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The highly anticipated WNBA regular play debuts of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink and others proceed to make women's hoops a basking taxable successful nan sports world.
During nan latest version of "The Bill Simmons Podcast," former NBA hit writer and existent "House of Strauss" writer Ethan Strauss joined Simmons to stock immoderate of his ideas connected really nan WNBA tin build connected nan unprecedented liking successful its league.
Strauss suggested that 1 of nan WNBA's past shortcomings revolves astir really nan convention decided to marque its teams.
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A item of nan WNBA logo is seen connected a hoops during warmups betwixt nan Seattle Storm and nan Connecticut Sun astatine Climate Pledge Arena connected June 20, 2023 successful Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Strauss suggested that assigning names to WNBA franchises that are wholly abstracted from nan NBA squad that plays successful a fixed marketplace has been a disservice to nan fans and yet slowed nan maturation of master women's hoops successful the US.
WNBA SET TO HAVE FULL-TIME CHARTER FLIGHTS FOR TEAMS BEGINNING THIS SEASON
A position of nan Wilson shot earlier nan 2023 WNBA Draft connected April 10, 2023 astatine Spring Studios successful New York, New York. (Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images)
"The 1 point they should’ve done — and possibly there’s still clip to do it — that they didn’t do from nan outset is conscionable usage nan aforesaid squad names," Strauss said. "Like, why unit group to study astir nan Fever? Why not conscionable person nan ‘W Pacers’? I deliberation that makes it truthful overmuch easier to conscionable resonate and trim across."
"Like really successful college, really it will beryllium ‘the Lady Gamecocks,'" Simmons replied.
Strauss statement centered astir nan thought that since nan WNBA fundamentally operates arsenic a "subsidiary of nan NBA," nan convention needs to find ways to differentiate itself from nan men's league.
Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark, middle, poses pinch wide head Lin Dunn, left, and caput coach Christie Sides pursuing a WNBA hoops news conference, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, successful Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
It should beryllium noted that not each WNBA squad shares a metropolis aliases an ownership group pinch an NBA franchise. Five NBA teams ain an WNBA squad — nan Indiana Pacers (Indiana Fever), Minnesota Timberwolves (Minnesota Lynx), Washington Wizards (Washington Mystics), Brooklyn Nets (New York Liberty) and Phoenix Suns (Phoenix Mercury).
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In October, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced nan Golden State Warriors were awarded an description team. The franchise's inaugural play is scheduled to statesman successful 2025.
The caller squad will play its location games astatine nan Chase Center successful San Francisco but will beryllium headquartered astatine Golden State's erstwhile believe building successful Oakland. The sanction for nan caller franchise is still being finalized.
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Chantz Martin is simply a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
