WASHINGTON – Brittney Griner, a WNBA superstar and two-time Olympic gold medalist, hailed the Biden administration on Friday in her first comment since returning to the United States last week as part of a prisoner swap with Russia.
Griner, 32, was exchanged for the convicted international arms dealer Viktor Bout on December 8, almost ten months after she was arrested with cannabis oil at a Moscow airport in February.
“It’s so nice to be home! After being released from a Texas medical institution, Griner said on Instagram that the previous ten months were a constant struggle. “I dug deep to maintain my faith, and the love from so many of you kept me going. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your assistance.”
Griner also declared her intention to return to the Phoenix Mercury for her tenth professional season.
“I look forward to soon being able to say ‘thank you’ in person to all of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me,” she stated.
In her first public statement, Griner praised numerous other advocates, including her wife Cherelle, her “entire WNBA family,” and “President Biden.”
On December 8, Griner was exchanged for the convicted international arms dealer Viktor Bout.
She also praised her wife Cherelle, the “entire WNBA family,” and “President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Blinken, and the entire Biden-Harris Administration.”
The White House was attacked for accepting a deal that did not involve the repatriation of Paul Whelan, an American citizen who has been imprisoned in Russia on fabricated espionage allegations for nearly four years.
Griner wrote on Friday, “President Biden, you got me home, and I know you are determined to getting Paul Whelan and all Americans home as well.” “I will use my platform to assist you in every way I can. I also urge everyone who contributed to my return to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home. Each family deserves to be complete.
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