Is Brittney Griner playing basketball? Exploring the WNBA star's return

Brittney Griner is back playing basketball in the WNBA for the first time since her release. She was arrested in Russia for drug smuggling charges on Feb. 17, 2022. Griner was imprisoned until Dec. 8, 2022, forcing her to miss the last WNBA season.

The U.S. government struck a prisoner-for-prisoner swap deal with Russia to bring Griner back home. They released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who had served 10 of 25 years of a federal prison sentence in the US.

Griner was still active when she was arrested and had a lot to offer in the WNBA in a playing capacity. Griner had guided the Mercury to a finals appearance in her last WNBA season, averaging 20.5 points, 1.9 blocks, 2.7 assists and 9.5 rebounds per game.

She signed a one-year deal with Phoenix Mercury, the franchise that drafted her No. 1 overall in 2013. Griner played all of her nine seasons in the league with Phoenix.

The 6-foot-9 center was one of the most dominant players in the WNBA. However, a year away from the game in prison put her credentials in question. Brittney Griner put her doubters away with an 18-point outing on 7-of-9 shooting in the Phoenix Mercury's 94-71 loss against the LA Sparks in their season opener.

Griner also had six rebounds and four blocks. She played 25 minutes and looked in great shape early into the game. However, she struggled as the game progressed, leaving the floor with 5:52 left, looking exhausted by the end of her playing time.

It was her first meaningful appearance since the Mercury's Game 4 loss to the Chicago Sky of the WNBA Finals in October 2021.

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Brittney Griner's reaction to her first game back

Brittney Griner's return to the court was much-awaited. Several athletes in the U.S. showed support to her while she was detained and arrested in Russia. They didn't just want her to return home but also wanted to see her in action on the court.

Griner is as talented as they come. She had been one of the best WNBA prospects in recent years when she entered the league. As expected, fans showed out in her first appearance since her release. Griner received a standing ovation as her tribute video played in the arena. The fans were behind her from the moment she made her first shot.

Brittney Griner reflected on the love the fans showed and her performance, saying:

"The love from the fans when I came out was amazing. I definitely felt that. I didn’t experience that for a while.

"It’s hard just taking a break anyway in between seasons. I remember I had a month off one time, and I thought it was death. By the All-Star game, I hope to be exactly where I want to be, just being able to play – I mean, I’m going to regret this – 40 minutes, just getting back to how it was before all this happened."

The Mercury struggled heavily with Brittney Griner's absence last season, finishing with a 15-21 record. Phoenix made the playoffs but faced an early elimination after getting knocked out by the Las Vegas Aces in Round 1.

They opened the 2023 season with a huge loss but will be hoping to turn things around once Griner is in game shape again to play 40 minutes a night.