The WNBA’s all-time leader in blocked shots, Brittney Griner, has filed for divorce from her wife, Cherelle, mother of the couple’s 2-year-old son.
According to court records in Fulton County, Georgia viewed by USA TODAY Sports, Griner filed for divorce on July 30. Attorneys for Griner wrote in her petition for divorce that her marriage is “irretrievably broken” with “no hope of reconciliation.”
Griner, 35, seeks joint legal and physical custody of her child, fair and equitable distribution of all real and personal property acquired during the marriage, and equitable distribution of all debts.
The couple has been married since June 18, 2018, but court documents note they have been in “a bona fide state of separation” since July 24, 2026.
Griner
played for the Atlanta Dream last season before signing a contract in free agency with the Connecticut Sun.
Cherelle — whose maiden name is Watson — was married to Brittney Griner when she was wrongfully detained in a Russian prison for nearly 10 months. Griner was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki, Russia, in February 2022 after authorities said she had vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. Griner was then transferred to a penal colony while Cherelle publicly advocated for Griner’s release, which was eventually successfully negotiated by the Biden Administration in a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The couple originally met when they were students at Baylor.
Griner, a 6-foot-9 center, is one of the most elite defenders and inside scorers in WNBA history. She has led the league in blocks eight times and scoring twice. Griner helped the Phoenix Mercury win a championship in 2014, owns three Olympic gold medals, and powered Kim Mulkey’s Baylor to an NCAA championship when she was in college.
For the Sun this season, Griner is averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA star Brittney Griner files for divorce from wife Cherelle
