The 5 Stupidest Reasons to Hate on the WNBA

Intro

We've heard all the jokes. "Expect Lay-ups." Lame. "Wait, there is a WNBA?" You're hilarious! After 15 years, the WNBA is as strong and stable as ever. We're not sure when it became the "in" thing to do to bash the WNBA, but it has long been a lightning rod of hate for sports fans. And while, ultimately, it's absolutely your own choice to like the league or not, there has been a myriad of misplaced excuses over the past 15 years detailing reasons why you shouldn't. With the WNBA Finals starting tonight between the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream, we reflect on the 5 Stupidest Reasons to Hate on the W.

By Ben York (@bjyork)

Hang

"I Could Easily Hang With Them"

No. You can't. Sorry, man. I know the ego might find that hard to accept, but the truth hurts. Trust me. I grew up with former WNBA player Ann Strother and got my ass kicked on a daily basis. It wasn't a gender thing; she was just way better at basketball than I was. Still, no matter how many times I've said this in the past, some people refuse to believe me. Do me a favor, though - take a look at this video of New York Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter schooling NBAer Sebastian Telfair. You can't convince me that Telfair wasn't taking this serious or going half-speed. Dude just got beat, much like you would. No shame in that; these ladies are damn good.

NBA

"The NBA Shoves It Down Our Throats"

I hear complaints all the time that the NBA tries too hard to promote the WNBA to their audience via commercials on television, having WNBA players participate at NBA All-Star Weekend, coverage on NBA.com, and things of that sort. To the people who believe, by doing this, the NBA is "shoving the WNBA down our collective throats," I have a couple of suggestions for you: 1) There is this magical thing commonly referred to as "sight" that most humans are fortunate enough to possess. The great part about it is that we generally have the ability to avoid looking at things we don't want to. It's as easy as moving your "eyes" (you know, the two big balls of white goo housed in our head that allow us to see) in another direction. Thus, if you're not a fan of the WNBA, that's fine; simply look away and don't visit websites that talk about it. Problem solved! 2) In that same vein, as humans, we have been blessed with the ability to utilize our fingers to manipulate things (that's what she said). If you simply cannot tolerate a WNBA commercial or article, I recommend using said fingers to select a different channel (I know it is a painstaking process) or navigate to a website that talks about how much the WNBA sucks.

Dunk

"They Don't Dunk"

You're right. Well, mostly. A few players have dunked in a WNBA game but, as a general rule, the women's game is played below the rim. However, that doesn't mean it's not fun or exciting to watch. Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird plays the point guard position as well as any man I've ever seen. Diana Taurasi exploded for 28 points in 15 minutes during a game this season. Sylvia Fowles averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game while playing under 35 minutes a night. The WNBA may not feature a highlight reel full of dunks or high-flying action, but using this as an excuse to not watch is, quite frankly, getting old.

Talent

"The NBA Has Better Talent"

It depends on what you value most in a professional basketball game, but in terms of the NBA and WNBA, one league isn't better or worse than the other; they're just different. The WNBA features more team-oriented play while the NBA is fraught with isolations and individual highlights. Great. Awesome. I like to watch both styles of play from time to time. Still, there is something to be said for nearly all WNBA players who, literally, play professionally year round. Now that we've reached the WNBA Finals, the season has come to an end for many players (actually, all but 22). Some of them have already migrated overseas to play in Europe for the next seven months due to their tiny salary in the WNBA. Even more amazing is that most won't return back to America until a week or two prior to the start of the 2012 season. That dedication and effort on an annual basis is nothing short of remarkable.

Boring

"It's Boring"

In just its 15th season of existence, the WNBA is continually evolving. Scoring has increased, in-game attendance is rising, television ratings are up, and the parity of the league has never been greater. The problem with those who still think the game is boring is that they likely haven't watched a WNBA game (in its entirety) in many years. Complex's own Jack Erwin took in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever recently and decided to watch the WNBA instead of Monday Night Football. But don't take our word for it; see for yourself. This Sunday, October 2, the Minnesota Lynx hosts the Atlanta Dream to kick-off the WNBA Finals at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. Give it a look, won't you? As an added incentive, if Lynx guard Seimone Augustus's game doesn't remind you of Carmelo Anthony, then feel free to call me an idiot (or worse).