Indiana Fever v Atlanta Dream - Source: Getty — Brittney Griner reveals she intended to retire as a Mercury before shocking offseason move (Photo credits: GETTY)

Brittney Griner reveals shocking Mercury meeting that shattered her retirement plans

Modified May 17, 2025 18:48 GMT

For the first time, fans will see two-time Defensive Player of the Year Brittney Griner in a different jersey. The 34-year-old star center signed with the Atlanta Dream this offseason after playing the first 11 seasons of her career with the Phoenix Mercury.

As it turns out, this move shocked the fans and initially caught Griner by surprise. In an article by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne on Friday, the former Mercury center talked about the events that led up to her signing with the Dream.

According to the article, Griner had no intentions of leaving Phoenix. She had plans to retire as a member of the Mercury. However, the organization had other plans.

"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."

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The Mercury selected Brittney Griner with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 WNBA draft. She earned 10 All-Star nods as a part of the team. This also includes the 2022 season, when she was named an honorary starter despite being detained in Russia.

Griner was named to the All-WNBA first team (2014, 2019 and 2021) and second team three times (2015, 2017 and 2018) each. She was also a key contributor during the Mercury's 2014 title run. In that year's playoffs, Griner averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.4 blocks.

Also read: WNBA fans shocked after hearing Brittney Griner speak in her deep voice in viral clip

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham says she misses former teammate Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner wasn't the only longtime Phoenix Mercury player to move to a different team in the offseason. Guard Sophie Cunningham was shipped to the Indiana Fever in a four-team deal that included the Dallas Wings and the Connecticut Sun.

Cunningham and Griner reconnected in the preseason when the Dream and the Fever faced each other in a preseason contest on May 10. Ahead of the game, the two teammates were seen chatting and laughing.

Later, Cunningham shared the clip and included a brief message on X.

"I miss the dingus but we are both very happy now!!" Cunningham tweeted.

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Griner officially debuted for the Dream on Friday against the Washington Mystics. She logged 18 points, eight rebounds and one block. Her strong performance was marred as Atlanta lost 94-90.

Cunningham is set to miss Indiana's season opener after hurting her ankle in the preseason.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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