Photo: John Mac/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0
This week’s take on Fun and Games
The WNBA has a serious decision to make:
What does it want to be when it grows up?
– A legitimate professional sports league that fans take serious and support…
Or,
Pro Wrestling?
This decision – legit professional sports league or pro wrestling – is likely to fall on whoever becomes the new commissioner (https://theloftusparty.com/2026/09/05/enes-kanter-spars-with-wnba-and-the-commish-taps-out/). In fact, the WNBA will tip its hand to how it’s leaning by whom it selects.
You see, a legitimate professional sports league would explicitly define itself as a league for women. Period.
Pro Wrestling would open the door to the full rainbow of genders, save perhaps cis males.
A legitimate sports league cracks down on inter-player hostility, especially if those hostilities give off the appearance of being race-motivated.
Pro Wrestling would not only tolerate, but would promote a Hatfield v McCoy culture of player infighting.
A legitimate pro sports league would not allow Michael Jordan to ride the bench or freeze him out of the action when he did play during the Olympics or any international competition.
Pro Wrestling would cherish the media attention and public outrage that would accompany a decision to bench or unfairly “mistreat” its star player.
Welcome to the WNBA crossroads.
For its first two decades of existence, the WNBA struggled financially and oftentimes found itself fighting for relevance, exposure, and popularity among sports fans.
The issue? Fans were used to seeing pro basketball played above the rim – by extraordinary athletes that could fly through the air and dunk over a forest of 7-footers. Michael Jordan anyone? The WNBA could never match that.
Then one day…fans discovered a different kind of wonder athlete. The sharp shooter. Mostly normal-sized individuals – think Steph Curry – who could slay goliath with wildly contested shots from as far out as half court. The fact that those dramatic flings count as 3-points, instead of two, only adds to the excitement.
Soon after, a female wonder athlete emerged – one who could also amaze with her incredible shooting boldness and accuracy. Others began to emulate her and suddenly the added element of landing the difficult 3-pointer started to turn women’s basketball into serious entertainment.
TV ratings surged. Arenas sold out. And overnight the WNBA became relevant.
But then something fascinating happened. Rather than embrace and treasure the player most responsible for this sudden wave of WNBA enthusiasm, it became hip to tear her down. Players took cheap shots. Coaches benched her and said nothing when teammates refused to pass her the ball. Refs blew quick whistles to assess both common and technical fouls, while swallowing their whistles whenever she was aggressively defended.
The league’s lack of action has created a side circus. Instead of just enjoying the sport as entertainment, fans now have to pick sides. The white privileged Christian girl, or the rest of the league and its many players who appear resentful of her popularity and fame.
In other words, the WNBA is becoming pro wrestling.
It’s sad to watch. Here’s to hoping someone can prevent it before it’s too late. Perhaps it’ll be the new commissioner. Fact is, it’ll take amazing leadership and courage to stand up against the “mob”, which apparently would rather condemn the heroin than celebrate her.
But the decision is clear. Legit pro league. Or Big Time Wrestling? Skilled and serious, or knees to the throat off the turnbuckle?
The sporting world anxiously awaits.
UPDATE: Last week’s Fun and Games (https://theloftusparty.com/2026/10/01/fun-and-games-touchdown-celebrations-and-beer-commercials-oh-the-madness/) reported on the NFL’s fine of San Francisco 49er running back Kyle Juszczyk for making a gesture it deemed offensive because it resembled chugging a beer. The NFL never responded to TLP’s inquiry, but it did announce this week it has withdrawn its $14,926 fine levied against Juszczyk.
