Glory Johnson-Griner announces she is pregnant

Tulsa Shock forward Glory Johnson, the wife of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, is pregnant with her first child, she announced Thursday.

Tulsa Shock forward Glory Johnson-Griner, the wife of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, is pregnant and will not play this season, the Shock announced Thursday. 

“We are excited for Glory and Brittney and wish them the best in the upcoming year with the birth of their first child,” Shock president Steve Swetoha said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing Glory back in a Shock uniform in 2016.”

Johnson-Griner said the decision to miss this season was a difficult one. 

“It has always been a dream of mine to start a family with someone I love,” she said. “Being a professional athlete that plays year round, there is never a perfect time to get pregnant without putting my career on hold.”

Prior to the announcement, Johnson-Griner alluded to her pregnancy in an Instagram post.

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A post shared by Glory B. Johnson (@missvol25)

Johnson-Griner and Grinerwere married last month, three weeks after they were both arrested for allegedly attacking each other. Griner and Johnson-Griner were each suspended seven games by the WNBA. Her suspension, which she plans to appeal, will not begin until next season. 

Johnson-Griner has denied being the aggressor in the confrontation.

“If I’m being fought,” Johnson-Griner said during an exclusive interview with SI.comlast Thursday. “I’m not just gonna sit back … there’s probably a better way to handle it. But at the time … you’re just thinking of protecting yourself and doing what you need to do to stand up for yourself.”

Johnson-Griner also revealed in that interview that she and Griner had been consulting with fertility doctors. She had told The New York Times after the wedding that the couple was “planning on kids sooner than later.”

Johnson-Griner, 24, averaged 14.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last season. She has been named an All-Star in each of the past two seasons. 

- Dan Gartland