First off, sorry if the title is a tad misleading - unfortunately we will not be journeying to Cancun.
Baylor's freshman phenom, Brittney Griner, was apparently having a bad day yesterday. During her team's 69-60 win over Texas Tech, Griner threw a haymaker that would make Hilary Swank proud. She landed a punch to the face of Tech's Jordan Barncastle, breaking her nose and surprising everyone watching.
Griner was immediately ejected and has since been suspended for two games. The penalty seems a bit light to me. A suspension of five games or more would have been more appropriate.
Think back to last football season, when Oregon running back LaGarrette Blount punched an opponent following a loss. Blount was put on trial by fans and media across the country and suspended for the entire season (later reduced). Had Griner received a punishment similar to Blount's, it would have effectively put an end the the star's freshman season and annihilate any national championship ambitions for No. 14 Baylor.
Griner is a 6-feet-8-inch prodigy. She was one of the most heralded recruits ever coming out of high school last year and is averaging 19 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.1 blocks per contest. She already owns the Big 12 single-season blocks record.
Griner was an Internet sensation before she even set foot on Baylor's campus - highlights of her dunking during high school gained publicity. This season, she became just the second woman ever to dunk during a college basketball game (the first was Candace Parker). As long as she stays healthy, Griner should be the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft someday and become one of the legends of women's basketball.
But if Griner aims to become a marketing machine for Nike or Reebok - i.e. Lisa Leslie, Parker- she would be wise to never do anything like this again.
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