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One of the most persistent criticisms of the WNBA is the lack of dunking — there have been fewer than 40 dunks in the league's nearly 30-year history — and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal tried to make his case for lowering the rim and thus increasing dunking personally to Chicago Sky star Angel Reese. But Reese isn't having it.
O'Neal, whose dunks were some of the most powerful and emphatic in the NBA, tried to lay out his case for why the WNBA to lower the rim from 10 feet, which is the same as the NBA.
“In women’s beach volleyball — let’s just say the net is 10 [feet for men], the women’s is just lower a little bit. I’m not saying to lower it to 9’5, but just a little bit, like 9’9,” O'Neal said.
Reese interjected: “Just so we can dunk?”
“Yes,” O'Neal replied.
“No,” Reese immediately responded. “I hate when men say that.”
Reese then asked O'Neal why more dunking would be helpful for the WNBA.
“We’ve got shooters, y'all got shooters,” O'Neal said. “Guys got some handles, girls got some handles. We’ve got this, we’ve got that. We’ve got s—t talkers, we’ve got brawls. The only thing that’s missing is the dunk.”
He also added that he'd be more inclined to watch with a “pretty girl dunking on the rim.”
While Reese laughed before saying “a man is not turned on by a woman that’s dunking,” O'Neal explained that the allure would not come from attraction necessarily, but from people seeing something they hadn't before.
WNBA popularity exploding despite 10-foot rim
The WNBA has been adamant about keeping the rim's height at 10 feet, the standard for all professional basketball competitions, and yet, there continues to be a vocal contingent of fans and supposed would-be fans who clamor for a shorter rim. Ultimately, the debate is likely endless for the league and its players.
Even with the 10-foot rim and limited dunking as a result, the WNBA experienced one of its most successful years in terms of TV ratings and general media attention this past season. Buoyed by a superstar rookie class led by Reese and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, the league's games were routinely watched by millions.
The WNBA experienced such an increase in success that the players, right after the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals, opted out of the collective bargaining agreement. Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) President Nneka Ogwumike said the decision was centered on “claiming our rightful share of the business we've built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today's players and the generations to come.”
A work stoppage looms if the players and owners cannot come to an agreement on a revised CBA by the end of next season. The players say they are seeking higher salaries — $252,400 was the league's largest salary this season — as well as “enhanced professional working conditions, expanded health benefits, and crucial investments needed for long-term growth.”
The 2025 WNBA season is expected to begin in May and will feature an increased number of games, in addition to the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals.
