S4E20 - Violence in the WNBA. What's going on?

A new version of an old Rodney Dangerfield joke: “I went to a women’s boxing match and a WNBA game broke out.” In the 30th season of the WNBA this seems to have been more true than not. Or was it?

It’s the WNBA playoffs! This week Lamar and Tom explore the evolution of women's basketball, the increasing physicality and violence in the Women’s National Basketball League, and the social media narratives that influence public perception. They also talk about the history of women’s basketball, highlighting the contribution of fellow Iowan, Molly Bolin, the first woman drafted into a professional women’s basketball league.

Learn more

How Molly (Bolin) Kazmer re-shaped perceptions of the woman athlete

A magical moment for Iowa Cornet basketball and ‘Machine Gun Molly’

NFHS Record Book Results - Women’s Six on Six BB Scoring

WNBA foul calls rise slightly as the league cracks down on physical play

Amid rising threats, a WNBA team calls in experts on violent extremism

How Black WNBA players became collateral damage in the Caitlin Clark culture war

Annual podcast highlighting Acts of Kindness

Hey! Yes, YOU! Tell us about an act of kindness you have received this year OR one that you have done for another person OR both! We want to highlight these in our November 24, 2026 podcast.

Click on this link to our Google Forms Acts of Kindness Survey or copy and paste this address in your browser: https://forms.gle/5NQakn6bgeXpm2us5

Finally, please share this survey because an act of kindness shared begets others.

How we check ourselves

Fact Checking: Because there are a lot of things happening…some true, some false, some unbelievable…we use the following fact checking sites. Take a look for yourself:

• Snopes - https://www.snopes.com/

• FactCheck.org - https://www.factcheck.org/

• Politifact - https://www.politifact.com/

• RealClearPolitics - https://www.realclearpolitics.com/

• Reuters FactCheck - https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/

Because media can have its own biases, we also rely upon these sites to help us get balanced coverage:

• Media Bias/Fact Check - https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/

• All Sides - https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news

• Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart - https://app.adfontesmedia.com/chart/interactive

Meet Lamar and Tom

Lamar Roth and Tom Klaus are lifelong friends exploring how to get to a 3rd Space - a space where two or more people with opposing viewpoints, ideologies, and worldviews can come together to hear, listen, share, and connect with one another. Together Lamar and Tom hope to carve out a 3rd Space where everything can be on the table for open, straightforward, honest, and, yet kind and respectful inquiry.

Want to watch us do the podcast? Visit the Klaus Haus Productions YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@KlausHausProductions.

Comments? Suggestions? Ideas for guests or topics?

Send us a voice message on Spotify or email us at lamar3rdSpace@gmail.com and tom3rdSpace@gmail.com.

Credits:

Wild Opinions and Nonsensical Musings by Lamar Roth & Tom Klaus

Images by Getty Images, Pexels, Pixabay, Roth Images, and Cyberlink AI

Final review and approval by Jake and Ebie Dawgs Inc.

Photos by Lamar Roth are copyrighted by Roth Images, All Rights Reserved. For permissions or additional information: lamar3rdSpace@gmail.com and https://www.rothimages.com/

Getting to 3rd Space with Lamar and Tom is produced and sponsored by Klaus Haus Productions LLC and Acorn Consulting, LLC. © 2026. All Rights Reserved. Permissions: hello@klaushausllc.com.

No living creature was harmed in the production of this film but a lot of Colombian coffee was consumed.

Recorded using Riverside.fm - http://riverside.fm/ - from “home studio” locations in Maryland and Kansas, USA; Original Publishing Date, September 29, 2026.