WNBA Star Brittney Griner Welcomes Baby Boy With Wife Cherelle Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics
Brittney Griner, the now 10-time WNBA All-Star, welcomed a baby boy into the world with her wife, Cherelle, earlier this month.
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to drug abuse
Congratulations are in order as Brittney Griner and her wife, Cherelle, have welcomed a baby boy!
The WNBA star announced the happy news on Friday. She shared that their son was born on July 8, weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces.
"That's my man, he is amazing," the 33-year-old told CBS Sports, adding that their son will call her "Pops."
Brittney Griner and Cherelle welcome first baby ahead of the All-Star Game and the 2024 Olympics
Brittney Griner further told CBS Sports, “They said as soon as you see them, everything that you thought mattered just goes out the window. That’s literally what happened.”
Brittney will soon travel overseas to represent Team USA for the third time at the 2024 Paris Olympics, so she’ll be spending some time away from her newborn son.
“It kind of sucks because I have to leave, but at the same time, he will understand,” Griner shared. Brittney also mentioned how becoming a parent has changed her life — especially her phone.
“My whole phone has turned into him now,” she said. The couple revealed they were expecting in April with an Instagram post showing an ultrasound picture as they held hands, showing their matching tattoos.
“Can’t believe we’re less than three months away from meeting our favorite human being 🤍 #BabyGrinerComingSoon #July2024,” the caption read at the time.
This baby news comes a month after Brittney and Cherelle Griner celebrated their sixth anniversary.
Cherelle marked the occasion with a sweet message for her wife along with a photo carousel of throwback images on Instagram. “Happy 6th Anniversary baby! Since you popped it off with the college oldies … I decided to follow your lead with some archives!” she wrote.
The 2024 Paris Olympics hold special meaning for Brittney Griner
The WNBA star will compete for her country for the third time in Paris — and for the first time since she was detained in Russia on drug charges for nearly 10 months in 2022.
“BG is locked in and ready to go,” Griner told NBC News on Friday. “I’m happy, I’m in a great place. I’m representing my country, the country that fought for me to come back. I’m gonna represent it well.”
Griner will also be competing in Paris for the first time as a parent. Though she’s not thrilled to be leaving her son so soon, she believes he’ll understand since he’s growing up in a sports family.
The Paris games will be the first time Brittney Griner has left the country since her detainment in Russia. In February 2022, she was arrested in Moscow on drug smuggling charges after vape cartridges were found in her luggage at the airport.
She was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to nine years in prison. Griner returned to the U.S. in December 2022 after a prisoner exchange between the two countries.
Since then, she has resumed her WNBA career and continued to thrive. Brittney Griner was a WNBA All-Star in 2023 and again this year, currently averaging 18.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for the Phoenix Mercury.
Earlier this week, Griner left a game with an apparent lower-body injury. She was later ruled out for the rest of the game.
Brittney Griner's night took an unfortunate turn during Friday's 95-86 loss to the Indiana Fever, as a right hip injury in the second quarter forced her to sit out the rest of the game.
Disclaimer: If you know someone who is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, please reach out to the authorities and report it. There are several helplines available for the same.
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