A W In the NBA Instead of the WNBA?
By: Ryan Welte
The WNBA was formed for women to have a professional basketball league. But could we really see a women still go into the NBA? If we were to see that, it would be Brittney Griner of Baylor University. Griner is a 22-year-old senior, standing 6' 8" with a wingspan of 7' 4" and a larger grip than LeBron James's. That is insane. She's not just tall, but she's skilled. Griner scored 3,283 career points, second in women's college basketball history, and she holds the NCAA record (men's and women's) for career blocks, with 748. She can also dunk. Her 18 drunks are also a NCAA women's record by a wide margin.
Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, said earlier this week that he would consider drafting Griner in this year's draft. I'm with him. I think Griner could be a threat even in a male's league. I believe that she is a better player than some players currently in the NBA. I would prefer Griner on my roster over some players on the end of team's benches.
Shane Battier of the Miami Heat also thinks we could
see this revolutionary change
in the NBA saying he thinks a women will be in the league "in our lifetime." I think that if there is, it will be Griner.
As for Griner's point of view, if she could enter the NBA or the WNBA and had to choose, she should enter the NBA. The pride factor in being the first female NBA player is too much. Maybe get drafted by a good team, play a few years, get lucky enough to win a Championship, then play the rest of your career in the WNBA. If she got a Championship in each league, she would be in an elite category that only she would probably ever be in. Also, she would be a marketing machine and would make most of her money not from a franchise owner, but businesses that she would represent.