In WNBA, bigs’ gains being made

ATLANTA — Post players are scoring at an historic pace in the WNBA. Never in the history of the league have three post players led the WNBA in scoring in an entire season. Though the NBA has shifted to a free-flowing faster tempo that has decreased the value of a traditional center, the WNBA has not followed suit. At 6-foot-8, Griner is showing flashes of the dominance she displayed at Baylor. Griner, 26, is the most physically imposing player in the league. A post player has led the WNBA in scoring three times, Lauren Jackson in 2004 and 2007 and Charles last season. Charles, 6-4, has been a consistent scorer throughout her pro career, averaging more than 15 points per game every year since her rookie season in 2010. The majority of New York's offense runs through Charles, who has the ability to step back and hit a jump shot, run the pick-and-roll, post up and find teammates. New York head coach Bill Laimbeer said he doesn't believe the many productive post players in the WNBA and the lack of dominant big men in the NBA are signs that one league values post play more than the other.