WNBA star Brittney Griner is free Thursday after the Biden administration negotiated her release from a Russian penal colony in exchange for an arms dealer. President Joe Biden signed off on the trade, which took place in the United Arab Emirates. The Associated Press has Griner’s life and career as a basketball star:
A look at Brittney Griner’s career as a basketball Star
Newslooks- (AP)
2009: Led Nimitz High School to Texas 5A girls basketball state championship game where they lost. The 6-foot-7 star dunked 52 times as a senior, including seven times in one game against Aldine High School.
2009-10: Set NCAA single season record with 223 blocks as a freshman at Baylor. Became the seventh women’s basketball player to ever dunk in college.
2011-12: Led Baylor to a 40-0 record and earned Associated Press Player of the Year honors averaging 23.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5 blocks.
April 3, 2012: Had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks in NCAA title game as Baylor beat Notre Dame 80-61. She earned Most Outstanding Player honors of the Final Four.
April 15, 2013: Was No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, selected by the Phoenix Mercury.
2014: Helped Phoenix to 29-5 record — most wins in WNBA history — and the franchise’s third league championship.
Aug. 14, 2014: Got engaged to fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson. Eight months later, they were both arrested on charges of assault and disorderly conduct after police responded to a fight between them.
May 15, 2015: Griner and Johnson were suspended seven games by the WNBA after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct charges.
2015 and 2016: Played in Russia for UMMC Ekaterinburg and won consecutive championships with that team. Has played in the winter with Ekaterinburg ever since.
Aug. 20, 2016: Helped lead U.S. to sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal at Rio Games.
June 18, 2019: Married Cherelle Griner.
Aug. 8, 2021: Helped U.S. win seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal at Tokyo Games. She averaged 16.5 points to lead the U.S.
Feb. 17, 2022: Arrested for drug possession at airport outside of Moscow while returning to her team in Russia from a FIBA World Cup qualifier break. Customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.
July 1, 2022: Trial started in court outside of Moscow.
July 7, 2022: Pled guilty to drug possession charges, saying: “There was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law.”
Aug. 4, 2022: Sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison for drug possession.
Oct 25, 2022: Appeal of the prison sentence for drug possession was rejected by a Russian court.
Nov. 17, 2022: Griner was transferred to a penal colony in the western Russian region of Mordovia.
Dec. 8, 2022: Russia frees Griner in high-level prisoner exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
