Brittney Griner, a 6’9″ tall woman, began her basketball career with the Baylor Lady Bears in Texas. She dominated the college scene from 2009 through 2013, establishing several records, guiding her team to a National Championship in 2012, and winning the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player of that Year.
Despite all of her accomplishments with the Bears, she was a muted version of herself back then, according to an unwritten rule that all Bears players had to observe. Kim Mulkey, the current head coach of LSU, was coaching the Baylor’s at the time and advised the players to keep their homosexuality private since it may affect their recruitment opportunities and harm the basketball program.
Brittney Griner recalls being mentally weary while playing for the Baylor Lady Bears
Even though everyone who knew the record shot blocker knew she was homosexual, she couldn’t open up because of the hypocrisy that existed behind closed doors. After she was drafted to the Phoenix Mercury as the first overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft, Griner, in an exclusive interview with ESPN, revealed how tough it was for her to keep her actual identity hidden while playing for the Bears.
Kim Mulkey was asked to share her thoughts on Brittney Griner, who played for Mulkey from 2009-2013.
She declined to comment.
🎥 @bubbaprog pic.twitter.com/pOrjF7at8z
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 26, 2022
She quoted “I am 100 percent happy. When I was at Baylor, I wasn’t fully happy because I couldn’t be all the way out. It feels so good saying it: I am a strong, black lesbian woman. Every single time I say it, I feel so much better.”
She also told the interviewer how transparent she was with Mulkey when she recruited her. “I told Coach [Mulkey] when she was recruiting me. I was like, “I’m gay. I hope that’s not a problem,” and she told me that it wasn’t,’ Griner said. ‘I mean, my teammates knew, obviously they all knew. Everybody knew about it.”
Mulky was recently questioned about her thoughts on Griner’s detention in Russia, and she declined to respond. This did not sit well with her followers, who went crazy in the media. “A player who built Baylor, two national titles, and a 40-0 record,” one of her supporters tweeted. “Her previous coach, on the other hand, refuses to say anything or just show any type of support. Keep it in mind while you select schools.”
Griner is currently in a good spot. After taking an important break from the game and spending time with her wife post her homecoming from Russia, she is ready to go to the court and show her masterclass again to her fans.
Reminder that Kim Mulkey told Brittany Griner to “stay in the closet” and also refused to defend her when she was imprisoned
— B.W. Carlin (@BaileyCarlin) April 2, 2023
An inspiration to many in the league, she hopes that players are respected for who they are and that they are solely assessed on their performance and nature on and off the court.