Brittney Griner. Poof

Brittney Griner, the freakishly tall (6'8") and superbly talented former hoopster for the Baylor Lady Bears, is about to go on to the next level. To no one's surprise, Griner was the overall #1 pick in the recently held WNBA draft. Even the famed (or notorious, depending on one's point of view) Bobby Knight, likely a "man's man" if there ever was one, marveled at her abilities.

Griner will suit up as a professional for the Phoenix Mercury. That's the good news. The bad news is after enjoying such a high profile and so much well deserved praise during her years at Baylor, including leading them to a national championship along the way -- she's about to fall off the radar screen in the world of sports.

How can that be? Because, unfair as it may seem, that's the way it works. Unlike some of her superstar male counterparts over the years, making the jump from college to pro ball will guarantee her LESS exposure, not more. Don't believe me? Okay, consider this -- everybody knows the Miami Heat won the NBA championship last season, but quick -- who were the WNBA champs? See what I mean? To be honest, I didn't know either, so I looked it up. The Seattle Storms defeated the Minnesota Lynx 3 game to 1. What's worse is I don't even remember it ever happening.

That has nothing to do with me being a chauvinist. Quite the contrary. I love watching ladies' hoops. No, they can't run as fast or jump as high as the men, and forget about the alley-oop slam dunks that feature the boys on the highlight reels -- the girls play with a precision and execution of the fundamentals that makes them a joy to watch. And when it comes to pure shooting, be it short or long range -- including free throws -- I'll take the gals over the guys every time. While we're at it, let's throw in more sportsmanship, and less whining, crying, and flopping.

The problem is, unlike their NBA counterparts, hardly anybody gets to see the skills the pro lady players have to offer. The WNBA doesn't have lucrative TV deals, and on the rare occasions a game may be broadcast at all -- it will be on some obscure cable channel. To be fair, or perhaps realistic, the ladies don't exactly pack them in at the arenas where they play -- and the media world is definitely ratings-driven. It's understandable why the decision makers in the broadcast world tend to shun putting events on the air that would show a venue almost devoid of ticket paying customers sitting in the stands. How it came to be that the best of lady college hoopsters, once trumpeted all over the airwaves at their various schools, could somehow disappear into a black hole when they went pro and the skill level of their game got even higher -- is a very good question. But such is the unfortunate paradox Brittney Griner is about to experience. In other words -- like so many that came before her, and will likely come after, she was famous yesterday, and tomorrow she'll seemingly vanish into the ether. Somehow, it's not right.

But there are reasons for this. A harder look at how the NBA pulls all the strings of the WNBA next time.