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Brittney Griner Announces Official Return to Mercury

The seven-time All-Star missed last season while imprisoned in Russia for more than nine months.

Patrick Andres

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Mercury center Brittney Griner appears ready to resume her WNBA career more than two months after her release from Russian imprisonment. 

Griner officially announced her return to Phoenix on a one-year deal Tuesday afternoon, posting a brief Instagram reel composed of past highlights. ESPN previously reported Griner’s return to the Mercury on a one-year contract worth $165,000 on Saturday.

“So good to be back with the family!” Griner wrote, tagging the only franchise she’s played for during her future Hall of Fame career.

Griner was arrested on drug charges in Russia on Feb. 17, 2022. The United States declared her to be wrongfully detained in May, and she was eventually sentenced to nine years in prison before being freed in a prisoner swap.

On the court, Griner is a seven-time All-Star who has made six All-WNBA teams and won a championship with the Mercury in 2014.

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

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