Cherelle Griner, 30, celebrated after officially becoming a lawyer.
The wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, Cherelle has been a staunch figure in the athlete’s return to the U.S. after she was detained in Russia for nearly a year. Brittney’s arrest and eventual released stemmed from her having a small amount of cannabis oil on her person while she was in the country to play basketball.
“So over the last nine months, you all have been so privy to one of the darkest moments of my life, and so today I am just standing here overwhelmed with emotions,” Cherelle said in December 2022 at the time of Britneys return. “But the most important emotion I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration.”
Cherelle obviously isn’t new to the judicial system, as she graduated from the North Carolina Central University School of Law last spring while her wife was imprisoned in Russia. She shared in an Instagram post that the action “didn’t come easy” and said she almost chose not to do it. Thank God I sat for the July 2022 bar exam…you may now address me as Counselor.”
“Final grades dropped, I’ll be graduating law school with honors (cum laude)! This was no easy feat, and truthfully I didn’t even know I could do it,” Cherelle wrote in an earlier post. “Best believe, I’ll never doubt me again,” she continued. Cherelle also added that her degree comes from a school she’s immensely proud to have attended. “I didn’t just go to law school — I went to one of THE 6 HBCU law schools remaining! The way my ancestors are smiling.”
During her schooling, the couple has avidly advocated for the release of captive Americans and even implored the Biden administration to lend support in bringing journalist Evan Gershkovitch home, who was also detained in Russia.
Now, Cherelle will be able to help even more people.
“There aren’t enough words for me to express how abundantly proud I am of you baby,” Brittney, 32, wrote in an Instagram post. “To be able to see first hand the hard work, determination, and passion you had during this journey of becoming an attorney! Congratulations Attorney Cherelle Griner.”