WACO, Texas — Fans participated in a dunk contest at halftime of Baylor University’s game against Texas Tech on Sunday. In the final round, a contestant asked Brittney Griner to pass the ball to him off the backboard, and she immediately agreed without any practice reps. Her first attempt completely missed the contestant. Her second pass was a little too soft and the fan was already going down when he caught the ball, so he was forced to shoot it in instead of being able to dunk.
Despite the outcome, as the crowd cheered his effort, Griner decided he should give the fans a grand slam anyway. Griner, wearing a bulky Baylor letterman jacket and Chuck shoes, made up for her lapse in assists by catching the ball and stuffing it in with one hand.
They were having a half-time slam dunk contest…
Then Britney Griner came on the court and dropped a ball #NCAAW | @NoCapSpaceWBB pic.twitter.com/K5gIrRdUwP
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) February 18, 2024
In a way, it was a familiar sight to Bears fans in attendance. No player in women’s basketball history dunked as often as Griner, who had 18 dunks in her career at Baylor. The image of Griner putting the ball in the basket and then loudly celebrating was something they were used to.
But Griner hasn’t dunked at Baylor in more than a decade. As of Sunday, she had not played in a Bears game since her college career ended in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Dominance, joy, stupidity – they are all gone.
Sunday was a turning point. Twelve years after she played her last game in a Bears uniform, Baylor finally retired Griner’s No. 42 jersey. The three-time All-American, two-time National Player of the Year, one-time national champion and Final Four Most Outstanding Player and all-time career shot-blocking leader is now commemorated in the rafters of Foster Hall as one of the nation’s all-time leaders. seventh player in program history to earn the honor. Baylor and Brittney Griner chose to tie themselves together again, this time forever.
at this time. @brittneygriner #SicEm | #betterthan… pic.twitter.com/cTfnyOiVLi
— Baylor Women’s Basketball (@BaylorWBB) February 18, 2024
At an alumni event on Saturday, Griner said she knew she hadn’t been here in a while, but that would change. Baylor University is her home, and now that she has been back once, she will keep coming back.
“All I want is for Brittany to feel loved by our team, our university, our community,” Baylor coach Nikki Curran said afterward. “It was so touching to see her tears. It was so touching to see her smile yesterday. Whether it’s healing or something else, she’s a part of our family and I’m so grateful that we were able to get this done.”
From a statistical standpoint, Griner’s jersey retirement was a no-brainer. Her accolades dwarf any other player in school history, chief among them leading Baylor to a 40-0 season in 2012, the first time in NCAA history that a team won 40 games. without losing. When Collen took over as Baylor’s head coach in 2021, she said she “kept it up in the air that day.” Recognizing Griner was her top priority from the moment she was hired, but that priority was put on hold with Griner’s arrest and subsequent detention in Russia.
Once Griner returned to the United States, the problem was finding a date that would combine with her WNBA, USA Basketball and other commitments. Collen and Baylor were also adamant that the game be televised nationally because players like Griner deserve the biggest stage even in retirement.
Despite her lengthy absence, Griner integrated herself into the campus, playing under former Baylor coach Kim Mulkey from 2009 to 2013, with whom she had a long-standing relationship. nervous. Although Griner declined to speak to reporters through her representatives, at an alumni event she fondly recalled her longboarding days as a student and suggested she return to the board before returning home. She shared a meal she had in college — a meat and cheeseburger with a caramel shake at health camp — and admitted that her taste buds haven’t changed much even as an adult. She talked about her favorite English literature class in college, where her former professor happened to be there and was excited to reconnect with Greener.
She watched the highlights of her college days with dazzled eyes, laughing at the recklessness of her youth. She told the story of the 2010 Final Four in San Antonio, when the Bears saw the UConn Huskies on the other side of the Riverwalk and started barking at them in anticipation of their national semifinal appearance, which they ended up losing. When the video of her dunk appeared on the screen, she rubbed her knees and sighed, no longer as energetic as before.
Griner was comfortable anywhere and with anyone, but Baylor was her home. At Sunday’s game, she found fans who were season ticket holders from her school days. One man who attended Griner’s career was delighted to bring his then-unborn daughter to meet her for the first time. When Griner took the field, she walked through the tunnel like a player and was moved to tears when her jersey was unveiled before the game.
That moment 🤩#SicEm pic.twitter.com/KmhpIZQkGu
– Baylor Athletics (@BaylorAthletics) February 18, 2024
When Aijha Blackwell found Darianna Littlepage-Buggs under the basket for an easy layup, she and former teammate Odyssey Sims ) Applaud and nod to express encouragement. When Littlepage-Buggs was blocked on the outside, Griner stood up and cheered on the ensuing possession. She discussed the Bears’ play on one end of the floor with referee Major Forsberg, a veteran of the NCAA and WNBA games. After the game, she stood with players and coaches as Baylor’s alma mater sang.
She was so involved in the atmosphere at Baylor that she didn’t notice until midway through the second quarter that an entire Phoenix Mercury staff was on the sidelines, sitting courtside and witnessing the moment. Those who came to celebrate Griner included Mercury president Vince Kozar, former head coach Sandy Brondello, current coach Nate Tibbetts, Michael · Michael Joiner and Kristi Toliver and general manager Nick U’Ren.
WNBA Phoenix Mercury representatives celebrate Brittney Griner at Baylor University. (Sabrina Merchant/ Competitor)
Griner would leave her seat every time the game was interrupted and she appeared to try to connect with the 7,093 fans in the building. After the Bears’ comfortable victory — which Collen said her players were inspired to play by playing their best defensive performance of the season in front of Griner — the superstar spent nearly an hour speaking with a large group of alumni, staff, former Players pose with donors.
When she was interviewed on ESPN Radio by Sheryl Swoopes and Brenda VanLengen, Griner said watching her jersey being unveiled made her feel “censored.” See”. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine Griner existing any other way.
She is literally and figuratively the biggest presence in any room. Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall and with a million-watt smile, she immediately grabs your attention. Then, there’s her infectious personality. She’s goofy, interested in everything, and always just wants to have fun, like she did against the Red Raiders. People are attracted to her.
Greener was born to be seen, to be witnessed in all her glory. She should be a college’s most valuable asset, the person they call to seal a deal with a recruit or mentor a young player in practice. She belongs on Baylor’s version of Mount Rushmore.
Great moment with BG and Lety Vasconcelos after the game. One Baylor great passed down skills to another. pic.twitter.com/Uic2Z1WsVd
— Sabreena Merchant (@sabreenajm) February 19, 2024
After the final whistle, Griner had a lengthy chat with Letty Vasconcelos. The 6-foot-7 freshman played in just 15 games and reached double-digit minutes twice. But Griner was in her ear, explaining to a center teammate what she saw in the final moments of the fourth quarter and how to manipulate her body to take advantage of her size.
After all these years, Griner’s presence still means something to the Bears. Whether she’s getting the crowd excited or passing on the lessons of her dominance, she can make a difference with Baylor. College finally opened the door for Greener to return, and she ran inside. She’s willing to do anything, including a second-act performance on the scene of her greatest triumph.
(Top photo of Britney Griner: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
