Take the W out, and Tuesday night’s brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills could have turned into a referendum on everything wrong with pro basketball.
After all, a coach shoved a star player. That player’s teammate then punched the coach. Meanwhile, a star on the other team got injured and was carried off in a wheelchair. The fight itself was partly instigated by the biggest young star in the game. And all of it took place on national television.
Think of it this way: what would the reaction have been if, during a Heat/Cavaliers game, LeBron James started a fight with another player, which then escalated into Mike Brown shoving Dwyane Wade to the ground, Udonis Haslem in turn then punching Mike Brown in the back of the head, and Shawn Marion hurting his knee while trying to break things up?
Apocalyptic would not begin to describe it. And yet, when one includes the W, Tuesday night’s fight becomes almost a good thing; something that can help build the awareness of the league. After all, it is not often that a WNBA highlight makes the first half hour of SportsCenter.
For minor leagues like the WNBA, any news is good news. And if that news involves Candace Parker starting a fight, Rick Mahorn shoving Lisa Leslie, and Cheryl Ford leaving in a wheelchair, so be it. Recognition is recognition.
Leslie herself said after the game that the fight was not the way the WNBA wanted to get attention. The league is extremely family friendly, and players brawling does not mesh with that image. Still, if the WNBA ever wants to rise out of the ratings and attendance basement, getting the attention of the casual fan — regardless of how its done — can only help.
Having Parker front and center, even if it dents her clean cut image, is even better. Parker has been in the news multiple times this season — for her great debut, her two dunks and now for the fight. Getting her name out there repeatedly will only increase her recognition among casual sports fans. The average Joe Schmo now knows Parker can dunk and fight, two qualities not previously attributed to a WNBA player.
In a way, Parker has gained a sort of sports ‘street cred’; David Stern may not want to admit it, but fights in the NBA are fairly popular, at least if one judges from YouTube searches. A fighting, dunking WNBA player may be able to get the respect of a few fans who might otherwise ignore her existence.
Street cred or no, it remains to be seen whether the fight will make more viewers willing to watch a WNBA game. For most casual sports fans, the fight was a mere curiosity, and yet another reason to poke fun at women’s basketball. Commenters on various websites may say “I might have to tune into a WNBA game now,” but that is more sarcasm than anything.
If the Sparks and Shock, two of the better teams in the league, happen to meet in the WNBA Finals, the fight could result in more viewers sampling the series. Of course, by October, when the WNBA Finals are set to begin, the fight will be a distant memory.
For now, the WNBA finds itself in a rare position. In the morning, highlights of the fight will be all over SportsCenter and ESPNews, with headlines on some of the major sports sites. For better or worse, a league desperate for attention has become relevant — at least one night, and for all the wrong reasons.
