The purest of SBOTOP basketball fans won’t just be tuning in to Olympics 2024 and merely focusing their attention on the men’s games. Back in the day, maybe you could be forgiven for it, but not anymore.
Women’s basketball’s meteoric rise in the past year or so makes it near impossible for any serious sports junkies to ignore the phenomenon happening right in front of their eyes.
Now bigger and brighter than ever, the belles of basketball take the sporting world’s biggest stage and are about to show naysayers and non-believers what they have missed out on.
WNBA to flex its muscles
But even if they are the overwhelming favourites to take home the gold, it means not that their competition is a cakewalk by any chance.
Seven out of the 12 participating countries have active WNBA players on their respective rosters. This does not include those who have been drafted by the league in the past and now play in Europe or other parts of the globe.
This means competition at the highest level. Never mind the fact that the US women’s team haven’t lost in the Olympics since 1992 (against the now defunct Soviet Union), or that they have been World Champions nine times out of the last 12 tournaments.
Teams with WNBA calibre players will be at the forefront.
Ranked third in the world, Australia have seven WNBA players at their disposal—only team USA have more: Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb (Seattle), Alanna Smith (Minnesota), Rebecca Allen (Phoenix), Stephanie Talbot (Los Angeles), Kristy Wallace (Indiana), and Jade Melbourne (Washington).
This doesn’t include the Opals’ most famed player—who herself is a former three-time WNBA MVP, seven-time All-star, and two-time champion—Lauren Jackson.
The Olympics 2024 odds have Australia as the second favourites to win it all, albeit at a distance. They have faced the United States at the Olympic final three times in the past, and whilst they could only muster silver in those meetings, the 2006 World Cup winners are adamant about another shot at the coveted title.
After the Opals, Canada (Laeticia Amihere, Bridget Carleton, Aaliyah Edwards, and Kia Nurse) and Germany (Satou Sabally, Nyara Sabally, and Leonie Fiebich) also fancy a podium finish, with WNBA cagers leading their squads.
Much bigger than basketball
The WNBA’s impact on women’s basketball isn’t limited to the sport itself. The league and players alike are synonymous with change and have been agents for social equity in as much as they are sportspeople.
They are not afraid to voice out their concerns and use their platform for good. How often have we seen stories of them protesting and fighting for equal treatment?
But even if the league never attains the fame and success of the NBA, it still made significant advances and is now a vastly improved product from where it once was.
The arrival of phenoms such as Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark are great indicators because, for one thing, more will tune in. And if more people begin to watch, then their advocacies will go further than they could’ve ever dreamed of.
One of the league’s biggest calling cards is to push for women’s inclusivity and rights in sports.
This cause has been with the WNBA ever since, and I, for one, believe it’s the most important out of all the crosses they bear.
It is not limited to those in the United States; that is why it’s as important as it is. It resonates with young people to give it their all and achieve their aspirations, athletic dreams or otherwise.
Sure, it was disappointing when the Olympics 2024 news broke out that Caitlin Clark was not included in the women’s team.
One may be disappointed for basketball reasons, but I find it a missed chance for what her impact would be off the court.
She’s already a massive star and will only keep shining brighter for years to come. Now imagine the number of people whom she can inspire and help by simply putting the ball in the hoop? Lest we forget, more people tune in to the Olympic games than the WNBA. There’s a myriad of reasons why she wasn’t selected. Sure, they may be valid, but it’s a missed opportunity for a sport pushing to be at the forefront of success.
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