Brittney Griner is on her way home. The WNBA star has been released from Russian detention after the Biden administration worked out a deal where they would send international arms deal Viktor Bout back to Russia in exchange for Griner. Griner had been detained in Russia since February after officials found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. Last month, Griner began serving a nine-year sentence at a Russian penal colony after pleading guilty in July.
After Griner’s release, Joe Biden said at the White House that he was “glad to be able to say Brittney is in good spirits,” and she is ready to come home, according to CBS News. The administration was also looking to get Paul Whelan, an American corporate executive jailed in Russia, released but has not worked out a deal yet.
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Griner, 32, has been playing for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2014. She was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA in 2013 and has been named an eight-time All-Star, led the WNBA in scoring twice and led the Mercury to a league title in 2014. Here’s a look at fans reacting to Griner’s release.
Safe
One person responded: “It is a relief that Brittney Griner has been released. It’s OK to be happy for her and her family, and still want Paul Whelan to get released too. Both of those feelings are not exclusive.”
Billie Jean King
One Twitter user responded: “Great work by the administration in getting Brittney home. I’m sure her family is so relieved, Kudos to the negotiators.”
Hillary Clinton
Another person said: “This really brought me to tears to see Brittney Griner had been released!What a happy day!”
Issue with Money
One person responded: “They make less than men because it’s not as popular as the NBA. They don’t make as much money on tickets or the merch. If they aren’t making NBA money, they aren’t going to pay NBA salaries.”
Message for Griner
One person responded: “Both of these things can be true:We can be happy that Brittney Griner is coming home, and disappointed that Paul Whelan isn’t.”
Barack Obama
One person replied: “So happy for her and her family but I don’t understand how you don’t push to make sure you get Whelan home with her. The marine who’s been there 4 years passed over for the celeb basketball star there 9 months. My heart hurts for his family who must be having a lot of feelings.”
Kamala Harris
And one person asked: “Really? Why her? What makes her so special? She broke the law What about Paul Whelan and the other prisoners? Not fair”
