College basketball superstar and number-one WNBA draft pick Brittney Griner has come out of the closet, according to Sports Illustrated. She was picked by the Phoenix Mercury in the draft.
Answering a question from Sports Illustrated's Maggie Gray about why women's professional sports leagues are more welcoming of out athletes than men's leagues, Griner said, "I really couldn't give an answer on why that's so different. Being one that's out, it's just being who you are. ... Again, like I said, just be who you are. Don't worry about what other people are going to say, because they're always going to say something, but, if you're just true to yourself, let that shine through. Don't hide who you really are."
She added that coming out "wasn't too difficult."
Griner is set to graduate from Baylor University in the spring.
Recently, Baylor's coach, Kim Mulkey, said she doesn't care about the sexual orientation of her players. When the LGBT sports blog Outsports asked her if she ever coached a lesbian, Mulkey responded, "Don't ask me that. I don't ask that. I don't think it's anybody's businesswhoever you are. I don't care to know that."
Chicago Sky basketball draft pick Elena Delle Donne said: "In our sport, we're fine with it. We're all friends, and I want everybody to be who they are. You shouldn't have to lie, that's not fair. Hopefully the men can one day adopt that same attitude that we have."
See sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20130417/wnba-griner-delle-donne-diggins-sports-sexuality/ .