“I Can’t Rest Until She’s Home”: Brittney Griner’s Wife, Cherelle, on the Heartbreaking Days That Have Passed Since She’s Talked to Her Love

It’s been nearly five months since WNBA player Brittney Griner was arrested at an airport outside Moscow, accused of large-scale transportation of drugs. She’d traveled to Russia to play offseason basketball there and has been in jail since Russian authorities found 0.56 grams of THC in the form of hashish oil.

This week, we learned that Griner sent a handwritten letter to President Biden, pleading for his help in getting her released. “…As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner wrote.

To show Griner support, her team—the Phoenix Mercury—held a public, “Bring BG Home” rally, where Griner’s wife, Cherelle, was met with a standing ovation.

“Talking about my wife is easy and natural for me because that’s my person,” Cherelle said. “However, talking about my wife, in the light of her absence from her country, her safety and her humanity as a person is gut-wrenching.”

Standing in the middle of the court where Griner plays, Cherelle spoke about how she’s adopted her wife’s strength.

“I remember asking her once, ‘Well, how do you play so well when you're hurting and exhausted like that?’” Cherelle said. “She told me ‘Oh, that me? That me just goes, no matter what or how I feel, I get the job done.’

“We used to differ there. As the days continue to increase that my wife is wrongfully detained in Russia, I've adapted her mindset in my efforts to get her home by going no matter what or how I feel. Truthfully, I can't rest as her humanity is being stripped from her. I can’t rest as her safety is in question. I honestly can’t rest until she’s home.”