Bigger Than Texas: Brittney Griner's Legacy
WACO, Texas (FOX 44) — Much like the state that raised her, the legacy of Baylor Women's Basketball great Brittney Griner in the state of Texas is larger than life.
'They say everything's bigger in Texas, everything's better in Texas,' Baylor junior guard Bella Fontleroy said. 'I think that she's one of the biggest and best things specifically for women's basketball and for our university.'
Griner began her basketball journey at Nimitz High School in 2006, becoming the consensus number one prospect in the country and helping lead the Cougars to a 5A State championship appearance in 2009. Her former teammate, Kendra Venzant, is now the head coach at Nimitz High School and knew her teammate would be something special.
'To see her grow through different dynamics of Baylor, the WNBA and what she's doing now is just is like, 'I can't believe I know this person', it's surreal,' Venzant said.
Griner committed to Baylor Women's Basketball and spent four years at Baylor, racking up quite the list of accomplishments:
3x All-American, Big 12 Player of the Year
4x Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
2011-12 AP Player of the Year
2011-12 National Champion
The Phoenix Mercury drafted Griner with the number one overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft. A year later, Griner helped lead the Mercury to a WNBA title in just her second season in the league. 12 years later, Griner is a 10-time WNBA all-star and three-time Olympic gold medalist, continuing to add to her accolades.
'She's received all the accolades because she was that impactful on the game,' Fontleroy said. 'I think it's important that we continue to honor her.'
However, while legacies are often made on the court, the relationships cultivated off of it may be the most memorable. Griner's work off the court, including working with initiatives like the 'Phoenix Rescue Mission' and 'Bring Our Families Home' as well as Griner's 'BG Heart & Sole Shoe Drive' earned her the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award in 2023.
'You can do a lot to win a lot of accolades on the court,' Venzant said. 'How you make someone feel off the court, that speaks volumes to your character and who you are as a person.'
Becoming a role model for young black athletes in the state of Texas and beyond as Griner continues to be a trailblazer for women's basketball.
'She exemplifies black history,' Fontleroy said. 'You want to be one of those people when you grow up.''To be a woman but to also be black, that's huge,' Venzant said.
Griner's indelible impact on black history is now forever remembered after having her jersey retired by Baylor and most recently, her induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame fo rher contribution toward Texas athletics.
'She's going to inspire more Texas athletes, more athletes, more black female athletes in general who play our sport to want to pursue basketball the way that she has and to leave their mark on it,' Fontleroy said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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