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Brittney Griner Sends Parting Message After Losing To Indiana Fever

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 1:37 PM ET

Brittney Griner and the No. 3 seed Atlanta Dream, after winning Game 1, couldn't get the job done in the opening round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, dropping two straight games to the injury-riddled No. 6 seed Indiana Fever, ending their season. Still, the Dream may look at the 2025 season as a success, securing the most regular-season wins in franchise history (30) under first-year head coach Karl Smesko.

After spending her first 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, securing 10 All-Star nods and a championship, Griner decided it was time for a change following the 2024 season, especially with Diana Taurasi retiring. Over the offseason, the 6-foot-9 center out of Baylor elected to join the Dream on a one-year, $214,466 contract.

Griner began the season as the Dream's starting center, but after a neck injury sidelined her for a few games in August, Brionna Jones took over the starting role, keeping Griner coming off the bench in the playoffs. Now, with Griner's contract coming to an end, she has a big decision to make in free agency: stay in Atlanta or join a new WNBA team, assuming she doesn't retire.

With the season over and free agency looming, Griner took to social media Wednesday to post a farewell message to Dream fans, thanking them for their support throughout the year. The video featured highlights from her season, accompanied by the song “7 Years” by Lukas Graham, along with comments from Griner praising Atlanta.

"Man, I love Atlanta," Griner said. "Atlanta reminds me of home... This has been the best thing I have ever done in my life."

"This season was everything ‼️ATL, thank you for riding with us ," Griner captioned her post.

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A post shared by BG (@brittneyyevettegriner)

The Dream face several key decisions before free agency begins Feb. 1, when unrestricted free agents can officially sign new deals. Only two players are under contract for Atlanta in 2026: Te-Hina Paopao and Taylor Thierry. Griner, along with Jones, Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada, will be unrestricted free agents , while Rhyne Howard will be a restricted free agent as her rookie deal has come to an end.

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

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