When Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi were selected for the Team USA women’s basketball squad for the Paris Olympics, they were labeled as vets. The duo was often found supporting the team with its experience and giving the platform to young players such as A’ja Wilson to give their best. Once the USA clinched the gold medal, a major question, especially after Taurasi’s Team USA retirement, that lay ahead was if the two would be immediately plying their trade in the WNBA given their hectic Olympics schedule.

And now that the Paris Olympics are a thing of the past, the Phoenix Mercury will be gearing up to clash with Chicago Sky on Thursday. With the WNBA resuming, let us take a look at whether Griner and Taurasi will delight fans with their presence.

Will Diana Taurasi play in the game against the Chicago Sky?

The Phoenix Mercury has a 13-12 tally and they will be topping off the remaining WNBA with equal passion and excitement. On the other hand, the Chicago Sky has a 10-14 stat. Thus, the game is going to be close and will require the two stalwarts to outsmart the opponents with their experience.

The game will be crucial for Taurasi who has just hung up her boots for the national team and had opined before the opening Olympics game against Japan that she doesn’t want to retire from the WNBA as of now because she has been playing since she was five and has dedicated her whole life to it.

Plus, the stakes are high for Taurasi as she averaged only a singular point in the five games she played in the Olympics. Hence, she will be on her toes to prove her mettle in the WNBA where she averages a decent 16.1 points with 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. A strong performance in the WNBA return game could mean the world to her as fans will flock to the arena to support her. Hence, Taurasi will play unless there are some last-minute changes. Meanwhile, Griner had also voiced her take on getting to be a part of the W.

Will Brittney Griner take the hardwood against Chicago Sky?

Griner during a media interaction revealed her perspective on the Olympics, and the upcoming game against the Sky. The 33-year-old was excited to play against the Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso since the two are nearly equal in height and have a strong frame. While Cardoso is 6 foot 7 inches, Griner is 6 foot 9 inches.

“I don’t really get to go up against people my size, really ever, so I’m just looking forward to that,” Griner had stated. Plus, this game will be a crucial one for Griner if she wants to make a statement after a paltry Olympics performance. In this year’s WNBA, Griner averages 18.6 points with 6.4 rebounds per game. Therefore, fans are looking forward to watching Griner continue her on-song WNBA performances and wash over the allegations of ineffectiveness leveled against her during the Olympics performance.

With Griner and Taurasi prepping up for the game, there will eyes on their matchup against Cardoso and Angel Reese. Due to this being the opening game after the Olympics, more fans will tune in to watch the much-anticipated contest. Hopefully, Griner and Taurasi will be able to do justice to their name and help their team emerge victorious in the game.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.