Brittney Griner, released after serving nearly 10 months in prison in Russia, played for the Phoenix Mercury for the first time since 2021 in a court appearance against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, Reuters reported.

Britney GreenerPhoto: Anton Novoderezhkin / Sputnik / Profimedia

Brittney Griner played for the Phoenix Mercury for the first time since 2021

The double Olympic gold medalist was released from a Russian prison colony in a high-profile prisoner swap with the United States late last year after being arrested in February 2022 on drug charges.

The 32-year-old player, who is working on a memoir about her arrest and incarceration, was greeted with cheers at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Friday as she walked out of the tunnel onto the field.

“I didn’t think I would stay here. I didn’t think I would be playing basketball so soon. I didn’t know what it was going to be like coming back into the game. I’m grateful to be here, that’s for sure.

I feel good, you certainly feel appreciated. But I can’t wait for the day when it’s just some basketball” – Britney Greenerquoted by News.ro.

Since her return to the United States, Griner has attracted a great deal of media attention, using her social media platforms to advocate for other Americans incarcerated abroad.