Page 17 - ARUBA TODAY

A17
Thursday 9 augusT 2018

Advice to

Aces should MOUNTAIN

be to show

up and play HIGH

By TIM DAHLBERG
AP Sports Columnist
The WNBA's Las Vegas
Aces thought they'd make
a statement by refusing
to play a game because
they were tired from a long
day of travel.
It didn't quite turn out like
they planned.
The team ended up forfeit-
ing the game, which could
very well cost it a spot in the
playoffs. And the conver-
sation that players wanted
to start about the rigors of
travel ended up falling on
mostly deaf ears.
Turns out fans don't want to
hear about how tough it is
to play basketball for a liv-
ing.
They just want players to
show up and play.
So does the WNBA, and
with good reason. The
league struggles enough
to draw fans without incon-
veniencing and alienating
those who have actually
bought tickets for a game.
It had little choice on Tues-
day but to hand the Aces
a pivotal loss by declaring
last week's skipped game
against the Washington
Mystics a forfeit. That not
only cost the Aces in the
loss column but seriously
damaged their chances of
making the playoffs.
Score one for the fans who
showed up in Washington
with tickets for the game,
only to be told to go home.
And score one against a
players' union that doesn't
seem to understand the
WNBA is not the NBA, no
matter how much the Pirates' Taillon goes distance to tame Rockies
players want it to be.
There are no $40 million
salaries in the WNBA, and
certainly no private chefs. Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jameson Taillon throws to a Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday,
Aug. 7, 2018, in Denver.
Continued on Page 22 Associated Press
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