Griner was then ejected from the game. On March 3, 2010, Griner and Texas Tech player Jordan Barncastle were battling for position near the lane. Jan 15, 2017 - Sue Bird Photos - (L-R) Gold medalists Brittney Griner #15 and Diana Taurasi #12 of United States celebrate during the medal ceremony after the Women's Basketball competition on Day 15 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1 on August 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. [42] By the end of the season, Griner lead the league in the scoring for the second time in her career and would continue to lead the league in blocks for the seventh straight season. Brittney Griner needed a mental break. Griner was leading the Mercury in scoring (17.7) and rebounding (7.5) when she exited the bubble in Bradenton, Florida, in late August, with the team citing “personal reasons.” The Mercury, 6-7 at the time, went on to finish 13-9 and make the WNBA playoffs. The Mercury advanced to the semifinals (the last round before the WNBA finals) against the championship defending Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-5 series but would get swept 3–0. Silver She was the 2012 winner of the Honda Sports Award for basketball[54][55] and the overall Honda-Broderick Cup winner for all sports. [3] In 2012, the three-time All-American was named the AP Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner says she feels "amazing" after stepping away from the game to address mental-health issues. In the 2013 WNBA Draft, the Phoenix Mercury selected Griner as the first overall pick. | … [66], In an interview with SI.com on February 11, 2013, Griner publicly came out as a lesbian. Griner was also required to complete 26 weeks of domestic violence counseling.[80]. She is the only NCAA basketball player to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots. In the 2013–14 off-season, Griner played in China for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the WCBA where she signed a 4-month contract for $600,000 which was 12 times the amount she made in her rookie season with the Mercury. Official profile of Olympic athlete Brittney GRINER (born 18 Oct 1990), including games, medals, results, photos, videos and news. [48] In the 2014–15 and 2015–16 off-seasons, Griner played in Russia for UMMC Ekaterinburg with teammate Diana Taurasi, winning back-to-back championships. She said she is very passionate about working with children in order to bring attention to the issue of bullying, particularly against LGBT people. "[70], Her endorsement deal with Nike was the first time the company had signed such a deal with an openly gay athlete. The WNBA All-Star learned a lot in her first Olympic gold-medal go-round with USA Basketball. “I am anxious. The USA men’s and women’s teams both have strong starting centers in this year’s Olympics. [65], She was also named one of ESPNW's Impact 25 in 2014. Along with being selected as the number one high school player in the country by Rivals.com, Griner was featured on the cover of ESPN's Rise magazine,[53] and was selected by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association as the 2009 State Farm/WBCA High School Player of the Year. Griner was the only college player in the group. She competed at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. [70] She says, "You just have to look at it in a different way. Bronze Personal information En route to the playoffs, Griner averaged 14.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game and 3.1 blocks per game as the Mercury finished 16–18. By Nick Zaccardi Feb 26, 2016, 2:03 PM EST. She was also selected for London 2012 , but decided not to compete due to personal reasons. Share this: … [9] During her junior season, a YouTube video featuring her dunks was watched more than 2.7 million times,[10] leading to a meeting with Shaquille O'Neal. The following day, Griner filed for an annulment of the marriage citing fraud and duress. Olympics Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. [59] She holds the NCAA record for dunks in a career with 18 total dunks. The award is given by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to the nation's top Division I women's player. 1 pick of the 2013 WNBA draft out of Baylor, helped the Mercury to the 2014 league championship. [76][77] They were married on May 8, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. Down 2–0, the Mercury came back to tie up the series 2–2. On March 12, 2017, Griner re-signed with the Mercury to a multi-year deal once her rookie contract expired. Brittney Griner: Taking Mental-Health Break from WNBA Has 'Done Wonders for Me' Tyler Conway @jtylerconway ... Griner is planning to play in the 2021 Summer Olympics in … 1 "[68] In 2013, Griner was featured on the cover of ESPN Magazine. Rio de Janeiro 2016 In the 2014 season, Griner's stats would improve, as she averaged 15.6 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per game and 3.7 blocks per game. [4] Griner was selected to the 2009 Phoenix Mercury All-American basketball team. Jewell Loyd Is Eyeing the 2020 Olympics. [60] She passed Candace Parker as the all-time NCAA women's dunks leader. [35] The 2014 season would be a historic season for the Mercury with the combination of Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi and Candice Dupree as the dominant Big 3 to carry the team plus the arrival of new head coach Sandy Brondello, the Mercury finished 29–5, setting the WNBA record for most wins in a regular season. [44] Excluding Griner, the average age on the finalists roster was approximately 30 years old compared to Griner, who was 22 years old at the time of the Olympics. In 2012, the three-time All-American was named the AP Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. 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