[StanFanFam13]

I know we're all fans of this team—that's what brings us to this board. And I also understand that fandom does not preclude criticism; I enjoy and have learned much from the healthy exchange here about players' strengths and weaknesses, the strategy behind coaching decisions, etc. I think it's entirely appropriate to point out failings and probe the judgment of others, including the players and Tara.

I was also screaming at my screen in frustration last night as shots didn't fall, no one could get into the paint, and the lead dwindled, giving me terrible deja vu and bringing back memories of many an ugly contest between those two teams. I wish the team had played with more fire in the second half and particularly the final quarter, and I'm afraid I don't know the magic solution (although I appreciated many of the points that 81alum made).

However, as fans of a women's sport that has struggled mightily to establish credibility and popularity compared to men, I think we can all do better than reverting to gendered stereotyping when discussing this team. They don't have "killer instinct"? Fine. Perhaps it is a coaching decision, the individual or collective tendencies of players, or particular matchups that put them in a funk or contribute to what we saw last night.

I'm not attributing mal-intent, but posts suggesting that there's something inherently female about lacking a "killer instinct" or dismissing the toughness of some of our most impressive players by using words like "sweetheart" and "prom date" are, I think, unproductive. I recommend using specific language that focuses on traits relevant to basketball—how hard they work, how aggressive they are—which is both more helpful to the discussion and more respectful of the players. Thanks all.

[StanFanFam13]

I know we're all fans of this team—that's what brings us to this board. And I also understand that fandom does not preclude criticism; I enjoy and have learned much from the healthy exchange here about players' strengths and weaknesses, the strategy behind coaching decisions, etc. I think it's entirely appropriate to point out failings and probe the judgment of others, including the players and Tara.

I was also screaming at my screen in frustration last night as shots didn't fall, no one could get into the paint, and the lead dwindled, giving me terrible deja vu and bringing back memories of many an ugly contest between those two teams. I wish the team had played with more fire in the second half and particularly the final quarter, and I'm afraid I don't know the magic solution (although I appreciated many of the points that 81alum made).

However, as fans of a women's sport that has struggled mightily to establish credibility and popularity compared to men, I think we can all do better than reverting to gendered stereotyping when discussing this team. They don't have "killer instinct"? Fine. Perhaps it is a coaching decision, the individual or collective tendencies of players, or particular matchups that put them in a funk or contribute to what we saw last night.

I'm not attributing mal-intent, but posts suggesting that there's something inherently female about lacking a "killer instinct" or dismissing the toughness of some of our most impressive players by using words like "sweetheart" and "prom date" are, I think, unproductive. I recommend using specific language that focuses on traits relevant to basketball—how hard they work, how aggressive they are—which is both more helpful to the discussion and more respectful of the players. Thanks all.