All eyes may be on Skylar Diggins, but she isn’t the only rookie poised to reignite women’s basketball.
First draft pick Brittney Griner covers the newest issue of ESPN Magazine. Inside, the former Baylor star talks about hiding her sexuality from classmates and getting teased for her masculine look. “When I was at Baylor, I wasn’t fully happy because I couldn’t be all the way out. It feels so good saying it: I am a strong, black lesbian woman. Every single time I say it, I feel so much better.”
The out and proud athlete is also learning to navigate social media which comes with an equal amount of supporters and haters. While cyber bullying leads to self harm for most victims, Griner uses the negative comments as motivation.
“My followers are the best,” she says. “Usually they’re on somebody right away, and I’m like, ‘No, no, guys, stop — that’s exactly what the troll wants you to do…Reading what people say makes me want to be me even more.”
Read the rest of Brittney’s cover story at ESPN.
Photo Credit: Cass Bird for ESPN The Magazine