Brittney Griner Net Worth, Salary, Contract, WNBA Stats, and Family

Brittney Griner is a name that is responsible for taking the name of WNBA through her sheer natural talent to the minds of basketball fanatics. Her promising ability on the court is her humongous size and wingspan and she sells it as well. Her extraordinary abilities got her the reputation that she deserved and made her an indelible mark on the history of women’s basketball. However, the spree is not over yet. Though Brittney faced some ups and downs, like the Hash Oil incident in Russia that we will discuss later, she did not falter from her path and continued to pursue excellence in the sports world.

In the following article, we will go through every aspect of life that Brittney Griner experienced in her life. It will be more than her on-court life reflecting the journey that she has gone through to deserve the current status in women’s athletics.

Brittney Griner Biography

Date of Birth	October 18, 1990
Age	34 years old
Birth Place	Houston, Texas
Position	Center
College/County	Baylor University
Height	6 feet 9 inches
Weight	205 lbs
Team	Phoenix Mercury
Draft Info	2013 Draft Round 1 First Pick
Experience	11 years

Brittney Griner is a coveted basketball player, having the privilege of attending the WNBA All-Star games six times in her career. However, it all started out for her back in Houston when she was born to Ray and Sandra Griner. As per WNBA, once she said that she would have been a police officer just like her father if she had not chosen basketball as her career. The early education of Brittney Griner happened at the Nimitz High School. Due to her unusual size in her high school, Griner used to play for a varsity volleyball team in her freshman season.

Measuring her immense potential, the coaches of her high school team focused more on Brittney Griner’s dunking abilities in the Sophomore season at the high school. She even used to practice basketball with the boy’s high school team to get the hang of sheer competitiveness and up her game. As the junior season approached, Brittney Griner had already gone viral for her dunks on YouTube that ultimately arranged her a meet with the NBA icon and legend Shaquille O’Neal.

In her senior season, she led the Nimitz High School girls’ basketball team to the Texas 5A State Championship. But unfortunately, she could not secure the title for the team. Yet she was impeccable as a player, dishing out 52 games in just 32 games of her senior season. On November 11, 2008, she charted history by blocking 25 shots in a single game. It was the most number of blocks that a female high school basketball player ever recorded in the US. But Brittney Griner had bigger goals to pursue as she chose to go for college basketball to make big in the sport.

College Career

Freshman Season:

• Earned the team’s Most Valuable Player and Rebounding Award as per Baylor University‘s data
• Earned second-team 2010 All-America honors from the Associated Press, as well as USBWA Freshman of the Year and Memphis Regional Most Outstanding Player honors
• 223 season blocks rank No. 1 on NCAA (all divisions), Big 12 and Baylor season lists
• Registered an NCAA Tournament record 40 blocks in five 2010 tourney games; includes tournament single-game record 14 snuffs vs. No. 13 Georgetown
• Recorded the program’s first-ever triple-double with a career-high 34 points, 13 rebounds, and a Big 12- and a then-school-record 11 blocks vs. ORU
• Led nation in triple-doubles (3) and blocks per game (6.4), No. 20 in double-doubles, was No. 28 in scoring, No. 45 in field goal percentage, and No. 77 in rebounding
• She averaged 18.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 6.8 blocks over the last 17 starts, with back-to-back (CU, at OU) triple-doubles for the first time in program history
• 15 outings of 20+ points (BU was 14-1 in those games) and 12 double-digit rebounding efforts; double-digit scoring in 33 starts
• Returned from two-game suspension to collect 13 points and 10 blocks vs. No. 12 OU in Big 12 Championship quarterfinal game
• Recorded BU’s first-ever back-to-back triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 blocks in a career-high 42 minutes at No. 12 Oklahoma and 24 points, 11 blocks, and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes vs. Colorado
• She was also named the 2009 Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic MVP and World Vision Classic All-Star.

Sophomore Season:

• Named National Defensive Player of the Year by the WBCA
• Finalist for Wooden Award, Wade Trophy, Honda and Naismith Awards
• Brittney Griner was the team’s Most Valuable Player and also earned the squad’s Defensive Award
• Reached 1,000 points in just 51 games (vs. Texas, Jan. 12, 2011)
• Big 12 Conference Player and Defensive Player of the Year, All-Big 12 first-team honors, and MOP of Big 12 Championship
• Team co-captain and Griner was ranked No. 1 nationally in blocked shots (170), No. 2 in triple-doubles (1), No. 4 in points per game (23.0), and No. 26 in field goal percentage (.543)
• She scored in double-digits in every game, 20-plus points in 23 games, and 30-plus three times (35 vs. Liberty, 31 vs. Texas A&M, 30 vs. West Virginia)
• Scored a career-high 40 points vs. Green Bay, and also added 10 rebounds and 6 blocks ina winning effort
• Named Big 12 Player of the Week four times (Nov. 29, Dec. 6, Dec. 20, March 6) and the MVP of Bahamas Sunsplash Shootout.

Junior Season:

• Honda Cup winner
• AP and USBWA Player of the Year
• Brittney also won the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, and Wade Trophy
• WBCA All-Region 5 selection and AP All-American (unanimous)
• Received two ESPYs, Most Outstanding Female Athlete and Most Outstanding Female Collegiate Athlete
• Recorded 18 double-doubles in 40 starts
• Threw down first dunk of the season and sixth of her career with a drop-step, right-hand slam vs. Florida in the NCAA Championship second-round game
• Second woman to dunk in NCAA Tournament play
• Recorded a double-double in the NCAA Championship title game vs. Notre Dame with 26 points and 13 rebounds, also added five blocks
• Named MOP of both Final Four and Des Moines Regional
• Scored a Big 12 Championship-record and career-high 45 points vs. Kansas State in the tournament semifinals, added 10 rebounds, seven blocks and four assists. Named Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Big 12, Big 12 All-Defensive team, MOP of Big 12 Championship
• She is also a seven-time Big 12 Player of the Week (Nov. 21, Dec. 19, Jan. 16, Jan. 30, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, March 5), USBWA National Player of the Week (Dec. 19), and Preseason WNIT MVP.

Senior Season:

• For the second straight season, swept all major national awards (AP Player of the Year, Wade Trophy, Naismith Trophy, USBWA Player of the Year, Wooden Award) WBCA Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight year
• Big 12 Player of the Year for the third straight season, four-time All-Big 12 first team, four-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Big 12 All-Defensive team, MOP of Big 12 Championship
• Became the first woman to dunk eight times in career when she threw down her eighth career slam vs. UT-Martin in the Rainbow Wahine Classic
• Pulled down her 1,000th rebound vs. Rice (11/27/12), tallied 35 points, nine rebounds and four blocks while making 16-of-19 (.842) shots from the floor
• Recorded first double-double of the season with 24 points, 14 rebounds at No. 6 Notre Dame … Tallied a second straight double-double with 20p/10r vs. Oral Roberts … Notched fourth double-double of the season at TCU with 24 points and 12 rebounds
• Nine-time Big 12 Player of the Week (Dec. 6, Dec. 10, Jan. 7, Jan. 14, Jan. 21, Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 25, March 6), extending her record for most Big 12 weekly awards (28)
• Scored a Big 12-record 50 points and threw down her 14th career dunk on Senior Night vs. Kansas State
• Led BU to its third straight Big 12 Championship crown with 31p/8r/5bl vs. Iowa State in the title game
• Tallied 63rd double-double of her career with 14 points 10 rebounds vs. Louisville in the NCAA Sweet 16 game
• Named USBWA National Player of the Week (Jan. 15)

Brittney Griner Net Worth 2024: How Much Is She Worth?

Brittney Griner is set to have a net worth of about $5 million, but there is no relevant information about her exact worth. She has an ample amount of salary as the WNBA payslip. Along with this, she also has secondary sources of income using her marketability and selling abilities.

Key Financial Sources:

• WNBA Salary: A major component of her income.
• Endorsements: Partnerships with brands like Nike.
• Overseas Contracts: Playing internationally has escalated her earnings.
• Appearances and Merchandise: Revenue from appearances and Brittney Griner jerseys that are sold across the globe.

Also Read: Kahleah Copper’s Net Worth, Career Highlights, and Legacy in the WNBA

Brittney Griner Salary: How Much Does She Earn in the WNBA?

Brittney Griner has made a total of $1,318,450 in career earnings apart from her rookie contract in the WNBA. The contract is usually worth $75,000 a year. However, it can vary depending on the career chart and performance of the player during the tournament. Nevertheless, we have presented the data regarding salary of Brittney Griner as per the Sportrac archives.

Year	Team	Salary
2017	Phoenix Mercury	$111,000
2018	Phoenix Mercury	$113,000
2019	Phoenix Mercury	$115,000
2020	Phoenix Mercury	$215,000
2021	Phoenix Mercury	$221,450
2022	Phoenix Mercury	$227,900
2023	Phoenix Mercury	$165,000
2024	Phoenix Mercury	$150,000

She has earned significant amounts for her service as a basketball player. And it is not just the WNBA that provides her the source of earnings. During the offseason, she used to play for the Russian basketball league teams. However, after the 2022 incident that almost got her imprisonment extended for 9 years, she refrained from such sources of income.

Brittney Griner’s Endorsements and Brand Partnerships

Brittney Griner is an openly gay athlete, and despite the fact she became the first gay to strike a deal with Nike in 2013. And that’s not it, she has updated the information about her partnerships with certain brands on Facebook and Instagram as well. Disney Hotstar, HighlightHer, Õnur, Round21, Popeyes, Kashmere Watson, Facebook Gaming, Exos, Six Star Pro Nutrition, NormaTec, Beats by DreTie, TieTheKnot, Nixon, and Jet Academy are the major brands that portray on the social media of Brittney Griner. However, there is no public data about the earnings from these respective collaborations for Brittney Griner.

Notable Endorsements:

• Nike: Nike took a big step when it signed Brittney Griner as a gay athlete and acknowledged the acceptance of another sexuality. It established Nike as a brand committed to sportsmanship and not any biases.
• PepsiCo: PepsiCo is a big name in the world of soft drinks, dominating the beverage market for quite a long. Brittney Griner’s association with it has only brought her fortune. Although the details of this union are not public in a financial context.

Such huge recognition from brands makes Brittney Griner an entity that not only motivates a generation with her unique status but also an impactful o

Brittney Griner Family and Personal Life

Family Background

Brittney Griner’s family has three older siblings, along with her mother and father. Her father, Raymond, was the reason that Brittney moved ahead with the sport of basketball. She also has three siblings who are older than her, one of whom is a sister. The names of her siblings are D, Shkera, and Pier.

Brittney Griner Wife and Relationships

Being a gay athlete, Brittney Griner’s personal life attracted a lot of attention, even from her college days. Cherelle Watson was one of her college mates that Brittney got involved in during her collegiate days. In August 2018, Brittney proposed to Cherelle and got engaged. That announcement that Griner uploaded on her Instagram that day read, “I will never forget the first time I said I love you and I will never forget when you said YES! My best friend, my lover, my partner in life. I love you. I’m so lucky to have you in my life forever. You never gave up on me even when I gave up on myself. You have pull me from the ashes and held me up when I couldn’t stand. You really are my backbone and my spirit that keeps me going. I love you baby.”

A year after her engagement, Brittney married Cherelle a year after her engagement in June 2019. Brittney was married to Glory Johnson for a brief period and had two daughters through the IVF procedure. The names of her daughters are Ava Simone and Solei Diem. But soon Brittney Griner filed for divorce and separated from her husband.

Advocacy and Challenges

As everyone knows, Brittney Griner is a die-hard supporter of LGBTQ+ rights. However, after 2022, she experienced in Russia for taking just a small amount of Hash Oil for off-season league participation. Somehow, she got out of prison in an exchange event where the US had to release an alleged Russian arms dealer. That’s why Brittney Griner has become a better advocate for overseas prisoners and their transfer to their native land.

Brittney Griner WNBA Stats and Career Achievements

Brittney Griner is a decorated athlete of the WNBA. Her achievements in the league can be described under the following heads:

Career Highlights:

• WNBA Champion (2014): Brittney Griner is a loyal athlete to the Phoenix Mercury team and led the team to the Championship soon after she joined the team.
• 6x WNBA All-Star: The All-Star selections in the WNBA dictate how Brittney Griner has made her place in the hearts of the fans.
• Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016): Brittney Griner has been a dominant force on the field even from her collegiate days.
• Member of Team USA’s 2016 gold medal team during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
• Two-time gold medalist with Team USA at FIBA Women’s Basketball World Championships (2018, 2014)…named the MVP of the gold medal game in 2018…named to ‘All-Star Five’ In 2014

Career Statistics:

Season	Team	Games Played	Points Per Game	Rebounds Per Game	Blocks Per Game
2013	Phoenix Mercury	27	12.6	6.3	3.0
2014	Phoenix Mercury	34	15.6	8.0	3.8
2015	Phoenix Mercury	26	15.1	8.1	4.0
2016	Phoenix Mercury	34	14.5	6.5	3.1
2017	Phoenix Mercury	26	21.9	7.6	2.5
2018	Phoenix Mercury	34	20.5	7.7	2.6
2019	Phoenix Mercury	31	20.7	7.2	2.0
2021	Phoenix Mercury	12	17.7	7.5	1.8
2022	Phoenix Mercury	30	20.5	9.5	1.9
2023	Phoenix Mercury	31	17.5	6.3	1.6
2024	Phoenix Mercury	30	17.8	6.6	1.5

The above table is the breakdown of Brittney Griner’s stats from the WNBA as per the ESPN record. The 2021 season got interrupted due to the interference that she experienced.

Conclusion

Brittney Griner’s journey from an amazing athlete in college to a sky-high WNBA legend shows how skill with determination and all-around influence on and off-the-court kind of power can propel one to the point of secret success. Griner is a thriving trailblazer in the place of sports, having a considerable amount of net worth, a respected professional career, and a very vocal advocate for causes concerning society; clearly, she is a legend. It is indeed marked by greatness and inspiration, which stands out in her high arrow statistics as well as her production concerning supporting LGBTQ+ rights.

Also Read: Who is Maddy Siegrist? A Look at Her Basketball Career

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