Nine-time WNBA All-Star star Brittney Griner made her season debut for the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night against the Minnesota Lynx, scoring 11 points in an 81-80 win.
Griner fractured her toe in the preseason, which sidelined her for the past month.
Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts told reporters this week that after going through return-to-play protocols over the past 7 to 10 days, Griner practiced for the first time Thursday. She was on a minutes restriction vs. the Lynx, playing just 21.
With Rebecca Allen (concussion) also back on the floor for Phoenix after missing the past few weeks, Friday marked the first time the Mercury were at full strength this season.
The Mercury, now 5-6 under first-year coach Tibbetts, entered Friday having taken more 3-pointers than any other team in the league (29.7 per game). Griner, a 6-foot-9 center, has been a force in the paint during her career, averaging 17.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. But Tibbetts…
