American basketball star Brittney Griner has been released from a Texas medical center and has made her first public comments since her release from Russian exile.
greener who is released in prisoner exchange Convicted Russian arms dealer Victor Bout spent eight days at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas after returning to U.S. soil, CNN reported.
In a post on Instagram, the 32-year-old said she intends to return to basketball and play in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season.
She said: “It feels so good to be home! I have been fighting a deep battle of faith every moment for the past 10 months and it is the love of many of you that has helped me keep going…
“I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA this season.”
The Phoenix Mercury All-Star center was detained at a Moscow airport in February when customs agents said they found vaping canisters containing marijuana oil in her luggage.
She pleaded guilty at trial, saying she used the cartridges to relieve pain from sports injuries, and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
In November, her legal team said she Transferred to one of Russia’s most notorious penal coloniesformer prisoners described torture, harsh beatings and slave labor conditions.
Brittney Griner returns to America
The Olympic gold medalist returned to the United States last week to be reunited with her family, including her wife Cherrell.
Griner also said in her statement that she would use her platform to help other Americans return home from Russia, including former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence in Russian exile.
Greener’s detention has sparked further friction between Moscow and Washington, as the U.S. government argues she was wrongfully detained.
It was widely condemned by activists, including former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who said he planned to fly to Russia to free the American basketball player.
read more:
Griner’s wife says her family was ‘complete’ on Friday
Viktor Bout joins pro-Kremlin party after prisoner swap
Greiner traded for Bout, known as the “Death Merchant,” one of the world’s most notorious arms dealers, selling to rogue states, rebel groups and murderous warlords in Africa, Asia and South America arms.
The Phoenix Mercury will begin the 2023 season on May 19.