WNBA Could Use Some Dunks And Winter Ball

Tell me, would the WNBA be more exciting to you if Swin Cash could streak down the lane on a fastbreak, fake a pass to Deanna Nolan, and then take the ball to the hole herself -- and DUNK?

Would you find the games more compelling if each team had a low post threat who could be fed the ball, back in, and ... DUNK?

Would there be more "oohs and ahhs" if Plenette Pierson grabbed an offensive rebound and, while in mid-air ... DUNKED?

At the risk of alienating some readers, I will say this: there's no question the ladies' hoop game will never surpass the NBA in popularity, but I can't help but think that a couple things might help it along. Those things are dunks, and games in the wintertime.

Squawk if you will, but some of the most memorable plays in NBA history -- the ones that stand out because of their athleticism, grace, and "wow" factor -- include some sort of wild, maniacal slam. The dunk is a punctuation mark that few sports have. It can be both a source of triumph and humiliation, of retribution and pride. And the WNBA simply doesn't have it.

I'm not sure what the answer is. Perhaps a smaller ball -- even smaller than the one that's used now, which is slightly less of a sphere than the NBA version. Maybe baskets that are 6-12 inches shorter than the ones used now. Maybe an abolishment of the 3-second rule, or at least a change to a 5-second rule, in the lane.

Regardless, I just think that if fans could see the current WNBA stars -- and reserves -- throwing down every so often, it might make the games more palatable to watch. More like "guy" basketball, which is simply more exciting than the women's game -- and sorry to be so blunt.

Playing games in the wintertime is not an easy proposition, I realize that. Many WNBA teams use NBA arenas, so the scheduling might be a nightmare, if their seasons were to run side-by-side in the cold weather months. But I just have a hard time seeing where the WNBA benefits from playing their games in the summertime, with many more extracurricular activities to compete with than in winter. Swimming, baseball, cookouts, picnics, camps, and even movies seem to be all jockeying for people's attention between May and September, when the WNBA plays its games. Who wants to drive to an arena and sit inside in the summertime?

Besides, maybe the WNBA, if it played concurrently with the NBA, could get some "overflow" fan interest. People would already be in a basketball frame of mind. And hey -- don't discount the notion of WNBA/NBA doubleheaders in the same arena. The NBA used to do it, back in the day. Madison Square Garden, in the 1950s and 1960s, would showcase, say, the Philly 76ers and the St. Louis Hawks, followed by the Knicks and the Celtics. Many NBA arenas did it, when the league was still trying to gain a foothold.

So why not have the Detroit Shock go at it with the Houston Comets at 5:30 at the Palace, followed by the Pistons game? I'm not joking. It could help the WNBA immensely, in terms of fan interest, exposure, and money.

Dunks and doubleheaders. I'm either a raving sexist, or a shrewd businessman. Then again, you can probably be both -- though I'll plead innocent to being the former.