State of the Union: Women’s Basketball

Women’s basketball is in a great place right now. The Washington Mystics won their first WNBA Title in franchise history with their counter-parts, the Washington Wizards, cheering them on. Six months ago, Coach Kim Mulkey and Baylor defeated Muffet McGraw’s Notre Dame in a thrilling final that saw Fighting Irish star Arike Ogunbowale finish her stellar NCAA career. The support for the women’s game is growing as is the game itself. Nevertheless, there is still much work to be done.
UConn is always the first to come to mind when people think of the NCAAW. And why not? They have been utterly dominant with mastermind Geno Auriemma working his magic in Storrs. The problem, however, is that you erase the greatness that was the there before the Huskies. Having the view that UConn is the sole reason for the rise of the women’s college game ignores the history. I had the honor of talking with current ESPN NCAAW and Washington Wizards analyst Christy Winters Scott about this topic among others.
“UConn, solely, has not set the blue print for the women’s game. The women’s game itself has done that. Teams like Tennessee, Baylor, Maryland and individuals like Cheryl Miller set the foundation long before UConn became dominant” explained Winters Scott. UConn isn’t the only draw in the women’s game. Iowa sells out every game, every season. Old Dominion has a huge fan-base. With the past experience of coaching at George Mason, Maryland and Georgetown during a 10-year span, Winters Scott has been able to witness the evolution of the women’s game accelerate over the years.
One of the ways the women’s game has grown is off the court. San Antonio Stars legend Becky Hammon made historic waves in 2014 when she became the first female coach in the NBA after the Spurs invited her to be an Assistant with the team. Since Hammon, we have seen more and more women continuing to break through obstacles that have been in place for decades. Among those women are Washington Mystics’ guard Kristi Toliver who is an Assistant Coach for the Wizards, Celtic’s Assistant Coach and former Tennessee star Kara Lawson and WNBA Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon, an Assistant Coach for the Pelicans.
“If you know the game, you know the game. Passion is passion” said Winters Scott. She went on to mention that there is a long-standing brotherhood and sisterhood between both the NBA and WNBA. “There will be a female NBA head coach within the next 5 years” she stated.
Often, misogynistic and sexist insults are made in the comments section of tweets and articles regarding female athletes. These types of commentary is usually associated with individuals lacking in any athletic ability, hammering away at their keyboard in a basement somewhere. NBA players and men’s college basketball players, on the other hand, have a high-level of respect towards their female counterparts. Stars like Lebron, John Wall, Anthony Davis and Damian Dillard, to name a few, are often seen sitting court-side at WNBA games during the off-season or tweeting their support at various WNBA players. They know the magnitude of greatness they are witnessing and they appreciate it.
These women are absolute warriors. Mystics’ forward and this year’s league MVP, Elena Delle Donne, battled through the playoffs with THREE herniated discs in her back. Not only did she slog her way through the post-season, she contributed tremendously and played like her MVP self. Shortly after the off-season, Dallas Wings guard Skyler Diggins announced that she had played the entire 2019 season while pregnant and did not mention it to anyone. Aces’ star and 3-time All-Star Elizabeth Cambage has had to struggle with mental health while still producing high-level performances.
The women’s game produces individuals who make an impact beyond just the x’s and o’s stated Winters Scott. “They have great social skills, business acumen and wisdom. They have great on the court and off the court knowledge” she commented. All of these attributes help former players stay in the game after retirement, which is very crucial to the success of the women’s game.
“When WNBA players retire and they stay in the game, it gives the youth inspiration because it shows them that even when your playing days are over, basketball is still there for you through other avenues” said Winters Scott. She also added that there is “tremendous representation for women”, as you can see from the coaches in the WNBA, in broadcasting like Winters Scott herself or in front office positions like Kelly Krauskopf, the Assistant GM of the Indiana Pacers.
One of the main points Winters Scott highlighted in our conversation was that there should be no need for politics to be played between the NBA and WNBA. When someone brings up the lack of dunking or flashy plays in the WNBA, the most common retort is that the women’s game focuses more on the fundamentals and should be given the larger share of attention by an amateur if he or she wants to be a great player. Mrs. Winters Scott disagrees.
“There is a genuine partnership between the two leagues. Both the NBA and NCAAM are not really less fundamental than the WNBA and NCAAW. Both styles of play go hand in hand because learning goes both ways”. In a recent conversation with Winters Scott, Mystic’s guard Kristi Toliver stated that “I watch Bradley Beal a lot. How he gets open, how he moves off the ball. I learned some intricacies and the fundamentals of getting open”. The men’s and women’s game helps each other out in ways that is beneficial to all players regardless of gender.
When discussing the state of women’s sports, the significant pay gap is a primary talking point. Basketball is no different. The salaries the WNBA pays its players are simply not enough, forcing many to go overseas right after the season ends to earn a more solid income. As can be expected, this is far from pleasant. After grinding it out for the entire summer in addition to the playoffs, a player’s physical and mental fatigue is at an all-time high. But none of that matters because they have to turn around and do it right back again.
The Connecticut Sun took the Mystics to 5 games in this year’s Finals, giving Washington everything they could handle. Former Maryland star and current Sun, Alyssa Thomas, played with 2 torn labrums in her shoulders. Upon the conclusion of the season, surgery was not an option as she had to fly overseas to continue her play. “It is incredibly difficult to hear stories like Thomas’ or EDD playing with 3 discs. It is a true case of mind over body” remarked Winters Scott.
Sadly, it does not seem like change is on the horizon. “It will be quite a long time until having an actual off-season is an option” said Winters Scott. “When I was 22 and coming out of college, there was no WNBA. I wanted to play any way I could because I loved the game. There was no social media, there were no comforts. It was very hard going overseas. It is a sacrifice you make as a female professional basketball player”. “Diana Taurasi, since her rookie year, had a total of 2 weeks off. This included playing in the WNBA, Olympics and overseas” continued Winters Scott. Two. Weeks. Off. The fact that Taurasi was able to maintain her high-level of play year in and year out with basically no rest is a testament to her legendary status.

As with most tough situations, it is best to find a silver lining so that it will help you face the struggle head on and keep on forging through. “It will not always be like this. The ones who are doing the hard part of going overseas right after the WNBA season, they are setting the stage for that next step. Their passion is going to lead to something greater for the next generation. It is going to change. You have to continue to push through it, as difficult as it is” stated Winters Scott. The ultimate goal is “achieving the greater good for the evolution of the game and catapulting this league to what we know it can be”.
