I became immersed into the game of women’s basketball during my sophomore year of college. Since then, my time in the women’s game has allowed me experiences and opportunities to evaluate talent at every level here in the US. The beauty of it all is that the game is growing so fast that I can’t keep up anymore. Basketball is growing exponentially at all levels, all over the world, and the talent pool is growing larger by the day as well.
I have watched women basketball players evolve quickly in the last decade. The younger players are bigger, faster, & stronger. They have access to tools and services that most professionals now, didn’t have as youth.
This current WNBA season I spent intimate time with one of the youngest team in WNBA History, the Dallas Wings. Dallas drafted 5 players in this year’s WNBA Draft, and surprisingly all 5 rookies survived training camp cuts for the same organization.
We all know that veterans are a commodity to any organization in the WNBA. It is almost an after-thought in decisions over rookies & vets. However, this class of rookies shattered the glass ceiling with 5 making the same roster. That says a lot about the talent coming out of college today. It seems as if the NCAAW is a doing a great job preparing its’ best players for immediate impact at the highest level.
The WNBA, like the NBA, is the pinnacle of basketball for female hoopers. There are only 144 total spots available in the WNBA, making the “W” one of the most exclusive professional sports league in the world.
It is an extremely difficult club to get into, and if the future looks anything like 17 year old sensation Nalyssa Smith. Or 15 year old sensation, Laeticia Amihere, it will be an extremely difficult club to stay in. Laeticia has amazing athleticism, and so does Nalyssa with a 6’3 frame and efficient guard skills. I am willing to bet my last dollar that they both will be followed by many with the same gifts. Nalyssa and Laeticia could be the beginning of a new era that will excite basketball fans across the globe.