An emotional Brittany Griner shed tears Sunday as the U.S. national anthem played during her basketball team’s gold medal Olympic ceremony, savoring the freedom she regained more than two years ago after spending 10 months in a Russian prison.
“This one meant a lot to me,” she said after the United States eked out a 67-66 victory over France. “I mean, just having a chance to play for gold, represent my country, what my country did for me? Yeah, this is the highest on the pinnacle right here.”
In a prisoner exchange in December 2022, Griner was released from a Russian penal colony where she had been sentenced to nine years for possessing and smuggling drugs. The Phoenix Mercury center had been playing in Russia during the NBA offseason when she was detained for having a small amount of medical marijuana on hand.
After that she swore off playing internationally unless it was with USA Basketball.
With News Wire Services
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