Hard times are about to get harder for the Phoenix Mercury.
The three-time WNBA champions fell to the bottom of the league standings last season and carry an 11-game losing streak into Tuesday’s start of the 2024 campaign. With the Phoenix Mercury opening the season at the defending league champion Las Vegas Aces, the team was dealt a severe blow to their hopes of not finishing dead last this year.
On Monday, the team announced that center Brittney Griner will be out indefinitely due to a toe fracture. Information was not immediately available as to how Griner suffered the injury.
In a press release, the Phoenix Mercury confirmed the toe fracture and noted that Griner will be “out and re-evaluated in the coming weeks.”
Griner Entering 11th Season with Phoenix Mercury
https://gty.im/2078725580
Griner was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury. In 10 WNBA seasons, she has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year twice, has been named to the WNBA first or second team six times, and the league’s All-Defensive first or second team seven times.
After missing the entire 2022 season due to her being detained in Russia, where she had been playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg of the European league during the WNBA off-season, Griner returned to the Phoenix Mercury and played in all 31 of the team’s games. She averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, earning her eighth All-Star Game appearance.
Griner Missed Entire Phoenix Mercury Season in 2022
https://gty.im/1777121685
Griner was one of the many WNBA players to supplement their incomes by playing overseas. However, the two-time Olympic gold medalist had her world cave in on Feb. 17, 2022. She was detained by customs officials at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow. Police claimed that she had vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in Russia.
It took the better part of a year for the situation to resolve itself as Griner wasted away for 10 months in a Russian prison. She was detained while returning to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg at the time of her arrest, pleaded guilty to drug charges on July 7, 2022. She testified that she did not intend to break the law, but that the cartridges found in her luggage were there by accident.
The United States government quickly became involved in Griner’s situation. In May 2022, they officially classified her case as one of a “wrongfully detained” American and pushed for the Russian government to free her. Many WNBA players rallied for the release of the then-nine-year league veteran. Pressure grew on the administration of president Joe Biden to rescue Griner from captivity.
A Russian court sentenced Griner to nine years in prison. Her appeals rejected, she was transferred to a penal colony in the Mordovia Republic in central Russia. On Dec. 8, 2022, she was released in a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner wrote a book on the experience, “Coming Home.” The book was released nationwide last week.
For More Great Sports Content
Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Tom is the WNBA Content Manager for Total Apex Sports. He is also well versed in covering MLB, NFL, NHL, as well as MLS and EPL.
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
