Brittney Griner.Photo:AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
She returned to the court for the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday with a 22-point performance, tallying six rebounds and four assists in the team’s 97-91 loss to the Seattle Storm.
“You can’t plan for when you might need some time,” Griner told reporters after the game, according toESPN. “I just want to shout out the Phoenix Mercury organization. From the jump, they were there for me, making sure I was good, letting me know that at any moment if I needed some time off, I could do that.”
Brittney Griner.AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
Griner hasn’t appeared to skip a beat since returning to basketball after missing all of 2022. She’s played in 21 of the team’s 27 games, missing three games earlier in the season due to a hip injury.
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The two-time WNBA scoring champion was selected to her ninth WNBA All-Star Game earlier this year, after leading the Mercury with more than 18 points and six rebounds per game.
After Saturday’s game, ESPN reported that Griner also gave a nod to Olympic gymnastSimone Biles. Biles, 26, has taken time off to focus on her mental health in recent years and seemingly didn’t lose a step in her own return to competition this weekend,winning goldat the U.S. Classic competition.
“You see [athletes] really take a moment for themselves,” Griner said, noting that there’s also “a lot more resources now" that athletes are speaking up about taking care of their mental health.
“The more people do that and make it normal, it’s OK,” she said. “Before, no one dared even say it. You were looked upon as weak or not wanting to play or compete, which is completely the opposite mindset.”
source: people.com
