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Baylor spotlights Nicki Collen's Brittney Griner-themed outfit ahead of jersey retirement

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•02/18/24
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Photo Credit: Chris Jones, Imagn

Baylor women’s basketball is honoring one of the biggest legends in women’s basketball history on Sunday — former center Brittney Griner, who was without a doubt, one of the most dominant players in women’s college basketball history during her time with the Bears.

Head coach Nicki Collen decided to honor their former star by wearing a special jacket with Griner’s name and number and some special shoes with her number on them, too.

More on Brittney Griner’s prolific basketball career

Griner was one of the most dominant players in women’s college basketball history during her time with the Baylor Bears. She helped propel Baylor to the NCAA National title during the 2011-2012 college basketball season.

In April of 2012, Griner was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after her team finished with an unblemished overall record of 40-0. It was the most wins in NCAA history.

As a freshman in 2010, the Baylor Bears entered the NCAA Tournament tabbed as the No. 4 seed. They ended up knocking off the No. 1 seed Tennessee Volunteers in the Sweet 16. On March 22nd, Griner ended up setting an NCAA Tournament record with 14 blocked shots when her team defeated the Georgetown Hoyas.

The Bears eventually advanced all the way to the Final Four, where they would lose to the UConn Huskies, 70-50. The Huskies would go on to win the National Championship in 2011. Following that season, the superstar earned second team All-American honors from the Associated Press.

Her sophomore year in 2011, she brought home first team All-American honors after stuffing the stat sheet with 23 points per game. The superstar erupted for a career-high 40 points against Green Bay in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

The Texas native averaged 22.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 5.1 blocks per game for her college career. A dominant shot blocker, she also set the NCAA record for career blocks (748). She swatted the most shots her freshman year, with 223. Griner blocked at least 149 shots per season during her four years with the Baylor Bears.

In the 2013 WNBA Draft, the Phoenix Mercury selected Griner with the No. 1 overall pick. It didn’t take her long to assert her dominance as a shot blocker in the pros as she averaged 3.0 blocks per game her rookie year. Griner has been the blocks leader in the WNBA eight times, and she’s also been named an all-star nine times during her highly decorated career.