Brittney Griner re-signs with Phoenix Mercury on one-year deal
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Brittney Griner is officially heading back to the WNBA.
Griner re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury, inking a one-year deal, a person with knowledge confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced publicly.
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Griner has spent each of her nine seasons with the franchise since being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2013 WNBA draft. She will rejoin teammate Diana Taurasi, who is returning for a 19th season with the Mercury after signing a multi-year deal Saturday.
Griner was convicted in September on drug possession charges after Russian authorities said she was found with vape cartridges in her carry-on luggage at Sheremetyevo Airport outside of Moscow last Feb. 17.
She was released from a Russian penal colony Dec. 8 after a prisoner exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
As Griner returns to the basketball court, concerns about her safety while traveling have been raised.
Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner sits during Game 2 of the WNBA Finals against the Chicago Sky in 2021. (Rick Scuteri, AP )
Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, has said she intends to return to the Mercury for the 2023 season, but traveling to road games may be different.
The WNBA does not allow teams to charter flights. The league's collective bargaining agreement stipulates teams fly commercially and players receive "premium economy" seating, if available.
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