In an embarrassing moment, Atlanta Dream center and prominent leftist Brittney Griner went off on WNBA officials during a tense game against the Dallas Wings, yelling an expletive on live TV and storming away from an on-court interview, a stunt that made Griner the butt of the joke online.
For context, Brittney Griner, one of the top players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has been a lightning rod for controversy throughout her storied career, both for her conduct on the court and for her personal life and political views. In addition, Griner was released from detention in Russia as part of a prisoner swap in 2022 after she was imprisoned on drug smuggling charges.
In addition, Griner has reportedly been a longtime supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, and she even called for the WNBA to stop playing the National Anthem in 2020 in protest of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. As a result of her hard-left politics, Griner has frequently drawn the ire of conservatives.
During a game against the Dallas Wings on May 25, 2025, Griner once again made a scene during an on-court interview. As she was about to talk to CBS Sports at halftime, WNBA officials walked behind her, and she walked away to accost them, saying, “Be f—ing better.” In response, the visibly embarrassed CBS Sports anchor said to the camera, “We’re gonna send it back to you guys.”
After the incident, Griner’s freakout was shared on X by Eric Daughterty of FL Voice News, who wrote, “LOSING IT! Brittney Griner storms away from on-court interview to berate the refs.” In response to the video, conservatives sounded off in the comments section, with the X user The Outlaw Patriot asking, “Why did we bring her back from Russia again?” Another user added, “Wow, Griner…she really shows her humility after being saved from a Russian prison.”
Importantly, Griner’s on-court flipout was far from the first time the WNBA star has made a controversial public move. On February 17, 2022, Griner was arrested in Russia on drug smuggling charges after Federal Customs Service Agents found she was carrying prescribed medicinal cannabis, which is illegal in Russia. In response, U.S. Government officials reportedly stated that they believed Griner had been “wrongfully detained.”
In addition, when Griner was detained in Russia, her agent, Lindsey Kagaway Colas, called on the White House to “do whatever is necessary to bring her home.” In addition, Griner’s wife, Cherelle, wrote on Instagram that she was doing “everything in my power to get BG home.”
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Furthermore, Griner was finally released from Russia in December 2022, and she later appeared on a special edition of CBS News’ “20/20,” telling host Robin Roberts that having marijuana on her person was “a mistake,” adding, “It was an accident, which I understand accidents have repercussions. And I’m an American in Russia, where relations aren’t the best. You know?”
Watch Griner’s viral freakout:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video