With the 2024 Olympics taking place in Paris, United States women's national team star Brittney Griner has returned to compete overseas for the first time since being wrongfully detained in Russia for 10 months in 2022.
Ahead of Team USA's second game in Paris, American Paul Whelan was released from Russia as part of one of the largest recorded prisoner exchanges.
At the time of Griner's release, The Biden Administration hoped to free Griner and Whelan in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. However, the Russian government declined and gave the United States the choice of freeing Griner or no one at all.
With the release of Whelan, Griner is back in the spotlight as she has remained an advocate for her fellow Americans who had been detained.
Here is how Griner has used her platform to advocate for her fellow Americans who were detained.
MORE: Explaining Brittney Griner's 10-month detainment in Russia
How USA star Brittney Griner advocated for Paul Whelan's release from Russian prison
Since being released from the Russian prison, Griner made it a point to continue to put a spotlight on other Americans who were detained. In an Instagram post, Griner offered her first public statement after returning home and amplified their stories.
"President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too. I will use my platform to do whatever I can to help you," Griner said in her caption.
"I also encourage everyone that played a part in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home. Every family deserves to be whole."
At her first media appearance after returning to the United States, Griner wore a t-shirt that read "Bring our families home" and featured the names of Americans detained in foreign countries on the back.
During a "20/20" interview in May, Griner recalled her surprise at not seeing Whelan on the plane that she rode to return to the States.
“When I walked on (the plane) and I didn’t see him, I was like, ‘Okay, maybe I’m early. Maybe he’s next,’” she said. “And when they closed the door, I was like, ‘Are you seriously not gonna let this man come home right now?’”
Griner continued, adding her response to criticism of her returning home alone while Whelan remained detained.
“If it was left up to me, in that trade, I woulda went and got Paul and brought him home,” she added. “But any time we can bring home an American, that is a win for Americans.”
Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, Griner said she has also been following Evan Gershkovich's case.
“My heart goes out to his family," she said. "If I can send a message, I would tell him, 'Don’t give up hope because we are not going to stop.' We are not going to stop. We are going to keep pushing and bring everybody home and back to their families.”
A Wall Street Journal reporter, Gershkovich had been detained since March 2023 on espionage charges.
MORE: Complete timeline of Brittney Griner's detainment in Russia
What did Brittney Griner say after Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich were released?
After Team USA's 87-74 win over Belgium in their second game of the group stage, Griner addressed Whelan and Gershkovich's releases to the media. When asked about the prisoner swap Griner said “Great day. It’s a great day. … Head over heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home is a win," according to Washington Post writer Ben Golliver.
She continued: “It was definitely emotional. I’m sure it will be even more emotional a little bit later on. I’m just happy. This is a big win. A huge win.”
Griner was also asked what's next after the prisoner swap for both Whelan and Gershkovich.
“I know they have an amazing group of people to help them out in whatever way they need, them and their families. I’m glad I was able to go through that program and get reacclimated back into everyday life," she said.
What happened to Brittney Griner?
Griner was arrested in Russia and detained for most of 2022 after customs officials discovered in February that she had two vape cartridges containing marijuana concentrate hashish oil in her luggage, likely for personal use. Griner was returning to Moscow from Washington after a FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament.
Her trial was delayed to early July. She pleaded guilty to drug charges and was sentenced to nine years in prison. Griner was transported to a penal colony in the Russian republic of Mordovia.
She was released in December as part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia. In exchange for Griner, Russia received convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Why was Brittney Griner arrested?
Griner was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia on Feb. 17, 2022, after customs officials discovered her vape cartridges. According to a report from The Independent, hashish oil is illegal in Russia. Possession of the substance carries a fine or jail sentence of up to 15 days if an individual possesses less than six grams.
A Russian prosecutor accused Griner of possessing seven-tenths of a gram of hash oil, per a report from The Russian News Agency TASS (via the Independent).
The Russian Federal Customs Service did not announce it had detained Griner until March 5, 2022. Griner was charged not only with possession but also drug smuggling — an offense that carries a maximum 10-year sentence in Russia.
Why was Brittney Griner in Russia?
Griner was in Russia playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian Women's Basketball Premier League, the top division in the country. There, she made $1 million a season — significantly more than what she makes playing in the WNBA.
Who is Paul Whelan?
Whelan is a former U.S. Marine who was imprisoned in IK-17, a high-security prison eight hours from Moscow. He was accused by the Russian government of committing espionage against Russia's Federal Security Service, the Russian government's primary arm for counterintelligence.
Following a year-and-a-half-long trial, Whelan was convicted of committing espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
