Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner is a professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Griner is a three-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women's national basketball team, a six-time WNBA All-Star, and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine. Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, she is recognized for her athleticism, record-setting statistics, and personal story of resilience, making her a significant figure in women's basketball and sports advocacy.

Griner's collegiate career at Baylor University was marked by numerous achievements. As a three-time All-American, she was named the AP Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, led Baylor to a National Championship, and won the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award. She guided Baylor to an NCAA championship during a perfect 40-0 season and received both the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award as the top collegiate women's player. Griner is the only NCAA basketball player to both score 2,000 points and block 500 shots. Her ability to dunk, highlighted by her NCAA record of 18 career dunks, brought increased attention to women's basketball.

Professionally, Griner was selected as the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, with whom she won a WNBA championship. In her professional debut, she became the first WNBA player to dunk twice in one game. She also set a league record with 129 blocked shots in a single season, helping the Mercury secure the WNBA title and earning the first of two consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards. Over subsequent seasons, Griner led the WNBA in points per game in multiple seasons and was the league leader in blocked shots per game for several years. Internationally, she has won three Olympic gold medals and two FIBA World Cup gold medals with Team USA.

Griner's life was significantly impacted when she was arrested in Russia shortly before the invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. Department of State designated her as wrongfully detained, and after 10 months in Russian captivity, she was released in a prisoner exchange. Following that experience, Griner has become an advocate for better education around traveling with regulated prescriptions and co-founded Zennjet, a company that offers legal assistance and travel insurance to medical cannabis users. Upon her return, Griner rejoined the Mercury, averaging 17.5 points per game and earning another All-Star selection. She has spoken openly about her mental health journey, advocating for psychological well-being in professional sports.

Griner has also authored two books, "In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court" and "Coming Home," providing insight into her life and career. In 2026, she was the subject of the documentary "The Brittney Griner Story," which detailed her arrest and imprisonment in Russia and was featured at Sundance. She is included in The W25, a list of the best players in the WNBA's first 25 years. Griner's story of athletic achievement, survival, and advocacy continues to influence the sports world and beyond.