Angel McCoughtry is set to take a huge financial hit.
The five-time WNBA All-Star says she has no plans to return to Russia in the offseason following Brittney Griner’s arrest, despite the fact that she says she made her entire WNBA salary in one month playing there.
During an interview with TMZ Sports, the two-time Olympic gold medalist said she played in Russia for three years, describing it as “probably the hardest place I had to play.”
“It’s tough on us because Russia was one of the places where we made the most money. I was making my WNBA salary in one month in Russia. My whole salary. I think girls are going to go elsewhere and play, probably.”
When asked if she would return to Russia, McCoughtry told the outlet no.
“No, I would not go back. I would not go back. At this point, no.”
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On Thursday, the good news came down that Griner was being released from a Russian penal colony after nearly 10-months in custody. Russian authorities said she had vape cartridges with cannabis oil inside her luggage. She was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty.
McCoughtry believes Griner will make her return to the WNBA in 2023.
“Our season doesn’t start until May, so we have another five or six months. I think by that time she’ll have herself together to be ready to play – because everyone’s going to want to watch her play. It’s going to be amazing.”
“The women’s sport is growing so rapidly, we got more fans than ever before, more TV coverage so now’s the time for us to see her dunking again and smiling on that court.”
Griner has averaged 17.7 points while shooting 56% from the floor and averages 7.6 rebounds per game in her career.
