In a world that still makes it hard on professional and high-profile athletes to come out as being gay, Brittney Griner recently made the bold move to do just that.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated this week, the WNBA’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft discussed being gay and being proud of who you are as an individual. Though she said she has talked about her sexuality before, it marked the first time she had talked about it publicly.

“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,” Griner said.

Since she is comfortable in her own skin, Griner said the decision to come out wasn’t a hard one to make.

“It really wasn’t too difficult,” she said. “I wouldn’t say I was hiding or anything like that. I’ve always been open about who I am and my sexuality. So, it wasn’t hard at all. If I can show that I’m out and I’m fine and everything’s OK, then hopefully the younger generation will definitely feel the same way.”

As the second all-time scorer and all-time shot blocker in women’s NCAA history, Griner has already set a prime example of how to perform on the court, but she also plans to set an example off the court as well by talking to kids about the issue of bullying.

“I overcame it and got over it,” Griner said about bullying. “Definitely something that I am very passionate about. I want to work with kids and bring recognition to the problem, especially with the LGBT community.”

We look forward to seeing Griner grow as a woman and a basketball player when she takes the court for the Phoenix Mercury next season.