Brittney Griner excited for motherhood, 2024 WNBA season

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — WNBA star Brittney Griner is no stranger to the spotlight.

The 6-foot-9 center is hard to miss. On the court, she’s a defensive anchor and offensive juggernaut.

At home, she prepares for a new role.

In July, the 33-year-old basketball star and her wife Cherelle will welcome their first son, Bash Raymond Griner, named after Griner’s father.

It’s a moment the couple wasn’t sure they’d see just a couple years prior.

Griner’s name made headlines in 2022 after two cannabis vape cartridges were found in her luggage at a Russian airport.

She spent 10 months in a Russian prison before being released as part of a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

In her newly-released memoir “Coming Home,” Griner shares the harrowing details of life behind bars. Describing how her large frame was shoved into a cage while she was transported. “I felt like cattle,” she wrote.

Her once-beaming smile dimmed as days, weeks and months passed.

Now, nearly a year and a half after her release and return home to Phoenix, a new light shines over Griner’s life.

“I’m doing good. I’m great actually,” the nine-time All-Star shared with Arizona’s Family.

Her infectious smile was back on her face.

Griner walks the halls of Footprint Center as she shares her excitement for a new season — basketball and life.

Griner told Arizona’s Family that her new role as a mother will likely make her a stronger player.

“Looking up and seeing my wife and our little baby — it’s definitely going to make me think twice about getting a tech because now I got these eyes on me,” she said.

And it’s not just the eyes of those closest to her. The fans who’ve followed her throughout her time with the Mercury, holding “We are BG” signs and marching in her support while she sat in a Russian prison, are ready for a fresh start.

“It’s so personal with our fans, too,” Griner said. “This season, just putting on this jersey means something more, especially with everything that I’ve been through and how the Valley has been there for me.”

Through hardship and triumph, one thing is clear for 42 this year, “I’m just ready for it.”

You can watch the Phoenix Mercury all season long on Arizona’s Family Sports and 3TV.

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