Shaq floats controversial idea to increase WNBA viewers, salaries: 'Nobody is going to like my solution'
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Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal came up with a different way for the WNBA to bring in viewers, and it has something to do with changing some of the on-court regulations.
O’Neal appeared on Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese’s podcast, “Unapologetically Angel,” on Thursday. He floated the solution as a way to also increase player salaries. He immediately couched before he got into it, saying “nobody is going to like my solution.”
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Shaquille O’Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston on June 6, 2024. (David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)
“So, let me explain why I came up with this solution first,” the Los Angeles Lakers legend said. “In women’s beach volleyball, let’s just say the net is 10 (feet), for women it’s lower just a little bit. I’m not saying lowering it to 9.5, just 9.9.”
He added that the major difference between the NBA and WNBA is the amount of dunking. Though, in the WNBA game, players like Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, Brittney Griner and Jonquel Jones have all dunked in a game.
“Watch, we got shooters, y’all got shooters, oh guys got some handles, girls got some handles, oh we got this, we got that, we got s— talkers, we got brawls, the only thing that’s missing is the dunk.
Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, #42, dunks the ball against the Chicago Sky during game two of the WNBA Finals at US Airways Center in Phoenix on Sept. 9, 2014. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
“Bro, first of all, I like how y’all are starting to get into fashion. Bro, a pretty girl dunking on the rim, I’m watching that all day.”
Reese pushed back, saying she did not believe women dunking was going to make much of a difference and hated “when men say that.”
O’Neal said people would tune in to watch things they have never seen before and underscored the point of people watching Caitlin Clark because nobody can shoot 3-pointers from the logo at will like she can.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, #5, looks to pass the ball against the Las Vegas Aces during the first half at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Aug. 25, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)
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“I feel like it still wouldn’t be good enough, it’s never good enough,” Reese said. “People always disrespect women regardless; they are always going to not give us the same value as a man. So I don’t think that.”
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