So you say so what, a high school basketball player standing 6-foot-8 with an 86-inch wingspan and size-17 shoes and possessing real talent. Well it’s not that common, but there some out there. Well when you add the factor that the baller is a she then we’re talking extraordinary. The 18-year-old Brittney Griner of Nimitz High School in Houston, Texas is the nation’s number 1 player. To put her height in perspective, only one WNBA player, 7-2 Los Angeles Sparks center Margo Dydek, is taller. But the reasons for her basketball success extend beyond her large frame. Brittney has great agility, athleticism and speed.
The senior's size and skills account for her jaw-dropping statistics. She has averaged 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 8.4 blocks, 2.6 assists, and 2.6 steals for the No. 24 girls team in the country. In 32 games, she has 17 triple-doubles and has shot 70 percent from the floor. Her numbers reflect a once-in-a-generation talent, and make her the RivalsHigh.com no. 1 player in the class of 2009. She set a national record 25 blocks in their season-opening game this year.
Defense and rebounding serve as Brittney's forte, but her dunking has become an Internet sensation. Video clips showcasing her dunks have attracted more than 2 million hits on Youtube. But none of her fans were bigger – literally or figuratively – than 7-1 Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal. "The Diesel" met her last year while in Houston to face the Rockets, and it resulted in a new experience for her -
Before Lisa Leslie recorded the first dunk during WNBA play in 2002, women had dunked only seven times during college and professional action between 1984 and 2002. Brittney Griner averages about two a game. Brittney Griner owns an extensive dunking repertoire. She can dunk running or standing and with one hand or two. Those jams have not only become a YouTube favorite but also were featured on SportsCenter's top 10 plays. She is working on nailing both a 360 dunk and one where she jumps over a teammate.
She will take her dunking skills to Baylor next season. She selected that school over Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M, Connecticut, Rutgers and LSU because of its close proximity to home, strong program and passionate coach, Kim Mulkey.
She has one drawback and it is the same as Shaq - her free throw shooting stands at only 51 percent. Brittney did not play team basketball until high school so she could concentrate on her studies and other sports like soccer and volleyball. Her coach found Brittney after a fall volleyball practice during her freshman year and suggested she hoop it up when the volleyball season concluded. The rest is history.
A recent doctor's visit confirmed that her height was not caused by a gland condition and they estimate Brittney likely will continue growing and could end up 6-9 or 6-10 something she would welcome. She is not self-consciousness and displays comfort with her size. She loves being tall and calls her height an asset.
Brittney is a B-student, who remains grounded and is a consummate teammate despite growing national attention. She is very polite and always answers questions with yes sir or no sir. Her coach describes her as a real humble kid. Shaq advised her to prioritize family life, work out vigorously and remain healthy. Along with those objectives, Brittney would like to play basketball in the Olympics and overseas.
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