It’s not a fair or appropriate conversation, but the comparisons between male and female athletes continue.
How would a top WNBA player fare in the NBA? How would a low-level men’s college basketball player fare in the WNBA? Who would win in a game between the McDonald’s All-Americans and the WNBA All-Stars, or Team USA women’s basketball squad?
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They are pointless, unnecessary conversations, but they take place all over the internet. And they are continuing in 2025. Multiple prominent NBA stars brought up the topic on a podcast, sending a harsh truth to WNBA players.
The debate surrounding the game continues. (Photo by Dylan Goodman/NBAE via Getty Images)Dylan Goodman/Getty Images
Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. and Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, both former top NBA Draft picks, say that the top women’s players would have no chance against top male high school players.
The conversation happened on an episode of the “Ball in the Family” podcast.
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NBA players sound off on the debate
Porter Jr. and Ball talked about how young a top male basketball player could be while still having a chance against WNBA players.
“I’m probably going with 8th grade because I have real experience doing this. I played my sisters. They played at the University of Missouri, and I was still a young kid. They had me playing on the scout team, and they had a few WNBA players on their team, like Sophie Cunningham and a couple others. I was in 7th or 8th grade going crazy,” Porter said.
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Ball, meanwhile, agreed, saying that his 9th grade self could’ve starred in the WNBA.
“I mean this as respectfully as possible, but 9th-grade Lonzo Ball in the WNBA is going crazy,” Zo said, speaking in third person.
“In 9th grade, I was over six feet and dunking. I’m coming through the lane. No girl in the WNBA is doing that. I’m going backdoor, throwing it up, looking like [Michael] Jordan out there.”
Porter, meanwhile, says that there’s simply a big difference. No such debates need to be had.
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“It’s just a difference, and I wish this would stop being a conversation because it should be common sense. I appreciate common sense. I feel sometimes that’s lost a little bit,” Porter said.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Nov 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
