The 2023-24 WNBA season kicked off in May, and chief among the headlines was the return of the legendary Brittney Griner to the Phoenix Mercury.
Griner missed the 2022-23 season following her infamous politically-motivated detainment in Russia, but she started her 2023-24 season with a bang. Despite the Mercury starting 0-2, Griner averaged 22.5 points per game to pair with eight rebounds and four blocks per contest.
The strong start quickly established the Baylor University product as one of the top choices for WNBA most valuable player at sports betting sites. In the wake of the season kicking off, Griner, who finished second in 2021 WNBA MVP voting, was +1500 ($100 bet wins $1,500) to win the award. The betting odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.
Only five players ranked ahead of Griner. The New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart (+240), the 2018 award winner, was the favorite, with two-time winner A’ja Wilson priced at +330.
Here’s how the board stacked up to open the 2023-24 WNBA season:
- Breanna Stewart: +240
- A’ja Wilson: +330
- Elena Della Donne: +600
- Kelsey Plum: +800
- Sabrina Ionescu: +900
- Brittney Griner: +1500
- Alyssa Thomas: +2500
- Nneka Ogwumike: +2500
- Skylar Diggins-Smith: +3000
- Jonquel Jones: +3000
- Arike Ogunbowale: +3000
- Candace Parker: +4000
- Napheesa Collier: +4500
- Rhyne Howard: +5000
- Chelsea Gray: +7000
- Natasha Howard: +8000
- Kahleah Copper: +9000
- Jewell Loyd: +9000
- Diana Taurasi: +10000
- Aliyah Boston: +10000
- Courtney Vandersloot: +12000
- Jackie Young: +15000
- Natasha Cloud: +15000
- DeWanna Bonner: +15000
- Kelsey Mitchell: +15000
- Diamond Deshields: +15000
Griner a Good Bet for WNBA MVP?
Bettors should remember there is a human element to this award as a group of voters decides it. MVP awards in the NBA and WNBA can be a bit fickle. In the WNBA, the award isn’t necessarily handed to a prolific scorer and often rewards all-around performance.
In her MVP wins in 2020 and 2022, Aces forward A’ja Wilson ranked second and fifth, respectively, in points per game. For 2021, Jonquel Jones ranked fourth in scoring.
The common thread over the last three years? Voters often reward strong defensive impacts.
In the 2022-23 season, Wilson ranked second in rebounding and first in blocks two years after sitting sixth in rebounding and first in blocks. For Jones, her 2021 campaign featured a first-place ranking in rebounding and 10th in blocks.
If there’s one roadblock for Griner’s candidacy, it’s that league MVPs often feature on outstanding teams.
All of the last three winners played for the team that either held or co-held the WNBA’s best record. The Mercury were not expected to be one of the league’s best teams in 2023.
Brittney Griner Stats
Across her entire WNBA career, Griner has averaged roughly 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. The center has a lifetime free-throw percentage of about .800.
Her best season ever in terms of points per game was 21.9 in 2017, while her top rebounding average and blocks average came in 2021 and 2015, respectively.
During the 2021 WNBA season, the year she placed second in MVP voting, Griner averaged 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. She also amassed 16 double-doubles, her highest total for a season during her career.
Brittney Griner Height
At six feet, nine inches tall, Griner counts herself amongst the tallest players in WNBA history.
Here’s how the rankings stack up:
- Margo Dydek: Seven Feet, Two Inches
- Bernadett Hatar: Six Feet, 10 Inches
- Han Xu: Six Feet, 10 Inches
- Brittney Griner: Six Feet, Nine Inches
- Liz Cambage: Six Feet, Eight Inches
- Maria Stepanova: Six Feet, Eight Inches
- Lindsay Taylor: Six Feet, Eight Inches
- Razija Brcaninovic: Six Feet, Eight Inches
- Zheng Haixia: Six Feet, Eight Inches
- Katie Mattera: Six Feet, Eight Inches
How Many Dunks Does Brittney Griner Have?
At Baylor, Griner dunked an NCAA record 18 times and has maintained an impressive run during her WNBA career. As of the end of the 2021 WNBA regular season, Griner had dunked 23 times in league play.
While not an official WNBA stat, Griner has averaged about 0.09 dunks per game. She doesn’t dunk very often, but it’s a special event for WNBA fans when she does.
Was Brittney Griner the First to Dunk?
Brittney Griner was not the first player to dunk in WNBA history, though she is the most frequent dunker in the league’s history. The former honor belongs to Lisa Leslie, who dunked in a 2002 WNBA game against the Miami Sol.
Griner, however, does own the first dunk in a WNBA postseason game. Back in 2014, Griner dunked in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Sparks.
She is also the first player to dunk twice in the same game in WNBA history.
