Over the years, a myth has been perpetuated largely by dissenting opinions that The WNBA is an inferior league. “Who even watches it?” many would argue in ESPN comments sections and in various YouTube memes that suggest it’s boring compared to the razzle dazzle of NBA slam dunks and half-court majesty. It is true that one league has a higher rate of recognition and respect, though I wouldn’t say it’s fair to compare the two entirely in terms of what the other lacks. Each is essentially bringing their own spin to the game of basketball and I’d argue are crucial to the greater image of the sport. In fact, I’d argue that 2022 was a banner year for The WNBA, having presented many hallmarks that prove the league is moving in the right direction even amid controversies and occasional setbacks.
I say this as someone who excitedly looked at the schedule for The Las Vegas Aces on the day it was announced. While I had dabbled in viewership last year, this was the first front-to-back experience where I was invested. I kept track of the brackets and watched every team form their own new mythology. Because I had the chance to visit The Staples Center The Crypto.com Arena three times over the summer, I was able to see The Los Angeles Sparks play many impressive teams in every position from courtside to sky boxes. While it’s true that attendance was much lower and enthusiasm wasn’t always there, simply being at the games allowed me to feel immersed in a way that I hadn’t before. It’s in the action, the way that DJ Malski incessantly played needle drops and acted like 2014 songs were “old school.” Seeing ticket holders rush by you on the way to their seats changes how you perceive the whole matter, making you realize that yes, there are WNBA fans. I would count myself among them.
While every season is special, I think that this year had an incredible mix of events that definitely make it one for the record books. With last year marking the league’s 25th anniversary, it’s interesting that this year felt even bigger. In some ways the accompaniment of 30 for 30’s Dream On (2022) documentary on the U.S.A. Women’s Olympic Team only boosted morale as it symbolized one of the main inspirations for the league. It presented humble beginnings and the difficulty that women athletes faced when compared to men, whether it be to look attractive or to play games in less favorable locations. The camaraderie has always been there and Dream On does an excellent job of showing what perseverance can do, but it’s in 2022 that all of the hard work begins to show off.
Among the more recognized news stories around The WNBA this year was the detainment in Russia of The Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner. Having been caught with small possession of cannabis, she became a prisoner and has been there since February 17. Some would suggest that she is a prisoner of war given the uncoincidental timing of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Efforts remain to get her back even as former presidents criticize Griner’s actions and suggestion for a prisoner swap with a war criminal raises moral questions around the deal. Still, The WNBA as a league has been great at being vocal on injustices in the past and has kept Griner’s story alive. Every court is emblazoned with BG42 to honor her number. Her annual shoe drive continues by other players. While I can’t be sure, I am willing to bet that her name was referenced at every game, including The All Star Game where everyone entered the court wearing Griner jerseys.
It's maybe not the most optimistic way to start a season, but it did lead to a discussion around various conflicts in the league. Would the situation be the same if it was Lebron James in detainment? Would the president be slow to react to a higher profile athlete? Also, given that Griner played international games because of financial incentives, it does raise questions surrounding the economic disparity between The NBA and The WNBA. Given that a recent story came out that The Denver Nuggets’ mascot Rocky earned over $600k in salary, it puts certain details into perspective given that some of The WNBA’s top players don’t even earn that. Some of that is just that they’re not as popular and thus have fewer resources, but one still has to wonder how athletes can seek to earn a substantial wage without overseas games being their biggest income. Other than that, the complaints of equal equipment in workout and locker rooms is an issue that has slowly been remedied though far from perfect.
Obviously, there’s a lot that can be talked about with The WNBA that has nothing to do with the actual game. Despite her absence, Griner was one of the biggest talking points with many even considering that The Mercury likely came up short because of it. Still, to shift focus a little bit this 2022 season was about taking the league to another level. Whereas last year featured a headache-inducing struggle to watch games on accessible platforms, this year found more of a presence on ESPN as well as Amazon Live and ABC. Because of this and general interest in the players, this ended up being their biggest season in almost 20 years. Many of the pivotal games were sold out and younger athletes became the face of the league. It may not yet be able to compete with The NBA for recognizability, but this was definitely a great step forward.
I’ll start with my favorite moment from the three games I attended. Having spoken at Kobe Bryant’s funeral in this very building, Sabrina Ionescu (dubbed “The White Mamba”) proved in person why she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. As much as I remain skeptical of The New York Liberty as a great team, what ultimately impressed me was her hustle. The effort she put in to make every shot work leaves you invested in the game. The way she gets back up after being knocked down (and proceeding to make the three pointer seconds later) amazed me. While I wasn’t able to see her at one of those fabled triple-double games that she became known for, I was able to see The Cult of Sabrina™ in action. Not since I saw Luka Doncic last year have I seen a player from an away team so revered. People were donned in her Oregon Ducks gear, eagerly cheering her on. Given that she’s only in her third year AND has broken records for most triple-doubles in a season and overall only shows where things are going for her. The only conflict is that The Liberty aren’t quite top tier yet, though acquiring Stefanie Dolson was definitely a major step forward. Still, watching them royally lose games against The Aces (often by 30 point margins) was not that fun. While I’m talking about younger players, I would also like to recognize Rhyne Howard of The Atlanta Dream who had a fantastic rookie season and who I got to see in August.
The other big story was The Seattle Storm, who unfortunately didn’t make the finals. I say this because based on the way bracketing worked, they were eliminated in the semifinals in a match-up that was among the best games of the season. In one game alone, there were three lead changes in under five seconds with a final miss taking the game to overtime. With a team that included heavyweights like Breonna Stewart and Sue Bird, it’s easy to see what makes them so dominant. They have a force that is unmatched (save for Las Vegas), and you just love to watch them plow through competition. If there’s any other team to watch in 2023, I highly recommend keeping an eye on Seattle, who may have lost Bird at the end of a historic career but is left with more than enough to come back for a victory.
Speaking of. Bird returned to The WNBA after considering retiring last year. She returned and had an even more impressive season that left her on good turns. While it’s true that she lost her final regular season game, it was to a sold-out audience who cheered her on as she discussed how welcoming the league was, even suggesting that she was allowed to be herself via a story involving a local gay bar. She would eventually lose against The Aces in a hard fought match, but by then a home crowd yelling “Thank you Sue” was more than enough to suggest how grateful fans had been for her time. Sylvia Fowles of The Minnesota Lynx also retired after losing in a regular season game.
Another fun moment that I was privy to was the demise of Liz Cambage. As someone who attended three Sparks games, I will honestly say that I thought she was a great player. With some of the highest point percentages of the team, she seemed like everything was going well. Then suddenly, she had a “contract divorce” with Los Angeles following a game against The Aces where she said “I can’t do this anymore.” She left early, which lead to speculation on why. Some would argue the signs were always there, especially how she talked about the team during interviews and even her body language was hostile. She has claimed that she left the league to focus on “mental health,” though little is known about the story other than she has a history of being a difficult player to work with and maybe had a conflicting relationship with Nneka Ogwumike. The funniest part however is that her final home game with The Sparks was a camp day, which meant it was a lot of daycare camps in attendance and featured mascot Sparky’s birthday opposite The Kings' Bailey. I don’t know that this necessarily had anything to do with her departure (there was also talk of bad accommodations for the team while traveling), but the timing is silly.
Finally, there’s the team who did it all. At my first Sparks game, I saw them take on The Aces who in June were number one in the standings. It’s how they ended the season, and very much deserved. I remain a big fan of Kelsey Plum and think she’s done some amazing work. Her relaxed nature in interviews makes her even more likable and her work ethic shows. The fact that some facet of the team would win The Commissioner’s Cup, The Finals, and FIBA’s world tournament only showed how connected the team was. With A’ja Wilson winning MVP and Chelsey Gray Finals MVP, it was a season of highs for Las Vegas. Prior to this year, they hadn’t won a championship and now they were looking to be the most indomitable force in the league.
I would say a lot of that should be credited to how the team was ran. First time coach Becky Hammon made history as the first WNBA employee to win as both a player and coach, let alone the first time out. There was clearly a focus on what mattered and emphasized what made every player special. When some came up short, there was someone there to back them up. Wilson and Gray especially were dominant forces over the finals run, and it showed the value of teamwork and effort. This was the turnaround they needed, and one can only imagine how intimidating they will look next year when everyone tries to match their talent level.
Sure, there is some irony in watching The Aces leap forward with Gray when she was traded from The Sparks for Cambage a few years prior. Even then, watching a team I’ve enjoyed for two years now achieve their potential is exciting. Even as Plum seemed to live off cigars for the next few days, the victory lap was beautiful and showed what the league can be. In a year where athletes in every franchise went further, The Aces were pushing things forward in a way that showed promise for where things could go. While it’s unfortunate that they couldn’t play The Storm in the finals (sorry to Connecticut, but The Sun didn’t stand a chance), it still was a wild ride that hopefully marked an upswing for everything to follow.
As a whole, The WNBA had an amazing year that I hope made them more appreciated by fans old and new. Will The Cult of Sabrina™ continue to work dividends, and will she stand any chance against Breonna Stewart? Will Britney Griner ever get home? How about The Aces, will they make an impressive run and start one of the rare dynasties in the league? Or maybe The Sparks finding what they need in the wake of Cambage’s departure to come back stronger (I actually really like them so I hope it happens)? Given that this season saw some famous fans in attendance, it does feel like the league is continuing to grow and be respected by the public. I can only hope this continues because there are a lot of great players out there. They just need to be given their time to shine.
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