Sophie Cunningham Challenges Trainer Drew Hanlen Over Why WNBA Players Miss Wide-Open Layups

On her No Hesitation podcast, Sophie Cunningham confronted NBA skills trainer Drew Hanlen about why women's basketball players miss wide-open layups.

The conversation quickly turned into one of the most candid dialogues surrounding the fundamentals of the sport.

Cunningham did not mince words when asking the renowned skills coach about a trend she has witnessed firsthand on the court.

"Why do women basketball players, why do we miss so many wide-open layups?" Cunningham asked.

She acknowledged that the issue often sounds like a punchline to outside observers, but insisted it remains an ongoing reality at the professional level.

"It’s a joke because it does actually happen… Like wide-open layups," Cunningham added during the broadcast.

She pushed the issue even further during the episode, asking bluntly what could possibly explain those unforced misses.

Hanlen, who has spent years dissecting player mechanics at the highest level of basketball, found himself largely at a loss.

The skills coach initially attempted to break down the broader physical gap between men's and women's professional basketball.

"I think the biggest thing is athleticism," Hanlen explained to Cunningham during their podcast exchange.

Hanlen noted that differences in leaping ability and physical elevation alter how players approach the basket.

"You’re not as close to the basket and stuff like that," Hanlen said.

He also pointed to the physical contact that typically accompanies rim attempts in professional competition.

"I think another thing is strength isn’t the same as the men’s, where they can take the bumps and the hits of physicality when you’re finishing over," Hanlen observed.

Yet when it came to unguarded attempts with no defenders nearby, Hanlen admitted his basketball theory broke down completely.

"The open ones, I have no answer for you," Hanlen confessed.

A BAFFLING REALITY AT THE RIM

Hanlen's admission carries significant weight across the basketball community.

As a premier NBA trainer, Hanlen works daily with some of the biggest stars in the sport, including Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Joel Embiid.

His client list has given him front-row access to countless hours of finishing drills, shooting evaluations, and rim mechanics.

Yet even an elite development coach could not offer a definitive explanation for why professional women occasionally falter on uncontested looks.

Cunningham’s willingness to address the issue head-on has sparked widespread debate among fans and analysts alike.

Some observers worry that validating such talking points gives critics an excuse to dismiss the league's overall skill level.

Others view Cunningham’s commentary as an honest critique from an experienced professional who wants the game held to the highest standard.

Cunningham, who has built a reputation as a lights-out shooter throughout her career, was speaking directly from her perspective as a veteran competitor.

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS

Statistical data shows that the perceived gap at the rim is narrower than social media discourse often suggests.

According to Basketball Reference, WNBA players shot 67.4% on attempts between 0 and 3 feet from the basket across the last full season.

By comparison, NBA players converted 70.3% of their field goal attempts from that same short distance.

That represents a difference of less than three percentage points between the two leagues.

However, the structure of each league's offense causes those short-range misses to stand out far more dramatically in women's basketball.

Tracking data reveals that layups account for roughly 36% of all field goal attempts during a WNBA game.

In contrast, the NBA relies far less on the shot, with layups making up only 26.4% of total field goal attempts.

Because the WNBA generates a substantially higher volume of layup opportunities per game, every miss naturally draws heightened attention.

When a shot represents over a third of an entire league's offensive output, an empty trip directly alters the flow and narrative of a game.

THE ROLE OF HEIGHT AND LEVERAGE

Beyond shot frequency, physical dimensions play a undeniable role in how the game is played around the basket.

In both men's and women's professional basketball, the rim is set at the exact same height of 10 feet.

Yet the average height of an NBA athlete stands at 6 feet, 6 inches.

In the WNBA, the average player height is listed at 6 feet flat.

That six-inch difference creates a noticeable gap in standing reach and release angles beneath the backboard.

A player standing 6 feet, 6 inches has a natural visual and physical proximity to the rim that a six-foot player does not possess.

The roster distribution across both leagues highlights that contrast even further.

According to CraftedNBA, the NBA currently features only five active players listed under 6 feet tall.

By contrast, official league roster data shows that the WNBA had 89 players listed under 6 feet during the past season.

Shorter players must rely on upward momentum and touch rather than simply extending their reach above the cylinder.

That mechanical difference leaves less room for error, even when no defender is actively contesting the attempt.

CALLING FOR HARDER COACHING

The conversation between Cunningham and Hanlen did not stop at missed layups.

Cunningham used the platform to explore what she believes is a root cause behind fundamental lapses in modern basketball.

Both Cunningham and Hanlen agreed that many coaches today have become far too lenient on young athletes.

In Cunningham's view, modern coaching culture often avoids direct, demanding accountability for fear of upsetting players or their families.

Hanlen suggested that coaches tend to be especially gentle when working with young female athletes.

Cunningham concurred, arguing that holding female players to a different standard only hinders their technical development.

"Bring back hard coaching," Cunningham said during the podcast discussion.

She credited that rigorous coaching environment for her own path to the professional ranks.

"That is why all of us pros are where we are, because we had coaches who truly cared about us and loved us and saw our full potential," Cunningham explained.

She made it clear that genuine care in athletics often comes wrapped in intense discipline.

"But with that, they didn’t let us slip… If we weren’t going hard enough, or we weren’t doing that, they were on our a**," she added.