Brittney Griner

lBrittney Griner is one of the most decorated and influential athletes of her generation – an NCAA champion, a WNBA champion, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and a winner of the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award. In the 2013 WNBA draft, the Phoenix Mercury selected Griner as the number one overall pick. She was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year that season before helping lead the Mercury to the 2014 WNBA Championship. She’s a member of the W25, the WNBA’s 2021 list of the top 25 players of all time. A nine-time WNBA all-star, Griner is the first openly gay American professional athlete to sign a major shoe and apparel deal with Nike.

As an ardent supporter of LGBTQ+ causes, Griner has worked with the It Gets Better Project and other organisa­tions inspiring hope for youth facing harassment and bullying. Griner – a Houston native and the proud daughter of a military veteran and retired law enforcement officer – has also partnered with organisations serving veterans and people experiencing homelessness. One such organization is the Phoenix Rescue Mission, where her annual BG Heart and Sole Shoe Drive pro­vides footwear and personal-care items for hundreds. In rec­ognition of her advocacy work, Griner received the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award in 2023 and was honoured on Out magazine’s ‘Out 100’ list the same year. Time magazine confirmed Griner’s stature and global impact, naming her one of the ‘100 Most Influential People of 2023’.

While travelling to play her tenth season of overseas pro­fessional basketball in Russia in 2022, Griner was wrongfully detained for ten months. Thousands rallied to bring Griner home through the We Are BG campaign. During the crusade, Griner joined forces with Bring Our Families Home (BOFH), a campaign to raise awareness and urge action on behalf of all wrongfully detained American hostages. She continues to actively support that cause. She is also collaborating with Dis­ney and ESPN Films on a documentary chronicling her detain­ment in Russia, along with a scripted series in development with ABC.