Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner just shared some amazing news on her Instagram account Saturday. Griner made a collaborative post on Instagram with her wife Cherelle Griner that announced that the couple is expecting a baby. Per the hashtags on the post, the due date for their baby is July 2024.
“Can’t believe we’re less than three months away from meeting our favorite human being,” the couple said in the collaborative post.
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The upcoming birth of their child will be Brittney Griner's third child after she had two in her previous marriage. She had twins with her ex-wife and fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson. They then divorced in 2016.
After enduring a challenging period in 2022 when she was held in Russia, the news of her release is a remarkable life update. According to CBS Sports, Griner's detainment in Russia began when vape cartridges with marijuana concentrate hashish oil were found in her luggage at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport. Following 294 days of detainment, she was freed on December 8, 2022 through a one-for-one prison exchange facilitated by the United States Government with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Cherelle was very vocal during her detention in Russia, doing numerous interviews spreading the word about Brittney and working closely with President Joe Biden and his administration on her release. Once Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison after a prolonged trial, Cherelle spoke about her feelings on the matter.
“It terrifies me, because when you watch movies, sometimes those situations don't end well,” she said in an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, “Sometimes they never get their person back.”
Following the release of Griner, Cherelle spoke exclusively with People Magazine about her feelings of relief.
“I had thought about that moment a thousand times, and I thought I would be full of tears. But I was overwhelmingly happy. It was the first time I was able to finally exhale, and I'm like, ‘Oh, thank God, this is such a great day.'”
Brittney Griner returned to the court and didn't miss a beat. She averaged 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in the 2023 season and was named a WNBA All-Star. Although the Mercury's season didn't go as planned, as they finished 9-31, Griner's play was a bright spot and fans were happy to see her safe and doing what she at a level few have achieved in basketball.
The couple have a beautiful history together. Brittney and Cherelle first crossed paths as students at Baylor University, where they studied from 2009 to 2013. Following their time at Baylor, Britany Griner was the top pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft. Although they didn't begin dating until after their Baylor days, Britany proposed to Cherelle in 2018. The couple tied the knot in 2019.
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