Written by James Washington

A senior center for the Baylor University Bears and one of the most talked-about student athletes of today, Brittney Griner has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. Aside from winning a national championship in 2012, she is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12 Conference.

Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, has recently told the media that he would be interested in giving Griner a chance in the NBA. Naturally, this is a hot topic of debate, as she would be the first woman to ever play in an NBA game.

Many argue that Griner has the ability to hang with the men of the NBA.  In regards to stature, she stands at 6’8”, her wingspan (86 inches) is only three inches shy of NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s, and she wears a men’s size 17 shoe. A defensive powerhouse, her 736 blocked shots is record in the NCAA—for men and women.

While talent plays a major part, I believe that she should take advantage for the sake of proving a different point.

Seeing Griner in the NBA would be a huge step in the battle of respect and equality of women.

The average NBA salary is around $6 million per year. The average WNBA salary? Only $47,000.  In other words, as legendary as her collegiate career was, Griner would play for pennies in the pros.

Some will argue that female athletes don’t deserve as much as their male counterparts because their respective sports don’t generate nearly as much revenue.  Female athletes can’t help the amount of exposure they receive in the media.  This falls into the lap of our society as a whole.  Female athletes could generate a comparable amount of revenue if sponsors and fans would give them an equal chance.

Professional sports are only a small piece of the problem.  A 2012 study by the American Association of University Women shows that an American woman with a college degree will make about $1.2 million less in her lifetime compared to a man with the same degree.

Society places a biased expectation of shortcoming on women that needs to be changed.  Although women may not stack up to males in everything they do, it must be acknowledged that women are not the inferior gender.

Furthermore, society expects women to look like pinup models during every activity in which they partake.  It’s a no-win situation in modern society.  Today’s stereotypes give women the option to either use aesthetic prowess to their benefit or be lost in the shuffle.

Ladies and gentlemen, women are more than runway models, and they are taken for granted in the professional world.  Brittney Griner suiting up against the big names of the NBA wouldn’t change that overnight, but in a best-case scenario it could open some eyes.

I say go for it, Brittney.