Brittney Griner has been breaking barriers for a long time now. While the WNBA superstar has established herself as one of the greatest players of all time, her impact off the court is what stands out the most. Her endorsement with Nike was the first of its kind for the footwear giants and it brought a big change.

Griner was already a big deal ever since she entered the WNBA. While she was expected to have a great career, no one predicted how many barriers she would go on to break. Nike’s decision to endorse Griner, an openly gay athlete, certainly caught the eye of the whole world.

Griner became the first openly gay athlete to be endorsed by Nike back in 2013. She had only come out a few weeks before the WNBA draft and it became a turbulent period for her. However, Nike’s decision to endorse Griner opened up a plethora of opportunities for athletes in the future.

Androgynous models have always been coveted in high-end fashion, but the trend toward gender-neutral clothing had only just begun to reach the sports world. Russell Westbrook and Dwyane Wade were the pioneers of such clothing in the NBA, “blurring the lines in their tight jeans and fitted sweaters.”

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Nike’s willingness to take it a step further with Griner as the focus was highly commendable. Nike spokesman at the time, Brian Strong said, “It’s safe to say we jumped at the opportunity to work with her because she breaks the mold“. Ever since then, Nike and other sports apparel brands have endorsed many openly gay athletes.

Brittney Griner is a trailblazer

The Phoenix Mercury superstar broke barriers after her $1 million deal with Nike. While it wasn’t the first time an athlete came out, Griner’s coming out had a bigger impact than most.

Along with making waves off the court, Griner became a superstar quickly in the WNBA. She won a championship in just her second year and has been a perennial All-Star since her debut. She has made a huge impact wherever she has been and has won major titles regularly.

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While her detention came at an unfortunate time, she won’t stop being a trailblazer for future generations.