Griner, Mercury set to tip off WNBA season after her return from detainment in Russia
By DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer
PHOENIX (AP) — Brittney Griner’s life and career path have taken a sharp turn over the past 18 months following a nearly 10-month detainment in Russia on drug-related charges that ended with a prisoner swap in December. To say the Phoenix Mercury center’s journey has been complicated would be an understatement. Now it’s time to find out how good of a basketball player she still is. The early returns suggest that the 31-year-old remains a formidable talent, even if she’s understandably a bit rusty. She scored 10 points and grabbed three rebounds in her only preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, flashing her considerable skills but also showing there’s work to do.