The Phoenix Mercury will have their All-Star center back for the 2023 season.
Seven-time All-Star Brittney Griner signed a one-year deal with the Mercury on Saturday, according to ESPN.
Griner will return for her 10th season after missing the entire 2022 season while being detained in a Russian penal colony. Her last WNBA game took place in the 2021 Finals, where the Chicago Sky defeated the Mercury in four games, 3-1.
In 2021, Griner posted a career high 9.5 rebounds per game while scoring 20.5 points on 57% shooting from the field.
Following her long-awaited return home to the United States, Griner intended on returning to the Mercury on an Instagram post.
“I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon,” she wrote on Dec. 16.
The Mercury begin their season on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 10. The team’s first home game will take place two days later against the Sky.
