What WNBA Team Is Brittney Griner On? - Updated 2023

Brittney Griner plays for Phoenix Mercury. Mercury picked her first overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft.

One of the tallest female basketball players debuted with the franchise on May 27, 2023. She scored basket against Chicago Sky. On her first match, she met the record of Candace Parkers' dunk record of two dunks.

Following that, she became the third league athlete to dunk twice in one game.

Where Is Brittney Griner Right Now?

Brittney Griner is in Arizona right now. Griner returned home in December 2022 from Russia.

Earlier, she traveled to Russia to play basketball in the WNBA off-season. Unfortunately, she was arrested on drug smuggling charges at an airport. Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison.

On December 8, Russia released her in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout. After returning, she pens a lengthy note on her Instagram account regarding her arrival.

"It feels so good to be home," she wrote and thanked people who advocated for her, including her better half, Cherelle. Furthermore, she expressed her gratitude to President Biden for bringing her home.

Along with that, Britt cleared her intention to play with her WNBA franchise in the coming season. Following her words, the athlete signed a one-year contract with Mercury in February 2023.

Where Was Brittney Griner Born?

Brittney Griner was born in Houston, Texas. Griner grew up in the city with her three siblings.

The 32-year-old was born to Raymond and Sandra Griner on October 18, 1990. She is the youngest child of the couple. DeCarlo Griner is her older brother, and Shkera and Pier are her older sisters.

Raymond is a Harris County deputy sheriff and two-tour Vietnam War veteran, while Sandra is more focused on the family.

At the moment, the professional basket player lives in Arizona with her beloved wife, Cherelle Watson. After a year of engagement, the lovebirds tied the knot in June 2019.

Where Did Brittney Griner Go To High School?

Brittney Griner went to Nimitz High School. The public secondary school locates in Houston, Harris County.

As a freshman, the athlete played varsity volleyball and later basketball. In fact, she practiced basketball with the boy's team in her sophomore year.

Nimitz's football mentor helped her enhance her leg strength and dunk tactics. Later, she led the Nimitz Cougars to Texas 5A Girls Basketball State Championship.

At the time when she completed her senior year, Griner recorded 52 dunks with a record of seven dunks in a single game against Aldine High School. For her achievements, she was honored with the title of WBCA ALL-American.

Brittney Griner yearly salary is $165,100 for the 2023–2024 season. Griner pens it down with the Phoenix, including $165,100 guaranteed.

It is the fourth deal with the franchise for the athlete with the same team since she joined the WNBA league.

Besides making an annual income as the Mercury roster, the athlete makes lucrative earnings from her contract with the multinational brand, named "Nike."

Below, we will learn more details about the professional basketball player's wages:

Salary

The Huston native annual remuneration as the Mercury active player is one hundred sixty-five thousand and a hundred dollars.

The amount is second highest than one of the all-time great female basketball players. As a matter of fact, Taurasi is the highest-paid athlete in the franchise. She earns $234,936 annually as the shooting guard of the team.

Keeping international career aside, it is the tenth year of the player as the center for the Mercury. She joined the league franchise in 2013.

On March 12, 2017, the team extended the deal with her with a four-year contract. The contract was worth $554,000. At that time, she made around $138,500 yearly.

Brittney became an unrestricted free agent in 2021. Once again, Mercury allocated her a three-year agreement. She made $221,515 each year following the $664,544 worth of covenant.

The Phoenix and Griner did business for a year this season. At the end of the season, she will earn a base remuneration of $ 165,100, while carrying a cap hit of $165,100.

She will become a free agent in February 2024 unless the franchise locks her in for the upcoming season.

Endorsements

Griner has endorsement deals with Nike. She signed an a-year deal with Nike while playing her ninth season with the Mercury, worth a million in 2020.

Her agreement with the company was the first time the company penned such a deal with an openly identified athlete from the queer community. She regularly models wearing outfits branded "menswear" for the company.

Regarding the contract, spokesman Brian Strong said, WE can't get onto specifics." He added, "It's safe to say we jumped at the opportunity to work with her because she breaks the mold."

Moreover, she collaborated with Round 21 on May 27, 2023.

Career Earnings

Griner makes career earnings of over a hundred and sixty thousand a year with a cap hit of $165,100. She signed a year-long contract with the Phoenix Mercury.

Brittney was picked in the first overall draft by the Mercury in the 2013 draft. In 2023, Time Magazine named her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Before joining the league, she played college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears in Texas. She played 148 games in four seasons with the institution and recorded an average ppg of 22.2.

Like other top WNBA players, the 32-year-old also played overseas and made larger paydays. For instance, playing three months for a Chinese team in 2014 skyrocketed her earnings to $600,000.

She made around $1.5 million playing with the Russian club.  Similarly, she led the US National team to two golds at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in 2014 and 2018.

Brittney Griner net worth 2023 is estimated at $5 million. Griner amassed the revenue as a professional basketball athlete and from her endorsements.

A few months ago, she inked a $165,100 contract with the Phoenix. On February 14, 2020, the club signed a three-year extension deal with the athlete.

Her agreement with the American multinational corporation expanded her net value. The athlete signed a million-dollar contract with Nike. She often promotes the company's clothes branded as "menswear."

Another source of Briit's income is her bonuses. For instance, she earned 1803 dollars in cash even after the team was eliminated in the 2020 second-round playoffs.

She also earns bonuses by playing for the USA team. She made $100,000 for training in the States during the off-season.

Apart from the net revenue, the Mercury roster owns a 3,000-square-foot house in sunny Arizona. Her Phoenix-based property was newly built in 2018, and she purchased it for $475,000.

Now the estimated value of the house is around $900,000. She often shares indoor portraits while spending quality time with her beau.

Likewise, the seven-time WNBA block leader is a huge car fan. She owns an Audi E-Tron, whose base price is $74,800.