Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA is no different than Tiger Woods' impact on professional golf more than 20 years ago. This charismatic, generational talent has won new fans and changed their profession for the better. Complaints about the attention Clark is receiving are misplaced and ignore the attention Tiger enjoyed.
Gary B. Ross
Beverly Hills
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In the letter you printed, the writer complains that the Sparks raised the price of cheap seats to Indiana games from $20 to $125. Perhaps the writer is unaware that Indiana selected Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 pick in the recent WNBA draft. Clark brought huge attention to women's basketball. The women's March Madness final surpassed the men's final with millions of television fans. Last week's WNBA game between the New York Liberty and Indiana was the first women's game to reach $2 million in ticket sales. The writer calls the Sparks' ticket price increase “socialism.” I call it capitalism. The writer will take her daughter to other Sparks home games to make the price of cheap seats more to her liking.
Michael S. Lurie
Santa Monica
LeBron is a true Laker.
Last week, one letter writer felt that LeBron wasn't a true Laker. Every player in franchise history who has put on the purple and gold on the court has been a Laker.
The late Kobe Bryant even welcomed LeBron into his family shortly after he signed, such was his fervent support.
This sounds like a sulking expression from fans who are upset that the Lakers lost this year. Everyone wants to blame LeBron, but it takes a team to win in the NBA, not just one player. Should we devalue the Lakers' recent titles just because this non-real Laker was on the 2019-20 champions' roster?
Isn't Michael Jordan a “true” Washington Wizard? He obviously meant something to that franchise, and it meant something to him. How can an NBA player not be a “true” member of the association's team?
Luke Aiello
orange
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The Pacers win because this team shares the ball and trusts each other. Unlike the Lakers, who play two-man basketball, LeBron or AD are hogging the ball, so the other players can't get into a rhythm. As long as the Lakers keep LeBron, the losing pattern will continue and the same thing will happen again.
GT Oka
Rosemead
At least one benefit
While it's unlikely, the Lakers' three-point shooting should improve if JJ Redick takes over as coach.
David Marshall
Santa Monica
A sign of October?
Dave Roberts was absolutely right when he said there was a playoff atmosphere in San Diego last weekend. For the most part, the offense looked just like the playoff offenses of the past two years: lacking energy, shaking their heads after weak outs and showing a total disregard for the basics like advancing runners and hitting the other way on outside pitches.
Roberts, if the team doesn't execute the right way now, it will be another disappointing playoff exit.
Bob Malconian
Northridge
Get out of here
We thought the exaggerated “bat flip” was the height of arrogant showmanship, but the blatant self-aggrandizing display of all the Dodgers' hitters raising their arms and doing a boring twisting and squiggling shimmy-shake after every hit, regardless of score, is vulgar and a testament to Freud's thesis that the self is nothing but the focus of conscious attention.
Or, in the immortal words of Vin Scully, “Good isn't good when better is expected.” Apparently, money can buy you an elite DH and a starting pitcher or two, but it can't buy you the best.
Steve Ross
Carmel
Desire alone won't do, Rob.
Rob Blake believes the key to winning the Stanley Cup is believing that “we've come to realize that we need to develop a desire to win within our team.” Sorry, Rob, but you know better than anyone that size matters in playoff hockey. Just look at the Kings' 2012 and 2014 teams. The Kings are too small. You can't just rely on a small engine.
Reginat
Santa Barbara
No defense
So last week we found out that USC paid Lincoln Riley $19 million for his first season at Troy, which makes you wonder how much more backers would be willing to pay if Lincoln also coached the defense.
Fred Wallin
Westlake Village
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