Shaquille O’Neal’s Idea Goes in the Bin as Comedian Defends Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese’s New Era
Shaquille O’Neal has made a legacy out of dunks. In fact, with 2,626 dunks in his NBA career, he has the second most dunks in NBA history, right after Dwight Howard. And as a helping person who always wishes to provide innovative ideas to bring change, the Lakers icon did not hesitate to suggest the WNBA: “So I’m telling you, if you just lower it (the rim) like this.” However, it seems like this time, his idea has backfired. Recently, a 32-year-old comedian dismissed the LA Lakers legend’s proposal to enhance the WNBA.
There’s no doubt that the WNBA has entered a new era, led by the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The 28th season of the league was nothing short of historic, setting new records in viewership and attracting global interest.
With anticipation for the 2025 season at an all-time high, discussions have emerged about ways to enhance the league. Among these is Shaq’s proposal to lower the rim, which has sparked controversy within the community. However, comedian Chico Bean contradicts his idea.
“As soon as you get to a point, where it’s a success then you’re like what can we do to make it more successful,” Chico stated, “You don’t even appreciate the fact that we’re now talking about the WNBA where four-five years ago you wouldn’t even ask that question no matter who Shaq said something to.”
Shaq suggested that lowering the rim in the WNBA would encourage players to dunk more often, which, in turn, would bring a fresh dynamic to the women’s game—similar to Caitlin Clark, whose skill in shooting 3s from the logo has captivated audiences. However, Chico remains unconvinced by this suggestion.
“You know what I’m saying like what Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have done to bring eyes to the NBA is if you have said this to somebody 10 years ago this is what they would’ve been asking for, the sh-t that’s happening right now is what they would have requested be the case. so the fact that we are here, appreciate the fact that’s happen, more people are continue to watch the WNBA because the conversation has already been started and we’re having it now, that’s what you want so I don’t think that there’s anything extra that need to be done.”
The evolution of the sport is undeniable, especially since Clark and Reese joined the WNBA, along with what is arguably the best rookie class in league history. While Reese dominates the boards, averaging a league-high 13.1 rebounds per game, the Fever star excels at hitting deep 3-pointers and making unbelievable passes.
Caitlin averaged 19.2 points and maintained a strong 3-point shooting percentage of 34.4%, while also becoming the first rookie to achieve a triple-double even winning the Rookie of the Year award.
While both the stars sky-rocketed the growth of the league, now discussions surround on how the game can be improved. And one of the ideas that got the most heat was O’Neal’s. The Sky forward hosted Shaq on her show Unapologetically Angel, while they had a conversation on a lot of events a certain conversation sparked about lowering the rims. “A pretty girl dunking on the rim? I’m watching that all day,” Shaq said to Reese, who laughed out loud.
“We never seen that before. That’s my point,” Shaq said. “She’s (Caitlin Clark) doing stuff we’ve never seen before. [I’ve] never seen nobody [shoot logo threes] on a consistent basis. There’s a lot of girls in the WNBA that have done it in spurts, but that game I’m watching y’all in the Final Four, I’m like ‘Damn.”
As the debate over changes in the WNBA continues, not everyone agrees with the idea of altering the game to include more dunking.
“Man no, I don’t necessarily need to see what types of slams they are going to be doing that’s not in a like you wanna see them come down and no, that’s not even the nature of the male game anymore they don’t dunk no more they shooting from half court. So the kid you talking about, the old guard it’s not 92 no more OG.”
Stars like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have revolutionized the NBA by shifting the focus from dunks to three-point shooting. Curry, with his record-breaking range, and Thompson, as part of the “Splash Brothers,” have made the three-pointer an integral part of modern NBA play.
The dunk remains one of basketball’s most visually exciting plays but naturally declines over time in an NBA player’s career for various reasons. Men generally reach their physical peak in their mid-20s, and generating the same lift becomes quite a task. And not only Chico but even Sue Bird has another perspective on the debate.
Sue Bird, Candace Parker, and more WNBA stars voice their thoughts on dunking
Even A’ja Wilson, the Aces’ center, opposes Shaq’s suggestion. She said, “That could change all of our shots. Do y’all not understand that?” While lowering the rim may lead to players adjusting, they might never truly get used to the change. These remarks by the back-to-back champion come after the fact that her alma mater the University of South Carolina hosts Ashlyn Watkins who is quite known for her dunks and made one very recently in the Gamecocks’ showdown.
And when Shaq suggested the same during an episode on Inside the NBA on TNT previously to Candace Parker, “I have a way to make it equal. So in beach volleyball, the women’s net is maybe a half-an-inch lower. You think if we lower the rim so y’all can dunk like we dunk that would give y’all more oomph than you already have?” The 3x WNBA champ dismissed the idea at once saying, “My next child will be drop-step dunking. I promise you.”
There is a widespread belief that women’s basketball doesn’t get the attention it deserves due to the lack of dunking, with some even suggesting that it’s the key missing element.
However, Shaquille O’Neal’s idea may not hold much weight in the new era of the WNBA, as the league continues to thrive through its growing rivalries and evolving competition on the court.
