WNBA at 30 Part 4, Technicals Explained, and Gen Z Is All In

The WNBA needed a superstar. And when the league tipped off in 1997, that superstar wasn’t the obvious choice.

In Part 4 of WNBA at 30: How Did We Get Here?, we meet Cynthia Cooper, the WNBA’s first true superstar—and the player who helped turn a brand-new league into must-see basketball.

Then, in this week’s Listener Question, we’re talking technical fouls. What’s the difference between a technical and a regular personal foul? What makes a foul flagrant? And how do officials decide between a Flagrant 1 and a Flagrant 2? We’ll also look at the recent DiJonai Carrington/Sophie Cunningham incident and the gray area between what’s written in the rulebook and how officials apply it on the court.

And there's also the Awards:

🏀 Buzzer Beater Award: The next generation of women’s basketball fans is sending a pretty clear message about where the sport is headed.

🏀 Airball Award: When your own social media post appears to contradict one of your league’s most important rules… that’s probably not a slam dunk.

🏀 Flagrant Foul Award: A heated confrontation in the stands raises an important question about leadership—and the responsibility that comes with representing a WNBA franchise.

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

Transcript

Kaari 0:03

Howdy hoop heads, and welcome to another episode of Her Game Her Voice, the podcast with big stories about women's basketball in 15 minutes or less. I'm your host, Kaari Peterson.

Kaari 0:16

Today on the pod, part four of "WNBA at 30 How Did We Get Here", I'll answer a listener question about technical fouls, and I'll wrap it up with the awards.

Kaari 0:28

Now let's tip it off.

WNBA at 30: How Did We Get Here - The League's First Superstar

Kaari 0:34

And now part four of our series WNBA at 30 How Did We Get Here? This one's called The League's First Superstar.

Kaari 0:42

Over the last three episodes, we've been answering one big question. How did the WNBA get here? First, we explored why the league was created. Then we looked at why it survived the battle with the ABL. And last time we met the people who kept the dream alive during some very uncertain years.

Kaari 1:01

But surviving isn't enough.

Kaari 1:04

Every great sports league eventually becomes known for someone. Someone fans rearrange their schedules to watch. Someone who makes you think, I can't miss this game.

Kaari 1:16

The WNBA needed that player. Someone who could prove this brand new league belonged. But here's the twist. The player who became that superstar wasn't the obvious choice.

Kaari 1:30

So, who was the WNBA's first true superstar?

Kaari 1:35

If you said Caitlin Clark, that's understandable.

Kaari 1:39

Aja Wilson? Great guess.

Kaari 1:42

What about Diana Taurasi? Makes sense.

Kaari 1:46

Lisa Leslie? You're getting warmer.

Kaari 1:49

The WNBA's first superstar was Cynthia Cooper.

Kaari 1:55

Wait, what?

Kaari 1:56

And honestly, at first glance, she didn't seem like a player you'd build a brand new league around. She was already 34 years old, an age when many basketball players are beginning to think about retirement.

Kaari 2:09

Most American sports fans barely knew who she was because she'd spent more than a decade playing professionally in Italy and Spain. Back then, if you were one of the best women's basketball players in the world, you usually had to leave the U.S. to make a living playing the game.

Kaari 2:26

Cynthia wasn't a flashy rookie with years of WNBA stardom ahead of her. But sometimes greatness doesn't arrive the way we expect.

Kaari 2:36

Here's something I find fascinating. The WNBA didn't discover its first superstar. It finally gave one of the world's best basketball players a stage big enough for America to see her.

Kaari 2:50

The moment the WNBA tipped off in 1997, Cynthia Cooper didn't just become the league's best player. She became its first must-watch player.

Kaari 3:02

She won the league's very first most valuable player award. And then she won it again the next year. She led the Houston Comets to four consecutive WNBA championships.

Kaari 3:14

And here's a record that still stands nearly 30 years later. Each time the Comets won a WNBA championship, Cynthia Cooper was named Finals MVP.

Kaari 3:29

No player in WNBA history has ever matched that accomplishment. Think about that. During the league's first four seasons, if there was a championship celebration, Cynthia Cooper was standing right in the middle of it.

Kaari 3:46

Her scoring, leadership, competitiveness, confidence. She gave the young WNBA something every new sports league desperately needs a reason to tune in, a reason to buy a ticket, and a reason to believe.

Kaari 4:03

Cynthia Cooper was a player people wanted to watch. And that's what true superstars do. They don't just win games, they create fans.

Kaari 4:14

Today, Caitlin Clark fills arenas. Aja Wilson dominates highlight reels. Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, and others continue pushing the game to new heights.

Kaari 4:28

But before any of them, there was Cynthia Cooper.

Kaari 4:32

She showed America just how spectacular women's professional basketball could be. And in doing so, she helped convince fans that this new league wasn't just going to survive. It was going to thrive. And it was worth believing in.

Listener Question

Kaari 5:04

And now it's time for our listener question.

Kaari 5:06

This week's question is from Jordan in Nashville, Tennessee, who asked, How does the WMBA technical foul system work? And how is it different from a regular foul?

Kaari 5:17

Thanks for the question, Jordan.

Kaari 5:19

While I couldn't verify that the league is calling more technical fouls than ever before, they've definitely been more visible this year because of several high-profile incidents. And because some players have gotten pretty close to the league's suspension threshold for technical fouls, (which is eight.)

Kaari 5:37

I'm talking about you, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

Kaari 5:41

So what's the difference between the types of fouls?

Kaari 5:45

Well, a regular personal foul is illegal physical contact during play.

Kaari 5:51

A technical foul, on the other hand, is usually about behavior or breaking one of the league's administrative rules.

Kaari 5:59

The most common technicals are for, quote, unsportsmanlike conduct, things like disrespectfully addressing an official, excessive arguing, profanity, taunting, or showing resentment toward a call.

Kaari 6:14

Caitlin and Angel have been awarded many technical files for their various interactions with officials.

Kaari 6:20

There are also technicals that have nothing to do with conduct. These are the administrative technicals, and therefore things like delay of game, defensive three seconds, having too many players on the court, or deliberately hanging on the basket.

Kaari 6:37

Now here's where things can get a little — assuming you're not already confused.

Kaari 6:43

A flagrant foul is not a technical foul. A flagrant is a type of personal foul, but one involving contact that's more serious than a normal personal foul. The WNBA has two levels of flagrants. Flagrant one is contact that's considered unnecessary.

Kaari 7:04

A flagrant two is contact that is considered unnecessary and excessive. And a flagrant two gets a player automatically ejected from the game.

Kaari 7:15

So how does an official decide between a technical and a flagrant?

Kaari 7:19

Well, think of it this way: a technical foul is generally about conduct, something a player does that is considered unsportsmanlike or detrimental to the game.

Kaari 7:29

A flagrant foul is about physical contact. And the key word with a flagrant to is excessive. The contact doesn't necessarily have to be intentional, it just has to be excessive.

Kaari 7:42

And officials are usually evaluating the nature and severity of that contact itself. So the next time you hear a ref blow the whistle and signal a technical, you'll know it's not really about physical contact. It might be about conduct, it might be an administrative violation.

Kaari 8:00

If there's a lot of physical contact involved, it's not a technical foul or a simple personal foul. It's probably a flagrant one or two foul. And here's a recent example of a flagrant two call that puts all of this into context.

Kaari 8:16

Earlier this week, Chicago Sky Guard DiJonai Carrington was chasing Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham, who had the ball and was heading in for a layup. Carrington threw her arm up and made contact with Cunningham across the face and neck.

Kaari 8:32

Cunningham went down hard, then popped back up and got in Carrington's face. She pushed Carrington and the two players had to be separated by their teammates.

Kaari 8:41

The officials reviewed the play and assessed Carrington a flagrant two.

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And if you've been paying attention, you know what that means. She was immediately ejected from the game.

Kaari 8:52

Now, there's been a lot of discussion about whether Carrington intentionally hit Cunningham in the face. But remember what we just talked about. Intent isn't a deciding factor.

Kaari 9:03

For a flagrant two foul, the contact has to be deemed unnecessary and excessive. And that's what the officials determined in this case.

Kaari 9:12

Now, my dear listeners, you are an educated bunch of basketball fans at this point. So knowing what you know now about technical fouls, what do you think?

Kaari 9:22

Wouldn't you expect Sophie Cunningham's reaction, getting in Carrington's face and pushing her, to be worthy of a technical?

Kaari 9:30

Well, she didn't get one.

Kaari 9:32

The explanation from the officials was that Cunningham's reaction was considered acceptable given the severity of the initial contact.

Kaari 9:42

And this is where things get a little squishy.

Kaari 9:44

Because I went back to the WNBA rulebook, and there isn't a specific provision that says essentially "a player gets a pass for unsportsmanlike conduct if it's a natural reaction to something that just happened to them."

Kaari 9:58

In fact, the rule book's language on fighting specifically says that being provoked by another player is not an acceptable excuse for retaliating.

Kaari 10:06

So I think this is a really interesting example of the difference between what the rulebook says and how officials apply their judgment on the court.

Kaari 10:15

Carrington's flagrant 2 was a pretty clear application of the r ules.

Kaari 10:19

Cunningham's reaction?

Kaari 10:20

That's where we definitely get into a gray area.

Kaari 10:24

Thanks for the question, Jordan.

Kaari 10:26

Do you have one for me?

Kaari 10:28

Send it to Host at HerGameHervoice.com.

Kaari 10:34

And now it's time for the awards.

Buzzer Beater Award

Kaari 10:39

First, the Buzzer Beater Award.

Kaari 10:42

This week's Buzzer Beater Award goes to Generation Z women's basketball fans.

Kaari 10:48

If you've been wondering whether the next generation is buying into women's basketball, here's your answer. According to Ticketmaster's new State of Play Sports Report, 71% of Gen Z female sports fans say women's basketball is their favorite sport.

Kaari 11:06

So why does this matter?

Kaari 11:08

Well, every new fan creates new opportunities. More fans lead to bigger TV audiences, more sponsorships, better facilities, stronger media coverage, and ultimately more opportunities for WNBA players.

Kaari 11:24

We don't know exactly how Gen Z will shape the future of the game, but if this trend continues, the future of women's basketball looks incredibly bright.

Kaari 11:34

And that's why this week's Buzzer Beater Award goes to Gen Z women's basketball fans.

Airball Award

Kaari 11:42

And now the Airball Award.

Kaari 11:45

This week's Airball Award goes to the WNBA social media team. During All-Star Weekend, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers were caught on video joking about a $400 wager on the upcoming Dream Wings game.

Kaari 12:01

The league's official social media account thought it would be fun content and posted it.

Kaari 12:07

The problem?

Kaari 12:09

The WNBA's collective bargaining agreement is crystal clear.

Kaari 12:13

Players are prohibited from wagering on WNBA games.

Kaari 12:24

It looked like two friends trash talking and making a friendly bet.

Kaari 12:28

But when your league has a strict no-betting policy and spends every season reminding players about it, you probably don't want to be the one promoting a video that appears to show the exact thing your rules prohibit.

Kaari 12:44

Fans noticed almost immediately.

Kaari 12:47

The post disappeared, and the WNBA later admitted it, quote, "missed the mark."

Kaari 12:54

The league also said it would use the incident to remind players that even joking about wagering on WNBA games can create the wrong impression.

Kaari 13:04

So this week's Airball Award goes to the WNBA social media team.

Kaari 13:09

Because when your own rule book says don't do this, maybe you shouldn't post about it.

Flagrant Foul Award

Kaari 13:16

And finally, the Flagrant Foul Award.

Kaari 13:19

This week's Flagrant Foul Award goes to minority co-owner of the Seattle Storm, Celeste Keaton.

Kaari 13:26

Last week during the Fever Storm game in Seattle, Keaton confronted two teenage Indiana Fever fans in the stands over shirts they were wearing related to the ongoing debate surrounding transgender athletes in women's sports.

Kaari 13:41

The interaction reportedly became heated and, according to multiple reports, included profanity directed at the teens.

Kaari 13:50

The WNBA later suspended Keaton for five home games, find the storm organization, and the team issued a public apology.

Kaari 14:00

Now, the issue of transgender participation in sports is one that reasonable people disagree on. It's a complicated conversation, and there are passionate opinions on all sides.

Kaari 14:12

But that's not what this award is about. This is about leadership.

Kaari 14:19

When you're part of a team's ownership group, you're held to a higher standard. Fans, especially young fans, shouldn't find themselves in a personal confrontation with someone representing the franchise.

Kaari 14:31

If there are concerns about fan behavior, there are established arena policies and security personnel to handle those situations.

Kaari 14:41

Sports should be a place where people can cheer for their team, support their players, and yes, even express viewpoints that others may disagree with, as long as they remain within arena rules.

Kaari 14:55

Leadership isn't tested when everyone agrees with you, it's tested when they don't.

Kaari 15:00

Congratulations on your flagrant foul awards, Celeste.

Sign-Off

Kaari 15:08

I'm Kaari Peterson, and you've been listening to Her Game Her Voice.

Kaari 15:12

Want more? Hit follow or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Kaari 15:19

Thanks for listening and happy hoopin'!