Why Is Brittney Griner Not Playing Against Indiana Fever Tonight?

Brittney Griner is sitting out the Phoenix Mercury’s sport in opposition to the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, August 1.

The Phoenix Mercury shared a well being replace forward of the sport through Twitter, noting that Griner, 32, is “not with the team” on Tuesday night attributable to her “mental health.” Griner was additionally absent from the Mercury’s showdown in opposition to the Chicago Sky on Sunday, July 30.

One day prior, the Phoenix Mercury shared an announcement through Twitter saying that Griner wouldn’t play within the two video games.

“Mercury center Brittney Griner will not travel with the team on its upcoming two-game road trip to Chicago and Indiana (July 30-August 1) to focus on her mental health,” the Saturday, July 29, assertion read. “The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return.”

In February 2022, Griner was detained in Russia after a drug-sniffing canine allegedly discovered cannabis oil in her baggage. She was then held in a Russian jail for months till she lastly returned house in that December — 10 months later.

“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along,” President Joe Biden stated in a press convention on the time, alongside Britney’s spouse, Cherelle Griner, and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Brittney, for her half, broke her silence quickly after. “It feels so good to be home,” she wrote through social media on the time. “The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn. I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help.”

Despite her harrowing expertise, Brittany was adamant that she would play together with her staff upon returning house.

“I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season,” she stated. “And in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon.”

Five months after her homecoming, Brittney and Cherelle — who’ve been married since 2019 — attended the 2023 Met Gala collectively, color-coordinating in impartial tones. Both wore Calvin Klein.

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Brittney has additionally performed with the Mercury all through the 2023 season, which started in May. On June 25, she was named WNBA All-Star Starter.