Brittney Griner slams those who think she hates America

Weed-smuggler WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was swapped for a terrorist, is pushing back against perceptions that she harbors anti-American sentiments.

The WNBA standout, recently in the spotlight promoting her book “Coming Home,” took a stand against those who assume she holds animosity towards the country.

This notion arose from past remarks in 2020 suggesting that the national anthem shouldn’t precede games, leading some to question her patriotism.

“I honestly feel we should not play the national anthem during our season,” the WNBA star said at the time. “I think we should take that much of a stand. I don’t mean that in any disrespect to our country. My dad was in Vietnam and a law officer for 30 years. I wanted to be a cop before basketball.

“I do have pride for my country. I personally don’t think it belongs in sports. When the national anthem deemed the National Anthem (in 1931), black people didn’t have rights at that point. It’s hard disrespecting a song that didn’t even represent all Americans when it was first made.”

Griner emphasized that previously she expressed that if the anthem were played, she wouldn’t be on the court for it. However, her perspective shifted upon her return to the U.S. from Russia, where she was imprisoned.

Griner now openly backs the anthem and wants to dispel any notion that she harbors animosity towards America. In an interview with ESPN, she firmly rejected the notion that she holds such feelings.

“But I will say, one of the biggest things that really pissed me off, honestly, was being called non-American, and that I hate America. When my dad literally fought for our country in Vietnam in ’68, ’69, took shrapnel to the head, lost a lot of his friends and went into law enforcement for 30-plus years, and I literally wanted to follow his footsteps. I had no plans on being a basketball player, I literally wanted to follow his footsteps.

“And being told that I hate America, I was like, ‘Wait, when did I ever say that? When did I ever say I didn’t want to be here?’ Like, if I hated America, I wouldn’t live in America, you know? I’m here, I want to be here.

“And because I protested against police brutality, apparently I hate cops? And I’m like, no, I don’t. I’m the one that was saying we should not defund our police departments. But you do one thing, and they just label you as something that you’re not.”