Brittney Griner is another familiar superstar that will be joining the Unrivaled league coming this January. Griner was born on October 18, 1990, in Houston, Texas. Over the course of her career, she has developed into one of the most influential athletes ever in the WNBA. Standing at 6’9”, Griner’s unique combination of size, athleticism, and skill has made her a dominant force in women’s basketball ever since her time in college. When she first emerged on the basketball scene, she garnered an extraordinary amount of attention due to her unique shot-blocking, dunking ability, and versatility that propelled her to the top of the landscape of women’s basketball. Griner played her college ball at Baylor University, where she redefined the center position and became one of the most decorated players in NCAA history. She averaged 22.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 blocks per game over her college career, setting multiple records. In her junior year, she really dominated the country, as she led Baylor to an undefeated season and a national championship. Griner received numerous accolades after her outstanding junior season, including the Naismith College Player of the Year and AP Player of the Year awards, and remains the all-time leader in blocks in NCAA women’s basketball. Griner proved that she was a generational talent in Waco and it smoothly translated into the WNBA.
Griner was the first overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft, by the Phoenix Mercury. Since then, she has been a cornerstone for the Mercury and has ascended to one of the league’s premier centers. Over her WNBA career she has averaged approximately 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game, consistently ranking among the league leaders in both scoring and shot-blocking. Griner has also been named to 9 All-Star teams, along with earning 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards, and a WNBA championship with the Mercury in 2014. Recently, she’s had to resume her career after encountering some unfortunate controversy.
In February of 2022, Griner was detained at a Moscow airport on charges of possessing cannabis oil, a substance illegal in Russia. She was sentenced to nine years in prison, which led to widespread international attention and efforts from various organizations and the U.S. government advocating for her release. After months of negotiations, Griner was freed in a prisoner exchange on December 8, 2022.
Since her release, Griner had picked up where she left off as for the last two seasons she’s averaged around 17 points, 2 blocks, and 7 boards per game. Her presence on the floor still causes opposing teams’ problems and I won’t expect anything less whenever she hits the floor in the Unrivaled league. Griner is extremely dominant defensively due to her innate shot-blocking ability, which has made her one of the most intimidating and polarizing interior defenders to ever grace the WNBA. Her height, agility, and timing allow her to alter shots and protect the paint effectively. Offensively, Griner has an impressive post game, highlighted by her ability to score with her back to the basket and finish strong at the rim through contact. She has every tool in the toolbox and she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with within the Unrivaled.
