WNBA Star Brittney Griner -- SLASHED by Knife-Wielding Man in China

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner got knifed by a mad man in China who chased her and some of her teammates as they got onto a team bus.

According to Griner's rep, the Phoenix Mercury player suffered a cut on her elbow during the attack on Monday, but the injury wasn't bad enough for her to go to a hospital.

Griner is playing for a Chinese team during the WNBA offseason. She was leaving practice in Beijing at the time of the attack.

The rep says the man actually ran onto the bus with Griner and the other players -- cornering them for about 5 minutes ... before voluntarily leaving. Griner was wearing a thick winter coat which apparently protected her from a more serious cut.

She posted a video of police cornering the suspect after the left the bus.