WNBA Star Brittney Griner Released From Russian Prison
WNBA star player Brittney Griner (pictured above) is coming back home to the United States after the U.S. government agreed to a prisoner swap with Russian authorities early Thursday morning.
Griner was arrested back in February on drug charges, and was later convicted on those charges. She had begun serving a nine-year prison sentence in Russia before Thursday's announcement.
The United States will reportedly send convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout back to Russia in exchange for Griner.
Brittney Griner, is a 6-9 center for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury during the WNBA season. She was in Russia playing in the Russian women's league when she was arrested earlier this year.
She has been an 8-time WNBA All-Star during her pro career. The 32-year old led the Mercury to the WNBA title in 2014. She has led the league in blocks eight times, and is a two-time WNBA scoring champion. Brittney was also named to the WNBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2021.
After being a high school All-American out of Houston, Texas. Griner played her college basketball at Baylor University. Brittney was a two-time First-team All-American with the Lady Bears. And she was the catalyst to Baylor's 40-0 season in 2012, leading Baylor to the National Championship. She was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 Final Four. She was picked first overall by the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury in 2013.
It is unclear at this point as to whether she'll continue her professional basketball career, either here in the United States or in Russia. The 2023 WNBA season will begin next spring.