Remember the term, “you play like a girl!”, as being an insult?Well, you can stop saying it because girls can play, too.In fact, there are women that can ball better than men.The WNBA (Women’s National Basketball League) started yesterday and showcased lots of talented and beautiful women doing their thing.Big time players such as Cheryl Ford of the Detroit Shock, Diana Taurasi of the world champion Phoenix Mercury, Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm, Alana Beard of the Washington Mystics, and the next big thing, Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks opened up in venues across the country.
Women basketball players are evolving.Men will continue to dominant the spotlight because they are physically superior and bring more flash to the game but women have their own brand of excitement as well plus they play hard every night, sorry guys.Women hustle, display great fundamentals, don’t take plays off and can dunk.Men have these characteristics absolutely but the women’s game has a different, more sincere feel because they are working to gain the respect of the general public in an attempt to be just as entertaining as the men.
The current stars of the WNBA, past and present, are blazing a trail for tomorrow’s stars like Jaime Williams.Williams, a 6-foot, six- grader from Oregon, who until a couple of weeks ago played on a boys team from the Hoops league, was kicked off the team because of her sex.Representative of Hoops, Dave Vizzini said, “We sold, advertised and marketed the league as providing equal opportunities for men and women.It’s not a co-ed league.”
Williams is there to play, not because girls should play with the boys, but she can ball.Williams had outshined most of the boys in the league.“She is absolutely as gifted a six-grader as I’ve been associated with,” said Coach Michael Abraham.Williams’ mother, Reiko Williams, thinks something is fishy because the league did not expect Williams to be exceptional.“I think some people, maybe male and female, I don’t know…have an issue with a girl playing on a court competing successfully and shining in a program for boys and that’s just not suppose to happen,” said Mrs. Williams.
Williams is a phenom in the making and that is probably good news for Maryland Terrapin fans.Williams’ father, Greg Williams played for the Terps and Williams’ older sister, Jackie Williams was Oregon’s 6-A scoring leader last season and has committed to play for Maryland.Hopefully, Williams will continue the tradition.
The Hoops league is trying to work something out for Williams.Some games the team had to forfeit because girls can not play in the boys division.Vizzini said,” There is an exception to every rule and Jaime is that exception.”If Williams continues to be exceptional on the court, the popularity of women’s basketball and the WNBA will be the norm and not an exception to the rule in a male domain sport.
