The WNBA player has a different perspective on “The Star-Spangled Banner” but hasn’t given up the cause of justice.
Playing in her first real WNBA game in 579 days, Brittney Griner did something Friday night in Los Angeles that national television audiences hadn’t seen her do in a long time: The Phoenix Mercury center stood for the national anthem.
She stopped doing so in 2020 but has resumed the practice after returning from 10 months of imprisonment in Russia. “One thing that’s good about this country is our right to protest,” Griner said after the game when I asked her about the issue. “You have a right to be able to speak out, question, to challenge, and do all these things. [After] what I went through, it just means a little bit more to me now. I was literally in a cage and could not stand the way I wanted to … and a lot of other situations. Just being able to hear my national anthem, see my flag, I definitely wanted to stand.”
Although she stood for “The Star Spangled Banner” during the preseason, her team’s regular-season opener on Friday night against the Los Angeles Sparks attracted far more media attention. No opposing player this season is likely to get the reception that Griner did from L.A. fans. The exuberant crowd wore pro-Griner T-shirts, gave her a lengthy standing ovation, and held up signs that further showed their support. A number of sports superstars were there to witness the joyous occasion, including the Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, the tennis champion Billie Jean King, and the Basketball Hall of Famer Dawn Staley, who coaches the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team.
But what brought the moment full circle and speaks to the significance of Griner’s return was Vice President Kamala Harris meeting with both the Sparks and the Mercury before the game, praising the players for making sure that Griner’s plight was never forgotten. “Thank you for all that you did in supporting Brittney,” Harris told them, “because I know that was rough and that was so difficult for you.
