Curious comment post-game last night by Lisa Bluder: "Maybe the NCAA will realize that now. Maybe it will be brought to their attention, and they will start recognizing those women who played in the ’70s," Bluder continued. "Remember, they played with a larger basketball and no three-point line either."
AIAW - “They played with a larger basketball.”
- Thread starter AMAYS
- Start date
And I'm guessing the overall talent and skill across every college basketball team was no where near the level of today.
Maybe we need to measure the size of every player’s hands before we hand out these records. Surely there must be an advantage to bigger hands and longer fingers. And what about their shoe size. And let’s not forget the size of their behind that can be a huge advantage also, ask sir Charles.
My lord we can’t be handing out these records to frauds.
I was listening to a discussion suggesting lowering the rim in WNBA to enhance the viewer appeal. The women in the discussion hated this suggestion. Has there ever been discussion about going back to regulation size ball? The women in the discussion about lowering the rim were SO offended by the suggestion of changing it for women I wonder how they feel about the smaller ball.
It’s an interesting discussion. You’re right, it’s definitionally the same thing - their hands are smaller so they use a smaller ball. That’s no different than lowering the rim to account for the fact that they are shorter and can’t jump as high.
The only thing I can think of is that the smaller ball isn’t noticeable to the crowd whereas the lower rim would be pretty noticeable.
I get why they are offended by the suggestion but I think it would probably help them in the long run because being able to dunk would probably help showcase the athleticism of some of the players.
Astute comment by Bluder recognizing greatness that has been ignored by most. Caitlin also probably played in a lot more games, but comparing across generations is always difficult. Edit. Woodard actually played in more games than Caitlin has played, but clearly her statistics need to be recognized by the NCAA.
Last edited:
If womens basketball was not a sanctioned sport by the NCAA at that time, then why does the NCAA need to recognize it as one of its records?
Edit: From the responses, I obviously need to work on my communication skills. I wasn't trying to bring up the well-known fact of the change to the smaller ball. I was trying to suggest that it was odd, or curious, for Bluder of all people to say, after saying that Woodard had the real record before last night, that we should all remember that Woodard and the AIAW players played with a larger ball and no 3-point line. Is the import of what Bluder is saying that Clark had it easier with the smaller ball and 3-point line? Or that we should value the AIAW records above the NCAA records because they were earned under harder conditions? Or perhaps a new record book merging AIAW and NCAA players should identify the AIAW players and note they played with a bigger ball and no 3-point line?
Over the years, many WBB advocates have bristled when critics try to devalue WBB shooting accomplishments, highlighting the smaller ball. Bluder surely is familiar with this. So I thought it odd that Bluder would bring up the larger ball in the AIAW days. But it seems it struck me differently than other people.
I took it exactly as you did. Seems odd for Caitlin's coach to point out that Woodard had to get her points with a larger ball and no 3-pt line. Although Bluder didn't specifically say it, it points out also that Caitlin's accomplishment was achieved without having to deal with those disadvantages.
I don’t know, I mean reality is reality. I doubt many, CC in particular took offense!
How about having Victoria Secret models play in thongs and high heels using Fisher Price 5 ft goals. Add in halftime scissor show. That would be worth a watch boys!
Couple of thoughts
1. The only study that I've ever seen on the subject found that the smaller ball didn't affect FG%. Did find an effect on FT%. Presumably, it also facilitates ball handling, but that's me talking and not research.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. Guessing part of the reason Bluder came out so strong for AIAW (other than her playing career began under it)* could be Christine Grant. Grant was one of the founders of the AIAW and strongly opposed the NCAA taking over women's sports.
*For those who don't know, Bluder scored the first field goal in the history of CHA.
1. The only study that I've ever seen on the subject found that the smaller ball didn't affect FG%. Did find an effect on FT%. Presumably, it also facilitates ball handling, but that's me talking and not research.
The Effect of Introducing a Smaller and Lighter Basketball on Female Basketball Players’ Shot Accuracy
Our study examined whether the introduction of a smaller and lighter basketball (no. 6) affected the accuracy of female basketball players’ shots at the basket. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) introduced a size 6 ball in the 2004/2005 ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. Guessing part of the reason Bluder came out so strong for AIAW (other than her playing career began under it)* could be Christine Grant. Grant was one of the founders of the AIAW and strongly opposed the NCAA taking over women's sports.
NCAA News Archive - Grant carried on the 'idea' long after AIAW fell
Overview
ncaanewsarchive.s3.amazonaws.com
*For those who don't know, Bluder scored the first field goal in the history of CHA.
Then why does the NCAA recognize wins for coaches during that era in the all-time records?
Women's college basketball coaches with the most wins in DI
These are the DI women's basketball coaches with the most career wins, led by Stanford's Tara VanDerveer with 1,099.
www.ncaa.com
It probably shouldn't.Then why does the NCAA recognize wins for coaches during that era in the all-time records?
Women's college basketball coaches with the most wins in DI
These are the DI women's basketball coaches with the most career wins, led by Stanford's Tara VanDerveer with 1,099.
You mean because women aren't as physically strong as men and have smaller hands.
I think she was giving a nod to history and women who helped get the game to where it is today.
Equipment changes and improvements are common in sports history, When Nicklaus was in his prime hitting a 300 yard drive was an amazing achievement. Today, with better clubs, balls and physical fitness all playing a part, a 300 yd drive is ordinary.
It's like that in many, maybe most, sports. People with class understand and acknowledge it.
did Bluder play NCAA or AIAW? Don't feel like looking it up. There are other things that could be in records like coaches' wins etc.
I would move in the other direction. I think the NBA and NCAA should raise the rim to about 11-12'. The game has lost some of the skill and finesse because men are so huge today. The 10' basket was created when people averaged about 5'8"-5'10" not 6'10". I think raising it would bring skill back to the game.
Makes it easier to shoot, smaller ball has less possibility of hitting the rim, easier to get it into the hole.
They shorten t-boxes in golf and that is even more noticeable than lowering a rim. Doesn’t seem to be much outrage at that. Thoughts?
Yeah, I think it’s because at the time women were just happy to have an opportunity to play. Now it’s kind of a sensitive topic and a lot of women feel like they need to fight for more than just access but total equality. So I understand why some women bristle at the suggestion that they can’t do whatever men can do.
Personally I have sort of mixed thoughts on it. On one hand there are some sports where I think people overdid it by changing the sport for women. Like lacrosse for instance the women’s game is quite a bit different, presumably because they felt like the men’s game was too rough for women. I don’t know why girls play softball instead of baseball but I assume it was a similar thought process. To me those were unnecessary changes that I wish wouldn’t have happened.
On the other hand things like a smaller ball and lower rim, to me just makes sense based on basic physiological differences and if you don’t do it then it sort of ends up being a different game in some meaningful ways (no dunking, etc).
I did some market research and asked my wife about lowering the rim. She hated the idea. She said if anything raise the rim for men because for a lot of today’s players it’s not even a challenge to dunk.
Similar threads
