In a striking display of emotion at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Brittney Griner, once a vocal critic of the national anthem, found herself visibly moved as “The Star-Spangled Banner” played during her gold medal ceremony. This moment marked a significant shift in attitude for the WNBA star, who just a few years ago, was among the most outspoken athletes protesting the anthem.
Griner’s newfound sense of patriotism stands in sharp contrast to her stance during the tumultuous summer of 2020. At that time, America was grappling with deep racial tensions following the death of George Floyd. Many athletes, including Griner, chose to protest what they perceived as systemic racism in the country by refusing to stand for the national anthem. Griner went so far as to suggest that the WNBA should not even play the anthem before games.
“I honestly feel we should not play the national anthem during our season,” Griner declared in July 2020. “I’m not going to be out there for the national anthem. If the league continues to want to play it, that’s fine. I’ll not be out there all season long.” Her words resonated with those who believed the anthem represented a nation that had failed to address racial injustice.
However, Griner’s perspective seems to have undergone a dramatic transformation following her harrowing experience in a Russian penal system. In 2022, Griner was arrested and spent nearly ten months in a Russian prison on drug charges before being released in a highly publicized prisoner swap. The ordeal appears to have given her a renewed appreciation for the freedoms that many Americans may take for granted.
Reflecting on her Olympic experience in Paris, Griner said, “I didn’t think I would be here. And then to be here, winning gold for my country, representing when my country fought for me so hard to even be standing here. This gold medal is going to hold a special place among the other two I was fortunate to win.”
Her words echo sentiments she shared upon her return from Russia, where she acknowledged that the national anthem “hit different” after experiencing life in a foreign prison. “Hearing the national anthem, it definitely hit different,” she said last year. “It’s like when you go for the Olympics, you’re sitting there, about to get gold put on your neck, the flags are going up, and the anthem is playing, it just hits different. Being here today … it means a lot.”
Despite this apparent change of heart, Griner still defends her past actions. Earlier this year, she expressed surprise at the backlash she received for kneeling during the anthem. “Everyone has made a mistake before,” Griner said, though she maintained that her protest was not unpatriotic but rather an exercise of her rights as an American. “You have the right to protest, the right to speak out, question, challenge, and do all these things,” she said, reflecting on how her time in Russia deepened her appreciation for these freedoms.
Yet, there’s no denying that Griner’s relationship with the anthem has evolved. “Just being able to hear my national anthem, see my flag, I definitely want to stand,” she said. “Now, everybody that will not stand or not come out, I totally support them 100%. That’s our right as an American in this great country.”
Griner’s journey from protester to patriot is a powerful reminder of how life’s experiences can reshape our views on the very freedoms that define America. Whether this change is permanent or situational remains to be seen, but for now, Brittney Griner’s Olympic moment has added a new chapter to her complex and evolving story.