Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner has been through quite a dramatic year. NBA and WNBA fans will undoubtedly be aware that she was arrested in Russia and kept them for almost a year before being released via prisoner swap.
There is no arguing that the last year of her life changed Griner a lot. While she made it clear that she plans to continue playing for the Phoneix Mercury and even signed a new contract with them, she looks quite different she was seen returning to the court for her team.
Let us take a closer look at what has changed in Brittney Griner and also find out more details about her new contract.
Why did Brittney Griner cut her hair?
Few can deny that being held captive in a Russian prison and not knowing when you are going to be released is very traumatic. Despite all the criticism against her for being arrested in the first place, there was a lot of sympathy toward her plight from the very beginning.
Unfortunately, we will never really know what life was like for BG during those long months in prison. Fans will remember that she was kept in Russia all the way from February to December last year. During the long and cold months of her imprisonment, Griner had to decide. It appears she has decided to continue this choice even after being released.
We are clearly talking about her hair. The WNBA star had long dreadlocks, an iconic trait associated with her. However, the freezing temperatures of Russia forced her to cut her hair short. This was because it was cold enough for it to freeze after she took a shower.
BG was released around 2 months ago. She has now kept her hair short and looks different heading into the new WNBA season. This gives her quite a unique look that fans will take a while to get accustomed to.
Brittney Griner is back on the court smiling. She endured so much, great to see this 🏀🙏 pic.twitter.com/WgkhuODIY2
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) February 22, 2023
In any case, the Phoneix Mercury still seems to have faith in her abilities. News recently came in that Griner had signed a one-year $165,100 deal with the franchise, continuing her 10th season with the squad. This means that the team still considers her a valuable asset and hasn’t let this setback impact her career with them.