Spotlight on the WNBA

by EditorOne

What is the WNBA?
It’s quite astounding to consider that 20 years ago, the WNBA didn’t even exist. Founded on April 24, 1996, the Women’s National Basketball Association has offered a platform for sensational female basketball players ever since. 12 teams based across the United States now hotly contest the WNBA league from June ‘til September, with climactic season finales taking place every October.
Canada’s shining double All Star
Perhaps the greatest female player ever to have come out of Canada, Tammy Sutton-Brown was a game-changing presence in the WNBA for over ten years from 2001 to 2012. Playing a commanding role as a centre at the Charlotte Sting until 2007 and the Indiana Fever thereafter, Sutton-Brown was an intimidating and at times insurmountable obstacle to her opponents, becoming the Charlotte Sting’s leading blocker of all time. 6 foot, 4 inches tall Tammy ended a glittering career which saw her twice named an All Star with the WNBA Championship victory that had eluded her for a decade. It’s players like this lady who’ve started causing basketball fans to not just look up the NBA odds, results and stats, but also all the latest on the WNBA.
Flying the Maple Leaf in the WNBA
Tammy Sutton-Brown is not the only Canadian woman to fly the flag for Canada in the WNBA. The US-based league has become a breeding ground for the very best talent in women’s basketball world-wide, and Canada can count a number of its best basketball players amongst the international stars playing key roles in the WNBA. Leading lights have included Jordan Adams, Kelly Boucher, Stacey Dales and Amber Hall.
The Three to See in 2013 and beyond
Recent seasons have seen a ‘changing of the guard’ taking place in the NBA, with the rookies who first shot to prominence during the league’s formative years finally running out of steam and leaving the court. A trio of exceptional players have since emerged as the key talents in the western hemisphere, after the 2013 WNBA Draft wowed commentators with its rich supply of talented players.
The draft was the first to be televised in prime-time on ESPN, and there couldn’t have been a better season for this first exposure. Baylor University’s Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne of Delaware and Notre Dame All American Skylar Diggins stood out as the top three picks from a talented field.