The Connecticut Sun’s preseason roadmap came to a halt in a loss against the New York Liberty, but for its latest veteran signing, Brittney Griner, it became a platform. For weeks now, the 12-year veteran has had to address an aspect of her career that no player wants to: bidding goodbye to the sport. After the defeat on Sunday, Griner set the writing on stone, making her stance loud and clear after an impressive outing against Liberty’s Big Three. And when she did address it, there was little confusion as Brittney’s message was direct and a reminder that she’s still very much part of the present.

Speaking during an on-court interview after the defeat, Griner stated that she isn’t retiring and has more years left in the sport. “People…wanted to call me old, wanna say I need to retire and sh*t…I’m not. I have a lot to go in this season,” she said during the conversation.

Consistent questions on Griner’s retirement timeline aren’t coming in isolation. Of course, Griner’s growing age is a contributing factor. But her 2025 season with the Atlanta Dream also forms a crucial part of this discussion. Right after her move away from the Phoenix Mercury, Griner’s role got limited last season with the Dream.

Her playing time was reduced to 20.8 minutes, and she didn’t even start all 39 games of the season, which was, needless to say, in the Mercury. Due to this inconsistency, Griner’s output on the court also took a hit, as her scoring average fell below double digits (9.8 points) for the first time in her career.

As a result, it also raised questions regarding her retirement after she signed a seven-figure deal with the Connecticut Sun. But her performance and assessment after the NY Liberty game just reinforces that she isn’t going anywhere and will dominate the paint for the next few years. Just a few weeks ago, in Griner’s first press game for the Connecticut Sun, she had made her feelings known about her retirement timeline.

“The game is changing,” she said. “You hear that a lot, but it’s still jump shots, threes and at the rim. So unless it’s something different—we got to jump off walls and do some backflips, I plan on playing definitely longer. I just want to be able to produce. I want to be able to give. When I’m not able to give on the court, mentorship, or whatever it is, then we’ll have that talk.”

Brittney Griner’s performance also adds weight to her confident assessment in the press conference. In Connecticut’s first preseason game against the Toronto Tempo, Griner tipped off her season with 7 points and 5 rebounds in an 83-78 win. She followed it up with another steller outing against the Liberty, scoring 16 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in a 79-67 loss. Although the team suffered a defeat due to struggles with ball security and cold shooting from beyond the arc (29%), Griner’s performance was a kind of silver lining for the franchise.

The age might keep on crumbling over Griner, but the dominant interior presence and pinpoint precise shooting from the perimeter are yet to call it a day for her. And for the Connecticut Sun, it’s kind of a blessing, especially with Marina Mabrey’s departure. It has given the team a much-needed experience to build around players like Aaliyah Edwards and Aneesah Morrow.

And courtesy of this depth and the abundance of quality players on the roster, Griner is immensely content in her time with the Connecticut Sun so far.

Brittney Griner opens up on the aspect that impresses her the most in the Connecticut Sun

For most players, choosing a team isn’t about a single factor. There are a variety of factors associated with it, including the team environment and the relationship with the coaching staff. But for veteran Brittney Griner, she is buying into the team’s attitude and efforts to make the push without the coach’s nudging. Griner shed light on it during her post-game press conference speech after the NY Liberty game.

“I mean, the way everybody shows up each and every day, we don’t really have to coach effort here,” Griner said. “Everybody’s showing up and ready to go, eager to learn. I mean, that’s all you can ask for, honestly, especially with a young group to keep them locked in. We have our fun, but when it’s time to work, we work, and then afterward, we can go back on TikTok and do all that type of stuff.”

In fact, Griner and Connectinut Sun’s General Manager, Morgan Tuck go way back. Tuck was a former player who had competed against Brittney Griner at both the NCAA and WNBA levels years ago. Morgan Tuck was instrumental in signing Griner to a one year standard max contract worth around $1.19 million this year and was hopeful that roping in a veteran like Brittney would elevate their overall roster consisting of fresh talent.

All in all, the Connecticut Sun has showcased flashes of its prowess on the court. The team has quite a young group of players, like Kyla Oldacre, Charlisse-Leger Walker, and Gianna Kneepkens. But if they can keep up that effort in training and mold well with veterans like Griner, the Sun might have a bright future before its transition to shift to Houston next week.

But to do that, Brittney Griner, at this point in her career, will also need other experienced players on the team, like Edwards, to step up their game and produce favorable results for the franchise. Their next regular-season game is against the New York Liberty, and will be held on May 8 at the Barclays Center.