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It has been nearly two years since Brittney Griner played in front of the Phoenix Mercury's home crowd inside Footprint Arena. After missing the entirety of the 2022 season due to being detained in Russia on drug charges, the seven-time WNBA All-Star received a standing ovation from Mercury fans as the team played their first home game of the season on Sunday against the Chicago Sky.

In front of a packed house in Phoenix and raucous fans cheering her on, you can tell Griner appreciated every moment of her introduction after being away from the game for such a long period of time.

Griner returned to the United States in December after being detained in Russia for 10 months for being in possession of vape cartridges containing marijuana concentrate hashish oil in her luggage. Upon her return to the U.S., Griner made it clear that she intended on playing this season. In the Mercury's season opener on Friday she led Phoenix in scoring with 18 points, six rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes of action in a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.

After hitting her first shot in that game, Griner explained how good it felt to see the ball go in the net after going through what she went through for nearly a year. 

"I mean, you come to work you gotta put everything aside," Griner said during an interview at the end of the first quarter against the Sparks. "Pro, office job, custodian, you put everything behind you and just go to work. It felt good. It felt real good. It felt like the last time I played, hitting that elbow shot."