Brittney Griner is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women’s national basketball team and a six-time WNBA All-Star. In 2023, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
In 2009, Griner was named the top high school women’s basketball player by Rivals.com and was selected to the All-American basketball team. She was named AP Player of the Year, and Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, led Baylor to a National Championship, and won the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award. Griner is the only NCAA basketball player to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots.
Griner led the U.S. national women’s basketball team to victory at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In 2020, she protested “The Star-Spangled Banner” and stated she would not be on the court during the national anthem. She won her second Olympic gold medal with the national team at the 2020 Olympics. She is a two-time FIBA Women’s World Cup winner with Team USA.
On February 17, 2022, Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for carrying cartridges containing medically prescribed hash oil, which is illegal in Russia. She was playing in the Russian Premier League during the WNBA off-season. Griner pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
In November 2022, she was transferred to a Russian penal colony. US officials stated she was “wrongfully detained.” On December 8, Griner was released in a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. She returned to the WNBA in May 2023, receiving a standing ovation. 1blackcelebritybirthdays
Brittney Griner Bio/Wikipedia
Brittney Yvette Griner was born on October 18, 1990, in Houston, Texas, USA, and is 33 years old as of 2023. Griner follows the Christian faith and holds American nationality. Her height is 6′ 9″ inches and her zodiac sign is Libra. 2imdb
Brittney Griner Education
Brittney Griner attended Nimitz High School in Houston, where she played basketball and volleyball. She practiced with the boys’ basketball team starting in her sophomore year and worked with a football coach to improve her leg strength for dunking.
In her senior year, Griner led her team to the Texas 5A girls’ basketball state championship game. She dunked 52 times in 32 games that season, setting a record with seven dunks in a single game. The mayor of Houston declared May 7, 2009, as Brittney Griner Day. She also set a record for the most blocks in a game and a season during her high school career. 3britannica
Brittney Griner Parents
Brittney Griner’s father, Raymond Griner, is a deputy sheriff and a Vietnam War veteran, and her mother is Sandra Griner. She has three older siblings named DeCarlo, Shkera, and Pier Griner. 4nbcolympics
Brittney Griner Wife
In a February 11, 2013 interview, Brittney Griner publicly came out as a lesbian. She shared that she was bullied as a child for being different, including her size and sexuality. Griner is passionate about helping children and addressing bullying, especially against LGBT youth.
In 2014, she published a memoir titled “In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court” with Sue Hovey, discussing bullying and self-acceptance.
Brittney Griner was featured on the cover of ESPN Magazine’s “The Taboo Issue” in 2013, holding a snake, her favorite animal, because she feels they are misunderstood. Griner has an endorsement deal with Nike, the company’s first with an openly gay athlete, and she models menswear for them.
On August 14, 2014, Griner got engaged to fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson. On April 22, 2015, they were both arrested for assault and disorderly conduct after a fight. Despite this, they married on May 8, 2015. On May 15, 2015, the WNBA suspended both for seven games each. Griner was also required to complete 26 weeks of domestic violence counseling.
On June 4, 2015, Johnson announced she was pregnant with twins through in vitro fertilization. The next day, Griner filed for an annulment, which was denied. Johnson gave birth to twins on October 12, 2015, and Griner was ordered to pay child support. Their divorce was finalized in June 2016.
Brittney Griner became engaged to Cherelle Watson in August 2018, and they married in June 2019. Cherelle later changed her name to Cherelle Griner. In 2024, Griner and Cherelle announced they were expecting a child. 5britannica
Brittney Griner Career
In the 2013 WNBA draft, Brittney Griner was the first overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury. She debuted on May 27, 2013, against the Chicago Sky, tying the WNBA dunk record with two dunks. She became the third WNBA player to dunk and the first to do so twice in one game. Griner averaged 3.0 blocks per game and was named a WNBA All-Star but missed the All-Star Game due to a knee injury.
Griner improved in the 2014 season, averaging 15.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game. On June 29, 2014, she set a WNBA record with 11 blocks in a game. She became the first WNBA player to dunk in a playoff game on August 24, 2014. Griner set WNBA finals records for most blocks in a game and in a quarter.
Despite missing the first seven games of the 2015 season due to a suspension, Griner had a historic defensive season, averaging a record of 4.0 blocks per game. Griner set a WNBA playoff record with 11 blocks in a game against the Tulsa Shock.
Griner averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game in the 2016 season. She recorded a triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a win against the Atlanta Dream. The Mercury made it to the semi-finals but were swept by the Minnesota Lynx.
Griner re-signed with the Mercury in 2017 and had her best season, averaging 21.9 points per game and leading the league in scoring and blocks. The Mercury made it to the semi-finals but were eliminated by the Los Angeles Sparks.
Griner played all 34 games in the 2018 season and was voted into the WNBA All-Star Game. She led the league in blocks for the sixth consecutive year. The Mercury made it to the semi-finals but were defeated by the Seattle Storm.
Griner was voted into the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game. She led the league in scoring and blocks. The Mercury were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Chicago Sky.
The 2020 season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Griner left the bubble after 12 games for personal reasons. The Mercury made it to the second round of the playoffs but lost to the Minnesota Lynx.
Griner averaged 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game in the 2021 season. The Mercury made it to the WNBA finals but lost to the Chicago Sky.
Griner missed the 2022 season due to incarceration in Russia and was released in December 2022. In 2023, she was named a starter in the WNBA All-Star Game. She averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Griner has played overseas during the WNBA off-season, including in China for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls and Beijing Great Wall, and in Russia for UMMC Ekaterinburg, winning multiple championships. Griner has played for the U.S. national team, winning gold medals in the 2016 and 2021 Olympics. 6wikipedia
Brittney Griner Accolades & Achievements
- Selected as the number-one high school player in the country by Rivals.com.
- Featured on the cover of ESPN’s Rise magazine.
- Named the 2009 State Farm/WBCA High School Player of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
- Won the 2013 ESPY Award for best female college athlete.
- Awarded the 2012 Honda Sports Award for basketball and the overall Honda-Broderick Cup for all sports.
- Received the 2012 Wade Trophy, presented to the best female NCAA Division I basketball player who embodies the “Spirit of Margaret Wade.”
- Won the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award in 2012 and 2013, given by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to the nation’s top Division I women’s player.
- Credited with bringing more attention to the women’s game due to her ability to dunk.
- Holds the NCAA record for career dunks with 18, surpassing Candace Parker as the all-time NCAA women’s dunks leader.
Additional Achievements:
- 2009: WBCA High School Coaches’ All-America Team.
- 2011: WBCA NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year.
- 2012: WBCA NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year.
- 2013: WBCA NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year.
- 2014: FIBA World Championship All-Star Five.
- Included in The Advocate’s annual “40 under 40” list in 2014.
- Named one of ESPNW’s Impact 25 in 2014.
- Included in The W25, is a list of the best players of the WNBA’s first 25 years.
- In February 2024, Baylor University retired Griner’s No. 42 jersey in a ceremony before a game against Texas Tech.
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