Women’s basketball teams often practice against guys. Most of the guys who serve as practice cannon fodder don’t make the women feel “icked out.” But that’s how WNBA star Cameron Brink was left feeling after her team’s efforts to recruit practice players resulted in a bunch of ignorant sexually charged responses being posted online.
“Our new coach is going to be screaming at me for not rebounding. I’m not boxing out anyone,” Brink said on her “Straight to Cam” podcast.
The comment about box-outs made me think of my days as an aspiring competitive pick-up player at UVA, back in the early 1990s, in which I sometimes had the chance to play against members of those Debbie Ryan-coached Final Four teams.
I was actually able to worm my way into several games with members of the men’s and women’s teams, playing against women the likes of Dawn Staley, Heather and Heidi Burge and Dena Evans, all future pros.
I had to guard Evans in one game, which was when I learned how much better top women’s players are talent-wise relative to rando dudes.
I was only guarding her because I was the shortest player on my team, at 6’1”, and Evans was the shortest player on her team, at 5’4”.
She could also run circles around the quickest players in women’s college basketball at that time, and to be brutally honest, I wasn’t anywhere near the quickest guy even in a pick-up game with a bunch of other White-guy schlubs.
The guys on my team kept egging me on to post Evans up, and I eventually overcame the feeling that, OK, not fair, to post up the 5’4” player, even if she’s on scholarship, and I’m a constitutional-law major, and did, and hit a short jumper over her.
Evans, to say the least, was not happy with me for doing that, which she made clear as we made our way up the court, shouting several versions of the f-word at me as we made our way past the halfcourt line.
As it happens, as she was berating me, her team turned the ball over, and my guys were able to turn the opportunity into a fast break.
Evans didn’t wait for me to get back to the halfcourt line before she boxed me out harder than I’ve ever been boxed out in my life.
If I can say this gently, it hurt, really, really bad, and I should also add, there was nothing remotely sexual about any of that as far as I was concerned.
My thoughts at the moment were more about how it might have helped if I had been wearing a cup.
I was surprised later that the boys were still in one piece and apparent working order, is how the whole thing went down.
I’m writing this less for Cameron Brink than I am for the weird dudes who posted comments about trying to back down the WNBA players into the post and doing funny business with box-outs and screens.
I mean, I get it, beautiful, athletic women and all, but they’re pro athletes, and they will absolutely kick your ass even if you’re actually good.
If you’re just some schlub thinking you’ll get a cheap thrill, you’re literally putting your manhood in jeopardy, is how I can best put it.
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Chris Graham
