CNN –
Brittney Griner left a military medical facility in Texas and returned home on Friday, and she intends to play basketball for her team this season, according to her Instagram feed.
For the two-time Olympic gold medalist, who was released last week in a prisoner swap after nearly 300 days in Russian custody, the day marks another step in her reintegration into American life.
“It’s so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle every moment,” she said in an Instagram post. “I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love of so many of you that kept me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for your help.”
Griner said she was “grateful to every person who stood up for me” and mentioned Paul Whelan, whose release could not be secured in the prisoner exchange that brought her home.
“President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home as well,” he said. “I will use my platform to do everything I can to help you. I also encourage everyone involved in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring home all Americans. Every family deserves to be whole “.
Griner left Kelly Field in San Antonio around 11 a.m. Friday, CNN confirmed through his agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas.
As she boarded the plane, Griner was greeted by Phoenix Mercury GM Jim Pitman, Phoenix Mercury President Vince Kozar and Mercury teammate Diana Taurasi, all of whom made a surprise appearance by welcome him home.
Griner is returning to Arizona, though his reps won’t confirm exactly where, citing security concerns. CNN previously reported that Griner and his wife, Cherelle, had already made plans to move upon his return to the United States.
“I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball with the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA this season, and in doing so, I hope to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and post for me in person soon,” Griner said.
Griner’s arrest, after Russian officials found vaporizer cartridges containing cannabis oil in his luggage, became an international cause during a delicate moment in relations between Washington and Moscow. US officials considered it an illegal detention.
She had traveled to Russia to play basketball during the WNBA offseason and was arrested for drug trafficking at an airport in the Moscow region.
Despite her testimony that she had inadvertently packed the cannabis oil in her luggage, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison in early August and was transferred to a penal colony in the Republic of Mordovia in mid-November after losing his appeal.
The Phoenix Mercury center became a pawn in Russia’s war in Ukraine and returned to the United States on Dec. 9 after a prisoner swap for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner stayed at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio for a week for a routine evaluation. He has been staying with his wife, Cherelle Griner, in a residential facility on base. His arrest and conviction drew attention to the plight of other Americans in Russian custody, including Whelan and Trevor Reed, who returned to the United States in April after a nearly three-year ordeal.
This is a developing story and will be updated.