Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for 169 days. On the 168th day, the WNBA star was convicted of drug smuggling charges by a Russian court and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony.

Many from throughout the world of sports have been vocal about her wrongful detention — including WNBA players as well as many coaches. One notable figure, though, has remained silent.

LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, who coached Griner at Baylor, has not issued a public statement on her former player’s plight. During Griner’s time at Baylor from 2009-13, she helped the team to an undefeated season and a national championship, one of three Mulkey won during her 21-season tenure at the school.

Just Women’s Sports reached out to the LSU athletic department Thursday for comment from Mulkey on Griner’s conviction, but no statement was provided as of Friday. An athletic department spokesperson said he would reach out if Mulkey does release a statement.

While Griner’s college coach has not issued a statement, her alma mater has spoken out in support of the former Bears standout.

Baylor women’s basketball issued the following statement when Just Women’s Sports reached out for comment on Griner’s conviction: “With the unsettling news of the verdict and sentencing of Brittney Griner, we continue to pray for her ongoing strength and safety throughout her detainment. We recognize the extraordinary complexity of this situation, yet we remain hopeful of the day she will again set foot on U.S. ground.”

Baylor University put out a statement back in March when news of Griner’s detainment first became public, calling the news of Griner’s detainment “alarming.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with BG and her family,” the statement read. “Right now, our foremost concern is for her safety and well being during this difficult time in Russia and her eventual safe return to the United States.”

In July, the Baylor athletic department released a video in support of Griner, saying that the Baylor family “stands with Brittney” and that “it’s time to bring her home.”

Current Baylor coach Nicki Collen, who took over after Mulkey left for LSU in 2021, spoke out Thursday, writing on Twitter: “Prayers for BG’s safety and a plan to bring her home soon! I didn’t get the chance to coach BG but I got to coach against her, see her heart for her others up close, and I coach every single day at a place that she helped make great.”

Prayers for BG’s safety and a plan to bring her home soon! I didn’t get the chance to coach BG but I got to coach against her, see her heart for her others up close, and I coach every single day at a place that she helped make great. 💛💚🧡💜 #WeAreBG https://t.co/Inv6C1Zak3

— Nicki Collen (@NickiCollen) August 5, 2022

Other collegiate head coaches have voiced their support. South Carolina’s Dawn Staley has tweeted about Griner nearly every day since the news broke of her detainment.

“We will not stop advocating for [your] release,” Staley tweeted Thursday in the wake of Griner’s conviction. “Hold on to God unchanging hand. We love you, BG!”

In December 2021, ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel wrote about a falling out between Griner and Mulkey that occurred back in 2013, after Griner told reporters that she was encouraged to keep quiet about her sexuality while at Baylor. While Griner said her comments were not directed toward Mulkey in particular, the comments still led to a rift in their relationship.

While Mulkey told ESPN last December that she “will always be grateful for what Griner did at the school,” the two were not in contact at the time of Voepel’s article.

Former Minnesota men’s basketball player Kendal Shell turned to Twitter to call out Mulkey’s silence on Griner’s detention.

“Kim Mulkey being silent while one of her own goes through this is very telling,” wrote Shell. “BG went to war for her and that Baylor program everyday. Too many coaches that only care about what you can do for them on the court but could care less about you as a human off the court.”

Kim Mulkey being silent while one of her own goes through this is very telling. BG went to war for her and that Baylor program everyday. Too many coaches that only care about what you can do for them on the court but could care less about you as a human off the court.

— Kendal Shell 🏁 (@KendalShell) August 4, 2022

WNBA player Angel McCoughtry hit back at Shell, writing: “Let’s not do this! First of all. You don’t know how people deal with things. Maybe she’s in her prayer closet in silence. So let’s not judge before you know what’s going on”

As McCoughtry points out, Mulkey could be lending her support to her former player in private, though the coach does maintain an active social media presence.

However, Mulkey’s continued public silence about Griner’s detention in Russia is growing louder by the day.

The Tour de France Femmes confirmed its course for 2026 this week, setting up next year's event as the longest iteration of the race in the women's tour history.

The 2026 course will run in nine stages starting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on August 1st and continuing through the finish line in Nice, France, on August 9th.

Cyclists will cover a total of 1,175 kilometers, with 18,795 meters of climbing.

The course will feature three flat stages and three hilly stages as well as two mountain stages and one individual time trial, with riders tackling Mont Ventoux — an iconic climb from the men's event — for the first time.

Though 2026 will only by the fifth edition of the modern Tour de France Femmes, the race will make its debut in a standalone time slot one full week after the men’s race ends, with recent record viewership fueling the move to separate the races rather than continue the previous tactic of scheduling the two events back-to-back.

"We no longer need men for the Tour de France Femmes to exist,"  said race director Marion Rousse at Thursday's course unveiling. "There's no need to have the men's race as a platform to launch the women's race. Now people are waiting to see us."

"People have embraced us," Rousse continued. "The new dates, separate to the men, prove it."

This weekend's slate of international soccer features more than one blockbuster matchup, as some of the summer's top performers, including England and Brazil, begin the long process of preparing for the 2027 World Cup.

Reigning UEFA Women's Euro champions England will be hosting 2025 Copa América Femenina winners Brazil at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Saturday, when the Lionesses officially kick off their four-game Homecoming Series to close out 2025 play.

The match between world No. 4 England and No. 7 Brazil will serve as the first of the series of friendlies that will span the final two international breaks of the year, with the Lionesses closing out the opening pair of games against No. 15 Australia on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, while England fans will be enjoying the team's victory lap after their second-straight Euro title, other top UEFA competition are honing in on 2025 Nations League play.

Behind a long-range goal from winger Klara Bühl, No. 5 Germany snagged a narrow 1-0 victory over No. 6 France on Friday morning, taking the lead in the pair's two-leg semifinal.

The second Nations League semifinal round kicks off at 2 PM ET on Friday, when No. 1 Spain faces No. 3 Sweden live on Prime.

How to watch England vs. Brazil this weekend

England takes on Brazil at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage streaming on Prime.

The Wings have found their next sideline leader, as multiple reports on Thursday linked longtime University of South Florida (USF) head coach Jose Fernandez to the open position in Dallas.

Fernandez is still finalizing his contract with the WNBA team, with the 53-year-old exiting USF having led the Bulls for 25 years, making 10 NCAA tournament appearances along the way.

Calling his impact "profound," USF athletics CEO Rob Higgins acknowledged that Fernandez is leaving for a WNBA position in a Thursday statement.

"While this is a bittersweet moment for our program, it is a well-deserved opportunity for Jose," said Higgins. "We are incredibly proud of him."

Replacing Chris Koclanes after one year, Fernandez will become the fifth Dallas head coach in seven seasons, with the Wings trying to build a title-contending roster around 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 1 pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.

Fernandez will also be the third WNBA hiring out of the college ranks in the last two years, joining Atlanta Dream boss Karl Smesko (FGCU) and LA Sparks manager Lynne Roberts (Utah).

Hoping to improve on a 13th-place 2025 finish — and make the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2023 — Dallas could claim a second straight No. 1 draftee next year, with the Wings entering 2026 with the highest odds to snag the top pick in the league's draft lottery.

The WNBA league office and the Players Association (WNBPA) exchanged escalating public statements this week, as both sides dispute terms surrounding a key issue in the ongoing CBA negotiations: revenue sharing.

"When the players opted out [of their CBA] a year ago, they made it clear they wanted a salary system that values their labor and allows them to grow with the business they are very clearly driving," WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson told ESPN in a statement this week, citing the vast disparity in revenue sharing percentages between the WNBA and the NBA.

Jackson continued by claiming that the WNBA intends to "run out the clock" and double down on a model that "intentionally undervalues the players."

Days ago, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said publicly that "[Revenue] share isn't the right way to look at it," pushing instead for salary increases in "absolute numbers."

WNBA leadership, however, denied that their current offer to players omits all revenue sharing, with the league calling the WNBPA's claim "incorrect and surprising," while indicating that an uncapped revenue sharing model "directly tied to the league's performance" is on the table.

"It is frustrating and counterproductive for the union to be making misrepresentations about our proposals while also accusing the league of engaging in delay," the WNBA's statement continued. "That is simply not true."

With both parties not seeing eye to eye, a resolution before the October 31st CBA deadline appears unlikely, though a formal request for an extension on negotiations is not currently in the cards.