The John R. Wooden Award will celebrate it’s 50th anniversary this season. Leading up to the award ceremony on April 10, 2026, The Sporting Tribune in partnership with the Wooden Award and the Los Angeles Athletic Club will highlight past winners of the Wooden Award and the Legends of Coaching Award.
A viral sensation, that’s what the world deemed Brittney Griner as at an early age. The Houston, Texas native clocked in at a height of 6’8″ during her years at Nimitz, and with that advantage she accomplished something that was unheard of – 113 high school career dunks. Griner became a big part in leading Nimitz to the Texas 5A state title game later earning her the title of McDonald’s All‑American and becoming the number one recruit in 2009.
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That kicked off her collegiate career at Baylor University. Her freshman season was just the beginning of her greatness. She racked up 223 blocks, still the NCAA single-season record. Griner was also the first woman to dunk twice in an NCAA Tournament and led Baylor to the Elite Eight in her first year on campus.
In 2012, Baylor went on a historic 40-0 championship run. It was the first in NCAA history and still remains one of the most dominant seasons ever. The Bears beat 11 ranked teams that season with Griner averaging 23.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.2 blocks throughout it all.
By the end of her career at Baylor she had finished with 3,283 points, 1,305 rebounds, and 223 blocks, making her the all-time leading scorer in Big 12 history and second on the NCAA Division I women’s all-time scoring list.
When the WNBA draft rolled around in 2013, Griner was the number one overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury. She is a two-time WNBA Champion (2014, 2024), eight-time WNBA All-Star, two-time scoring champion, eight-time blocks leader, and WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2014, 2015).
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Internationally, Griner spent time playing in China and Russia, continuing to be a top scorer and defensive anchor for both parties. She is also a two‑time Olympic gold medalist (2016, 2020) being a key figure in Team USA’s global dominance.
After an 11-year career with the Mercury, Griner now plays for the Atlanta Dream. Beyond basketball, Griner has also added another addition to her career, YouTube. Earlier this month she announced the launch of her channel where she hopes to share a glimpse into her everyday world.
