Letters to Sports: Caitlin Clark is to the WNBA what Tiger Woods was to golf

Caitlin Clark’s impact on the WNBA is no different than Tiger Woods’ impact on professional golf 20-plus years ago. These charismatic and generational talents brought in new fans and changed their professions for the better. Any complaints about the attention Clark is getting ignores what Tiger enjoyed and is misplaced.

Gary B. Ross

Beverly Hills

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In a letter you printed, the writer complained because the Sparks raised the price of the $20 cheap-seat section to $125 for the game against Indiana. Perhaps he is not aware that Indiana drafted Caitlin Clark first in the recent WNBA draft. Clark has brought enormous visibility to women’s basketball. The women’s March Madness final outdrew the men’s final match by millions of TV fans. The WNBA’s New York Liberty vs. Indiana game last week became the first women’s match to reach $2 million in ticket sales. The letter writer called the Sparks raising the ticket prices “socialism.” I call it capitalism. I suspect he can take his daughter to any other Sparks home game and find the price for the cheap seats to his liking.

Michael S. Lurey

Santa Monica

LeBron is indeed a ‘true’ Laker

A letter writer last week felt that LeBron isn’t a true Laker. Whoever dons the purple and gold on the floor at any time in franchise history IS A LAKER.

The late Kobe Bryant even welcomed LeBron to the family right after he signed. Talk about a ringing endorsement.

This sounds like sour grapes from a fan who is upset that the Lakers are out this year. People want to blame LeBron, yet it takes a team to win in the NBA, not just one player. Should we lessen the value of the most recent Lakers title due to this non-true Laker on the roster for the 2019-20 champs?

Is Michael Jordan not a “true” Washington Wizard? He clearly meant something to that franchise, and it meant something to him. How is any NBA player not a “true” member of a team in the association?

Luke Aiello

Orange

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The Pacers will win it all because this team shares the ball and has confidence in each other. Unlike the Lakers, who play two-man basketball. The other players can’t get into any rhythm because it’s either LeBron or AD hogging the ball. As long as the Lakers keep LeBron, the losing formula will persist and lead to more of the same.

G.T. Oka

Rosemead

At least one benefit

Although a long shot, with JJ Redick as coach, the Lakers’ three-point shooting should improve.

David Marshall

Santa Monica

October foreshadowing?

When Dave Roberts said it was playoff atmosphere in San Diego last weekend, he was sure right. For the most part, the offense looked like the offense the last two years in the playoffs. No energy, the shaking of their heads, after weak outs and total disregard of fundamentals such as moving runners over and hitting to the opposite field when pitched outside.

Roberts, unless you don’t have the team executing the right way now, it will be another disappointing playoff failure.

Bob Malconian

Northridge

Shake it off on out of here

Just when we thought the exaggerated “bat flip” was the height of arrogant showmanship, that insipid twist-and-wiggle shimmy shake, with arms raised in blatant self-aggrandizement, by all Dodger batters after every base hit, no matter the score, is bush league and proves Freud’s thesis: The ego is nothing other than the focus of conscious attention.

Or, in the immortal words of Vin Scully, “Good is not good when better is expected.” Apparently money can buy an elite DH and starting pitcher, or two, but it can’t buy you class.

Steve Ross

Carmel

It takes more than desire, Rob

So Rob Blake thinks the key to winning the Stanley Cup is just to believe that “What we’ve come to realize is that there’s a certain desire to win that needs to be raised within our team here.” Sorry Rob, you of all people should know that size matters in playoff hockey. Just look at the Kings’ 2012 and 2014 teams. The Kings are just too small. Hoping for the Little Engine That Could mentality is not going to cut it.

Reggie Reginato

Santa Barbara

No defense

So we discovered last week that USC paid Lincoln Riley $19 million in his first season at Troy. I was just wondering how much more the boosters would pay if Lincoln also coached defense?

Fred Wallin

Westlake Village

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