Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner has spent her entire career with the franchise since they selected her with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft. That could change this winter, however, with her agent telling the Associated Press that Griner is prepared to test the free agency market for the first time in her career.
This is not the first time Griner has been a free agent, but in the past she has either been “Cored,” giving the Mercury exclusive negotiating rights, or knew early on that she would re-sign in Phoenix. Not so this time around, and Griner, an unrestricted free agent, has already started the process of taking meetings with other teams.
“I want to show off my skills for free agency,” Griner said of Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 league that began its inaugural season in Miami on Jan. 17. Griner is suiting up for Phantom BC, one of six teams in the upstart league, which was co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier to, in large part, give players a chance to compete during the offseason without going overseas.
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There’s still a chance that Griner returns to the Mercury. Phoenix is home,” Griner said after re-signing with the club last year. “The love and support my wife and I have received from the organization, community and X-Factor over the last 11 years has meant everything to us.”
But she wouldn’t be taking meetings with other teams if she wasn’t seriously thinking about leaving. Finding a perfect fit for Griner isn’t easy given the direction the league is trending and which teams have the most cap space, but as free agency continues, here’s a look at three potential destinations for the 10-time All-Star.
The expansion Valkyries are the first new team to enter the WNBA since the Atlanta Dream in 2008. After completing their expansion draft earlier in the winter, the Valkyries have a number of prospects and role players, but are lacking a star. It seems likely that they’ll go searching for a centerpiece during free agency and have the most cap space in the league ($1,201,505).
Could they go after Griner? The veteran center has morphed into more of an offensive force in recent years and finished 11th in the league in scoring last season (17.8 points per game) while leading the league in field goal percentage (57.9). She would give the Valkyries a true No. 1 option and a marquee name to lead the franchise. Plus, their frontcourt situation has a number of question marks, especially if French center Iliana Rupert does not come over this season.
There are reasons why both sides may not be interested, however. Would Griner, now 34, want to play for an expansion team that won’t contend for a title? Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, meanwhile, has stated her team is going to play “fast paced” and “shoot some 3s.” Griner, for all her talent, does not fit those criteria.
Atlanta Dream
The Dream lost Iliana Rupert to the Valkyries in the expansion draft, and Tina Charles, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Lorela Cubaj are all free agents. Perhaps no team in the league needs frontcourt help as much as the Dream, whose only current returning big is Naz Hillmon.
In addition to having an obvious need in the frontcourt, the Dream have a good amount of cap space, with $644,298 to spend and only four roster spots they need to fill. They could give her a regular max deal ($214,466) and have enough left over to fill out the rest of the roster — though doing so could impact their depth.
While the Dream aren’t a title contender, they are a playoff team and could potentially get back into the middle of the pack with Griner in place. That, combined with a max offer could be enough to entice Griner. But whether the Dream would want her is another question. Yes, they desperately need frontcourt help, but Griner is not the best fit for new coach Karl Smesko’s offensive system that emphasizes space and shooting.
The Aces’ lack of depth finally caught up to them last season, as they struggled through the regular season before losing to the New York Liberty in the semifinals. As they look to regroup this winter for a run at a third title in four years, addressing their frontcourt situation behind A’ja Wilson will be a key priority.
Could Griner be the answer? Perhaps, though only if she is willing to take a discount. The Aces have just $656,520 in cap space to fill at least five spots, and possibly six, and that doesn’t take into account their core qualifying offer to Kelsey Plum, which counts for $249,244. It remains to be seen if Plum will return, but regardless the Aces are going to be pinching pennies this offseason.
If Griner is willing to take less money for a year to compete for a title, the Aces would give her that opportunity. She wouldn’t be a perfect fit, but that’s going to be the case everywhere given her skillset. There’s no denying her offensive talent, and she would help take some of the scoring burden off of Wilson and Co., while also providing some rim protection. From a pure talent perspective, she would be a major upgrade on the Aces’ frontcourt depth.
