Due to his wife, the all time player in Phoenix mercury has officially announced his retirement.
The two-time Olympic champion will return to the team that drafted her first overall in 2013 for her tenth WNBA season.
The 32-year-old free agent has agreed to a one-year contract with the Phoenix Mercury, where she spent her nine seasons in the WNBA and was picked first overall in 2013. Multiple sources first reported the move on Saturday (18 February), and the franchise confirmed it on Tuesday (21 February). “It’s a great day for all of us to announce that Brittney Griner has officially signed to play for the Mercury in 2023,” Mercury General Manager Jim Pitman stated in a press statement.
We will continue to use our organization’s resources to support her both on and off the court, and we are overjoyed for her that she will be able to return to basketball, which she loves so much. This is a unique signing, and this is a memorable day for all of us.” In her first public remark since her 10-month confinement in a Russian prison, two-time Olympic gold medalist Griner stated that she intends to compete in the upcoming season in Arizona.
The six-foot-nine (2.06m) center last played for the Mercury during the 2021 Women’s National Basketball Association league season, when she helped lead the team to the Finals alongside teammate and five-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi, who has also re-signed on a multi-year contract. Griner recorded 20.5 points, 1.9 blocks, 2.7 assists, and 9.5 rebounds per game. The Mercury will open the 2023 WNBA season against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 19, 2023.
