"Sky sleeping tf" - WNBA fans shocked after Brittney Griner is reportedly set to leave Mercury for East team

Long-time Phoenix Mercury player Brittney Griner is reportedly on the way out to move East and join the Atlanta Dream. The development elicited varying reactions from fans on social media.

ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania broke the development on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, highlighting how the move was one of the more stunning in WNBA history, considering what Griner has done and meant to the Mercury franchise in her 11 seasons in The Valley.

Fans took to the comments section of the post and shared their thoughts on Brittney Griner's decision to switch teams. Below are what some of them wrote.

"Sky sleeping tf." an obvious Chicago Sky fan wrote, lamenting the Windy City's seeming inaction in trying to lure one of the top bigs in the league.

"Huge WNBA news tonight!!" a user highlighted the significance of the move.

"Glad to see Brittney still hoopin," a comment, meanwhile, said.

"This is crazyy," a fan simply put.

"The WNBA free agency just got real interesting," another user pointed out.

"Legendary signing, right up there with LeBron James, going to the Miami Heat in 2010," one boldly asserted.

One, meanwhile, expressed regret in Griner leaving Phoenix, saying, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

Brittney Griner, now 34, was selected first overall by the Mercury in the 2013 WNBA Draft out of Baylor. She made instant impact on the Mercury, helping the team win a WNBA title in her second season in 2014.

In 11 years in Phoenix, she posted career averages of 17.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.6 blocks in 315 games. She had her best season in 2021, where she finished second in the MVP voting while going for 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. With the Mercury, she was a 10-time WNBA All-Star.

Griner missed the entire 2022 campaign as she was detained for nine months in Russia over drug-related charges after she was caught with small amounts of cannabis oil.

Brittney Griner confirms move to Atlanta Dream

Brittney Griner did not waste time confirming her move to the Atlanta Dream after 11 years with the Phoenix Mercury. She did it on Instagram, where she was joined by her new teammates Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada.

In the video post, the 6-foot-9 big shared the reason she decided to switch teams and the decision process that went with it.

She said:

"So free agency has been everything I wanted it to be. I was able to find where I wanted to go. And honestly what led me to that decision ultimately was the team, the players, as individuals, and then also my family."

Adding:

"You know it was a hard decision. You're leaving what you know, what I've known for my whole career. But there's also the exciting factor of like OK this is a rebrand now, I get to show them something different."

In Atlanta, where she is reportedly set to sign a one-year deal, Brittney Griner joins a team which finished eighth last season with a 15-25 record.