Brittney Griner’s Harrowing Ordeal: Basketball Star Opens Up About 10 Months in Russian Prison
In an exclusive interview airing tonight on ABC’s 20/20, Brittney Griner, the WNBA superstar who was wrongfully detained in Russia for nearly 10 excruciating months, opens up to Robin Roberts about her harrowing experience. The two-time Olympic gold medalist shares the raw details of her time in one of Russia’s notorious penal colonies — from the bloodstained mattress and squalid conditions to the mental toll of fearing she may never see freedom again.
Griner’s plight captured international attention after she was arrested in February 2022 at a Moscow airport for possessing a small amount of cannabis oil, which she used legally in the U.S. for pain management. Her detainment occurred just days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading to speculation that she was being used as a political pawn in the escalating conflict.
In the striking interview clips, the 6’9″ athlete recounts the chilling moment she realized her life was about to take an unimaginable turn. “My life is over right here,” Griner says of finding the cannabis cartridge in her luggage. From that point forward, the eight-time WNBA All-Star was subjected to appalling conditions that she says made her feel “less than human.”
Despite the immense hardship, Griner’s resilience shines through. The Phoenix Mercury center shares how she dug deep to find the mental fortitude to endure nearly 300 days of her nine-year sentence before an intense prisoner swap secured her release in December 2022.
In a heart-wrenching admission, Griner reveals that Russian authorities forced her to pen a letter to Vladimir Putin pleading for forgiveness — a humiliating act she felt compelled to carry out in hopes of returning home. “I had to ask for forgiveness and thanks from their so-called great leader,” she says. “I didn’t want to do it, but at the same time I wanted to come home.”
Griner’s safe homecoming was bittersweet, as she shares her profound disappointment that fellow American detainee Paul Whelan was not part of the high-profile prisoner exchange. “I walked on and didn’t see him, maybe he’s next,” she recalls thinking as she boarded the plane. “They closed the door and I was like, are you serious? You’re not going to let this man come home now.”
Through her partnership with the nonprofit Bring Our Families Home, the 32-year-old continues to advocate for Whelan and other Americans wrongfully detained abroad. Ever the fighter, Griner channeled her anguish into her memoir Coming Home, hitting shelves on May 17th.
As Griner shares her truth, her poise, grace and inner fortitude in the face of unimaginable adversity is inspiring. She has emerged from this traumatic chapter as a voice for human rights — using her powerful platform to ensure no American is left behind on foreign soil. Brittney Griner’s story is one of perseverance, activism and an unbreakable will to come home.
