Basketball fans are coming together to offer prayers and messages of support for WNBA star Brittney Griner following an announcement from her team, the Phoenix Mercury.
On Saturday, the Mercury announced via Twitter that the basketball legend will be away from the team for their two-game road trip so that she can “focus on her mental health.” There is no immediate timeline on when she could return.
Following the announcement from the Mercury, fans offered their support for Griner:
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After wrapping up their road trip in Indiana on Tuesday, the Mercury will fly home to begin a four-game homestand on Thursday against Atlanta. Entering play on Sunday, the Mercury were 6-17 and 2.5 games behind the Chicago Sky for the final playoff berth.
Griner, a nine-time All-Star, is the Mercury’s leading scorer here in 2022-23 with averages of 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
It’s been a very event-filled and stressful last 17 months for Griner. In Feb. 2022, she was arrested at an airport in Moscow for carrying under a gram of hash oil, which is illegal in Russia. Last August, she was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison.
In December, U.S. president Joe Biden was able to complete an agreement with Russian officials on a prisoner exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, and Griner came home to the United States on Dec. 9.
