Before Caitlin Clark only a small number of people cared about the WNBA.  Why would they?  The style of basketball the WNBA has shown the world is not what the large number of new WNBA fans enjoyed that was brought in by Caitlin Clark.

Back in the 1970’s the Philadelphia Flyers stretched the rules to the point that it looked like a fight was going on and a hockey game broke out.  It did let them win, but it was not hockey skills.  You can only beat your opponent up so much and they will fold.  They will be injured.

In the movie Rollerball with James Caan and John Houseman, the desire to eliminate the star player had management making the rules deadly and enforced them that way.  

I do not believe the WNBA referees are doing this on their own. If they are, they should never be allowed near a basketball court again.  If they are doing what the league is telling them to do, confess or never go close to a basketball court again.  

WNBA commissioner Catherine Engelbert seems to be clueless of what her job is all about.  The commissioner needs to communicate what the league is all about and what the fan base wants to see. She is also responsible for player safety. Unfortunately the product Engelbert is trying to promote is the same product that has not been sold well in the past and seems to hinder player safety.  

The product’s sales numbers is evident by the books in the WNBA.  The NBA is still subsidizing the WNBA.   How long does this need to continue? It has been twenty-eight years since the league was started.  Teams have played in 5,000 to 10,000 seat arenas and do not fill them.

Caitlin Clark came along with her Iowa fan following.  Let me restate that, the all time Division I NCAA College scoring leader came along with her national following.  The game she plays is a faster pace game with movement, pinpoint passing and relatively hands off.  It is exciting and can minimize the need for excessive size in the players. Defenses play require extensive alertness.

This compares to the more slowdown half court set the league has been used to.  Players that play half court with much standing around and dribble dribble dribble. Very little court length speed.  Generally very little pressure on the ball full court unless it is Caitlin Clark at the guard.

Officiating in this league is quite creative.  I have seen numerous instances where first and second contact is ignored.  This has to be defined to do this style.  This style of officiating hampers the fast pace game as it slows down the pace.  It also lets the officials work a little easier.  And it gets boring fast.

Last year was my first full year watching the WNBA.  I followed Caitlin Clark from Iowa.  I discovered a number of talented basketball players on the Indiana Fever.  I saw Kelsey Mitchel and Aliyah Boston be two most explosive scorers off the ball.  Lexi Hull had a career turnaround. Temi Fagbenle could do great pick and roll catches of passes from Clark.  Clark even made Christie Sides look good!  

After a scheduling nightmare, the team got better and made it excitingly to the playoffs.  But I noticed that a number of games they lost they could have won and it was not in the last minute.  During the games I saw what looked like a planned incompetency with the officiating.  Clark gets beat up all the way down the court.  I have never seen this hacking at any level of skilled players.  I have seen it at eight and under soccer games.  I’m surprised she lasted last year!

Caitlin Clark has a leg injury that is keeping her out two weeks.  Injuries are possible, but one observes how she has gotten beat up on the court, many times on the third and fourth hit on a possible foul, but many times not even called.  They call this physicality.  Too many fans find this outside the rules of basketball. Much of the hitting is because of poor technique and skills. Blocking shots required going straight up and hitting the ball. Too many of these players insist upon having their hands go down after trying to block the shot. This incessantly leads to hitting the shooter. That should be a foul. Sabrina Ionescu tries to justify this in an interview with Sue Bird.  Bird just sits there nodding.  

Unfortunately this is not the game that fans want to see because it is not the basketball they were taught.  The current game style is closer to street ball where there is no officiating and the ability to walk home means it is not a foul.

There are times that I think the league wants to get rid of Clark.  They just can’t seem to realize what she has brought to the league.  Women have passed on watching Hallmark movies to watch Indiana Fever games on TV. Teams moved their games to larger arenas knowing that Clark sells tickets. Players get to

Many players in the league had so little faith in the WNBA raising player salaries that they created a three on three league.  Clark did not participate.  At least one player had a season ending injury. But the WNBA has very little say about such items as salaries as they are not breaking even or turning a profit.  Plus there are back payments to the NBA. Needless to say there is a problem.

What could happen on a positive note is to find millionaires with a decent business plan without an ongoing debt to the NBA to compete and take down the WNBA. Hard play yes.  Defense where you can smell the defenders breath but not get clobbered with hand to hand and body to body poundings.  If you get beat, try to block the shot but do not hit the person. True rules of the game that will separate the skilled players from those who think they are skilled but are of limited skills based upon their antics.

Professional Women’s basketball is on the bubble.  If they keep Caitlin Clark off the court long enough the league definitely dies.  People will stop watching as they will have been felt betrayed by those that should have done their job to keep her on the court.

Just what might happen if some wealthy individuals understand the what enjoyable women’s basketball is all about and decide to create their own league?  A new league would and could exist without many of the old guard.  The league could exist without the New York market.