Alexa Philippou, ESPNAug 17, 2023, 09:13 PM ET
CloseCovers women’s college basketball and the WNBA
Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant
Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Enquirer
The Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner and Megan Gustafson have entered health and safety protocols and will miss Friday’s game against the New York Liberty, the team announced Thursday.
Guards Shey Peddy (concussion protocol) and Skylar Diggins-Smith (pregnancy/childbirth) also remain listed as out on the injury report. Phoenix signed Liz Dixon to a hardship contract to get back up to nine active players for the game.
Griner, who is in her first season back after her nearly 10-month detainment in Russia last year, has appeared in 24 of 30 contests for the 9-21 Mercury, who sit in 11th place in the league standings and are in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2012.
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The 6-foot-9 center previously missed games this summer because of a hip injury and more recently to address her mental health.
The nine-time All-Star leads the team in scoring (17.9 PPG), rebounds (7.0 RPG) and blocks (1.7 BPG) and was named an All-Star starter in June.
This season the Mercury are 7-13 with both Diana Taurasi and Griner available, 1-2 in games with Taurasi but not Griner and 0-3 in games without both franchise players.