After spending nearly 10 months imprisoned in Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner is making her return to basketball.
"It feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn," she wrote in a December post on Instagram. "I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help."
Griner -- who for years had played in the WNBA off-season for a Russian women's basketball team -- was arrested on drug smuggling charges at an airport in the Moscow region in February 2022. Her detention, which became an international cause during a tense time in relations between the US and Russia, was deemed wrongful by American officials.
The 32-year-old last played with the Mercury in 2021, helping lead the team to the WNBA Finals, which they lost to the Chicago Sky.
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