Brittney Griner has grown extremely popular ever since Russia detained her. Griner has had plenty of eyes on her in recent times, which is for sure. The main reason for that would be her arrest in Russia. She was released a few days ago.
One of the things that people have wondered about for many years is the reason for her jersey number. Over time, there have been many reports that mention she has jersey number 42 as an homage to a legend of a particular sport. It would be none other than baseball icon Jackie Robinson. For those who don’t know, Robinson was the first-ever African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB).
He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 to 1956. One of his biggest achievements would be the World Series win in 1955. It should be mentioned that he left such a legacy behind that a documentary was once made based on his career. It was called “42”, his jersey number, and he was played by Chadwick Boseman on screen. The late actor also had a connection with the NBA.
Is Brittney Griner’s jersey number retired?
Brittney Griner revealed in the past has revealed the reason for her jersey number. She said she could relate to how people treated Robinson during his career. This ultimately led her to decide to have the same jersey number as him, after realizing how he responded to these haters.
Speaking of jersey numbers, Brittney’s jersey number has not been retired in the WNBA. She has worn the same number since her high school and college career. Her jersey number with Team USA (#15) was only retired temporarily by USA Basketball. This was in September when it was announced that the Russian government sentenced her to 9 years in prison.
The 🇺🇸 #USABWNT team numbers are in.
USA Basketball continues to keep BG in our thoughts as we take the court in Sydney. In her honor, no U.S. player will wear BG’s No. 15 in this competition. #WeAreBG pic.twitter.com/3K2ffdSS0o
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) September 21, 2022
However, now that she’s released, it might be safe for us to assume that she might make a comeback with the number soon. That’s not all about Brittney and jersey numbers. In the past, she has mentioned that she would like her jersey number retired from Baylor University, which is where she completed her college education. This request wasn’t followed up on as time passed.
It looks like Brittney followed in Jackie Robinson’s footsteps to display resilience and a “warrior-like” attitude. This was what NBA star Kyrie Irving had praised her for a few days ago. After being released from Russia, she hasn’t spoken to the world just yet, as we await her first interview.