Question: in your prime, could you have played in the WNBA?
22 Replies
2y
I would be the Caitlin Clark protector ala Bill Laimbeer, Rich Mahorn, or Charles Oakley.
** Edited by OrlandoHokie at 6/5/2024, 4:57:52 PM
(In response to this post by RoswellGAHokie)
2y
... in the context of the exact wording of your question, which does not specify whether I am playing today in the WNBA or playing in the WNBA at the time of my prime. In the time of my prime they would have been toys and I would have gone home rather than playing them. Today, those gals be way too nasty for an un officiated pick up game.
(In response to this post by RoswellGAHokie)
2y
In my prime, I had the honor of having to play against Curtis Blair (former PH star out of 'noke)...then a current NBA player. He was 'my man', so I had to cover him & vice versa. I played up to the competition where I hit 3's and even drove the lane for a dunk (I'm 6'2"). After the game, he asked me where I played ball. I said intra-mural at VT and he laughed. Curtis I'm sure had more game in the tank was very cool to be able to play ball against him. He seems like a very good dude too.
I will honestly say that the most difficult task I ever had on a basketball court was playing against Antonio Freeman. He was the quickest cat I've ever played against. The VT FB intra-mural team was no joke.
(In response to this post by RoswellGAHokie)
2y
The best team in our league had Maurice Deshazo and a couple other former VT football players. I can assure you that at no time did I think he "was very cool to be able to play ball against him. He seems like a very good dude too.".
Guy was a douche.
(In response to this post by Vtskier1)
2y
I won a jump ball against MD & their sideline gave him a bunch of grief. I then set a hard pick against him and he was knocked down...he jumped in my face and Antonio Freeman told him shut up. AF was a good dude on the court.
Curtis Blair, went to University of Richmond then on to the Seattle Supersonics.... He too was a good dude on the court.
(In response to this post by JoesterVT)
2y
One morning a young woman showed up, worked with one of the guys. She was home for the off-season and played pro ball in Italy. She played with us. The only thing she could do better than us was shoot. I defended her for a couple games (I am not fast) and she couldn't beat me off the dribble.
(In response to this post by RoswellGAHokie)
2y
Whatever "it" is that makes a basketball player, I was completely skipped when it was being handed out.
I think I shoot under 50% on layups if I'm by myself. Put a defender on me that is older than 7 and I probably shoot under 10% from the field.
(In response to this post by RoswellGAHokie)
E
EDGEMAN
2y
Generally speaking, they aren't anywhere close to the NBA when it comes to basketball play.
(In response to this post by RoswellGAHokie)
2y
I seriously doubt it. But in a 1-on-1 game, I think most females who were shorter than 6'-4" or so would have had a difficult time hanging with me. I was pretty good at creating my own shot, I was quick, and I loved playing defense. There's no denying that men simply have a biological physical advantage over women, and that can really level the playing field even when the female may have much more natural athleticism.
But these days I would have a difficult time hanging with a 10 year old girls' team.
(In response to this post by RoswellGAHokie)
2y
But no serious offensive skills although I did have serious hops. Could dunk a volleyball at 5’11”.
Fast forward to law school. At age 30. Intramural team. Opposing team had a female point guard. Age 24. Started for UNC. She pulled up for a 3 on their first possession. Swish.
She put an elbow in my chest and drove past me on their second possession for a layup.
Ok, game on. I abused her for the rest of the game. A few steals. Two blocked shots.
Game. Non blouses.
(In response to this post by RoswellGAHokie)
2y
my son played on the VT men's club basketball team in 22-23 season and was asked, along with a few others, by Kenny Brooks to practice with the VT womens basketball team (Kitley, Amoore, etc). He said the team was very athletic (especially Taylor Soule) and although my son is a very good athlete, the girls gave him a good run. My son and I were athletically comparable at similar ages.
So, given that the WNBA has even better athletes overall (best of the best) than the VT women's team...I would say no, I could not have played in the WNBA...but I also dont think I would be embarrassed on the court.
(In response to this post by RoswellGAHokie)
2y
During it, she discussed the fact that they had a practice squad of males from the student body (tryouts every year). She said they practiced against them because the males (none of whom were good enough to play college ball) were more athletic and physical than any team they will play. She also laughed and said, they couldn't beat their male practice team in a full game, not even close.
Those were the best female players in the country at the time against gym rats. Now, the level of talent among female players is likely a lot better now than it was then, and the WNBA, as you said, is the best of the best, but I suspect about any HS state championship team would run circles around the best WNBA team (just like the HS Soccer team that ran all over the USWNT in soccer last year).
(In response to this post by BleedinOandM)
2y
were the tallerer, stronger guys....mostly playing the paint and practicing against the female "bigs". Maybe a team of balanced (bigs and guards) male practice players could have beaten the girls.
Related, funny story...Kenny Brooks had 2 rules for the male practice players: (1) dont injure the girls and (2) dont do anything in practice that a female player could not do in a game. My son drove the lane in practice and instinct took over...he dunked over a female player (I think he told me it was Deija Gregg). Kenny immediately blew the whistle and kicked my son out of practice for the rest of the day.
Pretty cool that my son got to practice with/against a team that went to the Final Four that year.
(In response to this post by Vienna_Hokie)
K
KCHokie2
2y
(In response to this post by Hokie CPA)
2y
I played a lot of pickup games. At 6'4½", I'm tall against most of your rank amateurs and I played pretty rough on the post/in the paint. But I had exactly one summer of organized hoops and barely saw the floor. So, I'm gonna say no. Those gals would probably run circles around me. I might play decent defense, but I'm not going to lead the league in scoring or assists.
(In response to this post by RoswellGAHokie)