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In the U.S., women's basketball struggles to attract interest.
Despite the fact that women's teams have loyal fans, skilled coaches and talented athletes -- who are also intelligent and well spoken -- there exists a gap between the men's and women's popularity, prestige and salaries. To survive, and more importantly, to become competitive with men's basketball, women's basketball must increase its exposure and revenue at all levels.
But that won't happen if things stay the same. Change could bring about a revival, or a new birth, for the women's game, something akin to what's happening to women's tennis. As the Fab Five of Michigan University modernized and changed the men's college game with their long, baggy shorts, their fresh, cocky attitude, and their flashy game, so too must women modernize and change their game by distinguishing themselves, and their appearance, from the men.
Right now, these talented, athletic women are imitating the men in the wrong manner, while ignoring what men do that works -- and pushing aside the crucial fact that they truly are women.
Today, women's basketball players walk on the court wearing men's basketball uniforms: baggy shorts, and loose, ill-fitting tank tops. There appears to be an unspoken agreement that if women who play basketball show their beauty, they are not truly athletes. The players emulate the appearance of men, blurring into the men's image so that to many sports fans, the women's game becomes little more than an inferior and boring minor league.
For most basketball fans the choice between watching the L.A. Lakers and the Sacramento Kings versus the L.A. Sparks and the Sacramento Monarchs is an easy one. The men win out. Attendance proves it. Ratings prove it. Sports talk, on the air and off, proves it.
Since women will never be as fast, as tall, or as strong as men, what will make fans choose the WNBA over the NBA (or at least go 50-50)?
Here's a thought: Women should display their differences and celebrate them. Female athletes should not strive to imitate men's sports in all aspects, and they certainly they should not sacrifice their femininity. If the attitude is, 'I can let my hair go, leave the makeup behind and dress in a guy's uniform,' then male sports will dominate, as it now does. If women showcase their beauty and their personalities alongside their skill, then women's sports can succeed. A proven example of this is Anna Kournikova, at one time the eighth-ranked singles player and first-ranked doubles player in the world. She went from being the youngest women's player to reach the Wimbledon final into a complete athletic collapse. But despite the fact that Kournikova has never won a WTA tennis tournament, her popularity has reached unparalleled heights, and she is one of the top three most recognizable female tennis players. Her matches sell out, her endorsement list expands, and she has become an icon in the tennis and modeling arenas. She has shown that the proper balance of skill, personality and image can maintain popularity and income even when skills have declined.
In any NBA locker room, men groom themselves before taking the floor, for the NBA is not only about skill, it's also a stage where style, exces, and controversy is sold. Dennis Rodman, Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson are among the elite of men's professional athletes who sell their talent along with their personality. Tim Duncan is a better player than any of the three, but his low-key style has created the lowest profile of any elite NBA player.
High-profile males accentuate their status with accessories from tattoos and hair dye to headbands, armbands and flashy pieces of jewelry. They sell their virility, sexuality, prowess and athleticism -- and the public is buying.
Women hide their femininity and sexuality, and blend in with their peers, and emphasize only their strength and athleticism. And the public is unimpressed.
In postgame press conferences, male athletes wear designer suits and makeup, and bring to the stage the same act they sell during competition. Female athletes, though, generally don't have an act to sell, and are afraid to use their beauty as part of their appeal as athletes.
The main reason for this attitude is that female athletes want to be taken seriously as athletes, and they are fearful that using their sexuality to enhance their image will somehow sully their achievements. At the same time, though, they want the respect, pay and coverage that men's sports generate. But since they can't deliver the same electric athleticism on the court (or at least, not as consistently), one way to accomplish reach those goals is by affirming that they are beautiful, athletic women. Shorten the shorts (as the men once wore them), tighten the tank tops, comb the hair, flash the jewelry, and then let the personality shine.
The WNBA has taken its first step in this direction. For the 2003 season, the league has issued uniforms designed specifically for women. This is a good move. Why should women do what the men do? Why shouldn't they have their own uniforms, designed for them? It's long past time for women to break from the traditional, submissive role that society has come to expect of them.
Venus and Serena Williams are perfect examples. They are great athletes, but they are also proud of their bodies -- and they're not afraid to show them off. Why should basketball players be any different? The Williams' sisters, with completely different body builds and looks, showcase their grace, beauty, and attractiveness on the court along with their power, strength and speed. They do not hide their femininity, they glory in it.
Women's basketball players should look at their sisters in sport -- and learn.
6/4/03
