US basketball star Brittney Griner has been released from a medical center in Texas and has made her first public comments following her release from a Russian penal colony.
Griner, who was it released in a prisoner exchange for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, remained at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas for eight days after returning to U.S. soil, according to CNN.
In an Instagram post, the 32-year-old said she plans to return to basketball and play in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season.
She said: “It feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle dug deep into every corner to keep my faith and it has been the love of so many of you that has helped keep me going. ..
“I also want to make one thing clear: I plan to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season.”
The Phoenix Mercury all-star center was detained at a Moscow airport in February when customs officers said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in his luggage.
She pleaded guilty at her trial to using the cartridges to relieve pain from sports injuries and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
In November, his legal team said it was transferred to one of the most notorious penal colonies in Russiawhere ex-convicts described torture, severe beatings and slave labor conditions.
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Brittney Griner returns to the United States
The Olympic gold medalist returned to the United States last week and was reunited with her family members, including her wife, Cherelle.
In his statement, Griner also said he would use his platform to help bring other Americans home from Russia, including former US Marine Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian penal colony.
Griner’s detention has caused further friction between Moscow and Washington, as the US government has argued that she had been unjustly detained.
It has been widely condemned by activists, including former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who said he plans to fly to Russia in an attempt to free the US basketball player.
Read more:
Griner’s wife says her family is “whole” as liberated stars
Viktor Bout joins pro-Kremlin political party after prisoner exchange
Griner has been mistaken for Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death”, and was one of the world’s most notorious arms dealers, selling weapons to rogue states, rebel groups and murderous warlords in Africa, Asia and South America.
The Phoenix Mercurys begin the 2023 season on May 19.
