Brittney Griner has agreed to a one-year contract with the Atlanta Dream, ending her tenure with the Phoenix Mercury after 11 seasons, 10 All-Star selections, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and a championship, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Alexa Philippou reported on Tuesday.
The news surfaced hours after the Mercury reportedly finalized a blockbuster trade to bring five-time All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas to the Valley.
Point guard Natasha Cloud and forward Rebecca Allen were sent to the Connecticut Sun in the trade, so three of Phoenix’s starters from last season are heading to new teams. Franchise icon Diana Taurasi has not announced whether she will return for her age 43 season.
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Griner, 34, is the Mercury franchise leader in rebounds (2,322), blocks (812) and shooting percentage (56.2%). She trails only Taurasi in points scored and minutes.
The Mercury took the 6-foot-9 center with the No. 1 overall pick out of Baylor in 2013, and she was an All-Star in each of her first three seasons. She and Taurasi quickly developed into one of the most dominant 1-2 punches in the league, winning the WNBA Finals in 2014 as Phoenix’s leading two scorers.
Griner continued to perform as a near-perennial All-Star through the 2021 season, after which she traveled to Russia to play during the WNBA offseason.
She was arrested at a Moscow airport after authorities allegedly found cannabis oil in her luggage and spent nearly 10 months detained in a Russian prison (February to December 2022). She came home in a prisoner exchange involving arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner re-signed with the Mercury the following February and played 31 games, making the All-Star Game a season after her imprisonment.
Last year, Griner played 30 games and averaged 17.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 57.9% shooting.
During the summer, Griner suited back up for Team USA at the Paris Olympics, winning her third Olympic gold medal alongside Mercury teammates Kahleah Copper and Taurasi.
WNBA free agent negotiations began last week, and players can sign their contracts on Saturday.
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