Brittney Griner returned to the United States at the end of 2022 and it was the news that many had been waiting for. The high-profile WNBA player was detained in Russia after being caught with vape cartridges containing marijuana. This led the European country to keep her in prison for ten months.
The United States government decided to swap Griner for Viktor Bout, who was in a US prison. The decision came under heavy scrutiny as many demanded that ex-US marine Paul Whelan’s release should be secured as well. Despite all the backlash, Griner managed to return to her country safely, after a brief exchange with Bout in UAE.
Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner.
She is safe.
She is on a plane.
She is on her way home. pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2022
She has reached out to her loved ones after coming back to the US, and all the people who were an important part of her life. That hasn’t been the case with Kim Mulkey, Brittney’s former coach.
Basketball fans are aware that Kim Mulkey is LSU Women’s Basketball team’s head coach. She took over the reins at Louisiana State University back in 2021 after leaving Baylor. She bid goodbye to a 21-year tenure as head coach at the university and managed to win three NCAA championships. This was the period when she met Brittney, who was a student at Baylor.
Griner was one of the best basketball players to graduate from Baylor, and it was also where she met her wife Cherelle. Brittney managed to make a name for herself in the basketball world thanks to her college career. It would be safe to claim that she did not have the best relationship with her head coach, Mulkey.
Why did Brittney Griner publicly criticize Kim Mulkey?
After the Phoenix Mercury drafted Brittney as the No.1 pick at the 2013 WNBA Draft, she came out and criticized her former coach. She said to ESPN, “When I was at Baylor, I wasn’t fully happy because I couldn’t be all the way out. It feels so good saying it: I am a strong, Black lesbian woman. Every single time I say it, I feel so much better.”
“I already knew the answer. I didn’t want to hear ‘No.’ It was a recruiting thing. The coaches thought if it seemed like they condoned it, people wouldn’t let their kids play for Baylor,” Griner added.
If what Brittney said was true, it wouldn’t be the first time she has faced trouble because of her sexuality. In the past, she has had to face verbal abuse during her childhood.
Kim Mulkey declined to comment on Brittney Griner’s situation.
The ex-Baylor coach has yet to make a public statement. pic.twitter.com/5CQnivzZed
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) September 26, 2022
The comments made by Brittney sparked rumors that she had an estranged relationship with Kim Mulkey. The latter added fuel to the fire when she was asked about her former player’s situation in Russia. A reporter questioned Mulkey’s decision to not comment on Brittney’s arrest and wondered if the world could expect one from her, Mulkey said, “And you won’t.”
Many took a dig at Mulkey for this, but the head coach has broken silence on Griner’s release recently. She admitted during a press conference that she hadn’t spoken to Brittney since her return but said, “I’m glad she’s back. I’m glad she’s safe, she’s sound. I think everybody is.”
It might be relieving for fans to see that Mulkey is glad to see Brittney’s safe release. However, it sure seems like Brittney has not made contact with her former coach and it looks like her past comments and the way she treated Brittney are still a fresh wound.