One layup. One rim grab. And suddenly, timelines were on fire.
During an Unrivaled Season 2 game, Rae Burrell went up strong at the rim, finished the layup, and briefly pulled the rim on the way down. It wasn’t a dunk. But it was close enough to start an argument among WNBA Fans.
The clip was first pushed into circulation by @ShowCaseShabazz, who posted the video with the caption, “Rae damn near dunked that mf [crying emoji].”
Rae damn near dunked that mf [crying emoji] pic.twitter.com/BB8gqSrEnU
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) January 5, 2026
That was all it took. The replies filled up fast, with WNBA Fans slowing the video down, zooming in, and debating how close “damn near” really was.
Not everyone was impressed.
@PlusEV cut against the hype with, “We’re really getting excited out here when a woman ‘almost’ dunks a basketball?…”
The comment immediately split the room. Some WNBA Fans agreed, saying highlights should be judged by the same standards across the board.
Others weren’t having it.
@Jubbitie fired back, “you are a fucking buzz kill. there’s a lot of 6’2″ dudes who call themselves athletic and can’t do this. it’s amazing when a girl does it.”
That reply became one of the most shared responses under the clip, pulling in WNBA Fans who felt the moment deserved credit even without a poster finish.
The exchange summed up the whole debate. One side saw almost. The other saw progress, rarity, and effort meeting the rim.
This moment isn’t just about whether a dunk counted. It’s about what people choose to celebrate, and how quickly WNBA Fans draw lines between comparison and context.
Burrell didn’t end the night with a dunk headline. But she did end it with a viral clip, two camps in the comments, and another reminder that WNBA Fans don’t just watch plays. They argue about what they’re supposed to mean.
WNBA Fans Flood Timelines Reacting To Rae Burrell’s Near Dunk In Unrivaled
Outside of the original thread, Rae Burrell’s near dunk moment had already escaped into the wider timeline. And once it did, WNBA Fans treated it like an event.
Posts started popping up from people who weren’t part of the first discussion, but clearly saw the clip in real time. @prolificflower wrote, “Rae Burrell damn near just dunk in the Unrivaled game just now.”
No debate. Just shock. That tone showed up again and again as WNBA Fans reacted on instinct.
Not every post leaned into amazement.
@DLoThaReal added, “I am not counting that as a dunk from Rae Burrell [laughing emoji].”
Short, direct, and very on brand for the side of WNBA Fans that sees sports clips as either one thing or another.
Then came the opposite energy.
@wnbagotgame posted, “We’re counting that as a dunk for Rae Burrell, I don’t care [woman shrugging emoji].”
That line spread quickly, showing how many WNBA Fans were happy to treat the moment as a win, even if the box score never would.
Scrolling through posts about the play, the pattern was clear. Most reactions leaned toward excitement, surprise, and replay value. A smaller number leaned toward standards and comparisons. Both were loud. Both were very online.
What stood out was how far the clip traveled. It wasn’t trapped inside one conversation. It showed up across feeds, quote posts, and screenshots, with WNBA Fans adding their own captions instead of repeating the same ones.
By the end of the night, Burrell’s layup had turned into a talking point. Not because it went in. But because WNBA Fans couldn’t agree on what almost should be worth.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
