Originally Posted by
brevity
There have been quite a few comments since I revived this thread, and some of you are making the same mistake as the rest of the sports world. You're thinking short-term and asking the wrong question. The question you should be asking is based on Shane's statement: "Will a woman ever play in the NBA?"
For the record, I agree with those of you who don't think Brittney Griner can make the jump to the NBA. Her height and physique give her a unique skill set in the women's game, which will serve her well in the WNBA. She'll be a star, and this talk about the NBA helps that, to the extent that it does not disrupt her WNBA career. That said, her skill set does not translate to the men's game. People are focusing on her because of her height, but she's not a very good example of a player with crossover potential.
I don't know if we've seen a good example in the women's game just yet, but like Shane, I think she exists or will exist. Put yourself in the place of some kind of NBA scout who is interested in making this gender crossover happen. What you're looking for, essentially, is the girls' version of Anthony Davis. Someone who develops her fundamentals as a guard and then sprouts in height as a late bloomer until she's a forward. She's about 6-foot-3, give or take an inch, and plays in girls' high school and women's college programs tall and talented enough to let her stay in the backcourt, or at least the perimeter. This kind of coddling makes her used to playing with other stars, and so she ends up doing a lot of grunt work to let them shine. She is a glue girl. For her pro career, she would do fine in the WNBA, if she wanted. But she could also pursue the NBA if she were willing to take the risk. Given the circumstances, and the salary disparity between leagues, I think she would.
Undrafted, she starts in the NBA summer league, impresses a few basketball people and a ton of corporate people, and gets a roster spot on a team with a coach and personnel mostly willing to keep an open mind. This garners her a lot of media attention, and she will say the right things when needed. The season starts, with her deep on the bench, but she makes the most of limited (garbage) minutes. Maybe she gets more playing time, maybe not. But she acquits herself well, gets along with her teammates, and has a serviceable rookie season. The team wins a few more games, which they can attribute to her directly (her play adds to their depth) or indirectly (her presence gives them increased media attention and fan support). No reason why she can't stick around.
Does she dominate? Probably not. Does she earn a salary and survive in the league? Absolutely. As usual, Shane is operating on a different mental level than the rest of us. We just have to try and catch up.