Love and basketball. Brittney Griner is one of the best athletes in the WNBA, and her lover, Cherell Griner, always supports her from the outside.
The Olympic gold medalist and the teacher met as students at Baylor University in Texas, while Britney was making a name for herself as one of the best college basketball players of all time. However, they only started dating years later, when they met again after the athlete broke up with his first wife, Glory Johnson.
“I will never forget the day I met you in Baylor, in the subdistrict!” Britney wrote on Instagram in June 2020: “You patted me on the shoulder and said I took your milkshake (still under discussion, lol), and I was immediately amazed by your beauty! You had no idea, but I knew you were for me, baby. You’re stuck next to me at both the lowest level and the highest!”
The Phoenix Mercury Center proposed to Sherell in August 2018, and almost a year later the couple tied the knot. Since then, the couple has repeatedly bragged about each other on social media, sharing vacation snaps and marking milestones in their relationship.
“Every day with you is exciting, but when I can celebrate your life and everything you are, it’s just breathtaking!” Britney wrote on Instagram in July 2020 to celebrate her husband’s birthday. “To many more, my love.”
In 2022, the couple became the subject of world news when the basketball star was detained in Russia on charges of drug possession. Brittney was in the country playing for the UMMC Yekaterinburg Euroleague team during the WNBA offseason.
By the time this news broke in the US in March 2022, Britney had already been in custody for two weeks. Initially, officials were concerned that an aggressive response could reduce her chances of a safe return in the context of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, but in May 2022, the US State Department said that Russia had “unlawfully detained” the Texas native.
“This is an absolutely unimaginable situation for BG,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Time after the State Department’s reclassification. “Not a day goes by that I don’t work on it in some way. The fact that her case was referred to a part of the State Department called the President’s special envoy for Hostages was really a positive thing. When you get this designation of a detainee, not in the best conditions, they have demonstrated success in taking people out.”
Cherel, for her part, supported her wife from afar, sharing videos on social networks about the time Britney spent on the court. “Thank you to everyone who contacted me about my wife’s safe return from Russia,” she wrote on Instagram in March 2022. — We really appreciate your prayers and support. I love my wife with all my heart, so this message comes at one of the weakest moments in my life.”
Keep scrolling to look back at the full timeline of Britney and Cherel’s relationship.
August 2018
“I will never forget when I first said I love you, and I will never forget when you said YES!” Britney wrote via Instagram after Sherel’s proposal. “My best friend, my lover, my life partner. I love you. I’m so lucky to have you always in my life. You’ve never been disappointed in me, even when I was disappointed in myself. ashes and supported me when I couldn’t stand. You are really my spine and my spirit that supports me. I love you, baby.”
June 2019
The couple got married on June 18, almost a year after the engagement.
June 2020
Britney marked the couple’s wedding anniversary with a passionate tribute to her wife on Instagram. “Your love never wavered with me, if anything grew, and you showed me how to love and how to be loved!” she wrote. “Over the years, you have also shown me what is needed for a Real Relationship that requires sacrifice, compassion, understanding and communication! I have to give you credit where it’s needed! You have opened my eyes to see me as I am. Truly I am!”
June 2021
Cherel celebrated the couple’s second wedding anniversary with a loving Instagram post about her wife. “Always a party for two ❤️ — well — bye kids 😂 ,” she joked. “But now we can get two total, please: two tickets, two large popcorn (we do not share food), one soda and one water (BG is not drinking water 🤧 )! You understand everything! Lol I love you baby.”
February 2022
After Britney’s arrest, Cherel offered fans several updates on social networks. “We love you baby!” the Arkansas native wrote on Instagram in March. “People say, ‘Stay busy.’ However, there is no task in this world that could keep any of us from worrying about you My heart, our hearts skip beats every day I miss your voice I miss your presence You are our man! There are no words to express this pain. It hurts me, it hurts us. We are waiting for the day to love you with the whole family.”