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Women’s Sports

As the ACC women’s basketball tournament gets underway, I find it bittersweet as this will be Maryland’s penultimate appearance…for no really good reason that I can fathom. Certainly not geography. Certainly not tradition. In 2014, poof, that disappears and Maryland becomes one of the outlier newcomers of the Big 10 conference who will be tolerated more than welcome. No string of tournament appearances. No history of wins. Reduced access for fans and family (road trips are no longer just a trip up/down I-95). Tougher recruiting because the rivalries are gone.

Normally I’d say something half-jokingly like, “But I’m not bitter,” but frankly, I’m bitter as all-get-out. No offense to the Big 10, they are a great and storied conference, but it’s not the right fit for Maryland (or Penn St or Rutgers, either, for that matter). sigh Guess I should enjoy the ACC run for as long as it lasts. Who knows…maybe they’ll change their mind and decide to stay.

Geno’s Rim Revision? Ridiculous!

UConn Women’s Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma has suggested that offensive deficiencies are keeping the women’s game from growing. His solution? Lower the rims to nine feet. I have to applaud him for making one of the dumbest practical suggestions in years from someone who’s listened to.

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Dealing With the WNBA 11-player Roster Beyond the 2012 Season

The WNBA is experiencing a harsh year with many stars out due to national team commitments and injury. Despite this, the league continues with an 11-player roster. If the size of the active roster doesn’t increase, some modifications are needed for the health of the teams and especially the players.

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The Women’s Basketball Refereeing Problem

In the National Semi-finals of the 2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, I don’t think anyone was particularly happy about the refereeing. No one will say so explicitly lest they be sanctioned by the NCAA (fines for participants, access for press) but the whistle-holders were conspicuous in their inconsistency. There needs to be some reform.

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The WNBA’s 8-second Backcourt Problem

Referees in the WNBA will blow their whistle for a violation of the 8-second backcourt rule when they see the 24-second shot clock hit 16. It seems logical. After all, 24-8 = 16. But that’s wrong in this context.

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4 Ways to Improve the WNBA Video Experience

When you can’t go to a game, you have to find it on some channel or on the Internet. The WNBA continues to work at bringing its games to fans across the country and the globe. They’ve done well, but they could do better.

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WNBA 2011 – The July 5 Kristi Toliver Incident

Women’s Basketball isn’t exactly the genteel sport that some portray it as. In the WNBA, elbows fly and sometimes they connect. Such was the case when Los Angeles guard Kristi Toliver and Phoenix guard Ketia Swanier battled for the ball during the run of play of a tight game.

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WNBA 2011 – How Will It Shake Out?

It seems sort of silly, really, to try to figure out end-of-season standings before any real games have been played. So now, with every team having at least two games on the board, it might be a bit easier to make some picks.

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WNBA 2011 Preseason at “The Pit”

I’ve just returned from watching the Los Angeles Sparks defeat the Phoenix Mercury 83-72 in a preseason game held at University Arena (aka “The Pit”) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A few thoughts:

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2011 WNBA Pre-Pre-season Thoughts

With the NCAA tournament still in progress, it might be a bit early to be discussing the upcoming WNBA season. Regardless, I have a few notions at the moment that I’d like to put out there.

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