WNBA star Brittney Griner is back on the court!
, bringing an end to an ordeal that sparked intense high-level negotiations between Washington and Moscow to secure her freedom.
Griner was a free agent but previously announced her intentions to return to the Mercury in December, when she "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," the athlete wrote on Instagram.
Griner spent nearly 300 days in Russia and last played for the Mercury in 2021, when she helped the team make it to the WNBA finals., Griner will earn $165,100 to play for the Mercury over the 2023 WNBA campaign, a 32 percent drop from last season and far less than the $234,936 supermax for which she was eligible. But Griner's pay cut reportedly allowed the Mercury to, the WNBA's all-time scoring champion and 10-time All-Star, as well as several other free agents to round out its roster.
Griner took to Instagram to celebrate her return. The star player shared a video to her page, showcasing several moments from her time with the Mercury before her detainment, including a brief clip flaunting her infamous dunks.Several famous fans and friends shared their congratulations for Griner in the replies, including Indiana Fever point guard Erica Wheeler, who wrote,"For sure I am jumping on your back when I see you! You know how it goes.
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