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After nearly 10 months in Russian custody, WNBA star Brittney Griner received a taste of home upon her return to the U.S.
Griner, who was released from detention through a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, is “upbeat, thankful, and hopeful” following her arrival at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, her agent, told CNN. The basketball pro has reunited with her wife, Cherelle Griner, and the two are staying on the base in a residential environment decorated with a Christmas tree.
Griner's return to normalcy has also included indulging in one of her favorites, a Dr. Pepper soda, which was the first drink she had in the airplane hangar after landing. Family members have been constantly visiting her at the San Antonio base, including her dad who delivered a barbecue "feast" for the basketball star to enjoy, per People.
A barber also cleaned up Griner's "Russian fade," which is how her loved ones jokingly refer to the haircut she got while in detention. At the base, Griner hit the basketball court, where her first move back was a dunk, according to her agent.
Overall, the basketball star's main focus is receiving physical and psychological support from the government after being detained in Russia for nearly 10 months.
“She’s had a lot of psychological support,” Colas told CNN. “The resources are very robust. It’s very supportive and very BG-centered. It’s about her developing agency.”
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