Brittney Griner is aware of solely too nicely the swirling feelings of being concerned in a prisoner swap, and he or she stated Thursday night time she is “head over heels” that fellow People have been returned from Russia.
“Nice day. It’s an awesome day. It’s an awesome day,” Griner stated after the U.S. girls beat Belgium 87-74 to clinch a berth within the Paris Video games quarterfinals. “We’ll speak extra about it later. However head over heels blissful for the households proper now. Any day that People come dwelling, that’s a win. That’s a win.”
The 2-time Olympic gold medalist went via her personal high-profile prisoner change with Russia in 2022 after having been sentenced to 9 years in jail for drug possession and smuggling.
So Griner was thrilled listening to that Wall Road Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a company safety govt from Michigan, each convicted of espionage expenses that the U.S. authorities thought of baseless, had been coming dwelling.
Griner didn’t share how she discovered of the prisoner change, however she stated she was “positively emotional” at listening to the information.
“I’m positive it’ll be emotional much more just a little bit afterward,” Griner stated. “Yeah. I’m simply blissful. Like this can be a massive win. An enormous win.”
Griner returned to the U.S. in December 2022. Now, 19 months later, she is enjoying for the nationwide group, which gained its 57th straight on the Olympics. Griner scored seven factors whereas serving to the People proceed their pursuit of an eighth straight Olympic gold medal.
Since returning to America, Griner has taken an energetic position in serving to different People detained in overseas nations. She has labored with Convey Our Households Residence, a marketing campaign shaped in 2022 by the relations of American hostages and wrongful detainees held abroad.
She additionally has spoken twice with President Joe Biden, together with as soon as in April to maintain the detainees “on the forefront of everybody’s thoughts.”
Griner additionally has gone via the readjustment to life again within the U.S., one thing she’s nonetheless working via.
“I do know they’ve a tremendous group of individuals which might be going to assist them out in no matter method they want them and their households,” Griner stated of the sources that will probably be out there to Gershkovich and Whelan. “And I’m glad that I used to be capable of undergo that program and get reactivated again into on a regular basis life.”
These Olympics are the primary time she’s been abroad since her ordeal in Russia. On a practice journey from London along with her U.S. teammates, Griner felt anxious when she sat in her seat. It was her first time on a practice since heading to a Russian jail.
“Strolling as much as the practice I used to be superb,” Griner advised The Related Press that day. “Once I sat down and regarded out the window I used to be like, ‘Rattling, final time I used to be right here I used to be on my option to jail.’ Anxiousness began to intensify up. Then I noticed I used to be good, there have been no bars. I’m going to win gold.”
Griner turned to Netflix to calm her thoughts throughout a easy commute along with her U.S. teammates to the Paris Olympics.
“The whole lot was cool,” she stated.
That doesn’t imply her coach and teammates gained’t be keeping track of Griner.
U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve stated they had been extraordinarily blissful for the households upon listening to the information, figuring out the lads endured “simply terrible, terrible time” with out their family members again dwelling. Reeve’s thoughts went instantly to Griner, figuring out how blissful she is.
Reeve hung out with Griner within the locker room after the sport.
“It is a nice day as a result of she is aware of what for her what that was like,” Reeve stated. “And so now figuring out and truly visualizing possibly them going via the expertise, she appeared OK. However that’s Brittney. She at all times appears OK. … However we’ll actually be checking on her.”