The highly anticipated WNBA regular season debuts of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink and others continue to make women's basketball a hot topic in the sports world.
During the latest edition of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” former NBA writer and current “House of Strauss” author Ethan Strauss joined Simmons to share some of his thoughts on how the WNBA can capitalize on interest without precedents in their league.
Strauss suggested that one of the WNBA's past shortcomings revolves around how the league decided to brand its teams.
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A detail of the WNBA logo is seen on a basketball during warmups between the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun at Climate Pledge Arena on June 20, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Strauss suggested that assigning names to WNBA franchises that are completely separate from the NBA team that plays in a given market has been a disservice to fans and has ultimately stunted the growth of professional women's basketball in the United States. USA
The WNBA will have full-time charter flights for teams starting this season.
A view of Wilson's ball prior to the 2023 WNBA Draft on April 10, 2023 at Spring Studios in New York, New York. (Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images)
“The only thing they should have done, and maybe there's still time to do it, that they didn't do from the beginning is just use the same team names,” Strauss said. “Like, why force people to learn about the Fever? Why not just have the 'W Pacers'? I think that makes it a lot easier to resonate and get through.”
“For example, in college, it will be 'the Lady Gamecocks,'” Simmons responded.
Strauss' argument centered on the idea that since the WNBA essentially operates as a “subsidiary of the NBA,” the league needs to find ways to differentiate itself from the men's league.
Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark, center, poses with general manager Lin Dunn, left, and head coach Christie Sides after a WNBA basketball news conference, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
It should be noted that not all WNBA teams share a city or ownership group with an NBA franchise. Five NBA teams have a WNBA team: the Indiana Pacers (Indiana Fever), the Minnesota Timberwolves (Minnesota Lynx), the Washington Wizards (Washington Mystics), the Brooklyn Nets (New York Liberty) and the Phoenix Suns (Phoenix Mercury).
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In October, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the Golden State Warriors received an expansion team. The franchise's inaugural season is scheduled for 2025.
The new team will play its home games at the Chase Center in San Francisco, but will be based in Golden State's former practice building in Oakland. The name of the new franchise is still being finalized.
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