Brittney Griner is making a significant move in her WNBA career by leaving the Phoenix Mercury after 11 years and signing with the Atlanta Dream. Her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, has confirmed that Griner will join the Dream on a one-year contract. Griner revealed her decision in a video shared on Instagram, expressing that her experiences in free agency allowed her to choose her preferred team, citing the players and her family as key influences. Griner said: "Free agency has been everything I wanted it to be, honestly. I was able to find where I wanted to go." She added: "Honestly, what led me to that decision ultimately was the team, the players. Also my family. I'm thrilled for this chapter."
Griner, who stands 6-foot-9, was drafted first overall by Phoenix in 2013 and is currently 34 years old. She decided to enter free agency for the first time during this offseason. Her contract is for one year due to an anticipated new collective bargaining agreement in 2026 that could bring significant salary increases.
Griner missed the 2022 season due to a nearly 10-month detention in Russia. She was released in a prisoner swap involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner's last season with Phoenix included averages of 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, ranking her third on the WNBA's career blocks list, trailing the leader by 65 blocks.
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Though she considered options with Dallas and Las Vegas, Griner's eventual choice was influenced by her desire to "rebrand" and showcase something new in her career. Griner said: "It was a hard decision since you're leaving what you know. What I've known for my whole career." She added: "There's an exciting factor of like, OK, this is a rebrand now. I get to show them something different." Her signing marks the most notable free-agent acquisition in the history of the Atlanta Dream, where she joins talents like Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. The Dream recently hired new coach Karl Smesko from Florida Gulf Coast. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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