On Friday, Brittney Griner arrived in america. It was the first time in virtually 10 months the Phoenix Mercury star might say that.
the two-time Olympic gold medalist landed early Friday at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas. She was launched into U.S. custody a day earlier after spending that time in Russian jail for allegedly making an try to deliver vape cartridges full of hashish oil into the nation on Feb. 17.
Following a trial authorized consultants labeled as a “sham,” Griner was sentenced to 9 years in a Russian penal colony. The eight-time WNBA All-Star was transferred from her pre-trial detention facility to the penal colony final month after her enchantment was denied.
sometime after her emotional and dramatic launch following a prisoner change for arms supplier Viktor Bout, right here is what we examine Griner and the deal that launched her residence.
extra:What would possibly Brittney Griner endure upon return residence?
OPINION:Brittney Griner’s fierce WNBA household threw every part it had into getting her residence
GRINER IS FREE:WNBA star launched in prisoner swap with Russia
TIMELINE: occasions from Griner’s arrest to sentencing to launch in prisoner swap
OPINION: Griner prisoner swap is each joyful and heartbreaking
who’s Brittney Griner?
Born in Houston, Griner blossomed proper into a basketball star. The 6-foot-9 coronary heart started dominating at Minitz highschool (McDonald’s All American, 2009) and performed collegiately at Baylor from 2010-thirteen. There, she was a member of the 2012 nationwide championship crew and was a two-time first-crew All-American.
Representing america on the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the women’s basketball crew, Griner gained two gold medals.
Griner has been married twice. Her first marriage was to fellow WNBA participant Glory Johnson, however that ended after one yr in 2016. Two years, Griner grew to become engaged to her current spouse, Cherelle Griner. The couple married in 2019.
How prolonged has Brittney Griner been inside the WNBA?
The Phoenix Mercury chosen Griner No. 1 general inside the 2013 WNBA draft, and he or she has spent her complete 9-yr WNBA profession with the group. In her second season, Griner helped the Mercury declare the 2014 WNBA championship.
Griner has led the WNBA in blocks in all however one among her seasons (2020) and is a two-time Defensive participant of the yr winner. final yr, she was named to the league’s twenty fifth anniversary crew.
Griner has performed in Russia in the course of the WNBA offseason since 2014. With UMMC Ekaterinburg – she was en path to becoming a member of the Russian membership when she was detained – Griner has gained 4 EuroLeague championships.
Why did Brittney Griner go to jail in Russia?
Russian prosecutors claimed to get hold of zero.7 grams of hashish oil in vape cartridges whereas wanting Griner’s baggage in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. all by way of her trial, Griner testified she had inadvertently packed the cartridges in haste and that she had no felony intent.
Drug legal guidelines in Russia are “draconian” as in contrast with these inside the U.S. The penalty for smuggling carried a ten-yr most sentence, and the prosecution requested for 9.5 years; a decide handed down the 9-yr sentence on Aug. 4, elevated than a month after the trial started.
who’s Viktor Bout?
Since her arrest, primarily the most positively path for Griner’s return was always by way of a prisoner swap with Russia. That obtained here to fruition all by way of the final week, with President Joe Biden and his administration agreeing to change infamous arms supplier Viktor Bout for Griner.
Bout, fifty five, is a former Soviet army officer and translator who was serving a 25-yr jail sentence for conspiring to kill people. He and Griner truly walked previous every utterly different on an airport tarmac in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the place the two governments exchanged prisoners, video from Thursday confirmed.
it is the second prisoner change with Russia of Biden’s administration. In April, ex-Marine Trevor Reed was freed whereas experiencing well being factors for a Russian pilot and smuggler named Konstantin Yaroshenko.
Brittney Griner’s lawyer: ‘there have been optimistic indicators’ for swap
all by way of her case, Griner was represented by a pair of Russian attorneys, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov. On Thursday, Blagovolina mentioned she found regarding the swap collectively with all people else Thursday. however she added that she heard from Griner final week that good information might probably be on the horizon.
“there have been optimistic indicators … she advised me she was hopeful. We had an understanding that issues would happen very, very quickly,” Blagovolina mentioned on CNN.
CBS information, which first reported the change with Russia, mentioned it withheld publishing a narrative saying a deal was shut to final week on the behest of the federal authorities – so as to not disrupt the tense negotiations.
Blagovolina mentioned the earlier couple of weeks have been disturbing for Griner, exacerbated by her change to a penal colony final month in Mordova – a distant an factor of Russia. Griner battled and recovered from the flu at present, Blagovolina mentioned.
regardless of the extremely effective situations she confronted, Blagovolina mentioned Griner did not complain and was dealt with properly.
“i suppose that the set off for that is attributable to her very likable character,” Blagovolina mentioned. “people like her. So all people who’s spherical her is making an try to assist her, to assist her.”
who’s Paul Whelan?
Paul Whelan has been related to Griner as a outcome of he is a fellow American thought-about “wrongfully detained” by Russia. He was first arrested 4 years in the past this month and was given a sixteen-yr sentence on expenses of espionage.
In July, as Griner’s trial was ongoing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the uncharacteristic transfer of offering an replace on the negotiations with Russia, saying the U.S. had made a “substantial current” in change for Griner and Whelan.
White residence press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and senior administration officers mentioned Thursday that Russia wouldn’t have interplay in good religion negotiations for Whelan, probably attributable to espionage accusations.
“It was both Brittney or nobody in any respect,” Jean-Pierre mentioned. “We’re not going to apologize for that.”
WHELAN: Ex-Marine stays imprisoned in Russia after swap
who’s Brittney Griner’s spouse, Cherelle?
Cherelle Griner has been vocal in supporting her spouse and publicly advocated for her return by talking at a rally for Griner hosted by the Mercury and displaying on morning information displays. She parlayed that into an viewers with the president.
On Thursday, Cherelle Griner stood alongside Biden and vice chairman Kamala Harris as they introduced Brittney Griner’s return.
“it is a contented day for me and my household,” Cherelle Griner mentioned. “at present, my household is full.”
Cherelle Griner additionally pledged that she and Brittney will proceed to advocate for wrongfully detained people, like Whelan.
power of affection: Why Cherelle Griner is the largest hero in Griner’s launch
Will Griner play inside the WNBA as quickly as extra?
proper now, it is too early to inform.
Griner absolutely expert psychological anguish whereas remoted from mates, household and teammates for virtually a full yr. The bodily toll is unknown. Jean-Pierre mentioned Griner would endure psychological and bodily examine-ups upon her arrival.
For now, however, the league is celebrating her return.
i can not permit you to know what this means to all of the WNBA group to have her residence safely,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert mentioned.
Will WNBA gamers proceed to go to Russia inside the offseason?
lots of the sport’s prime athletes have gone particularly to Russia wanting for a huge payday, collectively with perennial All-Stars Diana Taurasi and Sue chook.
Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon performed in Russia for seven years, turning proper into a Russian citizen in 2008 and taking half in on the Russian nationwide crew in the course of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. On ESPN Thursday morning, Hammon mentioned Griner’s arrest was “disheartening as a outcome of it’s been such an beautiful expertise for lots of us taking half in over there.”
“you will current you the selection to go down the record of women’s gamers who had good experiences over there,” Hammon mentioned. “The Russian people took us in and took actually glorious care of us.”
people even went over this winter to play, regardless of Griner’s detainment and warnings from the U.S. State division of the risks of touring to Russia. The group of yank residents at present taking half in in Russia contains no decrease than one lady who was on a WNBA teaching camp roster in spring 2022.
Contributing: Lindsay Schnell, Scooby Axson
observe Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.
0 Comments