“I mean, you can’t mention Phoenix without mentioning BG, what she’s done…” DeWanna Bonner said about Brittney Griner’s long-awaited return to Phoenix. And that’s all you needed to know to understand the legacy the 10x All-Star had carved in the city. It wasn’t easy moving on, accepting the change, but Griner could only say, “hey, life happens,” and get on with the path ahead. It has been a few months, 20 games, and while it wasn’t all smooth-sailing, the center is picking the positives. 

A 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 2x scoring champion, and the 2014 WNBA champion, Brittney Griner won it all during her 11-year run with the Mercury. It was one of the most decorated and dominant stints we’ve seen in league history. So, when she decided to leave? Yeah, it left a lot of people scratching their heads.

But in hindsight, the move did make some sense. Phoenix’s shift toward a more “five-out” system clearly didn’t align with Griner’s traditional post-heavy style. That likely played a big part in her decision to head to Atlanta. But so far, that move hasn’t worked out well for her. She is currently putting up the worst numbers of her career, averaging just 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds a game. But the decision to head to Atlanta wasn’t purely a basketball move, it made a lot of sense personally, too.

In a candid interview with Hayden Cilley, Griner shared that the decision to stay closer to her parents played a big part, and it helped her settle in Atlanta well. She said, “It is, it is. My mother-in-law, my father-in-law, they are in the state, and I’m closer to getting to my parents as well. As much as we want everybody to stay around for as long as we can, they are getting up in age, so it’s been good to get back to them, see them, be there.”

The Mercury is no doubt a better team than the Atlanta Dream, despite losing 4 of their starters last season, including Griner and Diana Taurasi. The likes of Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally have helped soften the blow of losing a franchise cornerstone who put up 17.7 points on 56.2% shooting, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game in her 11-season career.

But deep down, you can bet Mercury fans still wish she never left. To understand just how much she meant to the city and her former teammates, Diana Taurasi made her first appearance since retiring just to watch Griner come back to Phoenix. That’s just the connection she has with everyone associated with this franchise.

And her homecoming game was a special one!

Brittney Griner shines in her homecoming!

Ahead of the game, Coach Tibbetts had some words of appreciation for his former center. “The hope is that the X-factor gives her a ton of love… what she’s meant to this organization and city is going to be hard to match.” While the city showered her with love, Griner showed the X-factor she was always known for!

She would go on to score 17 points on 8-12 shooting while also grabbing 8 rebounds, helping the Dream win 90-79 against her former team. This was the Brittney Griner who was missing throughout the season, and hopefully, this version of Griner is what we will see moving forward!

This win was an important one for the Dream. With no Rhyne Howard for the foreseeable future, any win will always be a bonus. But as long as Griner and Gray keep showing up like this, Atlanta should be just fine. And hey, could this be the season where Griner adds a second championship to her resume?