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Why did Brittney Griner play basketball for teams outside the United States during WNBA offseasons?
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Brittney Griner
Basketball star Brittney Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury, shown during a 2019 WNBA game.
During the WNBA offseasons, Brittney Griner played for teams outside the United States, such as UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, because it was a common practice among WNBA players. Many athletes in the league were motivated to play in foreign leagues primarily for financial reasons.1