Brittney Griner is set to join the Mercury for the first day of preseason camp Sunday, a feat that once felt like a distant dream. The WNBA star hasn’t played competitive basketball since February 2022, when she was wrongfully detained in Russia after being arrested while traveling through a Moscow-area airport, with Russian officials claiming she was in possession of hashish oil. Following a 10-month detainment, Griner was released in December via a prisoner swap secured by the U.S. government. Since her return home, Griner has been clear about her intention to make a comeback to the court with her longtime WNBA team, the Mercury. Griner reiterated that objective Thursday in her first public comments since her release.
“I am no stranger to hard times,” Griner said through tears, kicking off an emotional press conference. “You’re going to face adversities throughout life. ... This was a pretty big one.”
The event also platformed the Bring Our Families Home Campaign, with Griner and the Mercury partnering with the group to bring awareness to people still wrongfully detained abroad. Griner, who has quickly become the face of Americans detained overseas, has been outspoken about the issue, including with a message to current detainees: “Keep fighting. Don’t give up. Find a routine. ... Keep pushing because we’re not gonna stop fighting.”
