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Mechelle VoepelESPN.com
CloseMechelle Voepel covers the WNBA, femaless college basketball, and other college sports for espnW. Voepel started covering femaless basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN considering that 1996.
Phoenix center Brittney Griner has left the WNBAs bubble in Bradenton, Florida, for personal factors, the Mercury revealed Saturday. Griner had missed her very first game this season on Friday, which the Mercury lost 90-80 to the Minnesota Lynx.
Griner is Phoenixs leading scorer (17.7) and rebounder (7.5) this season. The No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft, shes in her 8th season with the Mercury and has been a starter throughout her time in Phoenix.
1 Related” Our teams commitment stays on the 2020 regular season and playoffs,” the Mercury stated in a news release. “Our coaches and gamers will have no additional talk about the matter.”
The Mercury are 6-7 and have lost their past three games. The WNBAs routine season is 22 games, and the Mercury have just nine games left prior to the postseason would start.
“At this point, were just attempting to grow as a basketball team with whoevers available at whatever time,” Mercury guard Diana Taurasi stated Friday.
The three-guard beginning lineup of Taurasi, Bria Hartley and Skylar Diggins-Smith succeeded, but the Mercury didnt have adequate inside existence on Friday against the Lynx.
“Brittney definitely would have helped us,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello.
The Mercury are 6-7 and have actually lost their previous 3 games. At this point, if Griner were to return to the bubble, she would have to go through medical procedure that would include quarantining for 7 days at IMG Academy. The WNBAs regular season is 22 video games, and the Mercury have just nine games left prior to the postseason would start.
