Brittney Griner 20/20 interview: WNBA star wanted to bring fellow Russian prisoner Paul Whelan back with her

Brittney Griner underwent a long journey after being arrested in Russia in February 2022 and held in detention for 10 months.

The WNBA star was sentenced to nine years in prison for carrying a small amount of cannabis oil. She was sent to a penal colony in the Russian republic of Mordovia and was forced to cut her iconic locs in derelict prison conditions.

Griner, 33, who was freed via a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia in December 2022, spoke to Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts about her ordeal in a wide-ranging interview that aired Wednesday on ABC’s “20/20” news program.

Here’s what you need to know about Griner’s latest remarks on the topic, which come about a week before the scheduled release date of her memoir, “Coming Home.”

MORE: Timeline of Brittney Griner’s arrest and detainment in Russia

Brittney Griner 20/20 interview

Griner recounted her experiences within the Russian prison system following her arrest in her discussion with Roberts. Russian authorities discovered two vape cartridges containing marijuana concentrate hashish oil in her luggage as she traveled through an airport in Moscow.

“I’m just like, ‘Oh, my God.’ Like, ‘How did I — how did I make this mistake?’” Griner said. “I could just visualize everything I…