Brittney Griner entered the offseason as the second-longest tenured player with one team in the WNBA, having spent her entire career with the Phoenix Mercury since being drafted in 2013. Now, for the first time, Griner will be donning a different WNBA jersey. The 34-year-old center is signing with the Atlanta Dream for the 2025 season, she announced on Instagram on Tuesday. The deal is for one year, according to a league source.
Griner brings a veteran presence to a promising young core in Atlanta, with two-time All-Stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray on the wings and two-time All-Defense point guard Jordin Canada in the backcourt. After being swept in the first round of the playoffs each of the last two seasons, the Dream are hoping to take a step forward. They brought in FGCU head coach Karl Smesko to modernize what was the worst offense in the WNBA in 2024 and now have a two-time scoring champion in Griner as their post presence.
Griner’s choice of the Dream comes as something of a surprise since she is leaving an organization with a top-flight practice facility for one that doesn’t have its own space. Atlanta also plays in an arena that seats 3,500 people. The expectation entering free agency was that players would prioritize amenities in their decision-making, but Griner focused on the roster instead.
Griner filmed her announcement surrounded by Gray, Howard and Canada, all of whom are also playing in Unrivaled this offseason. It’s the first example, but likely not the last, of Miami being a useful WNBA free-agency hub.
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