Evidently, a good jump shot and some serious rebounding skills are no longer enough for ballers. Female ones, anyway.

Concerned that the league's young players aren't getting the right kind of look off the court, the WNBA recently instituted classes to advise rookies on how to apply makeup and shop for fashionable clothes.

The course took up about a third of the two-day orientation, which also advised players on nutrition, media and finances. The league, whose attendance is still somewhat lagging in its 12th season, sees fashion as part of its marketing strategy. "It's all contributing to how to be a professional," said League President Donna Orender. "I do believe there's more focus on a woman's physical appearance."

Susan Ziegler, a Cleveland State professor of sports psychology says the WNBA seems to be becoming more image-conscious. "No. 1 is, of course, the need for the image of WNBA players to be seen as real women," Ziegler said. "That comes from the lesbian homophobia that surrounds women in sports in general."

Question raised: If you had the choice to watch hotties play a mediocre game of ball or plain-looking women play a great game of ball, which would you choose?