Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner is back in front of the home fans on Sunday for a matchup against the Chicago Sky, and sheā€™s feeling all the love. The Mercury did a T-shirt giveaway featuring a Griner quote on it, and her introduction and special tribute whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

Check out this scene:

Brittney Griner then quickly scored a basket to start the game, which again had the fans going wild:

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Grinerā€™s parents and wife Cherelle are in the building for this much-anticipated occasion:

Brittney Griner didnā€™t play for the Mercury last season because of her legal troubles in Russia. She was detained at a Moscow airport in February 2022 for allegedly possessing cannabis oil in her luggage. She was ultimately sentenced to nine years in prison but was released in December after U.S. President Joe Bidenā€™s administration worked out a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Griner vowed to play again for the Mercury, and here she is. She played in her first game back on Friday against the Los Angeles Sparks. While Phoenix got trounced, 94-71, Griner had 18 points, six rebounds and four blocks in her return.

Itā€™s great to see Brittney Griner back in action after the ordeal she went through. Mercury fans are excited to have her back, and she will do her best to turn Phoenix around after missing her last season. The Mercury went 15-21 in 2022 and lost to the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs. They lost to the Chicago Sky in the 2021 WNBA Finals with Griner in the lineup.