WNBA star Brittney Griner was famously sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison in August 2022 for transporting cannabis oil. The Texas-born athlete was initially detained in February 2022 and spent 10 months in Russian custody before being released in a US-Russian prisoner exchange in December 2022. Speaking on Thursday, Griner said she was “thrilled” and overjoyed to learn of the release of US citizens Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva, who were freed from Russian prisons in a new prisoner swap.
“Great day. It’s a great day. It’s a great day,” Griner said, according to the Associated Press. “We will talk more about this later. But I’m extremely happy for the families right now. Any day Americans return home will be a victory. That’s a win.”
Griner is currently in Paris representing the USA at the Paris Summer Olympics. On Thursday, she came off the bench to help Team USA win 87-74 against Belgium to book their place in the quarterfinals on August 7.
Griner and his wife, Cherelle Griner, also shared a joint statement on Instagramaddressing the prisoner release and expressing concern for other American hostages remaining abroad.
“The Biden-Harris administration has once again shown true leadership in doing whatever it takes to bring Americans home. Every American who returns is a victory,” said the couple. “As we extend support to those who have returned and celebrate the collective hands that helped make American families whole – we must continue to do everything we can to shine a light on the remaining Americans in detention. #BringThemHome.”
The athlete has long called for Gershkovich’s release and expressed support for Wall Street Journal journalist and his family after being sentenced to 16 years in prison last month after 15 months of detention in Russia.
“My heart goes out to him, his family and all his loved ones,” Griner said in an interview with NBC’s Liz Kreutz. “We have to get him back. We have to. I went through it and I understand what it means.”
Thursday’s prison swap was the largest prisoner exchange between the two countries since the end of the Cold War. Along with the American citizens who were released, other dissidents who expressed discontent with Putin’s government were also released, including German, British and Russian citizens. In total, Western countries combined to release eight prisoners in exchange for Russia’s release, freeing 16 prisoners.
Since her release from prison in Russia, Griner has become an advocate for Americans wrongfully detained abroad, working with the Bring Our Families Home Campaign to help raise awareness and advocate for the safe return of the US. citizens detained abroad.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
