It’s win-win for Griner to pursue NBA career

 

The controversy swirling around Brittney Griner, Baylor University’s standout senior women’s basketball player, seems never-ending.

After a recent disappointing loss to the Louisville Lady Cardinals in the Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament, many people have been disputing her future career choices.

There is no dispute that Griner was one of the most dominating forces in college basketball history – male or female.

Griner ranks No. 2 all-time in NCAA women’s scoring with 3,283 career points and is the all-time leader in blocks with 748.

The Houston native also grabbed 1,305 rebounds, dished 239 assists all while starting every game of her college career. The 6-foot-8 Griner has an 88-inch wingspan, a standing arm reach of 9-feet-2 inches and wears a size 17 in men’s shoes.

Griner has multiple conference player of year awards along with many other accolades on and off the court. To add on to her list of accomplishments, she has an impressive 18 career dunks, the most of any other female player.

Every now and then when a woman dominates in college athletics, talk arises on whether she can hold her own in the NBA.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he would draft Griner in the second round of this year’s NBA draft. He added that if she was not drafted, he would give her a chance to try out for the Summer League against many of the NBA’s top young talent.

Many NBA critics wrote this off as another publicity stunt to sell tickets and boost game attendance for the eccentric owner, but it got me to thinking: Why not give her a chance?

Many basketball fans do not think Griner is qualified because the physical dominance at the NBA level is unmatched, but NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller credits his older sister, Cheryl Miller, for pushing him to his highest potential.

Through all the back and forth on whether she can hang in the NBA, Griner found time to tweet about the situation.

“I would hold my own. Lets do it!” she tweeted.

This statement alone made me feel that maybe a shot at the NBA is well deserved. If she gets drafted or gets a chance to play in the NBA and performs well against the league’s best, there would be a nonstop media circus around her. Forget about “Linsanity” and “Tebowmania.” Griner would be the headline of every major sports outlet.

If she does get a chance and does not pan out in the NBA, she would still be the adoration of women around the world.

The WNBA would not pass on Griner because she did not make it in the NBA. Honestly, it is a win-win situation for Griner. The added press could even attract more viewers to the WNBA.

Miami Heat forward Shane Battier said he believes there will be a woman in the NBA during his lifetime, but he does not think it will be Griner.

There isn’t a center in the NBA listed under 6-foot-8, so she would be “undersized” against the likes of Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah.

Griner will be an obvious top pick for the WNBA, but I believe she should take advantage of this opportunity. I want to see how she does against the top players in the NBA. With Cuban being the businessman he is, I would not be surprised if Griner accepted his invitation.

If she makes it, it causes an automatic media circus for the team. If not, she will enjoy a prosperous and successful career in the WNBA.