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| Will we see Brittney Griner play this season? |
| Yes, for Phoenix |
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28% |
[ 8 ] |
| Yes, for a different team |
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50% |
[ 14 ] |
| No, she'll sit out the 2021 season |
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21% |
[ 6 ] |
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| Total Votes : 28 |
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Stormeo
Joined: 14 Jul 2019
Posts: 4701
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 Posted: 01/24/21 3:03 pm ::: Brittney Griner's 2021 season status |
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Will she play for Phoenix, will Phoenix trade her, or will she simply sit out? The idea of her not playing for the Merc this year is made possible due to her tumultuous 2020 season. This article objectively highlights her issues with the team pretty well.
| Quote: |
“She probably shouldn’t have went into the bubble. It’s not for everybody,” Brondello said. “I love BG, she’s had some great years. I have a great relationship with her. Hopefully she’s a part of this team next year as well. Only time will tell I suppose.” ...
Specifically on Griner, [Mercury GM] Pitman said, “She's under contract for two more years with us. We expect she'll be a WNBA player and that we'll look forward to getting the best group we can together to win. Hopefully she'll be back and playing. I have no reason to doubt that.” |
Not a whole lot of confidence or commitment from the top about her return, which is pretty stunning in & of itself. Ultimately I think it'll depend on whether Taurasi wants her around or not – assuming Taurasi herself continues playing. On top of all of that, the team surprisingly played better without Griner than with her in 2020, so maybe it all gives way to trading her without getting backlash from fans/the media. Still, it could be the most likely that she simply continues her hiatus from the WNBA – although recently she went back to playing basketball overseas with her usual team in Russia.
I revisited this topic again when I heard about Nia Coffey signing her cheap QO. It made me ponder how the Merc's cap situation could honestly be made easier with Griner not on the active roster. Free agency all of a sudden opens up a week from now. Taurasi is unsigned, and probably won't take a big pay cut if any (she has aspirations of being a franchise owner, so she needs all the money she can get). Hartley will likely not play in most of the 2021 season (if at all), but in all likelihood will still be on the active roster getting paid her $190k. That would likely leave the Merc with just 10 healthy players assuming Griner re-joins the team. And they likely want at least one of UFA Vaughn and RFA Walker-Kimbrough back, neither of whom will be as cheap as the $72k Coffey re-signed for (how much more expensive than that though is another open question). The player-and-team situation is so uniquely fascinating, in a year that already has a couple of them.
If you think Griner gets traded: Which team(s) would be most likely to take her (and all that she brings...)? Any trade ideas?
Last edited by Stormeo on 01/25/21 10:38 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Michelle89
Joined: 17 Nov 2010
Posts: 16464
Location: Holland
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| Posted: 01/25/21 4:48 am ::: |
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| Griner has returned to Russia and is playing for UMMC so hopefully that is a good sign for the Mercury that she is getting back on track
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"Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson were and are the dynamic duo. They're the one-two punch. They're all the clich�s possible to describe people that perfectly complement each other, who make each other better and also bring out the best in the team." �Karen Bryant
Last edited by Michelle89 on 01/25/21 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Stormeo
Joined: 14 Jul 2019
Posts: 4701
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WNBA 09
Joined: 26 Jun 2009
Posts: 12537
Location: Dallas , Texas
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Michelle89
Joined: 17 Nov 2010
Posts: 16464
Location: Holland
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FrozenLVFan
Joined: 08 Jul 2014
Posts: 3516
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| Posted: 01/25/21 6:11 pm ::: |
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| I'd vote for choice D...won't play if there's a wubble.
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johnjohnW
Joined: 11 Aug 2020
Posts: 1846
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Shades
Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 63778
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| Posted: 02/04/21 10:23 pm ::: |
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| I thought Griner addressed her mental health issues by dumping Glory Johnson after two weeks of marriage.
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), thanks for the correction. Editing the above. Knowing that, I'm not sure I would've voted that she was gonna sit out the season. 
Although if the W has another wubble season in any form, Brondello did concede that it wasn't really good for Griner...