Brittney Griner Opens Up on Detention in Russia, Vows Never to Play Overseas Again

• Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner has opened up on her detention in Russia
• She was arrested in February 2022 and released in December in a prisoner swap
• The 32-year-old is set for her 10th WNBA season and has only played for Phoenix

Nearly five months after being released from Russian imprisonment, WNBA star, Brittney Griner has finally opened up on the situation, vowing never to play overseas again.

Griner was detained in February 2022 at the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, when Russian Federal Customs Service officials discovered vape cartridges containing hemp-concentrate hashish oil in her luggage.

She was convicted of narcotics possession and trafficking.

After 10 months of detention, the two-time Olympic gold medalist was released in December 2022 following a prisoner swap involving convicted Russian arms dealer, Victor Bout, per CBS News.

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The exchange was made in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

In May last year, the US State Department designated Griner as unlawfully detained. A few months later, in August, Griner was sentenced to a nine-year prison term, which her lawyers said was excessive for the offense.

Griner on imprisonment in Russia

She held her first news conference since her release on April 27 at the Footprint Center. The Phoenix Mercury center said her detention in Russia was a big adversity in her life.

"I'm no stranger to hard times. You're going to be faced with adversities throughout your life, and this was a pretty big one. But I just kind of relied on my hard work. Getting through it. You find a way to just grind it out," she said, via ESPN.

Griner's wife Cherelle, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, and Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard were in attendance. She did not give any specifics of her detention in Russia.

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The 32-year-old vowed never to play overseas again unless she is representing the US national team.

"I'm never going overseas to play again unless it's to represent my country," she said. "The whole reason a lot of us go over is the pay gap... to support our families, to support ourselves. So I don't knock any player that wants to go overseas."

Griner is set to play in her 10th WNBA season, which have all been with the Mercury.

She won the 2014 title and played in the 2021 WNBA Finals when the Mercury lost to the Chicago Sky. The elimination game of that series (Game 4), on October 17, 2021, was the last game Griner played in the WNBA.

She has averaged 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in her WNBA career. Some of her accolades include two Defensive Player of the Year awards and three selections to the All-WNBA first-team.

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Basketball world on Griner's release

Sports Brief also reported on how the basketball world reacted to the news that Griner would be returning home from detention in Russia.

US President, Joe Biden broke the news through Twitter. It was met with widespread relief and happiness from celebrities and sports stars.

WNBA and NBA stars welcomed the news of Griner's release in a prisoner swap involving the two countries' respective governments.