President Joe Biden said efforts to bring Griner home took “painstaking and intense negotiations.” The US enacted sanctions in response to the conflict while diplomats kept open lines of communication with Moscow over prisoner negotiations.īrittney Griner is back in the US and dunking again after almost 10 months detained in Russia The Mercury center became a pawn in Russia’s war in Ukraine and returned to the US on December 9 after the prisoner swap for notorious convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.įor months, a delicate diplomatic dance played out between the US and Russia, which waged war in Ukraine. She had traveled to Russia to play basketball in the WNBA offseason and was arrested on drug smuggling charges at an airport in the Moscow region on February 17.ĭespite her testimony that she had inadvertently packed the cannabis oil in her luggage, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison in early August and was moved to a penal colony in the Mordovia republic in mid-November after losing her appeal.Ī delicate diplomatic dance between US and Russia US officials deemed it a wrongful detention. Her detention, after Russian officials found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage, became an international cause during a tense time in relations between Washington and Moscow. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was released last week in a prisoner swap after nearly 300 days in Russian custody. “I also want to make one thing very clear: 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,” Griner said.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Imagesīrittney Griner is heartbroken Paul Whelan remains detained in Russia as she is welcomed back to the US and reunited with her family, her agent says CNN previously reported that Griner and her wife, Cherelle, had already made plans to move upon her return to the United States.īrittney Griner during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on Jin Saitama, Japan. Griner was headed back to Arizona, though her representatives would not confirm exactly where, citing security concerns. They made a surprise appearance to welcome her home. on Friday, CNN confirmed via her agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas.Īs she boarded the plane, Griner was greeted by Phoenix Mercury GM Jim Pitman, team president Vince Kozar and teammate Diana Taurasi.

Griner took off from San Antonio around 11 a.m. I also encourage everyone that played a part in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home.

“I will use my platform to do whatever I can to help you. “President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too,” she said. She also remembered another foreign prisoner in Russia whose release could not be secured in the prisoner swap that secured her freedom. Griner, 32, said she was “grateful to each person who advocated for me” and thanked the staff at the Texas military facility she briefly called home. Brittney Griner embraces her wife, Cherelle Griner, upon her return to the US from Russia last Friday.

Wnba arizona