Brittney Griner, a prominent figure in the WNBA, opted for a hiatus to prioritize her mental well-being, and now urges fellow professional athletes to consider doing the same.
Expressing her appreciation, Griner extends thanks to the Phoenix Mercury organization for fully supporting her choice to take a pause from her duties.
Griner harbors the aspiration that professional sports entities will normalize the practice of granting athletes personal time, devoid of any attached stigma.
Emphasizing the unpredictability of mental health requirements, Griner commends the Mercury for their empathetic stance on this matter.
The athlete underlines the significance of athletes taking moments of respite for themselves, with the intention of establishing it as a commonplace practice.
Griner points out the noticeable shift away from the past stigmatization of taking breaks, highlighting that such actions are no longer perceived as indicators of weakness.
This stance resonates with the actions of Olympic athletes Simone Biles and Sha'Carri Richardson, both of whom have also prioritized their mental health.
Griner's position sparks intrigue about the potential for a broader movement among athletes to embrace mental health pauses, which could potentially influence and reshape the culture within the realm of sports.