Time for a Real Discussion About Caitlin Clark
- Thread starter wenkeej
- Start date
I'm enjoying watching Iowa fans and the media slowly start to realize that the WNBA is completely unwatchable. Clark is a cool story and a generational talent but she won't fix that.
The NBA regular season is so long and no single game really matters so it's not real fun anymore, to me. The playoffs are the only time I even occasionally watch now. Watching the Pacers game 7, I was blown away by how incredibly fast paced the games are nowadays. I remember the Kerr, Jordan, Nash era where you'd bring it half court, set up an offense, and play like what we see in college. Now it's balls to the wall running with their heads cut off half the time.
I think women are just as good at sports - but in a different style and way than men. However, that difference in style makes a HUGE difference in the excitement and interest in watching games. I can stand Women's College Basketball (only when ISU is playing) but cannot watch the WNBA to save a life. It's not sexism, it's just so different from what we see on the men's side.
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Does this start to revert back to what we are used to with NIL? College pays a lot better than the G League or a 2-way contract in the NBA does, if you're good enough. College should be able to start retaining the top end talent year to year again rather that surrendering the top players to the NBA after their required one season
Keeping kids in systems for 3 years is what made college basketball so good...but that is gone. Not complaining...I want the athletes to get what they want/deserve...just saying that changed the game! It used to be great to turn on a UNC/Duke/Syracuse game and if you saw a freshman on the court you knew he was legit and we would be able to watch him for 3 seasons. Just not that way anymore...
You're right. Even if kids do stay in college for more than one year, probably a pretty decent percentage won't stay in one place for 3 or 4 years.
It'll definitely take some time for her to adjust from college-level opposition to WNBA-level. This is why I think we're gonna continue to see the trend of Euros being top picks. Wembanyama was ready to go his rookie year because he's been playing professional competition for the last few years as a teenager where the game is just faster and more physical.
I enjoy women's basketball. I enjoyed watching my daughter played basketball from a young age through high school. I enjoy watching the Cyclone women play. But the WNBA has an issue. Their style of play is not very fun to watch. It is very old school. Most teams play at least two post players and the offense often runs through the post players. The WNBA games are very physical with the defenders on the perimeter are often restricting free movement. They are getting a lot of eyeballs right now, but some things will likely need to change in my opinion for them to keep them.
It may a little, but the best NBA players are coming from the international game. I think you’ll see those guys opt to play professionally in Europe rather than come to the States to play college ball, prior to going to the NBA
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I’ll watch the ISU women, but that’s out of school pride. I don’t find women’s basketball all that entertaining of a product.
It is the style of play, but to be honest the lack of athleticism hurts it for me. A lot of the “awesome” plays I see in highlight packages, I could see going to watch my local high school. There’s nothing CC does that a good high school player couldn’t do. And the post play in women’s basketball is so below the rim almost to a comical degree.
To avoid being sexist, all those girls would kick my ass in a game of 1 on 1. I also prefer the women’s volleyball game much more than the men’s. It has longer rallies and more strategy versus the men’s game where it’s just all power all the time.
We'll see but with the transfer rules (which I'm fine with) teams are kind of hodgepodge.
Playing decent defense and offense looks amazing compared to so many teams and the 'product' is just not as enjoyable to watch.
Playing in the Big 10 did little to prepare CC for the next level. Like the men, the Big 10 is not a strong conference. If CC played in a tougher conference, it may have helped her. She might have scored less points playing in a better conference, but she likely would have been a bit more battle tested for the WNBA.
Doesn't matter at this point, it is what it is.
Doesn't matter at this point, it is what it is.
I'm guessing Connor could help CC with her toughness and defense...
To your last point...I feel that way about tennis. Women's tennis at the top level is far more entertaining to me than the men's game at the top level. The opposite of basketball to me.
Yep! I was going to include tennis too. Although I do like Men’s tennis as well, the women’s game is more entertaining
