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After 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, Brittney Griner left in free agency to join the Atlanta Dream. New teammate Allisha Gray reacted to the news of Griner's decision which comes on the heels of Mercury's acquisition of Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Gray shared a short reel featuring Atlanta's welcome message for Griner. The former South Carolina Gamecocks star celebrated the news and was excited to team up with the 10-time WNBA All-Star and one-time WNBA champ.
"We finally get to join in on the fun yayyyyyy," Gray tweeted.
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The Atlanta Dream made the playoffs last season and Griner's addition gives them a boost for the upcoming 2025 WNBA season.
Gray is coming off her second All-Star selection after averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Griner, on the other hand, averaged 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in her final season with the Phoenix Mercury.
It's a new chapter for the Mercury following the acquisition of Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun. Diana Taurasi is contemplating retirement, and with Griner's departure, it's possibly the end of an era in Phoenix.
Meanwhile, the Dream has a solid core with Gray, Griner, Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada and the legendary Tina Charles. They have some cap space to go after additional players but coach Karl Smesko could do wonders with his new center next season.
Gray has some extra motivation for next season since she's in the final year of her three-year, $494,400 contract with the Dream (per Spotrac). With the new CBA starting in 2026, there will be an increase in salaries across the league.
Brittney Griner breaks silence following free agency decision
Following the news of her departure from the Phoenix Mercury, Brittney Griner posted a video of herself with some of her new teammates on Instagram on Tuesday. Griner shared a teaser for the upcoming pilot episode of the Outside The Paint podcast.
It featured her in a boat with Jordin Canada, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. Griner confirmed her move and will officially be playing for the Atlanta Dream next season.
All four players are not just teammates with the Atlanta Dream but they also play for Unrivaled in its inaugural season. They were part of the first 36 players in the league's history. Jordin Canada and Rhyne Howard got drafted by Vinyl BC. Brittney Griner plays for Phantom BC while Allisha Gray is a part of Lunar Owls BC.
