'She's on her way home' -Biden on release of Brittney Griner

STORY: "After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there all along," Biden said standing alongside Griner's wife, Cherelle.

Griner was arrested in Russia in February, tried and convicted of drug charges and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony. The 32-year-old star of the Women's National Basketball Association's Phoenix Mercury is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, who was in Russia to play basketball during the U.S. off-season. She has maintained that it was an "honest mistake" and did not mean to break the law. She had a prescription at the time in the U.S. for medical marijuana for relief from chronic injuries.

Biden said he would continue to work toward the release of other American he said were unjustly detained, naming Paul Whelan, who is currently in Russian prison.

"Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case different than Brittney's. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release, we are not giving up," he said.

Cherelle Griner told reporters, "today my family is whole," but paid tribute to those who were still waiting to see loved ones again.

"We do understand that there are still people out here who are enduring what I endured, the last nine months, of missing their loved ones," she said.

The Russian foreign ministry said Moscow had exchanged Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Victor Bout.