On her 32nd birthday, and the 243rd day since Brittney Griner was detained in Russia, her basketball family is thinking of her. Dawn Staley, Brianna Turner, Geno Auriemma, Sandy Brondello and Cheryl Reeve share their favorite BG moments.
"Once she lets you in, you get the best of Brittney," Staley said."We were in Japan for the Olympics, and something ticked her off in practice. I went up to her and said, 'You know, I actually like when you get mad and you get super focused and just execute what needs to get done.'
"BG is the ultimate professional, and she does her job. But she's able to stop, evaluate something and then say, 'Hey, I'm sorry.' Sometimes, we don't get that response enough in our sport and in our world."Turner, a forward, was drafted by the Mercury in 2019 and was Griner's teammate for three years before Griner missed this past season.
"But that's just the type of person BG is: humble and welcoming to those around her. I hold on so hard to those memories of that evening. It's wild to think that I last saw her in person a year ago; her birthday is obviously so different this time around. I was able to send her a letter, though, and hopefully she will receive it on birthday.
"After the hugs and hellos, we went to my uncle's house for lunch. Long story short, BG couldn't get enough of the food and wine. My relatives were so excited at how excited she was to be sampling their cheeses and meats. When we get to the airport the next day, all BG wanted to know was where to buy and ship home all the treats she just enjoyed.Sandy Brondello, Liberty head coach
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