WNBA’s Brittney Griner Makes MLK Day Appearance In Arizona

Brittney Griner, WNBA Player, was present at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade in Phoenix, Arizona. released In a prisoner swap, from a Russian prison.

Griner, along with Cherelle, was seen in the parade on Monday.

Jonathan McCall, a local reporter, shared a photo and video of Griner at the parade via Twitter.

HAPPY TO BE HOME @PhoenixMercury Star @brittneygriner Makes an appearance at #AZMLK Festival in Phoenix

BG posed for photos with fans.

Talked about Houstonians.

Says she’s happy to be home after time in Russian prison.#News #AZ #BG42 #Hoops #WNBA pic.twitter.com/G2ocB8fEqO

— Jonathan McCall (@JonathanMcCall) January 16, 2023

Griner was arrested After vaping cartridges containing cannabis oil were discovered in her luggage, she was arrested in Moscow in February. Later she was relocated to another city. sentenced Many argued that the decision was politically motivated and went on for nine years.

The Mercury Phoenix center’s arrest occurred shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in February President Joe Biden spoke out against Russia’s invasion, with the U.S. providing billions of dollars Support Ukraine

Griner was released on December 1st prisoner swap Viktor Bout (also known as the Russian arms dealer) “Merchant of Death.”

Two-time Olympic gold Medalist posted an Instagram post to celebrate her independence last month.

“It feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn. I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help,” Griner posted December

Griner also spoke out about her return to the court for next season’s basketball.

“I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon,” She added the Instagram post.

Bout was sentenced to a 25 year prison term in the U.S.A. for conspiring against killing Americans, anti-aircraft missile delivery, and aiding terrorist organizations.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was among those who spoke out against tHe Biden administration’s strategy in the prisoner swap.

“We weren’t going to trade bad guys for celebrities because it creates the wrong incentives for the bad guys. As we go forward, it’s not good for American national security. It’s not good for people who are traveling across the world,” he said.

Others also shared their opinions frustration that former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan remains imprisoned in Russia and was not freed during the negotiations to secure Griner’s release.

“I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four-year anniversary of my arrest is coming up. I was arrested for a crime that never occurred,” Whelan said. “I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”