Nation’s Number 1 High School Baller

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.

Candace Parker Has Whirlwind 24 Hours

The City of Los Angeles can now claim to have arguablely the best male and female basketball players in the world. The NBA’s Los Lakers have Kobi Bryant and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks selected Candace Parker number one in the WNBA draft Wednesday, a day after she capped her college career by leading the University of Tennessee to a second straight NCAA title. "These last 15 hours or so have been just amazing," Parker said. "To win a national championship and then switch gears and come to the WNBA draft and be surrounded by my peers that I've played with ever since I was in junior high school has been amazing.” The Associated Press player of the year joins Lisa Leslie, turning Los Angeles into one of the top teams in the league. The Sparks were a franchise-worst 10-24 last season with Leslie sitting out after giving birth to a daughter in June.

"Lisa Leslie has been one of my idols ever since I was younger," Parker said. "I've never had an opportunity to play with her ... but I'm really looking forward to it. Obviously, she's a great role model and I'm looking to take in whatever she tells me." LSU senior Sylvia Fowles was taken second by the Chicago Sky. The 6-foot-6 center led the Lady Tigers to four straight Final Fours and scored 24 points and had 20 rebounds in their heartbreaking 47-46 semifinal loss to Parker and Tennessee. Stanford star Candice Wiggins, whose team finished runner-up, went third to the Minnesota Lynx. Alexis Hornbuckle of Tennessee was chosen by Detroit and Matee Ajavon of Rutgers was selected by Houston, rounding out the top five.

Candace Parker left Tennessee with a year of eligibility remaining. She chose to skip her fifth year, which she gained because of a knee injury as a freshman. Parker, Fowles and Wiggins headlined a talented class that has been hyped since their freshmen year. Crystal Langhorne of Maryland was taken sixth by Washington and Essence Carson of Rutgers went seventh to New York. Carson will be close to home, having played college ball in New Jersey. The expansion Atlanta Dream chose Tamera Young of James Madison at No. 8. Amber Holt of Middle Tennessee State went ninth to Connecticut and Laura Harper was selected 10th by Sacramento. Tasha Humphrey of Georgia went next to Detroit, and the Sun took UConn guard Ketia Swanier with their second pick of the round at No. 12. North Carolina's LaToya Pringle was chosen by the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and New York picked her Tar Heels teammate Erlana Larkins to close out the first round which included all Black players. All five Tennessee starters were drafted.