Brittney Griner returns to practice for Mercury as she prepares for first media day since release

The WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury got a pre-season glimpse of Brittney Griner on Monday as the 6-foot-9 center prepares to face media for the first time since being released from a Russian penal colony on December 8.

‘It’s one thing to be back on the court, it’s another thing to be back at home,’ read the caption on the Phoenix Mercury Twitter account, which encouraged team fans to see her return to action at the team’s first home game on May 21. Prior to that, Griner and the Mercury will play the Sparks in Los Angeles on Opening Day, May 19. 

Griner is seen doing one-on-one drills against a male coach in the social media clip. Playing without her dreadlocks, which she shaved while imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, Griner hits a variety of shots while showing off her deft ball handling skills.

The eight-time WNBA All-Star is scheduled to speak at Mercury’s media day on Thursday. Griner has shied away from reporters since being released in prisoner swap that allowed arms dealer Viktor Bout to return to his native Russia. 

However, she has made several notable public appearances, ranging from a women’s empowerment luncheon held by Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, where she was seen with wife Cherelle.

ESPN chose Brittney Griner’s return as its game-opening coverage of the new WNBA season

A national champion at Baylor in 2012 and WNBA champion with the Mercury two years later, Griner had been supplementing her income by playing in the Russian league since 2014. But while returning to the country in February of 2022, the Houston native was arrested at an airport outside Moscow with what Russian security claimed were cartridges of hash oil.

Amid the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, Griner was found guilty and sentenced to nine out of a possible 10 years in a Russian penal colony, where she reported in November. However, she was freed a month later after the US State Department negotiated the prisoner exchange for Bout.

Griner re-signed with team in February and is preparing to earn $165,000 for the upcoming season.

Griner is preparing to release a memoir next year about her 2022 arrest in Moscow, drug trial, and subsequent 10-month detention, the last few weeks of which were spent in a Russian penal colony.

‘That day [in February] was the beginning of an unfathomable period in my life which only now am I ready to share,’ Griner said in a statement released Tuesday by publisher Alfred A. Knopf.

Griner hopes her book will help other Americans detained overseas, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia last month and accused of espionage; and Paul Whelan, who is being held on spying charges.

‘By writing this book, I also hope to raise awareness surrounding other Americans wrongfully detained abroad such as Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Emad Shargi, Airan Berry, Shahab Dalili, Luke Denman, Eyvin Hernandez, Majd Kamalmaz, Jerrel Kenemore, Kai Li, Siamak Namazi, Austin Tice, Mark Swidan and Morad Tahbaz.’

‘The primary reason I traveled back to Russia for work that day was because I wanted to make my wife, family, and teammates proud,’ wrote Griner. ‘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.’

The center, 32, is set to play for the Phoenix Mercury after being held in Russia for 10 months

Russia has been a popular playing destination for top WNBA athletes in the offseason, with some earning salaries over $1 million — nearly quadruple what they can make as a base WNBA salary. Despite pleading guilty to possessing canisters with cannabis oil, a result of what she said was hasty packing, Griner still faced trial under Russian law.

Griner’s memoir is currently untitled and will eventually be published in a young adult edition. Financial terms were not disclosed, and spokespeople for Penguin Random House did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for more information.

Griner makes her official return to the court on May 19, when she and the Mercury will take on the Los Angeles Sparks on ABC/ESPN. She has not played for the Mercury since 2021, when she led Phoenix to the WNBA Finals before losing to the Chicago Sky.

Regardless, Griner was nearly unstoppable that season, averaging 20.5 points, 1.9 blocks, 2.7 assists, and career-highs with 9.5 rebounds per game.

Griner hopes her book will help imprisoned Evan Gershkovich (left) and Paul Whelan (right)