Emotional Cherelle Griner tells rally of her frustration with wife Brittney Griner's detention, vows not to rest until she is free

PHOENIX — As her voice cracked, Cherelle Griner, the wife of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, told the crowd assembled inside the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon for the «Bring BG Home Rally» that she is beyond feeling hurt by the WNBA star's detainment.

«I assure you that what and how I feel is no longer hurt by the impact of this tragedy,» Cherelle Griner said hours after speaking with President Joe Biden about her wife's detainment, which has lasted 139 days. «What and how I feel today is a deeper emotion than hurt. I'm frustrated.

»I'm frustrated that 140 days have passed since my wife has been able to speak to our family and friends. I'm frustrated that my wife is not going to get justice."

Cherelle Griner closed out the 46-minute rally and received standing ovations from the crowd of more than 300 (2,000 tickets were requested online), both when she was introduced and after she concluded.

She explained that she wrote out her comments for Wednesday's event because talking about Brittney Griner in the context of her detainment is difficult.

«Talking about my wife is easy and natural for me because that's my person,» Cherelle Griner said. «However, talking about my wife in the light of her absence from her country, her safety and her humanity as a person is gut wrenching.»

Cherelle Griner said she has adopted Brittney Griner's on-court mentality, which Cherelle said Brittney once explained as simply powering through pain and exhaustion.

«I remember asking her once, 'Well, how do you play so well when you're hurting and exhausted like that?'» Cherelle Griner said. «She told me, 'Oh, that me? That me just goes no matter what or how I feel, I get the job done.

»I'll be honest, that is