Brittney Griner

FILE - Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) calls a play as she brings the ball up court against the Las Vegas Aces during the second half of Game 2 in the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs on Sept. 30, 2021, in Las Vegas. Taurasi has re-signed with the Mercury, agreeing to a multiyear contract Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, the team announced. (AP Photo/David Becker, File)

Diana Taurasi re-signs with Mercury in multiyear deal

By Doug Feinberg Feb. 18, 2023 11:58 AM EST

FILE - Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, left, high-fives teammate Brittney Griner during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Chicago Sky, on July 2, 2014, in Phoenix. Griner texted her good friend Diana Taurasi on Tuesday morning, Feb. 7, 2023, asking how the USA Basketball training camp was going. Griner was back in Arizona, choosing to skip the camp in Minnesota so she can be with her wife and recover from her time in a Russian jail. She returned to the U.S. in December after a dramatic prisoner swap. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Brittney Griner absent from USA camp, but keeping in touch

By Doug Feinberg Feb. 08, 2023 08:02 AM EST

FILE - United States' Diana Taurasi, left, and Brittney Griner tale part in a women's basketball practice at the 2020 Summer Olympics, July 24, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. Taurasi’s USA Basketball career isn’t done just yet. The five-time Olympic gold medalist is part of the national team training camp in Minnesota next month. While Taurasi will be at the camp, Brittney Griner won’t. She is still part of the pool that the 2024 Olympic team will be chosen from. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, file)

Taurasi to take part in USA Basketball training camp

By Doug Feinberg Jan. 31, 2023 12:16 PM EST

FILE - Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner during the first half of Game 2 of basketball's WNBA Finals against the Chicago Sky, Oct. 13, 2021, in Phoenix. Brittney Griner is easily the most prominent American locked up by a foreign country. But the WNBA star’s case is tangled up with that of another prisoner few Americans have ever heard of. Paul Whelan has been held in Russia since his December 2018 arrest on espionage charges he and the U.S. government say are false. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)

Chicago Sky at Phoenix Mercury 10/13/2021

Jun. 11, 2022 08:04 PM EDT

FILE - WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner leaves a courtroom after a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, May 13, 2022. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was detained at the Moscow airport in February after vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis were allegedly found in her luggage, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

Taylor calls for Griner's release at Hall of Fame induction

By Teresa M. Walker Jun. 11, 2022 08:02 PM EDT

By The Associated Press Feb. 17, 2022 11:14 AM EST
Feb. 18 1924 — Theresa Weld Blanchard wins her sixth and final U.S. figure skating championship. Sherwin Badger captures his fifth straight and final...

AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead

By The Associated Press Feb. 17, 2022 11:05 AM EST
Feb. 18 1924 — Theresa Weld Blanchard wins her sixth and final U.S. figure skating championship. Sherwin Badger captures his fifth straight and final...

Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart holds the MVP trophy after the Commissioner's Cup WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

WNBA teams ready for sprint to the finish of regular season

By Doug Feinberg Aug. 17, 2021 02:04 PM EDT

Diggins-Smith scores 19 points, Mercury beats Dream 92-81

Aug. 15, 2021 09:03 PM EDT
PHOENIX (AP) — Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 19 points, Diana Taurasi had 18 and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Atlanta Dream 92-81 on Sunday in the first game for...

United States' Sue Bird (6) and teammates celebrate after their win in the women's basketball semifinal game against Serbia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Bird, Taurasi go for 5th Olympic gold vs host nation Japan

By Doug Feinberg Aug. 07, 2021 02:24 AM EDT

United States' A'Ja Wilson (9), center, drives past France's Endene Miyem (5), left, during women's basketball preliminary round game at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

A'ja being A'ja: Reigning WNBA MVP leading US into quarters

By Teresa M. Walker Aug. 02, 2021 05:00 AM EDT

Australia stuns US women 70-67 in pre-Olympic exhibition

By Doug Feinberg Jul. 16, 2021 04:46 PM EDT
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Breanna Stewart and her U.S. Olympic teammates aren't panicking, even though they've lost consecutive games for the first time in a decade. ...

Arike Ogunbowale drives up the court during practice for the WNBA All-Star Basketball team, Tuesday, July 13, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

US Olympic team expects competitive game vs WNBA All-Stars

By Doug Feinberg Jul. 13, 2021 06:27 PM EDT

Minnesota Lynx guard Layshia Clarendon, right, tries to pass while under pressure from Los Angeles Sparks guard Erica Wheeler during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Sunday, July 11, 2021, in Los Angeles. The Lynx won 86-61. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Minnesota enters Olympic break riding 7-game winning streak

By Doug Feinberg Jul. 13, 2021 01:38 PM EDT

Las Vegas Aces' Kayla McBride, right, has the ball knocked away by Seattle Storm's Natasha Howard during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020, in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Aces move to top of AP WNBA power poll with win over Storm

By Doug Feinberg Aug. 25, 2020 02:01 PM EDT

FILE - This Sept. 4, 2018, file photo shows Seattle Storm's Sue Bird, left, and Breanna Stewart embracing after the Storm defeated the Phoenix Mercury 94-84 during Game 5 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinal, in Seattle. With Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird back, the Seattle Storm are healthy to begin the season and sit atop the preseason Associated Press WNBA poll. The Storm were the unanimous choice receiving all 16 first-place votes from the national media panel Tuesday, July 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm sit atop AP WNBA power poll

By Doug Feinberg Jul. 21, 2020 01:34 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2017 file photo, Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) talks with Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird (10) during the second half of a WNBA basketball playoff game in Tempe, Ariz. Taurasi and Bird know that they are on the tail end of their incredible basketball careers. After both stars missed last season due to injuries, skipping the 2020 season could have meant the end of their illustrious careers because it would have been difficult to return after two years off according to them. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Bird, Taurasi say playing in 2020 was only option for them

By Doug Feinberg Jul. 15, 2020 02:44 AM EDT