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Brittney Griner Sends Clear Message Amid New Career Start with Atlanta Dream

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 10:58 AM ET

The Atlanta Dream are off to a hot start in the 2025 WNBA season, winning five of their first seven games. Only the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx have more wins so far.

Much of Atlanta’s early success can be credited to its depth and strong team chemistry. Four Dream players are averaging double digits in scoring.

One of the most notable additions this season is veteran center Brittney Griner. The former Phoenix Mercury star has played in five games, averaging 12.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

On Saturday, Griner posted a simple and clear message about her mindset with the Dream:

"Brick by brick."

Griner was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft and spent her entire career in Phoenix before joining Atlanta this season. The 6-foot-9 center helped lead the Mercury to a WNBA title in 2014. She's a 10-time WNBA All-Star and has twice led the league in scoring.

After winning an NCAA championship at Baylor under head coach Kim Mulkey, she made the WNBA All-Rookie Team in her first pro season.

Over her career, Griner has averaged 17.6 points and 7.4 rebounds across 320 games. She played 30 or more games in each of her last three seasons with the Mercury.

So far this season, Allisha Gray leads the Dream with 21.4 points and 4.6 assists per game. Rhyne Howard is putting up 17.6 points per game, while Brionna Jones adds 13.9.

The Dream return to action on Friday when they hit the road to face the Connecticut Sun.

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

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