Brittney Griner

Keynote Speaker | Olympic Gold Medalist, WNBA Champion, All-Star, Activist & NYT best-selling Author

BRITTNEY GRINER is one of the most decorated and influential athletes of her generation—an NCAA champion, a WNBA champion, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and a winner of the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award. In the 2013 WNBA draft, the Phoenix Mercury selected Griner as the number one overall pick. She was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year that season before helping lead the Mercury to the 2014 WNBA Championship. She’s a member of the W25, the WNBA’s 2021 list of the top 25 players of all time. A ten-time WNBA All-Star, Griner is the first openly gay American professional athlete to sign a major shoe and apparel deal with Nike. As an ardent supporter of LGBTQ+ causes, Griner has worked with the It Gets Better Project and other organizations inspiring hope for youth facing harassment and bullying. Griner—a Houston native and the proud daughter of a military veteran and retired law enforcement officer—has also partnered with organizations serving veterans and people experiencing homelessness. In partnership with various local organizations, her annual BG Heart and Sole Shoe Drive provides footwear and personal-care items for hundreds. In recognition of her advocacy work, Griner received the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award in 2023 and was honored on Out magazine’s Out 100 list the same year. TIME confirmed Griner’s stature and global impact, naming her one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2023.