Brittney Griner is going to get the chance to play in front of her hometown crowd in Houston.
She'll just have to wait one more season.
According tomultiple reportsFriday evening, the 10-time WNBA All-Star is signing a seven-figure, multi-year deal with the Connecticut Sun. This will be the last season the team plays in Uncasville, Connecticut, before relocating to Houstonfollowing a sale to the Fertitta family.
Griner, 35, joins the Sun after spending one season with the Atlanta Dream, where she averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 51.8% from the floor.
The 6-foot-9 Baylor product has had a decorated WNBA career and spent her first 11 professional seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, where she won a championship playing alongside Diana Taurasi in 2014. Griner is a six-time All-WNBA selection, a seven-time All-Defense selection and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
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With the Women's Final Four complete, all eyes turn towards the 2026 WNBA Draft. The WNBA draft takes place Monday, April 13, in New York, and this year's event has a different feel. Unlike the last two drafts, where Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers were consensus No. 1 overall picks, this year's top spot is up for grabs. After an exciting March Madness, it's time to see who helped their stock and who fell down the draft board. Is Awa Fam still at the top? Is Azzi Fudd a top-five draft pick? Who vaulted into the first round? Here's USA TODAY's latest 2026 WNBA mock draft: 1. Dallas Wings: Lauren Betts, C, UCLA
- After a stellar NCAA Tournament run, Betts has done enough to earn consideration for the No. 1 overall pick. While the Bruins center will need to work on shooting more baskets in the mid-range and later from deep, she can be inserted into Dallas's lineup when the season starts on May 8. Her length and size make her an immediate threat in the post, along with her passing abilities and rebounding prowess. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
2. Minnesota Lynx: Olivia Miles, G, TCU - Minnesota doesn't struggle to move the ball, but adding Miles into the mix gives the Lynx the ability to take their offensive movement up a level. The TCU guard has a high basketball IQ, which should help her with the rookie learning curve on a team with championship aspirations. Head coach Cheryl Reeve can also bring out the best in Miles defensive skills as she adjusts to WNBA play. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
3. Seattle Storm: Azzi Fudd, G, UConn - Fudd had a very underwhelming NCAA Tournament aside from her second round game against Syracuse. The slump won't stop her from being drafted. The UConn guard's shot is still the purest in college basketball, and her ability to be an offensive threat at any moment is something you don't see as often at the rookie level. Fudd also rarely wastes a movement or a shot, making her a prime candidate to draft. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
5. Chicago Sky: Kiki Rice, G, UCLA - Until veteran Courtney Vandersloot returns, the Sky need a guard who can facilitate, score when needed and defend. Rice, who finished a career year in a UCLA uniform, has proven she can do it all. The senior guard has improved her ability to read opposing defenses, maintain patience with solid footwork and recover in help defense. Rice would also take some pressure off Hailey Van Lith, who struggled during her rookie season. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
6. Toronto Tempo: Flau'jae Johnson, G, LSU - Johnson has a score-first mentality, and she does it in a variety of ways: midrange, downhill in the paint and from the 3-point line. She's one of the top defensive guards in the 2026 class, and if she can improve her defensive awareness at the pro level, she can become an elite two-way guard. Head coach Sandy Brondello should also be a tremendous asset to Johnson's growth. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
7. Portland Fire: Ta'Niya Latson, G, South Carolina - Latson's NCAA Tournament run was a mixed bag. That shouldn't hurt her WNBA draft stock, but it wasn't hard to notice as the level of competition rose (with games against TCU, UConn and UCLA), she struggled to find her shot or ways to contribute. At the pro level, she'll be asked to do more, and she'll need to lean into her aggressiveness to have success. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
8. Golden State Valkyries: Gabriela Jaquez, G, UCLA - If a team gives her any space, Jaquez will make them pay. The guard can do it all, with assists, 3-pointers, in the paint, on the boards or by creating a steal. She should fit well within Golden State's "hard hat and lunch pail" culture, where they pride themselves on having energy on both sides of the ball. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
9. Washington Mystics: Raven Johnson, G South Carolina - While Johnson has proven she can score when needed, it's her facilitation skills and defense that will make her a top 10 pick. The South Carolina guard does a great job of feeding her bigs and spreading the offense out to find the best shot. She is also a lockdown defender who leaves little room for error and isn't afraid of anyone on a court, regardless of size. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
10. Indiana Fever: Gianna Kneepkens, G, UCLA - Kneepkens ended her college career shooting nearly 50-40-90, which is impressive and rare in today's college landscape. The UCLA guard's game isn't flashy, but it's often timely. Kneepkens knows how to step into the big moments, as she did in the national championship when she delivered two massive 3-point baskets during an extended Bruins' run. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
13. Atlanta Dream: Madina Okot, C, South Carolina - Atlanta needs depth. Adding Okot would help the Dream with their post presence and perimeter shooting. The South Carolina big can score from multiple levels and will crash the glass. If Atlanta brings veteran center Brittney Griner back, Okot would learn from one of the best in league history at the position. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
14. Seattle Storm: Marta Suarez, F, TCU - Suarez's NCAA Tournament run wasn't great, but she did have a breakout game against Virginia during the Sweet 16, which included a career high 33 points plus 10 rebounds. The outing was a glimpse of Suarez at her best, which could entice Seattle to add Suarez as depth now and starter later. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
15. Connecticut Sun: Cotie McMahon, F, Ole Miss - McMahon would work well in a young core of players like Saniya Rivers, Leila Lacan, Aaliyah Edwards and Aneesah Morrow. The Ole Miss forward is a utility piece that the Sun could utilize to its advantage. She does most of her damage in the paint ― Connecticut's specialty ― and could also help facilitate, if needed. Once McMahon gets crisper as a defender, she'll be dynamite at the next level. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars
With the Women's Final Four complete, all eyes turn towards the 2026 WNBA Draft. The WNBA draft takes place Monday, April 13, in New York, and this year's event has a different feel. Unlike the last two drafts, where Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers were consensus No. 1 overall picks, this year's top spot is up for grabs. After an exciting March Madness, it's time to see who helped their stock and who fell down the draft board. Is Awa Fam still at the top? Is Azzi Fudd a top-five draft pick? Who vaulted into the first round?Here's USA TODAY's latest 2026 WNBA mock draft:1. Dallas Wings: Lauren Betts, C, UCLA- After a stellar NCAA Tournament run, Betts has done enough to earn consideration for the No. 1 overall pick. While the Bruins center will need to work on shooting more baskets in the mid-range and later from deep, she can be inserted into Dallas's lineup when the season starts on May 8. Her length and size make her an immediate threat in the post, along with her passing abilities and rebounding prowess.
Griner has led the WNBA in scoring twice and has been the league’s leader in blocked shots in eight seasons. She needs just 18 blocks to pass Margo Dydek for the most all-time in WNBA history.
Her 55.8% mark from the floor is also the third best career shooting percentage in WNBA history, trailing only Sylvia Fowles and Crystal Langhorne.
Griner had a prime season of her career taken from her in 2022 when she was wrongfully detained in a Russian prison for nearly 10 months. In the season before her arrest, she was second in MVP voting to Jonquel Jones.
Aside from her accomplishments in the WNBA, Griner won a national championship with Baylor in 2013 and was twice named National Player of the Year while playing for Kim Mulkey’s Lady Bears. She also owns three Olympic gold medals while playing for Team USA.
In Connecticut, Griner will team up with a young core of Saniyah Rivers, Aneesah Morrow, Aaliyah Edwards, Leïla Lacan and Diamond Miller — the latter of whom the team recently traded for.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:WNBA star Brittney Griner signing with Connecticut Sun