What is American basketball player Brittney Griner famous for?

On August 4, the Khimki City Court sentenced American basketball player Brittney Griner to nine years in prison for drug smuggling. US President Joe Biden called such a decision “unacceptable” and demands the immediate release of the athlete. Details of her biography are in the Kommersant’s reference.

Brittney Yvette Griner was born on October 18, 1990 in Houston (USA). In 2013 she graduated from Baylor College (Texas).

She started playing basketball at school. In the 2008/09 season, she was recognized as the best player among high school students according to USA Today.

Since 2009, she has played as a center in the Baylor Lady Beers student team. In the 2009/10 season, she made a record 223 block shots, received the prestigious Freshman of the Year award from the US Basketball Writers Association and entered the symbolic team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

In the 2011/12 season, she won the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship as part of the Baylor Beers team. Was recognized as the best player of the tournament. She later turned down an invitation to the US national team due to her mother’s illness.

Since 2013 – center “Phoenix Mercury”. During the draft, she was selected with the first number. In the 2012/13 season, she was included in the symbolic rookie team of the women’s NBA. In the 2013/14 season, she won the US title as part of the Phoenix Mercury and the World Championship in Turkey as part of the national team. From 2013 to 2015, she simultaneously played for the Chinese club Great Wall.

In 2015, she was arrested for assault and disorderly conduct in Maricopa County, Arizona. In May 2015, she married Tulsa Shock basketball player Glory Johnson. In June of the same year, she annulled it, citing “fraud and coercion.”

From 2015 to 2022, in addition to the women’s NBA, she played for the Russian club UMMC Yekaterinburg. In 2016 and 2020, she won the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo as part of the American team. In 2018, she won the World Championship in Spain.

On February 17, 2022, the athlete was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport. E-cigarettes with hash oil were found in her luggage.

Champion of Russia from 2016 to 2021. Has an honorary distinction “For services to the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company” I degree. Winner of the Russian Super Cup 2021, two-time winner of the prestigious American prizes of James Naismith, Margaret Wade and John Wooden.

She has been married to classmate Sherrell Watson since June 2019.