Brittney Griner is leaving the Valley for Atlanta.
After 11 seasons entirely played with the Phoenix Mercury, the 10-time All-Star center Griner has agreed to join the Atlanta Dream in free agency. ESPN’s Shams Charania and Alex Phillipou were first to break the news.
Around the time her decision came out, Griner explained why in a video posted on Instagram that showed her sailing on a boat with her new Dream teammates Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada and Allisha Gray.
“Free agency has been everything I wanted it to be,” Griner said. “I was able to find where I wanted to go, and honestly what led me to that decision ultimately was the team, the players as individuals, and then, also, my family.”
Griner continued, “I’m thrilled for this chapter, my first time going into free agency, and it was cool. It was a hard decision because you’re leaving what you know, what I’ve known for my whole career. But there’s also a deciding factor of, OK, this is like a rebrand now. I get to show them something different.”
The video is for her upcoming first episode of a new documentary film series titled “Outside The Paint” which will be released next week, according to the video’s caption.
Griner’s plan to join the Dream comes eight days after her agent revealed during her Unrivaled league debut that she would meet with multiple WNBA teams in Miami to test free agency for the first time in her career. As one of the WNBA’s 25 Greatest Players, the 6-foot-9 Griner said she was playing for Phantom BC in Unrivaled to “show off my skills for free agency.”
Griner raised more eyebrows on social media last week about her potential next move after her wife, Cherrelle, who frequently attended Mercury games, unfollowed the team’s account on Instagram.
Free agency began on Jan. 21, and players can officially sign with teams on Feb. 1.
Last season, Griner was the Mercury’s second-best scorer (17.8 points per game) behind Kahleah Copper (21.1 ppg). Griner, 34, led the team in rebounds (6.6) and blocks (1.5). Phoenix was eliminated in the playoffs’ first round by the eventual championship runner-up Minnesota Lynx. Atlanta was swept out of the first round by the eventual champion New York Liberty.
Griner was the Mercury’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft out of Baylor. She and Diana Taurasi helped lead the Mercury to their last title in 2014.
The exit of Griner to Atlanta became public the same day of the blockbuster trade that sent former Connecticut Sun All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas with Ty Harris to Phoenix for veterans Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen, and the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Griner, Thomas, and Taurasi won a gold medal together on Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In addition, Griner going to Atlanta adds to the bigger question if Taurasi will retire after her 20 seasons in Phoenix.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Griner exits Mercury, agrees to join Dream in WNBA free agency
