as the all male ones like the sports clubs, boy scouts etc.

Thank you for letting us know.

Women in general are kind of touchy feely anyways so it's not really surprising at worst and titillating at best.

the WNBA has several openly lesbian players before Griner.

http://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/WNBA-star-becomes-only-openly-gay-player-active-1186038.php

Sheryl Swoops came out in 2005.

On edit it should be noted that there have been very top women athletes who have come out (Martina, Billie Jean King) to name two. Swoops was the first team player to come out, which is a big deal, but she also was well noted at the time.

I don't follow basketball, so I didn't realize. I'm a huge football (soccer, that is...) fan, though, and I was surprised for years that more of the players hadn't come out (it was one of those unspoken "everybody knows" things).

She does not identify as a lesbian anymore.

Then she probably doesn't qualify as a big time athlete.

Considering she was the best women's player in collegiate ball and is now a pro.

Which ranks somewhere around bowling but below rodeo in the American consciousness.

There's probably an amazing gay shuffleboarder out there that is on the national circuit but hasn't broken into the media spotlight either.

That's where it ranks in your mind.
If you watch ESPN at all you know who the better WNBA players are. They do get press.

Do you know who else keeps up? The NBA players. They support the women and recognize who's got game.

If you don't like women's basketball, that's your prerogative. However, don't diss it especially since you obviously don't have a real clue about it.

Women's basketball doesn't register on the national radar, despite the (noble) attempts to make it nationally relevant.

However, your 'cute' reference to shuffleboard is a diss and minimizes those who play and those who support the league.

Certain players are attracting more attention as the enter the WNBA. Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins attracted national scrutiny. Griner garnered attention because of her height and play and because she is openly gay and a leader in anti-bullying campaigns. Delle Donne has gained interest because of her play.

A major problem are those who do diss it out of hand. They don't watch or have a clue about the players or the teams. They do enjoy constantly insulting everything associated with the league. They beat it down just for the hell of it.

If they don't like it, fine. I find some NBA games unwatchable. The level of play for a pro league is execrable in some cases. Looking at you 76ers. The NFL wasn't exactly a pleasure to view either. The level of play in some of those games was well below par. That doesn't mean I am going to dump on them. I keep up and know what's up unlike anti-WNBA fans I don't automatically hit full blast when they are mentioned.

If you dare to venture into the comment sections about the WNBA, what 's posted there is beyond vile. The racism and sexism is nasty and boggles the mind. Men get dissed too but nowhere near the level that the women do. Few offer valid criticisms of the league.

You have jumped right on board and you sound like a member of the diss first and fast team. I have no idea based on your two posts although they are negative in many ways. I am not automatically throwing you in the slime patrol.

I theorize that you could ask random Americans between the ages of 18-55 and a significant number of them could list of a number of teams, players and recent champions of the NFL, NBA, PGA, MLB or even their college counterparts.

Not so much for women's basketball at any level.

It's like trying to make Americans care about soccer. Quit trying to make it happen. It's not gonna happen....

While I'm sure there is a small percentage who are well informed, they are a small minority of sports fans.

You can also reference every sports analyst who got in trouble for talking about Seattle and their first significant championship in 30 years.

That many assume they are lesbians even when they aren't.

Sincerely,

Every Homophobe that Ever Existed.

straight male porn. Men making out with each other is not.

So women coming out is not "repulsive" but rather, to many men, it is "hot."

I'd have to check, but I think Megan Rapinoe came out before Brittney.

But yeah, you make a good point. No one pays much attention to gay female athletes' orientation. That may be in part because it was kind of an unspoken understanding in many women's sports for so long. Everyone knew, but no one talked about it. It's so much better now, with it being less and less of a big deal all the time.

to be more homophobic than women. Especially men in sports.