Brittney Griner was not kidding when she mentioned a WNBA comeback in 2023 soon after being released from Russian detention. The two-time Olympic gold medalist has re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury on a one-year contract.
Griner has been repping the Mercury since the beginning of her basketball career, in 2013. She missed out on playing the 2022 season when she was arrested at a Moscow airport in February 2022.
The basketball star was accused of smuggling vape canisters containing cannabis oil into the country. Griner pled guilty but said she had no criminal intent: the canisters were prescribed to treat chronic pain. She accidentally packed them while quickly preparing for her flight.
Griner’s 10-month-long detainment began as Russia invaded Ukraine. Experts believed Russia was using Brittney as a “negotiating chip” against the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. government determined Griner was wrongfully detained, committing to support and free the athlete.
Celebrities and teammates spoke out. But it was Griner’s wife, Cherelle, who epitomized genuine marriage vows by working non-stop and captaining Britney’s release.
Once Griner was eventually released, in a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Victor Bout, she was held for routine evaluation at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. It was there that she picked the basketball up for the first time in 10 months. Her first shot at goal was a dunk.
She took to Instagram to thank everyone who supported her release.
“I want to personally take the time to write to you and say that your efforts mattered,” Griner’s letter reads. “Your letters helped me to not lose hope during a time where I was full of regret and vulnerable in ways I could have never imagined. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Because of you I never lost hope.” In the post caption, she wrote, “Thank you. Your words matter.”
Griner and Cherelle have gradually returned to the limelight. Griner was recently honored at the NAACP awards, and the wives looked happy and healthy in a photo Griner uploaded to Instagram.
