Basketball is basketball, let's get the macho egos out of the way, place bets on Bill Simmons' growing daughter's influence prevailing over his historically harsh WNBA criticisms; especially in lieu of his athletic prowess, because professional women at least produce a better product than unprofessional men - pay attention to the walkers in your local full court pickup game. What separates NBA superstars from their contemporaries are their innate abilities to trancend their peers, we revel in Jordan's ability to withhold a championship from Barkley and Malone, Shaq and Duncan fending off Webber and Ming; the WNBA, even still in it's infancy, already has a shortlist of royalty to equally revere: Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Katie Smith, Lauren Jackson, Deanna Nolan, and the latest thriving legend cementing her legacy, Seimone Augustus.

The Indiana Fever are mired in Conference Championships, Tamika Catchings has conquered every unpromised land, Katie Douglas is a perpetual legend in the making, this franchise as a whole is poised to duplicate the penultimate success of the Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty, Buffalo Bills, Utah Jazz, and every other organization good enough to repeatedly lose to the best on the largest stage. It wasn't supposed to come to this, the Atlanta Dream should have taken care of business, instead Angel McCoughtry relinquished her place among the penultimate greats with a swift first round exit. The Connecticut Sun were the clear favorites from Day One, the slain Tina Charles is the upset of this postseason, this cannot be understated.

The Minnesota Lynx, last year's Champion, exploded from the regular season gates with a record ten consecutive wins, and left a single win away from tying the record for most wins in a regular season; this is the team that made Candace Parker cry, this is the team the Indiana Fever get to watch celebrate. Their captain, Seimone Augustus is everything Chamique Holdsclaw was supposed to be, and that's magic. Maya Moore will be the heir apparent, that or exposed as Seimone's Pippen. Add Lindsey Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson to round out a championship nucleus, and congratulations Minnesota Lynx, the 2012 WNBA Champions!

Basketball is basketball, and all the same, I look forward to discussing the Lingerie Basketball League whenever the quality of play increases to the level of the Lingerie Football League.

Honorable Mentions: As unfathomable as it sounds, Sofia Young needs front court help to realize her full potential, not more Becky Hammon. Alana Beard, please accept my best wishes going forward, as good as your situation is, the list of contenders is severely limited... Bonner, Dupree, Taurasi, and GRINER? That's ridiculous.

... lastly, Bill Simmons again, losing a game of HORSE to Yi Jianlian's chair: