Sandra Griner was not the best mother to her daughter, WNBA star Brittney Griner. 

Brittney grew up just outside of Houston, and her childhood was full of trials that shaped her. Before she became a controversial WNBA star, Brittney was a young girl trying to come to terms with her sexuality while navigating her mother’s mental illness.

Sandra has lived with schizophrenia for a long time. She lives a private life even though her daughter has become famous on and off the basketball court. Sandra and Brittney have, against all odds, maintained a pretty good relationship with each other even though her condition made it difficult to be effective as a mom. 

Sandra Griner Was Unreliable as a Mother

Brittney has been very candid about her relationship with Sandy Griner. In a past interview, the talented sports star opened up about her ordeals growing up with a mother with schizophrenia. According to her, Sandra always had erratic behavior, making her an unreliable presence at home. 

She said: “My mother vacillated wildly between affection, praise, bouts of intense creativity and joy, and seemingly infinite rounds of melancholy, listlessness, and abuse.”

Sandra was born into a family of six, so Sandra’s mental struggles were quite apparent. Fortunately, she had her kids with a man who was a blessing providing them security and an understanding ear. 

Brittney has admitted that she is a certified daddy’s girl. This is because her father was an anchor in the raging storm that was her mother’s mental health. He provided her a sense of safety when Sandra Griner could not care for her four kids. 

Sandra Griner’s Husband Is an Oasis of Steadiness 

Sandra Griner’s husband, Raymond, is a police officer who worked his job and also managed to hold down his family. Brittney said about him: “I don’t know who I’d be without my daddy, an oasis of steadiness in the desert of my mother’s absence.” 

According to the talented athlete, she spent much time with her dad as a child, and he did his job happily. She recalled how she would rest on his stomach, stomp around their home in his too-big shoes, and take walks together. 

Brittney also has her father to thank for her excellent work ethic. He had a lot of responsibility on his neck because of Sandra’s mental health, but he always showed up. Brittney inherited his height which is a staggering 6’2. It meant Brittney was always taller than her peers. 

Sandra Griner and Her Daughter Are Close

Sandra Griner may have mental health disorder; however, she did her best to fulfill her duties as a mother. Brittney, her youngest child, was born on October 18, 1990, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in downtown Houston. 

She came in at ten pounds and eleven ounces, making her the hospital’s giant baby that day. Despite Sandra’s schizophrenia, she has maintained a close relationship with Brittney, who has been known to occasionally share affectionate posts of her on social media. 

In 2014, the WNBA star shared a picture with her mother and captioned it with a heartfelt message. It began: “My mom. You are my rock. You are always there for me when I run in the house, cut up or hurt.”

Brittney also wrote: ‘You are my doctor/nurse/best friend/heart/my everything. The number one woman in my life…Best believe my mom is the strongest person I know, with the biggest heart in the world (sic).”

In 2015, Brittney praised Sandra for her academic achievement by sharing a picture of her young mother in graduation attire. Her caption clearly showed her pride in her mom, which melted hearts.

Sandra is also the first to find out her daughter is gay. There was no judgment from her, and it did not affect her relationship with Brittney. The sportswoman is now well on her way to becoming a WNBA legend like Diana Taurasi, and she has nobody but her parents to thank for it.