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Originally Posted by Pantherdreams
Watched this live and again here. I can understand why Baylor was upset particularly if this was not the norm. Not to defend the officials in this case, but for a high level girls/guys game in (which I've only watched not done) in FIBA - 'round these parts - most of that contact is pretty par for the course.
Obviously the slaps or intentional elbows are issue, but arms in and on/ positioning using hands/arms first and then body or foot movement is pretty often let go.
I think the toughest part of the game is that Griner isn't allowed to battle. If she puts are arm out or on because of her size and strength she's by their face and head and making space so she ends up on the recieving end all night.
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My issue, after watching it live on TV and then a number of times while cutting the video, comes with calling the game "physical." To me "physical" - or better yet, "rough" - means all that stuff was going on and there weren't any whistles. Some were late as we see in the clip and one didn't come at all but there wasn't a lack of fouls on the players guarding Griner since three UL players fouled out.
Frankly, I thought they should've had her go to the high post so she could get the ball more often. If she gets it and faces the hoop by rule all bets are off in terms of hand contact because she becomes a dribbler instead of a post player. The couple of times it happened in the game Griner blew right past her defender.
I agree with your thoughts on the toughest part of the game. The TC on Griner doesn't happen if she's being guarded by, say, Elena Della Donne who is 6'5" so that arm hits Della Donne in the torso instead of hitting the Louisville player in the head. That being said, it's not as though Griner doesn't know she's literally head and shoulders above most defenders.