Brittney Griner Wants Her Newborn Son to Call Her ‘Daddy’

Brittney Grinerwho recently welcomed his first child with his wife, Cherelle Grinerraised eyebrows about what she wants to be called by her child.

Although her desire to be called “daddy” caused some confusion among fans, Griner has always maintained her identity as a biological female.

Brittney Griner is currently preparing for her third Olympic Games after being released from a Russian prison in a high-profile prisoner swap.

During an appearance on CBS Sports’ “We Need to Talk,” Griner gushed about her newborn son, noting that she wants the child to call her “daddy” instead of “mommy.”

Host Terrika Foster-Brasby addressed the news of the baby’s birth by exclaiming, “You’re about to be a mommy!” However, Grinner quickly corrected her, saying, “Pops! Pops!”

During the interview, the WNBA star also confirmed that she has already welcomed her son, Bash, with her wife, Cherelle, on July 8, 2024.

“I’m super excited,” she said. “Well, I mean, I guess I’ll just let it go… he’s here. 7/8/24. Seven pounds, eight ounces. Yeah, that’s my man!”

“He’s amazing,” Griner added of his newborn, Bash.

She reflected on the profound impact of becoming a parent, adding: “They said that as soon as you see them, everything you thought was important disappears. That’s literally what happened.”

As the basketball star prepares to head to Paris for her third Olympic appearance with Team USA, she reflects on the challenges of leaving her newborn behind.

“It’s a bit of a shame because I have to go, but at the same time, he’ll understand,” Griner said, according to People magazineadding: “My whole phone has become his image now.”

Griner’s choice to call his son “Dad” has caused some confusion among basketball fans.

One person asked, “If she prefers ‘pops’ why is she in a women’s league?” while another asked online, “Are men allowed in the WNBA anymore?”

A third person noted: “My mother always said, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all…'”

Another person wrote on X: “Pops??? Brittney is completely insane. Pops is for MEN! You’re a WOMAN! Stop it!”

Amid criticism of her choice to be called “daddy,” it’s worth noting that Griner has always asserted her identity as a biological woman.

In 2015 ESPN In an interview, she addressed the criticism she has received in the past regarding her body image and gender identity.

“I’m sure people will have a lot of critical things to say,” Griner said, referring to the images of her body featured in the magazine.

“Hey, he’s a man!” But hey, it’s my body and I look the way I look,” she continued. “People are either going to accept me for who I am or they’re not going to accept me. I don’t know what people think I’m hiding.”

Griner added: “I’ve heard, ‘Oh, she’s not a woman, she’s a man.’ I’ve been told, ‘Oh, she’s tucking in.’ They thought I was tucking in. I mean, (in the body issue) it’s over there. Let me show that I’m okay with the platitude! I just want people to see someone who’s okay with being naked, who’s okay with everything that makes them different.”

Griner also shared her experiences of being mistaken for a boy growing up and even being challenged when using the women’s restroom.

“I was called ‘boy’ all the time,” she says. “When I go to the bathroom, I always get this shocked look, like, ‘Are you supposed to be here?’ But I’m so used to it now, I just think, ‘I’m a girl, I’m in the right bathroom.’”

She recalls one particularly striking encounter in China, in which a woman was so shocked by Griner’s presence in the women’s restroom that she tried to push her out.

“I just laughed,” Griner said of the incident, according to the Daily Mail.

The basketball player expressed her discomfort with labels, noting that she feels a mix of feminine and masculine traits, but was forced to choose one as a child.

Griner and Cherelle got engaged in 2018, but four years later, the WNBA star was arrested at a Moscow airport for allegedly carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.

Initially detained near Moscow, the 33-year-old was later transferred to a penal colony in Mordovia to serve a nine-year sentence for drug trafficking.

In December 2022, after ten months in custody, the WNBA star was released as part of a prisoner swap with arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner recently re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury ahead of the Paris Olympics.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Griner shared that wearing his No. 15 U.S. jersey gives him chills.

“It means the world to me, honestly,” she said. “To now have the honor of wearing it again and potentially winning gold, it’s the cherry on top.”