Brittney Griner's former school coach Kim Mulkey refused to touch upon basketball star's detainment in Russia

Muricas News  — 

Kim Mulkey, who coached Brittney Griner for 4 years at Baylor College, is going through 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 state of affairs. I don’t suppose I’ve seen something from you on that,” however was lower 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 state of affairs.

Former Baylor middle Queen Egbo tweeted, “A participant that constructed Baylor, 2 nationwide titles, & a 40-0 file. But her former coach refuses to say something or just simply present any sort of help. Preserve that in thoughts while you’re selecting colleges.”

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,” stated Mulkey. “I don’t make public feedback about it. I believe that’s a private problem that you just simply need all people to return house safely.

“I pray for Brittney. I need her house safely. I believe there’s a number of folks talking out on her behalf and people of us who don’t essentially communicate publicly about it definitely 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 Last 4 Most Excellent Participant, in addition to incomes AP Participant of the Yr and the Wade Trophy Participant of the Yr.

In her 4 years at Baylor, Griner powered the workforce to 131 wins, 4 Candy 16s, three Elite Eights, two Last Fours and a nationwide title. Griner broke the NCAA file for blocks, received Prime Athlete Rank, and sealed her place as arguably one of the best participant within the college’s historical past.

In 2013 Griner got here out as a lesbian and stated that Baylor needed her to maintain quiet about it.

“It was a recruiting factor,” Griner stated in an interview with ESPN. “The coaches thought that if it appeared like they condoned it, folks wouldn’t let their youngsters come play for Baylor.”

Griner later stated in her autobiography that her criticism was not geared toward Mulkey, however relatively at common tradition at Baylor College.

Baylor is a non-public Baptist college in Waco, Texas which in its pupil handbook features a coverage that states that intercourse ought to 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 point out my college pleasure, however it’s onerous to do this … I’ve spent an excessive amount of of my life being made to really feel like there’s one thing improper with me.

“And irrespective 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 state of affairs this week.

“Understanding BG, realizing her, being round her, she’s an enormous child,” Collen stated. “To know her is to like her. I imply, truthfully, she simply is a type of those who radiates pleasure.

“I believe BG, to start with, is human first. I believe this can be a human rights problem. Nobody’s saying she didn’t make a mistake. None of us are good.

“However I assume I'd wanna know if I did one thing and was caught out of the country, what it was, what it wasn’t.

“I believe 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 the direction of a possible prisoner swap with Russia for Griner and former marine Paul Whelan.

Baylor didn't instantly reply to Muricas News’s request for remark.