Brittney Griner plans to sign with the Atlanta Dream, marking the end of her 11-year career with the Phoenix Mercury.
Griner announced the move in a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday night, and her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, confirmed to The Associated Press that the star center would sign a one-year deal with Atlanta.
“Free agency has been everything I wanted it to be, honestly. I was able to find where I wanted to go,” Griner said in the video. “Honestly, what led me to that decision ultimately was the team, the players. Also my family. I’m thrilled for this chapter.”
WNBA free agents can’t sign contracts until Feb. 1.
The 6-foot-9 Griner had spent her entire career with Phoenix since getting drafted No. 1 in 2013. Now 34, she decided this offseason to test free agency for the first time. Griner is signing for only one year because a new collective bargaining agreement featuring potentially massive salary increases is expected to take effect in 2026.
Griner missed the 2022 season when she was detained for nearly 10 months in Russia after authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis. She was freed in a prisoner swap when the United States released notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner averaged 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks this past season with Phoenix. She’s third on the WNBA’s career blocks list, 65 behind leader Margo Dydek.
Griner said going through free agency posed some challenges.
“It was a hard decision since you’re leaving what you know. What I’ve known for my whole career,” she said. “There’s an exciting factor of like, OK, this is a rebrand now. I get to show them something different.”
Griner becomes the most prominent free-agent signing in Atlanta’s history, and she joins a talented squad led by Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. The Dream made a coaching change this offseason, bringing in Karl Smesko from Florida Gulf Coast. Griner, Howard and Gray are playing in the new 3-on-3 league Unrivaled this offseason.
The Dream went 15-25 last season and made the playoffs for the second straight year. They were eliminated in the first round by eventual WNBA champion New York.
Griner, a 10-time All-Star, also had discussions with Dallas and Las Vegas.
It has been an offseason of change for Phoenix. Earlier Tuesday, the Mercury were finalizing a deal to acquire Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun, a person familiar with that trade told the AP. It’s also not clear whether veteran Diana Taurasi will play again or retire.
The Chicago Sky are scheduled to host the Dream on July 16 and Aug. 7.
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