The Mercury’s 6’9 center remains one of the most prolific defenders in WNBA history — and is by far the all-time dunks leader.
Ahead of Team USA’s first game, SB Nation is introducing each of the 12 members of the US Olympic Women’s Basketball team this week. Here’s what you need to know about Brittney Griner, a two-time gold medalist who’s long been a defensive anchor.
Team: Phoenix Mercury (13-12)
2024 Regular Season Stats: 18.3 points (56%), 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
Position: Center
Draft Class: 2013, pick #1
All-Star Selections: 10 (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Previous Olympic Appearances: 2x Olympic Gold Medalist (2016, 2020)
College: Baylor – won NCAA championship in 2012
Brittney Griner was playing basketball overseas with the Russian Premier League when she was arrested for possession of less than a gram of medically prescribed hash oil. After an uncertain and public detainment that spanned ten months, she was released in a highly-publicized prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
It’s been a year and a half since her return to the US, and this will be her first Olympics competition since the detainment. So, while Griner already has two gold medals under her belt, she told reporters that the chance to represent the US post-detainment is extra special now.
“It always meant everything to me,” Griner said, via andscape.com. “My dad fought for our country. He is a Marine… So, it’s always been something that we’ve always cherished, but now even more so. My country really saved my life and I’m able to represent them again and it just means so much more.”
Griner detailed her experience in Russia and, and the subsequent re-acclimation, in her book, Coming Home, which came out in May 2024. Diana Taurasi, who Griner has been teammates with for her entire WNBA career, praised her for competing in the Olympics.
“What BG’s gone through in the last couple of years is obviously unprecedented,” Taurasi said via GMA Network. “For her to be able to come back, to get on that flight, to come overseas, it was a big moment for her in a lot of ways. But I’m glad she did it because she’s a remarkable person.”
Griner has dunked 26 times in-game — a feat that no other WNBA player has achieved more than twice. In fact, in her first game as a professional, she became the first player to ever win
The only other active player who has dunked in-game is the Liberty’s Jonquel Jones.
Brittney Griner with the SLAM for her first dunk of the year pic.twitter.com/i66v9hEAXe
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 9, 2023
But the 6’9 center has been able to dunk since she was a junior in high school — a compilation YouTube video of her dunking as a teenager actually garnered 6.6 million views. Her impact on the women’s game certainly hasn’t been limited to dunking, but Griner completely changed how women dunking has been perceived.
She doesn’t dunk every game, but last year, she dunked twice in the All-Star game.
“I called my knees and talked to them and gave them a little pep talk,” she said afterwards, per Just Women Sports.
Griner’s potential defensive impact was clear from a young age; as a freshman at Baylor, her 223 blocks set the all-time single-season record in NCAA history.
That defensive prowess seamlessly translated to the WNBA. The 32-year-old was named Defensive Player of the Year twice — in 2014 and 2015 — and was named the All-Defensive Team seven times — in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2019, and 2021.
She has the third-most career blocks in WNBA history (766) and could be a few healthy years away from first place. Margo Dydek, who was the tallest player in WNBA history at 7’2, is all-time blocks leader in WNBA history with 877. If Griner can play late into her mid-thirties, she’s well-positioned to become the league’s all-time block leader. A potentially longer WNBA season moving forward could also help Griner’s case.
