Ex-Phoenix Mercury star center Brittney Griner has filed for divorce from her wife, Cherelle Griner, who stayed with the former WNBA champion during her memorable 11-month detainment in Russia in 2022.
The 35-year-old Brittney Griner, who now plays for the Connecticut Sun, stated the marriage is “irretrievably broken” in the divorce paperwork submitted in Georgia’s Fulton County on Thursday, July 30, per the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
The couple wed in June 2018, according to court documents. Cherelle is Griner’s second wife. Griner and Cherelle have a son, Bash, who was born in July 2024. They met while attending Baylor.
Griner was detained in Russia beginning in February 2022, after she was arrested on marijuana possession charges at a Moscow airport. Cherelle, who’s an attorney, worked with the Biden administration to help arrange a prisoner swap to return Griner to the U.S. She was released in December 2022.
Griner, a 10-time All-Star, played her first 11 WNBA seasons with the Mercury. She helped the franchise to its third title in 2014. Griner left the Mercury for the Atlanta Dream during free agency in January 2025, played one season there, then joined Connecticut on a one-year deal this past offseason.
She’s averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists through 35 games and 16 starts this season.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ex-Mercury star Brittney Griner files for divorce
