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By: Alice MusselwhiteĀ
1-17-23
Brittney Griner at the 2020 OlympicsĀ
WNBA star Brittney Griner returned to the U.S on December 8th after a prisoner swap with Viktor Bout. After serving in Russia for 294 days of a nine-year sentence, she was flown into Kelly Airfield in San Antonio at 4:29 a.m. local time.Ā
Griner was brought to Brooke Army Medical Center, where she was reunited with her wife, Cherelle Griner. President Biden, on Thursday Dec 8th, announced the negotiated release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from a penal colony in Russia and her return to the U.S. She had been detained since February, when Russian authorities found a small amount of hash oil in vape cartridges that were in her luggage when she arrived in the country.
Ā Since being freed from Russia, Brittney Griner says she'll play in the upcoming WNBA season. She said, "I also want to make one thing very clear, I intend to play basketball for the WNBA 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."
The 2023 WNBA season begins on May 19. Griner was the Mercury's leading scorer and rebounder in the 2021 WNBA season, in which Phoenix lost in the finals. Griner came in second in MVP voting for the season.
"It feels so good to be home!" Griner wrote on Instagram. "The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn. 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."
There is some controversy about the prisoner swap with Viktor Bout. Viktor Bout, also known as the Merchant of Death, is a Russian arms dealer. He is one of the world's most infamous arms dealers. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April 2012 after being found guilty of conspiracy to kill Americans and US officials, delivering anti-aircraft missiles and aiding a terrorist organization. Bout was extradited from Thailand to the US in 2010, after a sting operation by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) two years earlier.
There is also some controversy about Paul Whelan, a Marine biologist. He was arrested in Russia on December 28, 2018, and accused of spying. On June 15, 2020, he received a 16-year prison sentence. He is still in Russia serving that sentence.
Contributor's Bios:
Ā Alice Musselwhite is a 12 year-old 6th-grade girl, who plays basketball and loves getting to hang out with her friends and family.Ā
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