Women's Hoops Blog

Jayda Evans covers college and pro women's basketball. While its her first year on the Washington beat, she has covered the Storm since its inception. She'll offer observations, critiques, occasional off-beat tales and answers to select e-mail inquires. Evans also has written a book on the Storm and women's hoops, called "Game On!"

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July 17, 2007 6:00 PM

Mailbag

Posted by Jayda Evans

Thought a fight was going to break out while trying to do a little investigating for Chris Robinson of Vernon, Conn. The Sun's season-ticket holder wrote, "What's more infuriating ... overly casual attire that seems to be catching on with the inactive players or a team allowing a player with a knee, Achilles, or other leg injury to wear heels."

Well, my nitpick is the former. This is a business, not a nightclub, and the players should adhere to that. The WNBA does have a dress code, which is similar to the NBA's, but Storm coach Anne Donovan takes it a step further by omitting jeans -- even if they are a high-end, dark designer pair. Some teams are lax, however. Remember Tamika Willliams' sweatpants?

The latter is what nearly broke out a fight.

"Any injury that has to do with your ankle, your heel, or your back and you're on the sideline with heels on? You're faking," said Houston All-Star Tina Thompson.

"Hold up, excuse me?" interrupted Los Angeles All-Star Taj McWilliams-Franklin inside the Western Conference's locker room on Sunday. Angelinos may remember she was recently on the sideline in heels. "I always wear heels because it helps with elevation. My doctors have said so."

"Really? I've never heard that," Thompson said, with a look of disbelief.

Apparently Italian doctors gave McWilliams-Franklin the go-ahead. But when Storm All-Star Sue Bird was told the story Monday, she stopped the interview short.

"Wait a minute. Elevation is [pulls leg above heart], you still have to deal with gravity with heels," she said. Bird had minor knee surgery July 6 and wore dressy thongs to the game. "I think something was lost in translation. Seriously, with all the knee problems I have and being bowlegged, the happiest moment in my life is when I take my heels off when I have to wear them."

But Chris, teams don't regulate the shoes, so the debate continues.

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