Brittney Griner to Miss Mercury's 2-Game Road Trip to Focus on Mental Health

Center Brittney Griner will sit out the Phoenix Mercury's upcoming two-game road trip "to focus on her mental health," the team announced Saturday.

The Mercury did not say whether Griner is expected to return for the team's next home game Thursday.

The Mercury play the Chicago Sky Sunday before taking on the Indiana Fever Tuesday.

Griner returned to the United States in December after she was detained in Russia for almost 10 months. She had originally been sentenced to nine years in prison after Russian officials said they found cannabis oil in her luggage.

Following her return through a high-profile prisoner exchange, Griner has faced increased public scrutiny. She was reportedly publicly harassed at the Dallas airport while the Mercury team was traveling in June.

Griner has played in 20 of Phoenix's 30 games so far. She is averaging 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game and recently passed DeWanna Bonner for No. 2 on the franchise's all-time scoring list.

Despite Griner's record-setting performances, the Mercury's 6-17 record has left them in 10th place and out of the WNBA playoff picture.

Phoenix will hope to climb the standings with wins over eighth-place Chicago and 11th-place Indiana, and to see Griner back on the court as soon as she is ready.