Brittney Griner Throws Her Own Block Party as Baylor Topples Tennessee

Forget the dunks. Forget the punch. Brittney Griner isn’t a phenomenon because of her moments of brilliance or belligerence, but because of her ability to reshape entire games.

And that’s exactly what she did against Tennessee.

Griner had 27 points, seven rebounds, and 10 blocks against the Lady Vols as Baylor topped Tennessee, 77-62. She patrolled the paint with a combination of speed and length that are unparalleled in women’s basketball -- maybe in the history of women’s basketball -- and completely shut down the Lady Vols inside late in the second half. During the last 7:53, Baylor went on a 29-7 run (Tennessee’s only field goals in that stretch came n the last 1:05) and Griner had 10 points and three blocks to key it.

Griner is already courting history. She has 26 blocks through three games in this Tournament, just shy of the Tournament record, is the first woman with 10 or more blocks in multiple Tournament games, and sent Tennessee to the exits before the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year, the first time the Lady Vols have ever failed to make it out of the Sweet Sixteen in consecutive years.

But the scariest thing about Brittney Griner is that she’s nowhere near her peak. Her 10-of-11 performance at the charity stripe was impressive, but she still struggles to score consistently, and is limited from outside of the paint. If she can add some offensive skill to her already devastating defense, Griner may be as unstoppable a player as women’s basketball has ever seen as a sophomore next year.

As is, she should make probable Elite Eight and Final Four foes Duke and Connecticut very, very nervous.

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