WNBA star Brittney Griner issued her first public statement since being released from Russian custody.
On 8 December, the beloved basketball player returned to the United States after President Joe Biden struck a deal with Russia to exchange her for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
“She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” Biden revealed in an official statement (per CNN).
“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there all along.”
Since her return to the states, Griner has remained relatively quiet regarding her return and next steps until now.
On 16 December, the openly gay athlete took to Instagram to update fans on how she’s navigating her life post-release in a heartfelt post.
“It feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn,” she wrote.
“I dug deep to keep my faith, and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help.”
After expressing her gratitude for her wife and dedicated team, Griner announced her intention to help other wrongfully detained Americans, like Paul Whelan, return home.
“President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too,” she continued.
“I will use my platform to do whatever I can to help you. I also encourage everyone that played a part in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home. Every family deserves to be whole.”
Towards the end of her statement, the 32-year-old finally addressed the questions on everyone’s lips regarding her future with the WNBA.
“I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon,” she revealed.
We’re so happy the Griner is back home and excited for the future.
You can read her full post here or below.
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