With technology and artificial intelligence being used in abundant fashion in today’s world it was only about time before it made its presence felt in the sporting realm. Leagues across the globe have consolidated with various tech companies to track their athlete’s performances with data analysis being a key part of coaching and player development today. While technology has long been used in games such as cricket and tennis newer innovations have allowed other sports to integrate tech within its ranks with basketball being one such sport. The NBA and WNBA today have various technology companies that help them bring innovative elements to the league with Microsoft even being WNBA’s official artificial intelligence and machine learning partner. While the NBA and WNBA continue to adapt to newer technological advancements few innovative hardware’s have already been in use in the league with the next generation tracking technology being one of them.

Sports broadcasting is another domain which has seen fruitful results due to the use of newer apparatuses with the introduction of optical tracking technology by Hawk-Eye providing fans with enhanced viewing experience. The tech which has been in use in the WNBA provides 3D immersive highlights in real-time which in turn helps coaches make better decisions and strategize different plays while on the court. Despite technology having a major role in bettering viewing standards broadcasting companies were recently put on blast by WNBA fans as many questioned their decision on interviewing players during the game. Stars Kelsey Plum and Breanna Stewart were both notably exhausted during a mid-game interview in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals leaving many to ponder if those interviews are actually a good idea.

Kelsey Plum takes a breath to calm down before giving a mid-game interview

The Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum was noticeably exhausted during a mid-game interview in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals as she was pulled aside at the end of the first quarter to be questioned by an ESPN reporter. Plum who scored 29 points on the night was a shining light for the Aces last night as they slumped to an 87-73 loss at the hands of the NY Liberty.

Kelsey who was asked by the reporter about Liberty’s form at home and how her team could withstand their relentless pressure was unable to speak for a few seconds at first as she looked to catch her breath before answering the question.

After finally catching her breath and trying to respond with a few hand gestures the 2x WNBA All-Star finally managed to speak a few words as she pantingly stated, “Right, we just got to keep battling. Our defense is what got us here that’s what is gonna get us home.”

Breanna Stewart is visibly gassed up as she agrees to take a mid-game interview

2023 MVP winner Breanna Stewart was visibly gassed up during a mid-game interview as she similar to Plum was taken aside for an interview at the end of the 3rd quarter. Stewart who has been a revelation for the Liberty this season had 20 points and 12 rebounds on the night as she led from the front to cut the Liberty’s 2-0 deficit by one game in the WNBA Finals.

The 2x WNBA champion had just rejected Kelsey Plum’s layup at the end of the quarter when she was pulled aside for an interview by ESPN. Clearly gassed Stewart looked to be in a rush to finish the interview as she was asked on the Liberty’s defensive performance on the night.

Breathing heavily and eating up the end of her words a weary Stewart responded to the question with few gasps between her sentences as she stated, “Uh, it’s making whatever I can difficult. We know we are down 0-2 but we’re not out and we keep fighting.”

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Is mid-games interview a good idea for the WNBA and NBA?

After Kelsey Plum and Breanna Stewart were visibly exhausted during their respective mid-game interviews the question of it being a good idea has become a debate of sorts. While I certainly enjoy hearing live perspectives from the players on the court, I don’t necessarily support the idea of mid-game interviews as it takes away an important chunk of time that they have for recovery between quarters. With a quarter lasting 15 minutes and players having only 2 minutes to recover between each one it seems unnecessary to indulge them in conversations which could take place after the game.

With a player’s perspective bound to change during the course of the game it’s great that we are able to hear their thoughts evolve throughout the match, but I believe it is a vulnerable time to be asking players questions and it could prompt a reply from someone that leads to heavy repercussions. Additionally, these interviews could be done during the halftime in my opinion as players will have 15 minutes instead of 2 and the reporters could easily get few questions from both teams during that interval. After a shove to the ground saw the WNBA playoffs get heated is the Finals going to see an epic comeback or will the Aces win back-to-back titles? While the debate about mid-game interviews will continue to rage on let us know who you think will win the WNBA title in the comments below.

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