Phoenix Mercury star and one of the most celebrated athletes of Baylor women's basketball, Brittney Griner, is set to return to her alma mater for the retirement of her No. 42 jersey.
The retirement ceremony will take place before the Bears' game against Texas Tech on Sunday, marking Griner's first visit to a Baylor game since her senior year in 2013. Despite her absence from the games, Griner's impact on Baylor basketball remains undeniable.
“It will be my first time catching a game and I’ll happy to be back on campus. I’ll be full of emotions,” Griner said at USA Basketball training camp earlier this month, per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press.
During Griner's tenure at Baylor from 2009 to 2013, she led the team to an NCAA championship and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, a two-time national player of the year and a three-time Big 12 Player of the Year.
The ceremony will also be a homecoming for Brittney Griner, who has faced significant challenges off the court. Her arrest and imprisonment in Russia in 2022 on charges of drug smuggling captured global attention. The international basketball community rallied around her, culminating in her release through a prisoner swap orchestrated by President Joe Biden. Returning to the WNBA in 2023, Griner has continued to showcase her skills, leading the Mercury in rebounds.
Griner expressed a bit of sadness over the team not playing at the Ferrell Center anymore, yet showed enthusiasm for the Bears' move to a new, cutting-edge facility.
“They deserved that so much,” she said.
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