Since returning home from a Russian prison, WNBA star Brittney Griner has turned up the motion on building her life off the court, recently welcoming her first child with her wife, Cherelle Griner.
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 with cannabis oil after completing her season playing overseas and heading back to the states.
Briner announced that she wanted the child to call her pops, even though she has always maintained her identity as a biological woman.
So naturally some fans were confused as to why she wants her child to call her “pops” and it opened up a can of worms on social media.
While her wanting to be called “pops” has caused some confusion among fans, Griner has always maintained her identity as a biological woman.
Brittney Griner Reveals Son Bash Will Call Her ‘Pops’ Not ‘Mom’
In an appearance on CBS Sports’ “We Need to Talk,” Griner has a high level of enthusiasm when speaking about her newborn son, also noting how she wants to be identified by her son.
Show host Terrika Foster-Brasby brought up the baby news as she exclaimed, “You’re about to be a mom!”
However, Griner quickly corrected her, saying, “Pops! Pops!”
During the interview, Griner also revealed that her son, Bash, arrived on July 8, 2024.
“I’m super excited,” she said. “Well, I mean, I guess I’ll just drop it… he’s here. 7/8/24. Seven pounds eight ounces. Yeah, that’s my man!”
Griner, who has been on a whirlwind the last few years is entering a new stage of life as she also prepares to represent Team USA who have won seven straight Olympic gold medals dating back to 1996.
She gave her insights on the profound impact and responsibility of parenting, adding, “They said as soon as you see them, everything that you thought mattered just goes out the window. That’s literally what happened.”
This new joy that has entered her life has also added some conflict. While traveling to Paris to represent her country, which fought very hard to get her released from prison in Russia.
“It kind of sucks because I have to leave, but at the same time, he will understand,” Griner told People magazine, adding, “My whole phone has turned into him now.”
Most fans are all in on Griner’s success and happiness, but some weren’t going to let the fact that Griner wants her son to call her pops slide by without voicing their opinions on that particular nugget.
Fans Don’t Understand Why Brittney Griner Wants Newborn Son Bash To Call Her Pops
One X user asked, “If she prefers ‘pops,’ why is she in a women’s league?” while another asked online, “Are men allowed in the WNBA now?”
Definitely not the nicest things to say to Griner who has always been respectful of people and their choices in life.
She spoke of her discomfort with labels, noting that she feels both feminine and masculine energy but was made to choose one as a child.
A third person tweeted, “My mom always said, ‘If you don’t have nothing nice to say, then don’t say nothing at all…”
Another individual wrote on X, “Pops??? Brittney is straight trippin’. Pops is for MEN! You’re a WOMAN! Cut it out!”
It’s all pretty silly. Why would anyone care that Griner wants to be called pops? If she is going to act in the role of the father and she is the more masculine person in the relationship according to whatever lifestyle culture they’ve chosen, then so be it.
Griner certainly isn’t going to be shaken by it because she’s been addressing questions and criticisms about her body image and gender identity since she was in college at Baylor.
Brittney Griner Continues To Address Questions About Her Gender and Body Image
Prior to becoming one of the greatest players in WNBA history, where she took the game to new heights with her array of in-game dunks. A skill she perfected while in high school.
Adding an element to the league that we had never consistently seen before.
In a 2015 ESPN interview, Griner said:
“I’m sure people are going to have a lot of critical things to say,” Griner said in reference to the images of her body featured in the magazine.
“‘Yo, she’s a man!’ But hey, that’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. I don’t know what people think I’m hiding.”
Griner added: “I’ve heard, ‘Oh, she’s not a female, she’s a male.’ I’ve been told, ‘Oh, she’s tucking stuff.’ They thought I was tucking. I mean, [in the Body Issue] it’s out there. Let me show that I embrace flatness! I just want people to see somebody who embraces being naked, embraces everything about them being different.”
In a rather revealing interview, Griner goes on to describe how it was growing up with the characteristics of of a boy, which caused difficulty, mostly due to her height.
“I got called a boy all the time,” she recounted. “Going into the bathroom, I still get the shocked look, like, ‘Are you supposed to be in here?’ But I’m so used to it now, I’m just like, ‘I’m a girl, I’m in the right bathroom.”
Brittney Griner Plays In 10th All-Star Game
Griner played in her 10th All-Star game on July 21. The 33-year-old legend’s Team USA lost to the WNBA All-Stars led by Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, but the two-time scoring champ has bigger fish to fry in Paris.
If she wants her son to call her pops, is it that serious?
