Fans Are Praying For Brittney Griner Following Heartbreaking Announcement

COLLEGE PARK, GEORGIA – JULY 25: Brittney Griner #49 of the Phoenix Mercury during the game against the Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena on July 25, 2023 in College Park, Georgia.(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Basketball fans are coming together to offer prayers and messages of support for WNBA star Brittney Griner following an announcement from her team, the Phoenix Mercury.

On Saturday, the Mercury announced via Twitter that the basketball legend will be away from the team for their two-game road trip so that she can “focus on her mental health.” There is no immediate timeline on when she could return.

Mercury center Brittney Griner will not travel with the team on its upcoming two-game road trip to Chicago and Indiana (July 30-August 1) to focus on her mental health. The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return.

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) July 29, 2023

Following the announcement from the Mercury, fans offered their support for Griner:

Show your strength, Brittney! Traveled from Detroit to see you play, doing the thing you love the best. Disappointed that I may never see you play, but you matter more than basketball. I’m sorry, I know this is hard for you. We have your back in Detroit.

— Cindy Jones (@CindyJo23880398) July 30, 2023

After wrapping up their road trip in Indiana on Tuesday, the Mercury will fly home to begin a four-game homestand on Thursday against Atlanta. Entering play on Sunday, the Mercury were 6-17 and 2.5 games behind the Chicago Sky for the final playoff berth.

Griner, a nine-time All-Star, is the Mercury’s leading scorer here in 2022-23 with averages of 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

Mental health ? is a constant work. ?? #wnbatwitter https://t.co/rNg7f0SiJF

— Along Came Poly-4-The-W ??‍♀️✊ (@RoscoeGerm) July 29, 2023

It’s been a very event-filled and stressful last 17 months for Griner. In Feb. 2022, she was arrested at an airport in Moscow for carrying under a gram of hash oil, which is illegal in Russia. Last August, she was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison.

In December, U.S. president Joe Biden was able to complete an agreement with Russian officials on a prisoner exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, and Griner came home to the United States on Dec. 9