Could WNBA players play with men?

[downtown]

Taken from the Women's Soccer thread...I'm wondering what you think the highest level of male basketball a good WNBA team would be able to hang with. Let's define "hang with" as stand a statistically significant chance of winning. I think virtually everybody who has heard of basketball would agree that they would get waxed by anybody in the NBA, but what about a good high school team? D3 college? D1? Or, to paraphrase another poster, would a bunch of fat church-ballers be able to beat the best women?

I'mma make a poll.

For comparison's sake, the Seattle Storm is apparently the defending WNBA champs. Their tallest players are in the 6'6 area.

 

[Azale]

They could beat a good college team, maybe Butler.

 

[warpus]

I don't know much about basketball, but if a woman is good enough to compete with men, why not let her? Which is not really what you asked in your OP, but I'm responding to the thread title

 

[IglooDame]

I would actually pay money to see the Seattle Storm (or even a WNBA All-Stars team) play a full game with UConn or some other top-tier D1 NCAA team.

 

[downtown]

They could beat a good college team, maybe Butler.

I would actually pay money to see the Seattle Storm (or even a WNBA All-Stars team) play a full game with UConn or some other top-tier D1 NCAA team.

I could see them holding tough against a team like Butler, which is small and not particularly athletic. I have a hard time seeing how a WNBA team could hang with a UCONN, or a D1 team that had any kind of size. A 6'10-275 pound man is going to be completely unstoppable in the low post against anybody in the WNBA, just because of sheer size and strength.

I voted for D3, but I can see the Storm beating some higher level college teams if they don't have to give up so much size down low, and could play a slower pace game. (they might be able to Out-Butler, Butler).

 

[Junius]

I could see them holding tough against a team like Butler, which is small and not particularly athletic. I have a hard time seeing how a WNBA team could hang with a UCONN, or a D1 team that had any kind of size. A 6'10-275 pound man is going to be completely unstoppable in the low post against anybody in the WNBA, just because of sheer size and strength.

I voted for D3, but I can see the Storm beating some higher level college teams if they don't have to give up so much size down low, and could play a slower pace game. (they might be able to Out-Butler, Butler).

Butler's not a bad comparison. On paper Butler shouldn't have been able to beat a lot of the teams they beat, but they were able to turn it into an ugly slow-down game in the low-fifites and pull it out. In Minnesota we think of it as Wisconsin Badger basketball. That would probably be the only chance the ladies have. A team with even one really athletic wing could be dunking all day or a decent low-post player would probably dominate inside. Of course strength won't only come into play on the low block. How many screens would some of the female players run through to get away from the best defenders when they are muscling them around? A closely called game foul-wise helps here, but if called evenly for both sides, will kill the ladies inside. Even Butler was probably too tough on second thought. Even they had 6'9"-6'10" Matt Howard.

 

[sophie]

I played on a Coed intramural basketball team at college and the women stood up pretty well, but then again the rules were set such that 2 girls had to be on the court for each team at any given time AND they got an extra point every time they made a basket (2s were worth 3, 3s were worth 4, and they'd shoot 3/4 freethrows instead of 2/3). It kind of made things imbalanced, though. Every team went out and got a sharpshooter girl who played bball in high school and just had her reign down threes fours all day long.

 

[madviking]

I played on a Coed intramural basketball team at college and the women stood up pretty well, but then again the rules were set such that 2 girls had to be on the court for each team at any given time AND they got an extra point every time they made a basket (2s were worth 3, 3s were worth 4, and they'd shoot 3/4 freethrows instead of 2/3). It kind of made things imbalanced, though. Every team went out and got a sharpshooter girl who played bball in high school and just had her reign down threes fours all day long.

That's seksist.

I kinda wanna see their champions play my You-Vee-Eh Cavaliers.

 

[sophie]

That's seksist.

Yes, it's also the most convoluted, ******** rule I have ever seen. It doesn't make things more fair for the women it completely changes how the game is supposed to be played.

 

[Red Door]

I honestly don't think WNBA players could hang with my high school team (which to be fair is a top 20 program nationally and regularly sends players to Division 1 schools). The height difference and athletic difference (our guards were throwing down dunks with ease) would just be too much for women to handle.

That being said, some certain players in the WNBA could compete in Division 1 basketball easily.

 

[emzie]

A better comparison might be if there are WNBA players who could make the cut on a men's team. I think someone like Candace Parker could make it onto a top-tier men's program.

 

[downtown]

Butler's not a bad comparison. On paper Butler shouldn't have been able to beat a lot of the teams they beat, but they were able to turn it into an ugly slow-down game in the low-fifites and pull it out. In Minnesota we think of it as Wisconsin Badger basketball. That would probably be the only chance the ladies have. A team with even one really athletic wing could be dunking all day or a decent low-post player would probably dominate inside. Of course strength won't only come into play on the low block. How many screens would some of the female players run through to get away from the best defenders when they are muscling them around? A closely called game foul-wise helps here, but if called evenly for both sides, will kill the ladies inside. Even Butler was probably too tough on second thought. Even they had 6'9"-6'10" Matt Howard.

Ha yeah, as an OSU grad, I'm quite familar with Bo Ryan's disgusting brand of basketball 32-31 games here we come!

That's a good point about fighting through screens, I hadn't really thought about that. I think there are ways you can limit the damage of a guy like Matt Howard though, if you limit possessions, play very good help defense, and shoot a high percentage. There are successful HS and college teams who are routinely giving up 3-4 inches to other team's frontcourt players. I think a good WNBA level coach could scheme some ways to beat far-more immature high schoolers.

A better comparison might be if there are WNBA players who could make the cut on a men's team. I think someone like Candace Parker could make it onto a top-tier men's program.

Yeah, I agree. I think most WNBA all-stars could find a way on lower D1 teams.

 

[Kennigit]

I don't follow basketball at all and know nothing about it, but I bet top WNBA women could do well against some low low tier division I teams.

Hell, if georgia tech was away they would probably lose (apparently, the basketball team was 1-10 for away games last season).

 

[Bestbank Tiger]

A better comparison might be if there are WNBA players who could make the cut on a men's team. I think someone like Candace Parker could make it onto a top-tier men's program.

Seimone Augustus could probably compete against men. She's an exceptional ball-handler, and (more importantly) being a 6-1 guard, she's not too small for her position which is the biggest obstacle. Even the good WBB programs usually have 6-6 or 6-7 centers, and they'd get eaten alive against the 7-footers in the men's game.

 

[cubsfan6506]

Not to be the guy that asks dumb questions in outlandish scenarios, but would they use a girls or mens ball?

 

[Azale]

They'd use a volleyball.

 

[Zack]

Would Sasha Vujacic be allowed to join forces with the women?

 

[Yui108]

I voted D3-NAIA. I feel that if the Storm, or whomever, played D3 they would probably hover just below .500 most of the time.

 

[emzie]

I voted D3-NAIA. I feel that if the Storm, or whomever, played D3 they would probably hover just below .500 most of the time.

Now that's just ridiculous.

 

[Junius]

Seimone Augustus could probably compete against men. She's an exceptional ball-handler, and (more importantly) being a 6-1 guard, she's not too small for her position which is the biggest obstacle. Even the good WBB programs usually have 6-6 or 6-7 centers, and they'd get eaten alive against the 7-footers in the men's game.

She may be able to compete against some smaller schools or weaker teams. Remember at that size the only position she could play is point. No position right now has the athletes point guard does. She would be torched defensively against any talented or experienced guard unless her team played very good zone.