Brittney Griner finally took her rightful place in the rafters of Foster Pavilion.

Baylor retired Griner's No. 42 prior to Sunday's game against Texas Tech:

The Bears legend played a starring role in the school's 2012 national championship run, earning the Final Four Most Outstanding Player award. She's also a two-time winner of the Wade Trophy and a three-time Big 12 Player of the Year.

Baylor announced in January it would be honoring Griner, the most decorated talent to come through Waco, Texas.

"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," head coach Nicki Collen said. "With the opening of Foster Pavilion, and the WNBA offseason fitting into our season, this seemed like the right time to honor Brittney and welcome her back home. She is one of the best basketball players in Baylor's history and we're thrilled that the time has come to celebrate Brittney and all of her accomplishments."

Griner is second all-time in points (3,283), third in rebounds (1,305) and first in blocks (748) at Baylor. In the last category, she has more than twice than that of the next closest player (Lauren Cox, 301).

Despite everything she achieved, she maintained a somewhat strained relationship with her alma mater for years.

In 2013, Griner said then-head coach Kim Mulkey had told her and other players to refrain from speaking publicly about their sexuality. Eight years later, she alluded to her difficulty behind the scenes while attending the school.

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss asked what her "'coming out to myself' process" was like.

"Coming out to myself? That's a damn good question," she said. "... It was probably when I went from collegiate to pro. It's not like I ever told anybody I wasn't gay, but I wasn't giving everybody my whole authentic self. I feel like I came out to myself and the world at the same time."

Speaking to Michael Voepel of ESPN in 2021, Griner discussed how things soured with Mulkey.

"It's something I thought maybe we could have talked about," Griner said. "But it wasn't, really ... not with open ears, probably from both sides, from me or her. We're probably two strong-headed individuals. So it's tough. But I definitely wish Kim well. I know LSU got a good coach. So I'm happy for her."

The timing of Sunday's ceremony may not be a coincidence with Mulkey having left Baylor for LSU in 2021.