It gives basketball wonks like me a chance to evolve and see things in a better light. It also shows the women’s pro league has evolved since it started in 1997, when the campaign was “We Got Next!”
I take pride in saying this, too. I want to see women’s basketball do well. I love the sport.
When you see the skill and precision that come with the sport, it makes it a pleasure to watch a given game. There’s a reason why I went from covering Jersey’s Ridgefield Park High School for the now-defunct Ridgefield Park Patriot to reporting on colleges for various sites for the past 20 years.
Watching the WNBA’s growth since the Caitlin Clark era has proven my point that talent can come with the women. It just needed time for the league to grow. It may have taken too long, but better late than never. It’s a testament to the commitment coaches have shown at the grassroots level for the college and pro teams to reap the benefits.
I’ve been writing about Clark and the Fever at TSC. It has been fun. The Fever have gotten everyone’s best shot in the three games they have played. The Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics played their best games against the Fever, and they won at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as a result.
On Friday night, the Fever and Mystics played an entertaining game that went to overtime after Clark hit a game-tying 3-pointer at 89 with 1.7 seconds to go. Mystics star Sonia Citron’s half-court buzzer-beater was denied, as the clock expired before it went in.
The Fever looked lost offensively for most of the night until Clark had it going in the fourth quarter by scoring 17 points of her 32 points on 5-of-7 shooting. She shot five 3s in that quarter, including back-to-back to start the quarter, setting the tone for what was a great finish to regulation.
Photo courtesy FOX News
Clark showed why she is the price of admission and why there are eyeballs on her. She can change the game on a moment’s notice, and that’s why she is the apple of everyone’s eye. For anyone to ever give up on her, that’s ridiculous.
The Mystics showed they have a bright future ahead of them with Citron leading the way. Kiki Iriafen is a star in her own right. Lauren Betts is going to be a player, too. They are well-coached under former Princeton coach Sydney Johnson. For them not to flinch against Fever in overtime, it will serve them well.
The Dallas Wings and Fever season opener was great drama from start to finish. The pace and possession made this a great game. For both teams to score 100 points in a WNBA game is impressive. This shows that both teams boast top talent, as evidenced by high draft picks over the years. Both teams made shots the entire game.
Clark and Kelsey Mitchell had good looks to tie it and go to overtime in that game, but it wasn’t meant to be. Still, it was something for everyone to talk about on social media. No one could have said that about a WNBA game for a long time now. It shows how far this league has grown.
USC’s JuJu Watkins (photo courtesy ClutchPoints)
It’s going to get better. There will be future stars coming from college. Everyone is anticipating the arrival of USC star Juju Watkins, who could enter the draft next year. Teams such as the Seattle Storm are tanking for her. Watkins will get the most hype since Clark. She is a special player who is ready to play in the league right now. She can shoot and break down defenses. She is a great defender, too. She is the entire package.
The league has always had strong players, such as Lisa Leslie, Maya Moore, and several others. It’s just that no one cared, since there were only a few good players, and most of the time, the games were awful to watch. There isn’t much offense right now.
Plus, most players were less personable than Clark. I covered the New York Liberty years ago, and it was a struggle to interview players because they wouldn’t say anything.
Give me the WNBA over the NBA any day. The games are much better when you look at the flow on offense. The players actually try. There’s no load management. There’s actually parity, with so many teams capable of winning the WNBA title, including the Indiana Fever this year. Small-market teams really do flourish more on the women’s side than on the men’s side. Oh, and there’s no flopping by the women.
I haven’t watched much of the NBA in recent years. There’s no need to. I don’t miss it, either.
