Brittney Griner got a warm welcome back to the state of Texas when her and the Phoenix Mercury played the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, and Baylor women's basketball coach Nicki Collen made a promise that Griner will get her number retired at her alma mater when Baylor opens its new arena.
“That's the goal,” Nicki Collen said, via M. A. Voepel of ESPN. “We're opening a new arena. There's now doubt that I want to see her jersey in the rafters.”
The new arena will be called Foster Pavilion, and is scheduled to open in January 2024 to replace the Ferrell Center, the current home of the basketball teams.
Brittney Griner is viewed by many as the best player in the history of the Baylor women's basketball program. She wore number 42 at Baylor, and achieved a ton while at the school. She is a four-time AP All-American, three-time All-Big 12 player, former AP Player of the year and a part of the 40-0 2011-2012 national championship team. Griner's jersey retirement will undoubtedly be a popular event at Baylor University.
The Mercury lost to the Wings by the score of 84-79, but Griner spoke about playing back in the state of Texas.
“I played some of my best basketball there, met some really amazing people there, met my wife there,” Griner said of Baylor, via Voepel. “I can't wait to get back. It's safe to say I'm never going overseas to play ball again, so in the offseason, I'll be able to actually go and see games. Just walk the same halls that I walked before.”
The current Baylor women's basketball team was in attendance to see Griner play, and she was grateful that they were there.
“It was amazing to have [the Baylor team] here,” Griner said, via Voepel. “I was really, really, really, really, really happy to see the Baylor team. That meant a lot having them here.”
Griner's return to Texas was emotion, and the same will be the case when her jersey gets retired at Baylor.
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