Brittney Griner reveals her emotions on seeing her Baylor jersey retired

Brittney Griner couldn’t help but let her emotions take over as she watched her No. 42 jersey be hung from the rafters at the Ferrell Center. Griner, who starred at Baylor from 2009-13, was honored with a jersey retirement Sunday afternoon when the Bears hosted Texas Tech.

She had to hold back tears as she watched a video tribute and heard plenty of cheers from the Baylor faithful. Speaking on ESPN2 during the game, Griner opened up on what she was feeling in that moment as well as what it means be be honored in a way that cements her legacy forever.

“Just full of emotions,” she said. “As soon as it 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 gotta trust in that plan.”

Griner was a part of three Big 12 Championships and one national title during her time in Waco. She was a four-time first team All-Big 12 honoree and twice named the National Player of the Year. She still holds the record for career blocks (748) and ranks fifth all-time with 3,283 points.

After giving so much to the program and women’s college basketball as a whole, Griner opened up on what it means to her to be honored a decade later.

“It means everything,” she said. “I feel seen. You give so much to the organization and to the school. Then for them to honor you and appreciate you, you feel seen. Then the ladies, I think I got them pumped up and ready to go.”

Baylor got off to a roaring start on Sunday and held a 27-13 lead at halftime. Griner couldn’t help but feel she played a small part in getting the team hyped up to come out strong.

It also reminded her of her own playing days in Waco, and that was evident in the way she interacted with the crowd. Griner could be seen embracing fans and signing autographs as she enjoyed the game.

“Just the moments with my team, honestly,” Griner said of her favorite memories from college. “All the moments with the team, the fans. When you look back at it, you start to forget about the stats. You just remember the wins and all the other things.”

Brittney Griner went on to immense success after her time at Baylor, becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury. However, she knows her journey began with the Bears, and it was the lessons she learned there that helped her through so many other challenges that would follow in her life.

“Just all the moments where I had to face adversity and I got through those moments,” she said. “I had some really good people around me talking in my ear that helped me through a lot. I think those moments I look back on in my later life outside of basketball. I can use those to push me forward.”