I am addicted to content. I constantly have to have something playing whether it be a podcast, a YouTube video, or a game on TV. Sometimes multiple at one time. I haven’t had a silent moment in years. If there’s no noise I would have to like, hear my thoughts. I’m not doing that. I’d rather listen to some guy tell me why Lost is actually a misunderstood masterpiece. Hell I’m listening to Pardon My Take while I write this. It’s a problem. I say all that to say this, we are entering a terrible time for sports, one of my three sources of content. That means there’s a 33% higher chance of my thoughts creeping in. I think that’s what it means, I’m not good at math. Either way, I work a lot of night shifts. And when I’m not trying my best to sleep, I’m watching a game to pass the time. And all the interesting sports are either over, or coming to an end. But then I saw a clip on Twitter. And I think I’m all in. Everyone should buy WNBA stock right now, I certainly am.
Dominique Malonga
This is the clip I saw, and my immediate thought was “wow that’s very impressive”. Then I actually read the tweet. SHE DID THIS AT 16 YEARS OLD. That is nuts. Then I started looking around for some more about Dominique Malonga. And I watched this video.
I mean that is effortlessly dunking. Young D’Angelo Russell’s head would explode if he saw those dunks they were so effortless. To those of you who don’t understand that very niche basketball reference I am sorry. To those of you who did understand, I am sorry am not funnier.
I had never heard of Dominique Malonga before the posts about the WNBA draft, probably the same as most everybody else. Equal parts because I don’t really keep up with women’s basketball and she is from France. But now that I am aware, I am very intrigued. This is also just one year removed from Caitlin Clark going pro last year, Paige Bueckers getting drafted this year, we will see JuJu Watkins in a few years, the list goes on and on.
Why I’m Buying
Like I said, we are getting very close to a dark time in the sports world. Sure, the NBA playoffs are getting started, but I don’t care as much about that as I used to and it will be over before you know it. Baseball season is also pretty fresh, but I just can’t get into it this early and it is the hardest thing in the world to watch. You’ve got NHL playoffs, and I’ll watch, but I don’t have any connection to hockey. There needs to be something else.
That’s where the WNBA comes in. The season starts on May 16th, just under a month away. Perfect timing. Then you’ve got all of these exciting players coming into the league. Women’s basketball has been shit on for a long time and admittedly, I’ve probably been part of that at times. I’ll also admit that I haven’t given it much of a chance. But I think things are changing. And I mean this in the nicest way possible, I think the WNBA is on the verge of reaching a similar level of athleticism as men’s college basketball.
Look, the WNBA is never going to be the NBA, and that is fine. I watch more college basketball than I do pro. And one thing that I love about college is the players are very athletic and skilled, but they aren’t to the level of the pros. So the games can get a little hectic with the ball going all over the place. In the NBA sometimes they make too many shots and the game becomes a little boring. We are already getting women with incredible shooting ability and now we are getting players that can dunk with ease. But, the women’s game is still different enough to have those hectic, exciting moments. Sure does sound like everyone should buy WNBA stock now to me.
My Team
This year I have decided that I am not just going to watch the WNBA, I am going to pick a team and actually keep up with them. I don’t live in an area with any pro sports teams, so there is no geographical connection. Could I easily pick one of the teams where one of the women I already mentioned will be playing? Sure, but you won’t accuse me of being a bandwagon fan.
So my team will be the LA Sparks. I do not know much about the Sparks, but I do know that they had the 9th pick in the draft. And with that pick they selected Sarah Ashlee Barker. I also don’t know much about Sarah other than she scored 45 points in the NCAA Tournament and she played for my favorite school, Alabama. Roll Tide. In fact, three Alabama players were drafted to the WNBA this year. Roll Tide again.
So when mid May rolls around this year there will be know silent moments where I’m forced to reflect on my decisions. Nope, just WNBA basketball on in the background while I scroll Twitter, which you should follow me on by the way. In all seriousness I am excited to watch some games this season and I hope to become a legitimate fan. I think over the next few years you are going to start seeing more and more WNBA highlights on TV and talk on social media. And I’m going to be an early adopter. And you best believe I’m going to gate keep in a few years when the rest of you try to jump on board. Everyone should buy WNBA stock now!
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