Bird Understander
birdunderstander.bsky.social
Bird Understander
@birdunderstander.bsky.social
120 followers 280 following 490 posts
You know — like the Craig Arnold poem. I love my wife, my cats, women’s basketball, and being a Michigander. The rest, as Nabokov said, is rust and stardust.
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People forget: This team is entirely comprised of players other teams didn’t deem worthy of keeping. Not one of them was a starter / top five choice from previous teams.

And LOOK AT THEM GO!

They are undeniable. I think it comes down to a no-ego, locked-in, coachable attitude.
The Golden State Valks are a beautiful lesson in why it pays off to:

1. Be ready for your moment
2. Be coachable
3. Trust planning and preparation
4. Don’t put your ego above your mentor or coach’s experience

They’re a whole team of castaways, about to beat the 1 seed. That’s powerful. #wnba
You’ve got plenty of opinions about a young woman whom you’ve never met and with whom you’ve never spoken. Do you act like this about all women? Just Black ones? Just ones who aren’t submissive?
This is such an embarrassing take. 👀
But she’s not straight, and she’s not in love with Travis. Good friends? Absolutely possible. He needs a beard as much as she does.

Ole girl’s new album art is literally an image of her as a showgirl while her career is bending her over; that’s where she’s at with her fame / image / identity.
PS: I’ll say it — I’m Team Gaylor forever.

Travis is known to have a longtime boyfriend who always travels with him. Taylor has been living in a widely acknowledged glass closet forever.

Maybe in her teens somebody made her sign an NDA that endangered her net worth forever or something, idk —
I’m to believe that Taylor…

- got engaged on the slowest media day of the week
- ensured there were public pics
- made the sort of post about it a teenager might
- during her album promo cycle
- during his NFL season lead up

… and that somehow, I’m supposed to believe this is legit and not PR? No
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The lady that did the interview with Candace during the game did her big one though. She had the receipts for her on Angel and she had no choice but to eat crow and compliment her. Love that Angel had on her receipts ready shoes tonight too 🔥🔥🔥🔥
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Phee is extremely talented and absolutely one of the best in the league. However, Becky Hammon made an excellent point. She said something like if you’re using A’ja as the standard of who is the best you have your answer for who mvp is.
The best you can hope for is that something about your faves is simply undeniable. Last season, Chennedy was undeniable. The Aces have (not this year lol) been undeniable. Paige is undeniable.

Look for folks who do well against the odds, esp if their team isn’t winning.

The rest? “Entertainment.”
Wondering how a team beats a top ranked opponent one night then loses to a very bad team the next?

Wondering how certain players seem to specifically brick in close games in the 4th q?

Wondering how no “adjustments” help certain well-coached teams turn it around?

We’re watching reality TV. 🧵
We need to be real that it’s naive to think this isn’t what’s rapidly been happening in the last two seasons.

The main holdouts, due to long term REAL coaches, are the Lynx and Liberty.

Every other team has been bought and sold. Wondering why your previously consistent faves are a mess now? 🧵
It’s no different than male sports, where (for example) the NFL literally won a lawsuit saying it only owes fans entertainment, not fair sporting.

Why? Because this:
—makes money via betting
—gets men interested
—creates addictive viewing
—launches “storylines”
—is supposedly more watchable

🧵
Beloved #wnba community, I feel like we can be less angry (though perhaps sadder) if we can acknowledge:

The league has pivoted away from being a sports league and toward being an entertainment league. Coaches and refs are encouraged to participate toward that end. Perhaps some players are too. 🧵
Was it the Sun’s fault when a Sun player grabbed the Sky center around the head and neck? Or are you just full of shit?
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Amen. Just think about all the ways a flight (even on a private jet) messes with your body: dehydration, digestion, limb swelling, circulation issues, etc.

Nobody on earth is truly their best right after a flight. It puts players in such a bad position. I hate it.
I wouldn’t put Plum in the same category at all.

Many players are known to throw a chicken wing or be rough under the boards. Everyone’s favorite yt player, for example, shoves people into the ground with her “pushoff” & never gets called.

Hartley’s behavior seems malicious at this point.
Yeah, I always try to avoid ascribing intent because I know the players are all good people. But Hartley has had some extremely questionable fouls — things she had to know she was doing; things that are dangerous. I’ve stopped believing she’s not being intentional. She’s gonna really hurt someone.
Yeah, I always try to avoid ascribing intent because I know the players are all good people. But Hartley has had some extremely questionable fouls — things she had to know she was doing; things that are dangerous. I’ve stopped believing she’s not being intentional. She’s gonna really hurt someone.
I don’t identify as trans but have had top surgery and am androgynous. I don’t wear a packer but I do carry with me all day, every day, fear of public harm over how I look.

The W has always been a safe space for me and others like me. I hope it can stay that way. We just wanna watch ball, man.
The world is already terrifying right now for our trans friends and family.

While what’s going on at W games isn’t ok, please know the people carrying most of the burden and shame are trans fans. And please know that solutions to the “problem” should NOT problematize transness! 🧵
If you weren’t already aware: many trans folks wear packers (manufactured genitalia) to alleviate dysphoria. You might not know, because simply put, it’s not anyone else’s business & usually a deeply private decision.

Now that folks are calling for pat-downs at games, trans folks are at risk. 🧵
Re: #WNBA, objects being thrown on the court, & trying to prevent said object throwing:

While players are frustrated and embarrassed by recent events, it’s trans fans who feel fear and stress.

If you wear a packer, you’re now afraid of pat-downs or being rejected from entry. This isn’t ok.

🧵
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Dallas is never going to win if Hines-Allen is the best they have to offer at the 4 and Curt/Chris are the best they have to offer as coach. And no I will not lay off Chris. They fired a woman whose team was decimated by injuries to hire this inexperienced jack off #WNBA