What is Brittney Griner’s net worth? Brittney Griner’s net worth is $5 million and her salary is $165,000. She was once of the highest-paid player in the WNBA with an annual salary of $227,900 before her ordeal in Russia.
Brittney Griner has significantly grown her finances and achieved a lot through her WNBA career as a basketball player and endorsement deals. She started playing professionally as a center with the Phoenix Mercury before playing off-season games with foreign teams.
How Much Is Brittney Griner’s Net Worth Today?
Brittney Griner’s net worth is currently estimated at $5 million. While her basketball career is her major income source, Brittney also makes money through other sources you would see below.
She is the Highest-Paid WNBA Player
Brittney Griner started her professional basketball career with the Phoenix Mercury. She was the first overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft and being a natural at the game, she wasted no time proving her worth as a new record-breaker as she set new records in her first year with the team.
In her first game, she beat the WNBA record set by top player Candace Parker by 2 points and made an average of three blocks per game. In the next year, she upped her game and averaged 3.7 blocks per game, 15.6 points, and 8 rebounds.
The basketball player re-signed a multiyear contract with the team in March 2017 after her first contract expired. She played with the team until 2020 when she left after just twelve games. The worth of her second stint with the team is unknown just as her 2013 contract. However, considering her skills and outstanding records, there’s no doubt it was worth a reasonable sum.
In 2020, she signed a three-year contract with the Phoenix Mercury worth $664,544 with a base salary of $$215,000 for the 2020-21 season. She earned a base salary of $221,450 the following season and will earn $227,900 (base) in the 2022-23 season, a significant rise from her previous pay.
Offseason Games Also Contribute to Brittney Griner’s Net Worth
Just like most other American professional players, Brittney Griner plays abroad during the WNBA off-seasons. While her salary as a WNBA player is not that bad, it is nothing compared to what she makes from playing in other countries. Below are the teams that she has played with so far:
The Zhejiang Golden Bulls
Brittney’s first off season game was with a Women’s Chinese Basketball team. In 2013, signed a four-month contract with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls under the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). Her game with the team lasted from the year 2013 to 2014. With her skills and mastery of the game, she was paid $600,000.
BC UMMC Ekaterinburg
The center signed a deal worth $1.5 million with the UMMC Ekaterinburg in 2014. In 2016, she re-signed with the team for the following three seasons. Her stint with the team has lasted for eight years and counting, as she is still playing with them to date.
What Is Brittney Griner’s Salary
Brittney Griner’s salary is $165,100 after she signed a one-year contract with the Mercury in the offseason. While she was in Russia, it was announced by the WNBA that her full salary for the 2022 season which totalled $228,000 would be paid.
Brittney Griner’s Salary Over The Years
- 2013-2016 – N/A (Phoenix Mercury)
- 2013-2014 – $600,000 (Zhejiang Golden Bulls)
- 2014 to date – $15 million (UMMC Ekaterinburg)
- 2017-2020- $221,450 (Phoenix Mercury)
- 2021-date- $227,900 (Phoenix Mercury)
Brittney Has Led The US National Team To Olympic Victories
Aside from achieving a lot in the WNBA and her other off-season team, Brittney Griner rings a loud bell on the US national team. At the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she represented the US with the US women’s team. She earned a gold medal as the US team beat Spain 101-72 in the finals.
Brittney won her second gold medal at the Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan in 2011. Apart from their victory in the Olympics, they also won gold medals at the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Women’s Basketball World Cup held in 2014 and 2018.
Being A Brand Ambassador Also Adds To Brittney Griner’s Net Worth
Having successfully carved a niche for herself in basketball, she has risen to the top list of many fans. As such, she has bagged numerous endorsement deals, which add to her net worth. In 2013, she signed a $1 million ambassadorial deal with Nike, an American multinational company that designs, produces, and sells athletic equipment, footwear, clothes, and accessories. This made her the first openly gay athlete to bag a deal with the company. In line with the endorsement deal, she is to model men’s clothes for the brand and skateboard.
Brittney Griner Risks Losing Money From Her Ordeal In Russia
On February 17, 2022, Brittney was arrested at Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow when she entered the country to play for the UMMC Ekaterinburg. She was nabbed for being in possession of hash oil (cannabis oil) cartridges as discovered by airport security officials. Reports have it that the Russian Federal Customs Service stated that a sniffer dog led them to conduct a search on the center player.
They opened a criminal case for large-scale drug transportation, a charge that could result in up to 10 years in prison. They further released a video of the WNBA player passing with a trolley suitcase and backpack. It was followed by footage of someone checking the package from the suitcase.
On March 5, the news of her detention was made public. On May 3, 2022, the US State Department stated that she was wrongfully detained and would do its best to ensure that she is released. This made her family, fans, and teammates to start campaigning for her release, urging the US government to do its best to set her free.
On July 1st, 2022, she was tried for the first time and upon her second trial on the 7th of the same month, she pleaded guilty. She further stated that the act was not intentional as she was in a hurry while packing her bags. Brittney went on to say that she would like to give her testimony but needed time to prepare. On July 4, she sent a letter to the White House, pleading for her freedom.
Speculations have it that she might be swapped with the Russian gun dealer named Viktor Bout detained in America. However, her case was adjourned to July 17th. With the enmity between America and Russia, her case might not be a smooth one. She might lose money if she finally faces a jail sentence as her playing career will come to a pause.
