One of the WNBA’s biggest draws will be absent at the season’s opening salvo.
Mercury standout Brittney Griner is slated to miss out on Phoenix’s regular-season opener against the Aces.
The 10-year veteran will miss opening day after sustaining a toe injury ahead of Tuesday’s clash, the franchise announced on Monday. It’s unclear when she will return to the floor.
Here’s the latest on Griner’s status going forward.
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Brittney Griner injury update
Griner was ruled out of Phoenix’s season-opener after suffering a toe fracture on her left foot. The organization will re-evaluate her status in the coming weeks to determine its next course of action.
Griner, 33, enjoyed a fairly productive season in his first year back after being detained for nine months in Russia after being arrested in a Moscow airport for having hashish oil in her luggage. She averaged 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks a night on 56.2 percent shooting. For her efforts, she was named to her eighth All-Star team.
While the stats were solid, things weren’t all rosy for Griner. She stepped away for a few games in late July to deal with her mental health , and Phoenix finished with a league-worst 9-31 record.
While the team should be improved this year, it will still face an uphill battle to return to the playoffs, especially if Griner is out for an extended period.
Brittney Griner stats
| Year | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | BPG |
| 2013 | 27 | 26.0 | 12.6 | 6.3 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| 2014 | 34 | 30.7 | 15.6 | 8.0 | 1.6 | 3.8 |
| 2015 | 26 | 30.7 | 15.1 | 8.1 | 1.3 | 4.0 |
| 2016 | 34 | 29.2 | 14.5 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 3.1 |
| 2017 | 26 | 31.5 | 21.9 | 7.6 | 1.9 | 2.5 |
| 2018 | 34 | 32.6 | 20.5 | 7.7 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
| 2019 | 31 | 32.8 | 20.7 | 7.2 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
| 2020 | 12 | 31.8 | 17.7 | 7.5 | 3.0 | 1.8 |
| 2021 | 30 | 32.8 | 20.5 | 9.5 | 2.7 | 1.9 |
| 2023 | 31 | 27.6 | 17.5 | 6.3 | 2.2 | 1.6 |
