Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner said she has had an enjoyable WNBA offseason -- highlighted by time with her infant son, Bash -- but she's also thankful to be going back to work.
Griner will play in the new Unrivaled 3-on-3 pro league based in Miami, as part of the Phantom BC team. This will be her first time competing during the WNBA's offseason since her detainment in Russia in 2022.
"I feel like something was missing in my offseason; I was used to playing year-round," Griner said Tuesday. "I wanted to go back to working year-round. This is going to help me stay fresh, knocking all the dust off and being ready for when the [WNBA] comes back around."
Griner, who was returning to play in Russia, was jailed in February 2022 after being arrested on drug charges in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. She was classified by the U.S. State Department as wrongfully detained in May 2022, and Griner was released in a prisoner exchange in December 2022.
After her release, Griner said she would not play overseas again unless it was with the U.S. national team, which she did in the Paris Olympics this past summer, earning her third Olympic gold medal.
Unrivaled provides an opportunity for Griner to stay stateside outside of the WNBA season, which runs from May through October.
Griner also said the launch of Unrivaled, which comes in a year in which the WNBA and the players' union will be negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement, is more proof of the growth of women's sports.
"[Unrivaled] is bringing something new to women's basketball," Griner said. "They're trying to give us a different look, a different feel. We can bring everybody together in one spot. They're really pouring in a lot. Unrivaled is showing that you don't need a lot of time to pull resources together to be able to put a good product out there.
"Hopefully, it helps the [WNBA] bring in more viewers, more [corporate] partners. It's definitely going to put more pressure on the [WNBA] to do better, honestly."
Griner, 34, averaged 17.8 points and 6.6 rebounds last season for the Mercury, who lost to the Minnesota Lynx in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. The 6-foot-9 center appreciates how the 3-on-3 Unrivaled competition can expand her game.
"It's going to challenge me to play a little bit differently," Griner said. "I've been trying to evolve my game anyway, not just playing on the low post always. Stretching out, playing on the wing a little bit. I'm looking forward to showcasing that and being challenged as well. And then I'll be in the best shape ever coming back [to Phoenix]."
Griner's wife, Cherelle, gave birth to their son in July. Griner said her family is currently in Phoenix but will be coming to Miami later this month.
"I've been in awe from the moment he got here," Griner said of Bash, joking about needing to keep up with him since he learned to crawl. "My wife is really being a trooper, taking on a lot of the load so I can get settled and get ready for basketball. But this is the best thing that has ever happened in my life."