“OK, this is a rebrand now,” Brittney Griner said after ending her 11-year reign with the Phoenix and starting a new chapter with the Atlanta Dream. Griner will partner with first-year head coach Karl Smesko at the Dream, hoping to get them back as a contender for the championship. She is going through a major change in her career; she needs her family and close ones now more than ever to have a smooth transition to her new adventure. Let’s find out who is the apple of Griner’s eye.

Who is Brittney Griner’s wife? Revealing the relationship status of the WNBA star

The  Papa B of the league has seen players come and go in the WNBA while solidifying her legacy as one of the legends of the game. Griner has 10 career All-Star selections, tied with Tamika Catchings for the third most in WNBA history, behind only Sue Bird (13) and Diana Taurasi (10). However her career and personal life had a terrible tragedy, as she was detained in Russia three years ago. The emotional implications of that are immense, because of which she needed a ‘reset’ to her life and she said goodbye to the only franchise she ever knew.

Along with all this rollercoaster of the last few years was Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s current better half. The couple first met while they were both students at Baylor University and got married in June 2019. After graduating from Baylor with a degree in political science and government a year after Brittney did, she pursued law at North Carolina Central University School of Law. The two started as friends but reconnected after Griner’s tumultuous first marriage ended and the two hit it off immediately.  The story of how the couple met is a real meet cute.  Their love blossomed in college over a milkshake!

“I will never forget the day I met you at Baylor in the sub area!” Brittney wrote on Instagram in celebration of the couple’s anniversary in June 2020. “You tapped me on my shoulder and told me I took your milkshake (still up for debate lol) and I was immediately blown away at your beauty!”

Cherelle Griner is no stranger to the spotlight herself. She is working as an educator in Arizona, sharing her passion for law and social justice with students. She has also been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform, speaking at events like the 2023 NAACP Legal Defense Fund gala. Together, Brittney and Cherelle are a power couple, using their platform to champion LGBTQ+ rights and equity—an effort that has only strengthened their bond.

Since then, Cherelle has stood beside Griner with everything, even when Brittney was caught in Russia and she continuously appealed to the US Government for her release. She also met with then-President Joe Biden to discuss how to get Griner back. They successfully found a solution as the former Mercury star was freed from a Russian penal colony in a high-profile prisoner exchange in December 2022. The two continue to have a blissful life, as they have made many public appearances together since Griner’s release.

Does Brittney Griner have any kids?

Brittney Griner doesn’t seem the kid-loving type at first glance, considering her fiery personality on the court. But off the court, especially in recent years, she’s revealed a much softer, more nurturing side. It seems the traumatic experience in Russia could have changed her. Particularly when it comes to family and now, parenthood. The adorable couple welcomed the ever-so-cute Bash on July 8, weighing in at 7 lbs 8 oz.

“That’s my man. He is amazing,” Brittney told CBS Sports after welcoming her child. “They said as soon as you see them, everything that you thought mattered just goes out the window. That’s literally what happened.” 

The couple revealed the first photos of  Bash Raymond Griner a few months later. Unfortunately, Griner had to leave for the 2024 Paris Olympics immediately after he was born, but country comes before everything!

Let’s talk about the incident that has defined her life in the last few years. The incident that brought the attention of the entire world to her has scarred her for life.

When did Brittney Griner return to the WNBA after her detainment?

The event that turned Griner’s life upside down was when she was detained  at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport after Russian authorities found vape cartridges containing less than a gram of hashish oil in her luggage. While medicinal cannabis is legal in Arizona, it is prohibited in Russia. The American government called this arrest a political move and had to wait to get their WNBA star back.

Griner spent 10 months in the Russian prison and was initially sentenced to nine years in prison but the US Government came to her rescue. In December 2022, following months of negotiations, the U.S. government secured Brittney Griner’s release through a prisoner exchange with Russia, trading her for arms dealer Viktor Bout. After being arrested on February 17, 2022, she was released on December 8, marking a whole 10 months behind bars for committing a crime that was barely even one. 

Because of this Russia episode, Griner couldn’t play the 2022 WNBA season. The Phoenix Mercury placed her contract on hold while continuing to pay her full salary. Griner made her return to WNBA action on May 19, 2023 playing 17 minutes and scoring 10 points in the Phoenix Mercury’s 90-71 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. Griner was back at her best, playing 31 games in the 2023 season with 17.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, which led to earning another all-star selection.

Now she is turning over a new leaf in her career at Atlanta Dream but can she still do it at 34? If the preseason is any indication, there is still some fire left, as she scored 16 points in their first game against the Washington Mystics. Her minutes were limited to just two minutes, as the Dream wanted their star fresh and fit for their opening game against Washington.