Brittney Griner Gets Warm Welcome in First Game Back in Texas: 'The Love Meant a Lot to Me'

Griner's family, former coaches and alma mater's teams were in attendance as the WNBA star played her first game in her native Texas

Brittney Griner felt the love in her first game back home in Texas on Wednesday.

It was the 32-year-old WNBA star’s first time playing in her home state since being detained in a Russian prison for 10 months.

Griner scored 24 points and grabbed four rebounds in her return, playing in front of a deep cheering section led by her wife Cherelle.

The WNBA star’s high school coach, members of her AAU basketball team and other family members were all in attendance to watch her and the Phoenix Mercury take on the Dallas Wings, according to ESPN. The Wings, though, came out on top, 84-79.

The eight-time WNBA All-Star said she knew there was “a lot of support” in the audience during the game.

Related: Brittney Griner Says Returning to Normalcy Is 'a Little Overwhelming' After Return From Russia

"It was good seeing everybody and just being back in Texas," Griner said. "I miss being here. When I came out and they announced my name, the love meant a lot to me."

After her pre-game warmups, her high school’s current girl’s basketball squad waited in the tunnel to surprise her with hugs to welcome her back. Baylor’s current women’s basketball team — where Griner won the NCAA championship in 2012 — was also in the crowd, cheering along.

"It was amazing to have [the Baylor team] here,” Griner said after the game. “I was really, really, really, really, really happy to see the Baylor team. That meant a lot having them here."

Griner was born in Houston and played college basketball at Baylor University in Waco, Texas before she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Mercury in 2013.

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The one-time WNBA champion’s life and career suddenly came to a halt in February 2022 when she was imprisoned in Russia on charges U.S. officials heavily disputed. She was finally released in a prisoner exchange between the two countries last December and made her emotional return to the court last month.

Griner’s Mercury squad is off to a 1-4 record to start the season. They’ll play in Dallas again on Friday.

"This game meant a lot," Griner told ESPN. "I really wanted to get this [win]. We've got another shot at them in another day."

Related: Brittney Griner Plays Basketball for First Time Since Her Arrest: 'She's Doing Really, Really Well'

Griner’s enthusiastic welcome home also renewed hope the former NCAA Champion and her alma mater could repair their damaged relationship. ESPN reports Griner and her former Baylor coach Kim Mulkey — now with LSU — had a falling out after she graduated, resulting in her jersey never being retired despite being the school’s best player in program history.

Nicki Collen, Baylor’s new coach, said it’s now “the goal” to present Griner with the honor.

“We're opening a new arena,” Collen said. “There's no doubt that I want to see her jersey in the rafters."

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