Shaquille O’Neal is no stranger to stirring the pot, and once again, his take on the WNBA has everyone talking. This time, it’s about lowering the rims, an idea he’s been pushing for a while. But while WNBA star A’ja Wilson isn’t having it, a surprising number of fans, unlike many other times, seem to agree with Shaq this time around.

It all started back in October when Shaq appeared on the Unapologetically Angel show, and proposed that the WNBA lower its rims to allow for more dunks.“Only thing missing is the dunks,” he had remarked, saying he’d watch if that was included. Naturally, the comment sparked a lot of debate.

Enters the 2024 WNBA MVP. During her appearance on the Roommates Show alongside NBA stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, she quickly shut it down. “What is it gonna do?” the Las Vegas Aces star asked, pointing out that a change like that could disrupt players’ mechanics. 

“I’d much rather spend my offseason maxing out my vertical and focusing on jumping.” She even highlighted how lowering the rim could throw off their shots entirely. 

But the NBA legend wasn’t backing down. In a recent Instagram post, he doubled down on his stance writing, “60% of the fans said dunking is their favorite thing. The WNBA has none of that. So they make much less money. Just trying to get you that $300 million you deserve @aja22wilson #shaqwbnacommissioner. Love yall @wnba”

Speaking of the $300 million, Jaylen Brown signed the league’s first $300 million player. This came after Stephen Curry’s $200 million contract, which proved that salaries in the NBA are soaring year by year. Well, Shaq dunks have a major role in that. Obviously, not everyone is sold on the idea but looks like a huge number is. 

Fans side with Shaq as A’ja Wilson stands firm in rim-lowering debate

While many of his past takes have been dismissed as out of touch, this one has people on board. One fan wrote, “He isn’t trying to insult anyone. He’s suggesting making it more fun for fans to watch.” According to reports from the Sports Business Journal, W has only been 38 dunks in the history, with Brittney Griner accounting for 27 of them. 

Compared to the high-flying action fans see in the NBA, the W simply doesn’t have as many jaw-dropping moments above the rim. Shaq’s pitch seems to be targeting to increase that number. While another fan chimed in with: “Lol Shaq is literally trying to empower women here, and they’re pissed.” 

It’s not just A’ja Wilson who disagrees, though. Even Shaq’s “niece,” Angel Reese, dodged the topic when he brought it up on her podcast, and fans noticed how uncomfortable she seemed. Not to mention, Candace Parker shut down the 4x NBA Champion during a similar discussion on Inside the NBA.

Still, some fans see his suggestion as a genuine attempt to level up the game. Then there’s the practical argument: “I mean, they have a women’s ball. Why not a women’s rim? Makes sense to me.” 

This fan pointed out that the WNBA already uses smaller size 6 basketballs, which are about an inch smaller in circumference and weigh less than the NBA’s size 7 balls. If the ball is designed differently, they argue, why not consider adjusting the rim too?

Another fan made a comparison: “Like volleyball, it’s 6 inches lower for women.” In volleyball, the net is set lower for women’s games to account for differences in average height and jump reach. They suggest this kind of adjustment could make sense for basketball, too.

Finally, one fan remarked: “That’s the right move to make it entertaining.” However, even without lowering the rim, the W is already on an upswing. The 2024 regular season averaged 657,000 viewers, its highest in 24 years. 

Clearly, the league is proving it can attract fans without changing the rim height. All in all, while Shaq’s idea has sparked a debate and garnered some unexpected support, the WNBA doesn’t seem to be considering lowering the rim. Will that change in the future? Only time will tell.