Former Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was at the center of an international controversy in 2022, when Russian officials sentenced her to nine years in prison for a minor drug offense. She was released later that year and returned to the U.S. in a high-profile prisoner swap.
Her belongings have now made it back as well.
Like many WNBA stars, Griner used to make lucrative money playing overseas during the league’s off-season. In February 2022, she was arrested at a Moscow airport for carrying vape cartridges and less than a gram of hash oil — which she had legally obtained in the United States.
She was released in December of that year, but possessions from her Russian apartment were left behind. Legal reps recently had those items shipped back to Griner, and she posted an un-boxing video on YouTube.
“This is stuff that my lawyer — when he got for me, out my apartment — literally took all my memorabilia stuff, all my electronics, like him and my other lawyer, Maria," she said.
In addition to team mementos and pictures of her dog, the items included her wedding ring and a letter from her wife.
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