Members of the women’s basketball community can breathe a sigh of relief. On Dec. 8, WNBA legend Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner had been detained in Russia since February.
Recently, rolling out spoke with Griner’s 2016 Olympic teammate Angel McCoughtry and Atlanta Dream head coach Tanisha Wright about her release. McCoughtry also played in Russia for three off seasons.
What was your initial reaction to hearing about Brittney Griner’s release?
McCoughtry: Oh, man, it’s such a relief. I mean, she’s just an amazing person. I see a lot of negative backlash, but she deserves to be back home.
Wright: My overall reaction is the same reaction I had the day I found out, [it] was just like, “We can breathe.” Like the family of the WNBA can now breathe. That’s nothing compared to what BG had to go through. But on that day, it was like a friend of mine hit me up and I was like, “Listen. Nothing can go wrong today. There’s nothing that can be done today that can make me feel anything other than joy that BG is finally home with her family back in the United States.”
I wish BG well in terms of her journey to healing, but we’re just thrilled that she’s back. Our family seems way more complete now that BG is back.
What’s your advice for fellow players who want to play overseas in the offseason now?
McCoughtry: Yeah, I would say it’s still opportunities there. I think depending on what country. Like Spain is OK, Italy, Turkey. There are still opportunities to play overseas. Obviously, Russia probably might be off the list for a while, but there’s still the opportunity there for these young girls.
