Following her 10-month detainment in Russia, Phoenix Mercury forward Brittney Griner said she will likely not play overseas again unless it’s to play in the Olympics. Prior to the incident, she was one of about 70 WNBA players who play in other countries during the offseason to make extra money.
The eight-time WNBA All-Star missed the USA Basketball training camp in February, but she is part of the pool of players who are up for consideration for the 2024 Olympic team.
“I can say for me, I’m never going overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country at the Olympics. If I make the team, that’d be the only time I’d leave U.S. soil, and that’s just to represent the USA,” Griner said during Thursday’s press conference, her first media availability since returning home.
On Feb. 17, 2022, Russian customs services found marijuana concentrate in Griner’s luggage when she had arrived in Moscow to rejoin UMMC Ekaterinburg — the team she had been played for during the WNBA offseason since 2014. Griner was eventually sentenced to nine years in prison on drug charges, but the Biden administration was able to negotiate a one-for-one prisoner swap in December.
Griner is back home now and getting ready to…
