Griner named Women's NBA All-Star Game starter
Sports
It was Griner's ninth career All-Star selection
New York (AFP) – Brittney Griner, who missed all of last season while imprisoned in Russia, was named Sunday as a starter for the Women's NBA All-Star Game on July 15 in Las Vegas.
It was Griner's ninth career All-Star selection, including last year, when she was named an honorary All-Star by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Griner was arrested last year in Russia for having cannabis oil in her luggage and sentenced to prison but freed last December in a prisoner exchange.
Griner has averaged 19.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, a league-best 2.4 blocked shots and 1.7 assists a game for the Phoenix Mercury, which has the WNBA's worst record at 2-10.
The Mercury fired head coach Vanessa Nygaard on Sunday and named assistant coach Nikki Blue the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.Griner had missed three games with a hip injury before returning on Saturday in a 97-74 loss to Seattle.
Griner, 32, is in her 10th WNBA season. She helped Phoenix to the 2014 league title and has played for two US Olympic gold medal teams.
