Brittney Griner will play organized basketball during the WNBA offseason for the first time in nearly three years.
Greiner will be one of 36 players to take the court in Miami later this month in the inaugural year of Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 women's basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Brianna Stewart and Nafeesa Collier. It's a person.
She said she was “looking forward” to the opportunity to play year-round again after the WNBA season ends, before being detained for nearly 10 harrowing months in Russia in 2022.
Greiner, who played for Russian powerhouse UMMC Yekaterinburg, returned to the United States in December 2022 through a prisoner exchange orchestrated by President Joe Biden's administration.
She returned to the WNBA in 2023, but was away from the game for several months between that season and the 2024 season.
But during those months off, Greiner couldn't help but feel that the game he loved was taken away from him.
That's part of what made the opportunity to participate in Unrivaled so special.
“I felt like something was missing in the offseason anyway,” Greiner said Tuesday during Unrivaled's availability. “I was used to playing all year, but after everything that happened, I felt kind of empty because, to be honest, I should have played and I really shouldn't have taken the day off.”
Greiner said this opportunity to play in the United States “felt a little different to me.”
“Honestly, I wanted to go back to work all year long,” Greiner said. “So I think this will help me stay fresh, shake off all the dust and be ready for when the ‘W’ comes back.”
It's been less than a week since the players have been in Miami, but many have been blown away by the thought and investment that has gone into the league.
“They're bringing something new to women's basketball,” Greiner said. “They're making it exciting. They're doing something different. We're trying to give a different look and feel to how we can operate.”
Greiner noted the orderly setup of the studio where she sat during media sessions, noting that the facility has a green room and two other rooms for off-court work.
“They really put a lot of information into it, and to be honest, that's what excited me the most,” she said. “I’m just excited to be a part of this.”
