Sun sign 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner and Nelson-Ododa

Brittney Griner, shown with Phoenix during the 2018 playoffs against the Sun, signed a one-year deal with Connecticut.

The Connecticut Sun secured two more pieces for their 2026 team with the signing of 10-time WNBA All-Star Britney Griner and Olivia Nelson-Ododa, the team announced on Saturday.

Griner, 35, signed a one-year deal with the Sun while Nelson-Ododa, the former UConn star and three-year veteran with the Sun, signed a two-year contract. Connecticut acquired forward Diamond Miller from Dallas earlier in the week in a trade. The Sun did not disclose the value of Griner’s deal but ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported the deal was a seven-figure deal (worth at least a million dollars).

In their 23rd and final season at the Mohegan Sun Arena, the Sun are looking to rebound from an 11-33 season – their worst season in Connecticut.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome BG to our team,” said Morgan Tuck, the Sun’s general manager. “Brittney is and has been one of the most impactful players in our game throughout her legendary career. Her presence will help elevate our organization and team on the floor, with our fans, and in our community.”

Griner, who won a NCAA championship at Baylor, spent 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury before playing the 2025 season with Atlanta. The 6-foot-9 center averaged 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds a game for the Dream.

Griner was the No. 1 pick in the 2013 WNBA draft by Phoenix, helping the Mercury win their third WNBA championship in 2014. She was the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and a three-time WNBA First Team selection (2014, 2019, 2021).

Griner has won three gold medals with the U.S. at the Olympics (2016, 2021, 2024) and two gold medals with the Americans in the FIBA World Cup (2014 and 2018).

“What excites us the most is not just her on-court talent, but who she is as a person,” Tuck said. “Her leadership, resilience, and the way she connects with her teammates and fans bring immeasurable value to our franchise.

“From our first conversations, it was clear she believes in our vision, and we’re fully committed to supporting hers as well,” Tuck said. “We couldn’t be happier to have her join our organization and to see the impact she will have now and in the future.”

Griner was arrested by Russia in February 2022 on a drug charge and spent 10 months in jail before being released in December 2022 in an exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer. She missed the entire 2022 season. She talked about her time in Russia with NPR in 2024.

The 6-foot-5 Nelson-Ododa has spent the last three years with the Sun, averaging 5.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 113 games. She was drafted with the No. 19 pick by Los Angeles in 2022 before getting traded to Connecticut in January 2023.

“We’ve seen her grow in impactful ways, and we truly believe she’s just scratching the surface of her potential in this league,” Tuck said. “Her approach, competitiveness, and the way she fits within our team identity.”

Nelson-Ododa spent the offseason playing for Wuhan Shengfan in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). In nine contests, she averaged 17 points, 8.2 rebounds, two assists and 1.3 steals per game.

The Sun open the season on May 8 at New York before their home opener on Sunday, May 10 against Seattle at 1 p.m.