Brittney Griner, the WNBA player, who was arrested in Russia and spent nearly 10 months in prison, is currently working on a memoir about her experience, which is set to be released in spring of 2024.
As we previously reported, the basketball star, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA, was arrested in Russia in February 2022 while playing for a Russian women’s team. After Russian authorities accused her of carrying hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow, she was held captive and denied her right to return home. Team Brittney was formed to assist with Brittney’s plight and push for her release and return. After months of negotiations, Russian authorities finally allowed Griner to return home to the United States in December following a prisoner swap.
Her memoir will share details of her experience while playing in Russia with Ummc Ekaterinburg, a professional women’s basketball team based in Ekaterinburg, Russia, and the moments leading up to her arrest.
While Griner is looking forward to the upcoming season with the Phoenix Mercury this spring, she is also sharing her story from her captivity experience in hopes of inspiring other women and showing that no matter how hard times get, you can always come out on top if you stay strong and never give up.
In a statement released Tuesday, Griner said she was “proud of my wife, family, and teammates for helping me through this unfathomable period of my life.”
“The primary reason I traveled back to Russia for work that day was because I wanted to make my wife, family, and teammates proud,” she said. “After an incredibly challenging 10 months in detainment, I am grateful to have been rescued and to be home. Readers will hear my story and understand why I’m so thankful for the outpouring of support from people across the world.”
She explained that she chose to share her story as a primary reason to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking and to help other women who may be facing similar struggles.
“By writing this book, I also hope to raise awareness surrounding other Americans wrongfully detained abroad,” Griner said.
According to a news release from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, Griner, 34, is expected to release the book during the spring of 2024.