Larry Brown Sports

Brittney Griner says she was discouraged by her coaches and the Baylor athletic department from being openly gay while in college the past five years.

Griner just completed her senior season in Waco and was selected No. 1 overall by the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. The former two-time first-team All-American center came out publicly last month, though she says she has been openly gay since high school.

Griner told ESPN The Magazine/espnW that she was discouraged from being open while at Baylor. She says she was told to keep it private because it could damage recruiting.

“It was a recruiting thing,” Griner told ESPN The Magazine and espnW. “The coaches thought that if it seemed like they condoned it, people wouldn’t let their kids come play for Baylor.”

Griner says she told Baylor coach Kim Mulkey up front when she was being recruited that she was gay. She says Mulkey told her that was not an issue. However, she was discouraged from being open about her sexuality.

“It was more of an unwritten law, but come to find out it was a written law. It was kind of one of those things like, ‘just don’t do it.’ They kind of try to make it like, ‘Why put your business out on the street like that?’” Griner told espnW’s Kate Fagan.

Griner says the issue first came up when she tweeted something.

Read The Rest of the Story…

Brittney Griner publicly came out as gay last month. The former Baylor center says she has been out since high school, so it’s not like she was hiding something. But maybe her announcement has led to more jeers from the public. Whatever the case, Griner thinks all the gay jokes are lame.

Take a look at what the current Phoenix Mercury center tweeted on Thursday:

It’s funny when someone try to be mean or hateful and call me gay! Ummmm duh HELLO I’m gay ima Lesbian! Not a secret! Get new material lol

— Brittney Griner (@brittneygriner) May 16, 2013

Yes, so for the record, calling someone “gay” is not an insult. It’s just stupid. And in the case of Griner, she’s heard it all, so give it up already.

Brittney Griner is arguably the best female basketball player in the world, but shooting hoops is not her only passion. What most people do not know about Griner is that she is also an avid skateboarder. As you might expect, this causes a bit of anxiety for the Phoenix Mercury, who took Griner with the top overall pick in the WNBA draft last month.

According to TMZ, Griner’s contract with the Mercury includes a clause about her skateboarding habits that is aimed at decreasing her risk of injury.

“I agreed with the Mercury that I would only ride in a controlled environment,” Griner said. “No tricks or hill bombing. I know what is at stake, so I’ll just be cruising. I’ll get my adrenaline rush on the court.”

That’s probably for the best. Griner once broke her wrist while riding in a parking structure while she was playing for Baylor. Griner and her 6-foot-8 frame will not only ideally turn the Mercury into a top contender in the WNBA, but she is also a major marketing tool because of her ability to throw down dunks like this one and ignite the crowd. The last thing the team needs is her breaking her ankle attempting a kick-flip.

“Once my basketball career is over though, I will be building a skate ramp in my yard, that’s for sure,” she said.

As long as her days of dominating the sport are over, I’m sure that will be just fine with her employer.

Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

Brittney Griner was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the first overall pick in the WNBA draft last week. That was never in doubt, but her potential NBA future could be.

Thanks to Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and his comments about drafting Griner in the second round of the NBA Draft if she was the best on the board, there has been a lot of speculation about whether the former Baylor star will attempt to carve out a career playing alongside men. According to Mercury coach Corey Gaines, Griner will not be pursuing an NBA career at the expense of the one she already has with the WNBA.

“Summer League is messing with our games,” Gaines told the Dallas Morning News on Monday. “I think that won’t happen. That wouldn’t be a smart thing. If (Cuban) wants to talk about it, talk about it – it’s better for us.”

Griner has stated in previous interviews that the WNBA will be her priority, and it would be incredibly unrealistic to think she can juggle the two. If you ask this NBA legend and this Hall of Fame women’s coach, they would tell you its a nonissue because Griner could never make it in the NBA. The fact that her current coach does not want her playing in the NBA Summer League simply creates another obstacle.

Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

Brittney Griner is not the first WNBA athlete to come out as gay, but she is probably the most prominent. Griner was one of the most dominant college basketball players of all time during her career at Baylor. As expected, she was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft on Monday.

During an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Maggie Gray on Wednesday, Griner publicly acknowledged that she is a lesbian. While it was the first time she had ever discussed her sexuality so openly, Griner said it was not difficult because it is something she has always embraced and was not trying to hide.

“It really wasn’t too difficult, I wouldn’t say I was hiding or anything like that,” Griner said. “I’ve always been open about who I am and my sexuality. So, it wasn’t hard at all. If I can show that I’m out and I’m fine and everything’s OK, then hopefully the younger generation will definitely feel the same way.”

Read The Rest of the Story…

Brittney Griner is set to become a member of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, who have the first overall pick in the upcoming WNBA draft. That is basically a foregone conclusion at this point, but what about the possibility of pursuing an NBA career?

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban created quite the stir last week when he said he was considering drafting Griner in the second round of the NBA Draft. Griner certainly seems excited about the possibility, but many people feel that it is insane to think a woman could physically compete with men. During an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Wednesday, Barkley let it be known that he is one of those people.

“She can’t play against guys,” Barkley said, via Nick Birdsong of AI.com. “I mean, you’re going to go at her, probably aggressively, cause you’re offended that she’s trying to play against you cause it’s kind of an insult to you. But she can’t play with men and I think whether she plays against a guy who has no…cause most of those guys, let’s…who are we kidding? Ninety to 95 percent of those guys who pay in the summer league are never going to play in the NBA.”

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma shared some similar thoughts earlier this week, saying it would be a publicity “sham” if Cuban ever did give Griner a chance to play for the Mavericks.

“I agree with Geno,” Barkley continued. “I mean, if you brought her in, yeah they’d sell some tickets to the summer league which I don’t understand what type of loser would go to the summer league anyway. But I agree with Geno 100 percent. A girl can’t play against men. It’s just a publicity (stunt). Mark’s one of my great friends, great friends. But a woman can’t play against a man.”

My gut tells me Barkley and Auriemma are right. WNBA legend Lisa Leslie told Larry Brown Sports earlier this week that Griner would have to bulk up to play in the NBA. I’m not sure how easy that would be and I’m skeptical Griner even has the skill set needed to compete against some of the best male basketball players in the world.

Read The Rest of the Story…

Could Brittney Griner play in the NBA? That has been a debated topic since Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said last week that he would consider taking the former Baylor star in the NBA draft, or at least giving her a shot to try out for the roster.

Lisa Leslie is one of the best women’s basketball players of all time. Even though playing in the NBA was never a goal for her, she wouldn’t want to discourage Griner from trying to play in the league.

“If that’s a goal of Brittney Griner, then she should follower her dreams,” Leslie told Larry Brown Sports in a phone interview on Tuesday. “But, if it’s not — because she didn’t ask for Mark Cuban to come out and say those things, he did that on his own — so if that’s not what she wants to do, that’s the purpose of the WNBA. [The WNBA is here] for her to come into a league that’s for women and for her to come in and completely try to dominate and take us to new heights.

“That’s where I see Brittney Griner living and doing a phenomenal job of being one of the best players that we’ve ever seen play the women’s game.”

The WNBA draft is on April 15 and the season begins in May. The NBA Draft is in June, which would present a scheduling conflict. Leslie says Griner has a choice to make, and she has advice for the 6-foot-8 center.

Read The Rest of the Story…