BG’s Big Day
The roar of the Baylor faithful echoed through the rafters of the freshly minted Foster Pavilion during the Feb. 18 women’s basketball showdown with Texas Tech, not just for another dominating victory, but for a legendary homecoming.
Brittney Griner, B.S.Ed. ’19, a Baylor icon, four-time All-American and three-time National Defensive Player of the Year, returned to Waco for a pregame ceremony retiring her No. 42 jersey.
The emotions ran high as the ceremony unfolded, culminating in an elite defensive performance by the current Bears that honored Griner’s legacy in the best way possible.
Head Coach Nicki Collen knew the significance of the occasion. “There’s a reason BG was National Defensive Player of the Year, amongst many awards,” she said. But her message to the current team went beyond accolades. “The best way to honor her was to compete at the defensive end with a high level of energy.”
The Bears heeded their coach’s call, unleashing a defensive masterclass that would have made Griner proud. They hounded Texas Tech relentlessly, forcing a staggering 29 turnovers. The overwhelmed Red Raiders fell, 61-32, in a lopsided Baylor victory.
The Baylor squad understood the weight of the occasion. This wasn’t just another game — it was a tribute to a player who had redefined Baylor basketball with her defensive prowess and infectious energy.
The emotional core of the day remained the pregame jersey retirement ceremony. Griner, a towering figure both literally and figuratively in Baylor basketball history, became the seventh Baylor player to have her jersey retired. Tears welled up in her eyes as the banner bearing her number was raised to the rafters, a permanent testament to her achievements.
“Just full of emotion,” Griner said in an interview during the ESPN2 broadcast. “As soon as [the banner] started to go up, that’s when I started to break. It just all came together at the right time. There’s always a plan, and you’ve just got to trust in that plan.”
Looking back on her Baylor career, Griner cherishes “just the moments with my team, honestly.”
“All the moments with the team, with the fans. When you look back at it, you start to forget the stats. You just remember wins, and you remember all the other things.”
The win over Texas Tech served as a fitting tribute to those memories. The current Bears, inspired by Griner’s legacy, displayed a defensive tenacity that echoed her own dominance on the court.
“I just think BG was someone that everybody knew who she was, she was the most dominant player in women’s college basketball at that time,” Collen said. “We had seen other dominant players — she was just different. No one had an answer for her. I think that’s the reality. And how do you? It’s hard to throw double teams at her that are just so much smaller than her.”
A nine-time WNBA all-star who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury in 2013, Griner joins six other Baylor women’s basketball greats with retired jerseys: Odyssey Sims, B.A. ’14, Melissa Jones, B.A. ’11, Nina Davis, B.A. ’17, Suzie Snider Eppers, B.S.Ed. ’77, Sheila Lambert, B.S.Ed. ’06, and current assistant coach Sophia Young-Malcolm, B.S.Ed. ’06.
The jersey retirement ceremony recognized the impact Griner had on Baylor basketball and how she continues to inspire future generations of Bears.
“It means everything,” Griner said. “I feel seen. You give so much to the organization, to the school. And then, for them to honor you and appreciate you … you just feel seen.”
Adding to the festivities of Griner’s homecoming, Baylor+, the official content platform for Baylor Athletics, released an original film, “Bigger Than Life,” which takes an in-depth look at Brittney Griner’s time as a Baylor Bear and the impact she left on the program, athletics department and University as a whole.
Baylor+ also added a Brittney Griner Vault collection, including rarely seen footage, highlights and interviews throughout Griner’s incredible four years in Waco.