Brittney Griner agrees to deal with Dream after Alyssa Thomas trade to Mercury, per report

In one of the most newsworthy free agent moves in WNBA history, 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner has agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Dream, according to Alexa Philippou. The short-term contract will allow Griner to re-enter free agency next year when a new collective bargaining agreement and higher salaries are expected to be in place. 

Griner, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft, has spent her entire career to this point with the Phoenix Mercury. An unrestricted free agent, she was unable to be cored by the Mercury, which allowed her to truly explore the market for the first time in her career. 

This report comes in wake of a separate report from Philippou earlier Tuesday that the Mercury had agreed to acquire Alyssa Thomas and Tyasha Harris from the Sun in a blockbuster trade that will send Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen and the No. 12 pick to Connecticut. Thomas’ arrival in Phoenix all but assured that Griner would not be back.