Brittney Griner Hand-Written Note: 'My Family is Whole,' Pleads for Paul Whelan Freedom

"My family is whole and now, thanks to you, we are fortunate to get to spend the holidays together,” Brittney Griner writes. “However, there remain too many families with loved ones wrongfully detained."

WNBA star Brittney Griner posted a handwritten note on Instagram this week, the iconic Baylor player saying she is thankful for all who sent her letters while she was detained in Russia for 10 months.

"Your letters were also bigger than uplifting me,'' Griner wrote. "They showed me the power of collective hands. Together, we can do hard things. I’m proof of that. My family is whole and now, thanks to you, we are fortunate to get to spend the holidays together. ...''

But she importantly made one other key point in her letter.

"However,'' Griner wrote, "there remain too many families with loved ones wrongfully detained."

Griner then encouraged those who supported her family and her release to now write letters to former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who is imprisoned by the Russian government.

Brittney Griner sends a letter of thanks and asks to join her in writing a letter to Paul Whelan and to continue to “advocate for other Americans to be rescued and returned to their families.”❤️#WeareBG

(via brittneyyevettegriner/IG) pic.twitter.com/GbNbNyRqTU

— We Need To Talk (@WeNeedToTalk) December 21, 2022

Unfortunately for Whelan, he was not included in this United States prisoner swap with Russia.

“Those families stood alongside you and all who supported the WeAreBG campaign to bring me home,'' Griner wrote, "and it’s our turn to support them. I hope you’ll join me in writing to Paul Whelan and continuing to advocate for other Americans to be rescued and returned to their families.”

Russia shipped Griner back to the United States in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout. The United States government says it continues to work to secure the release of Whelan.

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