Former Baylor women's basketball star Brittney Griner says that Kim Mulkey, her college head coach, told players not to be open publicly about their sexuality because it would hurt recruiting and look bad for the program. Griner spoke about her time at Baylor and her sexuality in an interview with ESPN The Magazine and espnW.
"It was a recruiting thing," Griner said. "The coaches thought that if it seemed like they condoned it, people wouldn't let their kids come play for Baylor."
Griner, now set to play her first WNBA season with the Phoenix Mercury, casually acknowledged that she was gay during interviews with USA Today and SI.com last month, when she referred to herself as "someone who has always been open." However, the comments were the first on public record of Griner acknowledging her sexual orientation.
Griner said she has been open about her sexuality with family and friends since she was a freshman at Nimitz High School in Houston.
In a series of interviews - including one on camera Friday - for both the magazine and the website, Griner said her silence during college was because Mulkey and her staff were concerned about the program's image.
"It was more of a unwritten law [to not discuss your sexuality] ... it was just kind of, like, one of those things, you know, just don't do it," Griner said Friday. "They kind of tried to make it, like, 'Why put your business out on the street like that?'"
But Griner reiterated on Friday that her sexuality was an open secret at Baylor.
"I told Coach [Mulkey] when she was recruiting me. I was like, 'I'm gay. I hope that's not a problem,' and she told me that it wasn't," Griner said. "I mean, my teammates knew, obviously they all knew. Everybody knew about it."
Baylor University, a private Baptist school located in Waco, Texas, has a "Statement on Human Sexuality" in its student handbook. The school also encourages students "struggling with these issues" to consult either the Spiritual Life Office or the Baylor University Counseling.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
