WNBA star Brittney Griner, who spent 10 months detained in Russia, said she is “head over heels” after the release of Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, who were freed from Russia in a prisoner swap.
“Great day,” Griner said from Paris, where she is competing in women’s basketball for Team USA at the Olympics. “I’m head-over-heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home, that’s a win.”
Brittney Griner of the U.S. is covered by Belgium’s Elisa Ramette and Belgium’s Emma Meesseman during a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France.
Michael Conroy/AP
Griner, who spoke to reporters after the U.S. women beat Belgium 87-74 to advance to the quarterfinals, said finding out about their release was “definitely emotional.”
“I’m sure it will be even more emotional a little later on. Yeah, I’m just happy. This was a big win. Huge win,” Griner said.
“I know they have an amazing group of people that are going to help them out — them and their families,” she said, adding that she was “glad” to receive that help herself to “get reacclimated into everyday life.”
Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi of the U.S. walk off the court after they defeated Belgium in a women’s basketball game at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France.
Michael Conroy/AP
In February 2022, while returning to Russia to play basketball during the WNBA’s offseason, Griner was detained at Russia’s Sheremetyevo International Airport after she was accused of having vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is illegal in the country. The State Department said she was wrongfully detained.
USA’s Brittney Griner looks on prior to the women’s preliminary round group C basketball match between USA and Japan during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium, July 29, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France.
Sameer Al-doumy/AFP via Getty Images
In July 2022, Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges, saying that the vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were in her luggage unintentionally. She testified that she had “no intention” of breaking Russian law and packed the cartridges by accident.
The WNBA star was released in December 2022 after U.S. officials agreed to swap her for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Brittney Griner speaks with Robin Roberts during an interview with ABC News.
ABC News
Griner told “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts earlier this year she expected to also see Whelan there when she was boarding the plane to leave Russia.
“When I walked on and I didn’t see him, I was like, ‘OK, maybe I’m early. Maybe he’s next. Maybe they are going to bring him next,'” she said of Whelan. “And when they closed the door, I was like … are you seriously not gonna let this man come home right now?”
Journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges, looks out from inside a defendants’ cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his extended pre-trial detention, at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Feb. 20, 2024. Paul Whelan, a former Marine accused of spying and arrested in Russia stands inside a defendants’ cage during a hearing at a court in Moscow, Aug. 23, 2019.
AFP/Getty Images
“If it was left up to me in that trade, I would have went and got Paul and brought him home,” Griner said.
After her release, Griner became an advocate for Americans wrongfully detained abroad.
Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, was arrested in 2018 and accused of espionage. Both the Biden and Trump administrations denied the allegation against Whelan. He was convicted on the charges in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was arrested by Russian authorities in 2023 for espionage, a charge he and U.S. officials flatly deny, with President Joe Biden saying he was targeted for being a journalist and an American. After an unusually hasty trial that played out behind closed doors, Gershkovich was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony.
Two others unjustly imprisoned in Russia, Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, were also released in Thursday’s swap, Biden said.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
Brittney Griner, the star basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury and member of the USA Women’s National Basketball Team, recently expressed her joy over the release of Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich. The two men had been detained in Russia for over two years on charges of espionage, a claim that both men vehemently denied.
Griner, who is known for her activism and advocacy for social justice issues, took to social media to share her excitement over the news of their release. In a tweet, she wrote, “So happy to hear that Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich have been released! No one should ever have to endure what they went through. Welcome home!”
Whelan, a former US Marine, was arrested in December 2018 while visiting Moscow for a friend’s wedding. Gershkovich, a journalist, was detained in January 2020 while reporting on the case. Both men were accused of being spies and faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Their release comes after months of diplomatic efforts by the US government and pressure from human rights organizations. The exact circumstances surrounding their release are still unclear, but it is believed that a prisoner swap may have been involved.
Griner’s support for Whelan and Gershkovich is just one example of her commitment to using her platform to speak out on important issues. She has been vocal about racial injustice, LGBTQ rights, and other social justice issues both on and off the court.
As a prominent athlete and advocate, Griner’s words carry weight and can help bring attention to important causes. Her support for Whelan and Gershkovich highlights the importance of standing up for those who have been wrongfully detained and advocating for justice and human rights around the world.
In a time when tensions between countries are high and human rights abuses are rampant, it is heartening to see individuals like Brittney Griner using their influence to make a difference. Her joy over the release of Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich serves as a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is still hope for justice and freedom.
