Brittney Griner’s Fresh Start with the Atlanta Dream: A New Chapter and Olympic Aspirations
In the world of sports, change is often the catalyst for rejuvenation, and for Brittney Griner, her move to the Atlanta Dream is proving to be just that. After spending 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, Griner is embracing a new beginning and setting her sights on a significant goal: playing at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
In a candid interview with ESPN, Griner shared her excitement about this new chapter in her career. “It’s a goal of mine,” she expressed, as she prepared for her debut with the Dream against the Washington Mystics. “It hasn’t been in the U.S. for a while now, so I think to be able to play at the Olympics in your home country would be amazing. My parents have never been to the Olympics. So I’m going to strive for it and try to do what I need to do so I can get that call up or at least be at the camp and help out the ones that will go, whatever it’s going to be.”
At 34, Griner is no stranger to the international stage, having played sparingly for Team USA as it clinched a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Yet, the three-time gold medalist feels invigorated by her offseason move to the Dream, both mentally and physically.
“You get comfortable and sometimes you don’t want to get out of that bubble,” Griner reflected. “But it’s like the one thing that you definitely need. Sometimes life will push you out of that bubble sometimes, and I’m just glad that I finally did it. I’m glad I did it and came here.”
Initially, Griner wasn’t planning to leave the Mercury. She anticipated retiring with the team that drafted her No. 1 overall in 2013, much like her longtime teammate, Diana Taurasi. However, the Mercury had other plans, informing her before free agency that they were likely going in a different direction. The team revamped its roster by trading for forwards Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas.
“I was doing everything as if I was going to still have that jersey on,” Griner said. “Then there was a meeting right before I left to go to Unrivaled and I found out like, ‘Oh, it looks like they want to do something different. This is news to me.’ I wish I would’ve known way sooner, but hey, life happens.”
After receiving the news, Griner took a reflective motorcycle ride home, during which she called her longtime agent, Lindsey Kagawa, and her wife, Cherelle Griner. They had been house hunting in Phoenix all summer, but nothing felt right, perhaps a sign of the changes to come.
“Basically was told that I don’t know what your future holds,” Griner said, when asked if she was given the option to return to Phoenix. “After I heard that, it became my decision. Because I want to be somewhere where they know they want me, where they believe in me and my game.”
The Atlanta Dream quickly became her top choice. Griner admired the team’s players and felt she would fit in well with All-Stars Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. Despite the initial shock and disappointment of leaving Phoenix, Griner found herself increasingly excited about the future.
Griner’s time in Phoenix was marked by gratitude, especially for the organization’s role in securing her release from a Russian prison, where she was detained for 10 months in 2022. However, even before the Mercury’s decision, she had begun to question whether she had grown too comfortable. After a playoff loss to the Minnesota Lynx, a reporter asked if she was contemplating retirement, prompting her to clarify, “I’m like, ‘Dang, I’m not the one retiring. [Taurasi’s] the one retiring.’ We are not the same age. We didn’t come into the league together.”
In Atlanta, Griner has already made a strong impression, scoring 16 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and adding three assists and a block in her first preseason game. She has also embraced a new playing style under coach Karl Smesko’s five-out system, which is a departure from her previous roles.
- Griner is learning to move better on the perimeter.
- She is shooting 3-pointers and participating in fast breaks.
- Her partnership with Brionna Jones is proving effective.
“It’s definitely different,” Griner said. “I mean, we’re playing five-out. I’m learning how to move better out on the perimeter, where my spots are on the perimeter, instead of just being down low. Me and Brionna [Jones] are complimenting each other really well. I thoroughly enjoy playing with Bri. A lot of people thought two bigs are not going to work. But they’re going to have to figure out how to guard us, and it is actually working really good.”
Coach Smesko suggested an adjustment to her shot on their first day working together, and Griner has since grown more comfortable and consistent with it. She’s also getting out on the break more often, joking, “I don’t look fast, but I move. It takes me way less steps than everybody else. I don’t have to be out there pumping, going crazy.”
Griner is determined not to overstay her welcome in the league. “As long as I can put up numbers and I can help my team out,” she said. “I want to play. When I can’t do that, or we have to hide me in the corner or put me on the easiest matchup, I will walk away. I don’t want to be a liability on the court and there’s too many good players coming along too, I’m not going to sit there and just hold onto a spot because I just can’t let go.”
Off the court, Griner and her wife, Cherelle, are adjusting to life as new parents to their son, Bash. Yet, the memories of her time in a Russian prison remain a part of her life. “I learned that I’m definitely adaptable,” she said. “Honestly, I can make myself fit whatever I need to do to be okay.”
As a reminder of her resilience, Griner occasionally draws four dots on her hand, a symbol taught to her by a cellmate. “My cellmate taught me that a lot of the people that have been in isolation in the prisons, that’s a tattoo that they normally get,” Griner explained. “It’s just kind of like a reminder. You made it through. You literally sat by yourself in a prison with no one, so you’re good. So if I’m having a hard day, I’ll put it on there and I’ll look down and see it and be like, I made it through that. I’m good.”
“What I’m feeling right now, this s— ain’t nothing,” she concluded, a testament to her strength and determination as she embarks on this new journey with the Atlanta Dream.
Originally Written by: Ramona Shelburne
