Brittney Griner’s return to the WNBA after nearly 10 months in a Russian prison hasn’t always been the smoothest ride.
PHOENIX — Brittney Griner's return to the WNBA after nearly 10 months in a Russian prison hasn't always been the smoothest ride.
One more joyful moment came on Friday night, when the 6-foot-9 Griner played her final home game of the season in front of an announced sellout crowd of 13,206. She scored 10 points — including a turnaround jumper at the first quarter buzzer — and grabbed two rebounds in the Mercury's 94-73 loss to the Las Vegas Aces.
“Going hunting with my dad,” Griner said. “Try to get me a whitetail and a hog. I'm country. I like hunting, I like doing all that stuff, fishing, off-roading in my Jeep, mountain biking. That's what I'll be doing.Griner's return this season has been widely celebrated around the WNBA and much of the expected vitriol — she was freed as part of a swap for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout — never really materialized.
“There was a heaviness over the league last year,” Hammon said. “When she came back, that cloud was lifted, and it was almost palpable, her effect on the league, her teammates and really, the whole world in general.”
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