On Thursday, Brittney Griner was seen competing in her first practice since suffering a left toe fracture.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!"Hopefully we're seeing her back in uniform soon."
Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts talks about Brittney Griner's (@brittneygriner) first practice after missing the beginning of the season with a toe fracture on her left foot. #ValleyTogether #WNBA pic.twitter.com/eMtAJgsRYk
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“It’s been a return to play the last week to 10 days, so we’ll see how she responds today,” said Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts. “Like I said, this was her first practice. Hopefully we’re seeing her back in uniform soon.”
Griner was sidelined ahead of the season with the Mercury announcing her injury on May 13. The team stated that Griner would be “re-evaluated in the coming weeks”, and since then, no clear update has been provided on Griner’s status. Now, 24 days later, Griner is once again competing in practice.
Brittney Griner was involved in the Mercury’s scrimmage today at practice. This is the first time Griner has scrimmaged since her injury, and she looks visibly healthy moving up-and-down the court.#ValleyTogether #WNBA
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Still without a timetable, Griner’s progress has seemed steady. It only seems like a matter of time before Griner graces the hardwood once again. However, Tibbetts realizes that it’s important for Griner herself to gauge her comfortability playing fresh off an injury.
“First, you always want her to feel safe,” said Tibbetts. “You never want to put a player out there that’s not comfortable being out there, so I’m sure our medical team is talking to her and making her see where she stands today.”
With Phoenix’s new-look core backed by a first-year head coach in Tibbetts, Griner is set to insert herself into a brand new system. Phoenix has played up-tempo and fast to start out the year, but Griner will help slow things down with her looks in the post. The pressure that she’ll put on the defense will only open up the floodgates for the rest of the team.
Sophie Cunningham spoke on Brittney Griner's impending return and what she brings to this year's Mercury team:
"Anytime you can have your 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 girl down there, it's going to be nice for us."#ValleyTogether #WNBA pic.twitter.com/2GVrmw1JMD
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) June 6, 2024
“That was not full speed, but it’s good to have her back,” said Mercury wing Sophie Cunningham. “We’re going to have to show her a little bit of grace. Going out like that, it’s crazy that we’re 10 games in and we haven’t seen her play yet this season, which is weird. But she’s going to be great. Anytime you can have your 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 girl down there, it’s going to be nice for us. It’s going to draw a lot of attention, open more shots for us on the three-point line. To have her back is refreshing.”
Along with Griner, Phoenix’s Bec Allen was seen practicing on Thursday. Allen has missed the last five games in concussion protocol.
“I think Bec is close also,” said Tibbetts regarding Allen’s status. “We’ll see how both of them respond, just exciting to have them back with the team. They haven’t been with us as we’ve been out on the road, so hopefully we get good news for tomorrow.”
Phoenix, 4-6, needs a major spark if it wants to get back to its winning ways. The Mercury have lost five out of their last six games, but if the recovery of Griner and Allen continues to speed up, their services will be truly appreciated as the season continues to ramp up.
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Justin LaCertosa covers Phoenix Sports News for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @LaCertosaSports
