Brittney Griner may be returning to the US women’s basketball team.
On Thursday, the U.S. basketball team announced that the two-time gold medalist will join the Olympic training camp and two exhibitions, taking the next step toward cementing her position on the team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Phoenix Mercury star’s quest for her third gold medal follows her confinement in Russia for most of last year.
The US women’s basketball team shared Notice on his official X (formerly known as Twitter) account. “The 🇺🇸 #USABWNT November 2023 roster is here! 16 athletes, including seven Olympians, will participate in a training camp in Atlanta from November 7 to 9,” the press release said.
The photo accompanying the post included pictures of the six players as well as the full roster, which includes Griner, Ariel Atkins, Aliyah Boston, Kahleah Copper, Allisha Gray, Dearica Hamby, Natasha Howard, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney, Angel McCoughtry, Arike Ogunbowale, Kelsey Plum, Azurá Stevens, Diana Taurasi and Jackie Young.
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 2021
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A timeline of Brittney Griner’s imprisonment in Russia
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.
During the 2022 FIBA World Championship, the center position was filled by teammates Brionna Jones and Shakira Austin while she remained in a Russian prison. During her detention, her teammates did not wear Griner’s No. 15 jersey in anticipation that she would soon return that number.
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Brittney Griner 2020
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NBA stars LeBron James, Steph Curry, Dwyane Wade cheer on Brittney Griner release: ‘It’s a great day’
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Griner’s detention began on February 17, 2022, when she was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison on drug-trafficking charges after officials allegedly found vape cartridges containing hashish oil, an illegal substance in the country, in her luggage. She was released in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout on December 8 and returned to the US a day later.
Since her release, she has announced that she is writing a new memoir and returned to the WNBA during the All-Star Game in July. She threw down two dunks and scored 18 points during the game, leading her team to a 143-127 victory.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education