Before the 2025 WNBA season tipped off, the Atlanta Dream signed free agent center Brittney Griner, and the future Hall of Famer had high expectations after switching teams for the first time in her career.
Griner played her first 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, where she cemented herself as an all-time great. With nine All-Star appearances, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and one WNBA championship, Griner was expected to provide the Dream the type of star power they needed around Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and company.
Aug 17, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner (42) shouts to the bench in the third quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Through 37 appearances this season, Griner is having the worst statistical year of her career. Playing a career-low 20.9 minutes per game, Griner is averaging 9.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 51.1% from the field. In Griner’s defense, she is 34 years old and well past her prime, and she is still finding ways to impact the game in a positive way.
After recovering from a mid-season neck injury, Griner was placed in the second unit, and she has been coming off the bench for the Dream ever since. Despite being a legendary center with a decorated career, Griner has embraced her role as a backup and continues to help the team, despite this being the first time in her career that she has come off the bench.
We love to see it 😍
Rhyne Howard drops the dime inside to Brittney Griner for the finish.
LAS–ATL | ION pic.twitter.com/71lk0qgwpg
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 6, 2025
With a core group of Griner, Gray, Howard, Brionna Jones, Naz Hillmon, and more, the Dream have broken their franchise record for most wins in a season at 28 and counting, and have clinched their spot in the playoffs as they look to secure a second-place finish.
The Dream are coming off consecutive wins against the LA Sparks, helping their cause as they try to clinch a top-two seed. In their most recent outing, Griner helped out with eight points, five rebounds, and two assists through 18 minutes of action, but shared a strong message on Instagram afterwards.
Via Brittney Griner: “Made for this, prayed for this 🙏🏼”
Griner has shared multiple messages on Instagram leading up to the WNBA playoffs, as she has also posted, “We keep moving 🅰️” and “pLAyOfF BoUNd 🧱.”
Griner is the most experienced player on the Dream roster, and the team certainly hopes that her championship experience can help them as they look to win their first title in franchise history. The Dream have not made a Finals appearance since 2013, and have not even made it out of the first round since 2018. With Griner leading the second unit, they certainly have higher expectations this season.