Brittney Griner composed herself in the restroom. All she needed was a moment before she was ready to celebrate.
Then the opening notes of “The Star-Spangled Banner” played. Tears streamed down Griner’s face as she stood on top of the medal stand with her third Olympic gold medal around her neck.
“This gold medal is going to hold a special place amongst the two others I was fortunate to win,” Griner said.
In her first international tournament since returning from a nearly 10-month detention in Russia, Griner helped the United States to a historic eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal. After being released through a prisoner swap, receiving letters from fans worldwide and getting the opportunity to return to basketball, Griner had a feeling her eyes would start to water a little bit on the podium if the United States won. But the depth of emotion she felt as she wiped tears from her eyes after the anthem seemed to surprise even her.
“My country fought for me to get back and I was able to bring home gold for my country,” Griner said. “There’s just no greater feeling being here on the highest stage that you can be on.”
Griner averaged 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds off the bench during the Olympics. She scored four points in the final that came down to the final shot as the United States survived for a one-point victory over France. No matter how much she played throughout the tournament, Griner was energetic and engaged with her teammates, encouraging them on the sideline in timeouts and hyping them up on the court.
“When you think of someone that’s a warrior, that’s a trooper, that’s going to be there no matter what and is going to be consistent and a true professional, it’s BG,” Olympic most valuable player A’ja Wilson said. “She showed that tonight. She shows that always.”
Griner has made her reintegration to everyday life look seamless. She returned in December 2022 and appeared at major events, including the Met Gala and the Super Bowl. She was back on the court for the beginning of the 2023 WNBA season and played in 31 games while averaging 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds. She published a book detailing her experience in the penal colony where she worked making military uniforms.
But U.S. head coach Cheryl Reeve knew she needed to keep checking on Griner. Griner was supposed to participate in the team’s Olympic qualifier games in Belgium in February, but she “maybe just needed a little more time,” Reeve said.
“More than what she thought.”
Boarding the international flight was a big moment for Griner, longtime teammate Diana Taurasi said. The first train ride, Griner said, was difficult. The last train she rode overseas was a prison train.
“When you see BG around the team, her outward [looks like] she’s OK,” Reeve said. “You know that inside, there’s a lot going on there, but she always presents as her very best version of herself despite all that she’s been through. And she is thankful to be here.
Reeve repeated it for emphasis: “She is so thankful to be here.”
Griner credits therapy for helping her get back onto the court. She praised her teammates for support throughout the Olympics in France, which began in Lille, a city near the northern French border near Belgium, and ended in Paris where the team played three knockout rounds.
After surviving the toughest test of them all — a physical France team fueled by its home crowd — Griner hugged her wife, Cherelle. She plans to celebrate the win by taking a photo of the couple’s newborn son with the gold medal. Then Griner will get back to work.
The Phoenix Mercury return from the WNBA Olympic break with back-to-back games on Aug. 16-17.
