Brittney Griner’s WNBA Return Celebrated by Mercury Coach: ‘Today Is a Day of Joy’

For the most most indispensable time in 578 days, Brittney Griner suited up in a WNBA normal season game because the Phoenix Mercury opened the 2023 marketing campaign on Friday night in opposition to the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Enviornment.

“This day is a day of pleasure,” Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard told newshounds Friday. “An improbable, improbable instruct has took situation.”

Griner hadn’t looked in a WNBA game since Sport 4 of the 2021 Finals after being detained in Russia in February 2022. She spent 10 months in a Russian penal advanced earlier than being freed in a prisoner swap between the USA and Russia.

Griner’s highly-anticipated return to the court docket change into illustrious by her coaches, teammates, followers and even Vice President Kamala Harris, who attended Friday’s season-opener and gave a speech in the Mercury locker room earlier than the game.

Griner, a seven-time All-Star and 2014 WNBA champion, opened the most most indispensable half of Friday’s game with an spectacular 11 aspects, five rebounds, two assists and three blocks.

The 32-year-extinct is anticipated to play a broad characteristic for the Mercury this season alongside Diana Taurasi as Phoenix appears to rebound from a disappointing 15-21 end to the 2022 marketing campaign.

It might maybe well presumably maybe take a whereas for Griner to come to paunchy make, but there might maybe be itsy-bitsy doubt she will be able to be able to succor the team after averaging 20.5 aspects, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in the center of the 2021 season.