Should the WNBA Lower the Rims?

By Shorty
Apr 1, 2016
3 min read

There has been a lot of discussions in the past few weeks in regards to the question of should the WNBA lower the rims to bring more "above the rim" action to the league? We here at the WNBA 365 Network were all in agreement that the league should NOT lower it's rims stating that it would not have much of an impact nor bring more viewership by changing the mind of it's detractors. Since then, the conversation has continued leading some fans and players alike to pick a side on the issue. As previously shown in the video above, these are the reasons why lowering the rims would have a negative impact on the WNBA.

The idea of lowering the rim in the women's game comes from it's critics who say that the game itself is "boring" because the women play under the rim and it needs more dunks to gain interest from the masses. The long time criticism prompted coach Geno Auriemma of the UConn women's basketball team to propose the idea of lowering the rim around 7.2 inches to improve the game at the college level. Fast-forward to 2016 where Chicago Sky star Elena Delle Donne echoed his same statements citing that it would showcase more athleticism by providing more opportunities for players to dunk and add more viewership to the women's game. While I respect that Geno and Elena want to come up with ways to improve women's basketball and yes the league can always add new things to make it better. However, I do feel like things would become more problematic as players would have to adjust their shots.

*Read Geno's interview from 2012 then Elena's most recent interview on this subject*

Our co-host Kristul Thomas was the first person on the panel to bring up the fact about how the players would have to adjust their shots moving from WNBA to overseas play. Unless FIBA decides to also lower it's rims, it would definitely become a logistic hurdle for players to learn how to re-adjust their shot to accommodate the rim. What about the NCAAW, would they too follow suit? how would the college players adjust to a 9 foot or a 7.2 foot rim after molding their form on a 10 footer? maybe they would get use to it overtime but it's a question that leads to more questions instead of answers. While I do agree that the fans may not take notice of the length, the fans will notice the change in how players maneuver their shot and their way to the rim.

Oh yes! now we will get on the topic of maneuvering their way to the rim -- with a dunk. The one thing WNBA haters claim is the missing piece that would make the league more watchable, what are the waiting for -- BRING THE DUNKS!!!! As a person who love dunks myself first thing first, would these people really watch a WNBA game? let me ask this question again would these same people really watch a WNBA game? because in my mind you would need to love the game before wanting to see it improve. These naysayers in truth could really give a damn about women's basketball and this is where the problem comes in, conforming to a select group of people who do not care about the WNBA completely. I personally feel like the "No Dunks" criticism is a cop-out for how these people really feel, stop using dunks as a cover to really say they just don't want to see women in sports.

I hate to give this dude any more shine than he needs, but former NBA star now Instagram troll Gilbert Arenas pretty much laid out what these detractors really feel and it has nothing to do with the game itself. Remember, they would rather see cute players in skin-tight clothes being feminine they do not care to see dunks from suppose ugly lesbians in baggy shorts so again tell me why dunking would do anything to change these neanderthal's minds? it won't. Until these four factors are dissolve which includes sexism, racism, misogyny, and homophobia, a dunk can not resolve those issues. Then I think we will start getting into an unnecessary conversation of who can dunk better which will once again give a dismissal to the WNBA in saying men are and will always be the better dunkers. Which is ultimately why I say the WNBA should NOT lower the rims, until society changes it view on women's basketball things will remain the same.

Here is our updated conversation on the subject matter.