Griner on her shot-blocking record last night: “This one’s a little special”
Brittney Griner , Kim Mulkey and Melissa Jones
joke around postgame. Photo: © Cheryl Vorhis
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WACO, Texas — As Brittney Griner waited for the press to set up their microphones and equipment after Baylor’s game against Texas Southern Tuesday night, she joked around with media and even broke into out a rap song. The lighthearted mood of the evening resulted not just from the easy win the Lady Bears earned but also to Griner’s milestone that evening: breaking the school’s all-time shot blocking record.
“I always say that records are made to be broken,” said head coach Kim Mulkey. “I’m not sure Brittney’s blocked-shot record at Baylor will ever be broken. I would have to look when her career’s over if it will be broken on a national scale.”
Griner broke record held by Danielle Wilson, who needed 92 games over three seasons to get 249 blocks.
Early in Griner’s first year, it was clear that she would break and set numerous records during the course of her career. But last night, Griner indicated that breaking the shot blocking record meant a little more than some of her other accomplishments.
“This one’s a little special to me because that’s my favorite thing, blocking shots,” said Griner. “That one is kind of special. I think I’m going to keep this ball in my house this time.”
During the first timeout after she broke the record, the team had a brief ceremony on the court where Griner was presented with a commemorative basketball. Her dad, who lives in Houston, keeps most of the balls from her record-breaking games.
Teammate senior guard Melissa Jones joked, “I think she should give us the credit for letting the guards go right past us,” and Mulkey interjected “getting beat on defense, yeah.”
“Brittney’s so talented,” said Jones. “You guys only see a little bit from the games but in practice she’s just as dominant with the blocks. It’s just something that you don’t see every day and I’m glad that she’s on our team.”
Griner finished the game with 27 points. She has scored in double-figures in 39-of-41 career games, including all six this season.
