The WNBA: where fights also happen

In November 2004, a fight between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers broke out at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Fans and players – most notably Ron Artest – were both involved in the melee, which resulted in the longest suspension ever handed down to an NBA player (Artest) and the stigma that the NBA is like the NHL, only with basketballs.
Last Tuesday, players from the WNBA teams the Detroit Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks had a fight of their own. While the severity did not match that of their NBA counterparts – only players and coaches were involved – many see as it another example of basketball players who can’t control their actions or emotions.
While I would normally disparage a player for losing her temper during a game, in this case I think the fight is good for the WNBA. In its 11th year, the WNBA is still a struggling league with empty seats and few advertisers. While women’s college basketball can draw an audience – especially with Tennessee or UConn – professional women’s basketball is about as popular as curling during the Winter Olympics.
I’m not saying Lisa Leslie or Candace Parker should be proud of their actions – but at least they showed that the WNBA is no less passionate than the NBA and that its players are no less loyal to their teammates than their male equals. At least they proved the WNBA could captivate the average 40-year-old, beer-guzzling coach potato. Even if he’s thinking “ooh catfight,” at least the game got him thinking about the WNBA.
Ever since its inceptions, fans have not given the WNBA its due. While many complain that today’s NBA stars are spoiled and sated, they rarely look to the WNBA, where its stars are hungry and energized. While Parker garnered covers of magazines at Tennessee, her rookie year with the Sparks has been a blip on the radar. These days it seems golfers Lorena Ochoa and Michelle Wie grab more headlines than Parker. Despite being one of few players in league history to dunk, the lack of popularity in the WNBA might not ever let us see Parker recapture her glory days in the NCAA.
After the game was over Leslie said to a broadcaster, “This is not the way we want to represent ourselves and the WNBA. I’m a mom. I don’t want to represent myself like that in front of my daughter.” Now if I ever saw my mom kicking butt and taking names, I would be proud. Leslie can explain to her daughter that sometimes you lose your cool, sometimes you make mistakes. It’s human nature.
But Leslie can also explain to her daughter how to play hard for 48 minutes, to grab every loose rebound and fight for every jump ball. She can tell her that sometimes you have to kill yourself trying, even if almost no one is watching. No Sports Illustrated, no ESPN. She can teach her how to earn respect, even if only your parents and spouse are witnessing your moment of glory.
She can make her a fighter.