For the first time in nearly a year, WNBA star Brittney Griner picked up a basketball Sunday. She quickly celebrated her return to the court with a dunk, ESPN reported.
Griner, a 32-year-old native of Houston, Texas, was at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio Sunday. She was released from a Russian prison last week when the U.S. agreed to trade arms dealer Viktor Bout, also known as “The Merchant of Death” according to POLITICO, for her release.
This February – shortly before the Russian Federation invasion of Ukraine – Griner was detained in a Russian airport. Airport security found cannabis oil in her luggage and detained her.
Griner, a leading centre for the WNBA known for helping the Phoenix Mercury secure a 2014 championship, had been detained for five months when she sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking for help with her release.
Her wife Cherelle also advocated for Griner to be released.
Though the Biden administration pledged to help the WNBA star, she was sentenced to nine years in prison in August. A Russian court upheld the decision upon Griner’s appeal.
She was, however, released in the prisoner swap last week.
“This morning, I joined President Biden, Vice President Harris, National Security Advisor Sullivan, and Cherelle Griner in the Oval Office, as Cherelle spoke to her wife Brittney, who is now on her way back to the United States and to her wife’s loving embrace, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken upon her release.
Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner’s agent, said the athlete isn’t ready to say when or if she plans to return to her WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury, according to ESPN.
“If she wants to play, it will be for her to share,” Colas said. “She has the holidays to rest and decide what’s next without any pressure,” Colas said. “She’s doing really, really well. She seems to have endured this in pretty incredible ways.”
Colas said Griner is expected to make her first statement post release this week.
“While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly,” said Blinken last week of a former U.S. Marine who remains detained in Russia. “Despite our ceaseless efforts, the Russian Government has not yet been willing to bring a long overdue end to his wrongful detention. I wholeheartedly wish we could have brought Paul home today on the same plane with Brittney. Nevertheless, we will not relent in our efforts to bring Paul and all other U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad home to their loved ones where they belong.”
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