Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 17, 2002)
may 17.2002« y limited experience with women’s basketball begins with memories of my friend and me tormenting our teammate in the sixth grade for being the first to have to wear a bra. W hile the poor girl would go in for a layup, we would be snickering about her over-the-shoulder-houlder -holder. In time, the discussions became much more mature, like in college when my } sports geek co- workers and I conversed about the fundamental differences between women’s and men’s basketball strategy and the one Portland Power game I saw where another friend and 1 decided which players to have crushes on. Beyond that classic pastime at any women’s sporting event, with the help of Fire fan extraordinaire Esther Moe and the W N BA Web site, we’ve found 10 basics any decent spectator should know about women’s basketball J ust Outs sports lezzie OEEERS IO TIPS EOR THE ® Although a women’s basketball . game officially has only two 20- minute periods (halves), with full timeouts, short timeouts, media time outs, halftime, possible overtime and other clock-stopping plays (foul shots, etc.), be prepared to spend at least an hour and a half at courtside. (This offers ample time to decide which players to have a crush on.) ( z Women’s halls are smaller than men’s— usually by an inch or more. The W NBA uses the same “small balls” as BASKETBALL-CHALLENGED BT ÎIÇLISSfi S flY ltP N CA A teams— between 28.5 and 29 inches in diameter. Smaller hands, smaller balls. seconds to get over that half-court line and has 30 seconds to get a shot off. 6 for the referees to handle fouls and, of course, refs are human and what they see and hear is often subjective. For th e specifics please see www.wnba.com/ analysis/wnba_rules_regulations.html or just yell “booooo” w henever a foul is called on your team o f ch o ice, even if... no, especially if you didn’t actually see the play for w hich they were penalized. Each player gets to commit five personal fouls . (that’s on the court). O n the sixth she is eject ed from play for the rest of the game. Perhaps we should adopt this rule to relationships and driving. 8 Foul shots: not Dribbling is good. In grade school we called it a “key," but the . something your .Traveling is bad. »big kids call it an unromantic and profession friends buy you on B-A-D. Bad. (We can al-sounding “lane.” T h e lane is from the ffee- your 21st birthday. all relate to getting in throw line to the bottom court boundary (under Basically, if a player is trouble for illegal drib the basket) and is 12 feet wide. A n offensive play fouled taking a shot bling, right?) If a player er can only be there for three seconds at a time. If and it counts, then takes too many steps she is caught in a lane violation, the other team they get to shoot one without dribbling or Kristin Folk! (right) and former Los Angeles free throw. If they takes possession o f the ball (“booooo”). (try not to glaze over Sparks guard U kari Figgs don’t make the shot, on this one) /^*\ Last but not least: five players on the court then they get to shoot two free throws. If they are if she moves an established pivot foot to play. Eleven players on the roster. Two fouled on a three-pointer and don’t make it, then in an illegal way relative to whether leagues— the Eastern and Western Conference. they get to take three free throws, and if they do she’s going to dribble, pass or shoot, Eight teams in each league. The make it, then they only take one then the other team will gain posses Portland Fire ended last season in free throw. If they are fouled while sion of the ball. seventh place o f the Western C on not taking a shot then they take ference. This year, surely, it will be one free throw; if they make it, A nother dribbling-relat- on top! then they get to take another. . ed violation is over-and- back. T his does not G ot that? Now, if som eone takes you to a involve ex-girlfriends, 1 game and this has not helped you swear. Rather, once There are a million (yes, a out at all, the best thing to do is the advancing team . million) types o f fouls called. make up stories about the people There are fighting fouls, flagrant passes the half sitting around you, give the play fouls, double fouls, offensive fouls, court line it ers new names (such as the loose-ball fouls, away-from-the- cannot go m oniker my friend gave S co ttie back over play fouls, dribble screening fouls, Coach Hargrove: “W e are Pippen, better known to us as it— unless the conduct fouls, delay-of-game willing to work harder “M agic Ears”), make fun o f girls in fouls, backboard/support/basket defense tips it than most” training bras or splurge on a $5 ring fouls and so on. back. 3 9 I 7 \ 5 . T he advancing team can’t take more than 10 These are broken down into two cate gories— personal fouls and technical fouls. Not only are there a million (yes, a million) differ ent kinds of fouls, there are also different ways Coors Light. Mmm. J D Production Assistant MELISSA SAYLER has given up her training bras fo r spandex undershirts. J ust O ut m D P ortland T ire ms, “W hat are you looking EORWARD TO AT THE START OE THE TEAM S THIRD SEASON?" P h a r m a c y . S p e c i a l t y C on tin u ed on P age 2 8 Private one-on-one consultation The convenience of free delivery S ol ut i ons . StatScript is a leader in providing community-based pharmacy services for people with chronic health conditions such as: H IV /AID S, hepatitis, organ transplant and more. S t a r r “W inning more games, seeing how DeMya W alker improves and seeing Lisa Leslie one more time. STATSCRIPT PHARM ACY C H R O N IM E D S p e c i a l t y en i Complete insurance billing and coordination of benefits •Now Serving Medicaid and ADAP programs for Oregon and Washington* pree par^ ng 1215 NW 23rd Avenue, Portland, OR 5 0 3 . 5 2 5 .9 0 9 4 For other StatScript Pharmacy locations call 800.320.2112 or visit www.5tatscript.com. 27
