On Sunday, the Phoenix Mercury hosted the Indiana Fever at the Footprint Center where Brittney Griner registered 24 points alongside 6 rebounds and 2 assists. But, Mercury failed to pull it off as they fell to Caitlin Clark and Co. with an 88-82 loss. And if this wasn’t enough for the team, another gloom hovers above them.

Per the recent updates, Brittney Griner has been declared out for the Mercury’s upcoming matchup against Connecticut because of a toe injury. Griner, who has been averaging 19.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, had recently returned from an injury. Let’s find out the reason why she will not be playing against Sun.

Why Brittney Griner is out again?

The season started a little late for Griner as she was sitting on the sidelines after she sustained an injury in one of her toes while practicing after a preseason 85-59 loss to the Seattle Storm. After evaluation, her toe was declared fractured. As a result, Griner missed this season’s opening night when the Mercury played against the 2x WNBA champions the Las Vegas Aces.

In the training camp, she scored 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. In addition, she shot 2-of-6 field goals and 1-of-2 free throws before she got hit. At first, it wasn’t much of a concern as it was just a toe, but things became more serious when she arrived riding a scooter with a walking boot on to watch her team go at it.

After spending a month in recovery, Griner finally tipped off her season in early June when the Mercury secured an 81-80 win over Minnesota. In the game, she scored 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3-of-5 field goals, and 5-of-5 throws within 21 minutes on the floor.

Fast forward to two days ago when Griner credited her injury as a major reason why she hasn’t started dunking yet. She said, “The last thing I want to do is aggravate that before it can fix up.” However, she also gave some hope to the fans that she will make some ahead in the season. “I’m ready. I put a couple down in practice, test out the foot, and make sure it’s all good.”

Simply put, not only is she out but this also puts misery over the Mercury as they have to hold on to the fort a bit more firmly in her absence.

The Phoenix Mercury to pick up the pieces

For one reason or the other, Brittney Griner’s absence has had an impact on the Mercury as a whole. On one hand, there is Daina Taurasi with her seasoned knowledge and grit to impart, while on the other hand, Kahleah Copper has risen to her role as offensively dominating.

She is currently leading the team at 21.8 points per game. Moreover, the combination of Copper with Natasha Cloud is another force coming for the opponents.

Currently, the Phoenix Mercury is moving with a 9-9 record and ranking 4th in the Western Conference Division. So, Griner’s absence has exposed the team to a pivotal situation.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.