What happened to Brittney Griner? Looking at Mercury star's mid-game exit vs Fever

The Indiana Fever faced the Phoenix Mercury at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday and Brittney Griner had to leave the game mid-match. After taking a nasty fall, the Mercury star center had to leave the game and it was later revealed that she won't be returning to the court.

A WNBA insider confirmed the news on X, formerly Twitter, as he made a post about the ten-time All-Star not returning. The post detailed that Brittney Griner had suffered a hip injury which will keep her out from Friday's game.

There will be an evaluation done to determine the severity of the injury. There has been no official announcement about the type or nature of the injury and how many days it will keep the center out of action.

With Griner's absence, The Mercurys are now without their core players from the main roster. As per ESPN, Diana Taurasi is out with a lower leg injury while Natasha Cloud is out with a knee injury. Sug Sutton is also unable to participate in games because of a right hamstring injury.

Before leaving the game, Griner had scored only four points and dished out a single assist with just eleven minutes of game time. Griner has been extremely important for the Mercury this season. She has been averaging 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Her presence gave the Mercury a defensive backbone and allowed them to attack the rim with all their might.

Brittney Griner's absence could spell trouble for the Mercury

Brittney Griner was an important player for the team especially when the other veterans are out of action. Griner has been dealing with injuries this season quite often. During the pre-season she got herself injured in a game against the Seattle Storm. She had fractured her left toe and was later seen in a walking boot. This made her miss out on several games at the start of the season.

She made a comeback from that injury in May and received great love from the fans. In 2022, things were not the best for Griner as she was wrongfully detained in Russia.

The Mercury did not have the greatest season without her absence. They somehow managed thanks to Natasha Cloud and Diana Taurasi, but now that the veterans are out as well, the Mercury will struggle with their defense and most likely will get outscored by most of the teams.