Brittney Griner has promised she will never play basketball overseas again, except for the U.S. national team. But now she has the chance to play in the WNBA offseason with a national league.
Griner will play in Unrivaled, a new professional 3-on-3 league based in Miami, as part of Team Phantom BC with Phoenix Mercury teammate Natasha Cloud. This will be her first competition during the WNBA offseason since being held in Russia in 2022.
To supplement her WNBA salary, Griner played in Russia during the offseason and earned up to $1.5 million per year.
“I feel like something was missing in my offseason; I was used to playing all year long,” Griner said at Tuesday’s media day. “I wanted to get back to working year-round. This is going to help me stay fresh, get all the dust off and be ready for when the (WNBA) comes back.”
Why do WNBA players go to Russia? What you need to know
When Griner was returning to play in Russia in February 2022, she was jailed after being arrested on drug charges at a Moscow airport when customs officials said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. The U.S. State Department classified her as wrongfully detained in May 2022, and Griner was released in a prisoner exchange in December 2022.
The 34-year-old averaged 17.8 points and 6.6 rebounds last season as the Mercury reached the first round of the WNBA playoffs before being eliminated by the Minnesota Lynx.
Griner is an unrestricted free agent heading into next season, but he has no plans to leave Phoenix. Griner and his wife, Cherellle, welcomed their son, Bash, in July, further putting down roots in Phoenix.
Now, with the launch of Unrivaled this year, Griner has found a place to prepare for the Mercury’s upcoming season after training the last two offseasons in Phoenix.
“It’s going to challenge me to play a little differently,” Griner said. “I’ve been trying to evolve my game anyway, not just always playing in the low post. Stretching out, playing on the wing a little bit. I can’t wait to show it off and be put in the spotlight. challenge as well. And then I’ll be in the best shape possible when I come back (to Phoenix).”
This article was originally published on Arizona Republic: Brittney Griner participates in the first offseason league from Russia
