Brittney Griner Issues First Statement Since Release From Russian Prison

For the first time since arriving back on U.S. soil, Brittney Griner issued a public statement, expressing her gratitude to those who supported her during her wrongful detention in Russia. 

“It feels so good to be home!” she wrote on Instagram. “The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn. I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help.”

Griner was released from Russian prison after the U.S. reached a prisoner swap deal in the United Arab Emirates. The deal exchanged Griner for international arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Griner proceeded to thank a number of individuals in her post, including her wife Cherelle, her agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas, the Mercury, WNBA players and other activists who spoke out on her behalf. She also issued a specific message of gratitude to her legal representation, as well as to President Biden and the entirety of his administration. 

She left Biden and the rest of the U.S. government with a plea to continue fighting for Americans that are wrongfully detained abroad. She specifically mentioned former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who remains imprisoned in Russia after he was arrested in Dec. 2018 on accusations of espionage.

The 52-year-old Whelan was not part of the prisoner swap that brought Griner back to U.S. soil.

“President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too,” Griner wrote. “I will use my platform to do whatever I can to help you. I also encourage everyone that played a part in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home. Every family deserves to be whole.”

Griner was arrested at a Russian airport last February after Russian officials said they found hashish oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to the drug charges in Russian court in July, while stating that she did not intend to break the law. She was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony in early August and had begun serving time in a penal colony in the Mordovia region of Russia.

Griner arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio last week following the swap and has since spent time with her wife and other family members. According to her agent, the 32-year-old also got her hands on a basketball and dunked in her first time back on the court in over 10 months. 

The question has lingered when—or if—Griner, an eight-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympics gold medalist will resume her basketball career. She addressed that particular topic in her latest Instagram post, revealing that her return might come sooner than many expect. 

“I also want to make one thing very clear,” Griner wrote. “I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon.”