Could Caitlyn Clark compete with D1 men?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Polly came from Miami, FLA
Hitchiked her way across the USA
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she

[Exhibitman]

Comparing the games is laughable stuff. Women play a totally different game, smaller ball and closer 3-point line, nowhere near as physical. Average height of a female player is 5'6", male player is 6'6". Only 8 women have ever dunked the ball in NCAA women's basketball. I don't think it is an accident that the greatest women players have not made it to the NBA; they'd be destroyed on both ends of the floor every night. That's not a slam on them, just a physical reality. Strength and power count. Same reason there are gender and weight divisions in combat sports. It isn't fair to pit a lightweight against a heavyweight, or even match a woman against a man in the same division. Ann Wolfe was as imposing and terrifying a woman as ever set foot in the ring but put her in with a male boxer the same size and he kills her to death inside three rounds, as Mickey might say.

[steve B]

Baseball and basketball are so very different.

As far as baseball goes, a couple bits of info/suggestions.

Go find a batting cage that's up around 90. Many places have them now.
It's a real eye opener. The realization that the guy whose batting you laughed at by the stats like anyone under .200..... Is far more talented than nearly anyone. (I couldn't really even see the ball, and was happy to get an audible foul tip on the last of 50 pitches. And that's with a fairly consistent machine that wasn't trying to get me out or throwing inside. )

I played softball with a couple people who were amazing.
One had played college baseball, but left when the coach said he would have to choose engineering or baseball. -He went with the odds.

The other was a female Olympic hockey player. And was maybe the best player on the team. The guy had control trouble on infield throws because of trying to throw gently enough for the rest of us.
The Olympian? Made a throw home that I couldn't have made at all. And mentioned after that throwing like that made her unrepaired rotator cuff sore.
I usually caught, but played outfield with her a couple times. She was never out of position, never. Which made me a better outfielder, because I could go for balls I'd let drop with anyone else in the field. Simply because I knew backup was in the right spot, and had a much better arm.

I figure a woman in baseball is a someday thing.

Other sports, maybe not, or maybe only a chance thing with the right team/coach/player/situation. But in some ways that's the same thing holding many athletes back.

[Jewish-collector]

I'm curious what level of men's tennis would the top women's tennis player in the world (ie Iga Swiatek or whoever it is) be able to defeat a male in a series of games ? Men's Division III college top player ? Boys High School top player ? JCC retired guy recreational player Thoughts ?????

Same question with swimming.

[bk400]

I would agree that women have a better chance in non-contact sports. This said, size and speed will make a difference in tennis. I'd probably give even odds to the world number 1 female tennis player against the number 3 ranked high school male tennis player in Florida.

In swimming, I think you'd have to go long course, open ocean, where a woman's body fat percentage works in her favor. I haven't looked at the data, but I wouldn't be surprised if the female world record for crossing the English Channel is pretty close to the men's record.

[maniac_73]

Originally Posted by bk400

I would agree that women have a better chance in non-contact sports. This said, size and speed will make a difference in tennis. I'd probably give even odds to the world number 1 female tennis player against the number 3 ranked high school male tennis player in Florida.

In swimming, I think you'd have to go long course, open ocean, where a woman's body fat percentage works in her favor. I haven't looked at the data, but I wouldn't be surprised if the female world record for crossing the English Channel is pretty close to the men's record.

Here are the english channel records.
Men Germany Andreas Waschburger [39] 06:45 Sep. 2023
Women Czech Republic Yvetta Hlaváčová 07:25 2006
Men two ways New Zealand Philip Rush 16:10 1987
Women two ways Australia Susie Maroney 17:14 1991
Men three ways New Zealand Philip Rush 28:21 1987
Women three ways United Kingdom Alison Streeter 34:40 1990

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by bk400

I would agree that women have a better chance in non-contact sports. This said, size and speed will make a difference in tennis. I'd probably give even odds to the world number 1 female tennis player against the number 3 ranked high school male tennis player in Florida.

In swimming, I think you'd have to go long course, open ocean, where a woman's body fat percentage works in her favor. I haven't looked at the data, but I wouldn't be surprised if the female world record for crossing the English Channel is pretty close to the men's record.

In a state like Florida, I'd probably go with the high school player. Just too much difference in how hard men and women hit the ball.

[quinnsryche]

Let her take a flagrant foul from Draymond Green or run over by Lebron and see how long she lasts - 1 sec. - before they have to take her off the court in pieces. That's a question constantly asked about females in a male sport and I have NEVER ONCE heard an argument that ends well for the girl.