A whirlwind 12 months has brought Canberra Capitals star Kelsey Griffin full circle as she prepares to return to the WNBA club she was drafted by nine years ago - and she has never been more ready.
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Griffin has signed a training camp contract with the Minnesota Lynx - the deal was done a week ago but she wasn't sure when she could actually tell people she was heading back to the WNBA after a five-year exile.
When she woke up to a congratulatory text from Capitals teammate Kia Nurse on Friday morning she simply smiled. The American-born Australian can finally tell people she is coming home.
A return to the United States' midwest will bring Griffin closer to home for the first time since late 2017 - her mum's family is from Minnesota, her father's from Iowa, and she went to college in Nebraska.
Her wife Erin will be there every step of the way - "she’s been elevated to full-time WAG so she’s pretty pumped about it". Then Chelsea Aubry, the Canadian that initially lured Griffin to Australia, is already planning the 13-hour drive from Toronto.
A return to Minnesota effectively brings Griffin full circle after she was drafted by the Lynx with pick 3 in the 2010 WNBA draft - but she is still waiting to pull on the jersey for the first time.
"They drafted me and I was halfway through draft day doing interviews about Minnesota when I found out they had traded me to Connecticut, which I kind of knew was going to happen," Griffin said.
"They still drafted me, I have a lot of family in Minnesota, my mum’s family is originally from Minnesota and my dad is from iowa which is obviously close by in the midwest.
"For a magnitude of reasons it felt like a really good fit. I had a really good chat with Cheryl [Reeve, Lynx coach] and what she sees moving forward and the potential role I can play on the team.
"It all just seemed like a really good fit, and my grandma [Phyllis Buecksler] who passed away couple of years ago was a die hard Minnesota Lynx fan. It’s a bit of an homage to her.
"For a lot of good reasons it feels like a good fit - some sentimental and some playing-wise, so it’s exciting."
Minnesota fended off Leilani Mitchell's Phoenix Mercury in the race for Griffin's signature, and Capitals coach Paul Goriss knew the Lynx were serious when they kept hounding him for WNBL footage in recent months.
Goriss believes Griffin will return to the WNBA a far better player than the one that averaged 4.9 points per game, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 18 minutes when she last graced the league.
An ankle injury halted Griffin's hopes of a return to Connecticut last year but the 31-year-old says "now with my understanding of body management and what I can do on the court, I will probably be the most prepared I have been for a WNBA season I have in my career".
"I wasn’t sure really, whether I would go back or not," Griffin said.
"Then after talking to some coaches and hearing the interest, and having that final conversation with Cheryl, it seemed like a very good time. She spoke a lot about time. She had a lot of belief in the role I can play."
