A fractured toe has so far delayed Brittney Griner’s season debut, but no more.
The Phoenix Mercury star is not only playing but starting on Friday against the Minnesota Lynx after missing the first 10 games of the season. Mercury starting guard Bec Allen is also returning from a concussion, giving Phoenix its ideal starting lineup for the first time this season.
Griner is returning the court after averaging 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 blocks per game last season, her first after returning from her imprisonment in Russia.
The Mercury went 9-31 that season. This one has been slightly better despite Griner’s absence with a 4-6 start despite Allen, signed from the Connecticut Sun last offseason, missing five games.
Griner’s first game back figures to be a tough test, with the Lynx currently topping the Western Conference with a 7-2 record.