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A16 sports
Thursday 5 May 2022
Griner’s absence, Hammon’s return headline WNBA’s new season

By DOUG FEINBERG years in prison. Griner's sta- Engelbert said when the
AP Basketball Writer tus has been changed to schedule was announced
NEW YORK (AP) — The "wrongfully detained" and in December.
WNBA will begin its 26th she has a hearing sched- Before Griner's arrest the
season this weekend with uled for May 19. Mercury made many
several intriguing storylines, But Griner's presence will be moves in the offseason to
including the potential re- felt even in her absence. put the team in conten-
tirement of Sue Bird and The league plans to honor tion to win another cham-
Sylvia Fowles, the return Griner and keep her ongo- pionship after losing to
of Becky Hammon as a ing situation front and cen- Chicago last season in
coach and the absence of ter with a floor decal that the Finals. Phoenix added
Brittney Griner. will feature her initials along Tina Charles and Diamond
There is no bigger headline with her number 42. It will DeShields to the roster to
engulfing the league than appear on the home court compliment Diana Taurasi
Griner. of all 12 teams starting with and Skylar Diggins-Smith.
The Mercury's All-Star cen- Friday's season openers. DeShields joins the Mer- Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner watches during WNBA
ter remains in Russia after The regular season ends cury from the Sky, who will basketball practice on May 10, 2018, in Phoenix.
being detained following Aug. 14. try and become the first Associated Press
her arrival at a Moscow air- Teams will play a record 36 team to repeat as cham- and Fowles. tour.
port on Feb. 17. Russian au- games this year. pions since the Los Angeles Bird, the league's all-time Fowles has stated she will
thorities said a search of her "The 36-game schedule will Sparks did it in 2001-02. Chi- assist leader, has said all retire after this season. The
luggage revealed vape provide fans greater op- cago added Emma Mees- signs are pointing toward WNBA's all-time leading
cartridges that allegedly portunities to see the best seman — the 2019 WNBA this year being her last with rebounder said it was a
contained oil derived from players in the world com- Finals MVP — to its roster. the Seattle Storm, but she tough decision whether to
cannabis, which could car- pete at the highest level," Then there is the looming does not want the upcom- come back for a 15th sea-
ry a maximum penalty of 10 WNBA Commissioner Cathy retirement of All-Stars Bird ing season to be a farewell son or not.
A few other storylines to fol-
low this season:
HEALTHY MYSTICS
No team went through
more injury problems the
last two seasons then
the Washington Mys-
tics. Coach Mike Thibault
hopes his team has finally
put all that bad luck in the
rearview mirror and is look-
ing forward to having Ele-
na Delle Donne and Alysha
Clark in the lineup.
Delle Donne has only
played in three games the
last two seasons because
of COVID-19 concerns and
back issues. The former
league MVP last was on
the court fulltime in 2019
when the Mystics won their
first championship. Clark
missed last season, which
would have been her first
in Washington, due to a Lis-
franc injury in her right foot.
REBUILDING FEVER
Indiana used four first-
round picks in the draft
to try and rebuild its ros-
ter, taking NaLyssa Smith
(2nd), Emily Engster (4th),
Lexie Hull (6th) and Queen
Egbo (10th). The Fever also
drafted Destanni Hender-
son (20th). Draft choices
haven't worked out so well
for Indiana the last few
years as the Fever selected
Lauren Cox third in 2020
and she was cut last sea-
son. Last year Indiana took
Kysre Gondrezick fourth.
She is also no longer with
the franchise.q