--- title: Why Brittney Griner Wept on the Paris Olympic Medals Stand description: As the national anthem played, gold medal around her neck, Brittney Griner placed her hand on her heart, while tears streamed down her face. canonical: https://time.com/7009995/brittney-griner-wept-paris-olympics/ author: Sean Gregory article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-08-11T19:25:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:50:20.443Z article:section: Sports og:title: Why Brittney Griner Wept on the Paris Olympic Medals Stand og:description: The United States had just defeated France, 67-66, at Bercy Arena in the Olympic final on Sunday. og:url: https://time.com/7009995/brittney-griner-wept-paris-olympics/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7fcbd6193148ca04/698a59d2cabb1d9575e546e8/Olympics_b3cb8c.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Basketball - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 16 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Brittney Griner Wept on the Paris Olympic Medals Stand twitter:description: The United States had just defeated France, 67-66, at Bercy Arena in the Olympic final on Sunday. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7fcbd6193148ca04/698a59d2cabb1d9575e546e8/Olympics_b3cb8c.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Brittney Griner Wept on the Paris Olympic Medals Stand > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Brittney Griner Speaks Out To Reporters For the First Time Since Detainment in Russia [Watch (HLS stream): Brittney Griner Speaks Out To Reporters For the First Time Since Detainment in Russia](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/h9Witaq0.m3u8) (2:13)  _Published 2023-04-27. Brittney Griner, the WNBA player once held in Russia for nearly 10 months on drug-related charges, spoke in Phoenix where she continues to to map her return to the court with the Phoenix Mercury._  by [Sean Gregory / Paris](https://time.com/author/sean-gregory/)  ## Sean Gregory / Paris Senior Correspondent Aug 11, 2024 7:25 PM UTC  Brittney Griner of United States kisses her gold medal after winning the Women's Gold Medal Game, Game 52, France vs United States of America on day sixteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Arena Bercy in Paris, France, on August 11, 2024. Brittney Griner of United States kisses her gold medal after winning the Women's Gold Medal Game, Game 52, France vs United States of America on day sixteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Arena Bercy in Paris, France, on August 11, 2024.Daniela Porcelli—Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images  by [Sean Gregory / Paris](https://time.com/author/sean-gregory/)  ## Sean Gregory / Paris Senior Correspondent Aug 11, 2024 7:25 PM UTC As the national anthem played, gold medal around her neck, [Brittney Griner](https://time.com/6972085/brittney-griner-book-coming-home/) placed her hand on her heart, [while tears](https://ftw.usatoday.com/2024/08/brittney-griner-crying-team-usa-gold-fan-reaction) streamed down her face. The United States [had just defeated France,](https://time.com/7009948/team-usa-france-womens-basketball-final-game-paris-olympics/) 67-66, at Bercy Arena in the Olympic final on Sunday, the last sporting event of the Paris Olympics. The game was a thriller, with France nearly ending Team USA’s 60-game Olympic winning streak that went back to 1992\. Griner played less than five minutes in the gold medal game, scoring just four points. But the box score was irrelevant. Because during the darkest days of Griner’s 293-day detention [in a Russian prison in 2022,](https://time.com/6201052/brittney-griner-russia-fight-for-release/) the notion of Griner being here, in Paris, celebrating the third Olympic gold medal of her standout career, seemed as likely as a warm Siberian winter. “My country fought for me to get back,” Griner, who was freed[ in a prisoner swap ](https://time.com/6239928/griner-biden-prisoner-swap-whelan/)in December of 2022, said after the U.S. victory. “And I was able to bring home gold for my country. There's just no greater feeling.” The emotional response surprised Griner. “I thought I would get a little red eye,” said Griner. Even before the medals ceremony, she excused herself from the group celebration and retreated to a bathroom. “I just kind of had a moment, and got myself together,” said Griner. This Olympic trip was not always easy for Griner. It was her first foray outside of the United States since her release; in February of 2022, Russian authorities detained Griner in Moscow while en route to Yekaterinburg, where she played professionally during the WNBA offseason. The team took a train from London to get to Paris. “Last time I was on a train overseas, it was a prison train,” said Griner. “So that was a little rough. There was a few moments of like, ‘wow.’” USA coach Cheryl Reeve was concerned about Griner’s state of mind going into these Olympics. In February, Griner was supposed to join the U.S. team for an Olympics qualifier in Belgium, but backed out. “Maybe she just needed a little more time,” said Reeve. “More than what she thought.” Reeve marveled at Griner’s ability to compartmentalize. “When you see BG around the team, her outward, she's O.K.,” said Reeve. “You know that inside, there's a lot going on there. But she always presents … the very best version of herself.” Reeve encouraged everyone to “keep checking in on her because it's unfathomable what she went through.” “I always say she has the biggest heart I’ve ever been around. She cares about people, and that's why so many people care about her,” said[ Diana Taurasi,](https://time.com/6088461/bird-taurasi-olympics-usa-women-basketball/) Griner’s WNBA teammate with the Phoenix Mercury, who won her sixth Olympic gold medal on Sunday, the most for any basketball player, ever. “It wasn't easy, and it's still not easy for her. She still carries a big burden.” Griner, 33, didn’t promise to keep chasing Taurasi’s new gold record, but she didn’t rule it out either, as she’s already halfway there. “We’ll see,” said Griner. Her first order of business, post-Olympics, is a back-to-back WNBA road games with the Mercury, against the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever on Aug. 16 and 17\. “Going home to work some more,” she said. Then Griner will have a few days at home in Arizona, to catch her breath and spend some quality time with her wife Cherelle Griner and her son, Bash, who was born in early July. “Just putting that goal next to him and hugging him,” said Griner, “yeah, that'll be my way I celebrate.” ### More From TIME ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7009995/brittney-griner-wept-paris-olympics/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7009995/brittney-griner-wept-paris-olympics/"},"headline":"Why Brittney Griner Wept on the Paris Olympic Medals Stand","datePublished":"2024-08-11T19:25:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:50:20.443Z","description":"The United States had just defeated France, 67-66, at Bercy Arena in the Olympic final on Sunday.","url":"https://time.com/7009995/brittney-griner-wept-paris-olympics/","keywords":["2024 Paris Olympics","sponsorshipblock","News desk edits"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7fcbd6193148ca04/698a59d2cabb1d9575e546e8/Olympics_b3cb8c.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sean Gregory / Paris"}],"articleSection":"Sports","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7fcbd6193148ca04/698a59d2cabb1d9575e546e8/Olympics_b3cb8c.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Basketball - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 16","caption":"Basketball - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 16","creditText":"Daniela Porcelli—Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/sports/","name":"Sports"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2024-paris-olympics/","name":"2024 Paris Olympics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7009995/brittney-griner-wept-paris-olympics/","name":"Why Brittney Griner Wept on the Paris Olympic Medals Stand"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Brittney Griner Speaks Out To Reporters For the First Time Since Detainment in Russia","description":"Brittney Griner, the WNBA player once held in Russia for nearly 10 months on drug-related charges, spoke in Phoenix where she continues to to map her return to the court with the Phoenix Mercury.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/h9Witaq0/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-04-27T19:22:33.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/h9Witaq0.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/7009995/brittney-griner-wept-paris-olympics/","duration":"PT2M13S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/7009995/brittney-griner-wept-paris-olympics/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```