OK, I know this has been done before, but I thought I'd start some trouble on here. I'm going to use the area that I'm from, just because that's what I know best.

Let's say we for some god awful reason have a game between the WNBA Champion Seattle Storm and the Ironton Fighting Tigers Men's basketball team. The one from 2010, lost to Wheelersburg in the District final for Division III, not even the best team in the area for our division.

Who wins? And how much of the time?

I think we'd win quite a lot, honestly. I know that Chesapeake or Portsmouth would win quite regularly, and getting into the higher divisions the top teams the game wouldn't even be close.

<table class=" gSGTable" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="gSGRowEven">25</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Svetlana Abrosimova (FA) </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> F </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 6-2</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 169</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 07/09/1980</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Connecticut</td> <td class="gSGRowEven" align="center"> 9</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 10</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Sue Bird </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> G </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 5-9</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 150</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 10/16/1980</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Connecticut</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd" align="center"> 9</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 5</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Abby Bishop </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> F </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 6-3</td> <td class="gSGRowEven">
</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 11/29/1988</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Australia</td> <td class="gSGRowEven" align="center"> 1</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 2</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Swin Cash </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> F </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 6-1</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 162</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 09/22/1979</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Connecticut</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd" align="center"> 9</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowEven">
</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Aneika Henry </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> F </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 6-3</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 205</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 02/13/1986</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Florida</td> <td class="gSGRowEven" align="center"> R</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 15</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Lauren Jackson </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> F-C </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 6-5</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 187</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 05/11/1981</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Australia</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd" align="center"> 10</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 40</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Alison Lacey </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> G </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 6-0</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 155</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 12/26/1987</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Iowa State</td> <td class="gSGRowEven" align="center"> 1</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 20</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Camille Little </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> F </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 6-2</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 180</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 01/18/1985</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> North Carolina</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd" align="center"> 4</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowEven">
</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Bridgette Mitchell </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> F-G </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 6-0</td> <td class="gSGRowEven">
</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 10/21/1987</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Duke</td> <td class="gSGRowEven" align="center"> R</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowOdd">
</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Erin Phillips </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> G </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 5-8</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 165</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 05/19/1985</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Australia</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd" align="center"> 3</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 43</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Ashley Robinson (FA) </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> C </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 6-4</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 180</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 08/12/1982</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Tennessee</td> <td class="gSGRowEven" align="center"> 7</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowOdd">
</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Belinda Snell </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> G </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 5-11</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 165</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 01/10/1981</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Australia</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd" align="center"> 5</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 7</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Jana Vesela </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> F </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 6-3</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 195</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 12/31/1983</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> </td> <td class="gSGRowEven" align="center"> 1</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 34</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Le'coe Willingham </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> F </td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 6-0</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 200</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> 02/10/1981</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Auburn</td> <td class="gSGRowOdd" align="center"> 7</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 30</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Tanisha Wright </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> G </td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 5-11</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 165</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> 11/29/1983</td> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Penn State</td> <td class="gSGRowEven" align="center"> 6</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="25%">Geoff Delawder
</td> <td valign="top" width="19%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="25%">Malcolm Morton
</td> <td valign="top" width="19%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="25%">Nolan Johnson
</td> <td valign="top" width="19%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="25%">Travis Elliott
</td> <td valign="top" width="19%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="25%">Zac Carter
</td> <td valign="top" width="19%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="25%">Josh Murphy
</td> <td valign="top" width="19%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="25%">Josh Glover
</td> <td valign="top" width="19%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="25%">Trevor White
</td> <td valign="top" width="19%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="25%">Trey Fletcher
</td> <td valign="top" width="19%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="25%">Nick Culbertson
</td> <td valign="top" width="19%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td> <td valign="top" width="18%"> </td></tr></tbody></table>

WNBA.

Like you said, the bigger division schools could probably beat them semi consistently, but the smaller division schools probably couldn't.

At Xavier, the women used some guys as their scout team for practices. I hung out with two of the guys, both of whom played ball in high school and were really good. Both said that the girls were crazy good. Out of that women's team at Xavier...none went to the WNBA.

Basically, even though they are chicks, and watching their league is painful...they would beat even the best high school teams in Ohio (most years) 8 or 9 out of 10 times.

sherm03;739794 wrote:At Xavier, the women used some guys as their scout team for practices. I hung out with two of the guys, both of whom played ball in high school and were really good. Both said that the girls were crazy good. Out of that women's team at Xavier...none went to the WNBA.

Basically, even though they are chicks, and watching their league is painful...they would beat even the best high school teams in Ohio (most years) 8 or 9 out of 10 times.

I'm sure they'd beat little Division III Ironton quite a lot, but there's no way the winner of Division I in Ohio would lose to any WNBA team. They are just too big and athletic.

A buddy of mine was on the women's practice team at Duke for a couple years. He didn't do it past his sophomore year. When asked why, he said he was sick of getting worked by Ally Bailes in the paint, and having Alana Beard hit 19 foot step back jumpers in his eye all day.

We had a similar conversation, and he reiterated that he thought the women's teams in the top of NCAA and at WNBA level are better than any high school team in Ohio in most years, and would do very well against some college mens teams at the D3 level. Granted this was Duke when they were playing for national titles. Yet, it is still women's basketball.

tk421;739816 wrote:I'm sure they'd beat little Division III Ironton quite a lot, but there's no way the winner of Division I in Ohio would lose to any WNBA team. They are just too big and athletic.

Agree to disagree. Like I said, my buddies played with the Xavier women...none of whom made it to the WNBA. And the guys were very good in high school. And they got beat up every day by those girls.

Now if we're talking about mid-major men's college teams vs. a WNBA team, I would have a different stance. But a WNBA team would beat a boy's high school team almost every time.

I can't agree with that. Hell, we have the Ironton Classic down here every year and in 2010 we had Brooke Point VA, Campbell Memorial, Princeton, Arlington Country Day Fl, Taft, Our Savior New American NY, Huntington Prep WV. I think all of these teams would beat a WNBA team.

tk421;739832 wrote:I can't agree with that. Hell, we have the Ironton Classic down here every year and in 2010 we had Brooke Point VA, Campbell Memorial, Princeton, Arlington Country Day Fl, Taft, Our Savior New American NY, Huntington Prep WV. I think all of these teams would beat a WNBA team.

I didn't say you had to agree with it. That's why I said agree to disagree.

And for the record, I think a WNBA team beats every Ohio team you listed there without any issue. And beats the other teams 8 or 9 out of 10 times.

Well, OK. I'd very much love to see this kind of game one day, but doubt it'd happen. Maybe someone should get in Cuban's ear about setting up some kind of event like this.

Basketball has a strong mental aspect to it. Playing the chicks in most cases (depending on the difference in levels) the guys have the decisive physical advantage. Never the mental advantage. That goes to the ladies. Ladies can put sex aside and just play the game. When playing the ladies men can't put sex out of their minds. You will have those that reach for more than just the ball. And those trying to remain gentlemen losing aggression in going for the ball in fear of clipping a boob or ramming their but into a lady's crotch when boxing out.

majorspark;739865 wrote:Basketball has a strong mental aspect to it. Playing the chicks in most cases (depending on the difference in levels) the guys have the decisive physical advantage. Never the mental advantage. That goes to the ladies. Ladies can put sex aside and just play the game. When playing the ladies men can't put sex out of their minds. You will have those that reach for more than just the ball. And those trying to remain gentlemen losing aggression in going for the ball in fear of clipping a boob or ramming their but into a lady's crotch when boxing out.

I think that would be the case if it were high school boy playing against women. But I don't think too many adult men would do this, some, but a minority.


That being said, this is a pretty dumb question IMO. The WNBA champion would not only beat any high school boys team from Ohio, they'd crush them. These women are very athletic and experienced.

dwccrew;739925 wrote:I think that would be the case if it were high school boy playing against women. But I don't think too many adult men would do this, some, but a minority.


That being said, this is a pretty dumb question IMO. The WNBA champion would not only beat any high school boys team from Ohio, they'd crush them. These women are very athletic and experienced.

Oh these are high school teams? LOL

Yeah, no way a high school boys team comes within 30 points of a WNBA team. Come on, women's basketball is a joke, but they are still talented and grown unlike puny high school boys.

Now, most of the D1 COLLEGE men's basketball teams would probably beat the WNBA team 9 times out of 10, but high school? LOL

sleeper;739930 wrote:Oh these are high school teams? LOL

Yeah, no way a high school boys team comes within 30 points of a WNBA team. Come on, women's basketball is a joke, but they are still talented and grown unlike puny high school boys.

Now, most of the D1 COLLEGE men's basketball teams would probably beat the WNBA team 9 times out of 10, but high school? LOL

Yeah, he produced a high school roster and named off some high school teams. I agree with you, D1 men's teams would win majority of the time against WNBA, but high school boys? No way. Unless it was Akron SVSM when Lebron played there.

dwccrew;739933 wrote:Yeah, he produced a high school roster and named off some high school teams. I agree with you, D1 men's teams would win majority of the time against WNBA, but high school boys? No way. Unless it was Akron SVSM when Lebron played there.

I assumed he was talking about DIII colleges.

But yeah, I don't even think Lebron's SVSM team could beat a WNBA team. It would be closer, sure, but I think people don't understand the maturation and talent concentration that takes place in professional sports.

sleeper;739936 wrote:I assumed he was talking about DIII colleges.

But yeah, I don't even think Lebron's SVSM team could beat a WNBA team. It would be closer, sure, but I think people don't understand the maturation and talent concentration that takes place in professional sports.

You could be right. I think if someone was to make the ridiculous argument that a high school team could beat a WNBA team, the only one I'd agree with is a Lebron SVSM and even that would be a stretch, as you stated.

I hope you're being sarcastic. Those teams I named would crush the Storm, the WNBA champs. Take a look at their roster, the biggest player is 6'5'' not even 200 pounds. Even Division III Ironton has that size and probably out weighs them 30-40 pounds. They may have some skill positions that are better, but just on pure athleticism we'd wear them down. The teams I named from our classic would murder the women, it wouldn't be close. I don't care how good their fundamentals are, when the men have 6'8'', hell one of those teams had a 6'10 and 7'4'' the men would win just on size and athleticism.

tk421;739952 wrote:I hope you're being sarcastic. Those teams I named would crush the Storm, the WNBA champs. Take a look at their roster, the biggest player is 6'5'' not even 200 pounds. Even Division III Ironton has that size and probably out weighs them 30-40 pounds. They may have some skill positions that are better, but just on pure athleticism we'd wear them down. The teams I named from our classic would murder the women, it wouldn't be close. I don't care how good their fundamentals are, when the men have 6'8'', hell one of those teams had a 6'10 and 7'4'' the men would win just on size and athleticism.

Height and weight are often overrated in basketball(a common misconception from people who've never played or only think they know what they're talking about). These women in the WNBA are professionals and often are the cream of the crop of every woman who's ever touched a basketball. I don't have the statistics with me, but what like 10% of high school players play in college? .01% of them end up in the NBA? Same with women's basketball.

I'm aware that on average men would dominate women in every sport, but high school boys are not going to beat grown professional women and you can take that to the bank.

tk421;739952 wrote:I hope you're being sarcastic. Those teams I named would crush the Storm, the WNBA champs. Take a look at their roster, the biggest player is 6'5'' not even 200 pounds. Even Division III Ironton has that size and probably out weighs them 30-40 pounds. They may have some skill positions that are better, but just on pure athleticism we'd wear them down. The teams I named from our classic would murder the women, it wouldn't be close. I don't care how good their fundamentals are, when the men have 6'8'', hell one of those teams had a 6'10 and 7'4'' the men would win just on size and athleticism.

You say "we'd wear them down". Am I to take it that you are a high school basketball player or just a fan?

I was on the practice squad at my undergrad freshman year (Vanderbilt) - the women's team made the final 4. They would have likely beaten 4 of the 6 teams in the old SEOAL regularly (would have beat Jackson, Athens, Warren back when they were terrible and Logan, no way they would sniff Marietta or Gallia Academy). There is no way they would have beaten a regional tournament qualifying team (i.e. the sweet 16) at the D-III level in Ohio, and my old high school team would beat them regularly. All you needed was at least 2 or 3 guys that were 6'3" or taller that were the least bit athletic and they couldn't score or even get the ball inside. If it was a smaller team I can see the women's team winning easily. Their point guards and 2 guards (if athletic enough) would play for boys' teams no problem. The problem is that their inside players were incredibly slow, and they couldn't jump. The rebound edge was ridiculous, even with specific rules (they could box us out, we couldn't touch them).

I don't know about the WNBA, but two of the women on the team made it there - again the point guard was very, very equal with the guys. The small forward would get destroyed even by an average HS varsity player at the 3 position. She'd give up at least three inches, speed and strength. You can't make that up with fundamentals.

dwccrew;739925 wrote:I think that would be the case if it were high school boy playing against women. But I don't think too many adult men would do this, some, but a minority.

Hence my parentheses on the difference in levels. My experience coming from my high school coach having us scrimmage the girls. At higher level of ball men may be more mature and able to compartmentalize the sex issue. I am only speaking from my experience at the high school level. But I would not be suprrised if it would be a factor at high levels of play.

sleeper;739955 wrote:I'm aware that on average men would dominate women in every sport, but high school boys are not going to beat grown professional women and you can take that to the bank.

You can take track measurements and compare them to high school boys all of the time. Is that comparison fair? My sister was a state champ and I crushed what she did in the 8th grade.

"And for the record, I think a WNBA team beats every Ohio team you listed there without any issue. And beats the other teams 8 or 9 out of 10 times. "

I played against Rick Edwards at Chesapeake since we were 12 years old (I swear he was 6'6" even back then). He ended up at the University of Richmond, put on about 30 lbs of muscle and turned into a very, very solid power forward at a decent mid-major. He might have topped out at 6'8" (was probably listed at 6'9") and maybe 245 lbs. He was just ok in HS, a little awkward given that he grew so tall so quickly, but I can't imagine any woman even beginning to stop him when he filled out and got used to his size. He would average 40 points a game in the WNBA, he'd be Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain combined.

He was maybe the 4th best player for 'Peake back in the day - so yeah, I think a relatively small Ohio school would match up very well. If I were coaching the women's team I'd completely change the line-up, their best chance would be to play the quickest players regardless of their size. I think a team of the best 5 point guards in the WNBA would do much better against a men's team than the starting lineup of the WNBA champion.