Griner scored 10 points in 17 minutes in an exhibition loss to the Sparks last week. “We did our jobs probably with less joy than professional athletes do. “Until the day we got the news in the morning that she was on her way home, no one thought that it was going to happen,” Nygaard said. Griner has been free since December when she was part of a high-profile prisoner swap. “How good did she just look? Unbelievable,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told reporters at halftime.įor the first time since last season, Phoenix coach Vanessa Nygaard opened her pregame comments without announcing how many days Griner had been jailed.

Griner grabbed a couple of rebounds and scored twice in helping the Mercury to an early lead. She fired a pass to Moriah Jefferson, who hit a 3-pointer for Phoenix’s first basket. Griner made an immediate impact against the Sparks. “Just getting back to how I was before all this happened.” “I hope to be exactly where I want to be,” Griner said. The 32-year-old center’s immediate goal is to play an entire game by the All-Star break in mid-July. Golden Knights know from experience Game 1 victory doesn't ensure win over Panthers

War game center