Brittney Griner, the WNBA All-Star who spent 10 months in a Russian prison before being released in a prisoner exchange in Dec. 2022, was not among the 12 players named Sunday to a US national team squad.
Griner, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and star center for the Phoenix Mercury was among 18 players invited to a three-day training camp in New York that ended on Sunday. However, she was not chosen to represent the United States at the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament starting Thursday in Antwerp, Belgium.
Griner was reportedly unavailable to play in the coming week but was able to gain valuable training time with the US squad, noted AFP.
The US players, as defending champions, have already qualified for the field at the Paris Olympics later this year but participated in the quadrennial qualifying tournament to help prepare for the Olympics.
US Women’s Basketball Team: Seven Consecutive Gold Medals
The U.S. women’s basketball team, which will select a final Paris roster later this year, is out to capture an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal in France.
No response as yet from Griner though she said shortly after returning to the U.S. that she was done playing abroad…except for the Olympics.
“I’m never going overseas to play again unless I’m representing my country at the Olympics,” Griner said at her first public press conference in early 2023.
Griner’s Russia Ordeal
Griner, who had been playing for seven years during the off-season on a Russian basketball team, was arrested exactly one week before Russia invaded Ukraine.
After being tried and sentenced to nine years in prison for possession of cannabis oil, she was released on December 8, 2022, in exchange for Russian arms dealer and Vladimir Putin ally, Viktor Bout.
Other Projects To Keep Her Busy
Griner is partnering with Walt Disney Co DIS to produce a documentary feature with ESPN Films, a scripted limited series through ABC Signature and a sit-down interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts. The documentary will chronicle Griner’s journey, from her rise to basketball stardom to her arrest, imprisonment and release from prison in Russia.
Photo: Twitter @PhoenixMercury
