Hurting (with update)

 Injuries are part of sports, they always say.  But do injuries have to be such a large part?

In professional basketball, for instance.  In the past season, the NBA was riddled with major injuries to big stars-- the players that fans come to see, the players that people who never get to an NBA game--or even to the USA--follow enthusiastically.  Now at least two teams that were in the championship hunt last year (Boston and Indiana) are drastically changed--to the point of going into rebuilding mode--because of an injury that will keep a star from playing at all next season.

This season the WNBA is experiencing an epidemic of injuries to stars and important players.  Caitlin Clark is the obvious example, but among the better known there's also Angel Reese.  Their teams played two games this season in which neither star played--and let's face it, stars the fans pay to see.

 But their teams--Indiana and Chicago--are beset with other injuries as well.  Indiana lost two key players for the season in one game.  When Chicago played Golden State recently, both teams were down four regulars each. 

Injuries are part of sports, but they don't have to be such a large part.  The culprit in the NBA appears to be scheduling: too many games too close together, especially in the playoffs.  Everyone knows this one factor was chiefly responsible for the injury to Steph Curry that killed the Warriors in the playoffs.  

In the WNBA, the most pronounced ongoing problem is officiating, and the kind of bullying on the court that leads to injury goes on unaddressed.  Nobody is happy with WNBA officiating this year, especially the players.  Caitlin Clark was getting beaten up regularly, leading to retaliation and threatening the game just when it is gaining popularity.  The Golden State Valkyries have sold out all 14 of their home games at Chase Center, where the Warriors play.  And that's an expansion team (that has a shot at the playoffs.)

Regardless of the sport, the injury of stars discourages attendance and enthusiasm, especially among the otherwise casual fan with no betting interest, that just want to see the best do their thing, and marvel.  It seems to be in the interest of the teams and the leagues to do all they can to keep those stars playing, not to mention that the numbers crunchers can look suspiciously like cretins who see players as meat and don't give them the respect they deserve. It happens in a lot of areas--the people who do the work and bring in the money get the least respect.  

When players, especially stars are hurt, the fans and the game are hurting.

Update: As the WNBA season closes in on the playoffs, the league continues to ignore problems with officiating, the loud charges of bullying and what all this is doing to the game.  All the league is doing is fining players for the least criticism of calls and officials.  But the recent season-ending injury to Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever is reigniting the controversy. Though her mother and sister were quick to criticize officials, Sophie herself said in this case it was a basketball play, not targeting or semi-intentional injuring, as some observers have claimed.  But the  Fever, clearly an elite team in the making, has been hit with so many injuries that fans are bound to be both suspicious and discouraged.  

Meanwhile the NBA has announced their next season schedule, and there clearly is no attempt to respond to the danger to players of too many games too close together, or long exhausting road trips--both inviting injuries.  

This is especially true for the Golden State Warriors.  Next year the Warriors will play a mind-boggling 15 back-to-back two-game sets, including five of them in the first 17 games of the season.  They also have two road trips of at least 6 games, one of them being 8.  In sum, it's all about quick money for both leagues, and the players and fans be damned.