Brittney Griner Takes A Break From Upcoming WNBA Games To Focus On Mental Health After Russian Detention

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner will not travel with her team, the Phoenix Mercury, on its upcoming two-game road trip in order to take the time to focus on her mental health, the team announced on Saturday.

“The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return,” the team said in a statement, per AP.

The two-time Olympic Gold Medalist who had been playing for seven years on a Russian basketball team, spent nearly 300 days in custody following her detention in February 2022 for having a small amount of cannabis oil in her suitcase when entering Moscow. Griner was released in December in a prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Support from fans is pouring in for Griner, as people say they're praying for her as she deals with her mental health.

"Take care of yourself BG. ♥️ I wish the Mercury had extended this same grace to @SkyDigg4 last year," one fan wrote.

Traveling Has Not Been Easy Either

Griner’s travel since her return to the team has, at times, been fraught with controversy over whether she and her team should travel by chartered planes as do their male NBA counterparts. In early June, Griner and her teammates were confronted by what the WNBA called a “provocateur” at the Dallas airport. 

Before the season started, the league had discussed Griner’s security concerns when the All-Star center traveled for road games. The thought, at the time, was that Griner's highly publicized case compromised her and others’ safety.