In the WNBA, dissing it means missing it...

Okay guys, what happens when you search a remarkable WNBA poster girl (Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird, Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, Sheryl Swoopes - whoever fits the bill, actually) on Google? Well, aside from fansites, newspaper articles, and WNBA blogs, you also get the inevitable: WNBA rant columns.

As if this fact hasn't been overly stated enough, the WNBA has been around for 11 years. That's 11 years of drafting women's college ball's superstars, 11 years of women playing professionally for the sport they love, and 11 years of women and fans fighting to get the respect they deserve.

A staple in most critics' columns, the WNBA is the third attempt to establish a women's professional basketball league in the United States. The first two are the now defunct WBL and ABL.

Third time's the charm, right? 11 years is a sign of longevity and I think that just means the WNBA is just going to be around longer.

Due to my location right now, I have not watched a single WNBA game live. I have, although, watched games on WNBA's live webcasts and on rare occasions, on cable TV. On these broadcasts, I still feel the energy of the game, and people think I'm crazy when I'm yelling at the computer monitor when a ref makes a crazy call - and critics call the game boring. I am not someone who gets easily excited (I was once inches away from my favorite band and I didn't even scream, shout, or grin), but I'm one who savours the moment.

On the issue of the WNBA being boring, I think it's the dunks and flashy play (or lack thereof) that the critics are talking about. The average height of a WNBA guard is 5'7", and for the NBA it's 6'6". Women players don't get paid for dunking every night. They get paid for being team players who know their basketball and respect everyone in the business.

To some right now, I am making a pathetic effort of convincing people that the WNBA a worthy league to watch. I don't need to do that. The WNBA is a worthy sport to watch. Period. I'm not saying that you should watch the WNBA, but if you are so intent on dissing it without even watching a single game, then you're missing the excitement that the WNBA offers.

Contact the WNBA Wombat at wnbawombat@hotmail.com