Brittney Griner gracefully traversed the sideline about an hour and a half earlier than the Friday night time matchup of the Phoenix Mercury, partaking in heat embraces and exchanging high-fives together with her teammates, coaches and even the rival gamers.
Then it was a little bit stretching, capturing and agility work to arrange for a basketball sport. Just like previous instances.
“I’m grateful to be here, that’s for sure,” Griner mentioned. “I’m not going to take a day for granted.”
Griner returned to sport motion for the primary time since a virtually 10-month detainment in Russia on drug-related costs ended with a prisoner swap in December. The seven-time All-Star, who missed the 2022 season due to the detainment, completed with 10 factors and three rebounds in a WNBA preseason sport in opposition to the Los Angeles Sparks.
The 6-foot-9 Griner seemed good, particularly contemplating the lengthy layoff, casually throwing down a one-handed dunk throughout warmups. She stood together with her teammates whereas the nationwide anthem was performed and obtained a loud ovation from the house crowd when she was launched earlier than tipoff.
“Hearing the national anthem hit differently,” Griner mentioned. “It’s like once you go for the Olympics, you’re sitting there, about to get gold put in your neck, the flags are going up and the anthem is enjoying, it simply hits totally different.
“Being here today … it means a lot.”
Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard mentioned the anthem and introductions had been emotional for your entire staff.
“We looked at each other and just had chills,” Nygaard mentioned. “We were here last year for all of it. I’m getting emotional about it now. To see her back out there – it’s an absolute miracle. It was amazing. It’s giving me chills again.”
Once the sport began, the 32-year-old Griner instantly went to work, scoring on a turnaround jumper early within the first quarter. A couple of minutes later, she was fouled on one other turnaround and sank each free throws.
She even had a cameo with the medical workers within the third quarter. Teammate Sophie Cunningham went down with a knee harm, and Griner helped carry her off the courtroom so she didn’t should put weight on her leg.
“When one of us goes down, we’re always right there,” Griner mentioned. “That’s one thing about this team – we’re always there for each other. We’ve got each others’ backs, big time.”
Griner’s return to the Mercury rekindles hope the franchise could make one other run to the WNBA Finals. The former Baylor star helped the franchise win its third title in 2014 and has averaged 17.7 factors and seven.6 rebounds throughout her nine-year profession. She was runner-up for Most Valuable Player in 2021 when the Mercury performed within the Finals however misplaced to the Chicago Sky.
Griner mentioned she was extra rusty on the courtroom than anticipated. But given the trials and feelings of the previous 18 months, it was a reasonably good night time.
“Not where I want it to be, but on the right track,” Griner mentioned. “We’re making the right moves.”
Phoenix opens the common season in Los Angeles subsequent Friday.
The further publicity from being detained in Russia for having vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her baggage has given Griner a platform to advocate for different Americans being detained overseas.
Griner introduced in April that she is working with Bring Our Families Home, a marketing campaign fashioned final 12 months by the members of the family of American hostages and wrongful detainees held abroad. She mentioned her staff had contacted the household of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who’s being detained in Russia on espionage costs.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
