WNBA star Brittney Griner received a rapturous reception when she graced the floor for the opening game of the new season.
The Phoenix Mercury clashed with the Los Angeles Sparks in the first game of the new campaign and this marked the 32-year-old’s first competitive game since the 2021 WNBA Finals. The American was arrested in February 2022 on drug charges while in Russia, and was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to being in possession of cannabis oil.
But in December 2022 she was released after the US conducted a high-profile prisoner exchange with Russia, which saw them take Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout who was behind bars in the States. Despite being the away team in last night’s game, the crowd gave Griner a standing ovation as she and her team took to the court for their pregame warmups.
Griner patted her heart and applauded the response while some famous faces were in attendance for her return. Tennis legend Billie Jean King and wife Ilana Kloss, part-owners of the Sparks were in the crowd, as was basketball icon Magic Johnson. US Vice President Kamala Harris was at the game to greet Griner, delivered a pre-game speech and gave the 2014 champion a hug. "Thank you for all that you did in supporting Brittney, because I know that was rough, and that was so difficult for you," she said.
"It was amazing," Griner said of Harris being in attendance. "It was nice to be able to see her face-to-face, talk to her, thank her for everything. And then the team really enjoyed it, too, when she came in." The center produced the game’s highest score as she finished with 18 points, six rebounds and four blocks in 25 minutes of action.
Though the Mercury led at the end of the first quarter, the Sparks were outplayed in the last three quarters and came up short in a 94-71 loss. Last night marked the first match of Griner’s 10th season in the league and given her ordeal which forced her to miss almost two years of action, the eight-time All-Star did not believe she would have a chance to continue her illustrious career.
"When you're in a situation, you adapt," Griner said. "I looked at it from a worst-case scenario. So I [didn't] get my hopes up. I'm just happy to be here." Griner did her best to soak up the atmosphere as her name was called to plenty of cheers from the crowd, some of whom were wearing her jersey.
She stood as the national anthem was played, something she was asked about given her decision to kneel during the 2020 season in protest for social justice. "You have the right to protest, the right to able to speak out, question, challenge and do all these things," Griner explained.
"What I went through and everything, it just means a little bit more to me now. So I want to be able to stand. I was literally in a cage [in Russia] and could not stand the way I wanted to. Just being able to hear my national anthem, see my flag, I definitely want to stand. Now everybody that will not stand or not come out, I totally support them 100 percent. That's our right, as an American in this great country."
Phoenix will be back in action tomorrow night when they take on Chicago Sky in their first home game of the season, and Griner can expect another thunderous reception when she takes to the floor.
