Story by
"I'm gay. I hope that's not a problem" – Brittney Griner on Baylor's unwritten rule under Kim Mulkey
- Story by
- "I'm gay. I hope that's not a problem" – Brittney Griner on Baylor's unwritten rule under Kim Mulkey
Kim Mulkey is undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches in women's college basketball history. With a tough, demanding style, she captured three national championships at Baylor and then one at LSU in 2023.
Despite her success, Mulkey remains one of the sport's most controversial figures. It stems from how she reportedly handled player sexualities, specifically in Baylor, when she coached one of the greatest women's college basketball players ever, Brittney Griner .
Advertisement
Griner on Baylor's unwritten rule
In an interview with ESPN in 2013, Griner, who was preparing for her rookie season in the WNBA and was already openly gay, claimed that Mulkey and Baylor discouraged players from discussing their sexuality due to how it could damage the program's reputation.
"It was a recruiting thing. The coaches thought that if it seemed like they condoned it, people wouldn't let their kids come play for Baylor," Griner said .
Advertisement
Despite Baylor already emerging as a powerhouse in women's college ball under Mulkey, there were still concerns within the university around how openly acknowledging gay players could affect the program's ability to recruit. After all, Baylor was a private Christian university in Texas, and despite Lesbian athletes being common in the sport, it was still a sensitive topic rarely discussed.
Mullet didn't really condone being gay, but rather just kept it at bay to prevent any problems with the school's reputation and recruitment.
"It was more of an unwritten law… it was just kind of, like, one of those things, just don't do it," she said.
Advertisement
"They kind of tried to make it, like, 'Why put your business out on the street like that?'" added Griner.
Griner and Mulkey's complicated relationship
Griner's sexuality had become an open secret in the program, and it wasn't as if Mulkey didn't know.
"I told Coach [Mulkey] when she was recruiting me. I was like, 'I'm gay. I hope that's not a problem,' and she told me that it wasn't," Griner said. "I mean, my teammates knew, obviously they all knew. Everybody knew about it."
Advertisement
Eventually, however, the relationship between the two apparently deteriorated despite their success together, including capturing the National Championship after an undefeated 2012 season.
Griner would later reflect on her relationship with Mulkey, stating that, despite the respect she had for her head coach, she wasn't fond of how her personality was suppressed, such as being asked to delete posts about her girlfriend or to cover up her tattoos.
Griner's father would also later reveal that Mulkey didn't contact his daughter ever again after her historic career ended prematurely following Baylor's loss to Louisville in the Final Four in 2013.
Advertisement
The coldness in their relationship was further revealed to the public in 2022, when Griner was infamously detained in Russia , and Mulkey didn't make a public statement or even comment on the situation.
A divisive legacy
Griner isn't the one who has come out and revealed the problematic culture Mulkey and her coaching staff had against gay players. Although other players defended the legendary head coach, there still exists a blemish on her handling of gay players on her already colorful reputation.
Advertisement
Ultimately, the controversies surrounding Mulkey have softened somewhat, but she remains one of the most polarizing head coaches in all of basketball. Griner, meanwhile, has become an icon for the LGBTQ+ community, and her revelations during her time at Baylor only opened eyes on how gay players are being treated in women's basketball.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
