Brittney Griner didn’t know what to expect at the start of the WNBA season, or how she would react after the trauma she experienced during her incarceration in Russia that also forced her off the court for several months.
Griner surprised herself by playing well enough to start Saturday’s All-Star Game.
“I just wanted to go out and do my best not to get hurt, give my best,” Griner said. “I was actually a little shocked by what happened once I got on the pitch, so I’m happy with that.
“It was definitely a tough road. A lot of long, hard hours in the gym and weight room to get back into it.”
Griner spent nearly 300 days in Russian detention after being arrested February 17, 2022, on drug-related charges at an airport near Moscow. She was released on December 8 after the U.S. government agreed to a prisoner exchange.
The WNBA kept Griner in mind during her detention in Russia, putting her initials and No. 42 jersey on every court. She was also named an honorary starter at last year’s All-Star Game.
This year, she is a true starter averaging 19.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots for the Phoenix Mercury.
“My stats will definitely be better this year than last year,” Griner said with a laugh. “You have to use humor in life.”
Griner will play for Team Stewart.
“It’s really inspiring to see what she does and the way she carries herself,” said team captain Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty. “It’s like she’s been gone for ten months, but she still acts and behaves the same way. The strength she has to achieve this is something I really admire. And the way she’s able to be a force on the field, she’s one of them, and we’re happy she’s back with us.
Griner said not only did she not think she would play in this year’s All-Star Game, but she would still be stuck in Russia.
His return to the United States, however, was not entirely joyous. Griner was harassed in a Dallas airport last month by someone the WNBA called a “social media figure,” leading the league to reexamine its policies regarding how it travels.
She wants to play in the new three-on-three, one-on-one “Unrivaled” league that players are creating so they don’t have to supplement their income abroad.
Stewart and Napheesa Collier, a Minnesota Lynx star, are co-founders and hope to plan a season from January to March.
For now, however, Griner is focused on the All-Star festivities, and she greatly appreciates being able to participate in them. She was also blown away by the tributes paid at last year’s match.
“I always see pictures of things I didn’t see that were done at the last All-Star, so I’m always on top of everything,” Griner said. “But it’s really great to be able to be here physically now now.”
