Brittney Griner and wife Cherelle are expecting their first child

Cherelle and Brittney Griner just announced that they will soon welcome a new addition to their family.

In a joint Instagram post, the couple wrote: “Can’t believe we’re less than three months away from meeting our favorite human being.” In the image, Cherelle and Brittney clasp hands around a sheet of ultrasound images, showing off their growing bundle of joy and their matching cross tattoos. A hashtag on the post indicates baby Griner is expected to arrive in July.

The couple first met as students at Baylor University in Texas, where Brittney was a star player for the Baylor Bears women’s basketball team. During her senior year, she was named the AP Player of the Year and the most outstanding player of the 2012 NCAA Final Four that saw Baylor finish 40-0 and win the national championship.

Brittney went on to become a six-time WNBA All-Star a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women’s basketball team. However, in February 2022, she experienced a devastating personal and professional low when she was arrested in Russia. Griner had been playing basketball for the Russian Premier League during the WNBA off-season — a common move for players of that league to earn more money in their prime — when her luggage was searched. It was discovered that she had less than a gram of medically prescribed hash oil, which is illegal in Russia.

Brittney was found guilty of smuggling and sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony. The sentence led to outcry across the globe, with U.S. officials saying that Brittney was wrongly detained and with her loved ones, including Cherelle, fearing for Brittney’s life in such a harsh environment.

However, Brittney was released after nearly a year in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was serving time in an American prison on terrorism-related charges. Although Brittney and Cherelle were relieved to be reunited, overcoming the trauma has taken time and intentional effort.

“It’s unfortunate that those 10 months happened without us being able to be side-by-side,” Cherelle told People magazine after Brittney’s release. “But it happened, and we’re embracing the fact that we now get to learn each other’s story through that time. So we’re taking it slow. We are not doing it all at once. But we are honoring the fact that I went through something that was really hard and difficult without BG’s awareness, and vice versa.”

It looks like the couple is looking forward to a bright future with their latest news. Congrats to the parents-to-be!