Baylor University retired Brittney Griner’s No. 42 during a pre-game ceremony prior to its contest against Texas Tech on Feb. 18. Griner, the most decorated player in program history and one of the best collegiate players of all time, is the seventh Baylor women’s basketball player to have their jersey retired.
“I’m honored to return home to Baylor and celebrate where so much of my journey started,” Griner said in a press release. “I’m grateful to Coach Nicki [Collen] 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.”
Griner was a dominant force at Baylor, leading the Bears to a 135-15 record and the 2012 national championship over her four years. Along the way, she was a two-time Naismith Player of the Year, three-time Big 12 Player of the Year, four-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, two-time First Team All-American and the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2012.
Her 3,283 career points and 748 blocks are not only school records, but Big 12 conference records as well. Griner remains the only player in NCAA history to have over 2,000 career points and 500 career blocks, and in 2009 she became the first player in Baylor history to have a triple-double when she recorded 34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 blocks. She finished her collegiate career with five triple-doubles, tied for the 10th most all-time.
To help celebrate Griner’s big day, every fan in attendance got a No. 42 T-shirt.
“We’re excited to have Brittney back on campus and honor her with the retirement of her jersey,” Baylor coach Nicki Collen said. “I have been saying this since I arrived at Baylor that she deserves to have her jersey retired and I wanted to make sure that happened when the timing was right.
“With the opening of Foster Pavilion, and the WNBA offseason fitting into our season, this seemed like the right time to honor Brittney and welcome her back home. She is one of the best basketball players in Baylor’s history and we’re thrilled that the time has come to celebrate Brittney and all of her accomplishments.”
After starring at Baylor, Griner was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft. She has spent her entire career with the Phoenix Mercury, collecting countless accolades along the way. In addition to becoming a champion in 2014, she is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, six-time All-WNBA performer and nine-time All-Star.
Griner missed the entire 2022 WNBA season while she was wrongfully detained in Russia on drug charges. After her release in December 2022, she returned to the court last summer for the Mercury and was named an All-Star starter. She is currently a free agent, but is widely expected to re-sign with the Mercury.
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