Asked about the physicality in the paint after the Sky’s 86-82 loss to the Sun on Saturday night, rookie forward Angel Reese was forthright, and her words spoke volumes.
“I want them to come at me,” she said.
As Reese continued to comment on the vicious foul by Sun forward Alyssa Thomas, Sky coach Theresa Weatherspoon’s smile softened as she stressed to her players never to back down.
“[Reese] Wish [to compete]”she [getting physical]She’s having fun, just like the rest of the team.”
Recent discussions about physical play in the WNBA, particularly the treatment of rookies by veterans, have been, for lack of a better word, soft. In the debate over the early treatment of first-round draft pick Caitlin Clark, some have tried to portray the veteran’s opponents as bullies whose physical play was fueled by “jealousy.” The reality is much less scandalous.
The WNBA is a physical league where veteran players, intentionally or not, can tough it out on rookies. Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, the league’s scoring leader, has long relished the opportunity to “welcome” newcomers to the pros. Long before the latest crop of rookies were even in the women’s basketball conversation in 2020, Taurasi didn’t mince words.
“Every time I play against a rookie, [expletive] “Kill them,” she said.
This type of competitive spirit is celebrated in men’s professional sports but criticized in women’s sports.
“That’s the way it is in sports,” Sky guard Diamond DeShields said. “Because we’re women, it’s like, ‘Oh my goodness! These girls are so physical.’ You don’t get that in the NFL or the NBA, you know? They’re literally trying to kill each other every night.”
Is the expectation that women should play with finesse and not strength?
“Listen, people expect a lot from us, but we don’t really care about that,” DeShields said.
The flood of opinions has also brought more attention to women’s soccer — something WNBA players have only dreamed of, DeShields added — but the intensity these new fans are seeing is nothing new.
The WNBA has never had more than 16 teams, and several have come and gone. The league’s relatively small size means limited rosters and more competition than any other league, with fierce opponents and, surprisingly, some vicious foul play.
“There’s a lot of scrutiny that’s coming in that we’re playing against younger guys,” Thomas told the Sun-Times ahead of Saturday’s game, “but at the end of the day, we’re playing against each other and we’re going to be hard on the other team. Whether it’s a rookie or a guy that’s been in the league for 14 years, we’re competing at the same level.”
Whether expressed overtly or covertly, the idea that physical activity is negative seems to be limited to women’s sports.
But those words mean nothing when the players step onto the court. Thomas wasn’t thinking about Reese when she picked her up and sent her onto the court Saturday. She was thinking only about winning.
“Boys or girls, this is basketball,” Weatherspoon said. “That’s it.”
