Raised Like a ?Tomboy? by Her Vietnam War Veteran Father, Brittney Griner Learnt a Blue Collar Skill That Could Have Stopped Her WNBA Dream

WNBA star Brittney Griner is undoubtedly one of the best women’s basketball players of all time. She dominated college basketball like arguably no other woman before her. However, being a professional basketball player was not always her dream. She developed a love for the game very late in her school life. Griner initially played volleyball in school. And she was also very interested in skateboarding. She once even revealed that her childhood hero was not a basketball star, but in fact, it was skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.

Griner grew up in a rural area of Houston, Texas. Griner was raised by her father who was a Vietnam war veteran, and she soon picked up other interests. The Phoenix Mercury star revealed she was a tomboy and was interested in working on cars at an early age. She said, “I was a daddy?s girl, and I was a tomboy. He got me interested in working on cars at an early age, and I remember that my hands were always oily and my clothes were stained with grease.”

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Griner added that she and her father would work on their family cars in the driveway every evening when she was growing up.

Brittney Griner wanted to pursue car mechanics in high school

Brittney Griner also disclosed that she wanted to pursue auto mechanics in high school. She said, “To this day I know how to change the oil and the transmission fluid, and I can fix a flat tire. I even wanted to enroll in auto mechanics in high school, but I wasn?t able to because it conflicted with my basketball schedule.” Had she pursued her love for car mechanics, she might not have pursued the path to becoming a basketball pro.

The towering center also said that her father would tell her stories about his everyday police work and also about the Vietnam war. She said that when she was very young, she wanted to be in the Air Force.

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Until 8th grade, Griner played volleyball and soccer. And then she started playing basketball when a coach asked her to try out. Griner said that she did not think she would even make the team. Despite this, she soon developed a love for the game and started working on her skills. Very soon, she became one of the best high school players in the country and was a top prospect.

She then joined the Baylor Lady Bears in college and continued her development. With her displays in the college setup, she caught the eyes of many. After helping her team win the national title, she declared for the 2013 WNBA draft and was the number one overall pick in the draft.