Brittney Griner formally broke her silence after returning house from Russia and addressed her future within the WNBA on Instagram.
Brittney Griner, 32, spoke out for the primary time after she returned house to the U.S. from Russia, the place she spent 10 months in jail. “It feels so good to be house!” Brittney wrote on Instagram Dec. 16, alongside photographs of her stepping off the airplane in Texas and reuniting together with her spouse Cherelle Griner. “The final 10 months have been a battle at each flip. I dug deep to maintain my religion and it was the love from so lots of you that helped hold me going. From the underside of my coronary heart, thanks to everybody in your assist,” the athlete added.
Brittney confirmed that she’s returning to the WNBA in her publish. However earlier than that, she thanked everybody who supported her whereas she was imprisoned in Russia. She gave a particular shoutout to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for securing her launch.
“President Biden, you introduced me house and I do know you're dedicated to bringing Paul Whelan and all Individuals house too,” Brittney wrote. “I'll use my platform to do no matter I can that will help you. I additionally encourage everybody that performed an element in bringing me house to proceed their efforts to deliver all Individuals house. Each household deserves to be complete.”
Brittney additionally thanked the workers and medical crew at San Antonio Fort Sam Houston Base, the place Brittney and her spouse have been staying since she got here house. Then, Brittney made the large reveal about her future within the WNBA. “I additionally need to make one factor very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I stay up for with the ability to say ‘thanks’ to these of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in individual quickly,” she stated to conclude her message.
Brittney was arrested for possession of marijuana vape cartridges in February, shortly earlier than Russia’s struggle with Ukraine started. She was tried and located responsible in August. Regardless of her lawyer’s appeals, she was sentenced to 9 years in a Russian penal colony, which she had been transferred to the penal colony in November earlier than her launch was finalized. Brittney was launched in trade for Russian arms supplier Viktor Bout, who had been arrested in 2008 for conspiring to kill Individuals.
President Biden introduced the launch of Brittney on December 8. “Moments in the past I spoke to Brittney Griner,” he wrote on Twitter. “She is protected. She is on a airplane. She is on her manner house.” Brittney’s spouse, Chanelle Griner, was with the President, because the prisoner launch was confirmed.