ESPN.com - WNBA - Harrison considers posing for Playboy

 
Wednesday, July 11
Updated: July 12, 2:57 PM ET
Harrison considers posing for Playboy



PHOENIX -- A day after saying she would pose nude if Playboy readers chose her for an off-season pictorial, Lisa Harrison of the Phoenix Mercury backed off the statement and professed surprise at the interest it generated.

"I think it's really sad that I get all this attention because of possibly being in Playboy as opposed to what I do on the court every day," Harrison said Wednesday night after a losing game against Los Angeles.

She said lack of attention to the quality of women's play bothers her more than being considered a sex object.

"I know I'm not the leading scorer on the team, but I do sacrifice myself as far as playing defense and being an unselfish player," Harrison said. "And I would like to be recognized for that."

Visitors to the magazine's Web site have been asked to vote for one of 10 women in the "Sexiest Babes of the WNBA" contest.

The poll ends Monday, the day of the league's third All-Star Game, and the winner will be announced then. Harrison, who had a lead of about 1,000 votes, called the media attention premature.

"First I have to win the contest," she said. "If they made me a great offer, I'd be foolish not to look into it, but I'm not saying I'm definitely going to do it, so at this time it's been totally blown out of proportion."

Seth Sulka, the team's vice president of operations, hadn't formulated a policy about players posing for a men's magazine and said the Mercury were in a bind because all WNBA players are contracted to the league.

Neither he nor Harrison knew if her contract contains a clause governing off-court behavior.

"If she's allowed by her contract to do it and she makes the decision to do it, I think you'd have to support her," Sulka said.

The magazine had the same contest last year, but winner Michelle Marciniak turned down the offer to do a pictorial.

Lisa Leslie, who had 15 points, eight rebounds and five of Los Angeles' WNBA-record 13 blocked shots in the Sparks' 75-61 victory, is a returnee who as a model and athlete says she also feels the nomination is an honor.

The 6-foot Harrison is familiar with the duality of attention paid some female athletes.

She is averaging 9.1 points and 5.0 rebounds a game, starts at small forward and is the Mercury's consensus best defender. She also is making the league's veteran minimum of about $35,000 a year and has to pay for her room and board two-thirds of the year.

"Yes, it's flattering to be recognized and being attractive -- you know, being a female athlete, because a lot of us aren't perceived that way," Harrison said. "So it is a nice compliment, but it's far from being closed as far as any type of deal."

Others returning among the current nominees included Washington's Nikki McCray, Houston's Sheryl Swoopes and Orlando coach Carolyn Peck.

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 ESPN The Magazine's Sally Jenkins weighs in on Lisa Harrison's interest in posing for Playboy.
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