With lots of photos and exciting text, this chapter-book biography of the WNBA superstar focuses on her WNBA career, with a little bit about her childhood and college years.
Among other things, it notes that as a child, she was picked on for being tall, but used the taunts to motivate her.
The volume also includes a discussion of her detainment in Russia, noting that she was playing there because of unequal pay for women athletes in the U.S. “Local officials said she was bringing illegal drugs into the country,” but the U.S. government investigated and said she was “‘wrongfully detained,’ or should not be in jail.'” That elides a few details (the substance was medically prescribed in the U.S., although illegal in Russia), but feels age appropriate. The book goes on to note how Russia’s war with Ukraine made it hard to get information from Russia, but “many worked hard” to help Griner, who was finally released.
While the book does not discuss her queer identity per se, it notes that when she got home, she first “wanted to spend some quiet time with her wife, Cherelle Griner.” The story ends with her return to the WNBA for the 2023 season.
