WNBA Star Brittney Griner Released From Russian Prison After 10 Months
Coming home! After the bizarre scandal that landed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a Russian prison last February, she’s finally free. Griner was sentenced to nine years after being arrested for the possession of cannabis oil at a Moscow airport. Months of legal battles with the Russian court system went awry until Thursday morning. The Biden Administration finally made a deal with Russia for a prisoner swap that included arms dealer Viktor Bout, and Griner is finally coming home.
President Biden tweeted the good news Thursday morning: “Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home.” The tweet included pictures with Biden and Griner’s wife, Cherelle, inside the Oval Office. \”This is a day we\’ve worked toward for a long time,\” Biden said. \”We never stopped pushing for her release. It took painstaking and intense negotiations, and I want to thank all the hardworking public servants across my administration who worked tirelessly to secure her release.”
The 2022 WNBA season was marred by the absence of Griner as teams across the league pasted BG42 logos on jerseys, courts and banners to keep the pressure on the government.
A sigh of relief. She’s coming home. And there’s no doubt the reunion moments and photos in the days to come will bring tears to many. Welcome back, BG!
Additional Storylines
ABC News: Brittney Griner Release: How the White House Says It Happened
CNBC: WNBA Star Brittney Griner Freed From Russia in Prisoner Swap for Arms Dealer
SI: Brittney Griner’s Life is Forever Changed, But Now She Gets To Live It
Photo: Christian Peterson / Getty Images
©2023 Media Mobilize All rights reserved