Brittney Griner thrilled as Americans return in prisoner swap - ESPN

VILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ, France — Brittney Griner knows only too well the swirling emotions of being involved in a prisoner swap, and she said Thursday night that she is «head over heels» fellow Americans are coming home from Russia.

«Great day. It's a great day. It's a great day,» Griner said after the U.S. beat Belgium 87-74 to clinch a berth in the Paris Games quarterfinals. «We'll talk more about it later. But head over heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home, that's a win. That's a win.»

The two-time Olympic gold medalist went through her own high-profile prisoner exchange with Russia in 2022 after having been sentenced to nine years for drug possession and smuggling.

So Griner was thrilled to hear that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, both convicted of espionage charges that the U.S. government considers baseless, were coming home as part of the largest exchange of its kind since the Cold War.

Griner didn't share exactly how she learned of the prisoner exchange, but she said she was «definitely emotional» at hearing the news.

«I'm sure it'll be emotional even more a little bit later on,» she said. Yeah. I'm just happy. Like this is a big win. A huge win."

Griner returned to the U.S. in December 2022. Now, 19 months later, she is playing for the national team, which won its 57th straight game at the Olympics on Thursday. Griner scored seven points while helping the Americans continue their pursuit of an eighth straight Olympic gold medal.

Since returning to America, Griner has taken an active role in helping other Americans detained in foreign countries. She has worked with Bring Our Families Home, a campaign