Brittney Griner isn’t just a household name; she’s the embodiment of what WNBA royalty means. Over 11 dominant seasons with the Phoenix Mercury before signing with the Atlanta Dream in 2025, Griner built a legacy defined by numbers no one else has matched. Ten-time All-Star. Two-time Defensive Player of the Year. A WNBA champion. Third all-time in blocks, with her 27 career dunks dwarfing the rest of the league’s combined total.
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Griner, in simple words, is the gold standard. But the Atlanta Dream star’s impact goes far beyond stat sheets and highlight reels.
Off the court, she’s carved a path of authenticity that’s inspired millions, especially those navigating their identity, by being the most openly gay basketball player in the world.
When Griner came out, she didn’t do it alone, however. Her family stood by her, offering the kind of support many can only hope for.
Sitting down with Cam Newton recently, the three-time Olympic gold medallist opened up about that experience, emphasising the importance of timing, agency, and emotional safety when it comes to coming out.
“One, it’s your choice,” Griner said, explaining that no one should be pushed to come out before they’re ready. “You can’t let somebody force you into coming out… but you also can’t let someone force you to live within a box.”
She explained her point better by revealing that, in her case, even though it “wasn’t that big of a secret,” she still hesitated. Out of fear, rooted in what others might think. “You’ll know when it’s time,” she said. “Not everybody’s going to accept it at first… But just coming out and being you, it’s your own time.”
That “time” for Griner came back in ninth grade, when she mustered the courage to tell her mom. Much to her surprise, what followed wasn’t a dramatic confrontation or a moment of heartbreak. It was unconditional love in real time.
“She was in her bedroom. I was sitting on the stairs,” Griner recalled. “I said, ‘Mom, I gotta tell you something.’ I was trying to beat around the bush… then I finally said, ‘I like girls.’”
While the Mercury legend expected a dramatic response, her mother was anything but sensational. “She was like, ‘And?… I still love you,’” Griner remembered, leaning back against the wall.
Naturally, the former Phoenix Mercury star was relieved by the response. “I said, ‘Oh, that was easy. I’m about to go play Xbox.’ She was like, ‘Alright. Love you.’ I was like, ‘Love you too, ma.’ That was the end of it.”
Luckily for her, even her siblings reacted with similar warmth.
Griner’s brother, for instance, joked that he had been “waiting on [her] to say it,” having already noticed they were often “checking out the same people.” Her sisters were equally unsurprised: “We knew.”
However, it was Griner’s father’s reaction that was more layered. Raised in the small, conservative town of Jasper, Texas, he initially needed time to adjust. But she made it clear that they’re good now. “He probably textin’ me right now asking where his grandson is.”
In the end, Griner’s story isn’t just about coming out. It’s about being held up, not torn down, by the people closest to her. And while not every family reacts with the same grace, her experience is proof that support, when it’s present, makes all the difference.
