Summer, I’m afraid, is officially over. Sigh. This summer felt exceptionally, well, summery — spent time at the beach, read a lot of really good books, grilled some good food, and watched a lot of sports. The Olympics, obviously, were a highpoint, especially for the American women, whose medal haul basically made them a top three country. Team efforts like rugby, basketball, and soccer, individual achievements by Simone Biles, Gabby Thomas, and Katie Ledecky — I honestly cannot remember the last time I felt so red, white, and blue.
I shook off my post-Olympic misery with a trip to the U.S. Open, my favorite of all big sporting events. I took in four matches, with Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng, Paula Bardosa, Emma Navarro, and eventual men’s finalist Taylor Fritz winning the day. I sipped a few of the famous honey deuces, donned the required hat, and ate a lobster roll in the sun next to Champions Gate. It felt like the perfect way to transition to all things September, and with it, all things fall.
But perhaps nothing has been more consistently riveting over the last few months than the WNBA. I sat high up in Barclays for the home opener of the Liberty, watching them pretty much demolish the Indiana Fever, who hadn’t yet found footing behind rock star rookie Caitlin Clark. Seeing Clark was, in a word, thrilling. The logo-threes that defy all common sense, the fierce defense, the passion for winning that she wears on her sleeve, and the ridiculous number of celebrities — Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Billie Jean King, Jason Sudekis — who sit courtside to cheer her.
That game foreshadowed what was to come, as fans filled arenas, players took up lots of space on television and social media, and a rather heated debate regarding Clark and fellow standout rookie Angel Reese unfolded, a debate inarguably blemished with racist overtones but also with legit deliberations over the various records the two players devoured, prompting heated conversations about the role of a guard versus a forward, rebounds versus assists.
Clark, of course, nabbed Rookie of the Year — a unanimous vote by the Associated Press, just one more accolade to add to the long list she already totes around. But it is A’ja Wilson, the towering (she’s 6-foot-4, in case you were wondering) Las Vegas center, who grabbed Player of the Year, joining a very short list — Lauren Jackson, Sheryl Swoopes, and Lisa Leslie — of women who can say that three times over.
The WNBA’s unprecedented season largely came at the hands of Clark — of that there can really be no doubt. But Wilson is not one to be overshadowed by anything or anyone. She led the WNBA this year in scoring, blocks, win shares, and player efficiency rating, putting up the highest ever scoring average in WNBA history. And this while winning her second gold medal in Paris. Not too shabby.
My advice for getting fall off to a good start? Watch the WNBA playoffs. Yes, yes, you can watch football too — it doesn’t have to be an either/or, a this or that. But seeing the Dream battle the Liberty, the Sun beat down Clark’s Fever, and Queen Wilson throw up 21 points to take the Aces past the Storm? It got my fall off to a great start.
Amy Bass is professor of sport studies and chair of the division of social science and communication at Manhattanville University. Bass is the author of ONE GOAL: A COACH, A TEAM, AND THE GAME THAT BROUGHT A DIVDED TOWN TOGETHER, among other titles. In 2012, she won an Emmy for her work with NBC Olympic Sports on the London Olympic Games.
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