Brittney Griner Is Writing a Memoir About Her Wrongful Detention
BYJoan SummersApr 12, 2023
Brittney Griner has formally announced an upcoming memoir about her wrongful detention in a Russian prison in 2022.
The basketball champ announced the news on Instagram: "I arrived in Moscow to rejoin the UMMC Ekaterinburg basketball team and was immediately detained at the airport. That day was the beginning of an unfathomable period in my life which only now am I ready to share."
She continues: "The primary reason I traveled back to Russia for work that day was because I wanted to make my wife, family, and teammates proud. After an incredibly challenging 10 months in detainment, I am grateful to have been rescued and to be home." Through her memoir, Griner says that "readers will hear [her] story and understand why [she's] so thankful for the outpouring of support from people across the world."
Griner also lists "other Americans wrongly detained abroad" in the announcement, including: "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."
A quick refresher: Griner was detained for nearly ten months in Russia following a February 2022 arrest for trumped-up charges of drug smuggling. Officials claimed she was being used as leverage in response to sanctions and the United States' response to the conflict in Ukraine. She would later be transferred to a penal colony and would ultimately be freed by the Russian government in a prisoner swap with arms dealer Viktor Bout.
In February, Griner was also re-signed to the Phoenix Mercury. She said on Instagram following the announcement: "I look forward to being able to say 'thank you' to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon." As the Mercury noted in its own press release, Griner "is also a member of the exclusive club of 11 women who have won an Olympic, World Cup, WNBA and NCAA title."
Her upcoming memoir does not have a title or release date. Knopf will publish the hardcover, while Penguin Random House will publish the audiobook.
Photo via Johnny Nunez/ Getty