On February 17, 2022, Brittney Griner was detained at a Russian airport upon arriving in the country to play for Ekaterinburg. Officials accused her of carrying vape cartridges with cannabis oil, a substance prohibited in Russia. A political controversy arose as Russia invaded Ukraine a week later, sparking strong backlash from the United States. Many believed Griner’s detainment was politically motivated. As her case gained widespread attention and calls for her release mounted, concerns also grew that extensive media coverage could increase her value as a diplomatic hostage.
Freed Brittney Griner smiling while on a plane flying from Russia to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in December 2022. Griner was released as part of a prisoner swap with Russia for the arms dealer Viktor Bout.
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Her trial commenced in July 2022, and Griner pleaded guilty, maintaining that the cannabis oil was packed accidentally. Throughout the trial, it was revealed that she had a medical prescription for the drug, and Griner testified that she was coerced into signing documents in Russian that she did not comprehend following her arrest. On August 4, 2022, Griner was found guilty of smuggling illegal drugs with criminal intent and received a nine-year sentence in a penal colony. Amid ongoing discussions of a potential prisoner swap between the United States and Russia involving Griner and others, a Russian court dismissed her appeal in October 2022. Eventually, on December 8, Griner was released in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. federal prison.
Following her release, Griner detailed her harrowing experiences in incarceration in the book “Coming Home” (2024; coauthored with Michelle Burford). In subsequent interviews discussing the book, she shed light on the dehumanizing conditions she endured, including inadequate hygiene supplies and exposure to harsh weather conditions while at the penal colony, where she was also compelled to make uniforms for Russian soldiers.
Personal life
In 2013, Brittney Griner publicly came out as a lesbian, becoming the first openly gay athlete to secure an endorsement deal with Nike the following year. An advocate for LGBTQ issues, Griner candidly discussed her experiences as a gay African American woman in her memoir “In My Skin: My Life on and off the Basketball Court” (2014, coauthored with Sue Hovey). In April 2015, Griner and her then-partner, WNBA player Glory Johnson, were arrested on charges of assault and disorderly conduct after an incident at their home. Both admitted to disorderly conduct, resulting in a seven-game suspension from the WNBA. The couple tied the knot in May 2015, had twins, and divorced in 2016. In 2019, Griner married Cherelle Watson, a teacher. Throughout Griner’s detainment in Russia, Cherelle Watson actively campaigned for her release.
