Tag: Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner says 2024 All-Star in Phoenix will be ‘a lot of fun’

This will be the third time the Phoenix Mercury have hosted the event, mostly recently in 2014.

The WNBA All-Star Weekend returns to Phoenix in 2024, the league announced. This will be the third time the Phoenix Mercury have hosted the event.

They most recently hosted the festivities in 2014.

“The WNBA is excited to bring WNBA All-Star (Game) back to Phoenix for the third time in our nearly three-decade history,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “Having an inaugural WNBA franchise in the Mercury host this two-day celebration is perfect as the basketball world focuses its eyes on the WNBA and today’s greatest stars.”

The event will take place at Footprint Center, home of the three-time WNBA champion Mercury.

“As I’ve said from Day 1, we are going to make Phoenix one of the leading basketball destinations in the world and the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game is going to be an unbelievable experience,” said Mat Ishbia, Phoenix Mercury and Phoenix Suns owner. “As the women’s game continues to grow and reach new heights, we are going to put on an All-Star weekend that will accelerate that growth and elevate the league. I want to thank the WNBA and the entire Phoenix community for coming together to help bring the WNBA All-Star Game to the Valley. I couldn’t be more excited to show the world what Phoenix basketball is all about.”

When asked what to expect at All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, Brittney Griner of the Mercury said: “A lot of fun, a lot of fun. It’s going to be some special things going on. So you’re just going to have to come and see what happens. Hope you get an invite.”

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WNBA opening night viewership up 103% year-over-year

The average viewership between the Mercury and Sparks was 683,000 with a peak at one million on opening day.

The WNBA is 26 years old and thriving in viewership. The WNBA draft was televised on ESPN and watched by more than 500,000 people. It was the most viewed draft since 2004, and viewership was up 42% year-over-year. Now, during the regular season, the viewers are tuning in again.

ESPN’s broadcast of the Phoenix Mercury versus the Los Angeles Sparks was the most-viewed WNBA regular-season game on cable in 24 years and the most-viewed WNBA opening night game on ESPN platforms in 11 years. The game was broadcast at 11 p.m. ET, which shows the potential for more prime-time slots and increased viewership. Despite the late start time, the average viewership was 683,000 with a peak at one million, boosted by Brittney Griner’s return to the WNBA.

Attendance at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, was 10,396 and had many notable people in attendance, including Magic Johnson, Pau Gasol, Byron Scott, Robert Horry, Billie Jean King, Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham and vice president of the United States Kamala Harris.

This marks a 103% increase year-over-year in opening night viewership for the WNBA. The WNBA’s deal with ESPN is up for renewal in 2025 and the increased viewership should indicate an increased price to broadcast WNBA games, which would mean more money for the league and the players.

“The whole media landscape is being very disrupted, and I’m watching that very carefully as we think about our next media rights deal,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Front Office Sports. “I’m excited, quite frankly, to take a look at this and the way our media rights are valued.”

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Brittney Griner received a heartwarming fan reception before her first home game in almost 2 years

Brittney Griner was given an emotional introduction in her return to Phoenix.

It’s been an emotional few days for Brittney Griner and WNBA fans. Friday was Griner’s first WNBA game in nearly two years and it was as special of a night as you could ask for.

And now, Griner has officially hit the court back home in Phoenix for the first time in 585 days. Ahead of the Phoenix Mercury’s home opener against the Chicago Sky, Griner was given a wonderfully hype and heartwarming welcome back by fans in her introduction.

MORE WNBA: The best WNBA storylines to watch this season, including Brittney Griner’s return.

Set to “Coming Home” by Ditty, Griner took the court to loud cheers from the Phoenix faithful in attendance in an incredibly awesome moment.

Not only that, Griner kicked the scoring off for the Mercury with this early strike to really get the crowd going.

Welcome home, Brittney Griner!

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The 7 best moments from Brittney Griner’s return to the WNBA on opening night

Brittney Griner is officially back, y’all.

After everything Brittney Griner has been through over the last year or so, she always told us that she was going to get back on the court for this WNBA season.

Here we are 579 days later and Griner is officially back like she never left.

RELATED: The best WNBA storylines to watch this season, including Brittney Griner’s return. 

The Mercury center made her first WNBA appearance since 2021 on Friday when Phoenix played the Sparks. Griner’s Mercury didn’t win the game, but she was impressive nonetheless. And it felt like just about everyone came out to support Griner and show her love for her return.

Here are 7 awesome moments from a night we won’t forget anytime soon.

Brittney Griner’s return and 5 other storylines to watch for the 2023 WNBA Season

Super teams are here in Las Vegas and New York, but what about Elena Delle Donne and the Mystics?

The WNBA is back.

Its 27th season tips off on Friday night with four games, two of which will be nationally televised. The New York Liberty and Washington Mystics face off at 7 p.m. EST on NBA TV, and the Phoenix Mercury square off with the Los Angeles Sparks on ESPN at 11 p.m. EST.

There are plenty of reasons to watch the WNBA this year and the league is hoping to capture the momentum from this year’s NCAA tournament, which set records for viewership.

This week has already been an eventful one for the WNBA, as it announced penalties from the results of its investigation into the Las Vegas Aces, which included a two-game suspension for coach Becky Hammon and the loss of a draft pick. Additionally, several high-profile players were cut in the last week, leading to another outcry for the league to add teams and expand its rosters.

Here are the storylines to pay attention to in the WNBA this season.

Mercury star Brittney Griner says she will never play again overseas

Griner made it clear she will not be going overseas to play basketball unless she is representing her country at the Olympics.

Phoenix Mercury player Brittney Griner participated in her first press conference since being released from a Russian prison where she was wrongfully detained.

On Thursday, Griner fielded questions from media members including whether she would play overseas again after the WNBA season. Griner had played in Russia since 2014, most recently with UMMC Ekaterinburg, to supplement her WNBA income. However, after the experience in 2022, she made it clear she will not be going overseas to play basketball unless she is representing her country at the Olympics.

Another domestic league Griner could participate in after the WNBA season concludes is Athletes Unlimited. The five-week league has attracted other WNBA players, including Natasha Cloud, Sydney Colson, NaLyssa Smith and Dijonai Carrington. Griner has not mentioned playing in this league, but it could be an awesome opportunity and shed even more light on the emerging league and the opportunities they are providing players domestically.

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The 6 best moments from Brittany Griner’s first press conference since returning from detainment in Russia

Griner had an amazing quote about being resilient here that you need to see

What Brittney Griner is doing right now is nothing short of amazing. Period.

The Phoenix Mercury center just returned from being wrongfully detained in Russia for 10 months at the tail end of 2022. Today, she’s gearing up for the WNBA season with the Mercury just five months later.

Not only that, but she’s also somehow openly talking about her traumatic experience. Griner spoke to the media on Thursday for the first time since her return and she did it with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

She was incredibly candid about the circumstances and her feelings after making it through everything she’d experienced. And, honestly, it was nothing short of admirable.

Here are the 7 best moments from the press conference.

Brittney Griner says she would only play overseas again to represent Team USA

Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

After spending a horrifyingly long time in a Russian prison, WNBA star Brittney Griner returned home in December.

The former WNBA champion was held in Russian captivity for nearly 300 days after Russian customs found vape cartridges containing hashish oil. She was initially sentenced to nine years in prison, but fortunately, she was able to return to the United States after a prisoner swap.

The sports world was overjoyed to have Griner back on domestic soil, and on Thursday, the six-time WNBA All-Star addressed the media for the first time since her return during a press conference in Phoenix.

Griner was asked if her desire to play overseas during the WNBA offseason is more of a need than a want. Griner played for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China in 2014 and for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia from 2014 until 2022.

Here is what Griner said about her future with international basketball:

“I’m never going overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country at the Olympics. If I make that team, that would be the only time I would leave the U.S. soil and that’s just to represent the U.S.A.”

The center has won four gold medals representing her country, including two in the Olympics (2016 and 2020) and two more in the World Cup (2014 and 2018). She is one of 11 players with an Olympic gold medal, a FIBA World Cup gold medal, a WNBA title, and an NCAA title.

She has also won four Euroleague championships as well as three Russian National League championships. Griner, however, added that WNBA players are “missing everything” when they are away from their families.

She then spoke about the wage gap, which is one reason why so many WNBA players spend their offseasons overseas:

“The whole reason a lot of us go over is the pay gap. A lot of us go over there to make an income and support our families and support ourselves. So I don’t knock any player that wants to go overseas and make a little bit of extra money. I’m hoping that our league continues to grow … I hope you continue to cover our league, bring exposure to us. I hope a lot of these companies start to invest in our craft.”

Griner credited the media attention and coverage as one of the reasons she was able to return to the United States. But that is not the only reason why continued coverage will help this sport tremendously.

As women’s basketball continues to grow in popularity, the WNBA has an opportunity over the next few years to increase guaranteed salaries and earn more of the revenue share so players no longer feel the need to spend their offseasons playing overseas.

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Brittney Griner to pen book on wrongful detainment in Russia

Many WNBA players head to Russia in the offseason where they can command upward of $1 million, which is nearly four times their salary in the U.S.

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner made headlines in 2022 when she was unlawfully detained in Russia on her way to play for the UMMC Ekaterinburg basketball team. Griner had played in Russia since 2014 to supplement her WNBA income.

WNBA players often play in other professional leagues throughout the world in the offseason. Many headed to Russia where they could command upward of $1 million, which is nearly four times their salary in the United States.

Griner shared her plans for the memoir on social media.

“I arrived in Moscow to rejoin the UMMC Ekaterinburg basketball team and was immediately detained at the airport. That day was the beginning of an unfathomable period in my life which only now am I ready to share.

“The primary reason I traveled back to Russia for work that day was because I wanted to make my wife, family and teammates proud. After an incredibly challenging 10 months in detainment, I am grateful to have been rescued and to be home. Readers will hear my story and understand why I’m so thankful for the outpouring of support from people across the world.

“By writing this book, I also hope to raise awareness surrounding other Americans wrongfully detained abroad such as Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Emad Shargi, Airan Berry, Shahab Dalili, Luke Denman, Eyvin Hernandez, Majd Kamalmaz, Jerrel Kenemore, Kai Li, Siamak Namazi, Austin Tice, Mark Swidan and Morad Tahbaz.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq50p1LpOK8/

The book is set to be released in the spring of 2024.

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WNBA draft: USC’s Kadi Sissoko goes to Phoenix Mercury at No. 29

Sissoko’s length and rebounding prowess helped her land a #WNBADraft selection with the Mercury.

The success and overall progress of the USC women’s basketball program were on display Monday night at the 2023 WNBA draft. Two players who helped the Trojans reach the Women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 were drafted.

One of those two players was forward Kadi Sissoko, whose size, length, rebounding ability, and defensive acumen make her a well-rounded two-way player. That was hard for the Phoenix Mercury to pass up with the No. 29 pick. They loved what Sissoko brings to the table, giving her a chance to join a roster which has Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi.

It seems clear what Sissoko’s main task will be in Phoenix, at least in her first season: Do the dirty work. Griner will be a central defensive deterrent at the rim. Taurasi will shoot and score. Sissoko will need to provide rebounding when Griner tries to block shots, and set screens to free up Taurasi and other teammates for good looks at the basket.

Sissoko was one of USC’s main scorers this past season, but she contributed in many non-scoring ways (defense, rebounding, shot deterrence). The fact that basketball players can be hugely influential without scoring points underlies Sissoko’s value to the Mercury as a professional.

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