to crack' to build that kind of base for any women's sport. The only ones that have really done so to some degree are the Olympic/World Cup events and they trail their male counterparts significantly.

Individual sports of Tennis and Golf do pretty well on the women's side, but they are also huge participation sports for amateur women from youth through old age - part of another social institution - the golf club/country club scene.

The gambling aspect is very real, by the way - the number of people who have bet at least once on a sport has to be a huge percentage of the population, the number who have bet on a women's sport has got to be tiny. Having 'skin in the game' drives viewers. It is one reason that Debbie's proposal of centering competition in Vegas does make sense. I would actually be curious if the Mohegan Sun venue drives a higher level of gambling on WNBA results than anywhere else, and whether there are any bets being taken on the AAC tournament (on or off the books.)

 

[Roger G]

I try watching the WNBA (I don't watch the MNBA at all), but I don't think it's very good basketball. The reason I follow UConn is because they play an astonishingly good game of team basketball. But, as bad as the MNBA is, the WNBA may be worse, for good reason. To make financial ends meet, most of the players have to play year round, and the teams can't do a lot of preseason practice because of other commitments. I like the proportions of the women's pro game and I have far more emotional interest it that lingers from watching their college game. But I become distressed when I think back to how disciplined and cohesively UConn and other top WCBB teams play in comparison.

If you watched the Sun at the end of the season last year, I don't think you would have said that. They were playing great ball with a really neat design to their offense. Or watch the Lynx almost any game. They play great team ball a lot like UConn. And Maya is always worth the price of admission.

 

[Carol]

I drove from Boston to Hartford to come to Blizzard games. We appreciated the atmosphere, the player's approach to games and what the ABL tried to do as a league. It took me a long time to even watch a WNBA game.