WNBA star released from Russian prison
Former Women’s National Basketball Association champion Brittney Griner is safe and sound on United States soil after ten months in Russian custody. The eight-time all-star has been held in Russia since February of this year, following a drug-related arrest. She had been detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport on her way to compete in the Russian Premier League where she has played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) offseason since 2014. Griner was detained for possessing vaporizer cartridges containing hash oil, an illegal substance in Russia, for which she has a prescription in Arizona.
On Aug. 4, Griner was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison, a sentence that seemed unnecessarily excessive for the crime. Until Nov. 17, she had been held in an undisclosed location, but was then transferred to a female penal colony known as IK-2 in Yavas, Russia. Since Jul., President Joe Biden had been making an effort to trade prisoners in order to bring Griner back to her home country. The initial offer requested both Griner and Paul Whelan, a former United States Marine, to be brought back. The offer eventually fell through, as Russia’s demands were too high for those involved.
Talks of a prisoner trade had seemed to die down until Dec. 8, when it was announced that an agreement had been made between the two nations. The trade agreement was a 1-for-1 prisoner swap, allowing Griner to return home. In exchange, the United States released Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who had been held in custody for over a decade in Illinois. Nicknamed “The Merchant of Death,” Bout had been charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill American officers or employees, and conspiring to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile.
The likelihood of a trade seemed slim, as United States-Russian relations were strained following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. Many U.S. citizens were in an uproar following Griner’s arrest, stating that it was not deserved. Through the persistence of citizens and the fight from the government, Griner was able to safely return to the United States, where she will face no legal repercussions.
At the moment, it is unclear if she will resume her play in the WNBA. The 32-year-old former number-one overall pick has spent the entirety of her memorable nine-year career with the Phoenix Mercury. She has accumulated countless accolades including being a two-time scoring champion, eight-time blocks leader and three-time All-WNBA First Team selection. Griner also qualified for the Olympic national team in 2016 and 2020, where she won two gold medals. Often seen as a top-20 WNBA player of all-time, Griner’s career may have been temporarily cut short due to her imprisonment, but the hope is that she will be able to return to the court in the coming seasons. Needless to say, her safety and well-being remain the top priority.