WNBA’s Brittney Griner to Release ‘Coming Home’ Memoir More Than 1 Year After Russian Prison Release
Brittney Griner is gearing up to tell her story in the upcoming memoir Coming Home.
“COMING HOME is a story of hope and survival, of before and after. Before, on my way to Russia, a place I’ve called my second home, I was excited to win another title,” Griner, 33, captioned her Instagram post on Tuesday, February 6, announcing the book. “For eight seasons I played there, won there, and lived there for long stretches. A short time later and a world away, I woke up in an after I’d wish on no one.”
Griner called the book a “diary of my heartaches and regrets,” explaining that it “begins in a land where my roots developed.”
The WNBA star concluded: “But, ultimately, the book is also a story of how my family, my faith, and the support of millions who rallied for my rescue helped me endure a nightmare.”
Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February 2022 while playing for the UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason. Russian authorities claimed that Griner had hashish oil in her bag, leading to the arrest. News of the incident did not go public until weeks later. (Griner has been playing for the Phoenix Mercury since 2013.)
The United States State Department stated in May 2022 that Griner had been “wrongfully detained” after officials were initially hesitant to engage because of Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine. After changing course, the U.S. started negotiating for her release, however, Griner’s detention was extended until June 2022. It was later extended a second time to July of that year.
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Griner appeared in a Russian court on July 7, 2022 and entered a guilty plea.
"I'd like to plead guilty, your honor,” the WNBA player told the judge. "But there was no intent. I didn't want to break the law.”
A Russian court eventually found Griner guilty of drug smuggling with criminal intent August 2022. She was sentenced to nine years in prison and was fined 1 million rubles ($16,400). Negotiations for a prison swap between the United States and Russian government were held until after Griner’s sentencing. Griner’s lawyer filed an appeal in August 2022, and it was denied in October of that same year. By November 2022, Griner was moved to a Russian penal colony.
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President Joe Biden announced in December 2022 that Griner’s release was negotiated in exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
"These past few months have been hell for Brittney and Cherelle," Biden said at the time. "People all across the country have learned about Brittney's story and advocated for her release and stood with her throughout this terrible ordeal, and I know that support meant a lot to her family. I'm glad to be able to say that Brittney is in good spirits and relieved to finally be heading home."
Griner’s Coming Home is set to be released on May 7, 2024.
