If you’ve spent more than five minutes on social media during a Phoenix Mercury game, you’ve seen the comments. They’re everywhere. People flooding the mentions of every highlight clip with the same tired question: is Brittney Griner a man or a woman?
It’s a question that has followed her from the asphalt of Houston playgrounds to the Olympic podium. Honestly, it’s kinda wild that in 2026, we’re still dissecting the biology of one of the greatest athletes to ever pick up a basketball. But here we are.
Let’s get the facts straight
Brittney Griner is a woman. She was born Brittney Yevette Griner on October 18, 1990, in Houston, Texas. Her parents, Raymond and Sandra Griner, have been vocal throughout her life about her childhood. She’s the youngest of four. Her dad, a former Marine and deputy sheriff, famously joked in early interviews that she "wasn't your ordinary teenage girl" because she was busy fixing brakes and changing oil in the garage with him.
She isn't transgender. She isn't a man "pretending" to be in the WNBA.
So why the confusion? Basically, it comes down to a mix of physics and deep-seated stereotypes about what a woman "should" look like.
The physics of being 6'9"
When you’re a 6-foot-9 woman, the world treats you differently. Griner doesn't just have height; she has a massive 88-inch wingspan. That’s longer than many NBA centers.
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She has spoken openly—and often quite painfully—about her deep voice. In a 2025 interview with Good Morning America, she admitted that the constant mockery of her baritone voice feels like a "punch in the gut."
But there’s a biological reality here. Medical experts have pointed out that at her height, the thoracic cavity and vocal cords are naturally larger. Bigger vocal cords equals a deeper pitch. It’s just resonance.
Why the "man" rumors started
The rumors didn't start with her 2022 detention in Russia, though that certainly poured gasoline on the fire. They started when she was a teenager.
- The Dunking: She was dunking in high school. Not just grazing the rim—slamming it.
- The Style: Griner has always embraced a masculine-of-center aesthetic. She wears suits. She shops in the men’s section.
- The Chest: She has a very flat, athletic build.
In 2015, she did something incredibly brave. She posed for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. Totally nude. She did it specifically to show the world her body and say, "This is me. I’m flat-chested. I’m lean. I’m a woman."
She told ESPN at the time, "I’ve heard, ‘Oh, she’s not a female, she’s a male. I’ve been told, ‘Oh, she’s tucking stuff.’" She wanted to end the "tucking" theories once and for all by simply showing up as herself. It didn't work for everyone, clearly.
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The Russia factor and DNA tests
During her legal battle in Russia, a fake CNN screenshot went viral. It claimed Russian officials were demanding a DNA test to see which prison she should go to.
It was a total fabrication.
Russian authorities never questioned her gender. She was held in a women’s facility (IK-2 in Yavas). If there had been any actual doubt about her biological sex, the Russian legal system—not exactly known for its progressive stance on gender—would have made it a central part of the trial. They didn't.
What most people get wrong about "masculinity" in sports
We have this weird collective habit of "gender policing" women who are too good at sports. If a woman is too fast (Caster Semenya), too strong (Serena Williams), or too tall (Brittney Griner), the immediate reaction from the internet is to demand proof of womanhood.
Griner has addressed this in her memoirs, In My Skin and Coming Home. She spent her middle school years being bullied. Kids called her a boy. She even struggled with suicidal thoughts because the world couldn't reconcile her talent with her appearance.
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She identifies as a queer woman. She’s married to Cherelle Griner. They recently welcomed a son, Bash, via IVF and surrogacy.
Actionable insights on the Griner conversation
If you're looking for the truth behind the headlines, here is what actually matters:
- Look at the paper trail: Her birth certificate, high school records, and NCAA eligibility all confirm she is a biological female.
- Understand the "Uncanny Valley": People often mistake "androgyny" for "transgender." Griner is an androgynous cisgender woman.
- Check the source: Almost every "Griner is a man" claim comes from meme accounts or blogs with no journalistic standards. Fact-checkers like PolitiFact and Snopes have debunked these claims repeatedly since 2013.
The reality is that Brittney Griner is just an outlier. She is a biological woman who happens to have a physical profile that is exceptionally rare. Instead of looking for a "secret" gender, it's more accurate to see her as a person who simply doesn't fit the narrow box society built for female athletes.
The next time you see a viral video of her speaking or dunking, remember that a deep voice or a 40-inch vertical doesn't change a birth certificate. It just makes her a formidable opponent on the court.
Stop looking for a conspiracy where there’s only a career's worth of hard work and unique genetics. If you want to understand her better, read her 2024 memoir Coming Home. It details her time in Russia and her journey toward accepting a body that the world has tried to claim isn't hers.
Check the stats, watch the games, and recognize that being a "one of one" athlete usually means dealing with a lot of noise.