CNN
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Kim Mulkey, who coached Brittney Griner for 4 years at Baylor College, is dealing with criticism over her refusal to touch upon her former participant’s detainment in Russia at a media convention earlier this week.
A journalist started to ask Mulkey, “I simply wish to get your ideas on the Brittney Griner scenario. I don’t suppose I’ve seen something from you on that,” however was reduce off by the now Louisiana State College coach’s abrupt response, “and also you received’t.”
Many have been outraged by Mulkey’s obvious lack of sympathy for the professional basketball star’s scenario.
Former Baylor heart Queen Egbo tweeted, “A participant that constructed Baylor, 2 nationwide titles, & a 40-0 report. But her former coach refuses to say something or just simply present any sort of help. Hold that in thoughts whenever you’re selecting faculties.”
Egbo’s former Baylor teammate Chloe Jackson additionally tweeted, “And I’ll say it once more. SILENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES, smh.”
Whereas Mulkey has remained pretty quiet publicly about her former participant she did discuss Griner when on Tiger Rag Radio in June.
“I sustain with it, such as you guys do, so far as what’s within the nationwide media,” mentioned Mulkey. “I don’t make public feedback about it. I feel that’s a private situation that you simply simply need everyone to come back dwelling safely.
“I pray for Brittney. I need her dwelling safely. I feel there’s numerous individuals talking out on her behalf and people of us who don’t essentially communicate publicly about it actually are praying for her.”
Griner and Mulkey loved unimaginable success with one another at Baylor College. That included a 40-0 season in Griner’s junior yr the place she was named Ultimate 4 Most Excellent Participant, in addition to incomes AP Participant of the 12 months and the Wade Trophy Participant of the 12 months.
In her 4 years at Baylor, Griner powered the staff to 131 wins, 4 Candy 16s, three Elite Eights, two Ultimate Fours and a nationwide title. Griner broke the NCAA report for blocks, received High Athlete Rank, and sealed her place as arguably the most effective participant within the college’s historical past.
In 2013 Griner got here out as a lesbian and mentioned that Baylor needed her to maintain quiet about it.
“It was a recruiting factor,” Griner mentioned in an interview with ESPN. “The coaches thought that if it appeared like they condoned it, individuals wouldn’t let their youngsters come play for Baylor.”
Griner later mentioned in her autobiography that her criticism was not geared toward Mulkey, however somewhat at common tradition at Baylor College.
Baylor is a personal Baptist college in Waco, Texas which in its scholar handbook features a coverage that states that intercourse must be confined to heterosexual marriages.
In her autobiography Griner wrote about her conflicted relationship with the college.
She wrote, “I’d like to be an envoy for Baylor, to indicate my faculty delight, however it’s exhausting to do this … I’ve spent an excessive amount of of my life being made to really feel like there’s one thing unsuitable with me.
“And regardless of how a lot help I felt as a basketball participant at Baylor, it nonetheless doesn’t erase all of the ache I felt there.”
Baylor’s present head coach Nicki Collen was additionally requested about Griner’s scenario this week.
“Understanding BG, understanding her, being round her, she’s an enormous child,” Collen mentioned. “To know her is to like her. I imply, actually, she simply is a type of those who radiates pleasure.
“I feel BG, to begin with, is human first. I feel this can be a human rights situation. Nobody’s saying she didn’t make a mistake. None of us are excellent.
“However I suppose I’d wanna know if I did one thing and was caught in another country, what it was, what it wasn’t.
“I feel everyone knows that 10 years is a very long time. I see her as a mom, as a sister, as a partner, as a daughter, as an unbelievable ambassador for the sport of basketball.”
Griner faces 9 years in jail after being detained for possession of hashish oil in February. Her attorneys have appealed the choice and President Joe Biden is working in direction of a possible prisoner swap with Russia for Griner and former marine Paul Whelan.
Baylor didn’t instantly reply to CNN’s request for remark.
