A look at Brittney Griner’s career on, off basketball court

By: The Associated Press Posted: Last Modified:

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A timeline of key events in Brittney Griner's career on and off the basketball court:

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/12/2022 (1352 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A timeline of key events in Brittney Griner’s career on and off the basketball court:

Oct. 18, 1990: Brittney Griner was born in Houston.

2009: Led Nimitz High School to Texas 5A girls basketball state championship game where they lost. The 6-foot-7 star dunked 52 times as a senior, including seven times in one game against Aldine High School.

FILE - WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a courtroom after a hearing in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 4, 2022. WNBA star Brittney Griner, is the focus of efforts by the United States to arrange a prisoner swap with Russia. The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Washington has offered to exchange Griner and Whelan for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. and once earned the nickname the
FILE - WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a courtroom after a hearing in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 4, 2022. WNBA star Brittney Griner, is the focus of efforts by the United States to arrange a prisoner swap with Russia. The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Washington has offered to exchange Griner and Whelan for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. and once earned the nickname the "merchant of death."(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

2009-10: Set NCAA single season record with 223 blocks as a freshman at Baylor. Became the seventh women’s basketball player to ever dunk in college.

2011-12: Led Baylor to a 40-0 record and earned Associated Press Player of the Year honors averaging 23.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5 blocks.

April 3, 2012: Had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks in NCAA title game as Baylor beat Notre Dame 80-61. She earned Most Outstanding Player honors of the Final Four.

April 15, 2013: Was No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, selected by the Phoenix Mercury.

2014: Helped Phoenix to 29-5 record — most wins in WNBA history — and the franchise’s third league championship.

Aug. 14, 2014: Got engaged to fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson. Eight months later, they were both arrested on charges of assault and disorderly conduct after police responded to a fight between them.

May 15, 2015: Griner and Johnson were suspended seven games by the WNBA after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct charges.

2015 and 2016: Played in Russia for UMMC Ekaterinburg and won consecutive championships with that team. Has played in the winter with Ekaterinburg ever since.

Aug. 20, 2016: Helped lead U.S. to sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal at Rio Games.

June 18, 2019: Married Cherelle Griner.

Aug. 8, 2021: Helped U.S. win seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal at Tokyo Games. She averaged 16.5 points to lead the U.S.

Feb. 17, 2022: Arrested for drug possession at airport outside of Moscow while returning to her team in Russia from a FIBA World Cup qualifier break. Customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.

FILE - WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted to a courtroom for a hearing in Khimki just outside Moscow, on July 7, 2022. Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
FILE - WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted to a courtroom for a hearing in Khimki just outside Moscow, on July 7, 2022. Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

July 1, 2022: Trial started in court outside of Moscow.

July 7, 2022: Pled guilty to drug possession charges, saying: “There was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law.”

Aug. 4, 2022: Sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison for drug possession.

Oct 25, 2022: Appeal of the prison sentence for drug possession was rejected by a Russian court.

Nov. 17, 2022: Griner was transferred to a penal colony in the western Russian region of Mordovia.

Dec. 8, 2022: Russia frees Griner in high-level prisoner exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Brittney Griner at: https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner

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WNBA star Griner freed in swap for Russian arms dealer Bout
FILE - WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted to a courtroom for a hearing in Khimki just outside Moscow, on July 7, 2022. Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
Russian diplomat says prisoner swap with US remains possible
FILE - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov arrives for security talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at the United States Mission in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 10, 2022. A senior Russian diplomat says that Russia and the United States have repeatedly come close to reaching agreement on a prisoner exchange and a deal remains possible before the year's end. The Biden administration long has been trying to negotiate the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American jailed in Russia, corporate security executive Paul Whelan, including through a possible prisoner swap with Moscow. (Denis Balibouse/Pool via AP, File)

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