Brittney Griner to sign with Atlanta Dream in WNBA’s latest shake-up

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 1 February.

The 6ft 9in 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, who earlier Tuesday were finalizing a deal to acquire Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun, according to an AP source.

The Sun also will send Ty Harris to Phoenix, while Connecticut will receive Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen and the No 12 pick in this year’s draft, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the deal.

Thomas has played her entire career with Connecticut and helped the franchise reach the WNBA Finals in 2019 and 2022. Thomas was an unrestricted free agent before she was designated as the team’s franchise player earlier this month, meaning the only way she could sign with another team was via trade.

Since the deal is a sign-and-trade, it can’t become official until 1 February. ESPN first reported the trade.

Thomas’ fiancee, DeWanna Bonner, is a free agent and could also go to Phoenix, where she spent the first 10 years of her WNBA career.

The 32-year-old Thomas won an Olympic gold medal with the United States this past summer and averaged 10.6 points, 7.9 assists and 8.4 rebounds last season. She’s the WNBA’s career leader in triple-doubles with 15, four of which came in the postseason.

Thomas, an MVP runner-up in 2023, had been vocal about the Sun’s lack of a practice facility and the franchise’s failure to keep pace with other teams. Phoenix opened a new practice facility this past year.

Cloud signed as a free agent with Phoenix last year and now will be back on the east coast after spending the early part of her career in Washington. Allen played for Connecticut in 2023 before getting traded to Phoenix last year.

Phoenix are undergoing a transition this offseason with All-Star center Brittney Griner exploring free agency. And it’s not clear whether veteran Diana Taurasi will play again or retire.

This was the second major trade in the WNBA this week. A three-way deal reached Sunday between Las Vegas, Seattle and Los Angeles will send Kelsey Plum to the Sparks, Jewell Loyd to the Aces and the No 2 pick in the draft to the Storm.