Brittney Griner shuts down retirement talk with blunt message after Sun loss originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There was a moment on Sunday where the result really didn’t matter. The Connecticut Sun lost their preseason finale to the New York Liberty, but the bigger takeaway came from how Brittney Griner looked and what she said afterward. Because if there was any question about where Griner stands heading into 2026, she answered it herself.
Griner pushes back on retirement noise
Griner did not dance around the topic.
“A lot of people counting me out, want to call me old, want to set me to retire,” she said after the game. “But I’m not. I got a lot to go, and this team is bringing a lot out of me.”
At 35 and entering her 13th WNBA season, Griner is hearing the same questions many veterans face. The difference here is how quickly she pushed back and how clearly she backed it up on the floor.
Production that tells a different story
Even in a 79-67 loss, Griner stood out. She finished with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting in just 21 minutes. She added four rebounds and looked comfortable throughout, especially offensively. There was also something new in her game.
Griner knocked down two three-pointers, tying a career high. It is a small detail on paper, but it speaks to something bigger. She is not just trying to hold on. She is still evolving. That matters for a Connecticut team that brought her in to stabilize the frontcourt and raise its ceiling.
Why the doubt showed up in the first place
The skepticism did not come out of nowhere. Griner is coming off a 2025 season with the Atlanta Dream where her numbers dipped across the board. She averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks, all career lows.
For a player who built her reputation as one of the most dominant interior forces in the league, that drop naturally led to questions about what comes next.
That is the version of Griner some people are still holding onto.
MORE: Sabrina Ionescu injury update: Liberty star set for MRI after preseason scare before opener
Connecticut betting on a different version
The Sun clearly saw something else. They signed Griner to a one-year deal this offseason, giving her a fresh start with a team that believes it can still compete at a high level. What they are banking on is what showed up Sunday. Efficiency, presence, and a player who still understands how to control stretches of a game.
It is also about experience. Griner brings a championship background from her time with the Phoenix Mercury and a level of composure that matters over the course of a long season.
A bigger test is coming
The preseason is over. Now it counts. The Connecticut Sun open the regular season against the New York Liberty, the same team they just saw. It is a quick turnaround and a real measuring stick. Griner made one thing clear before that matchup.
She is not here to wind things down.
She is here to prove there is still more left.
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• Caitlin Clark shares honest take on rookie after Fever loss
• Cameron Brink’s throwback look grabs attention as Sparks hope for healthy reset
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