2024 WNBA Season Discussion Thread

[Billy Goat]

Who is "they"?

The other players. You could have figured that out

That's a wild assertion on your part.

I mean it’s pretty universally accepted right now that the rest of the league despises and resents her.

[sikma42]

The other players. You could have figured that out

That's a wild assertion on your part.

I mean it’s pretty universally accepted right now that the rest of the league despises and resents her.

Seems to be an assertion based on sexism, racism and misogyny.

Or I guess women just hate women is a valid argument.


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[Billy Goat]

That's a wild assertion on your part.

I mean it’s pretty universally accepted right now that the rest of the league despises and resents her.

Seems to be an assertion based on sexism, racism and misogyny.

Or I guess women just hate women is a valid argument.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

I think the media and the league itself has given the other players the green light to go after her. Long term probably a bad decision but definitely creating some short term drama. A lot of resentment and unhappy people.

[sikma42]

I mean it’s pretty universally accepted right now that the rest of the league despises and resents her.

Seems to be an assertion based on sexism, racism and misogyny.

Or I guess women just hate women is a valid argument.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

I think the media and the league itself has given the other players the green light to go after her. Long term probably a bad decision but definitely creating some short term drama. A lot of resentment and unhappy people.

I disagree. Besides Clark, I haven’t had an issue with any plays against CC. I’ve watched every minute of each game.

Also, it must be noted that Carter has some behavior problems and seems to start crap a lot, so just isn’t just some Caitlin Clark issue with her.

I don’t think the WNBA is against her. It’s been all competition. It just seems that CC likes to flop when pressed or against physicality. To people who aren’t really into hoops, you can fall for a narrative that people are hunting her. But honestly just looks like regular defense, the kind that bothered her in college.

Another thing, you don’t have to love CC as a person. Just compete and be happy the game is growing. Her personality may not compatible with everyone’s. I’m gonna guess Paige and Juju will fit in much better.


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[nbanflguy]

Seems to be an assertion based on sexism, racism and misogyny.

Or I guess women just hate women is a valid argument.


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I think the media and the league itself has given the other players the green light to go after her. Long term probably a bad decision but definitely creating some short term drama. A lot of resentment and unhappy people.

Another thing, you don’t have to love CC as a person. Just compete and be happy the game is growing. Her personality may not compatible with everyone’s. I’m gonna guess Paige and Juju will fit in much better.


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What does that mean though? I get being neutral on CC and not caring, but what has she ever done or said publicly to make anyone dislike her as a person?

[Billy Goat]

I think the media and the league itself has given the other players the green light to go after her. Long term probably a bad decision but definitely creating some short term drama. A lot of resentment and unhappy people.

Another thing, you don’t have to love CC as a person. Just compete and be happy the game is growing. Her personality may not compatible with everyone’s. I’m gonna guess Paige and Juju will fit in much better.


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What does that mean though? I get being neutral on CC and not caring, but what has she ever done or said publicly to make anyone dislike her as a person?

Feels very similar to Melo being jealous of Jeremy Lin

[ellobo]

There's a huge racial component to debates with Caitilin/Angel Reese on X right now. I mean it's always been a cesspool but there's a very strange dynamic going on with WNBA fans that have triggered race wars. Wasn't alive for Magic/Bird stuff so idk if it was ever that crazy, but it's really putting a damper on what should be a fun rivalry..

All of these people are f*cking pathetic, this is basketball. Leave the racism out of it. Was it a racial attack when Alyssa Thomas basically chokeslammed Angel in mid air like the Undertaker?

This stuff poisons everything and ruins the fun. I can't help but notice how people are doing everything that they can to spew toxicity around the women's game.

Last week Luka cussed out Rudy Gobert and was talking a ton of sh*t to Ant-Man as things got heated during Mavs/Wolves. Yet no one made it about race, because it's guys hooping and being competitive. Why is what's happening in the WNBA any different? Are people that triggered by seeing women being fierce competitors?

Yes because this was all started by this one moment.




A large portion White America and casual BB fans who only started watching because of CC could not handle their princess being treated like this and it’s been a war since.

Let’s keep it 100%

Prior to this moment …..Angel and CC were not even connected.

If Ant Did this to Luka nobody would care.

All of this tension started a whole year prior, it just spilled into the wnba.


the undertone is that “they” need to kiss CC feet…. Which brings a whole new element to it.

The league is majority Black ….so we already know what the Drill is…

Clark and Reese's teams actually played three times before the Iowa-LSU national championship game, when Reese was at Maryland, with Maryland winning all three games. I've also seen mention of matchups going back to AAU. It's a longstanding rivalry.

Yeah, there's a lot of Clark stans who see Reese as a villain, no question.

As far as I'm concerned, and (as far as I can tell) also as far as the two women are concerned, they're just two competitive rivals playing basketball. It's a real competitive basketball rivalry, which is great, and it's unfortunate that a lot of people can't accept it and enjoy it for what it is.
.

[MrDollarBills]

T-Spoon is so hype oh my god. I would have loved to play for a coach like that!!!!

What are you referring to in this instance?

ESPN had her mic'd up yesterday and her coaching style is just as intense as her playing style.

If that was my coach when I hooped I would run through a wall for her I love people who get hype like that. Think Kevin Garnett

[ellobo]

There's a huge racial component to debates with Caitilin/Angel Reese on X right now. I mean it's always been a cesspool but there's a very strange dynamic going on with WNBA fans that have triggered race wars. Wasn't alive for Magic/Bird stuff so idk if it was ever that crazy, but it's really putting a damper on what should be a fun rivalry..

I was there for Magic and Bird. It was nothing like this, but more because of the lack of social media magnification. A lot fans DID bring racial garbage into discussion about them, but they were also often regarded as similarly unselfish team-first players who were synergistic in raising the appeal and popularity of NBA basketball.

Magic and Bird wrote a book together called When the Game Was Ours tracing their relationship/rivalry over the years. Although they were intense competitive rivals, they always had personal respect. They actually played together as teammates on a college all-star team in an international tournament before the NBA, and before they played against each other in the NCAA final. Here's a video about it, with actual game footage:

Watch on YouTube

[MrDollarBills]

Seems to be an assertion based on sexism, racism and misogyny.

Or I guess women just hate women is a valid argument.


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I think the media and the league itself has given the other players the green light to go after her. Long term probably a bad decision but definitely creating some short term drama. A lot of resentment and unhappy people.

I disagree. Besides Clark, I haven’t had an issue with any plays against CC. I’ve watched every minute of each game.

Also, it must be noted that Carter has some behavior problems and seems to start crap a lot, so just isn’t just some Caitlin Clark issue with her.

I don’t think the WNBA is against her. It’s been all competition. It just seems that CC likes to flop when pressed or against physicality. To people who aren’t really into hoops, you can fall for a narrative that people are hunting her. But honestly just looks like regular defense, the kind that bothered her in college.

Another thing, you don’t have to love CC as a person. Just compete and be happy the game is growing. Her personality may not compatible with everyone’s. I’m gonna guess Paige and Juju will fit in much better.


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Yeah I agree with you. Outside of that stupid flagrant committed by Carter, CC is being played physically within the rules of the game, no one is trying to hurt her or anything. I see a lot of chirping at the refs from her and all I see is a rookie who needs to toughen up and let her game do the talking.

[MrDollarBills]

The other players. You could have figured that out

That's a wild assertion on your part.

I mean it’s pretty universally accepted right now that the rest of the league despises and resents her.

This is complete BS. You can't name half the players in the league yet you think they all hate her? You have zero evidence.

This is a competitive sport. She's one of the best rookies in the league. She is going to get tested every single night.

Stewie was on Pat McAfee the other day and she said she got the heat brought to her every night during her rookie season because of how hyped she was coming out of college. It's literally no difference here, except now people who didn't care about women's hoops are now having their eyes opened to how intense and physical these games are.

[MrDollarBills]

I think the media and the league itself has given the other players the green light to go after her. Long term probably a bad decision but definitely creating some short term drama. A lot of resentment and unhappy people.

Another thing, you don’t have to love CC as a person. Just compete and be happy the game is growing. Her personality may not compatible with everyone’s. I’m gonna guess Paige and Juju will fit in much better.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

What does that mean though? I get being neutral on CC and not caring, but what has she ever done or said publicly to make anyone dislike her as a person?

I have no idea what she did outside of just being herself. To me she seems like a chill, kind of dorky kid who's just happy to hoop and follow in the footsteps of her childhood hero.

And that's another thing that pisses me off when people make this a racial issue: Caitlin Clark's hero is literally a BLACK WOMAN.

Watch on YouTube

^are people serious right now?

I hope these culture war losers don't try to start this crap with Paige next year, because that will get shut down QUICK if you know anything about Paige and her family.

[MrDollarBills]

There's a huge racial component to debates with Caitilin/Angel Reese on X right now. I mean it's always been a cesspool but there's a very strange dynamic going on with WNBA fans that have triggered race wars. Wasn't alive for Magic/Bird stuff so idk if it was ever that crazy, but it's really putting a damper on what should be a fun rivalry..

As a born-again WNBA fan it's severely compromising my enjoyment, but I'll make do. No, the Magic/Bird stuff wasn't even in the same galaxy.

On top of the race issue, gender is playing a huge role. Also, the misogynoir from black men is on full display. It’s really making it less enjoyable to watch.


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Thank you. The misogyny and bigotry coming from other Black men has been appalling. Just say yall hate Black women and go back to watching the NBA. this stuff is aggravating me

[MrDollarBills]

All of these people are f*cking pathetic, this is basketball. Leave the racism out of it. Was it a racial attack when Alyssa Thomas basically chokeslammed Angel in mid air like the Undertaker?

This stuff poisons everything and ruins the fun. I can't help but notice how people are doing everything that they can to spew toxicity around the women's game.

Last week Luka cussed out Rudy Gobert and was talking a ton of sh*t to Ant-Man as things got heated during Mavs/Wolves. Yet no one made it about race, because it's guys hooping and being competitive. Why is what's happening in the WNBA any different? Are people that triggered by seeing women being fierce competitors?

Yes because this was all started by this one moment.




A large portion White America and casual BB fans who only started watching because of CC could not handle their princess being treated like this and it’s been a war since.

Let’s keep it 100%

Prior to this moment …..Angel and CC were not even connected.

If Ant Did this to Luka nobody would care.

All of this tension started a whole year prior, it just spilled into the wnba.


the undertone is that “they” need to kiss CC feet…. Which brings a whole new element to it.

The league is majority Black ….so we already know what the Drill is…

Clark and Reese's teams actually played three times before the Iowa-LSU national championship game, when Reese was at Maryland, with Maryland winning all three games. I've also seen mention of matchups going back to AAU. It's a longstanding rivalry.

Yeah, there's a lot of Clark stans who see Reese as a villain, no question.

As far as I'm concerned, and (as far as I can tell) also as far as the two women are concerned, they're just two competitive rivals playing basketball. It's a real competitive basketball rivalry, which is great, and it's unfortunate that a lot of people can't accept it and enjoy it for what it is.
.

Yep. It's crazy how Angel taunting CC made people go up in arms when CC literally did the same thing to Hailey Van Lith and no one cared. We know why, and it's gross.

These are competitors and a lot of men can't handle seeing women get their hands dirty. It's pathetic and I honestly question how these dudes grew up, man we had some gals where I'm from in NJ that could hoop their asses off and talked sh*t. This isn't anything new, it just sucks that a basketball rivalry is being made into something that it isn't: a racial conflict between two women.

[MrDollarBills]

Really fun article by Harper's Bazaar on the fashion the players rock when they come to the games (aka The Tunnel Runway):

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/sports-athletes/a60926061/wnba-tunnel-fashion-basketball-stars-interview/

Arike's pre game outfits are always fire, I love her style. Skylar always looks like she's headed to Fashion Week in NYC.

Both Cameron Brink and Dijonai Carrington could be models.

On another note, how is it that Mattel hasn't done a partnership with Angel Reese yet? It seems like a no brainer to produce official Angel Reese Barbie dolls. They'd make a killing

[KennerLeaguer]

There's a huge racial component to debates with Caitilin/Angel Reese on X right now. I mean it's always been a cesspool but there's a very strange dynamic going on with WNBA fans that have triggered race wars. Wasn't alive for Magic/Bird stuff so idk if it was ever that crazy, but it's really putting a damper on what should be a fun rivalry..

As a born-again WNBA fan it's severely compromising my enjoyment, but I'll make do. No, the Magic/Bird stuff wasn't even in the same galaxy.

Bird and Magic was also very much divided more often than not by racial lines. To say otherwise proves that you weren't there or you are a liar trying to make a point. The vast majority of white fans who rooted for Magic were Laker fans, the majority of black dudes rooting for Bird were Celtics supporters. Other than that there was an "unofficial" taking of sides based upon race (although many folks remained neutral too). Black celebs would make snide remarks about Bird and the mostly white Celtics very often. I was there. To this day that racial preference remain in some corners. Magic beat Bird in the NCAA Finals, beat Bird in 2 out of 3 NBA Finals and has two more NBA championships than Bird. But if you go to YouTube (which leans far more right than left) the video tributes to Bird FAR OUTNUMBER those devoted to Magic. Hell, Bird gets about as much love and tributes as MJ. Meanwhile the rightwing types pile on LeBron non-stop. They have a particular hatred of him because of political stances he made. So this bs you're trying to sell that only women athletes having to deal with this ugly underbelly is absurd.

That being said, one major difference between Magic/Bird and Caitlin/Angel is that neither Magic or Bird built a rep of an a-hole coming out of college. Reese acts like the perpetual victim and has instigated much of this negative narrative based upon her own actions.

[TinmanZBoy]

Caitlin Clark’s game is fun to watch, but she has a long way to figure out how to be more effective in pro’s game… her turnovers are cringeworthy, do remind me linsanity and his turnovers… what is angel reese good for? Why wasn’t she selected No.2? Instead no.7… is it a real rivalry? Two players are not in the same status, not playing the same position either…

[KennerLeaguer]

There's a huge racial component to debates with Caitilin/Angel Reese on X right now. I mean it's always been a cesspool but there's a very strange dynamic going on with WNBA fans that have triggered race wars. Wasn't alive for Magic/Bird stuff so idk if it was ever that crazy, but it's really putting a damper on what should be a fun rivalry..

As a born-again WNBA fan it's severely compromising my enjoyment, but I'll make do. No, the Magic/Bird stuff wasn't even in the same galaxy.

On top of the race issue, gender is playing a huge role. Also, the misogynoir from black men is on full display. It’s really making it less enjoyable to watch.


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Aw, hell naw.

You and others in this thread whining about generalizations in so far as perceptions of the WNBA and here you are making generalizations of black men (which the mods must think is just fine). I am a black guy who rooted for Clark except when she played against South Carolina (because Dawn was my fave female player when she was at UVA). But everywhere I turn I come across black dudes who think its their obligation to crap over CC and root for the black female players. What you are mad at is that a handful of high profile black men see it differently and you target black males in general because of it. What you are seeking is a sort of Perfect Attendance. No one owes you that; black males with opinions of their own do not owe black women that. It should be okay to have a difference of an opinion. I don't agree with , say, Barkley about much but I don't take what he says personal. Black women, if I can generalize now, seemed to very much take anything that doesn't suck up to their point of view as very personal. But this is a demographic that is so narcissistic that they come up with a stupid word ("misogynoir" ) in order to make their victimization more pronounced.

Also I hate to break it to you but social media is swamped with white guys who feel its their obligation to tea down the WNBA, Reese and black basketball players (who they claim are ALL racist). But in typical fashion of black women (oh, there goes that generalization again!) they would rather go after black men who apparently are their second biggest natural enemy just behind white women. For decades it was pretty much black male columnists and radio sports personality alone out of all men who would give professional women hoops at least some attention. Instead of appreciating that you get triggered if 5% of black males have the audacity to not have black female players' back at all times. That's pathetic. But it comes as no surprise.

[KennerLeaguer]

Yep. It's crazy how Angel taunting CC made people go up in arms when CC literally did the same thing to Hailey Van Lith and no one cared. We know why, and it's gross.

That same stupid, false narrative that was pushed mostly by Black Twitter.

Yes, CC talks some trash and does some junk on the court at times. But she and Van Lith were buds who have been competitive with each other since high school. And when CC did her "can't see me move", she didn't get in the face of her opponent for taunting. She did it AWAY from her opponent, more towards the crowd. This is the exact opposite of AR who walked over to CC just to taunt her directly, pretty much chased her down. If you can't understand the difference you are being intentionally obtuse. It would be like Mutombo blocking a shot and then running down halfcourt to the opponent to wag his finger directly in front of him. That would have been taking his taunt to a worse level and people would have hated him for it.

[KennerLeaguer]

As a born-again WNBA fan it's severely compromising my enjoyment, but I'll make do. No, the Magic/Bird stuff wasn't even in the same galaxy.

On top of the race issue, gender is playing a huge role. Also, the misogynoir from black men is on full display. It’s really making it less enjoyable to watch.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

Thank you. The misogyny and bigotry coming from other Black men has been appalling. Just say yall hate Black women and go back to watching the NBA. this stuff is aggravating me

Just admit you hate white females being celebrated and go back to watching tennis or gymnastics in which you won't have to worry about it now that black women have taken over. Because the attitude insecure black women have towards CC is not much different than how white people treated the Williams Sisters when they arrived on the scene.