Last week Melissa Rohlin wrote a piece for the Los Angeles Times about why she doesn't follow the WNBA. I understand that it isn't that unusual for someone to accuse the WNBA of being boring, but there are two things that made this article stand out.

1) Melissa Rohlin claims she was a basketball player (I can't find anything that either confirms or denies this information) and 2) WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi has responded to Rohlin's commentary.

In a post on Yardbarker Taurasi syas: 

Perhaps those like Ms. Rohlin who find us so boring are simply too
close-minded to give the WNBA a chance, shackled by stereotypes,
homophobia or an obsession with being accepted by men. Perhaps they
aren't real basketball fans...

 

This is actually quite amazing.  Journalists and bloggers say negative things about athletes, referees, the BCS and sports leagues pretty much every single day. It isn't often that you find a professional athlete responding to things.

It is even less often that the responding athlete does it so eloquently:

Ms. Rohlin, are you a fan of college basketball, which doesn't feature
Kobe Bryant or any of the world's best players? Is Serena Williams not
entertaining because her serve isn't as fast as Andy Roddick's? Are you
bored by sprint star Allyson Felix because women's 200-meter times
haven't cracked the 20-second barrier like the men? What does Dara
Torres mean to you?

I've been a fan of Diana Taurasi ever since I watched her lead the University of Connecticut to a NCAA Women's Basketball title in 2004. I guess UConn is a pretty good school because her reply to Rohlin's piece was well researched, well thought out and well written.

In addition, if the WNBA is so boring then why are the numbers getting so much better?

Attendance for the games are up, TV ratings are up by 20 percent, and WNBA.com
has seen a spike in traffic. Merchandise sales are up 36 percent an the
league’s 14 teams have seen 46 games sold out this season, too.

Urbaness.com

If you haven't been watching the WNBA now is a good time to start. It is the playoffs and every sport is more exciting in the post season.

I know I will be watching. 

Contributing Editor Sarah also blogs at Sarah and the Goon Squad and Draft Day Suit.

More on Rohlin and Taurasi:

Girls Dig Sports 

Women's Hoops Blog

More on the WNBA playoffs:

Pretty Tough

She's Got Game

They're Playing Basketball