WACO, Texas — At halftime of Baylor’s sport in opposition to Texas Tech on Sunday, followers took half in a dunk contest. Within the last spherical, one contestant requested Brittney Griner to cross him the ball off the backboard, which she instantly agreed to with none apply reps. Her first try missed the contestant altogether. Her second cross was a little bit too mushy, and the fan was already on his manner down when he caught the ball, so he was compelled to put it in as a substitute of having the ability to dunk.
As the group cheered the trouble regardless of the consequence, Griner determined that the followers have been owed a slam anyway. In her cumbersome Baylor letterman jacket and Chucks on her toes, Griner took the ball and jammed it in with one hand, making up for her miss within the help division.
They have been doing a halftime dunk contest…
AND THEN BRITTNEY GRINER CAME ON THE COURT AND THREW ONE DOWN #NCAAW | @NoCapSpaceWBB pic.twitter.com/K5gIrRdUwP
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) February 18, 2024
In a way, it was a well-recognized sight for the Bears followers in attendance. No participant in ladies’s basketball historical past has dunked as typically as Griner, who had 18 in her Baylor profession. The visible of Griner slamming the ball via the ring, and celebrating uproariously afterward, is one which they’ve grown accustomed to.
However Griner hadn’t dunked at Baylor in additional than a decade. Till Sunday, she hadn’t been at a Bears sport since her collegiate profession ended within the 2013 NCAA Match. The dominance, the enjoyment, the silliness — that they had all been absent.
Sunday was a turning level. Twelve years after she performed her final sport in a Bears uniform, Baylor lastly retired Griner’s No. 42 jersey. The three-time All-American, two-time nationwide participant of the 12 months, one-time nationwide champion and Ultimate 4 most excellent participant, and all-time profession blocks chief is now memorialized within the rafters of Foster Pavilion, the seventh participant in program historical past to earn the respect. Baylor and Brittney Griner are selecting to as soon as once more hyperlink themselves collectively, this time for good.
This second. @brittneygriner #SicEm | #GreaterThan pic.twitter.com/cTfnyOiVLi
— Baylor Ladies’s Basketball (@BaylorWBB) February 18, 2024
At an alumni occasion on Saturday, Griner mentioned that she is aware of she hasn’t been round shortly, however that’s going to alter. Baylor College is her house, and now that she has returned as soon as, she is going to preserve coming again.
“All I needed was Brittney to really feel liked, by our crew, by our college, by our group,” Baylor coach Nicki Collen mentioned afterward. “It was emotional to see her tears. It was emotional to see her smiles yesterday. Whether or not that is therapeutic or no matter, she’s part of our household and I’m so grateful that we have been in a position to get this executed.”
The statistical argument for retiring Griner’s jersey is a no brainer. Her record of accolades dwarfs another participant at school historical past, chief amongst them main Baylor to a 40-0 title-winning season in 2012, the primary time a crew had received 40 video games with out dropping in NCAA historical past. As soon as Collen took over as Baylor’s head coach in 2021, she says she “put it within the air that day.” Recognizing Griner was a precedence from the second she was employed, one which was placed on maintain by Griner’s arrest and subsequent detention in Russia.
As soon as Griner returned to the U.S., it was a matter of discovering a date that labored along with her WNBA, USA Basketball, and different commitments. Collen and Baylor have been additionally adamant that the sport be nationally televised, as a participant of Griner’s caliber deserved the most important stage, even in retirement.
Regardless of the lengthy absence, Griner match proper in on campus, the place she performed from 2009 to 2013 underneath former Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, with whom she has lengthy had a thorny relationship. Although Griner declined via her illustration to talk to reporters, on the alumni occasion she fondly recalled longboarding down the quad as a scholar and urged that she would get again on her board earlier than heading house. She shared her go-to school meal — a meat and cheese burger with a caramel shake at Well being Camp — and admitted that her style buds haven’t modified a lot at the same time as she has moved into maturity. She talked about her favourite course in school on British literature, and her former professor occurred to be in attendance, glad to reconnect with Griner.
She giddily watched highlights of her school days, laughing on the brashness of her youthful self. She relayed a narrative of the 2010 Ultimate 4 in San Antonio when the Bears noticed the UConn Huskies on the opposite facet of the River Stroll and proceeded to bark at them in anticipation of their nationwide semifinal sport, which they ended up dropping. As a video of her dunks got here up on the display, she rubbed her knees and sighed, not as bouncy as she was earlier than.
Griner is relaxed anyplace and with anybody, however Baylor is her house. On the sport Sunday, she sought out followers who have been season-ticket holders when she was at school. One man who had been in attendance for Griner’s taking part in profession was excited to deliver his daughter, who wasn’t born then, to satisfy her for the primary time. Griner ran via the tunnel like a participant when she made her entrance, getting moved to tears pregame when her jersey was revealed.
The second 🤩#SicEm pic.twitter.com/KmhpIZQkGu
— Baylor Athletics (@BaylorAthletics) February 18, 2024
She and former teammate Odyssey Sims clapped and nodded in encouragement when Aijha Blackwell discovered Darianna Littlepage-Buggs beneath the basket for a simple layup. Griner bought up and cheered on a subsequent possession when Littlepage-Buggs had a block on the perimeter. She had a dialogue with referee Maj Forsberg — a veteran of NCAA and WNBA video games — a few play on the Bears’ finish of the court docket. After the sport, she stood in keeping with the gamers and coaches throughout the singing of Baylor’s alma mater.
She was so invested within the environment at Baylor that she didn’t discover till halfway via the second quarter {that a} full contingent of Phoenix Mercury employees was readily available, and sitting courtside, to witness the second. Amongst those that made the journey to have a good time Griner have been Mercury president Vince Kozar, former head coach Sandy Brondello, present coaches Nate Tibbetts, Michael Joiner and Kristi Toliver, and basic supervisor Nick U’Ren.
Representatives from the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury have a good time Brittney Griner at Baylor. (Sabreena Service provider / The Athletic)
Griner was out of her seat throughout each stoppage as she seemingly tried to attach with every of the 7,093 followers within the constructing. After the Bears had earned a cushty victory — Collen mentioned her gamers have been impressed to offer their finest defensive efficiency of the season in entrance of Griner — the celebrity spent practically an hour taking photos with hordes of alumni, employees, former gamers and donors.
When she was interviewed by Sheryl Swoopes and Brenda VanLengen on the ESPN broadcast, Griner mentioned that watching her jersey be unveiled made her really feel “seen.” Frankly, it’s exhausting to think about Griner present another manner.
She is the most important presence in any room, actually and figuratively. At 6-foot-9, along with her million-watt smile, she instantly captures your consideration. Then, there’s her infectious persona. She’s goofy and sport for something, all the time simply attempting to have time, simply as she did in opposition to the Purple Raiders. Persons are drawn to her.
Griner was born to be seen, to be witnessed in all her glory. She ought to be the college’s best asset, the particular person they name to seal the take care of a recruit or to mentor youthful gamers in apply. She belongs on Baylor’s model of Mount Rushmore.
Nice second postgame with BG and Lety Vasconcelos. One Baylor huge passing on methods to a different. pic.twitter.com/Uic2Z1WsVd
— Sabreena Service provider (@sabreenajm) February 19, 2024
Griner had an extended speak with Lety Vasconcelos after the buzzer. The 6-7 freshman has performed in solely 15 video games and has reached double-digit minutes twice. However Griner was in her ear, explaining to a fellow heart what she noticed down the stretch within the fourth quarter and how one can maneuver her physique to make use of her dimension to her benefit.
Griner’s presence continues to be significant to the Bears, all these years later. Whether or not she’s revving up a crowd or passing on the teachings of her dominance, she has a task to play with Baylor. The college lastly opened the door for Griner to return again, and he or she ran proper via. She’s up for something, which now features a second act on the web site of her best triumphs.
(Prime picture of Brittney Griner: Ron Jenkins / Getty Photographs)