Brittney Griner is sharing her gratitude for everyone who helped bring her back to U.S. soil in her first social media post since returning from Russia in a prisoner swap.
"It feels so good to be home!" she wrote on Instagram. "The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn. 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."
The WNBA star also wrote that she plans to resume her career with the Phoenix Mercury in the upcoming season after missing last season while detained in Russia.
"I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon," she wrote.
Griner, 32, shared photos of her disembarking a U.S. government plane on Dec. 9 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland after she was released from a Russian penal colony. She also included a picture of her sharing an emotional hug with her wife, Cherelle Griner.
She thanked her wife, agents, WNBA officials, activists, staff at the San Antonio military base, White House officials and President Joe Biden, who helped broker the prisoner swap with Viktor Bout. The Russian arms dealer was serving a 25-year sentence in a federal prison in Illinois before being returned to Moscow in exchange for Griner.
Griner also mentioned Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine who has been jailed in Russia since 2018 for espionage charges that his family and the U.S government have said are baseless. The White House was unable to secure his release and has said it will continue to work on freeing him.
"President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too," Griner wrote. "I will use my platform to do whatever I can to help you. I also encourage everyone that played a part in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home. Every family deserves to be whole."
The two-time Olympic gold medalist was initially detained in February at an airport in Moscow after authorities said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. She was sentenced to nine years in prison on drug charges in August and spent time in a Russian penal colony before being brought home.
Cherelle Griner celebrated the return of her wife in an Instagram post on Dec. 10 filled with gratitude.
"Yesterday my heart was made whole thanks to the collective efforts of MANY!” she wrote.