Brittney Griner hails ‘great day’ as US prisoners released from Russian detention

Brittney Griner knows only too well the emotions of being involved in a prisoner swap, and she said on Thursday night she is “head over heels” that fellow Americans have arrived home from Russia.

“Great day. It’s a great day. It’s a great day,” Griner said after the US women beat Belgium 87-74 to clinch a berth in the Paris Games quarter-finals. “We’ll talk more about it later. But head over heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home, that’s a win. That’s a win.”

The two-time Olympic gold medalist went through her own prisoner exchange with Russia in 2022 after having been sentenced to nine years in jail for drug possession and smuggling.

Her comments came shortly after news emerged that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and ex-marine Paul Whelan, who were both convicted of espionage charges that the US government considered baseless, were returning to the US from Russia. The released prisoners were greeted by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris when they landed in Washington DC late on Thursday.

Griner didn’t share how she learned of the prisoner exchange, but she said she was “definitely emotional” at hearing the news.

“I’m sure it’ll be emotional even more a little bit later on,” Griner said. “Yeah. I’m just happy. Like this is a big win. A huge win.”

Griner returned to the US in December 2022. Now she is playing for the national team, who won their 57th straight game at the Olympics on Thursday. Griner scored seven points while helping the Americans continue their pursuit of an eighth straight Olympic gold medal.

Since returning to America, Griner has taken an active role in helping other Americans detained in foreign countries. She has worked with Bring Our Families Home, a campaign formed in 2022 by the family members of American hostages and wrongful detainees held overseas. She also has spoken twice with Biden to keep the detainees “on the forefront of everyone’s mind.”

Griner has also gone through the readjustment to life back in the US, something she’s still working through.

“I know they have an amazing group of people that are going to help them out in whatever way they need them and their families,” Griner said of the resources that will be available to Gershkovich and Whelan. “And I’m glad that I was able to go through that program and get reactivated back into everyday life.”

The Paris Olympics are the first time she has been overseas since her ordeal in Russia. On the train journey from London to Paris with her US teammates, Griner felt anxious. It was her first time on a train since her journey to a Russian prison.

“Walking up to the train I was fine,” Griner said. “When I sat down and looked out the window I was like, ‘Damn, last time I was here I was on my way to prison.’ Anxiety started to heighten up. Then I realized I was good, there were no bars. I’m going to win gold.”

USA’s basketball coach, Cheryl Reeve, spent time with Griner in the locker room after Thursday’s game.

“This is a great day because she knows what [the prisoner release] was like,” Reeve said. “And so now knowing and actually visualizing maybe them going through the experience, she seemed OK. But that’s Brittney. She always seems OK ... But we’ll certainly be checking on her.”