Griner was arrested in February in Russia on drug-related charges and was later convicted and sentenced to nine years in a Russian jail. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help.” I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. “The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn. “It feels so good to be home!” Griner posted to Instagram on Friday in her first public statement since her release. Her comments came a week after she was released from a Russian prison, freed in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange. All rights reserved.Brittney Griner said she’s “grateful” to be back in the United States and plans on playing basketball again next season for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. ^ Back to Top ^ © 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. "I'm so proud, because I'm looking in their eye now, and there's a fire, there's a belief, there's a confidence." I felt like last year, we would have gone deep in the tournament. Just the way that we won games, it really helped us. "But it became a reality that we could do something really special last year. "I mean, if you would have told me, 'Oh, this year we're gonna be playing UConn in the Final Four,' I would have said, 'OK, I don't know about that,'" Barnes said, smiling. She went to the Final Four as an assistant at Washington in 2016, but now she makes her own trip in just her fifth season as a head coach.ĭid she expect it this soon for her and the Wildcats? After her WNBA and overseas playing career came to a close, Barnes got into coaching. I think a lot of players want to play for someone who's been there."īarnes' Arizona playing career ended in the 1998 Sweet 16 against UConn, the team her Wildcats will face on Friday in the national semifinals. When you've played pro, you've walked the walk. Dawn is someone who's always believed in me and sent me a nice message. "I think there needs to be more WNBA players coaching women's basketball. 3 seed Arizona beat 4-seed Indiana 66-53 in the Elite Eight on Monday at the Alamodome. "It means the world to me, because I have created lifelong friendships throughout my years as a pro," Barnes said after Mercado Region No. Staley, who played in the WNBA from 1999 to 2006, won the NCAA title on the latter trip. She hopes the pipeline will continue beyond her and South Carolina's Dawn Staley, who took the Gamecocks to the Final Four in 20. SAN ANTONIO - Arizona's Adia Barnes on Monday became the second former WNBA player to coach a team into the Final Four of the women's NCAA tournament, as her alma mater is making its first trip that far.īarnes played in the WNBA from 1998 to 2004, finishing with a league championship with the Seattle Storm. Women's College Basketball, WNBA, Arizona Wildcats You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserįormer WNBA player Adia Barnes leads Arizona Wildcats to first Final Four
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |