Shaquille O'Neal faces backlash for telling Angel Reese WNBA should lower the rim so players can dunk

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Shaquille O'Neal stirred controversy this week with his suggestion to lower the rims in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), proposing that this change could increase viewer interest and, in turn, raise player salaries.

The former NBA superstar discussed the idea with WNBA player Angel Reese on the latest episode of her podcast, 'Unapologetically Angel', which was published on Thursday, October 24, as per Daily Mail. 

Shaquille O'Neal says dunking is the only thing missing in WNBA games

In their conversation, Shaquille O'Neal and Angel Reese touched on the significant pay disparity between NBA and WNBA players, with top male players earning millions more than their female counterparts.

Caitlin Clark, a rising WNBA star, made a base salary of $76,535 this season, a stark contrast to what even bench players in the NBA typically earn.

O’Neal shared his idea on how the WNBA could boost revenue and narrow the pay gap, proposing that lowering the rim to allow for more dunking might attract more viewers.

"I have a solution for that, nobody's gonna like my solution. A lotta people gonna comment, they gon hate this, but... that's the only thing missing [in the women's game]," said O'Neal. 

But Reese, a center for the Chicago Sky, was quick to reject O'Neal's idea. "I hate when men say that," said the 22-year-old, shaking her head.

According to Reese, dunking isn't the issue when it comes to respect and recognition for female athletes. She argued that audiences' perceptions of women's sports tend to undervalue their abilities and skills, regardless of whether dunking is part of the game.

She expressed, "People always disrespect women regardless. There's always not gonna give us the same value as a man."

O'Neal used the example of Clark to support his argument, noting that her skill in shooting deep three-pointers from near half-court lines sets her apart and draws attention.

"Why you think people love Caitlin Clark? Besides her skills?" asked the 52-year-old. Reese responded, "She can shoot threes from logo."

Despite O'Neal's assertion that high-level female players like Clark offer rare and exciting talent, he contended that a lowered rim would allow players to "do all the stuff" fans see in the NBA, like alley-oops and slam dunks.

He stated that WNBA games can resemble a "high school game" without certain players in the lineup and commented, "A pretty girl dunking on the rim, I would watch that all day," which got a chuckle out of Reese.

The former NBA star even referenced how in beach volleyball, the net is set slightly lower for women, suggesting that a similar adjustment could be beneficial for the WNBA.

Shaquille O'Neal's remarks about lowering rims in the WNBA spark backlash

Shaquille O'Neal's remarks quickly went viral, and fans on social media did not hold back from criticizing the basketball legend.

One remarked, "This is insulting," and another said, "The only thing the @WNBA needs is respect! That’s it.. that’s all! Doing all that goofy s**t is disrespectful to them and the game of basketball itself!"

"Nah I disagree with shaq. They need to let college players leave college earlier to increase the @wnba money. That would help the viewership. Look how angel and caitlin brought eyes to the game," suggested a person. 

An individual expressed, "A lot of men can’t understand that dunking isn’t apart of the game…if dunking was banned in the nba..a lot of guys would have to retire…The W isn’t like that! They have to actually be skilled." 

"This is always such a bulls**t excuse for why the W 'isn’t good'. I can guarantee you that if they did lower the rim and they started dunking more these types still wouldn’t watch it. There would be another reason why it’s not good," fumed another person. 

One more pointed out, "I have never once watched a WNBA game and been like 'this sucks cuz they don’t dunk' and I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that if they did start dunking it wasn’t gonna make a difference with the misogynists who hate on the league."

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