For several years now, I have beat that same familiar drum about shooting becoming a rare and dying art and how its disappearance is killing the women’s game.

Well, you can exchange that drum for a klaxon and megaphone now because believe it people WE ARE ALL TO BLAME.

I don’t care whether you are a Federation, a technical expert, a coach, a club, scout, player, politician, or media – we are all in danger of watching women’s basketball die in front of our eyes and are guilty of not doing enough (or in some cases not doing anything at all) to stop what is becoming a crisis.

Some of you will no doubt find every excuse under the sun to ignore what I am about to say, to tell yourself that I am wrong without giving some due consideration and to justify to yourself that what is happening right now ain’t that bad really. I get it. You might be being paid a salary in most cases and therefore nobody wants to look in the mirror and contemplate they might be a contributing factor to a decline. I also get that human nature will cause some of you to look for someone else to blame. It’s just easier that way.

For me, women’s basketball relies on three key things to make it stand out from the men’s game and make it a viable sport. These are its beautiful unpredictability, ball movement/teamwork and then pivotal to everything – shooting skills.

During the past 5-10 years, we have largely ignored the fundamental skill of shooting. The reasons for this are undoubtedly multiple. An obsession by everyone wanting to be a do-it-all small forward, coaches obsessed with players being multi-skilled across all areas and the increasing focus on the undue influence and weighting given to sports science and technology (most of which is good).

Coaches and institutions (from clubs and colleges to Federations) have also become obsessed with the physical form of players – getting caught up and love struck by this notion of the women’s game becoming quicker and more physical than ever before – meaning the athletic shape outstrips the skill factor.

The result is that this loss of focus on basic shooting skills has put women’s basketball perilously close to a cliff edge. We are in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater in every sense because without women ballers being able to shoot well, what is the point? Seriously though – what is the point?

In these past years, I have heard coaches, agents, scouts etc…. refer to young women as being ‘just a shooter’ – an almost derogatory term. Well let me tell you, it’s kind of ironic when watching coaches look down their bench when it is 21-17 at HALF-TIME or some other bullshit score like that (which I have seen hundreds of time) and yet I can see all they are looking for is someone who can drop some clean buckets for them.

Women’s basketball is a multi-faceted and dynamic sport with so many elements but at the heart, too many people have forgotten that its mojo is shooting skills. Coaches should be spending at least 30% of their practice sessions at every level on shooting in whatever format that takes. That is the minimum if we are to save the women’s game.

We need to be teaching multi-skills, but ensuring that those with shooting talent are put back on the pedestal where they belong. They need to be supported to develop that shooting skill to the highest possible level – instead of coaches worrying more about where they might be lacking. Or, getting caught up in too much technical crap. I don’t think it is a stretch to say that too many coaches are also getting caught up in technology, reaching for the smartphone, looking at data and forgetting that coaching also relies on a feel for the game. Teaching, inspiring and nurturing talent should be first – not having a ‘fix the shortcomings’ as the default setting.

Not withstanding my empathy for coaches (which is a seriously tough profession), it just drives me insane and it worries me to death.

I have simply had enough of the decline. I am a women’s basketball warrior who is finding it harder to promote the female game because it is getting worse. It is so painful to say these words. Yes, I love that we have quicker and stronger players and the upsides this brings. However, the shooting percentages are now so bad and the scoring so low at almost every single youth event I go to, it is painful beyond belief.

I am struggling to even stay remotely coherent writing this piece because the tide of anger, frustration and sheer number of thoughts rising way above my natural limitations.

Just quickly on those random thoughts. I remember a player who was a decent shooter being told by an NCAA college that she needed to bulk up and needed to spend excessive time in the gym – only for her natural action to be changed so much that it destroyed her game and percentages.

Then there is this parallel with soccer. The old fashioned striker/centre forward who suddenly had to become a ‘modern day’ athlete and do everything. The body, the power, the athleticism, the all-around game. But ultimately, the only thing that truly mattered was putting the ball in the goal net and they started having a natural talent and instinct almost taught out of them.

Sorry for jumping around in terms of tangents. Let’s get back on track.

If we stick to the youth game for example, I was wondering what the percentages should look like – saying as though they stink like utter shit across the board right now. I think it is necessary to have two measures – minimum and aspirational.

3pt – 28% and 35% (minimum and aspirational)

FT – 65% and 70% (minimum and aspirational)

FG – 40% and 46% (minimum and aspirational)

Coaches and technical people may sneer in some respects. I remember previously writing about the lack of teams shooting more than 30% from free-range and my jaw-dropped at the number of responses about them being kids and it how was youth basketball etc… Apparently being in the 20-30% zone is fine for some people. That is scary and for me, underlines everything you need to know about why the iceberg is lying up ahead.

Not least because teams will start (and arguably should be) taking 20-25 triples in games as a matter of course. Anyone being satisfied with 26% or whatever is unfathomable.

I am PLEADING PASSIONATELY for everybody asleep at the wheel to wake up.

I think it is important to back up my opinion (I appreciate that is all it is) with some data and in that sense – arguably some facts.

So, have I really just imagined all of this? Or, are things actually getting worse? I decided to carry out an analysis: I was actually going to do some jazzy report, but screw it. I am sure you will get the drift and these simple graphs will underline why I am so concerned that the women’s game is in danger of dying on its ass.

Ultimately, I hold my hand up very high in appreciation that many of you work hard. You do some great things. I also appreciate this is a complex picture with many different elements and I have made it sound so incredibly simple. But, despite this, it is not an excuse or reason to ignore what is happening.

You ALL NEED TO GET SHOOTING IN ALL FORMATS BACK IN THE CENTRE OF THE RADAR. That includes coaches, clubs, Federations and players themselves in everything they do.

Teaching people to do weights in the gym is not where it is at. Developing shooting skills and everything which facilitates those things is the lifeline that will save our sport.

The klaxon is sounding and this ship is sinking. Let’s all make sure it doesn’t go under completely.

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