Brittney Griner Loses Spot in WNBA Playoff History on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 9:06 PM ET

Brittney Griner’s 12th season in the WNBA was eventful, to say the least.

The 10-time All-Star parted ways with the Phoenix Mercury in the offseason after spending her entire 11-year WNBA career with the team that drafted her as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft. Griner took her talents to the Atlanta Dream, where she signed a one-year deal worth $214,446 as a free agent.

Griner came in as Atlanta’s starting center, but she eventually lost her spot after suffering an injury mid-season. Dream head coach Karl Smesko used Griner with the second unit for the rest of the campaign, which ultimately ended in disappointment after Atlanta suffered a first-round loss in the WNBA playoffs against the Indiana Fever.

On Friday, Griner was on the receiving end of some news during the Fever’s Game 3 semifinal matchup against the Las Vegas Aces. This came in the form of four-time MVP A’ja Wilson taking Griner’s spot in the WNBA playoffs history books.

“A’ja Wilson has passed Brittney Griner for 3rd all-time on Playoffs Blocks List ” the league posted on X.

A’ja Wilson has passed Brittney Griner for 3rd all-time on Playoffs Blocks List #WelcometotheW

WNBA Playoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/5I5to3FtZU
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 27, 2025

Griner is no longer in the Top 3 for most career blocks in the WNBA playoffs. This is after Wilson surpassed her for the spot with her three blocks — and counting — against the Fever on Friday night.

The silver lining here for Griner is that she still has a chance to reclaim her spot next season. Wilson will very likely continue to add to her tally this season with the Aces tied with the Fever at 1-1 in the best-of-five semifinal series. However, it is worth noting that Griner is just 12 blocks away from Candace Parker, who is second on the all-time list.

The big question for Griner, however, is whether she will be back in the playoffs in 2026. She will enter free agency this offseason, and it remains to be seen what the future holds for her. The 34-year-old should still find a new team for next season (or re-sign with Atlanta), but there is no guarantee that they will be competing for a spot in the playoffs.

Griner produced career-low numbers across the board for the Dream this past season. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year averaged 9.8 points on 51.8% shooting, 5.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.2 blocks in 20.8 minutes per game.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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