WNBA star Brittney Griner received a rapturous reception when she graced the floor for the opening game of the new season.
The Phoenix Mercury clashed with the Los Angeles Sparks in the first game of the new campaign and this marked the 32-year-old’s first competitive game since the 2021 WNBA Finals. The American was arrested in February 2022 on drug charges while in Russia, and was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to being in possession of cannabis oil.
But in December 2022 she was released after the US conducted a high-profile prisoner exchange with Russia, which saw them take Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout who was behind bars in the States. Despite being the away team in last night’s game, the crowd gave Griner a standing ovation as she and her team took to the court for their pregame warmups.
