It's been a few weeks since Brittney Griner casually came out by announcing she was already out. Today, in a first-person essay for The New York Times, she provides the backstory, which begins with a conversation she had with her mother when Griner was in the ninth grade:

Greg Stanton became Phoenix's mayor last November in what was called the "nastiest" and "most contentious mayoral Phoenix has seen in nearly 30 years." As nasty as Stanton might be, he's no match for Nakia Sanford's flying elbows.

Phoenix Mercury vet DeWanna Bonner—who could probably take anyone on staff here in a game of Horse or 1-on-1, but not knockout, never knockout—has a name that begs to be said aloud in a bad Jamaican accent.

"The Mercury turned the Tulsa Shock's "40 minutes of Hell" into 40 minutes of fun. Just ask the 6,580 who witnessed the Mercury set a WNBA record for points in a game in a 116-84 win Saturday night." [Arizona Republic]

Yes, I know we're getting a little women's basketball-y tonight. But it's the first game of the WNBA Finals! See that packed house in Phoenix? Here's a tip: a lot of those people aren't exactly paying customers.