Griner had 18 points and six rebounds in her return The Phoenix Mercury were on the road to start the 2023 WNBA season as the team took on the Los Angeles Sparks at the Crypto.com Arena in Brittney Griner’s official return to the floor.
Griner had 18 points, six rebounds, four blocks and two assists in Phoenix’s 94-71 loss. But it was a big moment for the former Baylor standout as she returned to the court for the first time since 2021. She missed all of last season as she was jailed in Russia on a drug conviction. She returned to the U.S. in December as part of a prisoner swap for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Because it was her return, Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard was expecting a much fuller arena.
"I mean, it was great. But like honestly, c’mon now LA. We didn’t sell out the arena for BG?" Nygaard said. "Like, I expected more, you know, to be honest. Right, it was great, it was loud. But how was it not a sellout? How was it not a sellout?"