The WNBA, Women’s National Basketball Association is composed of 12 teams, that was founded in 1996 as the female counterpart to the NBA and has its first season in 1997, and now they are getting the attention they deserve.
On May 18, I attended my first WNBA game in Arlington, TX to watch the Dallas Wings vs. the Chicago Sky. It appeared that the current city I live in was playing the game against the city I was born and raised in… A virtual tale of two cities played out on the court. Although the Wings outscored the Sky in the first half, the Sky came back in the second half to win it all 83-74.
If you’re coming to this article to read stats about the game or for me to talk about the hype that has surrounded the WNBA you are in the wrong place. Yet what I will tell you is how yours truly who knows nothing, okay not nothing, but I don’t know much about the game of basketball, yet I knew after attending one WNBA game I am truly a fan.
Yes, there has been a lot of hype around the game, and I will continuously say if you have never been to a WNBA game you are missing something amazing. Just to see the energy of the crowd and just to see these young ladies truly excel in their sport. The excitement that surrounds a packed arena full of women, little girls and fellas that are into the thrill of the game. I’m not sure if it was the shorter quarters, or the fact that I’ve heard so much about the women of the WNBA, but I quickly understood the assignment.
Especially as the Sky’s Marina Mabrey was throwing passes from across the court, Angel Reese was rebounding, hitting free-throws, and doing layups. From the start you could tell, when the Wings were leading the Sky 42 -30, they might have given up after the halftime lead. Yet the Sky game back with hustle and the Wings lead dwindled to the Sky win and showed the tenacity of the players that would never give in, with each player on the Wings squad scoring double digit points to seal the win.
From the Wings’ Maddy Siegrist that came off the bench to play that hadn’t had the opportunity to until other injured players had to be sidelined. To the Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale, as the leading scorer of the game racked up an amazing 35 points. Everyone stepped up and played their soles out. To see the dedication and teamwork, you see the high level in which these women play and more importantly how women need to back women in professional sports.
Within two hours and four seconds, I became a fan of the WNBA!!!