Brittney Griner Takes 32 Percent Pay Cut to Return to WNBA

After a year that can only be described as cruel and harrowing, Brittney Griner is finally going to be back on the basketball court. Following her return to the U.S. after nine months of wrongful detainment in Russia, from which she was released in a prisoner swap, ESPN reports the pro-baller signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Mercury. But according to Business Insider, Griner’s $165,100 contract is a 32 percent drop from what she could have been offered last season—which she accepted so that the team could resign player Diana Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time WNBA All-Star, had been making close to the maximum possible salary for the three seasons prior to her detainment—and was also eligible for a $234,936 supermax this season.  Read More