Shaquille O’Neal is trying to convince WNBA players that lowering the height of the rim is the best thing for women’s basketball.
O’Neal was responding to Las Vegas Aces player A’ja Wilson, who made comments on the “Roommates Show,” a podcast featuring NBA players Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and host Matt Hillman.
Hart began the segment by asking the WNBA player what was the boldest piece of unsolicited advice she had ever received.
Wilson bluntly stated her entire feed and social media replies contain “that kind of advice.”
Seemingly unpleased with the online reactions, Wilson said to viewers, “Who asked you?”
Hillman then sparked the ubiquitous debate about lowering the rim for WNBA players, and although he did not specify by how much, most debates suggest anywhere from three inches to an entire foot.
Wilson completely disregarded any legitimacy to the argument.
“What is it really going to do for us?” she asked. “I would much rather just gear my offseason to, ‘OK, vertical, maxing it out, let’s focus on this jumping,'” she told the hosts.
“Versus lowering it an inch? That could change all of our shots. Do y’all not understand that?”
The Aces player did not seem to think that adding dunking to the women’s game is what audiences are looking for, warning that if she dunks in 2025, she better get a good reaction.
“You never know, next year I might dunk … y’all better go crazy,” she joked.
Wilson finished the segment by claiming, “Lowering the rim is just a very childish discussion.”
However, at least one NBA legend disagreed. Days later, Shaq turned to his Instagram page to directly address Wilson’s claims.
“60% of the fan[s] said Dunking [is] their favorite thing,” O’Neal wrote. “The WNBA has none of that. So they make much less money. Just trying to get you that 300 million dollars you deserve,” he added, before directly tagging Wilson’s profile.
WNBA legend Candace Parker replied to O’Neal’s post with “goodbye Shaq,” with O’Neal saying in response that ratings would “go through the roof” if dunking was added to the WNBA All-Star Game.
‘People always disrespect women regardless.’
This isn’t the first time O’Neal has suggested the height change, either. In October, the former Laker told WNBA player Angel Reese the women’s rim should be lowered by a few inches.
Reese immediately replied with, “I hate when men say that.”
Shaq then detailed the similarities between the two leagues but noted, “The only thing that’s missing is the dunk.”
Reese was not having the argument, however, and according to the Daily Mail, turned the discussion into a debate about sexism.
“People always disrespect women regardless. [They’re] always not gonna give us the same value as a man.”
While the debate subject seems to anger at least some of the WNBA’s most notable players, the key factor in the suggestion is figuring out how to generate more excitement for the league and, therefore, more revenue.
Even after its biggest season, the WNBA was estimated to have lost around $50 million, much more than it typically loses in a year. Many of the league’s players also seem unwilling to address the reality of their league being subsidized and that includes Wilson.
On the same podcast, Wilson blamed investors for not putting in enough money to help the league grow.
“If no one’s willing to invest, and like, truly invest, not just talk the talk but walk the walk as well, you’re never going to grow.”
She said the conversation players around her are continuously having is about finding investors who are going to “put their money where their mouth is,” instead of the typical platitudes and feigned interest.
Unfortunately for Wilson, disregarding suggestions, making demands, and playing identity politics while not generating revenue are exactly the types of things that result in undedicated investors.
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Fearless, Shaq, Wnba, Basketball, Nba, Women’s sports, Sports
