In 2022, Brittney Greiner was detained in Russia after authorities found cannabis oil in her luggage. of WNBA The star athlete spent nearly 300 days in Russian custody, unsure if he would be able to return to the U.S. mainland and reunite with his family and teammates.
After he was finally released in a prisoner exchange, Greiner vowed never to play basketball overseas again unless it was for the U.S. Olympic team. (She eventually starred as a member of the Olympic team that won gold in Paris in August).
“That's the only time I leave American soil. It's only to represent the United States.” Greiner told reporters. Days before the 2023 WNBA season. “The reason so many of us end up overreaching is because of the pay gap.”
Now, nearly two years after his lengthy detention, Greiner has recommitted to playing professional basketball during the WNBA offseason. But instead of having to play abroad, as she has done many winters before, the six-time All-Star will head to Miami, where she, along with 29 other WNBA stars, will play a new 3×3 basketball I will be joining the league. To change the landscape of women's professional basketball: unbeatable basketball league.
In Miami, Greiner's teammates and competitors include Unrivaled's two co-founders, Breanna Stewart and Nafeesa Collier, as well as Kelsey Plumb, Sato Sabally, Angel Reese, and Arike O. It will include many big names, including a number of stars such as Gambowale. The league is scheduled to start in January and run for eight weeks, with 3×3 matches held multiple nights a week and broadcast for fans to watch from home, although details of media deals are still to be determined. .
When Mr. Collier and Mr. Stewart teamed up to create Unrivaled, they did so in hopes of allowing players to remain in the United States after the season ended.
“That's really important to us,” Collier said. told the Associated Press in May.. “Rewards are a big part of Unrivaled, both as a league and as a business. All players who join this first year will have the right to participate in the league. That's what we're really looking forward to: growing wealth across generations.”
It's well known that players make more money overseas, and even though the WNBA's popularity has exploded this season, salaries are still relatively low. On average, WNBA players $119,000 per yearRookies, on the other hand, earn between $64,154 and $76,535 in their first season. Greiner, one of the WNBA's most decorated players, earned $150,000 last year as the Phoenix Mercury's starting center.
As a new 3×3 league, Unrivaled will take a different approach than the WNBA in both format and salary structure. Each team will consist of five players and a head coach (some of whom also serve as WNBA coaches), with each player having an investment in the league and a minimum annual salary of $100,000.
Brittney Griner becomes the third Mercury player to publicly commit to the league, joining teammates Karlea Copper and Natasha Cloud. Although she is one of the older players who decided to transfer, she is not the only one. Skyler Diggins-Smith, 34, and Tiffany Hayes and Courtney Vandersloot, both 35, have also pledged to participate.
And while Greiner isn't the dominant defensive presence he once was, he's still a very impactful player. This season, the three-time Olympian averaged 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists, helping Phoenix reach the playoffs.
With the addition of Griner, the Unrivaled Basketball League's full roster now includes 24 players: Alisha Gray (Dream), Angel Reese (Sky), Arike Ogunbowale (Wings), Brianna. Stewart (Liberty), Brittney Sykes (Mystics), Brittney Griner (Mercury), Chelsea Gray (Ace), Courtney Vandersloot (Liberty), Dearika Hamby (Sparks), Dijonai Carrington (Sun), Jackie・Young (Ace), Jewel Lloyd (Storm), Carlea Copper (Mercury), Kayla McBride (Lynx), Kelsey Plumb (Ace), Marina Mabry (Sun), Nafeesa Collier (Lynx), Natasha Cloud (Mercury), Ryne Howard (Dream), Ricky Jackson (Sparks), Sato Sabally (Wings), Skylar Diggins-Smith (Storm), Shakira Austin (Mystics), Tiffany Hayes (Aces).
Needless to say, it's a long and talented list.
According to Collier, six more WNBA players are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, two of whom are expected to be rookies. Three-time MVP A'ja Wilson has already revealed it. she doesn't playMeanwhile, Caitlin Clark similarly hinted that she would be taking the offseason to relax.
There are a number of other players who have not yet confirmed or denied participation in the 2024 All-Star roster, including Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston and Jonquel Jones. , Breonna Jones, and Nneka Ogwumike. As it stands, the Indiana Fever is the only team in the WNBA that does not have any players publicly committed to playing in the league.
Everything about Unrivaled is still new and uncertain, with rollouts happening every few days and player announcements happening on social media.
But the confirmation of Brittney Greiner's participation is a perfect example of why the league exists in the first place.
