Brittney Griner Makes 2023 Met Gala Debut 5 Months After Release from Russia

The WNBA star and her wife Cherelle stepped out alongside each other on the event's red carpet for the first time

Brittney and Cherelle Griner made their Met Gala debut on Monday!

Brittney, 32, and Cherelle, 30, walked the carpet at the exclusive event in New York City side-by-side, just months after the WNBA star returned home from Russian imprisonment.

The couple coordinated in custom Calvin Klein. Brittney — who previously told Elle in 2013 that she vowed to never wear a dress again after her high school graduation — wore a long beige coat, matching trousers and a sheer top.

Cherelle, though, opted for a gown — a white strapless one with silver statement earrings.

"It is dripping off of us right now," Brittney said of their looks for the exclusive affair.

When speaking with La La Anthony on Vogue's red carpet livestream, Cherelle took a moment to remember the hardship the couple faced one year ago. "This time last year, I was missing my wife, so to have her right here, to be in this moment — breathtaking," she said.

"It's everything just to be here with my wife and just able to be here," Brittney added. "It means so much. Get to see this event a lot and actually live it. It's amazing."

Both Brittney and Cherelle were dressed in custom designs from Calvin Klein for the evening, who also styled the couple for Saturday's White House Correspondent's Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Brittney and Cherelle were invited as guests of CBS and Gayle King to the event, where the WNBA star was able to thank President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden for the administration's efforts toward her release from Russia last year.

Related:Brittney Griner and Cherelle Griner's Relationship Timeline

Related:Brittney Griner Says She'll 'Never Go Overseas to Play Again' After Her Russian Imprisonment

King, 68, shared a video on Instagram of the Griners' reactions to the meeting.

"Just got done meeting President Biden and it was amazing," Brittney told the camera.

She added, "It was emotional, that's for sure. I'll say that. It was emotional for both of us. It was especially for me."

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When King asked Brittney what Biden had said to her that stood out, the WNBA star said she "thought it was pretty cool" that the president said he was a fan of hers. "He kept saying how big of a fan he was of mine and how much he loved the way I play basketball," Brittney said.

Cherelle added, "It was a full circle moment to finally meet with him, not by myself, but with BG as well. It was just amazing."

Related:Brittney Griner Has 'Gotten Better' Ahead of Basketball Return, Says Teammate Diana Taurasi

Last month, Brittney announced she will tell her "raw, emotional" story in a new memoir with publishing company Alfred A. Knopf.

PEOPLE previously reported that the memior will detail the "tumultuous events of 2022 that both reshaped her life and captured the world's attention" when she was arrested at an airport near Moscow in Feb. 2022, according to a press release for the project.

The book will include previously-unheard details about Brittney's "stark" living conditions and the "terrifying aspects" of day-to-day life in a foreign prison.

The currently untitled book is scheduled for a spring 2024 release.

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