Fascinating locker room dynamic with the Dallas Wings

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Pretty sure the people put off by lesbians noped out of the WNBA several stops back.

Yes but then they circled back to a.) support girls sports when a trans athlete proved to be a slightly less mediocre swimmer than Riley Gaines and after b.) an attractive hetero started scoring boat loads of buckets.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

I have thought for some time now that journalists who specialize in one sport -- particularly those who have earned relative fame and financial success as an "Insider" in that one sport -- are often mouthpieces for that which they cover. Why? Because criticism or any degree of prying might be bad for their mutual business. There are WNBA media now, and I doubt their professional ethics are any more advanced than the standards of those who "cover" NASCAR or golf.

I agree with the first part. Watching Holly Rowe choke back tears at the WNBA draft because she’s “just so proud of how far we’ve come” was a bit much.

But that’s not why the WNBA media isn’t covering the Fudd/Bueckers “story.” They’re not covering it because to WNBA fans it’s not a story beyond “aw, that’s nice.” This is not new on any level. Diana Taurasi won three championships playing alongside her wife. DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas are teammates and they’re engaged. There are situations like that all over the league. It’s a complete non issue as far as the WNBA is concerned.

 

[wicked]

I think it’s a bigger deal when it’s two franchise players.

Had KD and Kyrie been an item, sexuality aside, when they went to the Nets, ESPN would have jizzed all over itself for a month talking about it.

 

[DanOregon]

I think it’s a bigger deal when it’s two franchise players.

Had KD and Kyrie been an item, sexuality aside, when they went to the Nets, ESPN would have jizzed all over itself for a month talking about it.

Ahem....

 

[tapintoamerica]

I agree with the first part. Watching Holly Rowe choke back tears at the WNBA draft because she’s “just so proud of how far we’ve come” was a bit much.

But that’s not why the WNBA media isn’t covering the Fudd/Bueckers “story.” They’re not covering it because to WNBA fans it’s not a story beyond “aw, that’s nice.” This is not new on any level. Diana Taurasi won three championships playing alongside her wife. DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas are teammates and they’ve engaged. There are situations like that all over the league. It’s a complete non issue as far as the WNBA is concerned.

That’s a lot of info that I didn’t know.
As for the teams interceding and preventing questions: That’s fine if they don’t want to grow their game beyond the hard-core early adopters. But it’s not generally a wise practice. If you’re right — and I suspect you are — the Wings’ intercession would be like an NFL flak interrupting a Brazilian reporter in the middle of a basic football question and saying, essentially, “We don’t have time to teach you the game.”

 

[PCLoadLetter]

That’s a lot of info that I didn’t know.
As for the teams interceding and preventing questions: That’s fine if they don’t want to grow their game beyond the hard-core early adopters. But it’s not generally a wise practice. If you’re right — and I suspect you are — the Wings’ intercession would be like an NFL flak interrupting a Brazilian reporter in the middle of a basic football question and saying, essentially, “We don’t have time to teach you the game.”

Is talking about the players’ personal relationships “growing the game?” I don’t really think it is.

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

Feels like the only time this would be a "story" and of interest to the masses, is if something happens in their personal life - a nasty breakup that leads one or both to decide they will never play together again. Or one gets traded and it drives a wedge between the other one and the front office.

But until then, I care about it as much as I do starting QB and his wife for whatever team.

 

[tapintoamerica]

Is talking about the players’ personal relationships “growing the game?” I don’t really think it is.

Agreed. Per se, talking about personal lives is not a great thing. But in this case, a responsibly phrased question from a legitimate columnist is not unwarranted. It’s a fair question. And if the PR person intervenes to shut it down, thereby embarrassing the columnist in front of colleagues, that’s not a great way to encourage that guy to come back. It’s not like the Metroplex media lacks for subject matter in the summer.