In a Thursday news conference, LSU coach Kim Mulkey touched on Baylor’s decision to retire Brittney Griner’s jersey number.

Griner, who Mulkey coached for four seasons at Baylor, will see her No. 42 jersey go up into the rafters on Sunday, when the No. 21 Bears take on Texas Tech.

“That’s awesome,” Mulkey said. “I bet it’ll be a great environment.”

Griner has not visited Waco, Texas, since she declared for the WNBA Draft in 2013.

A year later, she wrote a book in which she detailed a strained relationship between her, Mulkey and Baylor.

In 2022, while Griner was detained in Russia, Mulkey declined to comment on her former player’s situation until she was released. Mulkey then issued a statement to ESPN, offering prayers to Griner and her family.

“We’re excited to have Brittney back on campus and honor her with the retirement of her jersey,” Baylor coach Nicki Collen said.

“I have been saying this since I arrived at Baylor that she deserves to have her jersey retired, and I wanted to make sure that happened when the timing was right.”

From 2009-2013, Mulkey and Griner teamed up to lead Baylor to 135 wins, two trips to the Final Four and one national championship, which capped an undefeated 40-0 season in 2012.

Regarding player rotations, Mulkey emphasized the importance of depth and flexibility, stating that starting positions were less important than overall contributions to the team.

She commended players like Angel Reese and Ana for their chemistry and versatility on the court.

Mulkey also discussed Angel’s development as a player and her ability to balance scoring with facilitating for her teammates. Despite distractions like media attention, Mulkey expressed confidence in her team’s mental toughness and readiness for the challenges ahead.

Overall, Mulkey’s remarks reflected a strategic focus on improving team cohesion and performance as LSU prepares for upcoming matches and postseason play.