Brittney Griner plays in first game since detainment, says hearing national anthem 'definitely hit different'

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Seven-time WNBA All-Star Britney Griner returned to game action on Friday for the first time since being arrested in February 2022 at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after authorities discovered vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. 

Griner spent nearly 10 months in a Russian prison after she pleaded guilty to drug charges, and she returned to the United States in December after a prisoner exchange. 

Brittney Griner, #42 of the Phoenix Mercury, prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 12, 2023, at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.  (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

On Friday night, Griner played in her first competitive game since the 2021 WNBA Finals, scoring 10 points for the Phoenix Mercury in a preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks. 

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It was the Mercury's final preseason game before the regular season opener on Friday. 

Prior to the tip, Griner and her teammates stood for the national anthem, and the No. 1 pick of the 2013 WNBA Draft received a loud ovation from the home crowd as she was introduced. 

"Hearing the national anthem, it definitely hit different," Griner said. "It’s like when you go for the Olympics, you’re sitting there, about to get gold put on your neck, the flags are going up, and the anthem is playing, it just hits different.

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"Being here today ... it means a lot."

The Phoenix Mercury stand for the national anthem before the game against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 12, 2023, at Footprint Center in