Brittney Griner shows love to Team USA women's rugby team on IG stories ahead of Japan clash

By Mathews Kannanthara

Modified Jul 28, 2024 12:41 GMT

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner showed her support to the Team USA women's rugby team ahead of their 2024 Paris Olympics debut clash against Team Japan on Sunday. Griner shared a post about the women's rugby team on her Instagram story on Saturday.

Brittney Griner's Instagram Story

View the post here:

The USA women's rugby team will pursue their first medal of the event. Since the readdition of the sport in the Olympics ahead of the 2016 games, the USA women's team finished fifth in Rio 2016 and sixth in Tokyo 2020. The USA is drawn in Pool C of the event alongside Brazil, France, and Japan.

"It means everything to me": Brittney Griner opens up about playing for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Brittney Griner previously played for Team USA in the 2016 Rio and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, clinching gold with the team both times. However, ahead of the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, the WNBA star admitted that representing the USA will be "different" and "way more emotional" after her almost 10 months of detainment in Russia in 2022.

"It means everything to me honestly," Griner said, via The Associated Press. "For me to now have the honor to wear it again and potentially win gold is icing on the cake for everything."

Griner had gone to Russia to play basketball to supplement her income from the WNBA as she has done many times previously. However, since the ordeal, the 10-time WNBA All-Star said that she would only play outside of America unless USA Basketball asked her to play. The upcoming Olympic tournament will be her first time going overseas since her time in Russia.

It’s different, we are so protected by the staff around us. It’s different, it’s way different. The level of comfortability and security we have right now makes it a lot easier," Griner said.

Brittney Griner further talked about the USA's quest to win their eighth consecutive Olympic gold in the women's basketball event.

"Hopefully, everything goes the way we want it to go and that anthem’s playing. It’s going to be way more emotional this time."

The USA women's basketball team will make their 2024 Paris Olympic debut on Monday against Team Japan. They have been drawn into Group C of the tournament alongside Japan, Germany, and Belgium.