Brittney Griner’s return to the WNBA will be official Friday. Her appearance with the Phoenix Mercury will mark the first time since Oct. 17, 2021, that the eight-time All-Star has played in the league.
Griner missed the entire 2022 WNBA season after being arrested in Russia in February of that year. Russian officials charged her with drug possession and smuggling, and then held her in detention for 10 months.
The detainment — which the United States termed “wrongful” — was an international topic for the better part of 2022. It also spurred debate about the wages earned by WNBA players: many of them play overseas in the offseason to supplement their income.
Now, basketball should be the only thing on Griner’s mind when the Mercury open their regular season against the Los Angeles Sparks.
MORE: Brittney Griner emotional in first remarks since Russian release
Here’s everything you need to know about what happened to Griner in Russia, from her arrest to her release:
What happened to Brittney Griner?
Griner was arrested in Russia and detained for most of 2022 after customs officials discovered in February that she had two vape cartridges containing marijuana concentrate hashish oil in her luggage, likely for personal use. Griner was returning to Moscow from Washington…
