WNBA veteran Brittney Griner, a former Phoenix Mercury player, has already made noise playing her first preseason game as an Atlanta Dream player, when she welcomed a rookie player on the opposing team by setting a hard, illegal screen.
According to Athlon Sports, the 34-year-old Griner was being talked about after laying out Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron during preseason play. The incident occurred before the end of the first half when the 6-foot-9 Griner positioned herself with a screen for her teammate as she went toward the basket. Unbeknownst to Citron, Griner was in the way, and when the rookie tried to defend her opposing player, she was met by the very tall Dream player.
When the Mystics guard turned, she ran into Griner and fell like she was hit by a runaway train.
welcome to the wnba, sonia citron! pic.twitter.com/48EFgh5Hal
— marknee (@literallymuhree) May 7, 2025
The rookie was hit so hard that it looked like she had been knocked out in a professional boxing match. As Griner and several of Citron’s teammates went to help her, she seemed dazed and stayed on the floor momentarily. It took her several seconds to gain her composure, but she was able to continue playing in the game.
sonia citron welcome to the wnba pic.twitter.com/6te08lVLGd
— correlation (@nosyone4) May 7, 2025
Game officials gave Griner an illegal screen charge as the Mystics were awarded the ball because of Griner’s action on the play.
The Dream won the match by a score of 80-70 in the preseason opener for both teams.
Griner finished the game by leading the team in scoring with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while pulling down 10 rebounds and handing out three assists. Meanwhile, Citron stayed in the game and scored five points on 2-of-5 shooting.
The Dream will play the Mystics again May 16 when the official WNBA season starts.
RELATED CONTENT: Trump Rescinds HBCU Support: A Dismantling Of Opportunity For Our Youth
