“I Was Deep Down Tired”: Despite Having the ‘Incredible Honor’ of Representing the USA, Brittney Griner Faced a Daunting Decision Regarding the 2012 Summer Olympics

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner, who is currently in a Russian penal colony, has had a glittering career in the league. Alongside her incredible achievements in the WNBA, she was hugely successful with the National Team as well.

BG has two Olympic Gold Medals, having played in two Olympic Games. Interestingly enough, she had a chance to add another gold medal to her name.

Despite still being in college, Griner had a chance to represent the USA at the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London. However, she refrained from participating in the game as she was exhausted. Although she was incredibly proud of making the final list of players heading to London, she was skeptical about making the decision.

Brittney Griner was in two minds regarding the 2012 Summer Olympics

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was an established basketball sensation even before making her WNBA debut. Playing for the Baylor Bears, Griner was blessed with a physicality like no other.

Her performances at the college level earned her a spot in the final list of players heading to London for the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the only player from college on that team comprised of WNBA stars.

Talking about her dilemma in her book, BG said, “I was named a finalist for the Olympic team, which was an incredible honor. I felt a lot of pride wearing that USA jersey during the European tour.”

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Having played a full season of college basketball and going 40-0, Griner was naturally very exhausted. She would have had to jump right into preseason in case she played in the Olympics. Moreover, she wanted to spend time with her mother as she had only one year in college left which would limit their interactions.

“I was deep down tired. I also had other concerns weighing on me, mainly that I didn’t want to be so far away from my mom,” wrote Griner in her book.

Griner broke her wrist days after making a big decision

Due to various personal reasons, Brittney Griner pulled out of the 2012 Summer Olympics. A few weeks after making this decision, she broke her wrist!

She made her debut in the Olympics at the 2016 Summer Games held in Rio. In just her first appearance, the Phoenix Mercury center clinched the Gold Medal. She averaged 9.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists during the tournament.

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