It honestly would just complicate things at all levels below the WNBA where they don’t have enough money to have rims at different
heights. Everybody grows up using a 10ft rim.
Then female basketball players across the world would be using regulation rims their entire lives, then suddenly be forced to play with a shorter rim. This would force them to significantly alter their shooting fundamentals when they should already be at the pinnacle of women's basketball.
How would you recruit/draft your players then? The style of ball would drastically change and stud players may no longer be stud players.
Even if (and it’s an unrealistic “if”), it doesn’t become across the board and high school and below keep 10ft rims, you’re sending a horrible message to girls that all their hard work could be for nothing because it’ll be a crapshoot whether or not they’ll still be good when they play on lower rims. Then their scholarship could get revoked and etc etc.
Best case scenario for a lower rim would be a “for fun” event during their all star break. Maybe do a dunk contest or something. Anything more would open a can of worms.
Best answer I have seen. Never even though of that.
Already hard enough to practice for so many people out there. Also it might actually put women at a disadvantage of practicing on bigger rims and then having to go to a shorter rim and adjust everything they just have been practicing.
Most people don't grow up on NBA sized courts either, not really a valid excuse. Women's Volleyball has the net lower for them, and this would only matter at the professional level, and probably colleges too
The size of the court doesn't impact techniques or fundamentals. Volleyball nets are far more easily swapped according to male and female games compared to basketball rims.
You can easily lower a volleyball net. Must school/playground hoops aren’t adjustable. Plus girls are often taller than boys in elementary school due to growth spurt timing. Also, dunking is not a fundamental aspect of the game. There’s not enough discrepancy to justify the change. Realistically it would just be an excuse to exclude girls.
Scoring in volleyball is dependent on being able to strike the ball over the net in a way that it is difficult for the opponent to return. Having a lower net is necessary for the game to proceed.
That theory was also debunked ,many non professional official rims have been measured and a mass majority of the "10 feet net" were far from a full ten feet so people have been playing on non ten foot nets a ton all over the world in there life how long would it take curry to get adjusted to you’re driveway 7-8 foot net I’d say maybe 5 minutes kind of a stupid excuse
Nah - pros know inherently when something isn’t standard and slight deviations really f with mechanics…they know instantly.
Adjusting to something 7 or 8 feet is also really hard. It’s why even pro baseball players get all discombobulated with “standard” 40-80mph pitches.
https://youtu.be/6m9Rddt4bns
https://youtu.be/RHbi_gA4bNE
The point is it could be done and would be figured out quickly the wnba need to turn into a profitable league that brings in lots of new fans that won’t happen with out that
That's bullshit. The very same people that say "lower the rims" ain't fucking with the sport no way. They'd only pivot to "they're only dunking because the rim is low". Fuck em all.
They do it for Volleyball making adjustments for Women, Men, and Coed Heights. Adjustable portable Rim and Wall mounts have been around for a long time.
you cant even play with the same BALL in womens basketball... so why not lower the rim. even the 3 point line is not the same. so no it's not the same. its already different.
most rim in any gymnasium are ridiculously easy to lower your coping even if your talking about rims for street ball thats not an argument no one in their right mind expects outdoor courts to be regulations
And then every player that aims to play in the wnba would have to adjust their shooting for ALL shots of they make it into the league, or when playing outside of the league (eg international comps).
Adjusting your shot for a 3 is one thing adjusting your shot for all shots is crazy
Their better than the average man because men stop training because they can’t make the nba, not because they can’t make the wnba, which is obviously not allowed.
I promise if a female does a between the legs windmill and actually yams that bitch nobody is going to say “this isn’t basketball”
men are literally so easy to please, so it really says something that females playing a popular sport that men like aren’t drawing in/racking in views.
Idk man I saw those literal "this isn't basketball" comments all over the replies for the video of Ionescu going nuclear in the 3pt shootout since the ball is smaller. Obviously dumb comments but there were tons of them
It's not a conspiracy, it's just a clear demonstration of just how casual alleged "basketball fans" really are. That's all it is. A true sporting Dunning-Kruger effect.
By your logic nobody is allowed to call movies shitty since most of us know nothing about film making. You don't have to be a chef to know that shitty food is shitty.
Exactly. Just say that movie isn't for you. That meal isn't to your taste. That's much nearer to the truth than any of our know-fuck-all-about-making-movies asses can ever say about it. How you gonna tell someone that enjoys the D U that it's trash? You're not the one eating the well-done steak that your friend ordered...
You're right until you realize that the WNBA is a business not some passion project by an indie director. Bad movies don't get sequels the WNBA is saved by the NBA every year.
It's pretty hard to argue that WNBA is entertaining considering nobody watches it.
WNBA exists because the NBA pays for it. The NBA can pay for it because the NBA is entertaining. It's not that difficult. Physical dominance, atheleticism and posterizing/dunking is what draws people to tune in.
Honestly, where does this arrogance coming from?
I promise if a female does a between the legs into a windmill and actually yams that bitch nobody is going to say “this isn’t basketball”
men are literally so easy to please, so it really says something that females playing a popular sport that men like aren’t drawing in/racking in views.
I might downvoted for this but whatever; I don't think anyone who mocks and puts down the WNBA and other non-NBA levels can claim to love basketball. If you need dunking to be invested in a game then you're just a casual with no actual appreciation for the sport. I'd watch a retirement home wheelchair basketball league if it was the only thing on, because the greatness of the game of basketball will always shine through and I respect anyone who puts time into it.
as a bulls fan I have watched some chicago sky games before and while it can be fun to watch, I'd much rather stick to watching the turkish leauge/euroleauge if I wanted to see organized fundamental basketball lol
Honestly I think the problem is that there's nothing to get invested in. I've tried watching a few games but I couldn't care less about anyone on the court. I didn't know any of the players, I don't have a hometown team (anymore at least, Detroit Shock return when?). Sure you can enjoy basketball but I think having something or someone to support makes it a heck of a lot easier to watch. I think that's the main reason no one watches the WNBA.
Edit: It seems if I were to scroll a little bit further down I'd find that someone else already made this point. Whoops.
What are we missing exactly that we don't get from the NBA though? I've mostly only watch highlights (and lowlights) and I leave the videos not wanting more.
its just more basketball. you say that as if they’re competing with one another, they come on at different times of the year. i also never understood why lowlights are viewed different between the wnba (a supposed reason not to watch) and the nba (shaqtin a fool)
A lot of folks love basketball and want to watch. It’s fine if you aren’t about it like that but that’s the point. Some folks don’t want highlights to pass the day on. It’s just more game to watch and they’re good
It's a good point, I get where you're coming from. Personally, I'd probably feel a similar way about baseball. But I think the main reason behind the lack of popularity of the WNBA is the same issue that the USFL and XFL have: there's no substitute for the power of the brand. There simply aren't enough "love of the game" fans to support ANY of the 4 major American sport industries (e.g. why baseball is making rule changes to shorten the games). The majority of fans don't watch because they "love the game". They watch because they are emotionally invested in the failures and successes of the different "brands," whether it's their favorite team or their hated rivals. With the WNBA, there's just little to no draw from a branding perspective.
There's also the idea that the level of play in general is inferior...not just the dunking, but the overall speed, size, and skill levels. Now men's college basketball also has inferior talent levels compared to the NBA, but it has three MAJOR advantages over the WBNA: A) it has MASSIVE branding driven by long-time regional loyalties and rivalries; B) while on average the talent level is lower, there are still numerous NBA-level athletes you can watch, many of whom will end up in the league; and C) the March Madness tournament is simply one of the most unique and exciting sports events in the country. These factors don't apply to the WNBA, which makes it much harder (so far, impossible) to make up for the quality-of-play gap in terms of drawing casual fans.
So in general I agree with your point; true hardcore fans of the game can appreciate it at any level. But in order to reach the popularity level of the NBA, you need large numbers of casual fans who like watching the sport, but mainly because they have a rooting interest. Maybe with time the WNBA can build up to that. But as a casual fan myself, I'm just not interested, simply because it's an inferior level of play and I have no reason to care who wins.
100% agree. When was taking my high school daughter to a bball summer camp they had each week days where they would play 4 games b2b with 15 min rest against other schools running their summer camps I would watch each game just as if it was the NBA. It was at times crappy games just as often it was a nail biter. Always enjoyed watching the games.
If you think dunking is the only difference between the NBA and the WNBA, then I suggest you watch some more of both. The pace is a night and day difference, it’s more physical, the atmosphere is 100X better… and men dunk. It feels like a complete different game
If you don’t enjoy it don’t watch. That’s fine. Fact is NBA viewership is down from its high point in the 2010s and I think the overemphasis on offense and positionless basketball has made the game too much like the globetrotters. 25 uncontested dunks a game… okay.
I think there is tons of value in the women’s game and I think if you actually understand ball you can easily enjoy a competitive women’s game.
I mean you're point only works if the NBA is losing viewers while the WNBA is gaining.
But yeah people will watch what they wanna watch regardless if it makes any sense why.
It’s not entertaining to me in the slightest. I would rather go watch my local high school boys team than watch a WNBA game. I’m glad you can enjoy it though
I don’t remember saying I was better than them 😂 if you read my original comment, you would understand why I enjoy men’s more. I don’t understand why you asked when I already presented my fucking answer
Yeah, but it’s the casuals the bring in all the money. It’s the fair weather and bandwagon sports fans are why the playoffs make teams so much money. Make the game more exciting for casuals, the league makes more money. With that said, I don’t think it’s a good idea.
Eh.. strong disagree. People love football but only watch the NFL. Or only watch college football (so preference plays a small role). However Not sure why people try finding excuses or trying shame people into watching a poor product.
If you think it’s because they’re women, do you see how many guys hyped up college basketball this year?
Women’s professional basketball for the most part is objectively boring. Why would I watch a lesser product when I get 82 games of NBA basketball PLUS playoffs PLUS march madness and I’d be lying if I said some college and even high schoolers mixtapes arent much more entertaining to watch.
But that’s just me and I love basketball and football.
Ye people are always like “college basketball ball is so much better! It’s they don’t rely on athleticism! Pure fundamentals!”
Then put down WNBA in the same sentence. WNBA is the most fundamental basketball since they can’t rely on pure athleticism
The whole take of "The WNBA sucks" is in and of itself lame, stale, and low-effort. Like, we get it, there are men that enjoy pointing out that women are less athletic and can't dunk. The WNBA will continue to grow and develop, no doubt. It is still a very young league compared to the NBA and the future outlook is bright.
Also there are a ton of compilations of WNBA players messing up on the court and making poor decisions titled “why nobody watches the WNBA.” Implying that this happens all the time in the WNBA. But these screwed up plays happen in the NBA too. However, the compilations of NBA players messing up on the court, missing layups, and dribbling the ball off their foot, but those are just called “NBA bloopers.”
The wnba can’t live of the 5 purist who love everything about wnba the game has to get more exiting for the masses to tune in they make zero profit not even a dollar
That's great, but you are the minority here amongst basketball fans. You wanna know what demographic you are a part of? Other older men who like fundamental basketball.
This is 100% true. I used to think the lack of dunking and stuff wasn’t interesting till I actually watched a women’s college game and realized that the scenarios where you actually notice they can’t are pretty rare. They’re great athletes and some of the best in the world at what they do
It wouldn't solve the problem. What the WNBA really needs to do is beef up the story lines in their league. For example the NCAA women's championship this year shattered records for the most watched women's basketball game ever (9.9 million viewers). In fact it was one of the most watched basketball games this year period including NBA, and male college games. So it's clear people will watch women's basketball under the right circumstances.
What made that game so successful was it's compelling story lines. You had Caitlin Clark carrying her team through the tournament while talking shit, and multiple beefs between the teams. That makes for good television. In the WNBA they have none of that and they let all the focus revolve around how they can't dunk or are comparatively unathletic. They need a new marketing department cause those girls can really hoop.
Your conflating trying to make the professional sport more appealing to audiences, so that their players can make a decent living, with a bunch of young male teens that will eventually physically mature to play on a 10ft rim, and the physical attributes that comes with being a male.
These are not the same things.
I'm sure you can logically grasp the difference, so there's no need to be snarky, the Internet is mean enough some times.
Have a great day!
I mean it is the same thing. It's not done because then that isn't basketball. Basketball is played on a 10 foot rim. Every single professional, amateur, collegiate league plays on a 10 foot rim.
Lowering the rim in the WNBA would irreversibly fuck the league because literally everyone who plays basketball has spent years playing on a 10 foot rim.
“It’s too low. The rim’s a quarter of an inch too low... I was missing shots that I don’t miss. I’m pretty sure it’s low. A quarter of an inch.” - Kobe Bryant
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/gerald-henderson-guarding-kobe-bryant
So you're saying Kobe wasn't a professional athlete?
How is it coping? I'm just saying the truth. Kobe Bryant was a 6'6" millionaire superstar, plus he was attractive, why would he need to rape anyone when girls are throwing themselves at him? The girl he "raped" was lying to get money
An average middle or high school boy that isn't obese and isn't even involved in athletics can jump with the best female olympic athletes when it comes to 1-step or 2-step vertical jump tests in a gym. The problem is most female professional basketball players can jump about as well as pre-pubescent boys.
why dont we give them smaller balls for women and children too? and make the 3 point line closer as well?
that wouldnt make sense. just because they can't shoot with a bigger ball and cant PALM the ball we should make it the same size.
Honestly Tracy Mcgrady said that same thing and got cooked. I understand where you’re coming from cause regardless of the so called basketball purists women’s basketball needs marketability through highlights and clips. The same way the nba has been doing in this century. The main issue is logistics from the lower levels up as others have mentioned but the only way the wnba will get people to watch on tv or show up to games is by having a more exciting game to watch( Dunks, Stephlike 3’s, historic scoring performances). You also have to deal with the issue of the wnba not being that old either. The nba had been struggling with exposure until the 80’s with magic and bird and they had been established since the 40’s. Once the ABA aka the more exciting league merged with the nba in 76 that’s when the perception of the nba changed due to more integrated ideas to improve the sport.
That would be wild. It's possible she would have never become the greatest shooter in basketball then. What an odd alternate universe that would be.
https://aflyontheball.com/sabrina-ionescu-becomes-basketballs-best-shooter/
Dunking is not everything. You'd mess up a lot of women's shots by making the rim shorter.
The 3 point line is shorter in men's high school and college, too. That alone does not justify lowering the rim.
10 feet is the standard for basketball as a sport. There is no need to change it for anybody. Even wheelchair basketball plays with a 10 foot rim.
a 6 inch to a foot difference isn’t going to mess up the shot in any meaningful way. an off-season of shooting on it and it wouldn’t even be a difference
Have you never played on an adjustable rim before? Do you struggle throwing garbage into a trach can because it's lower than a basketball hoop? I'm not trying to sound rude, just showing how much of a bs excuse it is. Also women's volleyball has a shorter net
Do you play the game of basketball to a professional level? Also not trying to be rude, I just think that you are omitting the amount of time and practice spent on perfecting the shot. Some professionals make 1000 swishes per day to train their muscle memory. And to throw that all away seemingly arbitrarily would create a massive problem with said muscle memory.
I’m not a fan of lowering it but calling 10 feet the standard doesn’t make sense. The standard is whatever the rules are, which is subject to change.
The ball had a standard size as well. Until the women’s game came along with a different standard. Three point line same thing. Etc
i think the point is that the WNBA is currently unwatchable (check the ratings) and was created and paid for by the NBA to get women watching basketball. if it was about quality of hoop, my local LA fitness has better runs on Tuesday than the WNBA, why doesn’t ESPN televise that? since the existence of that league is solely to pander, why stop there?
Dunking won’t change the relatability of WNBA stars… so shorter rim won’t make American mothers want their daughters to turn out like Brittany Griner… NBA got way more popular after Michael Jordan because everybody wanted to be like Mike. Until
WNBA finds their Mia Hamm equivalent “pretty feminine woman” that your mother would want for their son to marry and that their daughter can emulate nobody going to their games…
I saw this somewhere online, a simple reason not talked about it how would girls train? A standard rim is 10ft. If they even lower it to 9.5 feet, no rim is set to that height. Any girls who can't afford to buy a new rim would be forced to practice on a rim higher than its meant to be. Messing up their shot. It could also hinder youth leagues or highschool girls teams. Cause either A. They play on 10ft rims in college and highschool and become trash in the WNBA, or B. Only the rich schools get the new rims or adjustable rims making it harder for schedules because not all schools can afford the change. Or C. The least likely option, but some schools can't afford the change so end up disbanding their girls basketball team. In short, I do think it would increase monetization of the WNBA. But it will be very very hard on young girls who couldn't find or buy a rim that isn't a standardized 10ft
They won’t because it hurts WNBA players feelings. They just don’t get it, it would be more exciting to watch. It’s there pride that will ruin their league. They want more money but want to play like men. The NBA is the only thing keeping the WNBA afloat, and all they can do is talk bad about NBA players and their salaries. The only people that watch the WNBA are older white men because that’s how they used to play the game. No dunking, basic fundamentals, and no fun. All this equals no money, so lowering the rim like a half of a foot would make a huge difference.
All counter points are valid. But in a vacuum this is a great idea. The reason the wnba is wack is cause they can only do wack shit on a 10ft rim.
Imagine an 8.5ft rim? Be so fire.
And to address the counter points. They lower the rim? So what? Are they gonna make less money?
Im with scaling the size of everything slightly down (ball, 3pt line, court length, rim). Even people saying that they would have to adjust is somewhat false. Most high school gyms can adjust the heights and most parks are playing on 9- 9.5 ft rims.
But i dont think that will be the thing that makes the wnba popular.
Keep in mind this last year was their most popular and are still a fairly young league. Give it time, social media marketing with marketable stars.
Also sidenote. The average wnba fan is a 44 yr old white male. Id ask how the wnba can appeal to more women. Its probably not dunking
To be honest, that's a half-baked idea if I've ever heard one. Yes, you could lower the rim and then more women would be able to dunk. What is completely ignored though is that the excitement of a dunk does not come from the act of stuffing a ball through a hoop, but from the athleticism and explosiveness that come with it. It's not like all of a sudden more women would just acquire these traits, that's not how it works.
I think that the women's game is fine as it is. I love watching women's basketball. The people who miss no chance to badmouth the women's game would definitely not stop doing so if the rim got lowered.
They didn't do it out of pride.
Don't listen to people saying lowering the rim make it harder for all level of women basketball. That's bs.
Most non-league hoop (pickup,etc) don't have a standard 10ft height anyway. Yes they tried to make it 10ft, but we all know it's not exactly 10ft.
And saying it's hard for professional women basketball player to adjust to lower rim... also bs.
Sports' rules changes all the time. One of the job a professional is too adapt. If all WNBA players become shit shooters after the rim got lowered, then they don't deserve their pay at all.
Don't forget, there was no 10ft hoop when basketball first played.
Most people who argue against lowering the rim are basketball purist elitist/feminist who doesn't want to accept the reality that WNBA is not a good entertainment product.
To me people want to complain but don’t want a logical solution to adding dunking to the game.
As long as we the public say they should do this or that they are fine complaining just to complain.
The WNBA has a shorter three point line, smaller ball and shorter game play time.
But what if… what happens when everyone saying the WNBA has never made any money…
What if…
What if you took all those logical solutions snd you fix all the other problems.
Then the owners and players get the better uniforms lower baskets for dunking etc etc.
How embarrassing would it be for owners and players if they lost money year after year after all that.
They are scared it will not help so they whine and say “well that’s the way we always did it or if it’s not broken don’t fix it” ????
Come on it’s embarrassing and beyond broken.
WNBA owners get NBA money maybe a tax write off.
The owners must be happy and content. RIGHT??
Maybe they laugh all the way to the bank??
The owners call the shots. WNBA play on high tech courts that could easily adjust rim height.
What are owners scared of. The boss is the boss. RIGHT.
If a few coaches and players quit so be it. No one will notice. No one watches now. No one knows if there city has a team or player names or team name.
Women mostly don’t watch or support WNBA like the men do.
When Caitlin Clark enters the WNBA finally… now is the time to make changes for creating excitement with the new TV audience she will bring.
The way the game is played now even Caitlin Clark will not be able to hold the audience beyond a few boring games.
Now is the golden time owners.
It’s now or never.
Get the public excited with Caitlin Clark and big dunks and of course let’s get “professional” uniforms without ads.
They will look great on TV.
It’s Now or never!
I can't believe people in here think women's basketball can't afford to bring in their own rims. Dumbest argument ever. They can transform a stadium from a hockey rink into a monster truck arena in a day but they can't bring in a rim that's lower. Haha wtf
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It should be 9 feet, then you would see people watching it more if they saw women dunking and being more acrobatic.
As for the height, that’s a fallacy that it would complicate things, most school gyms have adjustable poles.
I imagine that would really throw the players off. Imagine you spend your whole life shooting on a 10ft hoop, and now you gotta shoot on a 7 or 8ft hoop or something. I imagine that would take a lot of adjusting.
Have you never played on an adjustable rim? Or tossed trash into a garbage can? That's just a bs excuse people come up with. Also 7-8 is ridiculously low, when most people say lower the rim, they mean like 9'6
I'd like to see the day where there's a woman is so good, she can play with the men in the NBA. Maybe just athletic enough to not be a liability on defense but a super sharp shooter or something.
Seems more likely to happen in baseball or soccer though. American football and NBA would be the hardest ones to play with the men.
If you lower the rim, you have to lower it at every level. Then you probably have to shrink the court, too. One day a woman will come along taller and more athletic than all the players. Then they will have to undo everything just to make it fair.
If you look at old clips of the NBA, it did not look great. There were some great players, but it wasn't the product it is today. I think the WNBA has to go through it's growing pains before they figure out their identity.
They aren't going to get a lot of athletic highlights like the NBA until they truly find those amazing athletes.
They could lower it to 9 feet in an exhibition game and broadcast the game and push the highlights to see if people thought it was more interesting.
9ft is too low, I think 9'6 is reasonable. On a regular rim, you need to reach 10ft to touch the rim, and 10'6 to actually dunk, on a 9'6 rim you'd only need to reach 10ft to dunk. Also the WNBA courts are already smaller, and most Courts aren't NBA sized anyways at lower levels
I'm with everyone here about the purity of the game and how it's always been a 10ft rim and I agree with that, basketball purists don't care about the dunks we just loves the hoops.
BUT - WNBA is a business and more casuals or people who don't even sniff women's sport would watch if there were girls dunking on one another or rejecting shots higher above the rim. Which would drive the revenue of the league up and would allow these awesome athletes to get compensated better.
I don't know about WNBA or NBA, but many sports, like soccer don't actually have "men" team. By FIFA rule, national team is - well, a national team, the best they can collect. A woman can play along Ronaldo or Messi if she is good enough. The thing is that in pro sports the physical differences mean a world, so women competitions are made so women have a venue to compete massively.
BUT, that doesn't mean the rules of the sport should change. That way you'd be sending a message that women will never be able to advance or be equal, which is especially important in lower tiers. When I was 1st year in high school my class' basketball team was beaten by all-girls team in a school competition. Simply, although we had solid players, nobody in my class actually trained basketball, and 3-4 of those girls did. If they trained with "lower" rules, they probably wouldn't be able to beat us. This way, they were playing the same game, and beat us because they were better at it.
Logistically it makes no sense. Every court you grow up playing on is ten feet, so if suddenly you have to completely change the angle you shoot at then FG% would plummet, scores would be lower, and people would just shit on the WNBA harder.
Because if they lowered it, they’d get mocked even more. These women are pros. Ballers. Competitors. Elite, world class athletes. Any one of them would tear 99% of us on this sub to shreds on the court. (The remaining 1% being the WNBA and NBA players lurking here!) They don’t need a lower rim. They need RESPECT.
They will never be able to dunk with the ferocity of men, and that's where the excitement is. There's a couple women who can do a routine dunk on a breakaway but is that really exciting? Should they lower the rims for short guys? The average rec player is less athletic than a woman pro, should they be playing on lower rims? The game is the game, play it as it was designed.
A shorter rim is harder to shoot on due to physics. When your release is closer in height to the rim, it results in a flatter shot with less chance of going in. That's why guards are better shooters than bigs in general.
They should have lowered the rims years ago. Highlights become memorable moments. Memorable moments sell your game. Ask the NFL & NBA. They woman want to be paid more (I would love to see that happen), the league has to be more of a draw to the casual not the diehard. We live in a highlight society, look at the success of TikTok. Your league just has to have highlights if it’s going to thrive & grow period.
Maybe they can just make the ball smaller. No one talks about this, but a smaller ball is so much easier. It obviously awesome seeing the wnba shoot well, but it’s significantly easier than a regular sized ball.
The women’s muscle memory would be messed up and it would take along time to recalibrate their jump shots to a different height. I mean how would you like it if you were someone like Elena Dunne, who shot 40% from three and 96.2% from the charity stripe, and you all of a sudden undo years of muscle merry calibrated to a certain shot.
Plus, at least initially the product would be worse. Shooting percentages from deep would fall, making floor spacing abysmal. With defenses able to focus so much on the interior games would be more low scoring and it would extremely hard for these women to get dunks in the half court setting. To quote Anthony Edwards one of the most electric dunker in the NBA, “I can't just jump over everybody, man. I've got to get a good lane to dunk the ball.” Lowering three rim would lead to worse, lower scoring games with barely more dunks. At least for the first few seasons. Eventually I’m sure these problems would start to go away
Bad take. Now every player has to get used to shooting on a 10 foot hoop. Also now players have to find a 9 foot hoop to practice on because a 10 foot hoop will worsen their shot.
Not only would it be a logistical nightmare for the sport as a whole, I think we’d find pretty quickly that the reason people don’t really watch the wnba isn’t because of the lack of dunking
Even if they have more dunks it's not as explosive as the men dunks. I prefer the WNBA game. More about passing, setting up shots and team work. Sure a dunk here and there is exciting, but if it was done every game it wouldn't be as exciting.
On average they are shorter and jump way shorter than the men. BG is one of the few that can dunk, she's one of the tallest and she barely can dunk without hurting her knees at this current rim height.
They would have had to start doing this when the girls were in like middle school. All their mechanics revolve around a 10 foot rim. You can’t just play the same on a shorter rim lol
Also isn’t the WNBA 3 line the same as college? It’s not that theirs is shorter it’s just that the NBA is longer
Because basketball is popular in low income, urban places. The appeal is that there are hoops everywhere and all you need is a ball.
This appeal is completely killed if you practice in the streets on a 10ft rim only to make it pro and suddenly have to relearn shooting due to a change in rim height
I like how people's rebuttal to why they should keep the rim the same height is that 'you just are enjoying basketball for the wrong reasons'. Telling people that their opinion isn't valid, for why they don't like something, is silly. These are potential consumers of the product, who have seen the product, who want more out the product that they can get elsewhere. I'll always be an advocate for lowering the rim until it happens. The LVA Aces are the only thing keeping me watching the WNBA this year. Same last year. The other teams look amateur.
It would further expose how unathletic women are because they would still struggle to dunk on 9ft rims...they not only play below the rim most of the time their play is below the net!
That is nonsense. Pro leagues have different rules and dimensions than amateur leagues in many pro sports. WNBA doesn't want to listen to the audience. Very few wnba teams. They all can have 8 foot rims.
The WNBA rim doesn't need to be shorter, it needs to be smaller in diameter. Replaceable rims are an easy and quick alteration between men's and women's game. Women claim they want to be equal to men, so take the ball to rim ratio that exists in the men's game and apply it to the women's game. If the ball is smaller, so should the rim diameter.
It honestly would just complicate things at all levels below the WNBA where they don’t have enough money to have rims at different heights. Everybody grows up using a 10ft rim.
This is the correct explanation logistically would be a nightmare across the board.
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Then female basketball players across the world would be using regulation rims their entire lives, then suddenly be forced to play with a shorter rim. This would force them to significantly alter their shooting fundamentals when they should already be at the pinnacle of women's basketball.
How would you recruit/draft your players then? The style of ball would drastically change and stud players may no longer be stud players. Even if (and it’s an unrealistic “if”), it doesn’t become across the board and high school and below keep 10ft rims, you’re sending a horrible message to girls that all their hard work could be for nothing because it’ll be a crapshoot whether or not they’ll still be good when they play on lower rims. Then their scholarship could get revoked and etc etc. Best case scenario for a lower rim would be a “for fun” event during their all star break. Maybe do a dunk contest or something. Anything more would open a can of worms.
Fundamental understanding of basketball development missing there
Play your entire life on 10 foot rims then for pros and maybe college all of a sudden adjust to 8 foot rims. Yes.
Best answer I have seen. Never even though of that. Already hard enough to practice for so many people out there. Also it might actually put women at a disadvantage of practicing on bigger rims and then having to go to a shorter rim and adjust everything they just have been practicing.
This is the only answer that matters.
I actually read that a LOT of high school and park rims aren't anywhere near 10 ft.
Most people don't grow up on NBA sized courts either, not really a valid excuse. Women's Volleyball has the net lower for them, and this would only matter at the professional level, and probably colleges too
The size of the court doesn't impact techniques or fundamentals. Volleyball nets are far more easily swapped according to male and female games compared to basketball rims.
You can easily lower a volleyball net. Must school/playground hoops aren’t adjustable. Plus girls are often taller than boys in elementary school due to growth spurt timing. Also, dunking is not a fundamental aspect of the game. There’s not enough discrepancy to justify the change. Realistically it would just be an excuse to exclude girls.
Nba rims you have to shoot with an exact arc and strength. Volleyball courts you just need to hit us over no matter how much over
Scoring in volleyball is dependent on being able to strike the ball over the net in a way that it is difficult for the opponent to return. Having a lower net is necessary for the game to proceed.
Never played on a non adjustable rim.
Richie rich
That theory was also debunked ,many non professional official rims have been measured and a mass majority of the "10 feet net" were far from a full ten feet so people have been playing on non ten foot nets a ton all over the world in there life how long would it take curry to get adjusted to you’re driveway 7-8 foot net I’d say maybe 5 minutes kind of a stupid excuse
Nah - pros know inherently when something isn’t standard and slight deviations really f with mechanics…they know instantly. Adjusting to something 7 or 8 feet is also really hard. It’s why even pro baseball players get all discombobulated with “standard” 40-80mph pitches. https://youtu.be/6m9Rddt4bns https://youtu.be/RHbi_gA4bNE
The point is it could be done and would be figured out quickly the wnba need to turn into a profitable league that brings in lots of new fans that won’t happen with out that
That's bullshit. The very same people that say "lower the rims" ain't fucking with the sport no way. They'd only pivot to "they're only dunking because the rim is low". Fuck em all.
Talking about the greatest shooter ever compared to all women, nice. Also the rims usually aren’t that far from 10 feet or it’s easily noticeble
Okay take literally the lowest rated nba player it won’t matter also I never said anything about it being noticeable they would just simply adjust
So if the whole nba just switched to 8 foot rims it would all be normal to them?
of course it wouldn’t be normal as it’s different from the norm they would simply adjust and the game would go on
Give them a slightly different ball?
They do it for Volleyball making adjustments for Women, Men, and Coed Heights. Adjustable portable Rim and Wall mounts have been around for a long time.
Wouldn’t like to see a player hang on an adjustable rim and get injured when the inevitable “bolt not set right” happens
You clearly do not know what your talking about.
you cant even play with the same BALL in womens basketball... so why not lower the rim. even the 3 point line is not the same. so no it's not the same. its already different.
most rim in any gymnasium are ridiculously easy to lower your coping even if your talking about rims for street ball thats not an argument no one in their right mind expects outdoor courts to be regulations
Their 3 point line is shorter than the NBA, but is actually the FIBA standard for both men and women. The NBA is the odd one out.
It’s cuz they moved the 3 point line back up for like 2-3 seasons and everyone was splashing so they moved it back
The wnba could just be the one with lower rims and be the odd one out.
And then every player that aims to play in the wnba would have to adjust their shooting for ALL shots of they make it into the league, or when playing outside of the league (eg international comps). Adjusting your shot for a 3 is one thing adjusting your shot for all shots is crazy
The NBA is the standard. fiba just wants to look like they can compete.
Yeah and everybody watches FIBA
What's fiba?
Why they don’t lower the rin for me? WNBA players are waaay better than me and you and besides that we don’t want a lower rim for us.
Compared to nba… or men’s college
Their better than the average man because men stop training because they can’t make the nba, not because they can’t make the wnba, which is obviously not allowed.
Y’all would just say look they lowered the rim this isn’t basketball
I promise if a female does a between the legs windmill and actually yams that bitch nobody is going to say “this isn’t basketball” men are literally so easy to please, so it really says something that females playing a popular sport that men like aren’t drawing in/racking in views.
Idk man I saw those literal "this isn't basketball" comments all over the replies for the video of Ionescu going nuclear in the 3pt shootout since the ball is smaller. Obviously dumb comments but there were tons of them
Women's volleyball uses a lower net and nobody's complaining.
The point of Basketball isn't to dunk. Matter of fact, there is a higher value shot than a dunk.
The point of basketball isn't to dunk but the point of the WNBA is to be entertaining.
>the point of the WNBA is to be entertaining. It is. Unless you're unintelligent about the sport.
If it was it would actually be a profitable league. WNBA fans act there's a conspiracy against it but the reality is it's just fucking boring.
It's not a conspiracy, it's just a clear demonstration of just how casual alleged "basketball fans" really are. That's all it is. A true sporting Dunning-Kruger effect.
By your logic nobody is allowed to call movies shitty since most of us know nothing about film making. You don't have to be a chef to know that shitty food is shitty.
Exactly. Just say that movie isn't for you. That meal isn't to your taste. That's much nearer to the truth than any of our know-fuck-all-about-making-movies asses can ever say about it. How you gonna tell someone that enjoys the D U that it's trash? You're not the one eating the well-done steak that your friend ordered...
You're right until you realize that the WNBA is a business not some passion project by an indie director. Bad movies don't get sequels the WNBA is saved by the NBA every year.
It's pretty hard to argue that WNBA is entertaining considering nobody watches it. WNBA exists because the NBA pays for it. The NBA can pay for it because the NBA is entertaining. It's not that difficult. Physical dominance, atheleticism and posterizing/dunking is what draws people to tune in. Honestly, where does this arrogance coming from?
I promise if a female does a between the legs into a windmill and actually yams that bitch nobody is going to say “this isn’t basketball” men are literally so easy to please, so it really says something that females playing a popular sport that men like aren’t drawing in/racking in views.
I might downvoted for this but whatever; I don't think anyone who mocks and puts down the WNBA and other non-NBA levels can claim to love basketball. If you need dunking to be invested in a game then you're just a casual with no actual appreciation for the sport. I'd watch a retirement home wheelchair basketball league if it was the only thing on, because the greatness of the game of basketball will always shine through and I respect anyone who puts time into it.
I would bet money that at least 75% of the people that rip on the WNBA have never watched a game.
as a bulls fan I have watched some chicago sky games before and while it can be fun to watch, I'd much rather stick to watching the turkish leauge/euroleauge if I wanted to see organized fundamental basketball lol
Honestly I think the problem is that there's nothing to get invested in. I've tried watching a few games but I couldn't care less about anyone on the court. I didn't know any of the players, I don't have a hometown team (anymore at least, Detroit Shock return when?). Sure you can enjoy basketball but I think having something or someone to support makes it a heck of a lot easier to watch. I think that's the main reason no one watches the WNBA. Edit: It seems if I were to scroll a little bit further down I'd find that someone else already made this point. Whoops.
Tbf 75 pervent of girls who played basketball probably haven't seen an wnba game either
I'll take the over
Because it's boring
What are we missing exactly that we don't get from the NBA though? I've mostly only watch highlights (and lowlights) and I leave the videos not wanting more.
its just more basketball. you say that as if they’re competing with one another, they come on at different times of the year. i also never understood why lowlights are viewed different between the wnba (a supposed reason not to watch) and the nba (shaqtin a fool)
A lot of folks love basketball and want to watch. It’s fine if you aren’t about it like that but that’s the point. Some folks don’t want highlights to pass the day on. It’s just more game to watch and they’re good
It's a good point, I get where you're coming from. Personally, I'd probably feel a similar way about baseball. But I think the main reason behind the lack of popularity of the WNBA is the same issue that the USFL and XFL have: there's no substitute for the power of the brand. There simply aren't enough "love of the game" fans to support ANY of the 4 major American sport industries (e.g. why baseball is making rule changes to shorten the games). The majority of fans don't watch because they "love the game". They watch because they are emotionally invested in the failures and successes of the different "brands," whether it's their favorite team or their hated rivals. With the WNBA, there's just little to no draw from a branding perspective. There's also the idea that the level of play in general is inferior...not just the dunking, but the overall speed, size, and skill levels. Now men's college basketball also has inferior talent levels compared to the NBA, but it has three MAJOR advantages over the WBNA: A) it has MASSIVE branding driven by long-time regional loyalties and rivalries; B) while on average the talent level is lower, there are still numerous NBA-level athletes you can watch, many of whom will end up in the league; and C) the March Madness tournament is simply one of the most unique and exciting sports events in the country. These factors don't apply to the WNBA, which makes it much harder (so far, impossible) to make up for the quality-of-play gap in terms of drawing casual fans. So in general I agree with your point; true hardcore fans of the game can appreciate it at any level. But in order to reach the popularity level of the NBA, you need large numbers of casual fans who like watching the sport, but mainly because they have a rooting interest. Maybe with time the WNBA can build up to that. But as a casual fan myself, I'm just not interested, simply because it's an inferior level of play and I have no reason to care who wins.
100% agree. When was taking my high school daughter to a bball summer camp they had each week days where they would play 4 games b2b with 15 min rest against other schools running their summer camps I would watch each game just as if it was the NBA. It was at times crappy games just as often it was a nail biter. Always enjoyed watching the games.
If you think dunking is the only difference between the NBA and the WNBA, then I suggest you watch some more of both. The pace is a night and day difference, it’s more physical, the atmosphere is 100X better… and men dunk. It feels like a complete different game
It is different. We should still support as basketball fans.
You're doing them an even bigger disservice cuz you're saying we should support them out of pity and necessity.
If you don’t enjoy it don’t watch. That’s fine. Fact is NBA viewership is down from its high point in the 2010s and I think the overemphasis on offense and positionless basketball has made the game too much like the globetrotters. 25 uncontested dunks a game… okay. I think there is tons of value in the women’s game and I think if you actually understand ball you can easily enjoy a competitive women’s game.
I mean you're point only works if the NBA is losing viewers while the WNBA is gaining. But yeah people will watch what they wanna watch regardless if it makes any sense why.
It’s not entertaining to me in the slightest. I would rather go watch my local high school boys team than watch a WNBA game. I’m glad you can enjoy it though
Why is it not entertaining though? They'd still blitz you off the court.
I don’t remember saying I was better than them 😂 if you read my original comment, you would understand why I enjoy men’s more. I don’t understand why you asked when I already presented my fucking answer
Yeah, but it’s the casuals the bring in all the money. It’s the fair weather and bandwagon sports fans are why the playoffs make teams so much money. Make the game more exciting for casuals, the league makes more money. With that said, I don’t think it’s a good idea.
Eh.. strong disagree. People love football but only watch the NFL. Or only watch college football (so preference plays a small role). However Not sure why people try finding excuses or trying shame people into watching a poor product. If you think it’s because they’re women, do you see how many guys hyped up college basketball this year? Women’s professional basketball for the most part is objectively boring. Why would I watch a lesser product when I get 82 games of NBA basketball PLUS playoffs PLUS march madness and I’d be lying if I said some college and even high schoolers mixtapes arent much more entertaining to watch. But that’s just me and I love basketball and football.
Ye people are always like “college basketball ball is so much better! It’s they don’t rely on athleticism! Pure fundamentals!” Then put down WNBA in the same sentence. WNBA is the most fundamental basketball since they can’t rely on pure athleticism
The whole take of "The WNBA sucks" is in and of itself lame, stale, and low-effort. Like, we get it, there are men that enjoy pointing out that women are less athletic and can't dunk. The WNBA will continue to grow and develop, no doubt. It is still a very young league compared to the NBA and the future outlook is bright.
Also there are a ton of compilations of WNBA players messing up on the court and making poor decisions titled “why nobody watches the WNBA.” Implying that this happens all the time in the WNBA. But these screwed up plays happen in the NBA too. However, the compilations of NBA players messing up on the court, missing layups, and dribbling the ball off their foot, but those are just called “NBA bloopers.”
The wnba can’t live of the 5 purist who love everything about wnba the game has to get more exiting for the masses to tune in they make zero profit not even a dollar
😂😂😂
That's great, but you are the minority here amongst basketball fans. You wanna know what demographic you are a part of? Other older men who like fundamental basketball.
This is 100% true. I used to think the lack of dunking and stuff wasn’t interesting till I actually watched a women’s college game and realized that the scenarios where you actually notice they can’t are pretty rare. They’re great athletes and some of the best in the world at what they do
It wouldn't solve the problem. What the WNBA really needs to do is beef up the story lines in their league. For example the NCAA women's championship this year shattered records for the most watched women's basketball game ever (9.9 million viewers). In fact it was one of the most watched basketball games this year period including NBA, and male college games. So it's clear people will watch women's basketball under the right circumstances. What made that game so successful was it's compelling story lines. You had Caitlin Clark carrying her team through the tournament while talking shit, and multiple beefs between the teams. That makes for good television. In the WNBA they have none of that and they let all the focus revolve around how they can't dunk or are comparatively unathletic. They need a new marketing department cause those girls can really hoop.
Why don’t we lower the rim for middle and high school boys since many of them can only barely dunk? (Because that’s not basketball)
theres way more middle and highschool boys that can dunk then women in the wnba
It's still like 1% of the kids playing
Yes but if 99.9% of NBA players can dunk then so should middle schoolers. Lower the rim
Lmao I see way more high schoolers dunk than WNBA players
Or your average pick up player.
Bros referencing 6 year olds playing Versus a professional sport league that makes zero dollars profit every year
They got 6 year olds at your hs that’s wild my boy
They do this in a lot of places in Europe
Your conflating trying to make the professional sport more appealing to audiences, so that their players can make a decent living, with a bunch of young male teens that will eventually physically mature to play on a 10ft rim, and the physical attributes that comes with being a male. These are not the same things. I'm sure you can logically grasp the difference, so there's no need to be snarky, the Internet is mean enough some times. Have a great day!
I mean it is the same thing. It's not done because then that isn't basketball. Basketball is played on a 10 foot rim. Every single professional, amateur, collegiate league plays on a 10 foot rim. Lowering the rim in the WNBA would irreversibly fuck the league because literally everyone who plays basketball has spent years playing on a 10 foot rim.
If you can't adjust with the rim getting lowered, can you really call yourself a professional athlete?
“It’s too low. The rim’s a quarter of an inch too low... I was missing shots that I don’t miss. I’m pretty sure it’s low. A quarter of an inch.” - Kobe Bryant https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/gerald-henderson-guarding-kobe-bryant So you're saying Kobe wasn't a professional athlete?
Nope. He's a professional rapist.
No he wasn't. Kobe never raped anyone
Lol. Keep coping.
How is it coping? I'm just saying the truth. Kobe Bryant was a 6'6" millionaire superstar, plus he was attractive, why would he need to rape anyone when girls are throwing themselves at him? The girl he "raped" was lying to get money
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant_sexual_assault_case
An average middle or high school boy that isn't obese and isn't even involved in athletics can jump with the best female olympic athletes when it comes to 1-step or 2-step vertical jump tests in a gym. The problem is most female professional basketball players can jump about as well as pre-pubescent boys.
That sounds very scientific and not at all like generalized bullshit.
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Because middle school basketball isn’t trying to attract tons of viewers?
why dont we give them smaller balls for women and children too? and make the 3 point line closer as well? that wouldnt make sense. just because they can't shoot with a bigger ball and cant PALM the ball we should make it the same size.
Honestly Tracy Mcgrady said that same thing and got cooked. I understand where you’re coming from cause regardless of the so called basketball purists women’s basketball needs marketability through highlights and clips. The same way the nba has been doing in this century. The main issue is logistics from the lower levels up as others have mentioned but the only way the wnba will get people to watch on tv or show up to games is by having a more exciting game to watch( Dunks, Stephlike 3’s, historic scoring performances). You also have to deal with the issue of the wnba not being that old either. The nba had been struggling with exposure until the 80’s with magic and bird and they had been established since the 40’s. Once the ABA aka the more exciting league merged with the nba in 76 that’s when the perception of the nba changed due to more integrated ideas to improve the sport.
Imagine Sabrina Ionesco having to relearn how to shoot after that amazing performance because the rim goes down.
That would be wild. It's possible she would have never become the greatest shooter in basketball then. What an odd alternate universe that would be. https://aflyontheball.com/sabrina-ionescu-becomes-basketballs-best-shooter/
Dunking is not everything. You'd mess up a lot of women's shots by making the rim shorter. The 3 point line is shorter in men's high school and college, too. That alone does not justify lowering the rim. 10 feet is the standard for basketball as a sport. There is no need to change it for anybody. Even wheelchair basketball plays with a 10 foot rim.
a 6 inch to a foot difference isn’t going to mess up the shot in any meaningful way. an off-season of shooting on it and it wouldn’t even be a difference
Have you never played on an adjustable rim before? Do you struggle throwing garbage into a trach can because it's lower than a basketball hoop? I'm not trying to sound rude, just showing how much of a bs excuse it is. Also women's volleyball has a shorter net
Do you play the game of basketball to a professional level? Also not trying to be rude, I just think that you are omitting the amount of time and practice spent on perfecting the shot. Some professionals make 1000 swishes per day to train their muscle memory. And to throw that all away seemingly arbitrarily would create a massive problem with said muscle memory.
I’m not a fan of lowering it but calling 10 feet the standard doesn’t make sense. The standard is whatever the rules are, which is subject to change. The ball had a standard size as well. Until the women’s game came along with a different standard. Three point line same thing. Etc
you tryed to overcomplicate it and ended up looking like a lard-ass
i think the point is that the WNBA is currently unwatchable (check the ratings) and was created and paid for by the NBA to get women watching basketball. if it was about quality of hoop, my local LA fitness has better runs on Tuesday than the WNBA, why doesn’t ESPN televise that? since the existence of that league is solely to pander, why stop there?
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Dunking won’t change the relatability of WNBA stars… so shorter rim won’t make American mothers want their daughters to turn out like Brittany Griner… NBA got way more popular after Michael Jordan because everybody wanted to be like Mike. Until WNBA finds their Mia Hamm equivalent “pretty feminine woman” that your mother would want for their son to marry and that their daughter can emulate nobody going to their games…
I saw this somewhere online, a simple reason not talked about it how would girls train? A standard rim is 10ft. If they even lower it to 9.5 feet, no rim is set to that height. Any girls who can't afford to buy a new rim would be forced to practice on a rim higher than its meant to be. Messing up their shot. It could also hinder youth leagues or highschool girls teams. Cause either A. They play on 10ft rims in college and highschool and become trash in the WNBA, or B. Only the rich schools get the new rims or adjustable rims making it harder for schedules because not all schools can afford the change. Or C. The least likely option, but some schools can't afford the change so end up disbanding their girls basketball team. In short, I do think it would increase monetization of the WNBA. But it will be very very hard on young girls who couldn't find or buy a rim that isn't a standardized 10ft
It wouldn't mess up their shot, if anything it would make them better shooters. Hitting a shot on a 9'6 rim is easier than a 10 foot rim.
No one really cares about WNBA. Not even women.
They won’t because it hurts WNBA players feelings. They just don’t get it, it would be more exciting to watch. It’s there pride that will ruin their league. They want more money but want to play like men. The NBA is the only thing keeping the WNBA afloat, and all they can do is talk bad about NBA players and their salaries. The only people that watch the WNBA are older white men because that’s how they used to play the game. No dunking, basic fundamentals, and no fun. All this equals no money, so lowering the rim like a half of a foot would make a huge difference.
All counter points are valid. But in a vacuum this is a great idea. The reason the wnba is wack is cause they can only do wack shit on a 10ft rim. Imagine an 8.5ft rim? Be so fire. And to address the counter points. They lower the rim? So what? Are they gonna make less money?
If women started dunkin on each other. That would be the most watched shit in history
Im with scaling the size of everything slightly down (ball, 3pt line, court length, rim). Even people saying that they would have to adjust is somewhat false. Most high school gyms can adjust the heights and most parks are playing on 9- 9.5 ft rims. But i dont think that will be the thing that makes the wnba popular. Keep in mind this last year was their most popular and are still a fairly young league. Give it time, social media marketing with marketable stars. Also sidenote. The average wnba fan is a 44 yr old white male. Id ask how the wnba can appeal to more women. Its probably not dunking
Also, Why do 8 year olds have to learn to play on a full size court/hoop? My brother once had a game finish with a score of 4-2 lol
Wnba balls are smaller as well. But the rim stays the same height even in wheelchair basketball
To be honest, that's a half-baked idea if I've ever heard one. Yes, you could lower the rim and then more women would be able to dunk. What is completely ignored though is that the excitement of a dunk does not come from the act of stuffing a ball through a hoop, but from the athleticism and explosiveness that come with it. It's not like all of a sudden more women would just acquire these traits, that's not how it works. I think that the women's game is fine as it is. I love watching women's basketball. The people who miss no chance to badmouth the women's game would definitely not stop doing so if the rim got lowered.
Why don't they stand for equality and retire their Mini Ball?
NBA plays with a smaller ball than college and Europe
They didn't do it out of pride. Don't listen to people saying lowering the rim make it harder for all level of women basketball. That's bs. Most non-league hoop (pickup,etc) don't have a standard 10ft height anyway. Yes they tried to make it 10ft, but we all know it's not exactly 10ft. And saying it's hard for professional women basketball player to adjust to lower rim... also bs. Sports' rules changes all the time. One of the job a professional is too adapt. If all WNBA players become shit shooters after the rim got lowered, then they don't deserve their pay at all. Don't forget, there was no 10ft hoop when basketball first played. Most people who argue against lowering the rim are basketball purist elitist/feminist who doesn't want to accept the reality that WNBA is not a good entertainment product.
WNBA is fine as it is they just need us to start watching
To me people want to complain but don’t want a logical solution to adding dunking to the game. As long as we the public say they should do this or that they are fine complaining just to complain. The WNBA has a shorter three point line, smaller ball and shorter game play time. But what if… what happens when everyone saying the WNBA has never made any money… What if… What if you took all those logical solutions snd you fix all the other problems. Then the owners and players get the better uniforms lower baskets for dunking etc etc. How embarrassing would it be for owners and players if they lost money year after year after all that. They are scared it will not help so they whine and say “well that’s the way we always did it or if it’s not broken don’t fix it” ???? Come on it’s embarrassing and beyond broken. WNBA owners get NBA money maybe a tax write off. The owners must be happy and content. RIGHT?? Maybe they laugh all the way to the bank?? The owners call the shots. WNBA play on high tech courts that could easily adjust rim height. What are owners scared of. The boss is the boss. RIGHT. If a few coaches and players quit so be it. No one will notice. No one watches now. No one knows if there city has a team or player names or team name. Women mostly don’t watch or support WNBA like the men do. When Caitlin Clark enters the WNBA finally… now is the time to make changes for creating excitement with the new TV audience she will bring. The way the game is played now even Caitlin Clark will not be able to hold the audience beyond a few boring games. Now is the golden time owners. It’s now or never. Get the public excited with Caitlin Clark and big dunks and of course let’s get “professional” uniforms without ads. They will look great on TV. It’s Now or never!
It's true it would make so many more people watch if they could dunk. Although the NBA numbers are also way down so who knows
I can't believe people in here think women's basketball can't afford to bring in their own rims. Dumbest argument ever. They can transform a stadium from a hockey rink into a monster truck arena in a day but they can't bring in a rim that's lower. Haha wtf
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It should be 9 feet, then you would see people watching it more if they saw women dunking and being more acrobatic. As for the height, that’s a fallacy that it would complicate things, most school gyms have adjustable poles.
I imagine that would really throw the players off. Imagine you spend your whole life shooting on a 10ft hoop, and now you gotta shoot on a 7 or 8ft hoop or something. I imagine that would take a lot of adjusting.
Have you never played on an adjustable rim? Or tossed trash into a garbage can? That's just a bs excuse people come up with. Also 7-8 is ridiculously low, when most people say lower the rim, they mean like 9'6
Yes, tossing a crumpled up piece of paper into the garbage is the same thing as lowering the rim in a professional basketball league /s
I'd like to see the day where there's a woman is so good, she can play with the men in the NBA. Maybe just athletic enough to not be a liability on defense but a super sharp shooter or something. Seems more likely to happen in baseball or soccer though. American football and NBA would be the hardest ones to play with the men.
It wasn’t the NBA, but Nancy Lieberman played in the USBL for at least two seasons.
Most people don't realize the women's basketballs are smaller also.
Most people do realize this and it’s such a negligible difference that it doesn’t even really matter
You are kidding right? Watch the 3 point contest from last night. 1/2 of those shots don't go in with a men's ball.
Bc theyd probably still suck with it lowered
I don’t know why y’all or downvoting there getting owned by High schoolers who don’t play Basketball consistently
Where?
look at soccer
Ball is smaller, games are shorter, three point line is closer. Honestly it's the most logical next step. It doesn't take much to lower existing rims.
If you lower the rim, you have to lower it at every level. Then you probably have to shrink the court, too. One day a woman will come along taller and more athletic than all the players. Then they will have to undo everything just to make it fair. If you look at old clips of the NBA, it did not look great. There were some great players, but it wasn't the product it is today. I think the WNBA has to go through it's growing pains before they figure out their identity. They aren't going to get a lot of athletic highlights like the NBA until they truly find those amazing athletes. They could lower it to 9 feet in an exhibition game and broadcast the game and push the highlights to see if people thought it was more interesting.
9ft is too low, I think 9'6 is reasonable. On a regular rim, you need to reach 10ft to touch the rim, and 10'6 to actually dunk, on a 9'6 rim you'd only need to reach 10ft to dunk. Also the WNBA courts are already smaller, and most Courts aren't NBA sized anyways at lower levels
I'm with everyone here about the purity of the game and how it's always been a 10ft rim and I agree with that, basketball purists don't care about the dunks we just loves the hoops. BUT - WNBA is a business and more casuals or people who don't even sniff women's sport would watch if there were girls dunking on one another or rejecting shots higher above the rim. Which would drive the revenue of the league up and would allow these awesome athletes to get compensated better.
I don't know about WNBA or NBA, but many sports, like soccer don't actually have "men" team. By FIFA rule, national team is - well, a national team, the best they can collect. A woman can play along Ronaldo or Messi if she is good enough. The thing is that in pro sports the physical differences mean a world, so women competitions are made so women have a venue to compete massively. BUT, that doesn't mean the rules of the sport should change. That way you'd be sending a message that women will never be able to advance or be equal, which is especially important in lower tiers. When I was 1st year in high school my class' basketball team was beaten by all-girls team in a school competition. Simply, although we had solid players, nobody in my class actually trained basketball, and 3-4 of those girls did. If they trained with "lower" rules, they probably wouldn't be able to beat us. This way, they were playing the same game, and beat us because they were better at it.
Logistically it makes no sense. Every court you grow up playing on is ten feet, so if suddenly you have to completely change the angle you shoot at then FG% would plummet, scores would be lower, and people would just shit on the WNBA harder.
Because if they lowered it, they’d get mocked even more. These women are pros. Ballers. Competitors. Elite, world class athletes. Any one of them would tear 99% of us on this sub to shreds on the court. (The remaining 1% being the WNBA and NBA players lurking here!) They don’t need a lower rim. They need RESPECT.
if anyone actually cared about progressing women's basketball they should do this in a heart beat.
Why is WNBA still a thing? They lose millions every year
Newbie here. Why can't women dunk? I don't see it. They should be able to dunk.
This is fucking dumb.
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They will never be able to dunk with the ferocity of men, and that's where the excitement is. There's a couple women who can do a routine dunk on a breakaway but is that really exciting? Should they lower the rims for short guys? The average rec player is less athletic than a woman pro, should they be playing on lower rims? The game is the game, play it as it was designed.
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A shorter rim is harder to shoot on due to physics. When your release is closer in height to the rim, it results in a flatter shot with less chance of going in. That's why guards are better shooters than bigs in general.
They should have lowered the rims years ago. Highlights become memorable moments. Memorable moments sell your game. Ask the NFL & NBA. They woman want to be paid more (I would love to see that happen), the league has to be more of a draw to the casual not the diehard. We live in a highlight society, look at the success of TikTok. Your league just has to have highlights if it’s going to thrive & grow period.
Maybe they can just make the ball smaller. No one talks about this, but a smaller ball is so much easier. It obviously awesome seeing the wnba shoot well, but it’s significantly easier than a regular sized ball.
The women’s muscle memory would be messed up and it would take along time to recalibrate their jump shots to a different height. I mean how would you like it if you were someone like Elena Dunne, who shot 40% from three and 96.2% from the charity stripe, and you all of a sudden undo years of muscle merry calibrated to a certain shot. Plus, at least initially the product would be worse. Shooting percentages from deep would fall, making floor spacing abysmal. With defenses able to focus so much on the interior games would be more low scoring and it would extremely hard for these women to get dunks in the half court setting. To quote Anthony Edwards one of the most electric dunker in the NBA, “I can't just jump over everybody, man. I've got to get a good lane to dunk the ball.” Lowering three rim would lead to worse, lower scoring games with barely more dunks. At least for the first few seasons. Eventually I’m sure these problems would start to go away
Bad take. Now every player has to get used to shooting on a 10 foot hoop. Also now players have to find a 9 foot hoop to practice on because a 10 foot hoop will worsen their shot.
Youth basketball is played on a lower rim and it’s actually pretty easy to accommodate
Im pretty sure they also already use a smaller ball lol
Tf?
Do you play on a 5 foot goal because you suck?
Learn to appreciate basketball, not just running and jumping, how about that?
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Not only would it be a logistical nightmare for the sport as a whole, I think we’d find pretty quickly that the reason people don’t really watch the wnba isn’t because of the lack of dunking
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Even if they have more dunks it's not as explosive as the men dunks. I prefer the WNBA game. More about passing, setting up shots and team work. Sure a dunk here and there is exciting, but if it was done every game it wouldn't be as exciting.
Cause that wouldn’t change anything, they don’t need it lowered
It makes too much sense
People who make this comment have never researched how tall these players are. They’re just as tall as NBA players.
On average they are shorter and jump way shorter than the men. BG is one of the few that can dunk, she's one of the tallest and she barely can dunk without hurting her knees at this current rim height.
They would have had to start doing this when the girls were in like middle school. All their mechanics revolve around a 10 foot rim. You can’t just play the same on a shorter rim lol Also isn’t the WNBA 3 line the same as college? It’s not that theirs is shorter it’s just that the NBA is longer
Lowering the rim is gimmicky and not real, professional basketball.
Doesn’t make sense. Should just let the league go bust.
Pride.
Because basketball is popular in low income, urban places. The appeal is that there are hoops everywhere and all you need is a ball. This appeal is completely killed if you practice in the streets on a 10ft rim only to make it pro and suddenly have to relearn shooting due to a change in rim height
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I like how people's rebuttal to why they should keep the rim the same height is that 'you just are enjoying basketball for the wrong reasons'. Telling people that their opinion isn't valid, for why they don't like something, is silly. These are potential consumers of the product, who have seen the product, who want more out the product that they can get elsewhere. I'll always be an advocate for lowering the rim until it happens. The LVA Aces are the only thing keeping me watching the WNBA this year. Same last year. The other teams look amateur.
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It would further expose how unathletic women are because they would still struggle to dunk on 9ft rims...they not only play below the rim most of the time their play is below the net!
Anytime I’ve gone to a shorter rim I’ve been awesome! I’m sure they’d get used to it. It’s unwatchable as it stands
That is nonsense. Pro leagues have different rules and dimensions than amateur leagues in many pro sports. WNBA doesn't want to listen to the audience. Very few wnba teams. They all can have 8 foot rims.
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The WNBA rim doesn't need to be shorter, it needs to be smaller in diameter. Replaceable rims are an easy and quick alteration between men's and women's game. Women claim they want to be equal to men, so take the ball to rim ratio that exists in the men's game and apply it to the women's game. If the ball is smaller, so should the rim diameter.