TOKYO — We were standing in the "mixed zone,'' chatting with Brittney Griner. She had just dominated the gold medal game in women's basketball, and now she was offering the best interview of the day.
Griner is 6-9 and powerfully built. She shows off long braids and elaborate tattoos.
She was the best player on the court when the USA beat Japan for Olympic gold, and now she was entertaining reporters, needling teammates, hugging opponents, beaming as she answered questions.
Someone asked about the American women outperforming the men by a wide margin in terms of winning medals. "Women power!" she said.
Someone asked about her being a role model for girls who might otherwise think of height or any other personal characteristic as a detriment.
That's when Griner provided a reminder of why sports, and especially women's sports, can be powerful.
"Be different,'' she said. "Love being different. The world would be boring if we were all the same. Own it. I love being tall, love being bigger. I mean, even to the size 17 shoe that I wear. Own what makes you different.''
For three weeks we watched immense humans lift and throw weights, saw 5-1 gymnasts hurl themselves into orbit, watched Griner and a 5-4 point guard occupy the same court.
