For subscribers: Brittney Griner: Mercury star's life as complicated as Russian detainment suggests
Even if you are not a basketball fan, there's a good chance you knew something about Brittney Griner before the news broke last week that she had been detained by Russian authorities and was facing drug-smuggling charges.
Friends, family and U.S. officials are trying to get Griner out of Russia, but diplomatic relations between the countries are said to be nearly non-existent since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It is unknown if Griner's stature as a well-known international sports figure from the U.S. will help or hurt her situation.
Griner’s phenomenal 2011-12 season grabbed the attention Geno Auriemma, coach of both Connecticut and Team USA. Auriemma initially named 11 players to the 2012 London Olympics squad, leaving people to believe that Griner would get the final spot. Dallas Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban said that he’d consider selecting Griner in the second round of the NBA draft, or inviting her to try out for the Mavericks' summer league team. WNBA arrival
Since then, she has led the league in scoring twice and four more All-Star selections. Griner is third in WNBA history with 716 blocks, behind Lisa Leslie and Margo Dydek. She wrapped up her ninth season in the WNBA in 2021 with her second WNBA Finals appearance. Griner wrote in her 2014 memoir"In My Skin: My Life On And Off The Basketball Court" she would love to be an ambassador for Baylor, but she can’t “erase all the pain I felt there.” .The policy changed the following year, no longer forbidding homosexual acts.
On-court controversies began for Griner during her freshman season at Baylor. Griner received her first career ejection when she punched Texas Tech’s Jordan Barncastle in the face after a foul was called on Barncastle. Griner’s one-game suspension was extended an additional game by Mulkey. "How they handle this will determine a lot about the future, because how can I fight for some league that doesn't even want to protect their players?”
Less than a month later, Griner and Johnson revealed they were pregnant with twins, and then filed for an annulment citing duress and fraud, which was denied. Johnson gave birth on Oct. 12.
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Brittney Griner mugshot shown on Russian state television as anxiety and uncertainty growThe arrest of two-time US Olympic basketball gold medalist Brittney Griner has left supporters anxious about her well-being and fearful that she might become a political pawn.
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Brittney Griner mugshot shown on Russian state television as anxiety and uncertainty growThe arrest of two-time US Olympic basketball gold medalist Brittney Griner has left supporters anxious about her well-being and fearful that she might become a political pawn.
Read more »
Brittney Griner mugshot shown on Russian state television as anxiety and uncertainty growThe arrest of two-time US Olympic basketball gold medalist Brittney Griner has left supporters anxious about her well-being and fearful that she might become a political pawn.
Read more »