The upcoming Paris Olympics will have special significance for Team USA midfielder Brittney Griner following her 10-month detention in Russia on drug charges.
“It means the world to me, honestly,” Griner told The Associated Press in an interview. “For me to now have the honor of putting it back on and potentially winning gold is the icing on the cake for everything.”
There were times when Griner thought he would never wear a USA Basketball jersey again.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist was in a Russian prison in 2022, sentenced to nine years in prison for drug possession and smuggling. Playing for her country again was a far-fetched idea at the time. Ten months later, she was freed following a high-profile prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The deal Since then it has been criticized for not returning Paul Whelan, a U.S. Marine jailed on espionage charges in 2018, though his family publicly supported and defended the Biden administration’s decision to swap Griner for Bout.
Griner during the US women’s basketball team’s training session at CitySport in London
Griner sits inside the defendants’ cage during a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow.
Now, 19 months later, she’s suiting up to represent the U.S. at the Paris Games — her first trip to play abroad since returning from Russia.
Griner, who was wearing his No. 15 U.S. jersey before the team played in the All-Star Game on Saturday, said he now gets chills just putting it on.
Griner had gone to Russia to play basketball and supplement her WNBA income. She had done that for years. Not anymore. The 33-year-old said she will only play in the United States unless USA Basketball asks her to. Griner has put in a lot of time playing with the U.S. team and feels 100 percent safe when she’s with them.
“It’s different, we’re very protected by the staff around us,” he said. “It’s different, very different. The level of comfort and security we have now makes it a lot easier.”
It’s been a busy few weeks for Griner, as his wife Cherelle gave birth to their son Bash on July 8. Griner said it was hard to say goodbye for a few weeks.
“Before I left, we got some really cool photos,” he said. “Right now he doesn’t know anything, but one day he’ll think it’s cool to have those pictures. There are so many.”
Griner (right) and his wife Cherelle (left) welcomed their first child together: a boy.
The 33-year-old revealed during the WNBA All-Star weekend that her baby had arrived and admitted that she is very excited to welcome her little bundle of joy into the world.
However, the basketball star also revealed that she did not want to be known as “mom,” opting for “dad” instead.
In an interview with CBS Sports’ We Need To Talk, host Terrika Foster-Brasby excitedly congratulated Griner, telling her, “You’re about to be a mom!”
But the Phoenix Mercury center playfully stepped in to correct her, saying, “Dad! Dad!”
Griner quickly dismissed the moment and went on to reveal that, in fact, her son had already been born.
“I’m so excited,” she said when asked about the pregnancy. “Well, I guess I’ll just let it go… he’s here. He’s seven pounds, eight ounces. Yeah, that’s my man!”
During her time in Paris, she will have the support of her USA Basketball family. Her teammates and coaches are thrilled to have her back playing for the U.S. national team.
“It’s something you can tell when you think about it. You have to think beyond the Olympics to someone’s personal experience and what she went through and is still going through,” U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We were all thinking about BG when she was out and we didn’t know if this moment would be possible. I’m so excited for her personally and excited for our basketball team.”
On Friday, Griner spent a few minutes at practice with second gentleman Doug Emhoff. He and the vice president met with Griner when she returned to the U.S. and attended her first WNBA game in her hometown of Los Angeles.
He was touched that Griner wanted to represent the United States again.
“It really gives me chills to think about it,” she told the AP. “It’s really fascinating to see where she was and where she is now, her positivity and her spirit. It’s great to see.”
Emhoff will lead the U.S. delegation to the Olympic closing ceremony, which is the night of the women’s gold medal match that Griner and her teammates hope to contest.
“We’re hoping everything goes our way and the anthem plays,” Griner said of the U.S.’s hopes of winning its eighth straight gold medal in the title game on Aug. 11. “It’s going to be a lot more emotional this time.”
