Two-time Olympic gold medallist and WNBA star Brittney Griner thanked the Biden administration on Friday in her first assertion since returning to the US final week as a part of a prisoner swap with Russia.
Griner, 32, was launched in change for convicted worldwide arms seller Viktor Bout on December 8, nearly 10 months after she was caught at a Moscow airport with hashish oil in February, reported The New York Put up.
“It feels so good to be dwelling! The final 10 months have been a battle at each flip,” Griner mentioned on Instagram after her launch from a Texas medical facility.
“I dug deep to maintain my religion and it was the love from so lots of you that helped preserve me going. From the underside of my coronary heart, thanks to everybody to your assist.”
Griner additionally introduced she supposed to return to the Phoenix Mercury for her tenth season as an expert.
“In doing so, I look ahead to having the ability to say ‘thanks’ to these of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in particular person quickly,” she mentioned.
She thanked a number of different advocates, together with spouse Cherelle, her “whole WNBA household” and “President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Blinken, and the whole Biden-Harris Administration.”
The White Home was criticised for accepting a deal that didn’t embrace the return of Paul Whelan, an American citizen who has been imprisoned in Russia for almost 4 years on trumped-up espionage prices.
“President Biden, you introduced me dwelling and I do know you might be dedicated to bringing Paul Whelan and all Individuals dwelling too,” Griner wrote on Friday.
“I’ll use my platform to do no matter I can that will help you. I additionally encourage everybody that performed an element in bringing me dwelling to proceed their efforts to deliver all Individuals dwelling. Each household deserves to be complete.”
This story appeared in The New York Put up and is reproduced with permission.
