Why You Should Watch the WNBA Finals

The WNBA Finals start today (10/10) between the Phoenix Mercury and the Chicago Sky.  I love the WNBA Playoffs and want to give some love to the league ahead of the series because I don’t write as much as I would like to about it (the reason is because I’m more knowledgeable with the NBA and I don’t think it would be fair to make the WNBA look like second class citizens, though I hope to reach the point where I could talk close to equally extensively about both).  That said, I have a post regarding why you should be excited for and watch the WNBA Finals (not saying you have to watch all of it, especially since I won’t be able to, but definitely try to give it a look).

 

Two of the greatest players of all time are playing in this series.

In this series, you have Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker facing off against each other.  Taurasi is one of the most dominant offensive players in the game and is lethal due to her shooting ability, ability to make space, finishing creativity, and her penchant for creating fouls.  She always plays so hard all the time on offense and is also a great playmaker too.  Parker is one of the most complete players in the game from a historical standpoint; she is a great finisher, good passer for a big, solid shooter, elite defender, tough competitor, and one of the smartest players in the game with opposing teams.  Both continue to thrive and are exciting to watch, making it fun to still witness history and two MVP’s face off.

Both teams have skilled and exciting big threes.

Both teams had 3 All-Stars this past season.  Chicago has Parker (a complete forward/center who can defend and pass at a high level as well as finish), Courtney Vandersloot (an elite playmaker who is also a great defender and shooter), and Kahleah Cooper (an aggressive scoring guard and good defender who has been more prolific from 2 this playoffs).  Phoenix has Taurasi (one of the best scorers, most aggressive offensive players, and smartest offensive players), Britney Griner (one of the most dominant bigs I have ever seen on both ends), and Skyler Diggins-Smith (an excellent shooting and scoring guard).  All six are so much fun to watch and, given the lack of depth from both teams, all should play a lot.

You have two feisty and competitive teams.

I could just say to watch how much Taurasi and Parker want to win and how they will argue any call they disagree with (I know some hate that when any athlete does it, I think it shows passion).  Still, they have led this team to want to win and will fight for what they feel with the calls.  Add in the dives for balls and you have yourself two competitive teams.

Both teams are exciting to watch.

Instead of trying to explain how both teams have so many players and plays that are fun to watch, I will point out how each team was involved in the most exciting games of the playoffs:  Game 1 of the Semifinals where Chicago beat the Connecticut Sun in Double OT (as painful as that was for me, a Suns fan), and Game 5 of the Semifinals where Phoenix beat the Las Vegas Aces by 3 (thanks to some clutch free throws and a last-second Britney Griner block).

Britney Griner is one of the most fun basketball players to watch.

I might be biased since Griner is my favorite WNBA player right now and one of my favorite basketball players of all time, but I literally am so giddy whenever I watch her play.  Everyone knows about her ability to dunk and block at 6’9 (the 3^rd tallest in WNBA history), but she has more that she does.  While early on she seemed to have a mindset that some might derivatively compare to Hassan Whiteside for chasing after blocks she shouldn’t, she is now incredibly intelligent about when to chase after a block, when to get into position for one, when to try to alter the shot, or when to stay out of the play.  While she often doesn’t lead the league in rebounding, she is skilled at boxing out others to allow for teammates to collect rebounds.  While she knows how to utilize her size in the paint, she is also a good shooter.  This past season, she shot 4 for 9 from 3 (44.4%), 47.3% from the 10-16 foot range, 44.8% from the 16 foot-3P range, and 84.6% from the free throw line.  When she is on, she is impossible to stop, and it is so much fun.

Both teams are solid at scoring.

Phoenix finished third in offensive rating during the regular season without having one of their best players (Taurasi) due to injuries.  While Chicago was 7^th in the stat out of the 12 teams, they also dealt with injuries (including missing Parker for a point), and have been better offensively in the playoffs.  In particular, there starting lineups have been much better once the playoffs rolled around.

Both teams are great at passing.

In the regular season, Chicago led the way in assists per game with 21.8, led by Vandersloot’s 8.6.  Connecticut was below average with 18.0, but Taurasi’s injuries played a major role in that, so their ball movement has been better at points in the playoffs as a result.

The series should be fun for analytics fans.

When I say analytics fans, I don’t just mean the fans who don’t truly understand analytics and think that only shots at the rim or 3’s are worth taking (though both teams were near the bottom in shots taken from the 16 FT-3P range, which is generally considered less efficient); what I’m referring to by that is that both teams are good in the paint and tend to focus their shots where they have the highest points per attempt, in the painted area (with the exception of their great shooters).  That should be fun.

The series should be fun for old-school basketball fans.

Want to see old-school in the paint basketball?  These two teams have some great finishers who can also stretch it out to the midrange.  Neither team is elite at shooting, so that will make it even more fun in that regard.

It’s basketball.

I find professional basketball to be so exciting to watch, especially when it’s the top professional women’s basketball league in the world (though there are some great European leagues).  This is the best you’ll find; if you like basketball, I don’t see why you wouldn’t like the WNBA.

 

 

Bonus 1:  Discussing/debunking common tropes related to the WNBA (and women’s basketball)

There are a lot of common believes, tropes, and stereotypes related to women’s basketball and the WBNA that annoy me, so I have discussed some here.

As a note, I sometimes sound demeaning when I’m arguing via writing; it is not something that I intend to do since I don’t consider an effective form of arguing, but it can appear as though I’m doing that.  My apologies in advance if it comes across as if I’m trying to insult you for thinking these, that is not my intention; rather, it is to offer a different perspective to disprove (or explain) some obnoxious narratives.

 

They have good fundamentals.

While many have discussed how the sexist history behind this mindset, I will take it a slightly different route:  of course they have good fundamentals, they are professionals.

The game is purer.

I honestly don’t even know what this means; like is this that they aren’t as athletic, so they must rely on fundamentals, making it pure?  I seriously never understood this one.

They don’t have the same level of athleticism as men’s basketball.

But the NCAA tournament features less athletic players and draws massive crowds.  Still, there are more WBNA players who utilize athleticism than people realize, it just might not be used for dunks.

There isn’t dunking.

Someone with this mindset must really hate Steph Curry…and anything that isn’t the Slam Dunk Contest.  My point is that dunking isn’t the only aspect of basketball.

The names aren’t as enticing as the NBA.

Candace Parker.  Diana Taurasi.  Sue Bird.  Britney Griner.  Breanna Stewart.  Aja Wilson.  Jonquel Jones.  Chelsea Gray.  Courtney Vandersloot.  These are just a few amazing stars.

The players aren’t that good, and a local gym player can beat them.

I don’t get why so many people think they can beat a pro basketball player just because they’re a woman.  They’re elite and will crush you in one-on-one (don’t worry, I’m there too).

The WNBA is not easily accessible.

This was true at points in the history of the league, but there is a shift to have more games aired on major networks.  In fact, the Semifinals were on ESPN or ABC while MLB will have some playoff games on MLB Network.  They have strived to increase the number of nationally televised games, so this shouldn’t be as true going forward.

The same teams win every year (especially in college).

This one happens for women’s NCAA, and it stinks at times.  One thing that has contributed to this is the tournament taking place at home courts rather than neutral sites in the early rounds, so there are fewer upsets.  There has been a shift in this in championships since 2017, which is the 36^th women’s tourney…which is actually around the time the same thing happened in the men’s tournament, so that could be good.  As for the pros (men and women), that can happen and it’s annoying.

The WBNA is boring.

My only counter to that is suggest watching a game and see just how exciting it is.  You’re bound to see several highlight reel plays, especially if it’s the playoffs.  It really is worth it.

 

 

Bonus 2:  My prediction

Normally I feel pretty good about predictions with individual matchups in the playoffs, but I don’t here.  I initially thought that whoever won between Phoenix and Vegas would win the championship, but Kia Nurse tearing an ACL really will hurt Phoenix.  She was shooting 45.5% from 3 in the 6 games she played, which will be difficult to replicate.  Phoenix was also pretty thin already in terms of scoring, but the plus side is that this might be the matchup for them to survive without Nurse.  Chicago’s scoring is more geared to their starting 5, as the highest scoring bench player in the playoffs averaged 6.7 PPG and they only have 2 bench players who averaged 10 MPG in the playoffs.  The bigger catch is that Chicago is not a great team from behind the arc; they only have 2 players with a higher 3P% during the playoffs than the league average in the season (34.3%) and didn’t attempt many midrange shots during the regular season, so expect them to drive a lot.  Of course, who will be waiting there for them?  None other than Britney Griner, the WNBA all-time leader in blocks per game and most prolific blocker in the game right now.  There will be games where Courtney Vandersloot can drive in and pass it to someone when Griner is forced to collapse or when someone like Candace Parker is able to sneak past, but the biggest key for Chicago is if 6’6 center Azura Stevens is able to contain her and if the team can limit the times Diana Taurasi is fouled (something that will be difficult).  I think Chicago has the bigger task overall (though they will be successful in a couple games), so Phoenix will win this one.

Official Prediction:  Phoenix Mercury beats the Chicago Sky 3-2

 

What are you looking forward to in the WNBA Finals?  Who do you think will win?  Let me know in the comments!