'It's not the same without her': Phoenix Mercury, fans feel Brittney Griner's absence during WNBA opener
PHOENIX — Brittney Griner was listed on the injury report ahead of the Phoenix Mercury’s 106-88 season-opening loss against the Las Vegas Aces on Friday as "NWT" – Not With Team.
Griner, the seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, is nearly 6,000 miles away from Phoenix’s Footprint Center in Russia, where she’s been detained since February after being arrested after cannabis oil cartridges were allegedly found in her carry-on luggage.
“That’s my sister,” teammate Skylar Diggins-Smith said. "I think about her every day.”
Griner was heavy on everyone’s mind on Friday, which marked the bittersweet start of the WNBA’s 26th season. Hundreds of fans turned out in force in the star's No. 42 jersey to pay tribute and show solidarity, but Griner's absence was still glaring.
“It’s not the same without her,” fan Kayla Saavedra told USA TODAY Sports. “The G.O.A.T is not here. I wish she was."
BRITTNEY GRINER: US reclassifies WNBA star to be 'wrongfully detained' by Russia
The Mercury wore black "We Are BG 42" Nike warm-up shirts when they took the floor, the same hardwood that displays Griner's initials and jersey number on the sideline. The WNBA announced earlier this week that all courts across the league will bear the logo to honor her.
"We are so excited to compete in front of the best fans in the WNBA, but we are doing it without our girl, BG," Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham said to the crowd before tipoff. "She’s in our hearts, our prayers and our thoughts. She’s on our shirts, she’s on all courts… We are still very hopeful that she will be back with us soon, but until then we are going to be kicking butt and winning some games."
That's what Griner would want. "That’s what she would do if it were anyone else," said fan Kelly Fenderson-Gonzales, who wore matching orange "Free BG #42" shirts with her family.
Fans 'struggled to want to come to games'
Alex Parker told USA TODAY Sports that she was "heartbroken" to hear that Griner was arrested and detained in Russia in February. Those feelings haven't gone away. She called the Mercury's season opener on Friday "bittersweet."
Fenderson-Gonzales said Griner was "the reason we became season-ticket holders." She said her family didn't know if they could bring themselves to attend games without Griner.
"It’s really hard," she said. "Part of us struggled to want to come to games but the other part of us feels like that’s an act of solidarity we can do for BG to be here and support the team."
OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: Supports efforts to get WNBA star Brittney Griner released
OPINION: Best way for WNBA players to support Brittney Griner is by not playing in authoritarian nations
The U.S. State Department reclassified Griner as being "wrongfully detained" by the Russian government on Tuesday. Griner is scheduled to have a hearing on May 19, but Fenderson-Gonzales can't help but worry. "We miss her and can’t wait to have her back."
There's no timetable for Griner's release. It's not clear if she will even play this season. A drug smuggling charge in Russia carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
Griner's charities continue in her absence
A.J. McRae had May 6 circled on her calendar. The Las Vegas native planned to attend the Mercury-Aces season opener, but she wasn’t entirely sure what to wear until the day came. Despite being an Aces fan, she opted for a black, purple and orange shirt inscribed with “#FreeBG 42.”
“I actually bought the shirts like two months ago and I already had plans to come here. Unfortunately she’s not back yet, so I’m still wearing my shirt,” McRae told USA TODAY Sports.
McRae paid $22 for the cost of the shirt, graphics and shipping. Extra proceeds from the sale were donated on behalf of Griner to One·N·Ten, a nonprofit charitable organization based in Phoenix that assists LGBTQ+ youth. McRae wore the shirt to support Griner because “it’s not about the athlete, it’s the person.”
“We met (Griner) last year in Las Vegas during the playoff games and she’s just an amazing person and I got to support that,” said McRae, who attended the game with her mother, JoAnn McRae. “We love all these (players). You love what they represent and stand for and you want to support them. They are really good people when it comes down to it… Griner’s one of them.”
The Mercury is continuing Griner's charitable efforts in her absence. The team launched her fifth annual 2022 BG’s Heart and Sole Shoe Drive and are collecting new or gently-used shoes at all Mercury home games. Said Cunningham: "We are still collecting shoes because that’s what she would do if BG was here with us today."
McRae recalled a time that Griner went to retrieve some of her own shoes for her.
"She went to her bag after the game to check to see if she had an extra pair of shoes to give to my friend that was with us at the game," she said, highlighting Griner's "amazing" character. "It rips at you a little bit because you want her to be home."
Follow Cydney Henderson on Twitter at @CydHenderson
MORE: Russia frees American Trevor Reed from prison. Is Brittney Griner any closer to coming home?
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brittney Griner absence weighs on Phoenix Mercury, WNBA fans
