Last night (July 20), stars gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 30th annual ESPY Awards. Although the night was centered around celebrating the accomplishments of the esteemed athletes of our time, many honorees used their platform throughout the night to speak on the fight to bring Brittney Griner back home.
Steph Curry, Nneka Ogwumike, and Skylar Diggins Smith took the stage to share a powerful message and urge viewers to never stop saying Griner’s name. “We are thrilled to have Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins Smith along with WNBA stars here with us tonight. We also need to acknowledge someone who isn’t here, and her name is on this jersey,” began Curry, who opened up his jacket to reveal a jersey with Griner’s name on it.
“BG is a WNBA champion. She’s an eight-time WNBA all-star,” added Ogwumike. “A national champion in college, an Olympic gold medalist, and athlete who has fans all over the world. A human being whose predicament demands our attention.”
Diggins then spoke about how long it has been since Griner has been home and that thoughts without actions aren’t enough. “It’s been 153 nights now that BG has been wrongfully detained thousands of miles away from home, away from her family, away from her friends, away from her team. All throughout that time, we’ve kept her in our thoughts and in our hearts, even though we know that ain’t nearly enough to bring her home,” she said.
Curry then shared his closing remarks and reminded viewers that she is an important part of the community. “There are a lot of people working hard to secure Britney’s release,” ensured Curry. “As we hope for the best, we urge the entire global sports community to continue to stay energized on her behalf. Brittney isn’t just on the Phoenix Mercury. She isn’t just a member on her team in Russia. She isn’t just an Olympian. She’s one of us.”