Brittney Griner Steps Back Onto Basketball Court For First Time Since Release
Brittney Griner is back doing what she does best.
After ten months of captivity in Russia, the 32-year-old was shooting hoops in a light workout on Sunday (Dec. 11) on a hardtop at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, where she’s been staying since her return, according to ESPN. Her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, told the sports outlet that the Phoenix Mercury star center wore black Chuck Taylor sneakers, her team shorts, and a Title IX shirt when she hit the court.
However, Colas revealed Griner has not said if she will officially return to basketball, "If she wants to play, it will be for her to share. She has the holidays to rest and decide what's next without any pressure. She's doing really, really well. She seems to have endured this in pretty incredible ways."
Colas also stated Griner would make her first public statement sometime this week.
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On Dec. 8, after 294 days in Russia on drug charges, the U.S. swapped Griner for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner landed in San Antonio, Texas, at Kelly Field air base. She was reunited with her wife Cherelle Griner, who has advocated for her freedom since she was arrested by the Russian Federal Customs Service at Sheremetyevo Airport near Moscow for hashish oil vape cartridges in her luggage.
They are currently staying at a hotel on the base as Griner undergoes a series of physical and mental health evaluations. ESPN reports she has also been reunited with her father and enjoyed a barbecue meal at Smoke Shack, a popular San Antonio restaurant.
Griner’s time in captivity included spending nearly a month in a Russian penal colony, described as “notoriously harsh” conditions with reports of starvation and beatings. However, on Dec. 9, a spokesperson for the White House confirmed Griner was in “very good spirits” and in “good health.”
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Still backlash among conservative pundits and politicians has persisted, criticizing the Biden administration for winning freedom for Griner instead of former Marine Paul Whelan, who has been accused of espionage and imprisoned in Russia for four years. Whelan’s family supports Griner’s release and state department officials have reiterated that a deal to free Whelan was never on the table. Additionally, reports have surfaced that a potential prisoner swap was raised during the Trump administration for Whelan to be freed in exchange for Bout, but Trump wasn't "particularly interested.”