Brittney Griner said sheB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址済ratefulB次元官网网址� to be back in the United States and plans on playing basketball again next season for the WNBAB次元官网网址檚 Phoenix Mercury. Her comments came a week after she was released from a Russian prison, freed in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange.
B次元官网网址淚t feels so good to be home!B次元官网网址� Griner posted to Instagram on Friday in her first public statement since her release. B次元官网网址淭he 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.B次元官网网址�
Griner was arrested in February in Russia on drug-related charges and was later convicted and sentenced to nine years in a Russian jail. After months of strained negotiations, and an extraordinarily rare public revelation by the Biden administration that it had made a B次元官网网址渟ubstantial proposalB次元官网网址� to bring home Griner and another detained American, Paul Whelan, the case resolved last week with a prisoner swap in which the WNBA star was exchanged in the United Arab Emirates for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
B次元官网网址淧resident Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too,B次元官网网址� Griner said. B次元官网网址淚 will use my platform to do whatever I can to help you. I also encourage everyone that played a part in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home. Every family deserves to be whole.B次元官网网址�
WhelanB次元官网网址檚 brother David said last week in a statement that he was B次元官网网址渟o gladB次元官网网址� for GrinerB次元官网网址檚 release but also disappointed for his family. He credited the White House with giving the Whelan family advance notice and said he did not fault officials for making the deal.
B次元官网网址淭he Biden administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasnB次元官网网址檛 going to happen,B次元官网网址� he said.
Griner also thanked the military staff and medical team in Texas, where she was receiving care after returning to the U.S. last week. She wrote that she would B次元官网网址渢ransition home to enjoy the holidays with my familyB次元官网网址� but did not say where.
While WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she was going to give Griner all the time she needed to decide whether she wanted to play basketball again, Griner made it clear that: B次元官网网址淚 intend to play basketball for the WNBAB次元官网网址檚 Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say `thank youB次元官网网址� to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淎mazing timing for her to be home before the holidays,B次元官网网址� Engelbert told the AP in an interview Thursday. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a great story for all who know her.B次元官网网址�
The Mercury open the season on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 19. The teamB次元官网网址檚 first home game is two days later against the Chicago Sky.
By Doug Feinberg
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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