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Kevin Durant Had Stunned Reaction to Brittney Griner Signing With Atlanta Dream

Kristen Wong

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts after he made a three point shot during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Footprint Center.
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts after he made a three point shot during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Footprint Center. / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
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Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant was just as stunned as the rest of the WNBA community when he caught wind of Brittney Griner’s surprising departure from the Mercury.

Griner, a nine-time WNBA All-Star, signed with the Atlanta Dream in free agency earlier this week after spending 12 years in Phoenix, where she helped Diana Taurasi and the Mercury win its third franchise title in 2014. Griner has occasionally crossed paths with Durant throughout her WNBA career, linking up in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics and sharing a wholesome moment at the Suns practice facility prior to Durant’s first game with Phoenix in 2023.

Durant was asked for his thoughts on Griner’s move to Atlanta after the Suns’ loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. 

“I was definitely shocked to see that,” Durant said. “That’s just a part of professional sports. BG has been a staple here in the city for so long. It’s kind of weird seeing her with a new team.

“But everybody needs a change… Atlanta is an incredible vibe, an incredible place and a great basketball town. She’s going to impact that city just as much, you know, just her presence. I loved getting to play in the same city as her for the last couple of years and been a good friend of mine for a while.”

Griner was detained in Russia for 294 days before being freed in a prisoner swap in December 2022. The Mercury center would put together back-to-back All-Star campaigns in her following two WNBA seasons, playing what would be her last game for Phoenix in the team’s first-round playoff elimination loss to the Minnesota Lynx last September.

Griner joined the Dream as the organization’s biggest free agent signing in history, and will team up with former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard and All-Star guard Allisha Gray for the next chapter of her WNBA career.

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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

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