The basketball relevance of the Harlem Globetrotters in the year 2013 can be debated up and down, but on Tuesday, the historic organization selected WNBA and former Baylor star Brittney Griner with one of their five “draft” selections.
ESPNW quickly reached out to Griner in the aftermath of the selection, and she shot down the idea quickly:
"While it’s an honor to be considered, I am under contract with the Phoenix Mercury and the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, and I am 100 percent committed to doing all I can to bring championships to our fans."
Reportedly, Griner told the Globetrotters prior to their pick that she wouldn’t be participating, but seemingly, it was a bigger deal for the organization to grab Griner’s name recognition than to actually form a partnership.
While the WNBA is unquestionably the biggest and best women’s basketball league in the world, there are thousands of dollars to be made elsewhere, and some of the top-tier talent in league goes overseas in the off-season to find contracts. As Griner stated, she has already signed with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls for their season, and it doesn’t appear that she’ll be playing anywhere else.
Griner was the #1 overall pick by the Mercury after her legendary career at Baylor in which she averaged 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per game as a senior in route to a 34-2 record to go with a 40-0 mark and a national title as junior.
