“Definitely able to pull off some charges”: Brittney Griner breaks down how her game could translate to NBA in honest assessment

Atlanta Dream v Chicago Sky - Source: Getty
Atlanta Dream v Chicago Sky - Source: Getty

On the July 18 episode of the "Funky Friday Podcast," Brittney Griner sat down with host Cam Newton to discuss a wide range of topics. One of the questions posed to the Atlanta Dream center was a hypothetical scenario: How would she fare if she were to compete in the NBA?

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Specifically, Newton asked her to identify certain skills that Griner could "hang her hat on." In response, the 10-time WNBA All-Star cited one particular defensive play that she could reliably pull off against NBA players.

"I can't take no charges in the W. I ain't mastered that one," Griner told Newton. "But I would definitely be able to pull off some charges in the NBA." [Timestamp - 2:44:58]
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Griner, who won a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury back in 2014, also pointed to some moves on offense that she would be happy to bust out in an NBA setting.

"I definitely think I can get some catch-and-shoots," she added. "I'd have to play real smart. Up-and-unders, get them flying, use their physicality to my advantage, drawing fouls." [Timestamp - 2:45:09]

Griner certainly knows what she's talking about when she brings up her offensive repertoire, as she won two WNBA scoring titles in 2017 and 2019.

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Notably, Griner has played a different role in her first year with the Dream. After seven consecutive seasons of averaging at least 17.5 points per game, she is putting up just 10.3 points per outing in Atlanta.

Nevertheless, letting teammates like Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard has worked, as the Dream (13-9) are currently second in the Eastern Conference.

"What are we talking about here?": Brittney Griner stuns Cam Newton by revealing one WNBA rule

After envisioning her defensive and offensive performance in the NBA, Griner went on to mention how WNBA athletes compete against male practice players.

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At this point, the Dream center mentioned the WNBA rule banning teams from having women as practice players, supposedly to prevent these ball clubs from illicitly recruiting and signing them. This rule evidently caught Newton by surprise.

"That is some...that is...wow," Newton sputtered. "But why wouldn't it be females? You give more women opportunities to...what are we talking about here?" [Timestamp - 2:46:31]

Griner then joked that Newton should get WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to discuss this matter on his podcast.

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Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado
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