Griner: Return of American prisoners 'huge win'

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.