Brittney Griner reveals to The Cut that she had concerns someone could have shot down the plane during her release from Russian captivity.
Megan Rapinoe interviewed the former U.S. soccer star in The Cut. In this interview, Griner talked about the moment she found out she was being released. Brittney said, "A note was left under my door, 'Be ready at midnight' or something crazy like that. I didn't sleep. I packed everything up and wore my sneakers to bed, and then I was finally able to check out."
She was worried even after being released from the prison, "We got to the airport, and I boarded the plane. I feared they might shoot down the plane. It's happened before. I didn't feel safe until my wheels touched U.S. soil." Griner spent nearly 300 days in custody after marijuana oil was found in her luggage.
Russian prosecutors charged her with trying to smuggle less than a gram of cannabis oil inside vape cartridges, and she was subsequently sentenced to nine years in prison. In contrast, the U.S. State Department regarded Griner as wrongfully detained and released her in December 2022 in a swap involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Since being free, Griner has shared her experiences dealing with mental stress and poor living conditions in the prison. She spoke about the support she got from folks home, stating, "Even though my thoughts were in really dark places, the love everyone showed, wearing jerseys, tweeting, posters - it made me feel less isolated and not abandoned. There were many evenings where I wondered when the media storm would die down, but it never did."
Griner is gearing up to play for the Phoenix Mercury during her 11th WNBA season and is expecting her first child with partner Cherelle. "Little Bash, my hope is that he or she will play basketball!" she said. "It doesn't matter what sport they play - art, music, even. It'd bring me great joy if it's basketball."
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Source: edition.cnn.com
