Key Highlights :
PHOENIX — Brittney Griner is a force to be reckoned with both on and off the court. The Phoenix Mercury star has had a whirlwind few months, catching a flight to Washington D.C. to attend the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, landing back at Phoenix around 4 a.m. and being up five hours later for the start of training camp. After going through her first workout with the Mercury, Griner hopped on a plane to New York to attend the Met Gala, returning to Phoenix after 1 a.m. and back on the court with the Mercury later that morning.
Griner’s extra exposure from being detained in Russia for nearly 10 months on drug-related charges has given her a platform to advocate for other Americans being detained abroad. She has been an LGBTQ+ activist since publicly coming out in 2013 and became the first openly gay athlete to be sponsored by Nike. She made an appearance last month at a women’s empowerment luncheon held during the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network event and last week said she will use her elevated platform to continue fighting for LGBTQ+ rights during her first news conference since being released.
Griner has also taken an active role in trying to help bring home other Americans detained in foreign countries. She is working with Bring Our Families Home, a campaign formed in 2022 by the family members of American hostages and wrongful detainees held overseas. She said her team has been in contact with the family of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is being detained in Russia on espionage charges.
Griner has been reacclimating herself to life at home while rebuilding her body so it will be ready to play basketball again. The activity has ramped up on and off the court as the season has drawn nearer, but little else has changed about Griner. She still is one of the best basketball players in the world, still an active advocate for those who need it, and still an ebullient force to those who enter her orbit.
Griner’s return to the Mercury rekindles hope the franchise can make another run to the WNBA Finals. With her elevated platform, she will continue to fight for the rights of those wrongly detained across the world and bring awareness to those who are left behind. “Just keep waking up,” she said. “Find a little routine and stick to that routine. Just keep pushing, because we’re not going to stop. We’re not going to stop fighting. We’re not going to stop bringing awareness to everyone that’s left behind right now.”