Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via GettyBrittney Grinergot choked up while reuniting with a familiar face on Thursday.The WNBA star, 32, shared an emotional moment with a Phoenix Mercury reporter during her first media availability with the team since her release.Thepress conferencemarked the first time the 32-year-old WNBA star had spoken to reporters since her release from Russian detainment in December.“Aw, so good to see you,” Griner said with a smile after recognizing the journalist in the crowd. After that, the two shared an emotional moment of silence as both struggled to speak through tears.Griner nodded her head with tears in her eyes while the reporter asked how she was able to find the resilience to share her story.“See, you’re crying and now you made me cry,” Griner responded.“You know, I’m no stranger to hard times,” Griner began. “Just digging deep honestly, you’re going to be faced with adversities throughout your life — this was a pretty big one,” she said of her 10 months in Russian custody.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Griner said she “relied” on her “hard work” to get through the experience.“I know this sounds so small, but you know, dying in practice and just hard workouts, you find a way to just grind it out. Put your head down and keep moving,” she added.The WNBA star said she made it a point to “never be still” while in Russian prison. “That was my thing…never get too focused on the now.“PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via GettyLater in the conference, Griner spoke about the lessons she’s learned since her arrest in Feb. 2022.“Life is short. Things can change at the stroke of a match,” she said. “Appreciate every moment. Don’t take it for granted, but it’s so true. Once something like this happens to you, when people say that it hits home, it hits closer to you.“When asked if she would ever play basketball overseas again, Griner confidently responded, “I’m never going overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country at the Olympics.““If I make that team, that would be the only time I would leave the U.S. soil, and that’s just to represent the USA,” the Phoenix Mercury star explained.(L-R) Brianna Turner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kia Nurse and Brittney Griner.Ethan Miller/GettyLike many WNBA stars, Griner played in international leagues overseas during the Mercury’s offseason for financial reasons, and she was traveling to meet her Russian team, UMMC Yekaterinburg, when she was arrested at a Moscow airport.“I’ll say this, the whole reason a lot of us go over is the pay gap,” Griner said. “A lot of us go over there to make an income, to support our families, to support ourselves.”
Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty
Brittney Grinergot choked up while reuniting with a familiar face on Thursday.The WNBA star, 32, shared an emotional moment with a Phoenix Mercury reporter during her first media availability with the team since her release.Thepress conferencemarked the first time the 32-year-old WNBA star had spoken to reporters since her release from Russian detainment in December.“Aw, so good to see you,” Griner said with a smile after recognizing the journalist in the crowd. After that, the two shared an emotional moment of silence as both struggled to speak through tears.Griner nodded her head with tears in her eyes while the reporter asked how she was able to find the resilience to share her story.“See, you’re crying and now you made me cry,” Griner responded.“You know, I’m no stranger to hard times,” Griner began. “Just digging deep honestly, you’re going to be faced with adversities throughout your life — this was a pretty big one,” she said of her 10 months in Russian custody.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Griner said she “relied” on her “hard work” to get through the experience.“I know this sounds so small, but you know, dying in practice and just hard workouts, you find a way to just grind it out. Put your head down and keep moving,” she added.The WNBA star said she made it a point to “never be still” while in Russian prison. “That was my thing…never get too focused on the now.“PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via GettyLater in the conference, Griner spoke about the lessons she’s learned since her arrest in Feb. 2022.“Life is short. Things can change at the stroke of a match,” she said. “Appreciate every moment. Don’t take it for granted, but it’s so true. Once something like this happens to you, when people say that it hits home, it hits closer to you.“When asked if she would ever play basketball overseas again, Griner confidently responded, “I’m never going overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country at the Olympics.““If I make that team, that would be the only time I would leave the U.S. soil, and that’s just to represent the USA,” the Phoenix Mercury star explained.(L-R) Brianna Turner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kia Nurse and Brittney Griner.Ethan Miller/GettyLike many WNBA stars, Griner played in international leagues overseas during the Mercury’s offseason for financial reasons, and she was traveling to meet her Russian team, UMMC Yekaterinburg, when she was arrested at a Moscow airport.“I’ll say this, the whole reason a lot of us go over is the pay gap,” Griner said. “A lot of us go over there to make an income, to support our families, to support ourselves.”
Brittney Grinergot choked up while reuniting with a familiar face on Thursday.
The WNBA star, 32, shared an emotional moment with a Phoenix Mercury reporter during her first media availability with the team since her release.
Thepress conferencemarked the first time the 32-year-old WNBA star had spoken to reporters since her release from Russian detainment in December.
“Aw, so good to see you,” Griner said with a smile after recognizing the journalist in the crowd. After that, the two shared an emotional moment of silence as both struggled to speak through tears.
Griner nodded her head with tears in her eyes while the reporter asked how she was able to find the resilience to share her story.
“See, you’re crying and now you made me cry,” Griner responded.
“You know, I’m no stranger to hard times,” Griner began. “Just digging deep honestly, you’re going to be faced with adversities throughout your life — this was a pretty big one,” she said of her 10 months in Russian custody.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Griner said she “relied” on her “hard work” to get through the experience.
“I know this sounds so small, but you know, dying in practice and just hard workouts, you find a way to just grind it out. Put your head down and keep moving,” she added.
The WNBA star said she made it a point to “never be still” while in Russian prison. “That was my thing…never get too focused on the now.”
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty
Later in the conference, Griner spoke about the lessons she’s learned since her arrest in Feb. 2022.
“Life is short. Things can change at the stroke of a match,” she said. “Appreciate every moment. Don’t take it for granted, but it’s so true. Once something like this happens to you, when people say that it hits home, it hits closer to you.”
When asked if she would ever play basketball overseas again, Griner confidently responded, “I’m never going overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country at the Olympics.”
“If I make that team, that would be the only time I would leave the U.S. soil, and that’s just to represent the USA,” the Phoenix Mercury star explained.
(L-R) Brianna Turner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kia Nurse and Brittney Griner.Ethan Miller/Getty
Like many WNBA stars, Griner played in international leagues overseas during the Mercury’s offseason for financial reasons, and she was traveling to meet her Russian team, UMMC Yekaterinburg, when she was arrested at a Moscow airport.
“I’ll say this, the whole reason a lot of us go over is the pay gap,” Griner said. “A lot of us go over there to make an income, to support our families, to support ourselves.”
source: people.com
