With the 2026 WNBA season about to begin, Connecticut Sun center Brittney Griner shared heartbreaking details about her arrest in Russia.
Griner was detained by Russian customs officials in February 2022 for possessing cartridges containing hash oil. Although she was sentenced to nine years in prison, her freedom was secured in a prisoner exchange involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. By May 2023, she returned to the Phoenix Mercury.
During an interview with WHYY, the 10-time WNBA All-Star opened up about her time in prison. She sent her wife Cherelle a letter saying she could move on if needed. Clearly, she wasn't very confident that she'd ever return to the United States.
"I was still at the detention center when I wrote this one," Griner said. "It was a hard letter to write. It's just like that's a long time. It's already a long time for someone to do it in the states, but you can visit them occasionally. You could never visit me [in Russia]. I wanted her to promise me that she'd still be my friend, that she'd still write to me."
Paras Griffin/Getty Images
WNBA fans voice their support for Griner.
After Griner shared this story with WHYY, countless WNBA fans sent her kind messages online.
"I’m glad BG is opening up about her experience. I love her and I am glad she’s healing," one fan said.
"Followed this story from day 1, and there wasn’t a day I didn’t pray for her to make it through and out," a second fan wrote.
"I don’t care how anybody else feels about Brittney Griner. I absolutely love her! I’ve followed her basketball journey for years and absolutely love her," another fan commented.
Griner signed a seven-figure deal with the Sun for the 2026 season. We'd have to imagine she'll receive plenty of love during the team's home opener on May 10.
