Firstly, let me say that I have been a fan of the WNBA since its inauguration in 1997. There was nothing like watching my childhood crush, Tina Thompson go off for the Houston Comets and lead them to victory, year after year.
I was only seven years old, and she was just as important to me as Kobe Bryant was.
Sadly for a lot of children growing up in this generation, I have no clue if they can say the same.
There is way too much talent in the WNBA to not reap the benefits of its great players. This league has a bunch of potential since the WNBA has many different personalities, layers and facets to its sport.
There are three players in my mind that stand out the most, Maya Moore, Skylar Diggins & Shoni Schimmel. They all have star power that attracts much attention and can revive the times of glory for the league.
Since I started watching the WNBA, I can say that their league has come along way from 1997. On every team there are great players like Angel McCoughtry, Britney Griner, Diana Taurasi, Elena Delle Donne, Tamika Catchings, Candace Parker and the list could go on forever.
With ESPN being one of the largest sports providers in the United States, I have watched these players during their college careers, and when they enter into the WNBA, they become a distant memory.
It pains me writing that especially when the WNBA playoffs this year has been so exciting to watch. I was so taken back when I realized that more viewers were not watching.
To illustrate, I was at work and I spoke to my colleague and asked if he watched the WNBA playoff game between the Chicago Sky and the Atlanta Dream. The Dream lost when Jasmine Thomas missed two clutch free throws. The Sky’s Elena Della Donne then got the basketball at the left wing, took two dribbles and nailed a jumper off the glass for the game-winner, eliminating the Dream.
He had no recollection, he did not care and this came from a basketball fan.
That Dream vs. Sky series was just one of many drama-filled games that occurred this year in the playoffs.
With that being said, the WNBA needs to embrace its stars, and make people care. Here are a few of the players that can help change that.
The Serious Side of the WNBA – Maya Moore
I have watched Maya Moore play since 2006, when she was in the T-Mobile Invitational back in high school. She is one of the most intense
female
competitors I have ever seen.
On the court Moore is as serious as a heart attack.
There is nothing on the hardwood that she cannot do. Her scoring ability in the WNBA is second to none, and that is saying a lot playing in the same league with Diana Taurasi. As much as I love Taurasi’s game, currently Moore is a better player.
She is the only woman who I thought last year could play in the NBA.
To say she couldn’t play 10 minutes on the putrid Minnesota Timberwolves team last year, or even the Philadelphia 76ers is an insult to her game. She truly is that gifted as a player.
Inside of the basketball sphere Moore is already a known commodity. She is the first female athlete that signed with the Jordan Brand.
On the court she is as ruthless as they come. When she gets hot, watch out because she can single-handedly take teams out of games with her scoring.
This year even the Phoenix Mercury got a taste of her game. She scored 13 of her 32 points in the fourth quarter and managed to fight off elimination, forcing a game three in the Western Conference Finals. These games are nightly occurrences with Moore, and it never ceases to amaze me.
Since she is so serious on the court, it is a breath of fresh air seeing her playful side off the court.
(fast forward it to 4 minutes)
Moore is a two-time WNBA Champion, a Finals MVP, a regular season MVP and a scoring champion. Simply put, she needs more publicity. A commercial of her and LeBron like this, would be righteous.
The Sexy Side – Skylar Diggins
In the WNBA, there are a bunch of gorgeous woman. These women are not only beautiful on the outside, but also on the inside. Their physical presence and their spirit are what makes the athletes of the WNBA fun to watch.
One of the players that exudes confidence and has beauty is Skylar Diggins. Although she is well-known because she can hoop, a big part of her appeal is that she is a beautiful woman and there is absolutely no shame in that.
I conducted an experiment and looked at how Diggins compares to the WNBA in searches and the results didn’t surprise me. On more than one occurrence Diggins has had a lot more searches than the WNBA in a 12 month time span.
On the flip side, I conducted the same experiment with LeBron James and the NBA. In a 12 month time span, he has never been searched more than the league.
The point being, the WNBA has a star that is more popular than its brand, and that’s ok. If that is the case, then the WNBA needs to show more Diggins.
Her life off the field trumps her life on the court because she is always in the social eye. Whether it is on Instagram at Notre Dame, Jay-Z getting her a car, being featured at the ESPY’s or even on the television show Wild N Out, she makes a memorable appearance when she is in the building.
Diggins understands how to dress sexy and yet stay classy, which that is rare to do these days. The WNBA needs to embrace athletes such as her and market to the people she appeals to.
An example of a sexy yet tasteful advertisement is this by Under Armour.
This advertisement shows that women too can garner praise for their looks as much as their strength. This ad empowers women to not only want to look sexy, but also to have power. It is a perfect blend between the two since it allows both male and female viewers not to feel alienated.
The WNBA needs more cutting edge, but appropriate advertisements to show their stars in a better light. Their ads are too generic with cliché music having female empowerment songs (like this).
*On another note, their ads have gotten much better, but they still have a ways to go.*
Why not let their athletes market their brand for them?
The Showtime Side – Shoni Schimmel
One of the women that makes “playing like a boy” great is Shoni Schimmel.
Schimmel is easily
one of
the most exciting player to watch in the WNBA today. Not only does she play the game with passion, she plays the game with a lot of flair and excitement.
As one of the most intelligent point guards in the WNBA, Schimmel in her rookie year made the WNBA All-Star game and it was a memorable welcoming party to her on the national landscape. She out played Skylar Diggins for the win and the MVP trophy, as Schimmel collected both.
Anytime I watch the WNBA one of the first people I make sure to watch is “Showtime Schimmel” because I do not want to miss any of her highlights.
I remember watching her play for the Dream during the playoffs against the Sky and she came off the bench. I was so upset at head coach Michael Cooper saying “how can she be the All-Star game MVP and come off of the bench?!?!?!?” Nevertheless, coach Cooper used her to fit perfectly in the role of the team and she came off the bench and was the huge spark plug the Dream needed.
During Game 2 in the Dream vs. Sky series I remember watching Shoni do this and I was out of my seat yelling at the television “Lord have mercy.”
This play is just a glimpse of what you get anytime you watch her play. She often can get into the lane and she always looks to dish the rock rather than score for herself. The awesome part of her game is that she can score though. She would rather watch her teammates excel though.
With an exciting talented young point guard like this, the WNBA has to come up with a better way to showcase her talent.
The WNBA thrives in watchability because of the bunch of talented young stars it holds. Currently, this is a new crop of athletic, special basketball players who can help the league grow to new heights.
No matter what way it is sliced, these women are role models and heroes to a bunch of people.
I wonder though, if the WNBA is interested in its athletes being superwomen, or superheroes?