Brittney Griner played her first WNBA games after spending 10 months detained in Russia. Here's what it was like during her emotional return.

Brittney Griner smiles during her return to Phoenix's Footprint Center.AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

• Brittney Griner played her first WNBA game in 579 days after spending 10 months detained in Russia.
• The atmosphere surrounding her return to play was unlike anything the league has ever seen.

Brittney Griner's highly-anticipated return to the hardwood lived up to its expectations.

The WNBA superstar — who spent 10 months of 2022 detained in Russia — played in her first WNBA game in 579 days on Friday, then returned to Phoenix for her first home game in nearly two years. Both contests featured star-studded crowds, tearful displays of support, and incredible play from Griner herself.

Here's what it was like inside Griner's big weekend.