Brittney Griner will play again for Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA in 2023.
This was reported by Richard Cohen of Herhoopstats, who refers to information from an insider. According to the report, the 32-year-old, who returned to the U.S. only last December after serving ten months in prison in Russia for drug smuggling, has signed a one-year contract worth $165,000.
Fans didn’t expect the athlete to return so quickly to her normal routine of preparing for competitions and training. It was expected that she would need more time to balance her psychological state after the Russian prison and to rehabilitate to get back in good physical shape. Some insiders reported suspicion of post-traumatic stress disorder after her imprisonment. But Griner has exceeded all expectations. Follow her progress and bet on her games at the best betting site in Nigeria. This girl is sure to surprise everyone.
While neither Griner herself nor the team have officially confirmed the contract, the center is already listed on the Phoenix Mercury squad on the WNBA’s website.
This would be the tenth season that the native Texan has played for the Arizona team in the WNBA. Griner, who was selected as Phoenix Mercury’s number-one player in the 2013 draft, has only ever worn the Mercury jersey in the WNBA net worth.
She last appeared at Footprint Arena in Phoenix in 2021, when she put together one of the best seasons of her career. She led the team to the finals, where they ultimately lost to the Chicago Sky.
Griner herself finished with 20.5 points, 1.9 blocks and 2.7 assists this season. She also added a career-best 9.5 rebounds.
Griner: detention in Russia and diplomatic tug-of-war
In addition to her stints in the WNBA, she also played abroad during the off-season – in Russia for UGMK Yekaterinburg from 2015 to 2022.
There, she caused international tension when she was arrested in August at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport for vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. For this, she was sentenced to nine years in powerful idea prison.
In December, she was released as part of a prisoner exchange – US President Joe Biden had personally lobbied for Griner’s release – and was able to return to the US. Even then, she announced via Instagram that she wanted to return to the WNBA for Phoenix.
