Brittney Griner says she’ll never play overseas again, unless she’s representing Team USA in Olympics

Don’t expect Brittney Griner to play international basketball anytime soon.

Griner attempted to enter Russia to play in an overseas league during the WNBA offseason in February 2022. She was caught with prescribed medicinal cannabis and was imprisoned until December of last year. After an extended imprisonment, the United States struck a deal with Russia to bring Griner home via a one-for-one prisoner swap involving international arms dealer Viktor Bout.

She won’t risk that again.

“I can say for me, I’m never going overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country at the Olympics,” Griner said. “… The whole reason a lot of us go overseas is the pay gap, to make an income, to support our families, to support ourselves.”

The 2024 Olympic Games will be held in Paris, and Griner can be expceted to be on the team when the time comes. She was a key factor in the 2016 Games in Rio and 2020 in Tokyo. There, she helped Team USA to back-to-back gold medals in the Olympics.

Brittney Griner expected to start the season for Phoenix Mercury

Griner, 32, inked a one-year, $165,100 deal with the Mercury in February ahead of the 2023 season. It will be her first time back on the court in two seasons.

Griner will make good on her promise and return to the Mercury, who selected her first overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft, for a 10th season. Griner, who last suited up for the Mercury in 2021, averaged 20.5 points and a career-high 9.5 rebounds per game. She led the Mercury to the WNBA Finals, where the Chicago Sky ousted Phoenix in four games.

The WNBA made her an honorary All-Star during the 2022 WNBA All-Star game while she was being wrongfully imprisoned. Still, it was her eighth time selected to the WNBA All-Star team. 2016 and 2020 being the only times he hadn’t made the team in her career.

Since returning to the United States, Griner has been advocating for justice for those wrongly imprisoned domestically and abroad. Most recently, Griner appeared at the National Action Network’s Women’s Empowerment Luncheon with her wife, Cherelle. She was an unexpected guest and she only made a cameo appearance.

“We have to reunite all these families who are going through these really strange times, challenging times,” Griner told the crowd. “You never know how alone you feel, but you know people back at home are praying for you. … I want to continue to fight to bring home every American detained overseas. That means everything to me.”

Griner will kickstart the second half of her career when the Mercury opens its season on May 9th on the road against Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm. Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. ET inside Climate Pledge Arena.