Brittney Griner gets warm welcome in first home game since Russia

PHOENIX (AP)— Brittney Griner won the opening tip and ran to her familiar spotin the low post.

There wasnowhere else the ball was going to go on the Phoenix Mercury’sopening possession of the season — not after what Griner had gonethrough to get here.

Her back tothe basket, Griner faked as though she would shoot a turnaround,spun the other way and put up another up-fake. Chicago’s ElizabethWilliams fell for the deke, Griner absorbed the contact and hit theshot to begin a three-point play.

After all theemotional buildup, Griner got off to the perfect start in her firstregular-season home game since being released after morethan10months in a Russian prison.

It didn’t endquite the way she wanted.

Grinerfinished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots, butthe Chicago Sky held on for a75-69 win onSunday.

Grinerreceived a warm reception in her lone preseason game and againintheMercury’s season openerat the Los Angeles Sparks.

Her homedebut had an entirely different vibe.

Many fanswore Griner’s 42 jersey and some waved small black towels with “BG”on the front. One young fan held a sign that said “We (heart) BG.Welcome home!”

Duringwarmups, Griner shared hugs with her teammates, Sky players andChicago coach James Wade, who had coached her overseas. Just aswarmups were winding down, Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham grabbeda microphone near midcourt and addressed the crowd.

“Last year,all we wanted was to get BG home. We did that and we’re alltogether now,” Cunningham said, drawing roars from the crowd.

Just beforeplayer introductions, a poet paid tribute to Griner while beingsurrounded by the Mercury’s dancers. Once introductions started,the fans gave each of the Mercury players loud cheers before Grinercame out last.

The 6-foot-9forward walked out from behind a wall and, surrounded by flashinglights, stepped into the bowel of the arena, drawing a massiveovation.

Griner had animmediate impact against the Sparks Friday night, finishing with 18points, six rebounds and four blocked shots in the 94-71 loss.

She openedwith the three-point play against Chicago, blocked a shot on theSky’s second possession and dropped a nifty bounce pass to DianaTaurasi for a backdoor layup.

Grinerswatted another shot and sprinkled in some trash talk as she turnedup the floor. She added another three-point play late in the secondhalf to pull the Mercury within seven points.

Griner drew alaugh from the crowd early in the third quarter when, after foulingCourtney Williams, forcefully helped up Williams, who flew throughthe air to accentuate it.

The supportturned into a roar when Griner hit a 3-pointer, the fans risingfrom their seats and to match the two-handed, three-fingeredgesture she flashed while screaming on the court.

Griner scoredon a three-point play to pull Phoenix within 69-67 with just undertwo minutes left, but it was hers and the Mercury’s last gasp.

Phoenix had acouple of sloppy turnovers, Chicago’s Dana Evans scored on arunning bank shot and the Sky held on for the win.

Griner endedher home debut by hugging Sky players and Wade again before headingto the baseline to hug her wife Cherelle.