Brittney Griner didn’t skip a beat in her first home game in Phoenix since 2021.

The Mercury center had a 27-point, 10-rebound double-double, and yet her impressive performance in the Mercury’s 75-69 loss to the Chicago Sky was far from the most important moment of the day.

Instead, Griner’s play provided the icing on the cake at the celebration of her homecoming after her 10-month detainment in Russia. A packed Footprint Center crowd welcomed her as “Coming Home” by Diddy and Dirty Money played over a video tribute.

“There may have been a little dust in my eye,” Griner said. “It was emotional in the back, just hearing, seeing some of the clips and then coming out. But, no, it was really good. It was really good. Part of the process of healing is just kind of letting it out. So, yeah, nah, I got choked up a little bit. Tried to hide it but you caught it”

Sunday also marked the first time that her parents had seen her play in person in more than a decade.

“That was amazing,” Griner said. “I don’t think I’ve played in front of everybody in one place, honestly, since high school, honestly. So, just having everybody here right now and, like I said before, didn’t know when that was going to happen, if it would happen, depending on how long it was, it could have been a lot different.

“So just having them here, just spending time with them, playing in front of them. I mean, that got me choked up. Yeah, that one got me.”

Brittney Griner was introduced before her first home game in 585 days.

What a moment. pic.twitter.com/WWTgWmgBjm

— ESPN (@espn) May 21, 2023

Griner scored the first points of the game for Phoenix. But if you ask the 32-year-old center, she’s still getting back into form – despite also having 18 points and four blocks in the team’s season opener Friday.

She hit a 3-pointer on Sunday, just the seventh of her career, and yelled “I’m back” while celebrating.

“That moment was very special, honestly,” Griner said. “It took me back to my last season playing. Just felt really good, honestly. It was a crazy moment.”

If you ask Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard, it was an emotional but “amazing” day. But she continues to be impressed by Griner.

“I just continued to be impressed with BG,” Nygaard said. “BG is somebody that can handle so many things, clearly, that many people could not handle. So, I was just really happy to have her back on the court tonight and just to feel the love from all of our fans.”

Monday’s 2025 WNBA Draft could seriously shape the future for the three teams at the helm of this year’s lottery, as top pick-holders Dallas, Seattle, and Washington all prepare to make major moves after a rollercoaster offseason.

The Wings currently hold the overall No. 1 pick, while Seattle will select second after a blockbuster three-team trade with LA and Las Vegas sent star Jewell Loyd to the Aces and the No. 2 pick to the Storm.

Washington also wields significant draft capital following another series of trades, which sent top guard Ariel Atkins to Chicago in exchange for the No. 3 pick. Meanwhile, the Mystics also boast Monday's fourth and sixth first-round selections.

While Dallas and Seattle wield the highest picks, Washington’s wealth of selections gives them the most first-round influence — especially over expansion franchise Golden State’s No. 5 pick.

"I think it actually creates an opportunity for us to build strength in a couple of different ways," said Mystics GM Jamila Wideman.

Flexibility is the name of the WNBA Draft game

Uncertainty has reigned supreme in recent months, as team executives find out alongside the public exactly which college stars are entering the WNBA’s talent pool as some eligible standouts opt to remain in the NCAA for one final season.

"We're always nimble as GMs in this league," Dallas GM Curt Miller told media on Thursday. "You don’t truly know who is declaring and coming into the draft until the very end."

As for teams outside of the lottery, they'll have to cross their fingers and wait patiently on Monday, as last year’s lowest record-holders raid the draft pool first.

The NWSL returns this weekend, bouncing back from April’s international break as teams who excelled early attempt to prove they belong on the top half of the table.

The fourth matchday of the 2025 NWSL season is loaded, as the league resets with pairings from all over the standings — leaving teams jockeying to shift or solidify their positions for the long season ahead.

Given that only five points currently separate first and eighth place, each match carries significant weight. Plus, with national team players returning on short rest after a busy international spin, expect squad rotation to play a major role in this weekend's results.

Rising teams take aim at league-leaders

With the defending champion Orlando Pride riding last season's dominant play to a three-win 2025 start, a rising Seattle club faces a tough task this weekend.

The Reign, who finished second-to-last in 2024 play, already bounced back to claim sixth place on the table — but they'll still need significant home-pitch advantage to topple the league-leaders on Saturday.

This weekend's docket also features the NWSL's only other three-win squad, as the second-place KC Current hits the road to take on San Diego.

Like the Reign, the fifth-place Wave have put together a similar turnaround after missing last year's postseason cut. To keep that momentum, however, they'll have to combat 2024 NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga’s high-flying attack on Saturday.

On the other end of the table, two clubs with high 2025 expectations enter this weekend still scrambling for a first season win, as the talent-laden Gotham FC and NC Courage will pit their robust rosters against each other in New Jersey on Sunday.

How to watch this weekend's top NWSL tilts

Saturday's biggest matches kick off with Orlando's visit to Seattle at 7:30 PM ET, with San Diego hosting Kansas City at 10 PM ET. Both games will air live on ION.

Then on Sunday, the Courage will battle Gotham at 4 PM ET, with live coverage on Paramount+.

Hit JWS podcast The Late Sub is back in action. We're kicking off a brand new season with staff writer Claire Watkins’s expert takes on the world of women’s soccer. And we're starting with the youth movement in the USWNT.

This week, Watkins talks through USWNT star Trinity Rodman’s splashy return. She later discusses the national team's current youth development movement. Lastly, she tackles head coach Emma Hayes's quest to find a successor for retired starting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. And all the while, she gives her own women's soccer analysis.

"McGlynn stresses me out sometimes. She’s a player with a high upside, and also sometimes she does have those mental moments," Watkins says of USWNT goalie prospect Mandy McGlynn.

"I like [Phallon] Tullis-Joyce, would love to see a lot more from her," the host said of another top goalie contender, currently rostered at Manchester United. "I think she deserves more call-ups."

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on all things USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman voiced confidence in the league's ability to execute "ambitious plans" regarding expansion at last week's SheBelieves Summit, telling the crowd that growing to as many as 32 teams is not out of the question.

"Our board believes that we can be the size of the [32-team] NFL," she explained. "There is nothing that stands in the way of us doing that, other than having access to top talent."

"There’s certainly not a problem with the supply, given the size of our country and the level of talent that exists," Berman continued. "We just need to figure out how to develop [those athletes] strategically and intentionally."

Expansion takes backseat as NWSL focuses on 2026 scheduling

With the NWSL's current 14-team field welcoming expansion clubs in Boston and Denver in 2026, the league is still a long ways off from its potential long-term goal of exceeding 30 squads.

Following her remarks at the SheBelieves Summit, Berman told ESPN that while the league is not currently in an expansion round, she is continuing to conduct conversations with interested ownership groups.

Prior to seriously considering continued expansion, however, the league must first contend with some scheduling hurdles affecting the 2026 NWSL season.

Berman noted that while the NWSL expects to play throughout next year’s US-based men’s World Cup, certain anticipated venue conflicts will require creative solutions to do so, with the commissioner noting that "everything’s on the table" when it comes to addressing the overlaps.