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?
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Wednesday 11 June
By kindsister
Let the women play ball! As soon as one thinks women have finally been accepted for being world class athletes, you hear this. I would certainly rather just watch the fantastic game playing. They are there because they are the best & the games show it. objectifing them to be"real women" is insulting! Of course they are real women! How far will we ever go with old fashioned ideas of womanhood? Real women do anything they want to do in life, otherwise, we may as well be 1958! If they want to be girly, let them, if they want to simply BE, let them!
How backward this all is, the only way WNBA can survive is if they become fantasy fodder for a few men that can't see it any other way? I don't know any men that will watch more, to see if someone can play without ruining thier makeup!
Welcome to the "new" millenium!
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Wednesday 11 June
By misanthropegirl
I'd like to be a fly on the wall in that class.
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Friday 13 June
By Anon
Give me a break!
Girly-girl stuff in the WNBA is ridiculous.
Try some classes on subjects that are important & close to the hearts of WNBA players, such as where to go for same-sex marriage, better cunnilingus techniques & how to break the news to Mom & Dad that your "roommate" is actually your lesbian lover.
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Saturday 14 June
By calistud4fem
you're kidding, this is one of the most stupidest articles and rules for the wnba I ever heard, do they even realize that most girls who play sports extremely well are naturally tomboyish, I know most of these women are not going to apply makeup or wear their hair sexy etc etc and why should they? I think its sad in this day and age we have to resort to this crap in order to gain more fans, screw it , it's not worth it. Some of these women may naturally want to sport a more masculine look so let them, the only thing we should be concerned about is them playing good ball dammit
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Sunday 15 June
By Pete
The WNBA is a sub-standard product that would have closed down years ago if not for the money that the NBA pumps into it every year. Sorry, but it's true. If they wanted to raise rating then they could have a mediocre game played by hotter women. Female tennis, gymnastics, and volleyball are the highest rated women sports for a reason.
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