Page 15 - Adelante Magazine March 2025

Community
By: Laura Moreno
Photo by: Michele Morrone | Dreamstime.com

Brittney Griner Joins the Dream in Atlanta
household name after she
was arrested in Russia in
February 2022, tried, found
guilty of drug possession,
and sentenced to 9 years in
prison. Griner was found
with a vape cartridge in her
possession that contained
trace amounts of cannabis
oil. She was scheduled to
play basketball in Moscow
with a local team during the
off-season of the WNBA.

Fans were relieved when
Griner’s release from a
Russian labor camp on De-
cember 8, 2022 made
headlines around the world
following negotiations for a
prisoner exchange by the
Biden Administration. The
drama of Brittney Griner’s
WNBA basketball great Brittney life story including her arrest and
Griner recently announced that she meteoric rise to stardom are chron-
intends to sign on with the Dream icled in “Female Force: Brittney
in Atlanta. The announcement was Griner,” a 22-page color comic
made via video on her Instagram. book. It is part of a series of “Fe-
“Free agency has been everything male Force” comic books that
I wanted it to be, honestly. I was honor the accomplishments of
able to find where I wanted to go,” women. The Paris Olympics After
says Griner, who looks forward to returning home from the ill-fated
this new stage in her iconic career. trip to Russia, Brittney Griner de-
“Honestly, what led me to that deci- clared she would never again play
sion ultimately was the team, the basketball outside of the United
players. Also, my family. I’m thrilled States unless it is to participate in
for this chapter.” the Olympic Games.

For the past 11 years, Phoenix This past year, Griner made history
Mercury center Brittney Griner has when she participated in the 2024
proven to be one of the WNBA’s Summer Olympic Games in Paris,
brightest stars, breaking many France in August 2024. Playing for
records including an Olympic Team United States, Griner and her
record. Her one-year contract with teammates were exultant when she
the Atlanta Dream comes ahead of rose to new heights by breaking an
the WNBA’s new collective bargain- Olympic record for the sport while
ing agreement planned for 2026. It playing in the Women's Basketball
is expected to increase athlete sal- Gold Medal Game at the Bercy
aries in the league. “It was a hard Arena.
decision since you’re leaving what
you know. What I’ve known for my Brittney Griner has been awarded
whole career,” Griner added. 3 gold medals to date: one in 2024
“There’s an exciting factor of like, in Paris, in 2021 in Tokyo, and in
OK, this is a rebrand now. I get to Rio de Janeiro in 2016. She was
show them something different.” also named one of Time Maga-
zine’s 100 most influential people.
Arrested in Russia
The basketball star became a