- Griner scores game-high 18 points in first game since 2021
- US vice-president Kamala Harris among 10,396 in attendance
- Sparks prevail over Mercury as WNBA’s 27th season tips off
Two hours before Brittney Griner would play her first WNBA game in 19 months, her coach with the Phoenix Mercury described the meaning of the occasion in a simple yet poignant manner.
“All last season, I opened with how many days she was gone,” Vanessa Nygaard, the team’s second-year coach, said concerning her interviews. “This is the first press conference for a game that I haven’t.”
Griner, who spent 10 months imprisoned in Russia, returned to an exuberant reception Friday night from the 10,396 fans attending the season opener at the Crypto.com Arena, where the Los Angeles Sparks routed Griner’s Mercury, 94-71. Those attending included US vice-president Kamala Harris, who spoke to both teams before the game.
