Brittney Griner was supposed to open the WNBA regular season with her Phoenix Mercury against the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces Tuesday evening in Nevada.
It was an opportunity for the eight-time All-Star to prove that Phoenix is prepared to contend after a disastrous 2023 season.
Unfortunately, Griner will have to wait a while.
The Mercury announced on Monday that Griner suffered a toe fracture on her left foot. She’ll be re-evaluated in the coming weeks, meaning that this will be an extended absence for the 33-year-old center.
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Phoenix posted a 9-31 record a season ago as the team dealt with a plethora of injuries. The expectation heading into this season was that the Mercury would be able to up their game.
In addition to Griner, they bost a top-heavy roster that includes Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper, Sophie Cunningham, Natasha Cloud and Rebecca Allen.
Of course, Griner has been in the news a whole lot for stuff off the court. That included an extended stay in a Russian jail back in 2022 after being detained for carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. She had previousy opened up about the prison stay.
“I wanted to take my life more than once in those first weeks,” Griner said earlier in May said. “I felt like leaving here so badly.”
From an on-court perspective, Griner continues to play at a high level. She averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds a season ago.
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