Kevin Durant Gives Honest Opinion of Brittney Griner Joining Atlanta Dream
The women's basketball community was thrown into collective shock on January 28, when it was announced that WNBA superstar Brittney Griner would be joining the Atlanta Dream in free agency.
In an Instagram video that Griner released in the wake of this huge news, she said, "So free agency has been everything I wanted it to be. I was able to find where I wanted to go. And honestly, what led me to that decision ultimately was the team, the players, as individuals, and then also my family."
Perhaps the biggest reason this decision came as a shock is because Griner has spent her entire 11-season WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury. While there, she won the 2014 WNBA Championship, was a 10-time WNBA All-Star, and earned three All-WNBA First Team honors.
But clearly she felt like it was time to venture to greener pastures, and it will be fascinating to see how her career in Atlanta unfolds.
Fellow Phoenix basketball icon Kevin Durant was asked about Griner leaving Phoenix in free agency on January 29, and made his opinion extremely clear.
"Yeah, I was definitely shocked to see that," Durant said, per an X post from Hayden Cilley of ClutchPoints. "That's just a part of professional sports. But BG has just been a staple here in the city for so long, and it's kinda weird seeing her with a new team.
"But everybody needs a change, everybody wants to explore different parts of the country, and live in different parts, and play basketball in different parts of the country. And Atlanta is an incredible vibe, incredible place. Great basketball town," he added.
"She's going to impact that city just as much, with just her presence. And I loved getting to play in the same city as her for the last couple of years, and she has been a good friend of mine for a while."
"She's going to impact that city just as much. I loved getting to play in the same city as her for the last couple of years."@KDTrey5's response to @cmorenosports question about Brittney Griner's shocking departure to the Atlanta Dream.#SunsUp pic.twitter.com/CoqItmEbP0
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) January 30, 2025
Sounds like Durant is excited to see what Griner will accomplish in Atlanta, despite being sad that she's leaving Phoenix.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.