Brittney Griner, the American women’s basketball player who was imprisoned in Russia for over ten months last year, has agreed to terms with the Phoenix Mercury on a one-year Women’s NBA contract, according to several sources Sunday.
ESPN, CNN, TMZ, and other US outlets cited anonymous sources in stating that Griner has rejoined the team she helped lead to a WNBA championship in 2014.
Griner stated that she intended to return to the WNBA after being released in a prisoner swap last December.
Griner, a 32-year-old center who helped the US women win Olympic gold in Tokyo and Rio, was arrested in February on narcotics smuggling charges after a small amount of cannabis oil was discovered in her luggage.
Her captivity became a big global issue, with American officials calling her unlawful imprisonment.
The Mercury have not announced the signing of Griner, but star guard Diana Taurasi did return to Phoenix for her 19th WNBA season on Saturday.
Griner last played for the Mercury in 2021, when she helped the team to the WNBA Finals, where they were defeated by Chicago.