Brittney Griner, a former WNBA participant who was imprisoned, is getting again to regular. The Phoenix Mercury introduced on Tuesday that Griner, who missed final season, has signed a one-year contract with the group.
She’s going to return to the WNBA after serving a 10-month sentence in a Russian correctional camp for possessing cannabis-infused vape canisters. She was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February, as Russia started its struggle with Ukraine.
In a written assertion, Mercury Normal Supervisor Jim Pitman mentioned: “It’s an awesome day for all of us to announce that Brittney Griner has formally signed to play for the Mercury in 2023. We missed BG every single day that she was gone and, whereas basketball was not our major concern, her presence on the ground, in our locker room, round our group, and inside our neighborhood was enormously missed. We are going to proceed to make use of the assets of our group to help her, on and off the ground, and we’re thrilled for her that she will get to return to basketball, which she loves so dearly. This can be a particular signing and right this moment is a special occasion for all of us.”
Earlier than changing into a political prisoner, Brittney Griner was one of many prime gamers within the league nonetheless making noise on the basketball court docket.
Within the final full season Brittney Griner performed, she led the league in effectivity ranking (26.0), whereas coming in second place within the scoring class by averaging 20.5 factors per recreation. She was No. 1in blocks with a mean of 1.9 per recreation. Second in field-goal share (57.5), whereas she averaged a franchise-record and career-high 9.5 rebounds, which was ok for sixth place throughout the 2021 season. She additionally had a single-season franchise-record 16 double-doubles, which elevated her franchise-record 57 profession double-doubles.
