Vincent Frank
Detained in war-torn Russia since back in February, WNBA star Brittney Griner is finally making her way back to the United States.
CBS News reported early Thursday morning that the United States and Russia have agreed to a prisoner swap that exchanges Griner for for international arms dealer Viktor Bout.
While the news had not been 100% confirmed as of the posting of this article, CBS News was able to source a White House official in its report.
“A White House official said President Biden was in the Oval Office Thursday morning on the phone, speaking with Griner and her wife, and that Vice President Kamala Harris was also in the room. Per standard procedure for freed U.S. prisoners, Griner was expected to quickly undergo a medical evaluation.”
Report on Brittney Griner’s release from Russian custody
President Biden would later confirm the news via his social media account.
According to this report, the swap took place Thursday in the United Arab Emirates.
Griner had been imprisoned in Russia after cannabis-derived oil cartridges were found in her luggage at the airport. She pleaded guilty to the charges and received a nine-year prison sentence. Back in November, the WNBA star had been moved to a penal colony to serve her sentence.
This comes after months of negotiations between Russia and the United States that had been tense due to the former’s invasion of Ukraine and the America’s tactical support for Russia’s neighbor. Griner was imprisoned shortly before Vladimir Putin invaded the soverign country.
Brittney Griner will now return to the United States
It was back in July that the Biden Administration announced it had offered a “significan proposal” to bring American prisoners home. It did not necessarily name Griner individually. But she was part of the talks with Moscow. For his part, President Biden had been in contact with Griner’s wife Cherelle Griner throughout the process.
The No. 1 overall pick of the Phoenix Mercury back in 2013, Griner is among the best players in WNBA history. She’s earned eight All-Star appearances, won the scoring championship twice and helped lead Phoenix to the WNBA title back in 2014.
