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Former Baylor players call out Kim Mulkey after she declines to talk about Brittney Griner

Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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Two Baylor women's basketball alumni who played under coach Kim Mulkey are speaking out against their former coach after she declined to comment on Brittney Griner's detainment in Russia.

Mulkey, who served as the Baylor Bears head coach from 2000-2021 and took over the LSU women's basketball team in 2021, was asked about her thoughts on Griner's situation following the Tigers' first practice of the season on Monday.

“I wanted to get your thoughts on the Britney Griner situation, I don’t think I’ve seen anything from you on that," a reporter from The Daily Advertiser, part of the USA TODAY Network, asked Mulkey, who replied, "And you won't."

Griner played for Mulkey at Baylor from 2009-13. The duo won a national championship together in 2012, Mulkey's second at Baylor, following a dominant undefeated 40-0 season. Griner was also named the women's Final Four most outstanding player.

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Baylor coach Kim Mulkey talks with former player Brittney Griner, who was critical of the culture Mulkey created in her book, In My Skin.
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey talks with former player Brittney Griner, who was critical of the culture Mulkey created in her book, In My Skin.

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Queen Egbo, who was drafted 10th overall this year by the Indiana Fever after winning a NCAA championship under Mulkey at Baylor in 2019, tweeted directly to future recruits.

"A player that built Baylor, 2 national titles, & a 40-0 record. Yet her former coach refuses to say anything or simply just show any kind of support. Keep that in mind when you’re choosing schools," Egbo wrote.

Chloe Jackson -- who helped Baylor win the 2019 national championship, earning the NCAA basketball tournament most outstanding player honors that year -- also addressed her former coach's silence on Griner.

"And I will say it again. SILENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES, smh," Jackson tweeted.

It's been publicly known that Griner and Mulkey's relationship has been estranged since 2013 as Griner's time at the school was coming to a close. Griner, who is open about her sexuality, has said that it was not because of Mulkey but that she felt discouraged to disclose her sexual orientation while at Baylor.

Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, has been detained in Russia since February after vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis were allegedly found in her luggage at an airport near Moscow. The U.S. State Department reclassified Griner in May as being "wrongfully detained" by the Russian government.

Griner was sentenced in August to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to drug possession. She has appealed her sentence.  

Many WNBA stars, including Phoenix Mercury teammates Dianna Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith, in addition to women's basketball college coaches, like South Carolina's Dawn Staley and Baylor's current coach Nicki Collen, have publicly supported Griner and called for her release. Mulkey, however, hasn't publicly commented.

Contributing: Cory Diaz, The Daily Advertiser

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kim Mulkey won't comment on Brittney Griner. Ex-Baylor players respond