On the first anniversary of her release from Russia, Brittney Griner is spreading love — and asking others to remember those who haven’t yet come home for Christmas.
In a heartfelt message to her fans and followers on Instagram, the 33-year-old WNBA star and her wife Cherelle Griner sent a message of gratitude, but said the “work is not done” in bringing home Americans around the world who have been wrongfully imprisoned.
“This season is for spending time with loved ones,” they wrote. “One year ago today, thanks to President Biden, his team and the support of so many of you, our family was one of 58 families reunited by this administration. Our family was able to spend the holidays together, a priceless gift.”
They continued, “This past year has been tumultuous and we are grateful for all of your support. Even as we celebrate this season, and as our family celebrates today, we must not forget that our work is not done. There are still Americans wrongfully imprisoned in countries around the world, including Paul and Evan in Russia and several Americans in Venezuela.”
Brittney Griner says she will ‘never go abroad to play again’ after Russian prison
The couple concluded, “As you gather with loved ones and participate in your family’s traditions, tell them how much you love them and take a moment to think about it and share a story, send a letter, or call a representative about one of the many Americans who have been kept away from of my families. I wish you and your family happy holidays together.”
In the year after returning to the USA, the athlete continued her career on the field, keeping in mind her experience behind bars in Russia.
After she retired in December 2022, the Olympian was asked if she would ever play basketball abroad again.
“I will never go overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country in the Olympics,” Griner replied. “If I make that team, that would be the only time I leave US soil, and that’s just to represent the US.”
Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury shoots a free throw.
Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images
In October, the U.S. basketball team announced that the two-time gold medalist would join the Olympic training camp and two exhibition games, taking the next step toward cementing her spot on the 2024 Paris Olympics squad.
Brittney Griner says she and wife Cherelle bought a home in Phoenix and want to stay: ‘This is it’
Griner first played for the USA team in 2014 in the senior national team. She went on to represent the USA at the Olympic tournaments in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, as well as two World Cups.
Off the field, Griner announced last April that she was working on a “raw, emotional” memoir with her publishing company Alfred A. Knopf detailing her 10 months in Russia.
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American basketball player Brittney Griner (right) escorted by the police before the hearing. NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty
The athlete will detail the “tumultuous events of 2022 that reshaped her life and captured the world’s attention” when she was arrested at an airport near Moscow in February 2022, according to a press release for the project, which is slated for a spring 2024 release.
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The book will contain previously unheard-of details about Griner’s “cruel” living conditions and “horrifying aspects” of daily life in a foreign prison.
The post promises that Griner’s “intimate and moving” memoir will explore how the global #WeAreBG movement supported her during her detention and why she played in Russia in the first place – pay inequality.
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Source: HIS Education