Brittney Griner Slams Retirement Speculation - ‘Cut That Out'

The Connecticut Sun are in the process of being sold to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta for a record $300 million, per ESPN. If the WNBA and NBA boards of governors approve the sale, the Sun will relocate to Houston in 2027.

This might be the franchise’s final season in Connecticut, but it definitely won’t be Brittney Griner‘s final season in the WNBA.

Griner, 35, signed with the Sun during free agency last month. The team confirmed Griner signed a one-year contract, and ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported that it was “a seven-figure deal.”

Connecticut played its final preseason game on Sunday before tipping off the regular season against the New York Liberty next Friday, May 8.

Afterward, Griner told reporters why she decided to continue her legendary basketball career with the Sun.

“The coaches, and the GM, and everybody in the front office, and the players,” Griner said. “I have connections with a couple of the coaches here. When I think back to my first All-Star, it was actually in the Mohegan, and I remember partying it up in that rock club.”

Griner added, “They believed in me, too. They didn’t count me out. There was people counting me out, thinking I should retire or whatever, but yeah, I got a lot to go. I’m not retiring, so we can just cut that out.”

Griner entered the WNBA as a generational talent. Her individual accomplishments at Baylor span six rows on her Sports Reference page, and she won a national championship in 2012. It was a no-brainer for the Phoenix Mercury to draft her first overall in 2013.

Griner formed a dangerous duo with Diana Taurasi until Taurasi’s retirement after the 2024 season. The Mercury won the 2014 WNBA Finals, which is still Griner’s lone championship ring, and Griner became a 10-time All-Star, an eight-time blocks champion, a seven-time All-Defensive selection, a six-time All-WNBA selection, and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Griner departed Phoenix for the Atlanta Dream in January 2025. Despite the Dream posting a franchise-best 30-14 record last season, Griner posted career lows across the board. She likely brought a substantial chip on her shoulder to Connecticut. And if Griner, a Houston native, proves to be a fit with the Sun and re-signs next offseason, she could enjoy a homecoming in 2027.

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This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 9:45 PM.