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WBB: Tara on the Women's Game - Printable Version

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WBB: Tara on the Women's Game - 81alum - 03-27-2021

In the S16 press conference (posted elsewhere) Jacob Rayburn asked about the hand-checking by Oklahoma State that helped them.  I found Tara's reply very illuminating since it comes close to summarizing her philosophy of what makes WBB beautiful.  I post a new thread NOT to focus on hand checking or the Oklahoma State game, but to focus on something that was embedded in her answer:

Tara: "I'm a fan of aggressive play, but I think it is a problem when all season long hand checking is supposed to be called and when we get to the tournament all of a sudden there are different rules.  I think it should be consistent from the season to the tournament.  I am in favor of aggressive play but I think that overly physical play--and I am not saying that that game was overly physical--but I have seem some games that I think are--an overly physical game takes away from the strength of women's basketball which is our athleticism, our fluidity of the game--what I call beautiful basketball.  If you are allowing defenses to cling on you, and body you, and people are flying all over the court, then I think that's a problem."

I have heard Tara say similar things before.  I agree with her, and reflect on how her views mirror recent developments in feminism--in which equality is not always thought to be achieved simply by equivalency with men, but by giving equal value to uniquely female strengths and characteristics.

So I wonder how the rest of the WBB fans feel.  Do you like WBB because it can be a "beautiful game" that has characteristics that the men's game might lack--Tara mentions fluidity--or do you like it in the same way you like MBB, and for the same reasons?

RE: WBB: Tara on the Women's Game - petersalas - 03-27-2021

I do tend to agree that there is more physical play in the tournament but it’s disappointing when it’s not called the same for both teams. There are several games that come to mind that I think determined the outcome of the game... Stanford vs Old Dominion, Stanford vs Texas A & M and Stanford vs Michigan State... I’m sure there are more but these are the one I can think of at the moment.. I just hope that the team plays their best and doesn’t get in a position to allow the refs to have an impact in the games...

RE: WBB: Tara on the Women's Game - Goose - 03-27-2021

(03-27-2021, 06:15 AM)81alum Wrote:  ara: "I'm a fan of aggressive play, but I think it is a problem when all season long hand checking is supposed to be called and when we get to the tournament all of a sudden there are different rules.  I think it should be consistent from the season to the tournament.  I am in favor of aggressive play but I think that overly physical play--and I am not saying that that game was overly physical--but I have seem some games that I think are--an overly physical game takes away from the strength of women's basketball which is our athleticism, our fluidity of the game--what I call beautiful basketball.  If you are allowing defenses to cling on you, and body you, and people are flying all over the court, then I think that's a problem."


I have heard Tara say similar things before.  I agree with her, and reflect on how her views mirror recent developments in feminism--in which equality is not always thought to be achieved simply by equivalency with men, but by giving equal value to uniquely female strengths and characteristics.



So I wonder how the rest of the WBB fans feel.  Do you like WBB because it can be a "beautiful game" that has characteristics that the men's game might lack--Tara mentions fluidity--or do you like it in the same way you like MBB, and for the same reasons?
I actually don't agree that "beautiful basketball" is "feminine". Men can and did play that game until the professional game pushed the envelope towards a style of play that is much more physical and frankly I believe outside of the rules. The refs let them play, partly because the game became so fast that it is impossible to see all the fouls and if they tried to actually enforce the rules it would be a whistle fest. Palming the ball, as many steps as you need to take, etc. The advent of "positionless" basketball and the ability to shoot from very long range will continue to change the men's game, possibly back towards the "beautiful basketball" Tara cites, but it has a very long way to go. Meanwhile, as the women continue to get bigger, stronger and faster due to their adaptation to the game, their game will become more like the men's game IMHO, and that isn't necessarily a good thing.

RE: WBB: Tara on the Women's Game - PVTree - 03-27-2021

I actually like that the refs "let them play" moreso in the tourney than the regular season. Perhaps it's because I notice it more when a ticky-tack foul is called on Stanford than the opponent, but I think we are likely to get more of those fouls called against us than in our favor.

If opponents want to play rough, we need to be able to play rough also (as Tara had said, leave the "nice girls from Stanford" persona).

RE: WBB: Tara on the Women's Game - BobK - 03-27-2021

I Think and have for years play by the rukes. The refs are human like the players so they miss some but to change the rules is stupid. Like Eric Gregg changing the strike zone in the World Series. Terrible and no one except Greg Maddox liked it.
The rules are the rules period

RE: WBB: Tara on the Women's Game - Goose - 03-27-2021

(03-27-2021, 02:44 PM)BobK Wrote:  I Think and have for years play by the rukes. The refs are human like the players so they miss some but to change the rules is stupid.  Like Eric Gregg changing the strike zone in the World Series.  Terrible and no one except Greg Maddox liked it.
The rules are the rules period
Amen! Unfortunately, even during the regular season many rules are only rules occasionally.

RE: WBB: Tara on the Women's Game - WBB fan - 03-27-2021

(03-27-2021, 02:44 PM)BobK Wrote:  I Think and have for years play by the rukes. The refs are human like the players so they miss some but to change the rules is stupid.  Like Eric Gregg changing the strike zone in the World Series.  Terrible and no one except Greg Maddox liked it.
The rules are the rules period

Totally agree. If you have rules, enforce them, play by them, and then everyone will know what they can and can't do. Otherwise, it's a guessing game.