Brittney Griner will return to the court soon after her highly publicized 10-month captivity in a Russian prison and subsequent release. The 32-year-old WNBA star will return to the Phoenix Mercury for the 2023 season, according to ESPN, after signing a one-year contract with the team on Saturday. The transaction is said to be valued $165,100.
Griner was selected first overall by the Phoenix Mercury in 2013. She was last seen on the field in 2021. And she was crucial to the team’s outstanding performance that season. They advanced to the WNBA finals but were defeated by the Chicago Sky.
During that season, Griner averaged 20.5 points, 1.9 blocks, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. The basketball star was, however, unable to play for her team in 2022 because of her detention in Russia. As previously reported by How Africa, Russian authorities in February last year arrested Griner on drug smuggling charges after she entered the European nation during the WNBA offseason.
Griner was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for allegedly having cannabis oil vaporizer cartridges in her luggage, which she claimed she was using to treat a medical problem. The basketball star from the United States was condemned to nine years in a Russian correctional colony.
During the WNBA offseason, the two-time Olympic champion has been playing for the Russian women’s basketball team UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2015. The 32-year-old was also among the WNBA stars who were due to play for teams in Russia and Ukraine during the winter season, according to the New York Post.
Griner was eventually released in December as part of a prisoner swap for international Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The former Soviet military officer was convicted of plotting to assassinate Americans and began serving his 25-year term in the United States a decade ago. According to CNN, Bout, dubbed the “Merchant of Death,” was also charged of procuring and exporting anti-aircraft weapons and providing material support to a terrorist organization.
Griner confirmed her return to Phoenix following her release. “I also want to be extremely clear,” Griner said in an Instagram post. “This season, I plan to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.”