On Friday night, WNBA star Brittney Griner shared a heartfelt message acknowledging the support of people all around the world who advocated for her safe return. In her Instagram post, she shared two pictures of a beaming Griner getting off the aircraft. In the next photo, she is hugging her wife, Cherelle Griner. At the end of her message, she revealed her future plans.

“I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season…“, said the seven-time All-Star. She wants to let the basketball do the talking and let her game be representative of her gratitude.

Read More: Big Admission on Brittney Griner?s ?Patriotism? From the Man Who Brought Her Home

Brittney Griner had also given a shoutout to the president of the franchise, Vince Kozar in her post. Kozar had actually gone with WNBA star Diana Taurasi, and Jim Patman, the general manager for her homecoming.

Kozar commented on her comeback to the game as well. He admitted he was hesitant to broach the subject. “When I really thought about how big a part of her life basketball is, how much she missed it, and the fact that it had been taken away from her, I felt like she would eventually want to play“.

The WNBA player reunited with the basketball world earlier this week. According to her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, “her first act was a dunk”. Colas added that Griner would be sharing her professional plans later on in the week.

Brittney Griner’s horrifying last 10 months

Brittney Griner was detained at a Moscow airport after authorities found cannabis oil in her luggage. What transpired after that was a series of events that led her to be imprisoned in a penal colony in Russia.

A Russian court convicted her of smuggling drugs and Griner was subsequently sentenced to nine years in an IK-2 female penal colony. The colony had come under the spotlight for its apparent taxing and harsh living and labor conditions.

Watch This Story: What Did Joe Rogan Say About Brittney Griner

All the while, there was interest and talks about a potential prisoner swap between both nations. Finally, Brittney Griner was released on 8 December 2022, in exchange for Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer who was incarcerated in the US.

Griner has since been at a military base in San Antonio upon her arrival. The Brooke Army Medical Center is renowned for treating both civilians and military personnel who have undergone trauma.

What do you think of Griner’s comments on returning to the WNBA? Let us know in the comments below.