History of Brittney Griner in Timeline

Brittney Griner is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA. A dominant force, she is a six-time WNBA All-Star and has won three Olympic gold medals with the U.S. women's national team. Griner's influence extends beyond the court, as she was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

October 18, 1990: Brittney Griner's Birth

On October 18, 1990, Brittney Yvette Griner was born. She is an American professional basketball player.

Others born on this day/year

1998: Margo Dydek's Record

In 1998, Margo Dydek had set a blocks record that Brittney Griner would surpass in 2015.

2006: Alison Bales NCAA Record

In the 2006 NCAA Women's Tournament, Duke's Alison Bales had held the previous record of 30 blocks.

November 11, 2008: Record-Breaking Blocks

On November 11, 2008, Brittney Griner recorded 25 blocks in a game against Houston Alief Hastings, which was the most ever recorded by a female in a high school game in the U.S.

May 7, 2009: Brittney Griner Day

On May 7, 2009, Houston mayor Bill White declared it Brittney Griner Day.

December 16, 2009: First Triple-Double

On December 16, 2009, Brittney Griner recorded Baylor's first triple-double with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and a Big 12 Conference record of 11 blocked shots.

2009: WBCA All-American

In 2009, Brittney Griner was named a WBCA All-American and participated in the WBCA High School All-America Game, leading the team by scoring 20 points and collecting 9 rebounds.

2009: High School and All-American Honors

In 2009, Brittney Griner was named the nation's No. 1 high school women's basketball player by Rivals.com and was selected to the 2009 All-American basketball team.

January 2010: Dunking in College

In January 2010, Brittney Griner became only the seventh player to dunk during a women's college basketball game, and only the second woman to dunk twice in a single college game, making the second and third dunks of her college career in a 99–18 victory against Texas State University.

March 3, 2010: Suspension for Punching Incident

On March 3, 2010, Brittney Griner punched Texas Tech player Jordan Barncastle during a game and was ejected and suspended. She received an additional one-game suspension from her coach.

April 3, 2012: Division I Women's Basketball Championship

On April 3, 2012, Brittney Griner led Baylor to win the Division I Women's Basketball Championship, with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocked shots against Notre Dame. Griner was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.

2012: AP Player of the Year and National Championship

In 2012, Brittney Griner had a breakout junior year, being named the AP Player of the Year, the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, leading Baylor in winning the National Championship, and winning the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award.

2012: AP Player of the Year

In her junior season in 2012, Brittney Griner was named AP Player of the Year and The 2012 Premier Player of Women's College Basketball.

April 2013: NBA Consideration

In April 2013, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he would consider drafting Brittney Griner to the NBA, and Griner expressed interest in the opportunity.

May 27, 2013: WNBA Debut

On May 27, 2013, in her WNBA debut against the Chicago Sky, Brittney Griner equaled the WNBA dunk record, recording two dunks. She became the third WNBA player to dunk and first to do so twice in one game.

2013: WNBA Draft

In 2013, Brittney Griner was selected as the first overall pick in the WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury.

2013: End of College Career

In 2013, Brittney Griner's college career came to an end in the NCAA women's basketball tournament when Baylor lost to the University of Louisville Cardinals during her senior year.

June 29, 2014: WNBA Record 11 Blocks

On June 29, 2014, Brittney Griner set a WNBA record with 11 blocks in a regular season game win against the Tulsa Shock, along with 21 points and 8 rebounds.

August 24, 2014: First WNBA Playoff Dunk

On August 24, 2014, Brittney Griner became the first WNBA player to dunk in a playoff game, helping the Mercury defeat the Los Angeles Sparks, 93–68.

2014: FIBA World Cup Win

In 2014, Brittney Griner won a FIBA Women's World Cup winner with Team USA.

2014: WNBA Championship

In 2014, Brittney Griner won the WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury.

2014: Historic Season and WNBA Championship

In 2014, the Phoenix Mercury, led by Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, and Candice Dupree, finished 29–5, setting the WNBA record for most wins in a regular season. They won the WNBA finals against the Chicago Sky, with Griner setting WNBA finals records in game 1 for most blocks in a game (8) and most blocks in a quarter (5).

2015: Prolific Defensive Season

In the 2015 season, Brittney Griner averaged a career high and WNBA record 4.0 blocks per game, despite missing the first seven games, surpassing Margo Dydek's record. She also set a WNBA playoff record with 11 blocks in a game 1 victory against the Tulsa Shock.

2016: Rio Olympics Victory

In 2016, Brittney Griner led the U.S. national women's basketball team to victory at the Rio Olympics.

2016: Triple-Double Against Atlanta Dream

In the 2016 season, Brittney Griner recorded the sixth triple-double in WNBA history in a win against the Atlanta Dream with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocks.

March 12, 2017: Re-signing with the Mercury

On March 12, 2017, Brittney Griner re-signed with the Mercury to a multi-year deal once her rookie contract expired.

June 7, 2017: Career-High 38 Points

On June 7, 2017, Brittney Griner scored a career-high 38 points along with 9 rebounds in a 98–90 overtime win against the Indiana Fever.

August 18, 2018: Season-High Performance Against Atlanta Dream

On August 18, 2018, Brittney Griner scored a season-high 33 points along with 18 rebounds and 7 blocks in a 104–95 victory over the Atlanta Dream.

2018: FIBA World Cup Win

In 2018, Brittney Griner won a FIBA Women's World Cup winner with Team USA.

August 25, 2019: Season-High 34 Points

On August 25, 2019, Brittney Griner scored a season-high 34 points in a 94–86 loss to the Chicago Sky.

2019: Bachelor's Degree

In 2019, Brittney Griner received her bachelor's degree in education.

2020: Leaving the WNBA Bubble

During the 2020 WNBA season, which was shortened and held in a bubble at IMG Academy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brittney Griner left the bubble after 12 games for undisclosed personal reasons.

2020: Protest of National Anthem

In 2020, Brittney Griner protested "The Star-Spangled Banner" and stated she would not be on the court while the national anthem was played during game openers.

2021: WNBA Finals Run

In 2021, Brittney Griner averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds during the regular season, helping the Mercury reach the WNBA finals where they lost to the Chicago Sky in 4 games. She scored the most points in the playoffs with 240.

2021: Tokyo Olympics Gold Medal

In 2021, Brittney Griner won her second gold medal as part of the national team for the 2020 Olympics (held in 2021 in Tokyo).

February 17, 2022: Detainment and Arrest in Russia

On February 17, 2022, Brittney Griner was detained and arrested on smuggling charges by Russian customs officials for possessing cartridges containing less than a gram of medically prescribed hash oil.