It’s never easy to say goodbye to an icon.
We’re dealing with that now in Phoenix as the X-Factor deals with the departure of Brittney Griner, the most visible star in the history of the WNBA and perhaps all of team sports.
BG came with speed, power, athleticism, a locs hairstsyle down to her waist, tattoos and an “I’m the baddest you-know-what on this court” attitude that few players have ever carried.
Yeah, Margo Dydek was taller. At 7-2, Dydek is one of the few players in WNBA history who could have looked down on the 6-foot-9 Griner.
And maybe a few players have been better. Former teammate Diana Taurasi scored more points. A’ja Wilson has more MVPs. Caitlin Clark has more fans.
But can any of them match Griner when it comes to entertainment value?
BG is just different, and she always has been.
Every time Griner stepped onto the floor it was like watching someone put a match to a firecracker. You never knew what was going to happen.
Like that time she went for 27 points and 18 rebounds against the Lynx in the Mercury’s 2014 championship season.
“She’s unstoppable,” former Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said at the time.
Or the time she went for a career-high 38 points against the Indiana Fever in 2017.
“BG was just a monster,” Taurasi said.
Of course, that energy wasn’t always good.
Remember the time she tried to fight the entire Dallas roster in 2019? BG had scored 25 or more points in three of her four games going into that night, and the Wings tried to get physical with her.
Griner got tangled up boxing out for a rebound, and before you could say, “Duck!” she was throwing punches and chasing Dallas forward Kristine Anigwe up the sideline. Anigwe backpedaled, then turned and ran from an enraged Griner as half of the arena tried to get between them.
There was the time BG left the team during the bubble, saying her mental health had taken a bad turn.
And, of course, there was the arrest over in Russia.
She was ended up in prison for nearly a year over a vape pen in a case that became an issue of international diplomacy, sparking a conversation over women’s rights and equal pay and whether the U.S. had done enough to secure her return.
“How can she feel like America has her back?” LeBron James asked on his show “The Shop.”
Griner missed the entire 2022 season, but her name was everywhere that year. She was even selected as an honorary All-Star starter.
Things didn’t slow down when she finally returned to the court after her release, missing her trademark locs and snarl.
By that point, Griner was less of a basketball player and more of a political football, and she was harassed at an airport by a conservative social media provocateur. She handled it well, taking the high road instead of tossing the troll under the nearest bridge.
And through it all, her play hardly suffered.
If anything, she just became more consistent and more appreciative. She put up double-doubles, worked on the “Bring Our Families Home” campaign and collected shoes for the needy.
She seemed comfortable, maybe for the first time.
Sure, it would have been nice to have seen more championships.
And it would have been nice for her to win one at least one MVP.
But with BG, that stuff was always possible. She was always one of the best players in the league. The Mercury were always in contention.
And, most importantly, whenever she was on the floor, it was impossible to take your eyes off her.
Would she dunk (again)? Would she block five shots (again)? Would she go for 30 (again)? Would she slug somebody (again)? Would she win a title (again)?
With BG, you never knew.
Players like that don’t come around often, and it’s hard to say goodbye to them when they do.
The X-Factor will get a chance on July 23 when Griner comes back to Footprint Center for the first time with her Dream teammates.
I hope Mercury fans cheer when she’s announced, and then boo every time she touches the ball after that.
We can, and should, wish her well as she moves on, but not against the franchise that drafted her, and especially not in the city where she became the league’s most visible star.
Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Brittney Griner departs Phoenix as WNBA’s biggest, most visible star
