Four months after returning home from Russia, Mercury center Brittney Griner spoke to the media for the first time at a Phoenix news conference. Griner said she is not at the same level physically as she was before her Russian detainment, but she is making progress in her training.
Griner was released from a Russian prison on Dec. 8, 2022, when the United States and Russia agreed to a prisoner swap for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The seven-time WNBA All-Star was taken into custody at a Moscow-area airport on Feb. 17, 2022, when authorities alleged they found vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her luggage. Like many WNBA players, Griner played in Russia during the WNBA offseason. She was returning in February to rejoin UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Euroleague, her Russian team, after a FIBA break.
Following her arrest, Griner was investigated for the “large-scale transportation of drugs” and went on trial in July. On Aug. 4, a Russian court found her guilty of drug smuggling and possession charges and sentenced her to nine years in prison. Her sentence was upheld on Oct. 25 by a three-judge panel.
The White House opened negotiations with Russia in an effort to bring Griner home, offering a swap for Bout in exchange for Griner and Paul Whelan, an American…
