Brittney Griner Is Done Playing Overseas, Vows To Help Americans Detained Abroad & Is Ready To Get Back On The Court

Between smiles, laughter and tearful pauses, the WNBA All-Star talked about her recovery from 10 months in a Russian prison. Brittney Griner also officially declared that she is ready to get back onto the basketball court.

Oh, yeah, and she's done playing abroad. “I’m never going overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country at the Olympics,” Griner said in her first public press conference.

After being tried and sentenced to nine years in prison for possession of cannabis oil, Griner was released on December 8, 2022, in exchange for Russian arms dealer and Putin ally, Viktor Bout.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist said in her first public press conference that her work ethic and mental discipline got her through the ordeal. She stressed that the vociferous campaigns advocating for her release meant a lot to her. 

“I was aware of the efforts and everything that was going on. I was able to see pictures of different things. Being aware of what was going on when you don’t know anything,” Griner said. “You’re like, ‘OK, I know people are fighting for me or bringing awareness to what’s going on.’ Those times where I was able to see what was going on, it definitely made me a little bit more comfortable. It made me have hope, which is a really hard thing to have. A really dangerous thing to have because when it doesn’t work, it’s soul-crushing.”

Though there was often a delay in how and when she got information, she eventually saw the “We Are BG” slogan and what her fellow WNBA players, other athletes and millions of fans were doing on her behalf. 

Sometimes It Felt Hopeless

When she felt hopless, Griner looked at family photos and that helped raise her spirits. "That did it for me. In a moment where you want to give up, you look at the photos and it brings you back to what you’re waiting on. You’re waiting to be back with your family, with your loved ones in a safe place.”

Griner is now herself vociferous about getting other Americans out of detention in foreign countries and intends to be more so. According to the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, there are 64 publicly-known cases of Americans being held hostage or wrongfully detained around the world.  

“I’m really fortunate to have this platform that I have. Any interview that I have, you’ll see the theme throughout the season,” she said. 

Return To The Court: May 19 Against The Los Angeles Sparks

Griner admitted that it’s been a struggle to get back into shape, “but it’s liberating as well.” But she's ready to play.

Photo: Twitter