WNBA is in the limelight more than ever. While the Las Vegas Aces have already clinched the Finals berth, things are looking like a repeat of last year’s Playoffs run for the Aces. The 2x MVP A’ja Wilson has delivered her best season so far and her teammate Kelsey Plum is not far off. If the New York Liberty reaches the Finals, the match-up has the potential to break all-time viewership records. That’s how the women’s game has evolved in the modern scenario.

During a recent guest appearance on the podcast ‘The Crew Has It’, a $50,158,769 NBA star offered his viewpoint on women’s basketball and the impact it had on him.

Respect for Kelsey Plum and the WNBA

When asked about his perspective on women’s basketball, the Italian-American NBA star Paolo Banchero enthusiastically responded, “My mom, yes, she was a women’s basketball coach for the first 13-14 years of my life. I was going to the gym with her to her practice every day. She was coaching girls in college and high school.” Banchero’s mother, Rhonda Smith Banchero, is a former WNBA player who played for the Sacramento Monarchs. After her playing career, she served as a coach for college women’s basketball teams which enabled the 2022 no. 1 pick to gain respect for the game.

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During the podcast, he shared a particularly memorable experience from his youth involving Kelsey Plum. He recounted, “She [Kelsey Plum] went to Washington when I was growing up. Me and my mom obviously went to the games because they were really good.”

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“So, my mom would go as an alumni, and she’s dropping 40s, and 50s like it’s nothing in college. At that age, I’m like, ‘Bro, she’s better than anybody on the boys’ team,” Banchero added.

Paolo Banchero’s upbringing in a WNBA household and his early experiences on the basketball court with talented girls shaped his profound respect for women’s basketball. His perspective highlights the technical prowess, fundamentals, and attention to detail that make the women’s game stand out. The 2023 ROTY’s admiration for players like Kelsey Plum stressed the immense talent within the WNBA, challenging stereotypes and showcasing the incredible skills of women in the sport.

Paolo Banchero learned an important lesson from girls early on

The experience of going up against talented girls on the court at such a young age left Polo with a deep respect for women’s basketball. He reflected, “I grew to learn how to respect the women’s game because they were better than me. I wasn’t out there doing anything; they were taking the ball from me, busting my ass.”

As Banchero matured, he gained a greater appreciation for the nuances of the women’s game. He went on to express that men can dunk, and jump higher but women play better. He stressed that women are more technical than men and that he has a lot of respect for women’s basketball.

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