What do we know about Brittney Griner’s 1-year extension with the Phoenix Mercury?

After dominating headlines due to her detainment in Russia, the Mercury star can now focus on what we all know her for, Basketball. Indeed, having put pen to paper on a new deal with her team, fans in Phoenix will be hoping that one of the WNBA’s biggest stars can help get the team back to winning ways.

Brittney Griner is staying with Phoenix Mercury

According to reports which were later confirmed by the WNBA itself, Brittney Griner has signed a new deal to stay with the Phoenix Mercury. Where details are concerned, the contract is a one-year protected deal worth $150,000. Currently an unrestricted free agent, Griner explained to the media that she never had any intention of playing anywhere else following the ordeal of the last year. “Phoenix is home,” Griner said. “Me and my wife literally just got a place [here]. This is it.”

Of course, the 33-year-old spent the better part of 2022 in a Russian prison after being detained for allegedly carrying cannabis cartridges in her luggage while traveling in the country. For a player who was drafted No. 1 overall (2013) it was a major blow, and so too was it for the WNBA as a whole and the team that selected her back then: the Phoenix Mercury. Indeed, last year marked the first time since 2012 that the Mercury failed to make a trip to the postseason, following a 9-31 that saw the team finish in the bottom two in both defense and offense.

Related stories

NBA

Kevin Heurter's season is officially over

NBA

Doncic still holds a grudge against Divac

With this in mind, Griner’s commitment and what it means to the Mercury can’t be overstated. As the foundation on which the team is built and the central offensive threat, Griner is also the face of the franchise. Frankly, that is likely one of the main reasons that she’s pledged the next year of her career to the Mercury. Known to have maintained close ties with team personnel throughout her incarceration, Griner continues to demonstrate her allegiance to Phoenix. To that end, it will be interesting to see how the team itself returns the favor. For starters, there will need to be more attacking firepower added.

There is a clear hole at guard where Skylar Diggins-Smith would normally be the go-to player, but between the maternity leave that saw her miss the last campaign and her apparently frigid relationship with the team, it may be that we see a replacement in the near future. That’s where the No. 3 overall pick in April’s WNBA Draft comes into play. Given that the Mercury currently hold that pick, we can expect to see names like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Georgia Amoore being bandied around when the Draft occurs in April. Regardless, Griner is now set to play in her 11th season in the league and the second since her detainment in Russia. Can she lead the Mercury to their first title since 2014? Watch this space