Brittney Griner shares how she helped save family after ATV accident in Sedona
While the WNBA was on hiatus, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner enjoyed social distancing by going off-roading in Arizona.
During the Fourth of July weekend, she was out riding in an ATV with friends in the Sedona desert when she saw a family doing the same. But when they started to take a corner around some brush, she realized they were about to crash.
Brittney Griner jumps into emergency action
Griner jumped into action and shared the story with ESPN’s Holly Rowe from the WNBA “wubble” at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
The Barrera family was out in an ATV, enjoying the day. It flipped, and Griner said she saw it crush father, Omar, and daughter, Emily, when she came around the corner.
“The first face I saw was Brittney’s face,” said Emily, who by random chance had met Griner years before at a store.
Griner pushed the ATV up and off the family and immediately took off one of her shirts to make tourniquets for both Omar and Emily. The two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year then put Emily in her own ATV and started a caravan to emergency help.
“It’s just what you do,” Griner told Rowe. “You help people out. If I wasn’t playing basketball, I’d be helping people. I’d be doing something [like that].”
Both Emily and Omar were treated for severe lacerations. Griner and her friends stayed with the family.
Griner having another stellar season in wubble
Griner reported to the Mercury and the team made its way to Bradenton shortly after the accident. Phoenix is a title hopeful after adding all-star Skylar Diggins-Smith to the roster alongside Griner and former MVP Diana Taurasi.
Griner is averaging 18.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 blocks per game after Sunday’s 95-89 loss to the Dallas Wings. She ranks sixth in the league in points and 10th in rebounds.
The 6-foot-9 veteran scored a season-high 29 against the Wings, the youngest squad in the WNBA by age. She added seven rebounds and five assists, but it was Arike Ogunbowale who sent her squad to a victory. She scored 33 points and made a career-best six 3-pointers on seven attempts.
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