Can Gabby Dunk?

[Vancat]

...not trying to be a wise guy, but why would dunking be worse for one's knees than plain ol' jumping?

 

[FairView]

I'm 59 years old, 5' 11", weigh a little over 250 pounds and I dunk EASILY all the time.
I grab the ball, set by eye on the target, leap and stuff it.
Get a clean hit every time.
Unfortunately, I get so excited when I make it that I make a huge commotion cheering for myself.
That causes my wife to wake me and make me turn over so I quiet down and let her sleep.

 

[sarals24]

That high school girl from Colorado is the most impressive I've seen.

 

[Huskee11]

Lou can dunk, saw her do a reverse slam in the "make your hands clap" video.

Wait, what?

 

[Zorro]

Don't know about the dunking, but she CAN leap tall buildings at a single bound!

 

[Los24]

Something I posted two years ago
"For the most part the quantifiable athleticism that they are talking about is vertical jumping and because we are talking about basketball when the rim is 10' high it definitely translates to basketball. It goes by other names hops, explosiveness, & ups but for the most part it is how high you can get up in the air. I don't know if UCONN "officially" test the players for vertical leaping ability but at least once per game you will see Gabby leap off the floor like she has been shot out of cannon. Many of us did not take Gabby Dad seriously last year when he said "I can't stop her ( Gabby) from playing but I want to make sure she at the level she needs to be. So I've kind of challenged her and told her, 'When you can dunk the basketball consistently, you can play.' "
https://www.sny.tv/uconn/news/recruit-williams-on-track-to-get-back-on-court/148619324
If and when Gabby does dunk in a game she will be the first (maybe last or only woman) under 6' 4"' foot to achieve the feat."

There is a girl in high school who is 15 years old that is close to Gabby's height that has already done it....

 

[McFly]

I've heard that, after practice, Maya's teammates would keep after her until she dunked. I never saw her dunk in a game, and that's often enough for me. If you want dunks, watch the men. They do it all the time.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Say what ....??? Not on a standard 10' rim!

Not the poster's name ... Bizzaro!

 

[SVCBeercats]

Gabby, in the past at least, was said by her dad to be able to dunk in HS. I think she is closer to 5'10" , and besides being shorter than Maya does not have Maya's wingspan.

Threads on this topic in past years estimated Gabby's vertical at somewhere in the low to mid 30"s. Maya's was documented at 28" about the time she graduated high school, IIRC.

Per ESPN/Sports Science Maya's vertical is 26". Gabby's vertical is documented in 2 articles as 34". As a high school sophomore Gabby could dunk a tennis ball. I could not find a quote by her Dad saying Gabby could dunk. I did find a quote in 2 articles inferring she could dunk. They were referring to Gabby's rehabbing from her second knee surgery.

“Right now, she’s almost there," he continued. "She wants to play. But I want to make sure she’s ready. She has UConn ahead of her. That’s her future right now. I can’t stop her from playing but I want to make sure she at the level she needs to be. So I’ve kind of challenged her and told her, ‘When you can dunk the basketball consistently, you can play.’ “

Seems to infer she could dunk and since she is playing basketball and believing her father's veracity; she can dunk. Which answers my question (vertical) and my concern (26" vertical can dunk but a 34" vertical cannot). Whew! I am relieved.

As an aside I found an interesting fact. One of Gabby's high school senior basketball teammates was invited to the nationwide 2014 American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk Championship. I suspect Gabby had the second highest vertical on her high school basketball team. The dunker in question was Tyler Sumpter, all 5'7" of her! NOW, THAT IS A VERTICAL!!!!!! As a senior she averaged 19.6 points per game. Did we get the second best player from Reed high school? ...

 

[iri10]

As an aside I found an interesting fact. One of Gabby's high school senior basketball teammates was invited to the nationwide 2014 American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk Championship. I suspect Gabby had the second highest vertical on her high school basketball team. The dunker in question was Tyler Sumpter, all 5'7" of her! NOW, THAT IS A VERTICAL!!!!!! As a senior she averaged 19.6 points per game. Did we get the second best player from Reed high school? ...

Ahem - was invited to the 3-point contest at the high school slam dunk championship.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Ahem - was invited to the 3-point contest at the high school slam dunk championship.

Picky, picky!