The WNBA season is right around the corner and it promises to be a lot different than last year. In 2022, the WNBA missed one of their most important stars, Brittney Griner. However, more than a year after her shocking arrest in Russia, the Phoenix Mercury star is ready to come back to the league at her full capacity. Recently, Griner sat down for her first press conference after the painful 10-month ordeal in Russia. However, she wasn’t devoid of humor while talking about her return to basketball’s biggest stage.

Brittney Griner and her family have been through a lot in the past year. However, they have not given up, as the 32-year-old WNBA star gears up for another season for the Phoenix Mercury. The veteran center seems more motivated than ever to establish her dominance on the hardwood and resume the grind.

Brittney Griner addresses her first press conference since her exile in Russia

Griner’s trip to Russia was an unforgettable experience for all the wrong reasons. She was arrested in February 2022 at a Moscow airport for carrying trace amounts cannabis oil in her belongings. After months of negotiations between the United States Government and the Russian authorities, Griner finally returned home in December 2022, courtesy of a prisoner swap deal.

The harrowing experience would have mentally drained many, but the Mercury star seems to be in high spirits, ready to go at her opponents. In her first press conference since her return to the country, Griner happily answered all the questions, with a touch of humor in her comments.

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“The Grind, the sweat, the blood, hopefully not too much blood because that means injuries… I missed it,” said the 2014 WNBA Champion. She added, “I would have rather been in a two-a-day dying, than to be where I was.” 

Griner will take part in what will be her 10th season in the WNBA this summer. Her humorous side was visible throughout the press conference, as she half-jokingly said to her coach to not “get any ideas” with the “two-a-day” practice comment. Additionally, she mentioned how she used a lot of this humor to get through the harrowing “experience” inside her Mordovian penal colony. 

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It seems to be an excellent time for Griner to be back at her best, when attention on the WNBA is increasing on a daily basis. The exciting Women’s NCAA Championship and new TV rights for the WNBA have opened up new opportunities for women’s basketball. Griner would undoubtedly be excited to be part of this new wave as new audiences join in to watch the WNBA.

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