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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Auriemma suggests changing women’s basketball

Associated Press

STORRS, Conn. – Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma says he wants people in women’s basketball to start talking about how to make the game more exciting and attractive to fans.

He is trying to spark that conversation by suggesting the rims be lowered by at least 7 inches for the women’s game.

“I think if we want to get to where other sports are in terms of appealing more to more people, you have to evolve,” he said Thursday. “I’m trying to help those teams that can’t figure out why they get only 200 people to watch them play every night.”

Auriemma’s argument is the combination of shorter players, the high rims, and a smaller ball (which doesn’t stay on the rim as long) leads to a women’s game that is less exciting to watch.

Over the past 10 years, the shooting percentage for men has hovered at right about 44 percent, according to STATS LLC. The high was 44.2 percent in 2006 and the low was 43.5 percent in 2009. The women have been shooting closer to 40 percent, with a low of 39 percent last season, down from a high of 40.8 percent in 2002. Only 11 women’s programs shot 45 percent or better last year, compared to 109 for the men.

Auriemma points out that volleyball nets are lower for women, tees are placed closer to the hole for female golfers and softball diamonds are smaller than those used in baseball.

“I never said we should make it the men’s game,” Auriemma said Thursday. “All I said is I would like to have a scenario explored where women can have the same success around the rim that men have. Is that too much to ask?”