Brittney Griner Celebrates Her Freedom At Her First Met Gala

The WNBA star returned to the states in December 2022 after nearly a year in Russian prison.

Freedom looked good on Brittney Griner during Monday’s Met Gala.

The basketball star beamed while attending the biggest event in the fashion world just four months after being released from a Russian prison.

Griner shined her way down the red carpet in a champagne suit and matching turtleneck, both custom-designed by Calvin Klein. At her side, wife Cherelle wore a chic white column dress with diamond accessories.

The event marked a major moment for the couple, who wed in 2019.

Cherelle Griner told Vogue she felt beyond blessed to be with her spouse, saying, “This time last year, I was missing my wife, so to have her right here, to be in this moment—breathtaking.”

Open Image Modal
Brittney and Cherelle Griner attend the 2023 Met Gala on May 1, 2023, in New York City.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Griner was returned to the U.S. in a prisoner swap late last year, nearly 10 months after she was arrested at the Moscow airport for having vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

The WNBA pro spoke to reporters about her extended detention for the first time in late April.

“I’m no stranger to hard times,” an emotional Griner told the press. “Just digging deep. You’re going to be faced with adversities in life. This was a pretty big one. I just relied on my hard work to get through it.”

The star is currently writing a memoir about what she called her “unfathomable” experience that is set to be published by Alfred A. Knopf in the spring of 2024.

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost