Brittney Griner was "full of emotion," as she said, after witnessing her No. 42 be retired by her alma mater, Baylor University. As the most decorated women's basketball player in the history of the school, the moment was a significant one.
On Sunday February 18, 2024, the 33-year-old WNBA player made her way to Waco, Texas, for the pregame ceremony. Her jersey was raised to the roof of Foster Pavilion, the university's new arena. After the ceremony, the Bears played against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
"As soon as [the jersey] started to go up, that's when I started to break," she shared. Baylor University's current coach, Nicki Collen, stood beside Brittney sporting a gold jacket with the Phoenix Mercury player's retired number on the back.
The athlete played for the team from 2009 to 2013. “All I wanted was Brittney to feel loved, by our team, by our university, by our community,” Coach Nicki said. “It was emotional to see her tears. It was emotional to see her smiles yesterday. Whether this is healing or whatever, she’s a part of our family and I’m so grateful that we were able to get this done.”
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Before the ceremony, Brittney took some time to acknowledge the support system of her alma mater. "I'm honored to return home to Baylor and celebrate where so much of my journey started," she said. "I'm grateful to Coach Nicki and the entire Baylor community and looking forward to the opportunity to be back on campus, spend time with the team and have my family beside me to share in this incredible moment. Sic 'Em Bears."
