LOS ANGELES — With Vice President Kamala Harris and 10,396 fans in attendance, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner was officially welcomed back to the WNBA on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Griner was playing in her first official game since returning to the United States after being wrongfully detained for 10 months in Russia last year. As the WNBA started its 27th season Friday, Griner smiled broadly, acknowledging the fans who gave her a standing ovation, the Sparks and her Mercury teammates, as she made her much-anticipated return in Phoenix’s 94-71 loss to Los Angeles. She finished with 18 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots in 25 minutes.
Griner said she tried to take in the emotion of the night, especially when her name was announced to cheers, while also trying to stay focused for the game. And she was thrilled the vice president was there.
“It was amazing,” Griner said of Harris coming to the game. “It was nice to be able to see her face-to-face, talk to her, thank her for everything. And then the team really enjoyed it, too, when…
