The Mercury star was detained in Russia for a total of ten months.
Brittney Griner, who plays center for the Phoenix Mercury, has been selected one of two Comeback Players of the Year for the 2023 season. This is due to the fact that Griner returned to the WNBA after being wrongfully detained in Russia and continued to dominate the league after her return.
especially though the Mercury had the poorest record in the W, the 32-year-old Griner started all 31 games she played and showed few signs of slowing down, especially after spending the whole 2022 season in a Russian prison. Griner was named to her eighth All-Star team this season.
Griner is appreciative.
Griner expressed her happiness to reporters during Phoenix’s exit interviews for the WNBA season. This is something that many other players and fans may take for granted, but not Griner, given the ordeal she went through after being arrested in February 2022 for possessing hash oil that was prescribed to her by a doctor. Griner was the first player in WNBA history to be arrested for possessing hash oil that was prescribed to her by a doctor.
Griner finished the season with a 17.5 point scoring average, 6.3 rebound per game, and a 56 percent field goal shooting percentage while playing 28 minutes per night on average. She decided to skip nine games in order to focus on her physical and mental well-being rather than risk further injury to her body. Her comeback to form is even more impressive when one considers that the Mercury had a terrible season, finishing it with the second-worst record in the annals of the team’s history with a score of 9-31.
The victors of the remaining awards
Breanna Stewart, a top player with the New York Liberty, was recognized by the Associated Press as the Most Valuable Player for the WNBA in 2023. During her time with the Liberty, she established a new benchmark for the most of points scored in a single season.
A’ja Wilson, a forward for the Aces of Las Vegas and the reigning Most Valuable Player, was honored with the Defensive Player of the Year award after contributing to the Aces’ best record in the league. Aliyah Boston, who was selected first overall in the 2023 draft and plays center for the Indiana Fever, was chosen the best first-year player.
