Brittney Griner’s third Olympic gold was clearly the most significant for the Team USA center.
Following Sunday’s dramatic 67-66 victory over Team France in the final of the women’s basketball tournament at the Paris Olympics, the 33-year-old became emotional and began to cry on the podium.
Griner was competing in her first Olympics since being freed from a Russian penal colony in a controversial prisoner exchange two years earlier.
What’s more, the advocate for other unjustly imprisoned Americans is celebrating victory after another prisoner swap between the United States and Russia, which allowed for the safe return of former Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
It is true that Griner did not know if he would ever have this opportunity again.
“This meant a lot to me,” Griner said after winning her eighth consecutive gold medal in women’s basketball. “I mean, just having the opportunity to play for gold, to represent my country, what my country did for me… Yeah, this is the highest of the highest.”
Tears stream down American Brittney Griner’s face during the national anthem
Gold medalist Brittney Griner of the United States on the podium begins to cry during the anthem
Brittney Griner of the United States kisses her wife Cherelle after winning the gold medal game
The gold-medal victory capped a long road back for Griner, who was sitting in a Russian penal colony two years ago unsure if she would ever return home, let alone play basketball or compete in a third Olympics being held in Europe so close to Russia.
She had been sentenced to nine years in prison for drug possession and smuggling in Russia, and spent 10 months in prison before being part of a high-profile prisoner swap for arms dealer Viktor Bout in December 2022. Griner, a Phoenix Mercury center who had been playing basketball in Russia during the WNBA offseason when she was arrested, said she would never play internationally again except with USA Basketball.
Now, after scoring four points in five minutes on Sunday, Griner has her third gold medal playing for the U.S. and plans to put it next to her newborn son, Bash.
“It was a long road, a difficult road to get back into shape,” said the 33-year-old. “I’m happy that my body was able to hold up and I was able to be here.”
Griner has learned to appreciate the little things about the Olympics more than she did the first two times she participated in them, in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and in 2021 in Tokyo. In 2021, Griner led the United States with 30 points, the most points scored by an American player in a gold medal match.
That was three years ago, but Griner’s ordeal in Russia made her appreciate the mundane details of every day.
“Waking up, going to training, even when I don’t want to, having the opportunity to do it, because we overlooked it,” he said. “That’s the opportunity we have and now I appreciate every second I can.”
During these Games, the United States conducted another high-profile prisoner exchange hours before Griner took the court during pool play. Knowing that more Americans were returning home made her feel “over the moon” happy about their return.
Teammate Diana Taurasi, who helped push for Griner’s return during her arrest, stood two teammates away from Griner during the medal ceremony and anthem. Taurasi said she could sense Griner’s emotions and said it was almost “mind-blowing” that Griner was back at that point.
“She’s someone who is grateful for all the support she’s had throughout this,” Taurasi said. “And it wasn’t easy. And it still isn’t for her. She still carries a huge burden… making sure everyone gets out. She carries that very heavy burden on her back.”
WNBA star Brittney Griner in a Russian court in Moscow, Russia, July 27, 2022
Evan Gershkovich (right) and Paul Whelan (left) followed Griner back to the United States from Russia.
Viktor Bout has embarked on a political career since his release from a US prison.
This photograph taken on November 19, 2022 shows the entrance to the IK-2 penal colony in the town of Yavas in Mordovia, central Russia, where Griner was detained.
During the game, Griner scored four quick points and finished with two rebounds in the victory.
She celebrated the victory on the basketball court with plenty of hugs, including from Lisa Leslie and others cheering on the Americans at Bercy Arena, essentially an away game for the United States with French President Emmanuel Macron in the stands.
“The gold (in the medal match) is just the icing on the cake, on top of being at the Olympics…” Griner said.
Then it was time to celebrate again, as the Americans gathered at center court to take photos. Griner pulled out a phone for the team selfie with her right hand and used her left hand to hold her latest gold medal.
This was definitely a moment to remember.