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Brittney Griner insists she has never been 'anti-American' despite her previous refusal to acknowledge the US national anthem.
Before her nightmare ordeal in a Russian prison in 2022, Griner controversially protested against the Star-Spangled banner after the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by American police officers.
The Phoenix Mercury star refused to stand for the anthem and even suggested it should not be played before WNBA games, a stance which divided opinion throughout the country.
Yet following her 293-day stint as a prisoner in Russia, where she was held February 2022 until December of that year after a vape cartridge containing small amounts of CBD oil was spotted in her bag at an airport, Griner has U-turned on that stance and since opted to stand for the anthem before games.
Controversial sports columnist Jason Whitlock recently claimed the 33-year-old was 'anti-American' before her time in prison, while suggesting she is now repositioning herself to try and fit in with a 'more feminine' WNBA.
Brittney Griner insists she has never been 'anti-American' despite her previous refusal to acknowledge the US national anthem
Before spending time in a Russian prison (pictured) Griner protested against the Star-Spangled Banner and suggested it shouldn't be played before WNBA games
She has since U-turned on that stance, with controversial sports columnist Jason Whitlock recently branding her 'anti-American' prior to her nightmare ordeal in Russia
Griner, however, has furiously denied such accusations and revealed she was keen to join the US military before her basketball career took off.
'The weirdest thing for me was being labeled non-American or anti-American,' she told former US women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe in an interview for The Cut.
'That one kind of irritates me the most, honestly, because my dad was a legit Marine, Vietnam ’68 to ’69. He fought for our country, then went into law enforcement for 30-plus years. He saw a lot, a lot, especially back then.
'I came into basketball in ninth grade, so I was a late bloomer in it. Before that, I wanted to go into the military.
'When everybody asked me “What
