Photo Courtesy of Bleacher Report / Twitter
After a long wait, Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner returned to the court for the WNBA All-Star game for the first time on Saturday following her detainment in Russia.
Playing on Team Stewart alongside New York Liberty’s Breana Stewart, Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd, Dallas Wings’ Satou Sabally, and Los Angeles Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike, Team Stewart dominated Team Wilson — 143 to 127.
Amid the playing game, commentators asked Brittney if she was enjoying herself on the court. Before endeavoring a three-pointer, she said she was having a blast. Unfortunately, she missed the shot and told commentators, “Something in my eye,” while touching her earpiece.
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After the game, she relayed to reporters how grateful she was to be back on the court.
“I’m just happy to be here in this building,” Brittney told the press. “All-Star is just a fun time that we get to all be together. You really get to learn everybody’s personality. What you see on the court is fun, but in the locker room… a couple of hours, three hours, four hours…before the game, five hours…that’s where all the little moments that you take away always happen. That’s what I always look forward to.”
She continued, “And then just being here with them after everything that they did to support me through one of the toughest times, it just means everything.”
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As News Onyx reported, Brittney was detained at an airport in Moscow after security found vape cartridges with hash oil in her luggage. After a lengthy legal process, a Russian judge sentenced the WNBA star to nine years in prison.
In December 2022, Brittney was released from Russian detainment in a prison-swap deal. President Joe Biden got Russia to agree to swap Brittney for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.