Ten-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner threw the book at fans and detractors alike in her unofficial Connecticut Sun debut.
UNCASVILLE—Thanks to Brittney Griner, Mohegan Sun Arena can now promote at least 22 dates of book signings next to the final hours of their WNBA tenant.
After 21 minutes of dealing with the likes of New York Liberty interior threats like Jonquel Jones and Han Xu, the new Connecticut Sun star was again surrounded by jerseys once the final buzzer sounded. This time, however, she had no interest in boxing out: the new paint invaders were members of her new adoring public, as several fans had brought their copies of Griner's memoir "Coming Home," co-penned by Michelle Buford, for the 10-time All-Star to sign.
"It still blows my mind that I have two books," Griner, who previously released "In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court" in 2014, said. "The support has always been here in Connecticut, so I'm just glad to be able to have the uniform on and receive it now. But I'm very grateful, very blessed, and I thank everybody that got a copy and read it. [Readers] always tell me they love my story, they were sorry and all that, but I'm just appreciative that anybody took the time to read it."
Griner wasted no time establishing herself as a fan favorite among Sun supporters, who flocked to Mohegan for their team's unofficial final home opener on Sunday evening. A 79-67 exhibition defeat to the Liberty did little to dampen spirits of the last hurrah's de facto opener, the bittersweet bash fueled by a Griner showcase that saw her score a Sun-best 16 points in her first time wearing Connecticut's orange in Uncasville.
Griner's Grind Doesn't Stop
Signing with Connecticut continues a slightly nomadic path Griner has traversed since returning from her infamous incarceration in Russia that served as the crux of her latter tome.
Since making her return in 2023, Griner played two seasons with her longtime employers in Phoenix before spending 2025 with the Atlanta Dream. Last season's lone excursion with the Dream could be considered a nightmare for someone used to fattened box scores and film reels like Griner: her respectable 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds set new career lows, and she averaged less than 11 minutes in Atlanta's three-game playoff cameo against Indiana.
Brittney Griner tonight 🔥
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) May 3, 2026
• 16 points
• 4 rebounds
• 2/2 3PM
• 7/9 FG
• 21 minutes played pic.twitter.com/pIjq6mFlJZ
At first glance, it's easy to see why Griner would join the relatively meandering project in New England: this week marks the tip-off of the final Sun season before the franchise undergoes its Houston Comets makeover. Griner was born in Houston and originally introduced herself to the national basketball scene with dominant outings at Nimitz High School, making the role of the resurrected Comets' headliner almost a no-brainer for her talents.
But Griner signed a one-year deal in Connecticut, making her the most accomplished name among a hodgepodge of young projects, both homegrown and imported. Entering Sunday, Griner is one of only three players on the Sun roster who are older than 25, joined by Kennedy Burke and Shey Peddy. Connecticut's youth was on prominent display for better and worse last season: its final record of 11-33 was its worst in a full season since 2016.
All that and more likely raised eyebrows when Griner signed with the Sun (1-1), which faces an uphill battle in the quest to land a second championship ring for the 35-year-old. Griner was happy to lower those arches in emphatic fashion in the postgame aftermath.
"I just wanted to come into it and just give my best product," Griner said. "What brought me here? The coaches, the GM, and everybody in the front office, and the players. I have connections with a couple of the coaches here. When I think back to my first All-Star, it was actually in the Mohegan, and I remember partying up in that rock club.
"They believed in me, too. They didn't count me out. There were people counting me out, thinking that I should retire or whatever. But, yeah, I've got a lot to go, and I'm not retiring, so we can just cut that out."
Brittney Griner putting the league on notice.
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) May 4, 2026
“People…wanted to call me old, wanna say I need to retire and sh*t…I’m not” #CTSun #WNBA pic.twitter.com/ZKzC05kOep
Connecticut Hits Griner Jackpot
Social media users will likely one day commemorate Griner's Connecticut career in the same playful fashion they recall the respective Las Vegas and Los Angeles tenures of Candace Parker and Teresa Weatherspoon. But Griner wasted no time and quickly endeared herself to her new fans on the hardwood long before her pen hit the hardcover.
Griner showcased her diverse scoring efforts by letting loose at the top of the key while posting up against the similarly-skilled Jones in the paint. The ex-Connecticut star Jones did break loose for 15 tallies of her own to lead New York, but it was Griner who stole the show with a 7-of-9 outing that saw her sink each of her two tries with an extra point on the line.
It was enough to force Sunday's national broadcaster Ion to belatedly break out the bleep button: during her halftime interview with Gabrielle Lucivero, Griner hinted that her breakout was meant to serve as a statement to those who "wanted to call [her] old" and said she "should retire and s***."
Sun head coach Rachid Meziane doesn't appear to be keeping a swear jar on hand at the Connecticut facility, instead reveling in the opportunity to keep a legend of the game on hand in what should be a trying, if not potential-packed, season.
"We had a lot of conversations with BG. We didn't convince her to come. She wanted to come," Meziane said. "I do think about her playing like a vet role, and to bring a leadership to our young team is something that's very important for her. She's enjoying to be the vet on our team. Just like to co-build the culture, the locker room, that's something she likes to do.
"She's amazing, you know, as a person. I coached against her many times, and having her on my team, it's a real pleasure for me," Meziane continued. "She's embracing this role, and she's like an assistant coach on the floor. I want to rely on that, on her skills, for sure, on the floor, but also off the floor. But she needs some support. She cannot be the only one who brings her voice ... But our group is very nice, and sometimes we just need them to be a little bit more nasty. (laughs)"
Griner's Sun career officially begins on Friday when the Sun gets a rematch with the Liberty that counts toward the official standings (7 p.m. ET, Ion).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
