Brittney Griner Signs With the Atlanta Dream
Brittney Griner agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Dream after Alyssa Thomas was traded to the Phoenix Mercury. Griner had been with the Phoenix Mercury her entire WNBA career and is now moving on to the Atlanta Dream. The short-term contract will allow Griner to re-enter free agency next year when a new collective bargaining agreement and higher salaries are expected to be in place.
Brittney Griner Signs With Atlanta Dream
Brittney Griner was the No.1 pick in the WNBA Draft in 2013 and spent her entire career in Phoenix. The Atlanta Dream are in desperate need of a forward and were very fortunate to land Griner in free agency. WNBA players cannot officially sign contracts until February 1.
Brittney Griner missed the 2022 WNBA season due to being detained in Russia for nearly 10 months after authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis. She was let go in a prison swap with the United States which released notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner averaged 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks this past season with Phoenix. She’s third on the WNBA’s career blocks list, 65 behind leader Margo Dydek. Griner will join talents Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray on the Dream. The Atlanta Dream also made a coaching change this offseason hiring Florida Gulf Coast coach Karl Smesko.
The Dream went 15-25 last season and made the playoffs for the second straight year. They were eliminated in the first round by eventual WNBA champion New York Liberty. Griner, a 10-time All-Star, also had discussions with Dallas and Las Vegas.
Griner Reflects On Coming To Atlanta
Brittney Griner said: “Free agency has been everything I wanted it to be, honestly. I was able to find where I wanted to go. Honestly, what led me to that decision ultimately was the team, the players. Also my family. I’m thrilled for this chapter.” Griner also mentioned that free agency and moving to a new team was hard. “It was a hard decision since you’re leaving what you know. What I’ve known for my whole career,” she said. “There’s an exciting factor of like, OK, this is a rebrand now. I get to show them something different.”
Earlier this week the Mercury announced they signed former Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas. It is still unclear if future Hall of Famer Diana Taurasi will play another season with the Phoenix Mercury or retire.
