Entertainment Sports Brittney Griner Says She Plans to Return to the WNBA Next Season After Release from Russia "I intend to play basketball for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury this season," Griner said in her first statement since she landed back in the U.S. By Natasha Dye Natasha Dye Twitter Natasha Dye is a writer-reporter for PEOPLE Digital covering sports. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 16, 2022 01:18 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Brittney Griner. Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Brittney Griner is planning her return to the WNBA. On Friday, the 32-year-old Phoenix Mercury star said she intends to play during the next WNBA season in her first statement since she returned to the United States. "I also want to make one thing very clear," Griner wrote on Instagram. "I intend to play basketball for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury this season." Griner continued: "And in doing so, I look forward to being able to say 'thank you' to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon." (L-R) Brianna Turner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kia Nurse and Brittney Griner. Ethan Miller/Getty Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Griner's future in the WNBA was uncertain before her statement on Friday, as her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas told ESPN there was "no timetable on her return" earlier in the week. "She's reintegrating into a world that has changed for her now. From a pure security standpoint, she's not going to be able to move in the world the way she did," Colas told ESPN. Brittney Griner Shares First Statement Since Release from Russian Custody: 'Dug Deep to Keep My Faith' Before her arrest in February, Griner was a six-time WNBA All-Star, a WNBA champion, a 2-time Olympic gold medalist and played multiple seasons for Russia's basketball team UMMC Yekaterinburg. The 6-foot-9 center averaged 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in her career, making her one of the league's brightest stars. Ethan Miller/Getty Brittney Griner Reunites With Family Over Barbecue, Dr Pepper and Dunks After she reunited with her wife Cherelle and other family members in San Antonio, Griner participated in her first basketball workout in 10 months on Sunday — and made her first move a dunk. She had opted against getting access to a basketball while she was in prison, thinking it would be too emotionally difficult. Earlier this month, the WNBA released the schedule for its 2023 season. The Phoenix Mercury will begin their season on the road next year, taking on the Los Angeles Sparks on May 19.