It has been over a year-and-a-half since Brittney Griner played a regular-season game in Phoenix. 

She was introduced in Sunday’s contest against the Chicago Sky at Footprint Center via a poetry take on her time away from the team and was honored with the song, “I’m Coming Home,” by Diddy and Sean Combs when introduced in the starting five. 

And in the third quarter, Griner had an emphatic play that showed she is back. 

Griner hit a 3-pointer that cut the Phoenix Mercury’s deficit against the Chicago Sky to 58-53. After it, she turned to the crowd and yelled “I’m back” as she pounded her chest. 

The play was especially meaningful for Brittney Griner, who was observed crying pregame. 

She also had the game’s first basket with an and-one. Before the game, Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard said Griner had improved in practices. She is in progress of one of her best games of the season.

Phoenix lost the game, 75-69. Griner had 27 points and 10 rebounds, which led Phoenix’s team. Guard Diana Taurasi had 16 points and six assists. 

Brittney Griner returned to the United States in December after she was arrested in Russia. Griner received a nine-year prison sentence in August but was traded in a 1-for-1 swap with arms dealer Viktor Bout. 

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Griner led the Mercury with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, six rebounds and four blocks in their 94-71 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on the road Friday. 

When Brittney Griner was last in the WNBA, she averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the 2021 regular season.

Stay tuned to ClutchPoints for more on Griner’s first regular-season home game back with the Mercury.