Brittney Griner, also known as Brittney Yevette Griner, is a prominent American basketball player widely recognized as one of the best centers in the game. She is mainly known for her contributions to the Phoenix Mercury team, with whom she won a WNBA championship in 2014. Griner made headlines worldwide in 2022 when she was arrested in Russia on charges related to drug possession. (1)
Brittney Griner’s Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | 6 ft 9 in 2.06 m |
|---|---|
| Weight | 205 pounds 93 kg |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Body Type | Fit |
| Sexual Orientation | Lesbian |
Facts About Brittney Griner
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Estimate Net Worth | $5.2 million |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Birthplace | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Birthday | October 18, 1990 |
Brittney Griner’s Net Worth
Brittney Griner is an American basketball player with a net worth of $5.2 million. She is a Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) member. She earned around $1.5 million during her last three years playing in Russia.
The Basketball player is the only player in NCAA history to record 2,000 points while blocking 500 shots. Brittney Griner is paid the highest amount in the WNBA, $227,000 annually. She received $600,000 in 2014 for three months of playing for a Chinese squad. (2)
See the net worth of other famous basketball players here.
Brittney Griner’s Early Life
Brittney Griner, born in Houston to Raymond and Sandra Griner, was raised with three older siblings. Her father served in the Marines in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 and later became the sheriff of Harris County. Griner attended Nimitz High School in Houston, where she excelled in basketball and received a yearly letter.
As a freshman, she also played varsity volleyball. From her sophomore year onwards, Griner trained with the boys’ basketball team and collaborated with a Nimitz football coach to enhance her leg strength to learn to dunk eventually. (3)
Brittney Griner’s Education
Brittney Griner, a former high school student at Nimitz High School, participated in basketball and volleyball for the Cougars. Griner guided her team to the Texas 5A state championship in girls’ basketball, but they were defeated in the final. Despite this, she was acknowledged as a WBCA All-American athlete during her stint.
Later, Griner attended Baylor University, where she played for the Baylor Lady Bears. As a freshman, she quickly established dominance by breaking a single-season blocking record with 223 shots denied. Although they had a prosperous performance, the team eventually faced defeat in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
Brittney Griner’s Controversies and Russian Arrest
Griner publicly identified as a lesbian in 2013, making her one of the earliest WNBA players to do so. She was also involved in a domestic violence incident with her then-partner and fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson. On April 22, 2015, Griner and Johnson were taken into custody following allegations of assault and disorderly conduct at their shared residence in Phoenix.
Griner acknowledged guilt for the disorderly conduct accusations and was subsequently handed a seven-game suspension by the WNBA and her then-partner Glory Johnson in May 2015. In addition to her suspension, Griner was mandated to complete a 26-week domestic violence counseling program.
Despite the charges and suspension, Griner and Johnson tied the knot on May 8, 2015, and later welcomed twins before divorcing in 2016. Griner subsequently married Cherelle Wilson in 2019. Griner was taken into custody on drug-related charges on February 17, 2022, in Russia after being found with vape cartridges that contained hashish oil, a banned substance in Russia.
She was detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport and sentenced to nine years in prison for drug possession on August 4, 2022. Despite an unsuccessful appeal of her guilty verdict on October 25, 2022, the Biden Administration secured her release on December 8, 2022, through a prisoner exchange with Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer also known as the “Merchant of Death.”
The exchange took place in the United Arab Emirates and is one of the most high-profile swaps between the U.S. and Russia since the Cold War. (4)
Brittney Griner’s Wife and Family Life
Brittney Griner is currently happily married to her wife, Cherelle Griner. The couple engaged in August 2018 and exchanged vows almost a year later, on June 18, 2019. They often express their affection for each other on social media and document their relationship milestones, including photos from their travels. Before Cherelle, Griner was previously married to Glory Johnson, her first wife.
Brittney Griner’s Career
In May 2013, Brittney Griner debuted for the Phoenix Mercury as the top pick in the 2013 WNBA draft. She had an immediate impact by accomplishing the notable feat of being the first WNBA player to execute two dunks in a single game. She helped the Mercury win the WNBA championship in 2014, setting a record by blocking 129 shots. Griner won the Defensive Player of the Year award twice that season.
And so she continued to dominate the league over the next few years, leading the WNBA in points per game in 2017 and 2019 and in blocked shots per game from 2013 to 2019. Due to personal reasons, Griner left the “bubble” during the shortened 2020 season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. She returned for the 2021 season, and although Phoenix reached the championship finals, they lost to the Chicago Sky.
Throughout her career, Griner was a member of the U.S. women’s basketball team and contributed to their achievements in winning gold medals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Games were postponed to 2021.
She also played in various foreign leagues during the off-season, a common practice among WNBA players, who often did so for financial reasons. In 2015, Griner joined the Russian Premier League’s UMMC Ekaterinburg, with whom she won the EuroLeague championship in 2016 and who claimed the same title in 2018, 2019, and 2021. (5)
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References
- Amy Tikkanen, Brittney Griner American basketball player, retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Brittney-Griner
- Filmysiyappa, Brittney Griner Net Worth, retrieved from https://filmysiyappa.com/brittney-griner-net-worth/
- Usamaa Raoff, Brittney Griner Biography, retrieved from https://www.sportsunfold.com/brittney-griner-biography/
- Samuel Momodu, Brittney Yevette Griner (1990- ), retrieved from https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/brittney-yevette-griner-1990/
- Amy Tikkanen, Brittney Griner American basketball player, retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Brittney-Griner