"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who is Glory Johnson married to now?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"This was a wedding that two weeks earlier many weren't sure was going to happen. The courtship and wedding plans of Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson, marquee players in the Women's National Basketball Association, have been complicated."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How tall is Brittney Griner Griner?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"She finished her collegiate career with 3,283 points, which placed her among the top scorers in NCAA history. Griner, who is 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 meters) tall, also set a record for most blocked shots (748)."}}]}}

Griner: Return of American prisoners 'huge win' (2024)

  • ESPN News Services

Aug 1, 2024, 05:39 PM ET

VILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ, France -- Brittney Griner knows only too well the swirling emotions of being involved in a prisoner swap, and she said Thursday night that she is "head over heels" that fellow Americans came home from Russia.

"Great day. It's a great day. It's a great day," Griner said after the U.S. beat Belgium 87-74 to clinch a berth in the Paris Games quarterfinals. "We'll talk more about it later. But head over heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home, that's a win. That's a win."

The two-time Olympic gold medalist went through her own high-profile prisoner exchange with Russia in 2022 after having been sentenced to nine years for drug possession and smuggling.

Griner was thrilled to hear that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, both convicted of espionage charges that the U.S. government considers baseless, were coming home as part of the largest exchange of its kind since the Cold War. They arrived on U.S. soil late Thursday night.

Griner didn't share exactly how she learned of the prisoner exchange, but she said she was "definitely emotional" at hearing the news.

"I'm sure it'll be emotional even more a little bit later on," she said. "Yeah. I'm just happy. Like this is a big win. A huge win."

In a joint statement with her wife, Cherelle, posted later to Instagram, Griner reiterated that "We are overwhelmed with joy and relief for the four U.S. citizens who returned safely to America today," referring to Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a legal permanent resident of the U.S., in addition to Gershkovich and Whelan.

"Every American returned is a win," the statement continued in part. "Although today is one of celebration, our hearts go out to the many Americans still being held hostage overseas, and their families. As we extend support to those who have returned and celebrate the collective hands that helped to make American families whole -- we must continue to do everything we can to shine a light on the remaining Americans detained."

Griner returned to the U.S. in December 2022. Now, 19 months later, she is playing for the national team, which won its 57th straight game at the Olympics on Thursday. Griner scored seven points while helping the Americans continue their pursuit of an eighth straight Olympic gold medal.

Since returning to America, Griner has taken an active role in helping other Americans detained in foreign countries. She has worked with Bring Our Families Home, a campaign formed in 2022 by the family members of American hostages and wrongful detainees held overseas.

She also has spoken twice with President Joe Biden, including once in April to keep the detainees "on the forefront of everyone's mind."

Griner has gone through readjustment to life back in the U.S., something she is still working through.

"I know they have an amazing group of people that are going to help them out in whatever way they need them and their families," Griner said of the resources that will be available to Gershkovich and Whelan. "And I'm glad that I was able to go through that program and get reactivated back into everyday life."

These Olympics are the first time she has been overseas since her ordeal in Russia. On a train trip from London with her U.S. teammates, Griner said, she felt anxious when she sat in her seat. It was her first time on a train since heading to a Russian prison.

"Walking up to the train, I was fine," Griner told The Associated Press that day. "When I sat down and looked out the window, I was like, 'Damn, last time I was here I was on my way to prison.' Anxiety started to heighten up. Then I realized I was good, there were no bars. I'm going to win gold."

Griner turned to Netflix to calm her mind during the commute with her U.S. teammates to the Paris Olympics.

"Everything was cool," she said.

That doesn't mean her coach and teammates won't be keeping an eye on Griner.

U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve said they were extremely happy for the families upon hearing the news, knowing the men endured "just awful, awful time" without their loved ones back home. Reeve's mind went immediately to Griner, knowing how happy she is.

Reeve spent time with Griner in the locker room after the game.

"This is a great day because she knows what, for her, what that was like," Reeve said. "And so now knowing and actually visualizing maybe them going through the experience, she seemed OK. But that's Brittney. She always seems OK. ... But we'll certainly be checking on her."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Griner: Return of American prisoners 'huge win' (2024)

FAQs

Griner: Return of American prisoners 'huge win'? ›

PARIS – Twenty months after her own release, Brittany Griner called a historic prisoner exchange

prisoner exchange
A prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners: prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc. Sometimes, dead bodies are involved in an exchange.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Prisoner_exchange
between the United States and Russia “a huge win.” The swap included former marine Paul Whelan
Paul Whelan
Paul Nicholas Whelan (born March 5, 1970) is a Canadian-born former United States Marine with U.S., British, Irish, and Canadian citizenship. Whelan left the Marines in 2008 with a bad conduct discharge after being convicted on multiple counts "related to larceny".
https://en.wikipedia.org › Paul_Whelan_(security_director)
and journalist Evan Gershkovich in a multi-country deal that freed 24 people
.

Does Brittney Griner have a twin brother? ›

Where did Brittney Griner grow up? ›

Growing up in a rural area of Houston, I dreamed of flying planes and working on cars—pretty much anything but playing basketball. Brittney Griner was named the number one high school girls' basketball player in the country by RivalsHigh.com in 2009.

What did Brittney Griner have on her? ›

Brittney Griner speaks with Robin Roberts during an interview with ABC News. Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges on July 7, 2022, saying that the vape cartridges containing hashish oil were in her luggage unintentionally.

Do Brittney Griner have a mother and father? ›

Griner was born October 18, 1990, in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Raymond Griner, a Harris County deputy sheriff and two-tour Vietnam War veteran, and Sandra Griner. She has three older siblings, D, Shkera and Pier. Griner attended Nimitz High School in Houston.

What does Decarlo Griner do for a living? ›

Decarlo Griner - Warehouse Associate - Hart caponet | LinkedIn.

Does Brittney Griner have a child? ›

Brittney Griner will have one more fan cheering her on this Olympic season. The WNBA star and her wife, Cherelle, welcomed their first child on July 8, the 33-year-old Griner revealed Friday on the "She Knows Sports" podcast. "That's my man," Griner revealed when asked about her son.

How much does Brittney Griner weigh? ›

What are some fun facts about Brittney Griner? ›

Brittney Griner went to Nimitz High School, where she was named the USA Today and WBCA National High School Player of the Year in 2009. She also set a national record for most blocks in a single game with 25.

How much oil did Brittney Griner have? ›

no later than February 17, 2022 at an unspecified location under unspecified circumstances from an unidentified person [Ms Griner] bought two cartridges for personal use, which contained 0.252 grams and 0.45 grams of hash oil, totaling 0.702 grams,” the prosecutor said during the trail, TASS reported.

What was in Brittney Griner's vape pen? ›

But as her bags were searched at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki, guards discovered vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is illegal in Russia. “I could just visualize everything I worked so hard for just crumbling and going away,” Griner told Roberts.

What is Brittney Griner's salary? ›

2023-2023 Free Agent

Brittney Griner signed a 1 year , $165,100 contract with the Phoenix Mercury, including $165,100 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $165,100.

Who is Brittney Griner's sister? ›

Who is Glory Johnson married to now? ›

This was a wedding that two weeks earlier many weren't sure was going to happen. The courtship and wedding plans of Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson, marquee players in the Women's National Basketball Association, have been complicated.

How tall is Brittney Griner Griner? ›

She finished her collegiate career with 3,283 points, which placed her among the top scorers in NCAA history. Griner, who is 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 meters) tall, also set a record for most blocked shots (748).

Was Brittney Griner on Say Yes to the Dress? ›

Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson announced their engagement in August 2014. Six months later they appeared on TLC's Say Yes to the Dress in hopes of finding Johnson the perfect gown. “Being on a court, I know exactly what I'm doing,” Griner said on the show, via PEOPLE.

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