Brittney Griner makes home floor return in preseason for Phoenix Mercury
May 12, 2023, 8:27 PM | Updated: 10:40 pm
Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury drives the ball against the Los Angeles Sparks during the first half of the WNBA game at Footprint Center on May 12, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner made her return to Footprint Center in a 90-71 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night.
Safe to say her teammates weren’t the only one happy to see Griner make her return to a WNBA court, as she was greeted with hugs from a couple of Sparks players.
the sisterhood of the @WNBA ๐งก pic.twitter.com/X6LC8ONCKu
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) May 13, 2023
Even Phoenix Suns wing Ish Wainright was in attendance to witness the spectacle.
#ValleyTogether always ๐ค๐ป pic.twitter.com/4tnTc8FByO
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) May 13, 2023
Griner finished the game with 10 points on 2-of-5 shooting and a 6-for-8 clip from the free-throw line to go along with three rebounds and one block in 17 minutes played.
And while rocking her new haircut, the Mercury center got right back to work in the paint with this nice post move for two points:
๐๐จ. ๐๐ back on her home court! pic.twitter.com/2dfItAciHI
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) May 13, 2023
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Griner did not travel to Seattle for Phoenix’s 77-71 preseason win over the Storm on Monday.
The return to her home floor marks the first time Griner has played basketball for the Mercury after a nearly 10-month detainment in Russia on drug-related charges that ended with a prisoner swap in December.
Griner has since said that she will only travel abroad to play basketball to represent the United States in international competition.
The Mercury tip off their regular season on May 19 in L.A. against the Sparks at 8 p.m. before returning to Phoenix for the home opener against the Chicago Sky on May 21 at 1 p.m.
