WNBA Star Brittney Griner Files for Divorce From Wife Cherelle

During Brittney Griner's 2022 detention in Russia, Cherelle Griner was the public face of a tireless advocacy campaign, meeting with lawmakers and appearing at the White House to secure the WNBA star's release. That image of an unbreakable partnership has been replaced by the stark legal language of a divorce filing in Fulton County, Georgia, where the 35-year-old athlete now describes her marriage as irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation.

The filing, submitted on Thursday, July 30, 2026, indicates the couple has been separated since July 24, 2026. Griner is seeking an equitable division of all marital debts and assets — including real, personal, tangible, and intangible property — while requesting that her separate nonmarital and inherited property be awarded to her. The most immediate consequence of the split involves their two-year-old son, Bash, born in July 2024, for whom Griner is requesting joint legal and physical custody.

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The partnership began as students at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. While some reports previously listed their wedding date as 2019, court documents confirm they married in June 2018. Their relationship endured a period of extreme international tension when Griner was arrested in February 2022 at a Moscow airport after authorities found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. Sentenced to nine years in prison, Griner remained in Russian custody for nearly 10 months.

Cherelle Griner, a practicing attorney, became a critical voice in the effort to bring the Olympic gold medalist home. The ordeal ended in December 2022 via a prisoner exchange involving a Russian arms dealer. Upon her return, Griner expressed deep gratitude for her wife's support, writing on Instagram that the previous 10 months had been a battle at every turn and that the love from others had kept her going.

The collapse of the marriage follows a period of significant professional volatility for Griner. After spending 11 years with the Phoenix Mercury, she moved to the Atlanta Dream in January 2025. She spent one season in Atlanta before signing a one-year deal with the Connecticut Sun for the 2026 season.

Griner is currently averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists through 35 games and 16 starts this season. However, her professional trajectory may soon lead her back to her home state of Texas. Following the current season, the Connecticut Sun are expected to relocate to Houston and potentially rebrand under the Comets identity. This move could position Griner as a foundational player for the Houston franchise in 2027.

This is not Griner's first experience with a high-profile legal separation. She was previously married to former WNBA All-Star Glory Johnson, with whom she has twin girls; that marriage ended in 2016 after Griner filed for an annulment in 2015.

The contrast between the couple's recent public appearances, including a recent Instagram video showing them parenting Bash, and the legal declaration of a broken marriage highlights the private nature of the separation. Neither Brittney nor Cherelle has publicly addressed the split beyond the court documents.

In a statement to Good Morning America, an attorney for Brittney Griner stated,

"This is a matter we hope the parties can resolve privately. There is no further comment at this time."

Attorney for Brittney Griner, via Good Morning America

Legal Terms and Personal Milestones

The dissolution of the marriage follows a relationship that began with a chance encounter at Baylor University, where Brittney Griner recalled accidentally taking Cherelle's milkshake. While the couple's public image remained supportive, highlighted by a recent Instagram video of them parenting together, the legal filing in Fulton County Superior Court outlines a formal request for child support and an equitable division of both marital debts and assets.

The emotional weight of the split is contrasted by the depths of their previous partnership. While detained in Russia, Griner told WHYY that she had written a letter to Cherelle suggesting she could move on if necessary because of the long duration of the imprisonment and the impossibility of visits. Cherelle, however, remained resolute, telling Good Morning America in May 2022 that she would not go down until her wife returned.

The resolution of the athlete's domestic life coincides with a transitional phase in her professional career. Having played for the Phoenix Mercury and the Atlanta Dream, she is now navigating her first season with the Connecticut Sun. The eventual move of the Sun franchise to Houston, where they are expected to adopt the Comets brand identity, suggests a possible homecoming to Texas in 2027.

According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE and Us, the legal process now centers on the custody of their son and the division of property. As the parties seek to resolve these matters, the next step remains the court's determination regarding the temporary and permanent joint physical custody of Bash.