“I need help paying the bills”: Inside the chaotic, multimillion-dollar divorce that is casting a shadow over Brittney Griner's season
Griner and the Connecticut Sun have just 10 wins through 43 WNBA games.
Brittney Griner ’s divorce is adding another layer of uncertainty to a difficult WNBA season, with her estranged wife asking the court to consider the stark gap between their incomes when deciding support. The Connecticut Sun star filed for divorce in Fulton County, Georgia , after eight years of marriage, while Cherelle Griner has asked the court for financial support and joint legal custody of their two-year-old son.
Cherelle says the marriage ended on July 24 and describes it as “irretrievably broken with no hope for reconciliation,” whilst she also notes that Brittney earns substantially more than she does. In court documents, she says there is a “substantial disparity” in their income and that she is “unable to meet her reasonable financial needs on a monthly basis without continued support.” Brittney is playing for the Sun on a reported one-year contract worth more than $1 million, placing her earnings at the center of the request as the divorce case moves forward. Cherelle , who is an attorney, also wants joint legal custody of Bash , with the court determining physical custody and parenting time according to the child’s best interests.
Sun slump to latest defeat as dismal WNBA season continues
The developments come at a bad time for Brittney as her first season with Connecticut has also been a difficult one, with the Sun sitting at 10-33 after Tuesday’s loss to the Washington Mystics . Shakira Austin scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Mystics defeated Connecticut 79-69 on September 22 . Diamond Miller led Connecticut with 19 points, whilst Leila Lacan and Raegan Beers each scored 11. Washington used a 15-4 run to build a double-digit lead late in the third quarter. The result left Connecticut with 10 wins and 33 losses, while Washington improved to 27-16 and secured a franchise-record 27th victory. Neither team’s immediate fortunes erase the off-court drama. The Sun will now host the Toronto Tempo on September 24 in the regular-season finale for both teams, with neither side qualifying for the postseason as Connecticut prepare to relocate to Texas to become the Houston Comets . The team had reached the WNBA Semifinals in 2024, but this season has taken a very different path as they prepare to close the campaign with a second successive losing record. The team finished 11-33 in 2025 and will finish at best 11-33 in 2026. For Griner , the divorce proceedings now add a separate legal and financial issue to an already challenging season.
