Brittney Griner returned home last week after nearly 300 days in Russian custody as part of a prisoner swap. It was an emotional day for many, particularly those in the WNBA world who spent the last year taking every opportunity to campaign for her release and urging the Biden Administration to do whatever it took to get the star home.
On Friday morning we heard from Griner for the first time, as she posted to Instagram with a statement thanking her wife, Cherelle, her WNBA family, and many more for the tireless work to get her home and the support that helped keep her going in dark days in Russia.
Griner also closed her statement with an announcement that will have fans excited, as she made clear that she plans to play this season for the Mercury.
I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon.
It will undoubtedly be quite the scene when Griner steps onto her home floor in Phoenix for the first time, and her return to the court will be the headlining story of the 2023 season. From a basketball perspective, it’s huge for the Mercury to get their All-Star center back, but for the league as a whole it will be right to have one of the stars of the game back on the court.
