Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Wall Street Journal ran a profile on women basketball players who can dunk. It struck me as odd that America's leading financial newspaper was rolling out pictures of Maya Moore, but I suppose they can't be expected to watch our money burn all the time.

There was one comment about the article that sent me searching for an eight-year-old copy of Sports Illustrated. Consider this little gem: "Dunking a women's sized basketball is almost as easy as dunking a volleyball. Let me know when they work up to a 'full-sized' basketball." (Quotation marks are the male writer's.)

In December 2000, Tennessee's Michelle Snow dunked during a game. It was the first time it had happened in a game since 1994, so, of course, Sports Illustrated wanted to talk about it. They also asked readers to write in and share their opinions on Snow's hops. … continue reading

This week was very exciting for Becca, Michelle, and all die-hard women's basketball fans out there, as the NCAA Women's Basketball season started off with a bang. UConn staked their claim at the top of the standings, the Lady Vols lost by one point to Virginia and Notre Dame took down LSU.

Maya Moore of UConn

They also recap of some European women's basketball, specifically as it concerns the Russian teams.

This is a vlog by fans for fans, so please leave plenty of comments, questions, rants and raves, or anything else that comes to mind. And check back next weekend for another episode. … continue reading

This week, on a special episode of From the Cheap Seats, Becca is joined by Megan, thanks to a wicked, unidentified illness that has taken Michelle's voice. Michelle pops in and out, though, and offers her croaky commentary.

Becca reviews this week in European women's basketball, a thrilling handball game between Denmark (home of the adorable out lesbian couple, Gro and Katja) and Hungary (home to some pretty awesome handball players).

Handball goddesses Gro Hammerseng and Katja Nyberg

Also, Megan gives a special NFL report.

This is a vlog by fans for fans, so please leave plenty of comments, questions, rants and raves, or anything else that comes to mind. And check back next weekend for another episode. … continue reading

This week's episode of From the Cheap Seats features a competition that you might not consider a sport, but certainly involves a lot of fouls, dirty tactics, and bad refereeing. Michelle and Becca couldn't help sharing their excitement about Obama's election and their frustration and despair over Prop 8. But don't worry — there is also plenty of basketball talk to get excited about.

Becky Hammon of CSKA Moscow

CSKA Moscow and Dynamo play a nerve-wracking game, Diana Taurasi shines for Spartak, and a little off target for Michelle and Becca, Spain beat undefeated France. There's incomprehensible Russian commentary, cheerleaders' outfits from the mid-90s and fast-paced, scrappy basketball to discuss.

This is a vlog by fans for fans, so please leave plenty of comments, questions, rants and raves, or anything else that comes to mind. And check back next weekend for another episode. … continue reading

They’re baaack: Connecticut won 44 of the 45 votes in the AP preseason women’s basketball poll, placing them firmly atop a pretty familiar list. Of course, these aren’t the Huskies of the Taurasi Era. This is a team that has spent years rebuilding, a team that was just thankful to make it to the Final Four last year. And Geno Auriemma knows it.

"For this team to have a preseason No. 1 ranking is special," he said. "They have battled through a lot. Finally making the Final Four last year and now earning this ranking means something to them."

UConn's arch rival (even though they don’t play each other anymore), Tennessee, is lucky to be sitting at number seven. They graduated all five starters last year, and the rumors from inside Knoxville are that Pat Summitt is changing her starting lineup every day. … continue reading

Three Olympics ago, most Americans had never heard of Lisa Leslie or Sheryl Swoopes. They had never watched a woman dunk a basketball, and had certainly never considered the possibility of a women's professional basketball league — but in 1996, 11 women embarked on a mission to change all of that.

Prior to the Atlanta Olympics, the U.S. Women's Basketball Team toured together for 14 months, hitting every major college town for exhibition games; signing autographs until no one was left in line; traveling to Siberia, where the players on the bench had to wear parkas and gloves when they weren't in the game; holding a team-wide clothing drive for the penniless Cuban national team; and hosting workshops at high schools all across America. They covered 100,000 miles before they landed in Atlanta for the '96 Summer Olympics.

When the final buzzer sounded, they had won 60 games, a gold medal, and the hearts of an entire nation.

A few months later the Women's National Basketball Association was born. … continue reading

That rumbling you heard Sunday night was the sound of thousands of jaws hitting the floor as Stanford beat the University of Connecticut 82-73 in the Women's Final Four. (If you were in the vicinity of a UConn fan, you likely heard much more, but we can't print that kind of thing here.)

Unlike many playoff games in which the outcome can be blamed on poor officiating or injuries or just a bad night for the losing team, this game was a simple case of the better team winning. More precisely, the team with Candice Wiggins. Every time UConn stepped up its game, the ball went to Stanford's Wiggins — and she finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds. She certainly was not alone in outstanding play, but, as I said a few weeks ago, Wiggins is a wonder to behold. … continue reading

I grew up believing that Russia was a huge, red monster. Of course, I also believed that I'd survive "the bomb" by crouching under my school desk with my hands clasped over my head. Still, I have a hard time thinking of moving to Moscow as a fresh start. But that's exactly what it is for Pokey Chatman.

Chatman, who resigned as head coach of Louisiana State University earlier this year under a cloud of sexual innuendo, has accepted an associate head-coaching position with Spartak Moscow Region professional basketball team.

This is no Russian exile. Last year, WNBA stars Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tina Thompson and Lauren Jackson played for Spartak during the off-season, and Spartak won the 2007 EuroLeague Women championship. … continue reading