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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Patrick Andres

Mercury Fans Gave Brittney Griner a Warm Welcome in Her Return to Home Court

Brittney Griner Mercury Sky

It's been a long road home for Mercury center Brittney Griner.

Incarcerated in Russia for nearly 10 months on drug smuggling charges, Griner was freed in a prisoner swap on Dec. 8. Much of the basketball world united around campaigning for her return, and she was greeted with an ovation before her first game against the Sparks on Friday night in Los Angeles.

Sunday afternoon, she returned home to Phoenix’s Footprint Center, where an equally thunderous welcome awaited her. It had been 585 days since Griner last played at home in the 2021 WNBA Finals against the Sky, per ESPN. 

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