WNBA Star Brittney Griner Is Scheduled To Miss Games, Decides To 'Focus On Mental Health'

On Saturday, the official Twitter of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury announced that star player Brittney Griner would miss her next two games to "focus on her mental health." 

"Mercury center Brittney Griner will not travel with the team on its upcoming two-game road trip to Chicago and Indiana (July 30-August 1) to focus on her mental health," the Phoenix Mercury's Twitter tweeted. "The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return."

As the DC Enquirer previously reported, "Griner was detained by Russian authorities in 2022 on drug charges -- allegedly illegally carrying hashish oil into the country. Griner's detainment generated significant public controversy. After all, Griner was infamous for her refusal to stand for our national anthem. -- saying, 'We should not play the national anthem during our season.'

Nonetheless, the DC Enquirer adds that, Griner has since, "expressed her support for the anthem, following her release, stating she now more than ever appreciates the freedom to protest she is afforded by our Constitution."

Brittney Griner's detention generated significant controversy around America. While many patriots were concerned over Griner's disrespect for America, substantial portions of the National Basketball Association (NBA) supported her release. Nonetheless, the eventual prisoner exchange that led to Griner's release was widely controversial, with Democrat senators calling the exchange uneven. After all, the United States gave the Russians the infamous arms dealer Viktor Bout, the so-called 'merchant of death', in exchange for a WNBA player who had expressed a previous disdain towards the anthem of the nation that respected so many of her freedoms. 

As the Huffington Post reports, Brittney Griner is having a fantastic individual season -- averaging 18.2 points and 6.7 rebounds. Coming back from a long hiatus is difficult, and Brittney Griner appears to be dominating the league. Nonetheless, the Huffington Post adds that "Griner’s impressive individual season hasn’t translated to success for the Mercury, who have a 6-17 record and fired [[former head coach] Vanessa Nygaard earlier in the season. The Mercury’s tough season and coaching change are among the multiple challenges Griner has faced in her return to the WNBA following her ordeal in Russia on drug-related charges that caused her to miss the entire 2022 season."

Earlier this year, Brittney Griner and her teammates were confronted by a 'provocateur' according to Associated Press -- although it is unclear what relationship, if any, this had to Griner's departure from the road trip. The AP also adds that the Mercury's next two games will be against the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever.