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True Reason Why Brittney Griner Only Played Two Minutes vs. Caitlin Clark Revealed

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sahil Goswami | Last updated May 11, 2025 7:30 AM ET

The Indiana Fever wrapped up their preseason with a hard-fought 81-76 win over the Atlanta Dream on Saturday, keeping their slate clean at 3-0. After a strong start in the first quarter, the Fever faced a resilient Dream squad that kept things close all game long. But Indiana pulled away in the fourth, thanks to Lexie Hull’s 14-point effort and key contributions from Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark.

Clark, playing in her second preseason game, impressed again. She scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out seven assists. The No. 1 overall pick helped Indiana maintain momentum after Atlanta closed the gap late in the second quarter. Though she finished the game on the bench, Clark’s performance ensured the Fever entered the regular season on a high note.

On the Dream’s side, fans were surprised to see Brittney Griner play just two minutes. The 6-foot-9 center started strong, hitting a 24-foot three-pointer, her only shot, and securing a defensive rebound before heading back to the locker room. But as Indy Star reporter Chloe Peterson shared on X, “BG just ran back to the locker room… Didn’t look serious… something to monitor.”

Update: BG is done for the day. No injury, per Dream PR, just rest.
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) May 10, 2025

The Athletic's Ben Pickman also confirmed that, “No injury, just she will sit out the remainder of the game with rest, per the team.”

That's all fans in Atlanta will see from Brittney Griner tonight.

No injury, just she will sit out the remainder of the game with rest, per the team.

Griner hit her one shot attempt (a 3-pointer), and had a defensive rebound in her two minutes.
— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) May 10, 2025

It turns out the team simply chose to rest Griner. After a stellar preseason debut, 16 points and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes, against the Mystics, Atlanta decided to preserve their star before the regular season. Griner, an 11-year WNBA veteran and two-time scoring champion, has averaged 17.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks over her career.

BG with the first Dream buckets of the game! #DoItForTheDream | @brittneygriner pic.twitter.com/106Ijq21zP
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) May 10, 2025

With her experience and impact, the Dream are clearly prioritizing her health and freshness heading into the season opener against Washington.

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

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