Brittney Yevette Griner (; born October 18, 1990) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season ...

of the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Nati ...

(WNBA). She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women's national basketball team"Brittney Griner"
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Retrieved December 12, 2022 and a six-time WNBA All-Star. In 2009, Griner was named the nation's No. 1 high school women's basketball player by Rivals.com.Jeff Fedotin
Griner named nation's no. 1 player
,

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Sports. Retrieved April 19, 2013. She was selected to the 2009 All-American basketball team. She played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the Baylor Lady Bears in

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the s ...

. She had a breakout senior year in 2012, as the three-time All-American was named the AP Player of the Year, the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, led Baylor in winning the National Championship, and won the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award. Griner is also the only

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

basketball player to both score 2,000 points and block 500 shots. Professionally, Griner was selected as the first overall pick in 2013 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, with whom she won the 2014

WNBA championship The WNBA Finals are the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. Starting 2016 Verizon is the officia ...

. Standing tall, Griner wears a men's U.S. size 17 shoe and has an

arm span Arm span or reach (sometimes referred to as wingspan, or spelled "armspan") is the physical measurement of the length from one end of an individual's arms (measured at the fingertips) to the other when raised parallel to the ground at shoulder ...

of . Griner led the U.S. national women's basketball team to victory at the Rio Olympics in 2016. In 2020, Griner protested "

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the ...

" and stated she would not be on the court while the national anthem was played during game openers. Griner was named to the national team for the

2020 Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 1 ...

(held in 2021 in

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

), where she won her second gold medal. She is also a two-time FIBA Women's World Cup winner with Team USA (2014 and 2018) On February 17, 2022, Griner was detained and arrested on smuggling charges by

Russian customs The Federal Customs Service of Russia (russian: Федеральная таможенная служба Российской Федерации, ''Federalnaya tamozhennaya sluzhba Rossiskoy Federatsii''; abbreviated , ''FTS Rossii'') is a Russ ...

officials after cartridges containing less than a gram of medically prescribed

hash oil Hash oil or cannabis oil, is an oleoresin obtained by the extraction of cannabis or hashish. It is a cannabis concentrate containing many of its resins and terpenes – in particular, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and other ...

were found in her luggage. She had been playing basketball with the

Russian Premier League The Russian Premier League (RPL; russian: Российская премьер-лига; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is the top division professional association football league in Russia. It was established at the end of 2001 ...

during the WNBA off-season. Her trial began on July 1, and she pleaded guilty to the charges. On August 4, she was sentenced to nine years in prison. In November 2022, Griner was transferred to the Russian penal colony IK-2. US officials stated that she was "wrongfully detained". On December 8, Griner was released in a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer

Viktor Bout Viktor Anatolyevich Bout (; russian: link=no, Виктор Анатольевич Бут; born 13 January 1967) is a Russian arms dealer. A weapons manufacturer and former Soviet military translator, he used his multiple companies to smuggle a ...

Early life and high school career

Griner was born October 18, 1990, in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

, the daughter of Raymond Griner, a Harris County deputy sheriff and two-tour

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

veteran, and Sandra Griner. She has three older siblings, D, Shkera and Pier. Griner attended Nimitz High School in Houston. In addition to lettering in basketball throughout high school, she played varsity

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

as a freshman. Starting in her sophomore year, Griner practiced with the boys' basketball team, and worked with a Nimitz football coach to develop her leg strength in preparation for learning to dunk. During her junior season, a YouTube video featuring her dunks was watched more than 6.6 million times, leading to a meeting with

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program '' Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greate ...

. During her senior year, Griner led the Nimitz Cougars to the Texas 5A girls basketball state

championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...

game, where Nimitz lost 52–43 to Mansfield Summit High School. Griner dunked 52 times in 32 games as a senior, setting a single-game record of seven dunks against Aldine High School. Houston mayor Bill White declared May 7, 2009, Brittney Griner Day. On November 11, 2008, she recorded 25 blocks in a game against Houston Alief Hastings, the most ever recorded by a female in a high school game in the U.S. In her 2008–09 season, she recorded 318 blocks, a single-season record. Griner was named a WBCA All-American and participated in the 2009 WBCA High School All-America Game, leading the team by scoring 20 points and collecting 9 rebounds.

College career

Griner played college basketball at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. As a freshman, Griner's 223 blocked shots set the all-time single-season record, establishing her as one of the greatest shot blockers in women's basketball history. On December 16, 2009, Griner recorded Baylor's first

triple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

record 11 blocked shots. In January 2010, she became only the seventh player to dunk during a women's college basketball game, and only the second woman to dunk twice in a single college game, making the second and third dunks of her college career in a lopsided 99–18 victory against

Texas State University Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...

. On March 3, 2010, Griner and

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

player Jordan Barncastle were battling for position near the lane. As a foul was being called on Barncastle, Griner took two steps forward and threw a right-handed roundhouse punch which broke Barncastle's nose. Griner was then ejected from the game. Lady Bears coach

Kim Mulkey Kimberly Duane Mulkey (born May 17, 1962) is an American college basketball player and coach. She is the head coach for Louisiana State University's women's basketball team. A Pan-American gold medalist in 1983 and Olympic gold medalist in 1984, ...

then imposed another one-game

suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...

in addition to the one-game suspension mandated by

rules. Baylor entered the NCAA Tournament as a 4th seed, and knocked off top-seeded

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

in the Sweet 16. On March 22, Griner set an NCAA tournament record with 14 blocked shots in a 49–33 win against the

Georgetown Hoyas The Georgetown Hoyas are the collegiate athletics teams that officially represent Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C. Georgetown's athletics department fields 23 men's and women's varsity level teams and competes at the National ...

. In the Elite Eight, Baylor defeated

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...

51–48, and Griner blocked 9 shots, totaling 35 for the tournament, a new NCAA Women's Tournament record. Duke's

Alison Bales Alison Marie Bales (born April 4, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player of the WNBA. High school At the age of five, her family moved from Indianapolis, Indiana, where she was born, to the Dayton suburb of Beavercreek, Oh ...

had held the previous record of 30 blocks in the 2006 NCAA Women's Tournament. Baylor reached the Final Four, before losing to eventual-champion UConn, 70–50. Griner was named an AP Second Team All-American. As a sophomore, Griner received First Team All-American honors after averaging 23 points a game, including a career-high 40 points against Green Bay in the Sweet 16. Her sophomore season ended with a 48-56 loss to the eventual national champion and conference rival, Texas A&M University. In her junior season, Griner averaged 23.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5 blocks per game. She blocked more shots than any other Division I women's ''team'' that season. Griner was named AP Player of the Year and The 2012 Premier Player of Women's College Basketball. On April 3, 2012, Griner led Baylor with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocked shots to win the Division I Women's Basketball Championship, 80–61 over Notre Dame. Griner was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. Baylor finished its undefeated season with 40 wins, the most in NCAA history.John Altavilla
Herald-Mail
Baylor women top Notre Dame to complete 40–0 season, April 3, 2012. After winning the championship on April 3, 2012, Griner decided to withdraw her candidacy for a roster spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team. A month later Griner broke her wrist after jumping off her skateboard when she was going down a ramp. Her college career came to an end in the 2013 NCAA women's basketball tournament when Baylor lost to the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one ...

Cardinals in the Sweet 16.

College statistics

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;", Baylor , 35 , , 35 , , 33.5 , , .503 , , .000 , , .684 , , 8.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.5 , , 6.4 , , 2.8 , , 18.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2010–11 , style="text-align:left;", Baylor , 37 , , 37 , , 31.8 , , .543 , , .500 , , .777 , , 7.8 , , 1.4 , , 0.4 , , 4.6 , , 2.1 , , 23.0 , - , style="background:#afe6ba; text-align:left;", 2011–12† , style="text-align:left;", Baylor , 40 , , 40 , , 32.7 , , .609 , , .500 , , .800 , , 9.5 , , 1.6 , , 0.6 , , 5.2 , , 1.7 , , 23.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

, style="text-align:left;", Baylor , 36 , , 36 , , 30.3 , , .607 , , .000 , , .712 , , 9.4 , , 2.4 , , 0.7 , , 4.1 , , 1.9 , , 23.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 148 , , 148 , , 32.0 , , .569 , , .400 , , .747 , , 8.8 , , 1.6 , , 0.5 , , 5.1 , , 1.4 , , 22.2

Professional career

WNBA

The only international female players surpassing Griner's height have been the late

Margo Dydek Małgorzata Dydek (known as Margo Dydek in the United States, 28 April 1974 – 27 May 2011) was a Polish professional basketball player. Standing tall, she was famous for being the tallest professional female basketball player in the world. Sh ...

, at ,

Bernadett Határ Bernadett Határ (born August 24, 1994) is a Hungarian basketball player for Sopron Basket of the EuroLeague Women, Indiana Fever of the WNBA, and the Hungarian national team. She participated at the EuroBasket Women 2015 and EuroBasket Wome ...

, at , and

Han Xu Han Xu (May 26, 1924 – July 19, 1994) was a Chinese diplomat who served as the Chinese Ambassador to the United States from 1985 to 1989, and as Vice Foreign Minister of China from 1982 to 1985. Early life Han was born May 26, 1924, in Ji ...

, at .

2013

In the 2013 WNBA draft, the

selected Griner as the first overall pick. In her debut on May 27, 2013, against

Chicago Sky The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 2 ...

, Griner equaled the WNBA dunk record, recording two dunks to equal

Candace Parker Candace Nicole Parker (born April 19, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was selected as the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft by the Los Ang ...

's career total. She thus became the third WNBA player to dunk and first to do so twice in one game. She was a dominant defensive force in the league over the season, averaging 3.0 blocks per game. Griner was named a WNBA All-Star, but missed the

2013 WNBA All-Star Game The 2013 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on July 27, 2013, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, the current home of the Connecticut Sun. This was the 11th edition of the WNBA All-Star Game, and was pla ...

with a right knee injury, and was replaced by

Tina Thompson Tina Marie Thompson (born February 10, 1975) is an American former WNBA professional basketball player who served as the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team from 2018-2022. Thompson was inducted into both the Women's Ba ...

. In April 2013,

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. Th ...

owner

Mark Cuban Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, television personality, and media proprietor whose net worth is an estimated $4.8 billion, according to ''Forbes'', and ranked No. 177 on the 2020 ''Forbes'' 400 list ...

said he would consider drafting Griner to the NBA, and Griner expressed interest in the opportunity, but no offer to try out was extended by the team.

2014

In the 2014 season, Griner's stats would improve, as she averaged 15.6 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per game and 3.7 blocks per game. On June 29, 2014, Griner had set a WNBA record with 11 blocks in a regular season game win against the Tulsa Shock, along with 21 points and 8 rebounds. On August 24, 2014, Griner became the first WNBA player to dunk in a playoff game when she helped the Mercury defeat the Los Angeles Sparks, 93–68, at Staples Center. The 2014 season would be a historic season for the Mercury with the combination of Brittney Griner,

Diana Taurasi Diana Lorena Taurasi (born June 11, 1982) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted by Phoenix first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft. Taurasi has ...

and

Candice Dupree Candice Dupree (born August 16, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. She was selected sixth in the 2006 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky. Dupree has won a WNBA Championship ( 2014) with the Phoenix Mercury. She has ...

as the dominant Big 3 to carry the team plus the arrival of new head coach

Sandy Brondello Sandra Anne "Sandy" Brondello (born 20 August 1968) is an Australian women's basketball coach, and the current head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA. Brondello played in Australia, Germany and the WNBA before retiring to become a coa ...

, the Mercury finished 29–5, setting the WNBA record for most wins in a regular season. They made it all the way to the WNBA finals and swept the

3 games to 0, to capture the Mercury's third championship in franchise history. During the series, Griner set WNBA finals records in game 1 for most blocks in a game (8) and most blocks in a quarter (5).

2015

In the 2015 season, despite missing the first seven games due to a suspension stemming from her domestic violence case, Griner would have the most prolific defensive season in WNBA history, averaging a career high and WNBA record 4.0 blocks per game, surpassing Margo Dydek's record back in the 1998 season. Although the Mercury were playing without their all-star guard Diana Taurasi (who sat out the season to play overseas), the Mercury still made it to the playoffs. In the 2015 playoffs, Griner set a WNBA playoff record with 11 blocks (along with 18 points and 8 rebounds) in a game 1 victory against the Tulsa Shock, whom she also had 11 blocks against in a regular season game the year before. The Mercury advanced to the second round where they were swept by the

Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Founded p ...

who won the championship that year.

2016

In the 2016 season, with the return of Diana Taurasi, the Mercury had a more successful playoff run. En route to the playoffs, Griner averaged 14.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game and 3.1 blocks per game as the Mercury finished 16–18. During the season, Griner had recorded the sixth

in WNBA history in a win against the

Atlanta Dream The Atlanta Dream are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded for the 2008 WNBA season. The team is owned by real ...

where she had 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks. With the WNBA's new playoff format in effect, the Mercury were the number 8 seed in the league as they faced the

Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the 2000 season began. The team is owned ...

in the first round. The Mercury upset the Fever in the first round elimination game, as Griner had 18 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. In the second round elimination game, the Mercury defeated the number 3 seeded

New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was ...

, Griner had 22 points 10 rebounds and 4 blocks in the win. The Mercury advanced to the semifinals (the last round before the WNBA finals) against the championship defending Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-5 series but would get swept 3–0.

2017

On March 12, 2017, Griner re-signed with the Mercury to a multi-year deal once her rookie contract expired. In 2017, Griner would have the best season of her career thus far. On June 7, 2017, Griner scored a career-high 38 points along with 9 rebounds in a 98–90 overtime win against the

. Griner would miss 8 games of the season and the

2017 WNBA All-Star Game The 2017 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on July 22, 2017. The Seattle Storm hosted a WNBA All-Star Game for the first time. Starters for this year's All-Star game were selected by a combination of fan, media, and pl ...

due to an ankle and knee injury (replaced by

Rebekkah Brunson Rebekkah Brunson (born December 11, 1981) is an American basketball coach, currently an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Brunson is a former forward for the Lynx and is the only playe ...

), but finished off the season leading the league in scoring with 21.9 points per game and also led the league in blocks for the fifth consecutive season. The Mercury finished with an 18–16 record as the number 5 seed. In the first round elimination game, the Mercury defeated the

Seattle Storm The Seattle Storm are an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm competes in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was founded by Ginger Ackerl ...

79–69, advancing to the second round. Griner scored 23 points along with 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in the win. In the second round elimination game, the Mercury defeated the

Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was established as the Orlando Miracle in ...

88–83 and advanced to the semi-finals. Griner scored 26 points along with 9 rebounds in the win. In the semi-finals, the Mercury were eliminated by the

Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was fou ...

in a 3-game sweep.

2018

In 2018, Griner played all 34 games for the third time in her career. She was voted into the

2018 WNBA All-Star Game The 2018 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on July 28, 2018. The Minnesota Lynx hosted the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time. Rosters Selection On June 5, the WNBA announced that 2018 would have a new roster select ...

, making it her fifth all-star game appearance. On August 18, 2018, Griner scored a season-high 33 points along with 18 rebounds and 7 blocks in a 104–95 victory over the Atlanta Dream. This season was also her first season shooting from beyond the arc. Griner also led the league in blocks for the sixth consecutive year. The Mercury finished off the season 20–14 with the number 5 seed in the league. In the first round elimination game, the Mercury defeated the Dallas Wings 101–83. Griner scored 17 points in the win. In the second round elimination game, the Mercury defeated the Connecticut Sun 96–86, advancing to the semi-finals for the third year in a row, they would face off against the Seattle Storm. Down 2–0, the Mercury came back to tie up the series 2–2. In game 5, the Mercury lost 94–84, ending their season.

2019

In 2019, Griner would be voted into the

2019 WNBA All-Star Game The 2019 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on July 27, 2019. The Las Vegas Aces hosted the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time. Rosters Selection On June 12, the WNBA announced that 2019 would similar roster selecti ...

, making it her sixth career all-star game appearance. On August 25, 2019, Griner scored a season-high 34 points in a 94–86 loss to the

. By the end of the season, Griner led the league in the scoring for the second time in her career and would continue to lead the league in blocks for the seventh straight season. The Mercury finished with a 15–19 record and the number 8 seed and were eliminated 105–76 by the

in the first round elimination game. Griner left in the second half of the game with a knee injury.

2020

The 2020 season was delayed and shortened to 22 games in a bubble at

IMG Academy IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...

due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. After 12 games played, Griner left the bubble for undisclosed personal reasons. Without Griner, the Mercury finished 13–9 as the number 5 seed. They would make it as far as the second round where they lost to the

in the elimination game.

2021

In 2021 during the regular season, the Mercury were the 4th seed in the Western Conference, going 19-13, with Griner averaging 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 32.8 minutes per game in the season, while playing 30 of 36 games. She scored the most points in the playoffs, 240 points, helping the Mercury beat the New York Liberty, Seattle Storm, the first seed

Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team play ...

and helping the Mercury reach the WNBA finals, where they lost to the Chicago Sky in 4 games.

Overseas

Griner plays overseas in the WNBA off-season. In the 2013–14 off-season, she played in China for the

Zhejiang Golden Bulls The Zhejiang Golden Bulls, or Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Rent are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Yiwu in Zhejiang, China. It competes in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), in the Southern Division. Its corporate sponsor is Z ...

of the WCBA where she signed a four-month contract for $600,000, which was 12 times the amount she made in her rookie season with the Mercury. She was named as the MVP of the 2014 WCBA All-Star Game. In the 2014–15 off-season, she played in China for the Beijing Great Wall of the WCBA. Beijing Great Wall finished the season as the runner-up in the playoff. In the 2014–15 and 2015–16 off-seasons, Griner played in Russia for

UMMC Ekaterinburg BC Ekaterinburg (russian: БК «УГМК») is a Russian women's basketball team based in Yekaterinburg competing in the Russian Premier League, and until February 2022 in FIBA Europe's EuroLeague Women. In reaction to the 2022 Russian inv ...

with teammate Diana Taurasi, winning back-to-back championships. In August 2016, Griner re-signed with UMMC Ekaterinburg for the 2016–17 off-season. In 2017, she re-signed once again with UMMC Ekaterinburg for the 2017–18 off-season, and in 2018, she returned to UMMC Ekaterinburg for a fifth stint in the 2018–19 off-season.

National team career

In September 2011, Griner spent two weeks playing under coach

Geno Auriemma Luigi "Geno" Auriemma (born March 23, 1954) is an Italian-born American college basketball coach and, since 1985, the head coach of the University of Connecticut Connecticut Huskies women's basketball, Huskies women's basketball team. , he has le ...

for the U.S. national team as part of its European training tour. Griner was the only college player in the group. She averaged 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds a game with the U.S. team in Europe. Griner was the sole player still playing in college on the 2012 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team finalists roster. Excluding Griner, the average age on the finalists roster was approximately 30 years, while Griner was 22 years old at the time of the Olympics. Griner decided in April 2012 not to participate in the 2012 Olympics due to family illness and her school schedule. In 2016, she played for the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team at the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The ina ...

and earned her first Olympic gold medal as they beat Spain 101–72 in the final, becoming one of 11 players who have earned an Olympic gold medal, FIBA World Cup gold medal, WNBA title, an NCAA title, joining

Sue Bird Suzanne Brigit Bird (born October 16, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played her entire career with the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association ( WNBA) Bird was drafted by the Storm first over ...

Swin Cash Swintayla Marie "Swin" Cash Canal (born September 22, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played professionally for 15 seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She currently serves as vice preside ...

Tamika Catchings Tamika Devonne Catchings (born July 21, 1979) is an American retired professional basketball player who played her entire 15-year career for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Catchings has won a WNBA champi ...

, Cynthia Cooper,

Asjha Jones Asjha Takera Jones (born August 1, 1980) is a former American professional women's basketball power forward and coach who is now on the staff of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2019, she became the f ...

Maya Moore Maya April Moore (born June 11, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx, who is currently on sabbatical. Naming her their inaugural Performer of the Year in 2017, ''Sports Illustrated'' called Moore the greatest ...

Breanna Stewart Breanna Mackenzie Stewart (born Baldwin; born August 27, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In high school, Stewart was the National Gatorade Player o ...

Sheryl Swoopes Sheryl Denise Swoopes (born March 25, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA, is a three-time WNBA MVP, and was named one of the league's Top 15 Players of All Time at the 201 ...

, and Kara Wolters on the list. Griner was selected for her second Olympics in 2021, going undefeated and winning the gold medal as part of Team USA.

Honors

Along with being selected as the number one high school player in the country by Rivals.com, Griner was featured on the cover of

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

's ''Rise'' magazine, and was selected by the

Women's Basketball Coaches Association The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels. The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches. The mission of the WBCA ...

as the 2009

State Farm State Farm Insurance is a large group of mutual insurance companies throughout the United States with corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois. Overview State Farm is the largest property and casualty insurance provider, and the lar ...

/ WBCA High School Player of the Year. Griner also won the 2013 ESPY Award for best female college athlete. She was the 2012 winner of the

Honda Sports Award The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Sports Award are automatically in th ...

for basketball and the overall

Honda-Broderick Cup The Honda-Broderick Cup is a sports award for college-level female athletes. The awards are voted on by a national panel of more than 1000 collegiate athletic directors. It was first presented by Tom Broderick, an American owner of a women's sports ...

winner for all sports. She was the 2012 recipient of the

Wade Trophy The Wade Trophy is an award presented annually to the best upperclass women's basketball player in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition. It is named after three–time national champion Delta State University coa ...

, presented to the best female NCAA Division I basketball player who embodies the "Spirit of Margaret Wade." She was the winner of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, in 2012, and again in 2013. The award is given by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to the nation's top Division I women's player. Among other accolades, Griner is credited with bringing the women's game more attention due to her ability to dunk. She holds the NCAA record for dunks in a career with 18 total dunks. She passed Candace Parker as the all-time NCAA women's dunks leader. * 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 In 2014, Griner was included as part of ''The Advocate''s annual "40 under 40" list. The WNBA included Griner in

The W25 The W25 are the Women's National Basketball Association's Top 25 Players of All Time, chosen in 2021 on the occasion of the 25th season of the WNBA from amongst 72 nominees compiled by the league. The group, selected by a panel consisting of media ...

, a list of the best players of the league's first 25 years. She was also named one of ESPNW's Impact 25 in 2014.

Personal life and activism

In an interview with

SI.com ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

on February 11, 2013, Griner publicly

came out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

as a lesbian. She also revealed in the interview that she was bullied as a child, explaining, "It's hard. Just being picked on for being different. Just being bigger, my sexuality, everything." She said she is very passionate about working with children in order to bring attention to the issue of bullying, particularly against

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

people. Griner had previously come out to her parents in high school, which her father did not accept gracefully, forcing her to live with an assistant coach for six weeks during her senior year. She later wrote a memoir with Sue Hovey addressing bullying and self-acceptance, ''In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court'', published in 2014. In a 2019 interview with ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'', Griner stated, "People tell me I'm going to break the barrier and trailblaze. I just kind of look at it like, I'm just trying to help out, I'm just trying to make it not as tough for the next generation." In 2013, Griner was featured on the cover of ''

ESPN Magazine ''ESPN The Magazine'' was an American monthly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998. Initially published every other week, it scaled back to 24 issues a year ...

''. She appeared in "The Taboo Issue"''.'' She is pictured holding a snake, which is her favorite animal because they are "misunderstood". She says, "You just have to look at it in a different way." Her endorsement deal with

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

was the first time the company had signed such a deal with an openly gay athlete. Griner continues to push back on traditional gender roles as she regularly models clothes branded as "menswear" for Nike. Nike spokesman Brian Strong said of signing Griner, "We can't get into specifics, but it's safe to say we jumped at the opportunity to work with her because she breaks the mold." In 2020, Griner, along with teammate

Brianna Turner Brianna Turner (born July 5, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Virtus Bologna of the EuroCup Women. She played college women's basketball fo ...

, called for the WNBA to stop playing the

United States national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

before the games. She made her remarks after Mercury players refused to take the floor during a pre-season game in

Bradenton, Florida Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698. History Late 18th and early 19th centuries A settlement established by Maroons or escaped sl ...

. Griner said she was protesting the

killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American woman, was fatally shot in her Louisville, Kentucky apartment on March 13, 2020, when at least seven police officers forced entry into the apartment as part of an investigation into drug dealing o ...

as part of the wider

George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internat ...

. She said later during a media teleconference, "I honestly feel we should not play the national anthem during our season. I think we should take that much of a stand." She said she does not believe that the national anthem should be played at sporting events.

Marriages and domestic violence case

On August 14, 2014, Griner got engaged to fellow WNBA player

Glory Johnson Glory Bassey Johnson (born July 27, 1990) is an American basketball player for Turkish club Beşiktaş. Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she went to Webb School Of Knoxville and played collegiately for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols ...

. On April 22, 2015, they were both arrested on charges of assault and disorderly conduct after police responded to a fight between the two in their suburban home in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

. Both had sustained some injuries. Despite this incident, they married the following month on May 8, 2015, in Phoenix. On May 15, 2015, the WNBA suspended Griner and Johnson for seven games each after Griner pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct charges. Griner was also required to complete 26 weeks of domestic violence counseling. On June 4, 2015, Griner and Johnson revealed that Johnson was pregnant with twins, conceived with Johnson's eggs through in vitro fertilization. The following day, and after less than a month of marriage, Griner filed for an annulment of the marriage citing fraud and duress; the annulment was denied. Johnson gave birth to twin girls on October 12, 2015, 16 weeks premature. Griner was ordered to pay child support to Johnson. The couple's divorce was finalized in June 2016. Griner became engaged to Cherelle Watson in August 2018, and they married in June 2019. Watson later changed her name to Cherelle Griner.

2022 arrest and imprisonment in Russia

On February 17, 2022, Griner was arrested on drug smuggling charges in Russia. She was detained at

Sheremetyevo International Airport Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport ( rus, links=no, Международный аэропорт Шереметьево имени А. С. Пушкина, p=ʂɨrʲɪˈmʲetʲjɪvə ''Mezhdunarodny aeroport Sheremetyevo imen ...

after the

Federal Customs Service The Federal Customs Service of Russia (russian: Федеральная таможенная служба Российской Федерации, ''Federalnaya tamozhennaya sluzhba Rossiskoy Federatsii''; abbreviated , ''FTS Rossii'') is a Russ ...

found she was carrying

vaporizer Vaporizer or vaporiser may refer to: *Anesthetic vaporizer, a device used in the administration of anesthesia *Electronic cigarette, or a part of one (often called a "PV" or "personal vaporizer") *Humidifier, a household appliance that increases h ...

cartridges containing less than a gram of

. In Arizona, she had been prescribed

medicinal cannabis Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictions ...

, which is illegal in Russia. Some U.S. officials expressed concern that Russia may have been using Griner as leverage in response to the Western sanctions imposed against Russia for its

invasion of Ukraine The territory of present-day Ukraine has been invaded or occupied a number of times throughout its history. List See also *List of invasions * List of wars involving Ukraine References {{Europe topic, List of wars involving, title=List ...

. The former

Pentagon In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be sim ...

official

Evelyn Farkas Evelyn Nicolette Farkas (born December 6, 1967) is an American national security advisor, author, and foreign policy analyst. She is the current Executive Director of the McCain Institute, a nonprofit focused on democracy, human rights, and char ...

expressed concern that Griner could be used as a "high-profile hostage" by Russia. In May 2022, the U.S. State Department stated that they had determined Griner was being "wrongfully detained". On May 15, it was reported that the United States and Russia would consider a prisoner swap, with Russia exchanging Griner for arms dealer

, who had served 10 years of a 25-year federal prison sentence in the United States.

Trial, sentencing, imprisonment and release

2022 NWSL Championship 88 - letter to Britney Griner

On the second day of her trial, July 7, Griner pleaded guilty but said she had no

intent Intentions are mental states in which the agent commits themselves to a course of action. Having the plan to visit the zoo tomorrow is an example of an intention. The action plan is the ''content'' of the intention while the commitment is the ''a ...

to break the law. Griner requested that she be allowed to give testimony to the court. On August 4, the court found Griner guilty and sentenced her to nine years in prison and fined her 1 million

rubles The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union. , currencies named ''rub ...

(US$16,301), even though the standard sentence for possession of no more than 2 grams of hash oil is 15 days. On November 17, Griner's lawyers said that she was transferred to IK-2, a female penal colony in the town of

Yavas Yavas (russian: Явас; mdf, Яваз, ''Javaz'') is an urban locality (a work settlement) in the Zubovo-Polyansky District of the Republic of Mordovia, Russia. As of the Russian Census (2010), 2010 Census, its population was 7,941. It i ...

in the region of

Mordovia The Republic of Mordovia (russian: Респу́блика Мордо́вия, r=Respublika Mordoviya, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə mɐrˈdovʲɪjə; mdf, Мордовия Республиксь, ''Mordovija Respublikś''; myv, Мордовия Рес ...

; previously she was held in an undisclosed location. Griner's family enlisted the help of

Bring Our Families Home Bring Our Families Home (BOFH) is a campaign by family members of American hostages and wrongfully held detainees advocating for their immediate release. The James Foley Legacy Foundation estimates that there are approximately sixty Americans who ...

to appeal for her release. On December 8, she was released by Russia in a 1-for-1 prisoner swap for Bout, though at the same time as the exchange, Russia deported another American, Sarah Krivanek, detained for a domestic violence dispute.

WNBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

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Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 27 , , 27 , , 25.9 , , .556 , , .000 , , .724 , , 6.3 , , 1.0 , , 0.4 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 3.0° , , 1.7 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

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, 34 , , 34 , , 30.7 , , .578 , , .000 , , .802 , , 8.0 , , 1.6 , , 0.6 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 3.7° , , 1.9 , , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

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, 26 , , 26 , , 30.7 , , .565 , , .000 , , .773 , , 8.1 , , 1.3 , , 0.3 , , style="background:EOCEF2;", 4.0 , , 2.1 , , 15.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

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, 34 , , 34, , 29.2 , , .548 , , .000 , , .831 , , 6.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.3 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 3.1° , , 2.0 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 26 , , 31.5 , , .577 , , .000 , , .812 , , 7.6 , , 1.9 , , 0.6 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 2.5° , , 2.4 , , 21.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

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, 34 , , 34 , , 32.6 , , .544 , , .250 , , .800 , , 7.7 , , 2.1 , , 0.5 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 2.6° , , 2.3 , , 20.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

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, 31 , , 31 , , 32.8 , , .564 , , .333 , , .808 , , 7.2 , , 2.4 , , 0.7 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 2.0° , , 2.4 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 20.7° , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 12 , , 12 , , 31.8 , , .497 , , .000 , , .809 , , 7.5 , , 3.0 , , 0.3 , , 1.8 , , 2.5 , , 17.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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, 30 , , 30 , , 32.8 , , .575 , , .444 , , .846 , , 9.5 , , 2.7 , , 0.4 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 1.9° , , 2.2 , , 20.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , , 254 , , 254 , , 30.9 , , .560 , , .353 , , .804 , , 7.6 , , 1.8 , , 0.5 , , style="background:EOCEF2;", 2.8 , , 2.2 , , 17.7

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

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, 5 , , 5 , , 26.6 , , .533 , , .000 , , .556 , , 6.4 , , 0.2 , , 0.2 , , 0.8 , , 1.6 , , 10.6 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

^† , style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 7 , , 31.0 , , .627 , , .000 , , .920 , , 6.0 , , 1.6 , , 0.4 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 3.4° , , 1.8 , , 16.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 29.7 , , .583 , , .000 , , .885 , , 8.0 , , 1.3 , , 0.7 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 4.5° , , 2.0 , , 16.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5, , 31.2 , , .643 , , .000 , , .813 , , 6.0 , , 1.6 , , 0.6 , , 2.2 , , 2.2 , , 13.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5, , 36.8 , , .407 , , .000 , , .795 , , 7.0 , , 2.0 , , 0.6 , , 1.6 , , 2.4 , , 20.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 7 , , 36.4 , , .631 , , .000 , , .750 , , 8.0 , , 3.1 , , 0.7 , , 2.2 , , 1.7 , , 21.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 1 , , 1 , , 13.8 , , .375 , , .000 , , .000 , , 3.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 11 , , 35.1 , , .562 , , .000 , , .800 , , 8.4 , , 3.0 , , 0.4 , , 1.6 , , 2.1 , , 21.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , , 45 , , 45 , , 32.5 , , .562 , , .000 , , .808 , , 7.2 , , 2.0 , , 0.5 , , 2.2 , , 2.0 , , 17.8

Notes

References

External links

Brittney Griner
at WNBA * * * * *
griner42.com
(archived) {{DEFAULTSORT:Griner, Brittney 1990 births Living people All-American college women's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in Russia American women's basketball players Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Houston Baylor Bears women's basketball players Beijing Great Wall players Centers (basketball) Lesbian sportswomen LGBT basketball players LGBT people from Texas American LGBT sportspeople McDonald's High School All-Americans Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball) People from Maricopa County, Arizona Phoenix Mercury draft picks Phoenix Mercury players Sportspeople from the Phoenix metropolitan area Women's National Basketball Association first-overall draft picks Women's National Basketball Association All-Stars 21st-century LGBT people United States women's national basketball team players American people imprisoned in Russia American sportspeople convicted of crimes 21st-century American criminals American people convicted of drug offenses Queer women