Day of joy’ as freed Griner makes WNBA return

Brittney Griner made an emotional go back to women’s basketball on Friday, playing her first competitive game in nearly years following her incarceration in Russia.Griner, who was released by Russia as part of a prisoner switch closing 12 months, made her first look in a WNBA game in 579 days as the Phoenix Mercury confronted the Los Angeles Sparks in a season opener in California.

US Vice President Kamala Harris changed into many of the well-wishers on the Crypto.Com Arena in downtown Los Angeles because the WNBA celebrity finally returned to action.

The -time Olympic gold medalist made an instant influence on her return, triumphing the top-off and scoring four points because the Mercury jumped into an early 7-zero lead.

“It felt good,” Griner stated in an on-court interview at the stop of the first sector. “It felt actual desirable. It felt just like the final time I played.”

Griner sooner or later completed with 18 points and 6 rebounds but could not save you Phoenix from slumping to a comprehensive ninety four-71 loss.

The end result, but, become nearly a footnote to an occasion that Phoenix teach Vanessa Nygaard defined as a “day of pleasure.””All remaining season I opened each press convention with what number of days she is long gone,” Nygaard said in pre-sport comments.

“And till the day whilst we got the information inside the morning that she changed into on her way domestic, no person idea that it changed into going to occur.

“We did our jobs likely with less pleasure than expert athletes do. It turned into heavy each day. But it’s notable to have this recreation today. Today it’s an afternoon of joy.

“I’m simply so happy she’s home. It’s a miracle that she’s here and every person going to see this recreation today goes to witness a miracle that she’s back from a Russian prison and is playing basketball inside the WNBA again.”

Celebrities at courtside on Friday protected tennis legend Billie Jean King, Los Angeles Lakers icon Earvin “Magic” Johnson and contemporary Lakers head train Darvin Ham.

Shortly earlier than tip-off, Vice President Harris congratulated Phoenix’s gamers for making sure that Griner’s case turned into no longer forgotten.

“Thank you for all which you did for supporting Brittney, because I realize that changed into hard,” Harris said in a locker room cope with. “That changed into so tough for you because a group is a team – it is circle of relatives.”

WNBA gamers union leader and Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike thanked Harris and the Biden management for assisting to at ease Griner’s launch.

“Tonight is a game but we’re also celebrating the return of one among our very own,” Ogwumike stated.

Griner, 32, a WNBA champion and LGBTQ trailblazer, was arrested on drug expenses at a Moscow airport in February 2022 towards a backdrop of hovering tensions over Ukraine.

At the time of her arrest, Griner have been playing for a professional crew in Russia, as some of WNBA gamers do in the low season.

She became accused of possessing vape cartridges with a small amount of cannabis oil and sentenced in August to 9 years in jail.

She pleaded responsible to the fees, but stated she did no longer intend to break the law or use the banned substance in Russia.

Griner turned into subsequently launched as a part of a deal that noticed her swapped for infamous Russian fingers supplier Viktor Bout – referred to as the “Merchant of Death” – in December.

Phoenix instruct Nygaard, in the meantime, said she was hoping her group might gain from the texture-suitable issue surrounding Griner’s return.

“We went around every city remaining yr and BG become the story,” Nygaard stated.

“This yr it is going to be a tale of joy, and love and happiness.