Brittney Griner returns to the USA National Team on Sunday night through Monday. The basketball star was detained in a Russian prison for ten months last year.
Greiner was welcomed to Knoxville with loud cheers. She scored eleven points in an exhibition game against Tennessee. It was the Phoenix Mercury basketball star’s first game with the national team since the Tokyo Olympics, where the United States won the gold medal.
Greiner, 33, was arrested in Russia in February last year because she was carrying cannabis oil for medical reasons. This substance is banned in Russia. Greiner was sentenced to nine years in prison.
The basketball star did not have to serve the entire sentence. In December, she was exchanged for Viktor Bout after ten months in detention. The Russian arms dealer was convicted in the United States.
Griner returned to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) six months ago. Griner, who won two Olympic gold medals with the US national team, is considered one of the best basketball players in the world. She left for Russia to play for Russian team UMMC Yekaterinburg between the American seasons.
