Brittney Griner waved to fans who applauded her as she walked onto the court, embraced Elena Della Donne and signed an autograph before taking a seat on the bench. A video tribute and standing ovation followed at the first timeout.
A hip injury prevented Griner from playing for the Phoenix Mercury against the Washington Mystics on Friday night. Still, Griner was embraced by opponents and the sellout crowd in her first public appearance in the nation’s capital since returning from her imprisonment in Russia, down the road from many of the folks in the U.S. government who worked to get her home.
Griner was ruled out roughly 20 minutes before tip-off after being listed as doubtful on the injury report Thursday. A team spokesperson said Griner would not speak to reporters if she did not play. While work was going on behind the scenes to negotiate her freedom, the WNBA rallied around Griner in the hope she’d be back on the court.
Griner in eight games this season has averaged over 20 points and nearly eight rebounds, looking well on her way to being named an All-Star for the eighth time. She left Phoenix’s game Tuesday against Seattle after just nine minutes because of the hip injury.
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